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How many of you have heard you will no longer be a How many of you have heard you will no longer be able to travel once you have kids? I find most people who say these things don’t even have kids or if they do they have never traveled with their kids!

I’m not really into counting countries and we enjoy visiting places more than once, seeing the beauty all over the US and right in our state too. You don’t have to travel far to give your kids amazing experiences but you can also take them wherever you want. Y’all know my motto, if kids live there kids can visit!! 

Where have you been that people said you were crazy for taking your kids (or your parents for taking you) but you were so glad you didn’t listen to them and went anyway.

#travellingwithkids #familytravel
Everything you need to know about visiting Chichen Everything you need to know about visiting Chichen Itza, one of the 7 Wonders of the World (SAVE + SHARE this post).

Chichen Itza is 2.5 hours from Cancun, 2 hours from Playa del Carmen, and 90 minutes from both Tulum and Merida.

You can get here by renting a car, booking a private tour on Airbnb Experiences like we did, coming on a tour bus or for budget travelers taking the ADO bus. 

Most tours from Cancun are all day long, leaving as early as 7/8 am and as late as 9 pm drop off. This is because you’ll visit cenotes outside of Chichen Itza and the town of Valladolid. Since we only had 4 days in Cancun we didn’t want to spend a full day on the road but also really wanted to visit so booking private transportation allowed us to skip all the other stops and just go there and back. We were picked up at 9 and back at the hotel by 4 so we could have a relaxing evening.

Current admission is $533 Mexican pesos for adults, $80 for kids 3-12 and free for kids under 3. That’s about $30 US for adults and $5 for kids.

Once inside there is the main attraction that everyone comes to see but there are also other Mayan dwellings and a cenote. I recommend coming with a guide or hiring an official guide once on site so they can give you information on the history.

Have you been to any of the 7 Wonders? If so, which one(s)?

Hubby and I climbed the Great Wall of China together in 2007, Jordyn, James and I have been to the Colosseum in Rome, the girls and I have been to Petra and we all visited Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, Chichen Itza and the Great Pyramids of Giza together!

#chichenitza #7wondersoftheworld
Today is the last day of school and I could not be Today is the last day of school and I could not be more proud of Jordyn! Look at all those awards she racked up at her end of the year ceremony. She’s reading 3 grade levels above hers, was only 9 points away from a perfect score on her state reading test and made the Honor Roll every quarter of the year. It’s time to celebrate, let summer begin!!!
We’ve been to 34 states and while we haven’t v We’ve been to 34 states and while we haven’t visited them all yet these are 4 states you should consider visiting this summer. (SAVE + SHARE this list for inspo)

📍Idaho- Last year we explored Southern Idaho and it blew us away. City of Rocks National Reserve, Kayak to Shoshone Falls, white water rafting, and walking behind Perrine Coulee Waterfall are musts!

📍Alaska- We visited the South East part of Alaska, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan and WOW talk about stunning. You’ll love exploring ice caves, walking on glaciers, canoeing through ice bergs, seeing the volcano and hopefully spotting some bears!

📍Utah- From the famous national parks like Zion and Bryce to the lesser known areas like Kanab, Utah is stunning. You can’t miss sand boarding through Coral Pink Sand Dunes and ATVing through the gorgeous landscape.

📍California- Where else can you surf and ski/snowboard in the same day? California has the most national parks in any state so you know the beauty is beyond amazing. Having lived there for 3 years I’ve explored so many cities and there is something for everyone!!

Would you like me to share my website link for our itineraries for each of these trips in stories? Have you been to any of these? Which state intrigues you the most from this list? What city/state would you like to see us cover?

#visittheusa #bucketlisttrip #travellingwithkids
We have been traveling with our girls since they w We have been traveling with our girls since they were 6 weeks old. Is traveling with kids always easy? Nope! Are there added costs to traveling with kids? Yes! But having status with World of Hyatt has helped elevate our travels, making things a little easier and saving us money, here’s how (SAVE + SHARE this post).

