Fall has been my favorite season for as long as I can remember. And if you know me well, you know that Disneyland is my absolute favorite place in the world. This year will be the first that we don’t head to Disneyland to experience the Fall + Halloween transformation that they create. That thought alone almost brings me to tears (forreal).

Last year we purchased tickets to the Oogie Boogie Bash hosted at California Adventures. It was the first year that the Halloween event wasn’t held at Disneyland and we knew we had to experience it for ourselves. Of course, Disney did not disappoint.

We. Had. A. BLAST.

I am coping with the fact that we won’t be able to attend another Disney bash this year by reminiscing and sharing last year’s extravaganza with you all. We dressed up as Marvel Superheroes (I was Gamora - minus the green skin, LOL), we went trick or treating, visited Star Wars land finally, ate endlessly and had the most marvelous time.

The treats were undeniable - I almost go to Disneyland for the food alone. We snacked on so many delish eats and yet I still feel like we missed out on a ton of other good ones! Being that my kiddos are older, we didn’t spend a ton of time at the character meet & greets this year. Instead we ran around each park until they closed the gates, went on all of our favorite rides and stuffed our faces.

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Some favorite holiday treats:

Disneyland:

Oogie Boogie Cake Pop - Pooh’s Corner

Pumpkin Spice Churro - Churro Stand near Cinderella’s Castle

Frozen Abuelita Hot Chocolate - Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante

Pan Dulce Ice Cream Sandwich - Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante

Pumpkin Spice Beignets - Mint Julep Bar

California Adventures:

Horchata Churro with Condensed Milk (TO DIE FOR) - Churro Stand near Goofy’s Sky School

Minnie Witch Shake - Schmoozies!

Mummy Doughnut - Schmoozies!

Rainbow Unicorn Slush - Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff

Anxiously Delicious Slush - Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff

We went to GREECE! Of course life has changed quite a bit since our Greek adventure but I have been working on sharing all of our travels and what they entailed. And what better time to start then now, while everyone is stuck at home secretly planning for their next future getaway. 

Traveling has become such a huge foundation for how we live and raise our children. A few years ago, when the travel bug bit me hard, I reached out to our closest family members and invited them on a wild journey - traveling in a group of  25+ people across the world. Being the control freak that I am (self-awareness at it’s finest, am I right?), I volunteered to take the reins on all things planning. That included, but was not limited to: booking airfare, finding the perfect vacation home, coordinating all excursions and creating an itinerary. Planning for a group of this size wasn’t easy, but I knew it would be well worth it. We embarked on our first journey to Alaska that year and haven’t looked back since!

While traveling, we have been asked “are you all family?” more times than I can count. It might sound hectic, and sometimes it is, but the memories my children are creating and being able to share that with their cousins is THE best feeling in the world. 

Greece was always at the top of the list of our dreamiest destinations! The stunning calderas, amazing greek food and turquoise waters pretty much sealed the deal for us. Although the travel planning process was tough, we finally touched down in the magical Greek islands and it was the trip of a lifetime.

Our first stop was Santorini. We rented a couple of huge Airbnbs for us all to share near Perissa Beach (black sand beach). Our hosts were some of our favorite people! Fresh baked goods were at our door every morning and they arranged rental cars for a day trip to Oia and quads for us to explore around the island. We travel with family members of all ages so getting to watch Eddie’s aunts and my mom learning to ride a four-wheeler was THE most hilarious thing!

We came across the most adorable gelato shop in Oia, Lolita’s Gelato Shop. With all of the kiddos in our group, stopping for treats is a must. Oia is pretty much where all the magic happens (aka: romance & picturesque blue-roofed houses galore)! It was surreal finally standing in one of the most photographed destinations in the world. I loved browsing through the cute shops and stopping along the alleyways for the perfect photo backdrops.

Our time in Santorini flew by! Even though the island is small, we had the best time exploring all there was to offer. A major trip highlight was when we took a Greek cooking class with Petra Kouzina! Not only was it the BEST food, hands down, that we had during our entire trip, the couple that owns it are the sweetest people - even the kids had a blast. A few nights later some of the adults in our group went on a Winery Tour which ended with the most stunning sunset views. That might have been my favorite night - probably because wine. ;)

Milos - it was UNREAL! We took a ferry ride over and rented yet another insanely beautiful Airbnb. The island of Milos is tiny but it is the most stunning place. The waters were crystal clear but slightly freezing. That didn’t stop us from jumping off the cliffs of Sarakiniko or swimming near the caves during our yacht tour with Milos Adventures. Milos is a quiet, less touristy island so there was so much ‘untouched’ land we were able to explore.

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I still can’t believe we are fortunate enough to experience these adventures into different countries and cultures. I’m convinced we need to be sponsored y’all.

Other top recommendations:

Yacht Cruise around Santorini: Spiridakos Sailing Cruises

Milos Restaurants: O! Hamos! Tavern, Gyros of Milos

Santorini Restaurants: La Maison, Ammoudi Fish Tavern, Ouzeri

Milos Beaches: Papafragas Beach and Caves, Tsigrado