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Kartrite Resort A Catskills Getaway You and Your Kids Will Love

June 25, 2019
Travel

A GREAT GETAWAY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Manhattanites always seem to be looking for getaways. I guess the extreme city life can make you yearn for the green outdoors. And the green outdoors is what you’ll get along with so much more family fun at The Kartrite Resort, a new resort in the Catskills. We were invited to come check it out and traveled to Catskills, NY for father’s day weekend because of it. And we found that it was just a couple hours away with a scenic, tree-lined drive (something all of us in the concrete jungle crave). You won’t believe all there was to do there which is why we highly recommend it! Keep reading for the full review and insider info. to this incredible resort.

ROOMS

Their standard room, otherwise known as a “junior suite” comes with 2 queen beds and a sofa sleeper – so great for a family of 3-4. Prices, the hotel says, can start as low as $199 a night to $449 a night in peak times. We were in an upgraded, “family bunk suite” which included 1 king bed, a queen sofa sleeper, plus separate bunk suite (2 bunk beds) and patio. We were impressed with how light bright and airy the room felt and found the room to be spacious, clean and modern. Bonus is that all rooms have a mini-fridge, coffee maker, microwave and great wifi ( essentials to every family, right?!)

I’m happy to report that right now you can book your summer vacation and save up to 50% off family bunk suites! Use code SUM19 to book and automatically be entered to win one of your nights free. With 324 brand new suites nestled in a cozy Catskills mountainside, you’ll love the luxurious lodging, and peaceful getaway!

Note, check-in starts at 4pm but you can start using the waterpark as early as 9am the day of your check-in. So my tip is to pack a separate bag of all your swim essentials and get there early to take full advantage of the amazing waterpark! (Leave your luggage with the bellhop and swim the day away – lockers are available at the waterpark for your swim essentials and valuables).

WATERPARK

Wow. Just wow! There is something there for everyone! From the tiniest, babies, to toddlers, teens and adults, I promise, everyone is assured a good time! My personal favorite is the lazy river. But my 6 year old daughter got great use out of the mid-level slides, toddler splash areas and leapfrog challenge. She and her friend also enjoyed racing each other down the twin slides. This is a place where memories are to be made!!

You’ll also love the convenience of having tons of chairs and tables to lounge rest and relax on. (Private cabanas are also available at an additional cost and perfect for those that are breastfeeding or have a little one that needs to nap while the older ones continue to play).

And their two casual eating options (Surfside Grille and Bar Mez) allow for pick-up in your wet swimsuits. Towels, and lifejackets are free of charge, lockers range from $15-25. Surf’s up!! Who’d ride this wave??

OTHER ACTIVITIES

When you’re not splishing and splashing your day away there are SO many other fun activities to try! On-site is their basement-level gaming and arcade area. Can someone tell me when arcade games got so cool? Even my gamer husband thought their arcade was top notch.

And as if the world’s coolest arcade wasn’t enough, we also fell in love with their 4D theater experience, bowling, rock climbing, ropes course, laser tag and virtual reality!!

Additionally,the resort also goes out of their way to create programing throughout the day that interests the entire family. Popular, scheduled events included donut decorating, scavenger hunts, sand art, rock painting and family movie and game nights. There were so many ways to spend quality family time and laugh along the way!

They also had a beautiful bonfire area near an outdoor kiddie climbing structure where we could roast smores, tell stories and drink wine or hot chocolate! Sound good? It’s so fun!

I should also mention that the resort also had a fitness center and spa but I did not have a chance to go to either (cuz it was father’s day…not mother’s day) haha This just gives me extra motivation to return later this fall when I know it will be even more beautiful with the fall leaves in full color.

