The Top 3 Restaurants We Always Visit in Bend, Oregon

We are big fans of Bend, Oregon. I’ve been visiting Bend and Sunriver since I was a kid — I remember taking my American Girl doll I got for Christmas when I was probably… 7? — and it’s a tradition I’ve continued with my kids. Both my kids have lots of memories of Bend: Forrest’s first trip was in February 2016, Violet’s was July 2023. I can measure their ages and growth in Bend and Sunriver visits.

For a few years, Bend was our stop on the way to Idaho: we had a handful of favorite hotels, restaurants. My parents own a house in Sunriver now and since 2023, we’ve created a fairly strong tradition of things we love to do, have to do, and look forward to.

Some of those (ok, a lot of those) are restaurants. After a successful Labor Day weekend in Bend, I wanted to share our top 3 restaurants. These are the ones my kids ask about — “are we going to…” as we drive over Willamette Pass — and are considered must visits even on the shortest trips.

1. Casa Sur

The quesa birria tacos — huge, delicious, filling.

Casa Sur is a restaurant that serves food from Southern Mexico. And when I tell you it’s good, it’s good. It’s so good, in fact, that Danny and I both consider it the best Mexican food we’ve ever had. It’s a relatively nondescript building on the west side of Bend — sort of between the Old Mill and downtown — and is easy to mistake for a bank. However, don’t let the experience fool you. It’s a fantastic restaurant. The inside is modern and sleek, but still cozy: think dark colors with light wood accents, neon signs, cactuses, flags. The porch to sit outside is beautiful and features a fireplace for colder months.

We’ve tried a variety of things on the menu; the Mexican Street Corn bowl is a total standout, alongside the quesa birria tacos (pictured). Our kids love the cheesy fries and chicken nuggets, but honestly the thing they eat the most of is the chips and refried beans that are brought once you’re seated. (I’m a sucker for their salsa too — it is smoky, spicy, and so so good. It’s not just straight tomato with some cilantro, it’s so dimensional and delicious.)

Service is fantastic and every employee we’ve encountered has been fantastic. They’re attentive without hovering, quick with refills, and love to make recommendations. This is a great spot for a casual lunch after a busy morning at High Dessert Museum, before stopping at the candy store at Old Mill.

2. Old St. Francis School McMenamins

We love McMenamins — I know this is perhaps a controversial statement in some parts of Oregon. But I love them. And I especially Old St. Francis School — it was the first Catholic School in Central Oregon and still has many of the hallmarks of an old Catholic school. Think stained glass windows, heavy pew-like booths, old fashioned wood carvings… it’s beautiful inside. I love it.

The menu is the same as basically every McMenamins: a ton of local beers, plus burgers, a few salads, breakfast… the usual suspects. My son especially loves it here; he always orders the kids sliders with the fries well done and extra Mystic 88 sauce. My husband and I try to get something different every time, but it really does always taste delicious. This place is an old faithful for dinner. However, I did carry my toddler out of here like a surfboard the last time I was there — so if any employees of Old St. Francis School see this, I’m sorry.

3. Big O Bagels

This is a new-to-us, but not to Bend, situation. My husband and I are on a hunt to find good bagel places near us. In Eugene and surrounding areas, it’s really hard to find (my favorite bagel place shut down — RIP to the downtown Bagel Sphere). However, Bend has tons of bagel shops and we’re slowly working our way through them.

Big O Bagels is on South 97, near the Walmart, which we always stop at for groceries in Bend. So it’s a really convenient side quest to run to Big O, grab some bagels for breakfast, and carry on with our day. I had the BLT bagel (on a sourdough bagel) — incredible. Forrest and Violet split a chocolate chip bagel with strawberry cream cheese. These bagels were 10/10 — chewy, flavorful, and perfect for a sandwich before heading out on a hike or to visit downtown.

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I’m so obsessed with these 3 places — but I told Danny, we have to try some place new next time!

A few honorable mentions:

• Dandy’s Drive In: This old fashioned style drive thru is so fun for kids (and Forrest loves their corn dogs). The prices are a little high and we found it a little slow, but it’s super fun, great for if you’re craving a milkshake and burger.

• Bangers & Brews: Not my favorite place to eat, but it is my husband’s and he would be offended if I did’t include it. I do like the bangers and mash; Danny loves trying a new variety of hot dog or sausage. They also have reindeer dogs, which I do want to try.

• Village Bar & Grill: This is a Sunriver staple for us. It is a little expensive, but it has my favorite sandwich of all time on the menu: the chicken caprese sandwich. It’s so dang good. My kids also love eating here — Forrest loves the root beer and Violet always gets the kids sliders.

Review: Elegear Silver-Infused Cooling Blanket*

If you're anything like me, sleeping during the summer is a gamble. When the nights get hot, it is so hard for me to sleep; I like a cold room, but that’s easier said than done when the nights are still 75+! I also need something on me when I sleep — the weight of a blanket is so critical for me. I was given the opportunity to review the Elegear Arc-Chill 3.0 Cooling Blanket, and after using it for the last few weeks, I've got some thoughts.