1. Being a family of 4 standard hotel rooms can be kind of cramped. Having status with World of Hyatt means we’re eligible for free upgrades when available including suites as a Globalist.

2. Eating out for breakfast everyday on a vacation starts to add up really quickly. As a Globalist we get free breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children.

3. At hotels with club access Globalists also get free access which includes drinks and snacks, the perfect way to hold kids over until dinner without spending money.

4. I don’t know who decided 9 or 10am was a good time for check-out, hello we’re on vacation, we want to sleep in! Having status with World of Hyatt means you qualify for late check out at 2pm or 4pm depending on your level of status. So whether you sleep in, hit the pool or use the other amenities at the hotel you can enjoy a little longer. It especially helps us when we have flights later in the day.

5. After paying for our hotel room we hate having added fees. Thankfully when you have Globalist status with World of Hyatt resort fees are waived on free night awards and/or eligible rates.

6. Free hotel nights! There is nothing like booking a hotel and not paying a penny! Having joined World of Hyatt we rack up points (on more than just stays) and the higher your status, the more points you earn to get free stays faster.

7. As World of Hyatt members we even earn American Airlines miles on our Hyatt stays, getting us free flights faster to save even more money!

From being more comfortable to finding more ways to earn, you’re missing out if you haven’t joined World of Hyatt!

@hyatt #HyattPartner
4 Ways to Redeem Points at Hyatt Hotels & 7 Ways t 4 Ways to Redeem Points at Hyatt Hotels & 7 Ways to Earn World of Hyatt Points & (SAVE + SHARE):

Ways to Redeem
1. Redeem points for rooms at Hyatt hotels. There’s nothing like experiencing luxury without the cost, so glad I could redeem Hyatt points for this stay with one of the best views of Tokyo.

2. Redeem points to cover your meal at participating restaurants at Hyatt hotels.

3. Redeem Hyatt points to cover your spa treatment at participating spas at Hyatt hotels. 

4. Redeem points through World of Hyatt FIND experiences. With over 200 experiences like cooking classes, tastings, & walking tours there are so many activities to choose from!

Ways to Earn
1. Are you an elite member with American Airlines? If so, you can earn 1 Hyatt point for every $1 spent on AA flights. These are in addition to the normal miles you’ll earn on American, just sign into your AA account & link your World of Hyatt account.

2. Rent a car through Avis & can earn 500 Hyatt points per rental. Just provide your Hyatt membership number when making the reservation & use AWD code K817700.

3. Book a FIND experience by World of Hyatt and earn 10 points per $1 spent. Hyatt offers over 200 experiences such as culinary classes with celebrity chefs, hot air balloon ride in Arizona, guided bike tour over the Golden Gate bridge and more.

4. Even if you aren’t staying at a Hyatt property, if you eat at the hotel restaurant or book a spa treatment you can earn 5 points per $1 spent. We actually ate at a Hyatt restaurant in Kyoto & even though we weren’t staying there I gave my World of Hyatt number & received points!

5. Earn points on everyday spending with a World of Hyatt credit card: 2 points per $1 spent on restaurants, airline tickets, local transit, rideshares, & gym memberships plus earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

6. Transfer points earned on other credit cards who partner with Hyatt such like Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Unlimited & Freedom Flex. 

7. Book a cruise with Lindblad Expeditions & earn 5 points per $1 spent.

Are you doing any of these?

📍Andaz Tokyo

@hyatt #HyattPartner
If you visit Lisbon or any mainland city in Portug If you visit Lisbon or any mainland city in Portugal I highly recommend adding a trip to Madeira! It’s an island off the coast of Portugal, actually closer to Africa than Portugal. Here’s how I spent 6 days in Madeira (Save + Share this post):

🇵🇹Day 1: Pool day at my hotel (NEXT Hotel) for most of the day and then I went running up the crazy hills of Madeira to see Funchal by foot.

🇵🇹Day 2: I explored the NW part of the island visiting Seixal Beach, Ponto Moniz, Fanal Forest and Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela.

