I love to read.  As my mother tells the story - I used to spend a lot of time in my room and books were my only friends.  I think there might be some truth to that…but that’s a different story.  During this past 4th of July I was lucky enough to be able to visit my family on Martha’s Vineyard.  We’ve been there before - and while the island was gorgeous and getting to spend time with family was awesome - one of the key highlights was getting to talk to the owner of Riley Reads.

Riley Reads is a small children’s book store on the island.  Zoe - the owner is a former nanny and book lover who loves to find just the right book for everybody who walks through her doors.  The store is a fantasy land for book lovers. Bright colors with books everywhere.  Nooks and crannies where kids can curl up with a book, cushions and pillows scattered on the floor for the younger set to drop onto with a book of their choice.

I got to talk with Zoe while I was there and her enthusiasm for books was undeniable.  She was able to give me some good tips on books that I can share with my daughters over the next few years.  If you’re ever in the Martha’s Vineyard area - be sure to check out the store!

Although Zoe is an expert at finding the right books (just give her a call or shoot her a note (zoe@rileysreads.com) and ask her to create a gift basket for you and you’ll see what I mean) - she’s new to blogging.  So stop by her blog and give her some love - and while you’re at it - check out her Facebook page - because if you love to read - you’ll love Riley’s Reads!

If you’re ever in the Martha’s Vineyard area - be sure to check out the store!

Note:  This post was not compensated in any way - I simply love the store, loved talking with Zoe and love to read - so I wanted to be sure to share it with all of you!

I don’t know about your family - but we don’t get many vacations around here.  Between my job and my husbands family business, we are both short on vacation time.  Well - technically, I have a lot of vacation time, but the ability to take it and feel like you’re not letting your team down…that’s a different discussion.

So, this past week - we took off on a trip.  We headed up to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.  If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it!  My brother, sister-in-law and parents were also with us and we had cousins visiting from Chicago, so we made it a family event!

I am personally, not much of a fan of the beach - something about sand in places it doesn’t belong and things like that.  However, just because I’m not a fan - doesn’t mean my kids shouldn’t enjoy it.  So, off we headed to the beach.

If you haven’t been to Martha’s Vineyard - I must say that the beaches are some of the best I’ve been to.  We spent most of our time at State Beach - which is difficult to park at - but definitely worth it if you have little children.  The depth of the beach is short, and the water is not very choppy - so kids can play and not be overcome by the waves.  And don’t worry - even if you recognize the scenery from “Jaws” I can assure you that I did not see any sharks!

While my kids were napping - I took off to Vineyard Haven - thanks to free babysitting from my parents!  I found some gorgeous stores - more to come on that in a different post…and had some fun doing some window shopping.

We hung out in Edgartown, saw the July 4th parade, barbecued and had a great time.  But, there is something about taking a vacation with family and kids that is very different from taking vacation with your significant other.

My kids were definitely off schedule - something that doesn’t work very well for my family.  That resulted in several meltdowns and a lot of crankiness, but it ended up ok.  It also is quite a trip to get to the island.  We went through 6 states, a car, bus and ferry - just to get to the island.  It took us about 6 hours including a short overnight nap - definitely not for the faint of heart.

All in all - it went well.  We plan on doing it again next year (cross your fingers) and hopefully as the kids get older - it will get easier.

How about you?  How are you spending your vacation time this summer?  Any plans for a family road trip?  What about your favorite vacation spot?