Top Chef Junior host and mother of three Vanessa Lachey recently teamed up with Holiday Inn for Chocolate Milk Happy Hour and talks about her family travels.
We have our childhood travel memories, and I think back to get more clarity on how my parents handled a challenge, and what stuck out ot me in that situation. This didn’t work out, that didn’t work out, we got the wrong rental car, etc. But meanwhile, as a kid, I’m just thinking, “Oh we’re in a new car, or a new hotel and have a really cool new bed and bathroom.” And all the things that I stress about now, as a parent — I try to put myself back into the mind of when I was a kid.
My husband Nick and I remind each other that our kids don’t see the details and hiccups that we see. We need to kind of rewire our brains a bit to focus more about the experience and how much fun we can have as a family. Because, truly, the moments when things didn’t work out and you have to improvise — you find these really great moments and memories that shaped who I am, and hopefully, are shaping my kids in good ways.
We have three kids, and at home they have their own bedrooms. But when we travel, that’s impossible — that’s probably bigger than the presidential suite. I don’t care how much money you have, the fun of traveling is bunking up. We’re away from home right now, and our kids are all in one room together. The hotel has this great bathroom, so we have Phoenix’s crib in there to give him more privacy because he’s only 18 months old. Is it crazy? Yes. Are they having the time of their lives? Absolutely. And that’s what you remember.
Part of the beauty of vacationing with kids is just going with the flow, but also being able to take time coming together as a family. That’s why I love the new Chocolate Milk Happy Hour with Holiday Inn. Families can come down, have milk and cookies, hang out with other families and make time to unlock new family memories. When we sit down and take an hour out of the day — the memories, the moments, the conversations … it’s priceless.
As told to Hannah Freedman