What Makes This Blanket Different

Before I get into my day-to-day experience, I think it's worth explaining what's actually going on inside this blanket, because it's not just "thin fabric" doing the work.

The blanket is built around Elegear's Arc-Chill 3.0 fiber technology, developed with Japanese textile engineers specifically to pull heat away from the body on contact. The fabric is woven with conductive fibers designed to speed up moisture evaporation and trigger a cooling reaction the moment it touches skin — which is why it feels cool even before your body heat comes into play. 

Layered on top of that is silver-ion infusion, woven directly into the fabric. Silver ions are naturally antimicrobial, so instead of just feeling cool, the blanket also resists odor buildup and bacteria growth over time — a nice bonus for something that's going to be next to your skin all night, every night. This is also what makes it a good option for people with sensitive skin, since it's designed to stay cleaner and less irritating between washes than a typical blanket. Elegear markets it as suitable for babies and allergy-prone sleepers too, which tracks with what I've felt using it — nothing scratchy, nothing that felt like it was sitting on my skin funny.

Knowing the "why" behind the blanket made the rest of my experience make a lot more sense.

My Thoughts

Lightweight: The very first thing I noticed when I unwrapped this blanket was the weight — or rather, the lack of it. It's genuinely one of the lightest blankets I've ever used, but it does still feel substantial. You still feel covered and cozy, just without any of the trapped-heat, weighed-down feeling that comes with a traditional blanket.

Cooling Effect: I have never used a cooling blanket before, so I wasn’t sure what it would feel like or how effective it would be. But the cooling effect is real. It definitely feels cool to the touch and when you’re sitting with it on your lap, it helps keep your temperature lower. It's not a gimmick; the Arc-Chill fabric genuinely does what it says, drawing heat away instead of trapping it like a normal blanket would. That cooling sensation held up throughout the night too, not just for the first few minutes.

Texture: Texture matters a lot when you're trying to actually fall asleep (I can’t stand an itchy blanket!), and this blanket doesn't disappoint. The fabric has a silky, smooth feel against the skin — nothing scratchy or synthetic-feeling, which is a relief given how many "cooling" fabrics can feel more like a gym towel than bedding. It glides over your skin in a way that feels almost luxurious. 

Fit & Sizing: I was a little worried this would be one of those blankets that either swims off the sides of the bed or feels too small to actually tuck in properly. Thankfully, that wasn't the case — it fits my bed well and drapes evenly without bunching up or hanging awkwardly off the edges. I love that it comes in a variety of sizes so when my kids inevitably ask for one, I can get one to fit their beds too.

Appearance: Sometimes, blankets that serve a purpose kind of look utilitarian. However, I really love the basic, neutral color — I picked light gray, but it comes in several colors — it helps blend into my existing bedding without feeling out of place. 

Final Verdict

If you're a hot sleeper who's tired of overheating in the middle of the night, this blanket is worth trying. It checks all the boxes: lightweight, genuinely cooling, soft against the skin, and a solid fit for the bed. It's become part of my regular summer sleep setup, and I don't see myself going back to a traditional blanket until temperatures drop. It also makes a great couch blanket for relaxing in the evenings. 

Rating: 5/5 — Light, cool, and comfortable. Exactly what it promises to be.

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Disclaimer: As noted by the asterisk (*) in this post’s title, this product was provided free in exchange for a review. Posts like this help keep the lights on here at Writing Between Pauses. To learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

Here's Everything I Made with Hungryroot This Week

Go ahead and call me Hungryroot’s number 1 super fan, because it’s true. I love Hungryroot. I’ve been reviewing Hungryroot since like 2017 — check out my original blog post, recently revitalized, here. I love Hungryroot so much, I keep going back to it over and over again. It genuinely never gets old.

I know it can be daunting though. Meal planning, as I’ve written about before, can be really, really stressful for people. Even I, someone who meal plans every single week, sometimes forgets every single food I have ever enjoyed. (If you’d like to see my entire meal planning library, click here.) Hungryroot, for me, removes that stress: you pick your meals, or your groceries, or a combination of both. And boom, it shows up to your door. The more you use it, the more their algorithm learns your preferences — and suddenly, you’re not really even choosing things anymore.

Sometimes, it’s still helpful to see what other people are doing. So, without further ado, here’s everything I received from Hungryroot this week — and everything I made.

