I turned another year older this month! My husband and I don’t usually celebrate our birthdays in a big way. But as our daughter is getting older, it’s important to us to plan more trips and fun adventures when we can. We love creating memories with her! Last October, we drove to San Antonio for my hubby’s birthday, leisurely strolled the River Walk, and spent a day at Sea World. We went behind the scenes and got up close and personal with their bottle nose dolphins. It was such an amazing experience! This year for my birthday, we headed to Padre Island and stayed the weekend in Corpus Christi. We haven’t visited the beach since Olivia was 3, so we were definitely due some time with our toes in the sand! We met up with my best friend and her family, who we haven’t seen in such a long time. It was the absolute best way to spend my birthday!
After a nearly 7 hour drive, we made it to the island! I like how the scenery changes and you know you’re getting close to the ocean. Those colorful beach houses start popping up all around you, and you can smell the salt in the air.
It was totally unplanned, but we timed our trip perfectly with my bestie. We were both already running behind schedule, but still managed to arrive at our destination minutes apart. We had too much fun exchanging texts and silly messages in the car giddy to reunite. It was super exciting to see them and finally be able to hug her!
We rented the cutest hot pink cabana for the weekend, and it did not disappoint. I mean, look at it! I found this adorable townhouse on vrbo.com and knew right away it was meant to be. I adore that pink and lime green exterior.
There’s a whole row of colorful townhouses down the block surrounded by palm trees. They’re just minutes from local restaurants, souvenir shopping, and the beach. So dreamy! I’ve had a lot of people ask where to book this vacay home, and you can snag it at this link.
Let’s take a closer look inside this mini Barbie beach house! Cabana Flamingo —
As you walk through the gate, there’s a long semi-covered patio with outdoor seating. It’s fully decorated with vintage beach signs, colorful furniture, and palms.
There’s a sort of rock garden near the back with a water hose which was super helpful for washing off sand after hitting the beach. There’s plenty of seating for lounging and tanning too.
The inside of our cabana was so nice! It was much more spacious in person than I anticipated. The decorations were beautiful, and not at all cheesy like some places I came across when looking for reservations. It gave absolute beach vibes in every room without being too much.
We booked through Padre Escapes, and they left me a little birthday surprise box on the bar! They included a beach towel, swimming goggles for the kiddos, and a few other essentials. I loved the personal touch they added to make me feel special. “Let the beach birthday weekend begin!”
Our cabana was two bedroom, each with their own bathroom. I really like the blue walls throughout. And those bedspreads are so pretty! Our towels were set out like a hotel which I thought was sweet. It’s the little things!
You can see even more photos of the full cabana on their listing at vrbo.com here.
There’s a communal pool available about two townhouses down from ours. It’s surrounded by colorful cabanas and palm trees with private access to enter. It has a shallow end which the kids enjoyed, and is about 4 feet deep in the deepest spot. Very refreshing, and we had it all to ourselves! We only got to swim in it for a brief time one morning, but I wish we had utilized it more during our stay.
Beach time!
We took a short drive to Port Aransas our first afternoon in Padre. The waters were calm and a perfect temperature. Our kiddos had a lot of fun splashing around, and watching the little clams burrow in the sand. That was cool! I had never seen that before, have you guys?
It was really great being able to sit on the shore and catch up with my bff while watching our little ones play with our hubbies. Oh man, we needed that! I’m so glad we got the chance to travel together for the weekend.
After we spent time in the sand, we loaded up and headed back to the cabana to relax. We took naps, and ordered seafood takeout before crashing for the evening.
My official birthday was the next morning, and we had something super fun planned for my family that I was extreeemely pumped for. I made reservations for the three of us to ride horses on the beach! This has been one of my bucket list items for quite some time. It was truly an awesome experience.
We got dolled up and headed to the stables!
Here I am, officially 37 —
We booked our reservation through Horses on The Beach in Corpus. Their horses are beautiful! There were about 20 of us in a group that rode the trail together. When we got there, we signed waivers for each of us, and stepped outside to be assigned which horse we would ride.
