Happy Tuesday, everyone!
Today, all four kiddos go back to school.
We had such a fun winter break, but it’s nice to be back in the routine of things. Strike that…I wish we were still on vacation where I was sleeping until 6:30 every day and eating calamari with every meal. That just never gets old 😉 .
Today’s the first part of our Park City vacation recap!
Listen, I love any kind of vacation, but these are kind of my favorite. We slept in, we ate a ton of delicious food, drank more coffee than I could count, I read so many books, watched so many episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, played in the snow, snuggled by the fire and got outside and was active. It was the best combination of everything, and we were all sad to go. It’s going to be really hard to top this trip in the future. It was just the perfect balance of fun and relaxation.
Ready for a little recap? Loads of fun below….
Happy at the airport! On Friday, December 28th, we were checked in and ready to board our flight to Salt Lake City!
Here we are at our gate ready to go!
Kensington got a Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera for Christmas and had so much fun taking pics along the way.
I’m so thankful to my friends who suggested this for her!
So, we had a quick two hour flight to Salt Lake City, grabbed our rental car and drove the 40 minutes into Park City. We dropped off our bags and went straight to dinner. Before our trip, we had made dinner reservations for each night using Opentable.com. Night one? GERMAN FOOD!!
We were pumped to eat at Adolph’s!
Whew! We made it to dinner! After traveling all day, it’s good to sit down and officially kick off the vacation!
Everyone was happy to be there! Schnitzel, anyone? Yes, please!!
We were back at our place by 7:30 just in time for the AMAZING people at Ski Butlers to show up. So, we used two services while we were there that we loved. We knew we were getting in later, but yet needed both ski equipment and groceries for early the next morning, so we looked online and found Ski Butlers and The Grocery Girls. Both were FANTASTIC!!
We told Ski Butlers what we needed (skis for four people, two helmets and three pairs of ski boots) along with sizes and they showed up with all of that plus more in case our sizes were off a little. It was so quick and super convenient. Then, at the end of the week, they showed back up and collected everything. Easy as that.
The Grocery Girls is a website where you select everything you need from the grocery store (we had items like milk, coffee, OJ, Truvia, cereal, bottled water, etc.), and they delivered it before we arrived. This way, when we walked in, all of the cold things were put away and the other items were neatly stacked on the counter.
We found both of them online, and if you’re heading there, we had great experiences! It made getting back at 7:30 that night super easy because the next morning…
…we woke up early to ski! Andrew made us breakfast, we got ready and were out the door by 8:15.
Five degrees but sunny and without any wind. I have to give Andrew ALL the credit. He purchased and then packed all of our ski/snowboarding gear, and we were never cold. I had no idea what he brought me, but he pulled out these layers, socks, goggles, etc and I was good to go.
I’m pretty sure Andrew has always fantasized about his whole family being on the mountain at one time. It was so much fun to finally see it happen!
Thanks to the AMAZING people at the National Abilities Center, we were able to sign Ashby up for ski lessons.
For those of you who don’t know, the NAC is a nationwide organization that teaches kids and adults with disabilities and special needs how to ski. We signed Ashby up several months before we arrived (so don’t wait until you’re there to do it!), and they were phenomenal!!! Ashby was given a private ski instructor plus a volunteer for her half day lesson (9 to 12). They knew what her limitations were and were able to teach her how to ski without falling down. Ashby was so excited!!!!! She loved the whole experience! Now, also included with her lesson was that she could bring a friend for free, so we signed up Madeley. However, when Andrew went to drop them off, even though that was such a generous offer for Madeley to ski for free too, he quickly saw that Ashby needed 100% of the attention, so it was too late that day to sign Madeley up for ski school, so we signed her up for her own private lesson that day. This worked BRILLIANTLY! I just want to say all of this in case your kiddo needs to take advantage of the NAC too. I think Ashby having the individual attention she needed really kept her safe and taught her to ski. Plus, Madeley loved her ski instructor. She talked about him the whole week!
So, on morning one, Kensington and I took a private ski lesson together (it was both of our first times), Ashby went to her private lesson and so did Madeley. Four Shull girls learning to ski!