Here’s a complete list of everything I got:

• Superblend Salad (this is an OG favorite — I love this salad so much)

• Fresh guacamole 4-pack

• Chile limon chicken

• Traditional naan

• Fresh avocado

• Bacon

• Baby romaine lettuce

• Caesar salad kit

• 2 original garlic sauce cups

• 2 beefsteak tomatoes

• 2 vegan mayo packets

• 1 half loaf of rustic potato sourdough

• Garlic and herb half chicken

• Tandoori chicken

• 1 POG cold pressed juice - I got this exclusively for my son, who fell in love with POG juice in Hawaii

• 1 package of over-roasted turkey

• 2 pack of croissants

• 1 package of Belgian Boys waffles - I got these for quick snacks and breakfasts for my kiddos, with school starting this week

• 1 4-pack of apple cinnamon flax muffins - this is the after school snack of my dreams, high in fiber, low in sugar, and super tasty. My kids went crazy for these.

Whew! That’s a doozy. Here’s everything I made with that haul.

Tandoori Chicken Wraps

This is a recipe I selected from Hungryroot — Tandoori chicken wraps. I made these for Danny and I while the kids had chicken nuggets, although my son ended up loving the Tandoori chicken, so color my shocked. I served this with the caesar salad kit with about 1/4 of the package of the superblend salad mix added. The kids had caesar salad with their chicken nuggets. We loved this meal — the garlic sauce on the wraps was to die for. We ended up only needing the one cup of sauce and we’re planning to make a pizza with the other garlic sauce sometime soon. This was a 10/10.

Chicken & Guac Sandwiches

Another recipe I selected from Hungryroot, these chicken & guac croissant sandwiches. I love the Roli Roti brand of chicken, it’s so good. I made these with the superblend salad mixed with guac and some homemade tomatilla ranch dressing on the side to add later; I pre-made these for a quick lunch for Danny and I. Served with some chips, they are so dang good. I would eat this over and over again.

Tripe Decker Turkey Club Sandwiches

I love a club sandwich. A few years ago, a friend randomly said, “you know dinner can just be sandwiches, right?” And it was groundbreaking in my world. Yes, sometimes you can just make a turkey sandwich and some salad for dinner. That’s allowed! You don’t need a protein and 2-3 sides! This turkey club is another Hungryroot recipe — and it’s perfect. The beefsteak tomatoes were so delicious, it’s the perfect time of year for this sandwich. I also love fresh avocado on a sandwich, but you could realistically use the pre-made guacamole from Hungryroot as well. I served these with some homemade sweet potato fries and it was genuinely a perfect meal.

Chicken & Rice

The Roli Roti half chickens have been a favorite of ours from Hungryroot for 7+ years — they’re that good. I put it in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, then serve with rice and steamed vegetables. (My kids love frozen broccoli, which is crazy, they’ll eat it every single time.) It takes minimal effort on busy school nights, it’s delicious, and the leftovers are award worthy. Roli Roti, if you need a half chicken new flavor taster, hit me up.

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From one Hungryroot order, that’s 3 meals, 1 lunch, and a few snacks — the perfect size to supplement with a local grocery order. (I personally have an auto-scheduled Walmart order every week — I’m just a busy corporate mom like that.) Every single thing? Delicious. Perfect. Stunning. Perfect. I’m already excited for my next Hungryroot order.

Do you want to try Hungryroot? Use my code PAUSES to get a discount on your first box.

I Went On A Hawaiian Cruise with 2 Kids -- Here's What I Learned

Two years ago, I wrote about taking my toddler on a cruise to Alaska. We loved our experience cruising to Alaska, even if there were a few bumps in the road. When we got off that cruise, my mom asked if we wanted to go to Hawaii in 2026. Without really thinking about it, we all said, yes, of course.

In 2024, 2026 felt like a lifetime away. In my head, my daughter would be almost 4, making a cruise much more manageable. (This is both true and untrue.) The thought of flying felt a little daunting — I’m not the best flyer, and it’s not my preferred method of travel — but I was willing to do it to spend 10 days with my family in Hawaii. (Oh the sacrifices I make. Just kidding.)

Spoiler alert: we had a fantastic time. But let me walk you through our itinerary first…

The Itinerary

We took the Pride of America cruise from Norwegian Cruise Line. This is a unique cruise because the Pride of America is a smaller and older ship, staffed almost entirely by American staff, and it’s considered more of a floating hotel than a cruise. There are smaller restaurants, less gathering places, and generally less to do on board than a larger ship, like the Encore.

My parents had done this cruise before — at least once before, but maybe twice — and really enjoyed it. I was prepared to enjoy it as well. This was our rough itinerary, for both before and after the cruise:

• Day 1 - Thursday - Fly to Honolulu, check into the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki

• Day 2 - Friday - Tour Pearl Harbor, spend time in Waikiki

• Day 3 - Saturday - Board the Pride of America

• Days 4-5 (Sunday-Monday) - Maui

• Day 6 - Tuesday - Hilo

• Day 7 - Wednesday - Kona

• Days 8-9 (Thursday-Friday) - Nawiliwili

• Day 10 - Saturday - Return to Honolulu, fly home

However, the best laid plans often go awry. We were on board for the August 8 sailing, which, if you don’t know, was impacted by Hurricane Lala, which was supposed to make landfall August 15/16. On Thursday, it was announced that the ship would be returning to Honolulu a day early. Thus, our itinerary looked like this:

