Being a wife, mother of three and a business owner means that my life is busy.  Every working mom on the planet, no matter what her career is busy, because even stay-at-home moms are busy.  So, life is hectic and it is a constant juggling act in which the schedules of the household largely falls to mom to organize along with her own.  Such is my life.  So, when I get to go on vacation with my family, the best part of it is not having all of those schedules to balance.  We are all together.  We are under one roof.  We all go to the same places.  We all eat the same food at the same time and it is so simple and uncomplicated.  I LOVE that! It is the release that comes with not having to think and I can just be and just do and live in that moment and not have to plan out every activity.

For the past eight years now my family and I have been vacationing in Florida.  We used to travel around in an effort to see and do different things but in the past few years have settled in Marathon Key.  I have been traveling to the Keys since I was pregnant with Forrest, my now 16-year old.  My husband and I went there a few months before he was born and I fell in love with the Keys.  I feel as if I am away but not too far from home.  I am remote but still connected to the world.  For me, there is something so wonderful about being surrounded by water.  I love the sound of it, the smell of it and the way it makes me feel.

In Marathon we stay at a great resort called, Tranquility Bay.  We found this place about four years ago while out on a scouting expedition.  It is low key, family oriented, nice but not stuffy and snooty and not over-the-top expensive.  It is a property that rents townhouses versus hotel rooms.  So, when your children are running around, they aren't disturbing anyone else.  We have a full kitchen, a dining room, living room, 3 bedrooms and even a washer and dryer.  I don't have to pack 2 week's worth of clothes and I go home with no laundry.  We cook, we fish, we chill, we play games, the boys bring their video console and it is like being at home, but not.  I don't have to clean and the beach and pool is right outside my door.  I love it. It is the best.

My husband just asked me this week what do I want to do while we are in the Keys and I answered the same as I always do.  "Just relax." I want to lounge by the pool and read a good book.  I want to go to the beach as much as possible.  When I am away I get to meditate more often, do my yoga more and just calm my spirit.  We will plan activities to do with the children.  The boys love swimming, fishing, boats and jet skis.  Becca loves the pool and if she could she would sleep in it.  She wants to go in as soon as she wakes up and even when she is at the beach all day, she wants to get in the pool as soon as we get back to the hotel.

Even though my boys are teenagers now and they don't express glee the way that they did when they were Becca's age, she is almost 6, I love watching everyone have fun and just be.  Be in the sunshine, not have homework or tests to study for.  No one has to really clean their room.  They are just happy and relaxed.


One of the reasons I started my business, nearly 20 years ago, was because I knew that I had to work in order to contribute to the household and I wanted to be able to be with my children as they were growing up.  The irony in that is that I travel more now than I have in my entire life.  But, I feel that I have been successful thus far in helping my children to understand why Mommy does what she does and how our lives are different.  I have never canceled a family vacation for work.  If anything, I have extended them. One year, I had to do an HSN visit towards the end of our vacation. So, we all drove north from the Keys to Tampa.  I did my shows and then we stayed an extra couple of days and drove to Orlando and did Universal.  It was great and more than made up for the brief interruption.

For me, it has always been a juggling act, but in the end family ends up on top.  Well, most of the time. :)