🇵🇹Day 3: I went on a sidecar adventure where I explored Valley of the Nuns, the Cabo Girão Skywalk, and the fishing town of São Pedro with @madeirasidecartours.

🇵🇹Day 4: Whale and dolphin watching tour but we only saw dolphins. In the evening I did an Airbnb Experience at a locals farm house where he cooked a great dinner where 90% of the items were picked directly from his gardens that day. He also taught us how to make poncha, a favorite local drink. The tour should already be linked in my Maderia story highlights.

🇵🇹Day 5: I toured the SE part of the island visiting Ponta do Garajau, Monte Palace, and ended the day at the most beautiful views from Pico do Arieiro (the shots of me on the clouds).

🇵🇹Day 6: I watched the sunrise from Miradouro Ponto do Rosto and then did an 8 mile hike of Levado do Caldeirão Verde. After the hike I relaxed at the pool!

If you want photos taken in Madeira I recommend @robframing.

Honestly Madeira was everything and I don’t see it dropping out of my top 5 international destinations anytime soon.

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Our Natural Hair Routine

August 18, 2020      Lifestyle, Lifestyle

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

I know this post is long overdue but I finally wrote it. I’ve been natural for fourteen years so I thankfully mastered my natural hair routine prior to having my daughters. While we all have natural hair our hair types range from 3c-4c (I think) and so what works for one of us doesn’t always work for the other but we’ve thankfully been able to find products that do work well in all of our hair.  In this article I’m giving you our weekly natural hair routine, general natural hair care tips and tips for traveling with natural hair.

Our Natural Hair Routine

We typically wash our hair once a week and I won’t lie it’s a process! It was actually one of my motivations of cutting my hair, less hair to take care of! This natural hair routine includes a deep condition, you don’t have to do one every week if you don’t feel like you need to.

Step One: Detangle and Separate

Separate your hair into sections and detangle. This step is crucial as it will make the washing process faster and less painful. It’s also easier with kids as I do this on the couch while they watch TV, read less complaining! To detangle I wet each section using a spray bottle and apply a little bit of conditioner. Then I detangle using this Denman brush starting from the ends of the hair and making my way up to the root. After I detangle a section I braid it, usually ending up with 5-6 sections.

Step Two: Shampoo

Next it’s time to wash! Again I wash their hair in sections, unbraiding one to two braids at a time, ending up with 3-4 sections to wash. For my hair I use Creme of Nature Argan Oil shampoo. For the girls hair I was using the Cantu kids line, tear-free shampoo. I love it because it works great on both of their hair textures and of course no crying if it gets in their eyes.

I’ve recently got another brand, Hair of Nature, as a gift, it’s actually a small black owned company by a mompreneur and have been using it for the past few months. We’ve liked the results of this brand as well. You can check out their curl moisture shampoo here and use promo code TRAVELINGCHILD for 10% off!

Step Three: Protein Treatment

After washing our hair I give each of us a protein treatment using Redken’s Extreme CAT Anti-Damage Protein Reconstructing Treatment. I apply this around our edges and on our scalp, massaging it in and then brushing it through our hair for even distribution. We leave it in for five minutes while sitting under our softhooded dryer. We only do protein treatments once every six weeks. If your hair is damaged and it’s your first time doing protein treatments you can do them once a week for four weeks to restore your hair and then every six weeks.

Step Four: Conditioner

If we aren’t doing a protein treatment step four becomes step three and that is our applying our conditioner. You must always condition your hair after a protein treatment so never skip this step. Some weeks we use regular conditioners, me using the Creme of Nature Argan Oil conditioner and the girls using the Cantu tear-free conditioner. Other weeks it’s time for a deep condition (typically alternating these) and then we’ve been using Hair of Nature’s Herbal Reconstruction Deep Conditioner which I absolutely love.

If we are doing a regular condition we just rinse and move onto styling. However, when doing a deep conditioner treatment we sit under our softhooded dryer for 30 minutes.

girl sitting under soft dryer getting her hair done

Step Five: Leave in Conditioner or Styling

After we’ve rinsed out the deep conditioner we’ll either put in a leave in conditioner and then style or just style. The leave in conditioner provides extra moisture so I do recommend doing it if your hair tends to dry out more. I use As I Am’s leave in conditioner.