• Day 1 - Thursday - Fly to Honolulu, check into the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki

• Day 2 - Friday - Tour Pearl Harbor, spend time in Waikiki

• Day 3 - Saturday - Board the Pride of America

• Days 4-5 (Sunday-Monday) - Maui

• Day 6 - Tuesday - Hilo

• Day 7 - Wednesday - Kona

• Day 8 - Thursday - Nawiliwili

• Day 9 - Friday - return to Honolulu, made the choice to disembark, checked into Embassy Suites in Waikiki

• Day 10 - Saturday - Fly home

As you can imagine, finding enough hotel rooms for my entire family at least minute was challenging and expensive, but we did it. The altered itinerary aside, we had a blast.

Let’s Talk Amenities

The Pride of America is a significantly smaller than other NCL ships — and thus, the cabins are smaller. This was a small argument in my family; I knew the POA cabin was smaller than the one we had on the Encore and I was right. They’re about 40 square feet smaller on average. (My family members were convinced they were bigger.) That wasn’t a huge problem — my kids are still relatively small, so it’s not like we had 4 adults smashed into a single room. However, my kids are both not comfortable sleeping in bunk beds — one is too small (my 3-year-old) and one gets scared (my 10-year-old), so we had to settle for nearly everyone in the single bed in our room. That’s fine. Was it the most comfortable? No. But did was get by? Yes.

On the plus side, this time our cabin did have all the expected amenities: we had shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in our shower, plus hand soap by the sink. That’s a win! There was also a blow dryer, inexplicably, in our room — mounted just below the tiny tv. That was… odd. It was truly ancient and took up a shocking amount of room.

I do feel like this cabin had more storage space — lots of drawers, shelves, and a big closet. It was very easy to keep our clothes and things organized throughout the cruise. We stored our suitcases underneath the bed. Perfect. The bathroom also had a small corner medicine cabinet, perfect for our medication, toothbrushes, etc.

The ship, despite being smaller, did still have a varied selection of speciality restaurants, plus two complimentary dining rooms and the buffet (the Aloha Cafe). The Hawaiian cruise is the only cruise that the Pride of America does, so everything is pretty themed. There is also a Starbucks onboard, which is typical of most NCL’s, and there is also some limited shopping, a candy/toy store then a clothing and jewelry store. Otherwise, the boat’s allure is really that is is a floating hotel that allows you to hit the highlights of Hawaii.

Everything We Did

For the sake of keeping this a little bit shorter, here’s everything we did on each of our stops.

Honolulu: Danny and I toured Pearl Harbor, sans kids. I did not think Violet would be able to understand Pearl Harbor and it would not be anything enjoyable for her. I did want Forrest to attend, but he wanted to stay at the resort and play with his cousin and Violet. Fair. We booked this tour through Viator and loved it. Our tour guide, Finny, was genuinely knowledgable about the history of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor; he was incredible. Danny and I both enjoyed ourselves and Pearl Harbor is fascinating.

Maui: Our first stop on the cruise was in Maui. We rented a car and drove around — visiting Makawao, Paia, and some other small towns. We also visited a coffee shop near the pier first thing — Momona Coffee. We got a cookie, a chocolate croissant, a kombucha, and a strawberry lemonade to share. I said this last time, but the coffee on cruise ships is genuinely so terrible, I needed a pick-me-up.

Then we went on a tour of the Maui Gold Pineapple Farm. This was so fun. We got shaved ice at Tobi’s in Pa ia, went to a beach near Makawao. The Maui Gold Pineapple farm has a farm store where you can buy pineapples, of course, as well as locally made foods and gifts. Our tour was led by Rudy, one of the original founders of the farm who helped create the specific pineapple they grow. We also got to eat so much pineapple on this tour. We gave this one a 10/10. We were exhausted by the time we returned our rental car and got back on the boat.

Hilo: For this day, we went on an NCL excursion to the Hawai’i Volcano National Park. This was such a fun tour. It also stopped at Big Island Candies, a cookie and candy store. We bought some water and snacks for the day there. We loved the Volcano Park — the volcano was very active (it ended up erupting the next day!) and we learned so much about Hilo, the mythology around the Big Island, and the history of people there. This was a fantastic experience.

Kona: On this day, we went on another NCL excursion — a glass bottom boat tour. This was a simple, 1-hour tour and, spoiler alert, I wish it was longer! We saw so many different fish. We didn’t see any sea turtles, but my parents on the very next tour did. Kona is a tender port, so getting off and on the ship was a little challenging, however we really loved Kona. So many cool shops and restaurants. The kids were kind of hitting a wall of exhaustion at this point, so we didn’t spend a ton of time in Kona; we went back for a nap and then spent the rest of the day in the ship’s pool.