Another selfie because we were just having the BEST time!
This girl has no fear! She was so excited to be on the mountain!
My two bigs 🙂 .
Whew! At 12:30, we all stopped for lunch. What I learned about skiing was this…it makes me hungry. #nachosplease
After lunch, the boys stayed to snowboard more and the girls…
…hit up the coffee shop on Main Street. (I’m obsessed with my earrings HERE!)
We, of course, had to stop for some pictures too!
That night, we all showered, changed and headed off to dinner!
Group pic! (Psssst: my fun scarf is HERE.)
We really loved all of our meals, but at the end of the week, we did unanimously declared this our favorite…
…Grappa.
We ate here in 2017 when we went to Park City with Tab and Erika, and friends, it was worth repeating! The building is so cozy (fireplaces everywhere!), the service spectacular and the food incredible. I want to move into Grappa and live there forever.
I had the spicy spaghetti and meatballs and they were divine! Please note, I took this pic after I portioned off Andrew a bite. I was willing to share a little, but it was too good to share a lot!
We ate, ate and ate some more and then all crashed that night.
The next morning…
…we were back up bright and early ready to ski some more!
I was SO EXCITED about how excited my little two were to ski again. I was afraid that they would wake up and cry because it was too cold/too hard/not fun, but instead, they cried on the days we didn’t ski. On this particular day, we enrolled Madeley in ski school from 9 to 3 and she was pumped! Ashby had another lesson with the National Abilities Center and Kensington and I took another private lesson together.
Four Shull kids ready to hit the mountain! Park City was a great place for us to learn how to ski!!! We had fun in Snowmass the year before, but Park City seemed to have a much larger area for learning and for new skiers/snowboarders.
All smiles after our lesson! I was able to ski greens, but K was able to ski the blues! I am officially the slowest one in the bunch, but that’s okay. I’m just happy they’re letting me tag along.
Another yummy mid-day lunch!
Kensington stayed and skied with Smith and Andrew the rest of the day while I took Ashby back to Main Street for some girl time (Madeley was still in ski school).
Ashby was so proud! They had her going down greens on day two!!! God bless the NAC!! After her second day, they suggested she join ski school on her next ski day. She was excited about that!
This one in particular really loves the mommy and me time.
It was snowing as we walked back to our place with coffee and hot tea in hand. I wore that The North Face coat a lot on this trip (the one I bought for NYC) and it always kept me warm and dry! My boots kept my feet really warm plus they were SO COMFY!!
Andrew brought Madeley back from ski school and she had the BEST time!!!! They gave us this picture and Madeley told me to put it in my office. How cute is that?! I asked her all about her day and she said she had friends, built a snowman, drank yellow Gatorade and had lunch. Hahahahaha!
We showered and got ready for dinner that night…
…this green sweater gives me all the happy feels! It comes in many colors and is so soft!!!
Added my cozy leopard scarf and black hat and was ready to go!
Sisters, sisters! There were never such devoted sisters! (Anyone else missing Christmas movies?!?!)
Picture courtesy of Kensington 🙂 .
We had Italian on night three as well…
Now, it was reallllllly hard to follow Grappa, but we did thoroughly enjoy our dinner at Ghidotti’s too! This place was a little off Main Street and very family-friendly!
It was snowing when we left, so the girls caught snowflakes on their tongues 🙂 .
This is super random, but when I travel, it’s easy to throw both of these in my makeup bag. I’ve told you about both a million times. The Tula is a great little exfoliant, and then you know how much I love the Dr. Dennis Gross Glow Pads for a little color on my face. After I washed my face and removed my makeup, I used the Tula, then wiped that off and used a Glow Pad before applying my Tula moisturizer. It’s just a little something-something to help with tired winter skin.
Okay, that wraps up Days 1-3 of our Park City trip!
Two years ago when we visited, we stayed at Hotel Park City (which we LOVED!!), but this time, we stayed right on Main Street at The Lift Lodge. You have to drive everywhere if you stay at Hotel Park City (the mountain, the shops, the restaurants, etc), but from Main Street, you can walk everywhere. So, both places are great, but we really wanted the convenience of being able to get out and walk.
