Babymoonin’ in the Desert
One prenatal tradition we were happy to jump on: the Babymoon! In fairness, we’ll make any excuse to travel.
Although we’ll start by digging into the travel, we have also included Babymoon Tips at the end of the post (If you want to skip ahead).
Travel
We were very fortunate that we have friends that just purchased a home in Scottsdale, AZ and graciously invited us to use it. We hadn’t been to Scottsdale before, so it was the perfect fit. Travel somewhere we haven’t been before, relatively short flight (ankle circulation for the pregnant lady matters, folks), and warm weather during fall.
Our flights were easy. Minneapolis to Phoenix on a straight-through Delta flight. Because we’re Delta Sky Members, we were upgraded for free to Delta Comfort on the way there and First Class on the way home. With being pregnant, the extra legroom and seat space made a big difference for comfort.
Our friend’s home is a two-story built in the 1990’s with lofted ceilings and modern interior designer features. Spacious with windows allowing the natural light in both day and night, their home made us feel extra fancy. Their private pool was encased by palm trees, cacti, and four types of citrus trees: lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit. These made our mocktails delicious!
If this sounds like a dream come true for you, they VRBO their pad. Click here for more details!
Fitness
Dan: An old college football buddy opened the crossfit gym Blur in Scottsdale nearly 10 years prior to our visit. It was a cool opportunity to see an old friend and get my ass severely kicked by the workout. Sure enough, seeing him was a lot of fun and the workout was intense. It was a crossfit partner workout, which to me means I will try my hardest to keep the team progressing. And we did. By the end, I was toast. Strongly recommend a class here while you're visiting Scottsdale. It’s clean, good equipment, and an overall good-time vibe.
Michelle: At this point in pregnancy my body was ready for soothing and restorative activities. The temperature outside hit 103 degrees daily, so walking was not an option. Due to the spaciousness of the home, gentle yoga was the perfect fit for a good stretch. I brought my squishy ball and resistance bands for pregnancy exercises to strengthen the hips and pelvic core. The pool made for great water aerobics and easy full body resistance training.
Click here to check out more on BLUR Crossfit.
FooD
In-N-Out: Can’t go to the west coast without some In-N-Out. Just sayin’. Try it. Enjoy it. Have it once a year.
Steak 44: For our fanciest of fancy dinner’s out, we took a longer drive to ***. Immediately upon entrance, the staff is kind and thoughtful. Ambiance is sophisticated with a touch of pomp. Cocktails and mocktails were carefully crafted. It’s an ala carte steakhouse, so we agreed on our shared sides plus their famous bread and ordered. Their bread could have been the meal for how tasty and substantial it was.
For pregnancy, the filet mignon needed to be well done which is always an uncomfortable ask for a steakhouse. The food is served table side onto an oval plate with a sizzling iron center that has the capability of continuing to cook your steak on the plate, as well as keep your food piping hot. If you are a person who likes your food extremely hot while eating, you’ll love this plate technique. However, if you are not a fan of letting your food cool for two minutes on your fork before taking a bite so as to avoid burning your mouth, then this won’t be your favorite.
The filet was not well done upon arrival which made eating more of a chore than a delight. Each bite had to be cute and then flipped sideways onto the iron plate to cook through. The entree delivered on its flavor. The chef certainly knows how to make a palate content.
We can also go-ahead and call this the Brunch Disco! It was Saturday morning and our plan was to have a quick bite to eat and rush back to the house for our pool day. Instead, we arrived to find a DJ in the corner with 2000s beats mixing, an enormous build your own Bloody Mary Bar, and a party all around. You could not be sitting in the restaurant without dancing or singing along at your table. We got the chilaquiles and french toast. Both were delicious, but the french toast was out of this world. The food and service were phenomenal, and the atmosphere itself was intoxicating. We found good reason after good reason to stay and play for 2.5 hours.
Fun
When half of your party is pregnant, you’re limited on adventures. However, there was golf, pooltime, and a visit to Kierland Commons mall.
Dan’s round was at We Ko Pa Golf Club, and to his enjoyment the course was beautiful. A moderate to challenging course that’s open to the public and worth the price tag.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Pooltime was just what the doctor ordered to alleviate the weight of the baby. Lounging, floating and playing games in the pool was a perfect activity for the pregnant lady.
Kierland Commons is a great spot for shopping and people watching. There are a lot of fun art installations throughout as well as playgrounds and splash pads. They’ve made a really fun community spot for Arizonians.
For vacation, Scottsdale is a great spot for a long weekend or anyone that loves golf and pooltime. As far as for a BabyMoon, it was a perfect spot for us. If you’re planning a BabyMoon, here are a few tips for planning yours…
BabyMoon Tips from Michelle to the Mommas-to-Be
Go before you’re too big to enjoy it. We went in the beginning of the sixth month and it was perfect.
Choose a place that isn’t HOT or that has a pool. The pool was a game-changer and made the 102 degree temperature 1000% more enjoyable. No pool and we might as well have stayed home.
Pack the clothes that make you feel comfortable and beautiful. You’ll want to go out and enjoy the surroundings (if pregnancy symptoms allow for this), and it helped to have a lot of clothes I felt good in. And ballet flats. Give me all of the flats.
Talk to your doctor about your method of travel before booking anything. Depending on your body, pregnancy, and experience there may be different restrictions for travel. Get alignment and permission.
Make sure everything is refundable in case anything with your pregnancy changes.