Nawiliwili: Sadly, we had to cancel our plans for Nawiliwili — the first day, we’d planned a pool day while everyone was off the ship to recharge after several big days. We had a scuba tour planned for day 2 in Nawiliwili, but it was on this day that the ship’s captain announced that our itinerary was changing because of Hurricane (then Tropical Storm) Lala. I spent our pool day drinking mai tais and helping my family find 4 hotel rooms in Honolulu on short notice (we did!). We also had to re-arrange our specialty dining plans. And then I had to pack up our room to get off the ship early!

Honolulu - Round 2: We disembarked the ship around 10:45 and got a cab to our hotel, the Embassy Suites Beachwalk. We checked in, but our room wasn’t ready yet — so we had them store our luggage (the bellhop attendant was the nicest man we met in Hawaii — seriously great) and went exploring. We walked to the nearby Royal Hawaiian Center, a sort of luxury mall. It had gotten really hot and muggy in Honolulu, so I was really missing our beach access and pool on the ship… but we really enjoyed this day, hilariously. We ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (“you went all the way to Hawaii to eat at the Cheesecake Factory?” Yes my kids were tired and confused, sometimes you need some familiar french fries) and then explored the mall. Our room was ready when we go back to the hotel and we ended up having a two room suite (!!). We had a great time relaxing, ordering Doordash for dinner, and just chilling out after a very weird 48 hours.

All the Packing Details

When it comes to packing, I try so hard to be organized… but I inevitably slightly overpack. This time, we did not want to check bags on our flights, so we had 4 backpacks (personal items) and 4 small rolling suitcases. I made it work. Here’s what helped:

• These day of the week packing cubes: I say this every single time I write a travel post, but if you have kids and you don’t have these packing cubes… what are you doing? These make life soooo much easier. I packed for each day for the kids then 2-3 outfits each just in case, plus 2 swimsuits each. Easy peasy and done.

• Take items that are versatile: in my case, that meant dresses. I took a lot of flowy maxi dresses that worked as day dresses, beach coverups, and evening wear. I also took this one piece from Aerie that is genuinely my favorite dress of all time. I did also pack shorts, t shirts and tank tops… but I really did not wear them. It was dresses, my Aerie dress, and pajamas almost exclusively.

• Don’t pack toiletries: controversial, if I’m flying, I don’t take toiletries beyond my essential skincare (sunscreen) and makeup, plus deodorant. If I was driving and had unlimited storage space, that’s a different story… but I didn’t take any toiletries and it was honestly fine. I survived without my special body lotion and body spray, my multiple skincare products, etc.

• Invest in a good backpack: I bought this backpack to take on the plane, knowing we wanted to maximize space. Honestly, it was worth every single penny; I loved this backpack. I love that it unzips like a suitcase; it was comfortable to wear as we were racing through airports and onto cruise ships. Just a 10/10.

Here’s everything I don’t recommend:

• Don’t bring a ton of activities for kids. I said this in my Alaska cruise post and I guess I didn’t remember, but yeah… don’t bring a ton of activities. We ended up barely touching them the entire time and I was left carrying a backpack of art supplies and coloring books.

• Don’t worry about souvenirs. I brought a small, fold up duffel bag to check on the way back, just in case we got too many souvenirs. I don’t know what i was thinking — we rarely buy a ton of souvenirs and prefer magnets (we let each kid pick a magnet of their choice during the trip), keychains, hats. Things that don’t take up a ton of room. I ended up not needing the duffel bag and it felt like a waste of space.

The Good Stuff

As with last time, the dinners in the dining room were my favorite. I can’t help it! I love a 3 course meal! I love someone bringing me a fresh peach bellini or mai tai without asking. I do!

My favorite dinner was actually Moderno Churrascaria, one of the specialty dining options. This is a Brazilian steakhouse and when I tell you it was the best dinner of the entire trip… I mean it. It was so good. They have a specialty drink called the Caipirinha and it was incredible. Everything I ate was delicious. It was just a great experience.

We always get the Free at Sea package with free drinks — and of course that’s one of my favorite parts. Sitting by the pool while my kids played, sipping a mai tai, and reading a book is up there with one of my favorite experiences. The pool, by the way, has a separate 3-foot pool with a 1-foot portion — perfect for Violet to play in. She was too scared to go into the deep part without Forrest, so it felt way better to let them play on their own. Plus, there were two lifeguards on duty constantly.

We loved all of our tours and excursions. We got to do so much more in Hawaii than we did in Alaska because Violet was older, potty trained, and less reliant on a stroller. It felt like we got to experience so much on each island and we still only scratched the surface.

The Hard Stuff

Our itinerary getting messed up sucked. It was a huge bummer and kind of felt like a weird, anticlimactic end to our cruise. Said with the caveat, of course, that it sucked more for the Hawaiian people experiencing the hurricane.

Otherwise, we had such a great time and Violet was so much easier this time around… it was just a great trip! Even better, we did not end this trip sick, thank god — which brings me to something from my previous cruise blog post I want to mention.