Once we were all paired and saddled up, off we went to the beach!
We rode up a small hill through a row of sunflowers that peaked over the shoreline. It was such a serene setting. I was really wising those sunflowers were in full bloom. That would’ve been amazing. They’re my absolute favorite!
My horse’s name was Angel Eyes. Can you tell? He had piercing crystal blue sparkly eyes. Such a gorgeous boy!
Livi & her horse Levi! My daughter was trailing along with a guide leading her down the beach. She had such a blast! Livi is more of a pro at riding than my husband and I. She used to ride when she was younger so she was having the time of her life.
Hoof prints in the sand! ♥
After about an hour ride, we headed back to the stables. My hubby snapped this photo of our group. You can see a peak of his horse, Jack. His ears and bits of mane hair sticking up at the bottom is too cute.
I’m SO ecstatic that we made that happen! It was hot, sticky, and gave our legs a mad workout that we felt for days after, but it was so worth it. Definitely one experience I will never forget. To be able to check that off my bucket list made my heart super happy. It was everything I hoped it would be. Watching the ocean views while trotting along the waters was so peaceful. I soaked in every moment. Horses really are such wonderful creatures. I rarely had the opportunity to be around them as a kid and I’ve grown to quickly love them as an adult.
We hurried back to the cabana to see my bestie and her family off as they were heading home. We decided to stay an extra day since we don’t usually get to vacay for very long. After a little resting, my hubby grabbed my phone and snapped some pics of me against these magnificent pink walls. Ya’ll know I had to take advantage of those for funsies!
Soon after, we got our swimsuits on and headed to the beach a few blocks away. It was very windy, but we had a blast. Livi had so much fun jumping in the waves with her daddy. That was my favorite part too!
We took turns making each other mermaid tails in the sand.
There’s no denying that this little girl loves the beach. She never wanted to leave! Every time we would rinse her off, she would go right back in the sand and flop around just so she could splash in the water again. She’s a stinker!
After we finally got her in the car, we showered and ate dinner at a local restaurant called Scuttlebutts. It was so yummy! Chris ordered a hamburger named after Elvis that had bananas and peanut butter on it. Have you guys tried those?? It was different, but actually a pretty tasty combination!
We enjoyed our last evening on Padre Island and got up the next morning and packed to get on the road. But first, coffee!
Island Joe’s Coffee shop is way cool, and made completely out of shipping containers. Their iced coffee was so good. Perfect for the road!
We saw this really awesome giant sand castle when we got to the island, so we wanted to check it out before leaving. It’s a souvenir shop on the other side, but we didn’t have the time to shop. A quick stop to check this thing out was a necessity though!
We posed for a few pics (thank you, honey!) and piled back in the car.
I couldn’t leave our beach trip without photographing some palm trees, duh. I almost forgot!
My husband knows I can’t resist murals when I spot one. I saw this during our stay and told him we have to stop before going home. Livi and I posed together for a few pics, and them some on our own, so we definitely got a good amount of these painted palms, haha.
What a fabulous trip to Padre! I’m so grateful for vacations with my family. They’re even sweeter when our friends can join us!
I’ve learned so much about myself since my last birthday. One of my favorite quotes these days is, “be the person who leads you, not the one that breaks you.” This resonates with me in so many different aspects. It makes me want to work harder to achieve our goals of starting our own business (coming soon, guys — stay tuned!). It inspires me to be in a healthy mindset when it comes to taking care of my body. It encourages me to have the wisdom to choose who I surround myself with, and be drawn to people that are truly good for my soul. It lets me know that it’s okay to let go of any guilt or obligation for other people’s happiness. It allows me to be more comfortable in my skin, and truly love myself. Once I realized all of those things, I’ve been much happier.
Here’s to learning more life lessons through each passing year, and enjoying life to the fullest!