Tomorrow, it’s our very first Let’s Look! I’ll see you back here for that!! xo
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
What an amazing first few days! Really loved the post. It’s been forever since I went skiing and snowboarding – I was nine the last (and only) time I went. I want to go again now! 🙂
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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Beth Knecht says
Fun! Fun! Fun!
We want to take a ski trip at the end of this year, so I’m loving all of your tips and tricks!
Erika Slaughter says
Eeeeekkkkkk!!!!! Loved this recap! I’m not sure there’s much cuter in life than Madeley Shull in ski clothes. For real!!
Narci says
What a fun trip so far! Love that everyone had such a blast skiing! 🙂
Jen says
What do you find easier? Skiing or snowboarding?? I tried skiing once a while back and it wasn’t too bad going down but trying to get back up the mountain was my issue…Haha (jbars are awful!). I’d love to five it another shot. I live in New England so there is loads of ski mountains within good driving range and my boys love it. I’d love to do it as a family!
Mix and Match Mama says
I found skiing so much easier!! Snowboarding did not click with me at all!
Katie says
I second this! Snowboarding is a lot harder than skiing!
Sheaffer Sims says
What a wonderful trip! And so proud of Ashby and Madeley! Skiing is hard work!!!!!!
Angela says
Oh Shay!!! I LOVE all the details you’re sharing!!!! Makes me wanna go to Park City so bad!!!! Can you share what cute boots you had in in the pic on night three when Kensington took your pic?
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! They’re Sorel!
Julie says
Random question – did the Dr Dennis Gross pads change at all when they changed their packaging a few months ago? I used to love them but all of a sudden the “intense glow” part sounded like it would be too dark… have you noticed any difference? Genius to bring them on a ski vacation – a day on the snow and you come in looking like you were at the beach! 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
In my opinion, just the packaging changed!
Jenni Phenicie says
Loved your post! We just got back from Park City on Sunday from a family ski trip! We arrived on January 1. We went to Grappa last year for dinner and it was awesome. Tried all new places this year though. The food in PKC is wonderful…hard to go wrong anywhere!
I’m officially the slowest in my family after this trip :-)!
Dawn says
So excited that Ashby was able to ski!!
Sidenote: Do you have a screen protector on your Apple Watch? I got one for my birthday and I’m finding such mixed reviews on what to use. Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
I do not!
Andrea says
Fun! So was this your and Kensington’s first time skiing, or your first time taking private lessons?
Mix and Match Mama says
First time skiing!! Ha! At 37 🙂 .
Stephanie says
Both of our girls learned to ski through the ski school at Park City-best place for kiddos to learn! Utah skiing is the best!
Brooke Hartman says
Can you link your ski coat?! I need one for a trip
Next month.:)
Mix and Match Mama says
I bought it at a store in McKinney called Doug & Lynda’s Ski Shop!!
Laura @ Laura Likes Design says
This makes me want to get back into snowboarding — I used to love it but haven’t been in YEARS! We don’t have mountains in MN, but we do have a lot of skiing / snowboarding location options!
Laura @ Laura Likes Design
Paula says
What a great few days so far. You two bigs must be great skiers already. That is awesome! Kids learn so fast. I would feel like a giraffe on sticks. ?
And I want to look into NAC for my daughter. She cannot walk though. Maybe tubing?
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams says
Park City is the best! My sister lives there and I’m trying to go back this winter since they have all the snow (none here in the Northeast). I’m with you, skiing clicked with me more than snowboarding even though I’m still pretty slow lol (only greens still). That’s awesome that you were able to enroll Ashby and Madeley in lessons! Ashby looks so happy! What an awesome vacation for the whole family. Can’t wait to see if you ate at any of my favorites…
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams
Beth Valenta says
Shay…love the trip! Can you share the color Kate Spade earrings you are wearing? Is it gold or clear?
Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
Gold!!