On our Alaska cruise, Violet woke up sick on the day of disembarking. I called the medical bay to ask about having her temperature taken and they declined, saying that they do not treat anyone under the age of 3. Someone left a comment on my previous blog post that this is not true and not legal. Unfortunately, it’s a big complicated. Technically, NCL is able to provide emergency services to anyone who has a ticket — that is, since they allow 6 months and older, they can provide emergency serves to anyone 6 months+. However, on a practical bases, the medical bay typically declines to treat kids under 3 due to the liability. This is to say, if it’s an emergency, they’ll help (which will likely mean getting them off the boat); but if you just need basic medical care, they will decline. And because you’re on a boat in the water and not on land, that’s just the way it is.

Would I do it again?

In a heartbeat! With a small caveat — next time, I just want to stay at a resort. Our favorite days were the first 3 days at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and honestly, I could have happily spent 10+ days there. We loved exploring Waikiki and Honolulu, there were so many more places I wanted to go to, but we didn’t have time. I would absolutely take my kids to Hawaii again, like, tomorrow if the opportunity presented itself.

Is a Character Breakfast at Disneyland Worth It?

It was August 2025, and we were headed to Disneyland — but for the first time in my life, this wasn't a penny-pinching trip. We'd had two hard years as a family. I'd finally landed a good-paying job, we'd dug ourselves out of debt, and we were more than ready for some carefree time together.

So, for the first time ever, I booked a character breakfast.

I wasn't sure either of my kids would even be into it. I remembered hating character breakfasts myself as a kid. But I had a hunch my then-2-year-old would love it.

We chose the Mickey's Adventures breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe — $59 per adult, $36 per child (free under age 3). That's a steep price for breakfast, but we went in prepared to have a good time no matter what.

My Disneyland philosophy is simple: happiness here is what you make of it. The lines might be long, plans might fall apart, but there's joy to be found everywhere — even stuck waiting in line. With the right attitude and the people you love most, almost anything can be fun.

The Breakfast

We arrived, got seated quickly, and had just enough time to order drinks — coffee for my husband and me, apple juice for the kids — before the characters started making their rounds. First came Chip and Dale, then Pluto. And then, turning the corner, Mickey and Minnie.

I assumed the breakfast would be the highlight of the trip for my almost-3-year-old. I had no idea my 9-year-old would be the one who had the time of his life. He lit up with every character, asked for a photo with each one, and actually cried when breakfast was over and it was time to pay the bill and go. My daughter had a great time too, of course — but watching my son experience something so purely magical made the whole thing worth it, for me.

Let's Talk About the Food

There's a lot of it. Honestly, though, I'm not sure we got our money's worth on food alone — my daughter was too distracted to eat much, and my son was too busy scanning the room for the next character. The spread included a bagel bar, fresh fruit, Mickey waffles, sausage, bacon, eggs, cereal, oatmeal, pastries — basically anything you could want. Everything we tried was delicious, and the Mickey waffles were a standout. A cast member kept our drinks flowing the whole time — coffee, juice, water, soda, tea, whatever we asked for.

So, Was It Worth It?

All told, we spent a little over $200, tip and all.

Was the food worth $200? No, not even close.

But the character time? That's another story. We booked an early slot — 7:45 a.m., which works great when your kids are early risers anyway — and for the first 40 minutes, we practically had the characters to ourselves. Chip & Dale, Pluto, Goofy, Minnie, and Mickey all came back to our table multiple times. I walked away with hundreds of photos from that one breakfast, most of them with my kids just beaming.

So was the character experience worth it? Absolutely, yes.

Tappi Books Review: Is the Screen-Free Interactive Play Pen Worth It?

If you've been scrolling through screen-free toy recommendations, you've probably come across Tappi — the interactive book system that promises all the engagement of a tablet with none of the screen time. I received a Tappi set to review last December. My daughter had just turned 3 at the time and was entering a stage of life where I wanted her to have some independent play options… but she’s a very interactive kid. She’s constantly having a conversation! Handing her an iPad both is not my parenting style and is not her play style. She’s now almost 4 and I can tell you that after 9 months of daily use… the Tappi set is one of our most used toys.

What Is Tappi?

Tappi is a screen-free interactive book system built around a rechargeable Play Pen. Instead of swiping a screen, kids tap the pen directly on the pages of specially designed board books to trigger sounds, music, stories, and simple games. One pen works with every book in the Tappi library, so the collection grows without needing new hardware. The pen is rechargeable with a standard cord.

The books are designed for kids roughly ages 2–6, with content that scales from simple vocabulary and animal sounds for toddlers up to comprehension games for preschoolers. However, my older child, who is 10, also really enjoys these books, funny enough! The novelty is very exciting.

