Christmas for Girls in New Orleans

Kelly and I had been talking and we decided that the girls were ready for an overnight girl's trip. Now both girls have been on girls trips before but never with a friend that isn't a relative. This was truly a 'girlfriends' trip and it lived up to our every expectation. Both girls got along great and by the end started to fight like sisters...you know, where you have a tiff over nothing then move on like nothing ever happened. It was perfect!

We decided to take our girls trip to New Orleans and stay at the Royal Sonesta. The Royal Sonesta holds an amazing Tea Party each Christmas season but we had no idea how wonderful it would be. Once the girls got to the hotel they had a ball playing on the beds and around the room. We had to beg them to leave the room to explore the city. This was Kelly & Katherine's first venture to New Orleans and I have been going for as long as I remember. I feel like I know how to get around it with my eyes closed (though I would never close my eyes down there...esp with my child by my side---!!!). As soon as we got settled, we headed out for Cafe Du Monde and gobbled up beignets. The girls just at the sugar off the tops of theirs and Kelly and I cleaned an order in no time flat....they were delicious (so says Caroline). Once we left there we headed to Canal Place to do a little shopping. Once there we hit Pottery Barn and Saks Fifth Avenue in search of these. I found them and I love them, FYI :) While we were in the shoe department, Caroline found it funny to try on the Gucci rain boots, Channel shoes, etc....at any one time, she would have about $850 worth of shoes on her two tiny feet. The clerk was a sport and thought it was funny. Thank goodness Caroline and Katherine didn't mess up any shoes as that would have really been a tough call to Troy or Jody!

We rested a bit then hit dinner really late...too lat were actually. We went to Cafe Adelaide and the girls were exhausted. Two spilled drinks later I am sure they were ready to get us out of there! We ate and left then decided to push the girls just a bit to see what was going on at Fulton Street.....SO GLAD WE DID! The girls perked right up and had a blast in the snow (bubbles since it was a whopping 80 degrees outside). They danced and played and it was perfect. The crowd was tiny so the girls had free reign of the street. They were so happy! After heading back to the hotel, we all sacked out and the girls slept until 8 the next morning....thank goodness! My fear of a girls trip is that Caroline will wake up super early and then wake everyone else up. She and Kat happened to wake up at the same time----it could not have worked out more perfectly.

Then it was time to get ready for the Tea Party!!!!....post on the tea party to follow (when I am not so tired)