Maurie says
With your travel agency, do you plan ski vacations like this? Or only Disney cruise type vacations? I’ve got the itch to plan a ski vacation for my family….maybe next winter.
Mix and Match Mama says
Other than Walt Disney World, we do not book trips within the Continental US. We do all types of cruises, Mexico, European vacations and more though!
annie says
Thanks for the restaurant recommendation for Grappa. Just booked a table in February when we are in Park City!
Sarah says
Love Park City! I can bet you stopped at Atticus once or twice on your vacation ? so many fun places to dine — one of our favorite things was to take the funicular at the St Regis. They have an amazing Bloody Mary! {rumored to be the spot where that cocktail was invented}
Kelly says
How far in advance do you book your ski trips aorund the Christmas/New Year’s Holidays? We want to go in 2020! Park City looks to be so family friendly. Love your trip recaps.
Mix and Match Mama says
Earlier than usual. We booked our air and accommodations in April.
Taylor says
Those Tula exfoliating pads are EVERYTHING. My favorite skin care item to date.
Kay says
We are looking into a family ski/snowboarding trip… Do you mind sharing how the NAC prevented Ashby from falling and getting hurt?
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s all they do! One day, I saw them in a training session learning (or maybe it was continuing education) how to teach people to ski that have vision impairments. Amazing!
Pam Saltmarsh says
I was going to write and tell you about Grappa when I saw you were in town but decided that would be weird. LOL I’m so glad you found it! 🙂
Erin says
Where did you get the scarf/neckwarmers that you and the kids are wearing? They look cozier than scarves!
Mix and Match Mama says
Doug & Lynda’s Ski Shop in McKinney, TX 🙂
Lisa says
When you travel do you bring your own car seats or rent them?
Mix and Match Mama says
We rent them!
Bree says
I’m very curious to know how they made sure Ashby didn’t fall when skiing? That’s so amazing that she got to learn with NAC
Mix and Match Mama says
Isn’t it? I was so happy for her! They just took their time, used some great techniques that involved two people to her one and caught her when she was about to go down. She is such a force!
Kelly says
This is so amazing! I love that Ashby was able to learn too! I saw the video of Madeley cheering her on whole ice skating, and just love that she doesn’t let anything stop her!
Can you elaborate on how she was able to ski? How did they teach her and ensure she wouldn’t fall down? I’m just very intrigued! Sounds like an amazing organization!
Mix and Match Mama says
They had a lot of great techniques (and I’m sure many I didn’t get to see). Between the two people, they really had her upright and hanging on as she learned to ski (and one skied backwards). They were an amazing group to work with!
Kristin says
I love that you are willing to try new things at 37!! Always wanted to try Park City and you may have convinced me. We have littles Ashby and Madely’s ages and thought maybe we should wait another year or two
But happy to see they loved it. Thanks for sharing your adventures!
Patty Anderson says
Your photos captured Park City so beautifully! It’s an amazing town, but really sparkles the most at Christmas. So glad you loved our neck of the woods!
Amanda @ That Inspired Chick says
My friend wants me to come visit her in Park City soon!! This has just made me want to get that trip planned ASAP!! Looks like so much fun! The video of Madeley skiing was the cutest thing EVER, by the way. So happy Ashby got to ski too!!
That Inspired Chick
Lindsay @ Lindsay's Sweet World says
What a fun trip! I haven’t been skiing in years, but I was always terrible at it when we did go. Doesn’t it make you mad when the little kids go whizzing past you and you’re all struggling just to stay up?! Lol. Happens to me all the time! ;o)
Pam says
Just wondering if you tried the packing cubes for this trip? If so, how did you like them?
Marie says
Hi Shay,
Is the Lift Lodge an Air BnB? I’m looking into going to Park City for my birthday.
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s a condo building, so they get rented out a variety of ways (like AirBnB!).
catherine says
you are such a beautiful family !!!
Angie says
We ski Park City! It’s where we have our season passes. We live 20 min from there. It’s magical. I grew up skiing Vail and Breckinridge twice a year. We feel so lucky to go so often and I love that my boys are growing up learning to ski. We love the magic carpet there,perfect for my 2 year old. He has “skis” that connect to his snow boots. It’s adorble. I have friends that volunteer with the National Ability Center. I’m hoping to get involved once my youngest is in school.