Our Experience

Hands down, Violet's favorite Tappi books are the music books. She'll tap her way through them on repeat, discovering different instrument sounds and songs each time. What stood out to me as a parent is how interactive they actually are — this isn't a book that plays one sound per page and stops. She's constantly finding new things to tap, which keeps her engaged far longer than a typical board book. Often, this includes sequences to help build the music herself. I believe strongly in both my kids taking music lessons and this will help build that foundation for sure.

At three years old, she's also fully independent with it. No fumbling, no asking for help — she picks up the pen, turns it on, opens a book, and goes. That kind of independent play is honestly the biggest win for us as parents; it's engaging without us needing to hover.

The One Downside: Losing the Pen

If I'm being fully honest, our biggest complaint isn't with the books or the technology — it's that the pen goes missing constantly. Violet is great about using it, less great about putting it back where it belongs. I've fished it out from under the couch more than once. If you're a parent who already loses remote controls and hair clips on a regular basis, budget for a designated "Tappi spot" in your house, or you'll be doing couch archaeology like we do. We did eventually attach a sensor to it — we use these remote sensors from Amazon for a ton of things.

It's a small thing in the grand scheme, but since the whole system depends on that one pen, it's worth knowing going in.

How Tappi Compares to Screens and Wooden Toys

We were the exact family Tappi seems designed for — tired of choosing between "boring but wholesome" wooden toys and "engaging but overstimulating" tablet apps. Nine months in, Tappi genuinely splits the difference. Violet gets the tactile, tap-and-discover excitement of an app, but she's holding a real book, turning real pages, and there's no screen glow/blue light, no ads, and no accidentally opening YouTube.

Is Tappi Worth It?

For us, yes. Nine months of near-daily use is a solid track record for any toddler toy, and Violet's enthusiasm for it hasn't faded — if anything, she's grown into more of the game-based content as she's gotten closer to four. The music books in particular have been in heavy rotation since day one.

Bottom line: if you have a toddler or preschooler and want something that offers real interactivity without a screen, Tappi delivers. Just designate a home for that pen before it disappears into your couch cushions.

Quick Recap

• Age range: Best for kids 2–6

• What we tried: Play Pen + music books, since December (9 months of use)

• What our 3-year-old loved: The music books and the level of interactivity

• Biggest downside: Easy to misplace the pen

• Would we recommend it: Yes, especially for screen-free households looking for independent play

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Disclosure: I received our Tappi Play Pen and books for free in exchange for an honest review.

We Tried a MEL Science Kit -- Here's What We Thought*

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you know I have a son. If you’ve primarily read older posts, it might surprise you to learn that that son is nearly 11 years old now. Trust me, I’m shocked too.

One moment you have a beautiful baby, who needs you for everything. In my case, my son was a sweet, easygoing, low temperament infant and toddler. He never tantrumed. He slept well. He travelled well. As he’s grown into a kid and now nearly a tween, he has become an easygoing, gentle boy. He likes science and video games. He could play his engineering iPad game for hours if I let him. He loves Minecraft and building Legos, tormenting his little sister (lovingly), cooking, baking… he’s a joy.

The hardest thing about kids in this day and age is, you guessed it, the screens.

When I was 11, I spent hours reading, folding fortune tellers, calling my friends, writing in my journal, and listening to music. My son likes reading, but the allure of a screen is too great.

I’ve known for a while that STEM kits are crucial for him. I keep a selection of kits, small Lego sets, and various other science-y crafts available throughout the summer.

And let me tell you — MEL Science is easily his favorite kit. Some tend to have difficult instructions that can get messed up easily. Some might end up with a project he isn’t super interested. But he has loved every single MEL Science kit I’ve ever gotten for him.

MEL Science kits are monthly kits you can have delivered to your home. That means a project your kiddo will love every single month. They also have an online component that gives kids additional activities, experiments, and more. All-in-all, a great idea for kids who like to stay busy and parents who don’t want their kid in front of a screen all summer.

The kit we received this month was for a Projector that you can use to design stories, scenes, and more, plus run additional experiments. The box comes with everything: instructions (that aren’t just easy to read, but fun to read), parts, and any other materials they might need. I love the fact that it isn’t a massive kit with 100 different tiny parts; it is easy for kids to follow, which helps them start and finish a project feeling confident.

My son said this: “I like that it’s easy to follow and I like the comics in the instructions too. Plus, it is something I can use after and play with my sister later.” Has a nearly 11-year-old ever had so much to say?

It took my son about 2-3 hours to put this together and he spent the rest of the afternoon playing with it. Even better, my 3-year-old got to enjoy it too and my son had a great time showing her how to use it and how it worked. While she might not have understood, it helped my son repeat the scientific principals and showed me how the project had really helped him understand something.

If you’ve got a kid who is endlessly curious and needs something to do this summer, I cannot recommend a MEL Science kit subscription for the summer and the future. If you decide to go for it, I highly recommend hoarding the kits for breaks; I often do this with my son so he has something for winter and spring breaks as well.

Click here to learn more about MEL Science and try a subscription for yourself!