To style our hair we do braids outs or twist outs. For both to get defined hair I always twist or braid the roots to the scalp. This makes such a huge difference is the overall look of their curls. Below is an example of what I mean on a twist out.

For braid outs I do exactly the same. For my older daughter, Jordyn, her hair is thinner and she has looser curls. For her I’m able to do 5 braids or twists and her hair will come out big and defined. Realistically for her I don’t have to braid/twist to the scalp at first but it holds better at night. However, for my younger daughter, Kennedy, she has 4c hair so I have to do more braids and twists to get the same defined curls, if I don’t her hair doesn’t look as good.

I let their hair dry overnight. Be sure to put them in a satin hair bonnet or have them sleep on satin pillow cases. Silk is actually the best but those pillow cases are quite expensive! Then in the morning I will take it down simply by unbraiding or untwisting their hair.

Wash N Go

We all know unless you have a specific hair texture a wash n’ go is never that easy! I actually remember when I first became natural and was brave enough to wear my curls I washed my hair and went out and was utterly confused about why I looked so crazy later on. My friend was like “so you didn’t use any product” lol, no sis I did not, but lesson learned.

When doing a wash and go on our hair after we’ve conditioned it I put Design Essentials Natural Curl Enhancing Mousse in. I use our Denman brush to brush it through the hair to make sure it’s gotten on all the strands. Next I apply Redken Curvaceous Ringlet Shape Perfecting Lotion and I will quickly finger curl the top layer of hair. This is how I achieved the look in the image below.

Night Time Routine

Once styled at night we still use our bonnets or satin pillow cases. You can either retwist or rebraid the hair or use the pineapple method. Here are two videos that explain this method better than I can: short natural hair or longer natural hair.

Tips for Traveling with Natural Hair

One of the questions I get the most is how we maintain our curls when traveling with natural hair. The short answer is we do the same things we do at home! Our hair routine doesn’t change at all when we’re traveling if we’re wearing our hair out and don’t have a protective style (more on those below). This is one of the reasons I got the softhooded dryer, it’s easy to travel with, folding down to the size of my hand.

When traveling to a destination where I know we’ll be swimming a lot I pack our swim caps. This keeps our hair protected and prevents me from having to wash hair multiple times during our trip. I absolutely love Swimma Caps because they are black owned and specifically made to fit afros, dreadlocks and braids! You can use promo code THETRAVELINGCHILD for 10% off until August 31, 2020.

To protect our hair when traveling I also pack our satin pillowcases. We each have an extra one so it’s easy to throw in our luggage. You can also just pack a bonnet but those always come off the girls head which is why I bring the pillow cases.

Protective Styles for Traveling with Natural Hair

When traveling with natural hair it can sometimes be in your best interest to just get a protective style! This will save you so much time when you have to be up for early morning excursions. We especially love protective styles for when we take ski trips. Helmet hair is not cute and gets your hair extremely matted so we always try to get cornrows. An alternative is to do a twist out but not untwist your hair. Don’t forget if you get braids and go swimming, sweat you still need to keep your hair clean. You can use Cantu’s co-wash dry shampoo and be sure to oil your scalp to prevent dry and itchy scalp.  

How We Pack our Hair Products

We are team carry-on when traveling (check out our light packing tips) so that means we can’t take full size products with us. That is just fine! You can buy travel size products directly from companies like As I Am and Hair of Nature. If your preferred hair products don’t have travel sized under 3.4oz you can use travel size containers and just fill them with your hair products. This is what we do since it’s typically cheaper to buy the bigger sizes of the products. Then we put them in our packing cubes and we’re off, no need for checked bags!

Our natural hair routine isn’t super simple but this is exactly how we achieve the styles we have. I hope this post has been helpful especially in when it comes to traveling with natural hair. You can find all the hair care products we use including descriptions of what we use each product for in my Amazon store here. Did you find this post helpful? Please share it!

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Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

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