Ella says
Can you share why you need separate ski coats and regular coats.
I’m just curious having never been skiing before.
Mix and Match Mama says
That way, our ski coats could be drying out in the evenings after we used them (they were wet). Andrew’s idea and I was super glad he suggested it! Same with gloves too. It gave everything time to dry in-between using them.
Mary Beth says
This looks amazing!!!! We are headed to Park City next month so I was so excited to read this!!!!! Can you share what jacket, pants, base layer and gloves you had? I’m worried about getting cold, and even more worried about my kids getting cold!!!
Mix and Match Mama says
All of the base layers are Under Armour, and we bought the rest of the gear from our local ski shop!
Sara says
What a fun family vacation! My 12 year old daughter has seen me reading your posts for many years now (since before you adopted Ashby) and has seen your posts on my social media accounts too. When she saw that you’re family was in Park City, she asked if we could drive up and see you! ? She feels like you guys are our family friends. Utah is a beautiful place (we’ve been here for 7 years after living in Texas for 6) & I’m glad your family had a good time here.
Katie says
You guys got the coldest week here ?! It’s back into the 30’s ?! Looks like so much fun! I love that Ashby was able to learn! Park city is one of my favorite places! We live at the bottom of the canyon you go up to get there!
Bri says
I took ski lessons from NAC for years. I loved it. They also offer summer lessons like water sports, horseback riding etc. Its such a phenomenal organization.
Kim says
Hi! My very first thought when seeing how cozy this place was on your IG was ” I can only imagine how many books you will read on this trip! ” Haha! Glad you mentioned that and can’t wait to hear which ones. ?
Annaliese says
What color is your nail polish?? Your nails look really good! Do you do them yourself or get a mani before you go on vacation?
Mix and Match Mama says
I actually got them done before the trip! It’s just white!
Brenda Kirkbride says
What a fun trip. I am 35 and thought I was too old to learn to ski. You are insirpring me 🙂
What weather app do you use on your watch. I can’t find one I love.
Mix and Match Mama says
I just use weather app that comes automatically on the watch!
Stacy Meek says
Did you use the packing cubes? We’re heading out on a Disney Cruise and I’m thinking about ordering the cubes. Wondering if they worked for y’all?
Shelley Kaibel says
Shay, how does Park City compare to Breckenridge. We were in Breckenridge this Christmas but are thinking Park City next year. My daughter is visually impaired and has been to the NAC twice in the summer with a teen group. She finally has an interest in skiing!!!! So we are thinking Park City so she can ski. Just wondering what the town is like.
Thanks,
Mix and Match Mama says
I love Breckenridge, but we all enjoyed Park City more. When we were in Breck last year, it felt very crowded (I don’t know if that’s the case all the time or what, but it was a lot more crowded and we were there at the same time of year), I also think Park City has a better Main Street. Breck’s Main Street feels more “t-shirt shop” where PC’s has more stores that are not just touristy logo shops.
Nicole says
What a great trip!! I love how well you travel with kids!! We are visiting Texas and staying at a condo that does not offer cribs or pack n plays (our youngest is 1). What would you do?! Can I check one in on our flight? Thanks!!
Mix and Match Mama says
You absolutely can check it on the flight! Welcome to Texas!!
Jaren says
Loved the pictures in their ski clothes! Too cute! I’ve been to Park City once in the summer and have always wanted to go back in winter. Good to know it’s great for beginners!
Angela Ellingson says
What an incredible trip! So happy for Ashby! And little miss Madeley will be a pro in no time getting such an early start. How fun!
cassie // hi sugarplum says
This looked like the best trip ever!! It’s got me so excited to plan something for our family this spring break!!! or maybe I need Mix and Match Travel Agency to do it!!!
Liz Davies says
Hi Shay! Have you ever done a review of the Tula products that you use?!
Mix and Match Mama says
I have! My skin post that I did in the fall!!