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*As always, an asterisk in the title of this post indicates that I received this product free for review. This post does also contain affiliate links, which help me keep the lights on here at Writing Between Pauses. Thank you for supporting my blog!

10 Essentials for Packing for Vacation (with Kids!)

I don’t consider myself a highly organized person. I think if you saw my house before I clean it, you’d agree. But the feedback I often get at work is how highly organized I am, how I have incredible attention to detail. That’s fair! I know it’s true!

Last year when we went to Disneyland, my husband’s mom remarked on how organized I am, especially when it came to packing for our kids. Truly, I wish I could wear that like an Olympic medal. Yes, I have a silver medal in packing for children.

I often make recommendations to my friends and family for things I’ve bought and use to make packing a little bit easier. I don’t believe in buying things willy nilly (although I’m totally guilty of falling for TikTok hype and ending up with 4,000 gadgets I don’t need) because I have enough clutter as it is.

Here are my 10 essentials for packing for my kids.

1. Day of the Week Packing Cubes

These are my absolute favorite thing to use when packing, even for short weekend trips. I lie two sets out for my kids and start just lying their clothes down on top. It helps me plan exactly what we need and keeps me organized. The visual aspect helps so much too. I previously used a set like this, which is also great, but they were a little too small for my 10-year-old’s clothes. (Perfect for babies and toddlers!)

2. A First Aid Kit

The thing about traveling with kids is that… anything can happen.

One time while on a road trip to Idaho, my son, who I think was 4 or 5 at the time, fell off a curb while at a gas station. He absolutely gashed his knee! It was bad. I only had a few band-aids in the car and they weren’t big enough. My husband had to run into the gas station, buy the extra expensive band-aids, and come back, all while my son cried in his car seat. Awful.

Ever since, I have kept a thoroughly stocked first aid kit in my car and I travel with a mini version in my purse or backpack at all times. I even took this into Disneyland, a place that is well known to help any first aid situation immediately.

3. Clear Zipper Pouches

I love these pouches for compact packing; think swimsuits, underwear, bras, you name it. They just help keep things a little tidier; everything has a place, a home, a cubby. They also make it easier to see what’s inside. Is this my toiletry bag or my swimsuits?

4. A Mini Diaper Bag

I’ve written about it before, but I love this mini diaper bag. It’s cute, it fits everything you need for being out-and-about, and if it gets trashed, it’s not like you brought your deluxe diaper bag with you. This has gone with us on road trips, to Disneyland back, to daily errands… everything. It’s a perfect little diaper bag: enough room for a pack of wipes, 2-3 diapers, hand sanitizer, a few band-aids, and diaper cream. Now that both my kids are out of diapers (what a relief), we no longer have a need for this, but it could totally work as just a hygiene kit for the car.

5. A Travel Potty

Speaking of potty training, until my kids are like 5, I don’t leave the house without a training potty. I love this one because it folds flat, so it fits underneath my seat. It comes with bags to put inside that catch everything. Easy to use, pretty sturdy, and folds small? Heaven in a potty.

6. A Travel Toilet Seat

Another potty training one, I love this fold out potty seat! Perfect for making it into gas stations, restaurants, everything… and it folds up tiny. I carry a pack of sanitizing wipes to give it a quick wipe down after use. It goes back into the carrying case and we’re on our way. Now I don’t have to try to hold my 35 pound toddler over a nasty toilet.

7. A Med Kit

Separate from the first aid kit, I like to keep a selection of individually wrapped meds in our first aid kit, car, and travel stuff. They just make me feel better, I don’t know. This selection is basic: Imodium, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, antacids, the usual suspects. Alongside your must have medications, these ones are crucial for travel — from headaches to sour stomachs. I also like to bring a few packets of kids chewable Tylenol and Motrin.

8. A Toiletry Kit

I like to take travel size items with us, because I hate spending money. This set is so cute and chic. (And full disclosure, it’s my number one seller on Benable.) The bottles are flexible, making them easier for kids to use, and it comes with a decent variety of items.

9. Compression Packing Cubes

Remember what I said about liking to pack everything as compressed as possible? These compression cubes help maximize space and they’re not overly expensive. I bought a new set for our upcoming Hawaii trip so both my husband and I could use them.

10. A Foldable Duffel Bag

If your souvenir shopping gets away from you, don’t worry about shipping. This duffel bag folds really tiny, so I always bring it on trips for anything extra we get. It can become an additional checked bag. It can become your dirty clothes bag. The uses are endless and it’s better than buying an extra bag wherever you are.

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Packing is something I always dread with kids. When my oldest was young, I remember thinking I’d nailed it when he was about a year old… only to realize, halfway through our road trip, I had forgotten the pack’n’play. You know… the thing he slept in. It’s gotten easier as my kids have gotten older, especially now that they’re to the age that if we need anything, we can simply buy it quickly. I love having a tried-and-true system and this list outlines my system: keep things organized, tidy, and tightly packed.