How to Declare Your Own Holiday

My husband graduates from dental school this spring. It has been a long road but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for sure! This fall has been filled with preparations to take his national boards and to apply for residencies around the country. It just happened to end up that his September, October, November and even some of his December would be spent traveling and studying his brains out. We really went for weeks at a time without seeing our daddy and it was hard! Come November we had had about enough and so the day after he took his board exam, we decided to declare our own holiday. No better place to do that than Disneyland, right?

I received a complimentary hotel stay in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Everyone has seasons in their life that are more stressful than others. When a time like that rolls around, declare your own holiday. Hilton Garden Inn encourages you to come up with your own reasons to celebrate, explore new places, and connect with loved ones. Television personality and travel enthusiast Kinga Philips has the tips to get you there!

Embrace the Culture: Scope out unique events, festivals and fairs that are exclusive to the region and eat like a local – skip the chain restaurants!

We spent a day on Balboa Island. It was so fun to see our kids see the ocean for the first time, eat at a little hole in the wall Mexican food restaurant a friend recommended, and eat ice cream on the pier. It was the start of an amazing week.

Just Breathe: Forget about your “to-do” list and stresses back home – embrace vacation mode! Make the most of your experience by reminding yourself to be present in the moment.

Remember those interviews I mentioned and the results of that board exam, well those huge stresses were still looming on the horizon. We decided to let them go for the week we were gone. This whole trip was about reconnecting as a family, without the stress. It was tough at first, but so worth it, we all needed that time together.

Connect with Your Inner Child: Don’t be afraid to play! Keep it fun and light-hearted.

Bring on Disneyland. We ate churros, watched parades, met celebrities, rode rides, and had the time of our lives. My husband and I are huge Disney fans, we have been several times since we were married, but this was the first time with our kids. Disney with kids takes the magic to a whole new level.

After long days of walking and fun we were so lucky to head back to the Hilton Garden Inn right down the street from Disneyland. Our room was beautiful and newly renovated. In fact parts of the hotel were still under construction and you could not even tell! It was so impressive.

Their rooms have amazing features:

• In Room Coffee
• Microwave
• Mini Fridge
• Hdtv
• Free Movie Channels
• Free Wifi

And the Hotel is home to:

• Outdoor Pool and Whirlpool Spa
• Business Center
• 24 Hour Pavilion Market
• Laundry Service
• Restaurant
• Room Service
• Amazing Multilingual Staff

Visit Declareyourownholiday.com for more tips and suggestions, find a Hilton Garden Inn and make some amazing memories. You deserve it. 3 quick questions:

What would you celebrate? Where would you go? What are you waiting for?