FOOD

After you’ve burned calories doing all the above, you’re going to appreciate the seven restaurants and bars on-site. For breakfast we loved the casual, buffet experience (EAT EAT EAT) but there was also a cafe called Highline for quick coffees, yogurts, and sandwiches to go. Bixby’s is their fine dining restaurant and the place we decided to celebrate Father’s day at. It had magnificent floor to ceiling windows overlooking their courtyard and the French onion soup there was fabulous! Pizza and hot, supersized pretzels were a huge hit with the kids at the waterpark’s Surfside grill. And Bar Mez (the waterpark’s 2nd floor bar) gave me great, overhead waterpark views and a nice dacquiri and bar food selection. Near the arcade is the Harvey’s Wallbanger bar and an Instagramable Sweet shop where I bought a huge, chocolate covered rice krispy for just $3.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Bring your own smores kit. (Their kit includes 3 marshmallows..and you’ll want extra if your family is larger than that or have kids that tend to drop things and or want more than one to roast)
Bring closed-toe shoes if you want to try the ropes course
Know that once you check-out of the hotel you will need to have cash on hand to purchase items at the waterpark and throughout the hotel (welcome back to reality). Your handy bracelet can no longer charge things for you.
You can buy a limited day pass even if you are not staying at the hotel (prices range from $59-$99)
There is a casino on the same strip in case you are feeling lucky…now you know! (Resorts World Casino)
Woodbury Commons (for outlet shopping) is just 45 minutes away.
There is no kids’ club on-site but the hotel does have a partnering babysitting service that they recommend for $30/hr
The waterpark offers showers however you must prepare your own shampoo, conditioner and soap.

This is a sponsored post. We were hosted at the Kartrite Resort and MiracleSuit gifted me the caftan and swimsuit in exchange for the review but as always all opinions are my own.

Does Trying On A Swimsuit Make You Cringe? If So, Read This.

May 17, 2019
Style

Does trying on a swimsuit make YOU cringe? Just the thought of it makes me uneasy. Finding a flattering swimsuit, is probably the most angst-ridden wardrobe challenge. Dresses? no problem. Jeans? I’m confident, I’ll find something. Swimsuit? Oh dear… If you’re like me (and most women), you probably feel just as nervous and insecure about the prospect of hunting down that swimsuit. And post-motherhood and entering my 40s has not helped the situation. Anyone else relate when I scream out of the dressing room, “caftan please?!!” If so, let me introduce you to a recent fab find – Amoressa Swimwear!

I was recently asked to be one of the influencers to travel with Amoressa to Cancun – see more about the trip and our fabulous hotel here. And that is how I was first introduced to the swimwear line Sponsored blogger getaway? How could I not immediately respond, “YES!” (even if that meant I’d have to gulp down my fear of photographing myself in a bathing suit while there..) You see, the reason I had never heard of Amoressa before was because I never cared to look at brands outside of the $70 and under category. I frankly didn’t want to put money into something I felt would ultimately not make me feel so great. And THEN, Amoressa sent me a couple of styles. And just like that with the first try – on, I became a convert. Suddenly, the thought of wearing the swimsuit wasn’t so scary, and suddenly, I had a change of heart! “Okay…I can do this!”

It may sound silly, but the simple upgrade from cheaper swimsuit to a premium one made all the difference. And it was all thanks to Amoressa’s quality and magical Lycra powers. I say magical, because it really changed my whole attitude towards swimsuits and my level of confidence approaching this project. You know the difference between wearing a body-hugging dress with and then without the help of Spanx? That little bit of shaping changes everything, right? Just like that, this swimsuit, managed to smooth everything out, hold me in and give me shape without being too restrictive.

Upon doing some research, I learned that Amoressa’s brand fell under the umbrella brand of MiracleSuits. You’ve all heard of them, right? Look like you’ve lost 10lbs in 10 seconds? Oh my God that statement is for real, folks! Their bathing suits slim! Hallelujah!! I wish a friend had told me this before! So here I am telling YOU! Here is a shot of all of us influencers in the various lines of swimsuits MiracleSuit owns. Just look how comfortable and confident everyone looks and feels! It is so flattering on all body shapes. And that is what is so amazing about it!

SO worth the investment, this Amoressa line is MiracleSuit’s sexier, sleek line with great styles, colors and patterns to choose from. I encourage you to check out MiracleSuit’s whole collection here.