vacations
8 Simple Ways to Save On Your Next Family Vacation
Summer is right around the corner, which for many families means one thing: Vacation Time! I don’t know about your family, but vacations have often been a budget-killer for ours. We think we’ve accounted for everything, and yet by the end of the trip we are find we’ve spent more than we planned for, whether it be on food, parking, or luggage fees. Those little things can sure add up! Whether you are just starting to plan your next trip, or you’ve had something on the calendar for months already, there is always time to minimize your trip expenses and to take the time to plan for how much you ... read more
weekend in key west {princess turns 6}
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while I probably don’t have to tell you just how much I love throwing parties. I look forward to my girls’ birthdays all year long, and start collecting party ideas accordingly, picking their themes at least 6 months in advance. So I was more than a little shocked this year when my wise-beyond-her-years little girl said, “Mommy, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I don’t really want a birthday party this year.” I’m not gonna lie: more than a few tears were shed, and not by her. She asked to have one friend over for a sleepover, but when ... read more
summer road trip {quality time with the girls i love most}
The girls and I hit the road last week for our very first girls-only road trip. I was a little nervous about tackling a 9 hour drive with a 5 and 3 year old all by myself, but the girls were absolutely amazing in the car. They were such little troopers and we had SO much fun just hanging out and stopping at (almost) every rest stop along the way. 3 year olds have very small bladders!After spending our first night just outside of Gainsville, we drove to Atlanta to pick up my sister Beth and niece Coryn from the airport (they were flying in from Seattle). The girls were ... read more
captiva island beach weekend {hello, tropical storm debby}
My friends LeeAnn and Melissa and I have talked about vacationing together for almost 2 years now, and this past weekend was the first time that all 3 families could go to the same place at the same time. We booked our weekend at South Seas Island Resort months ago, and we were all excited. Really excited. So we weren’t going to let a little thing like Tropical Storm Debby stand in our way of a good time. Oh sure, when most people think “Beach Vacation” they think of basking in the sun, pina colada in hand, taking only the occasional break to cool off in the ocean or perhaps ... read more
staycation {spring break 2012}
We are halfway through Princess’ two-week spring break, and so far we’ve been having a blast. The girls are at such a fun age! Last week we did lots of coloring and fuse beads, had a friend come play for a day, made a teepee town in the front yard, got ice cream and cupcakes, swam in the pool for the first time this year, and even took a spur-of-the-moment day trip to Busch Gardens. Husband was unexpectedly able to take some time off this coming week, so we decided to take advantage of it and have a little last minute stay-at home vacation–a Staycation. We are excited! Have you ... read more
busch gardens tampa {family fun}
On Saturday we spent the day at Busch Gardens in Tampa. It is only about 2 hours from our house and yet this is the first time we’ve ever gone as a family, and the first time Husband and I have been since 2004. We had a GREAT day! When we went to SeaWorld last April it was only a little bit extra to get an annual pass that would allow us entrance to both Sea World AND Busch Gardens. We figured we would go a lot since it is so close but then life got so crazy that we hadn’t used our passes again until now. Luckily we still ... read more
manatees, ice-cream, & some really hot wings {a mini road trip}
We took a little family mini road trip yesterday. It was a great way to spend a Sunday. We first went to see the Manatees at the Tampa Electric viewing center. It was pretty cool. It was also free, which made it even cooler! Do you ever wish your kid could wear a sign that said “I dressed myself today?” Princess insisted on wearing her slippers instead of shoes. Whatever. After the Manatees we headed to Munchies 420 Cafe in Sarasota. It is semi-famous, at least to us, thanks to an episode of Man vs. Food that we watched a while ago. Husband has been wanting to try their “Fire ... read more
the post vacation non-blues
Rules to live by: Don’t ever go on vacation at the beginning of December. I’m actually just kidding. From a saving money standpoint, going on vacation–especially a cruise–in the first few weeks of December is a fantastic idea. There are some killer deals! Apparently only crazy people decide to go away this time of year so the cruise lines are practically giving the rooms away, in the hopes you’ll make up the difference on shore excursions and daily drink specials. We had an absolutely wonderful time–quite possibly our best, most fun, & definitely most relaxing vacation ever–but now we’re back. It is Monday morning and I’ve got 3 suitcases ... read more
our alaska cruise {photo essay}
They say a picture is worth a thousand words…. (I suppose this was more like a novel. Sorry if I went a little overboard!)
orlando getaway
It was a very good trip. And I’m exhausted, but happy. I was reminded of how important it is to just play sometimes. I too often get caught up in all the things I “need” to do and forget that my most important job is “Mom.” We had a lot of fun. We met up with some close friends from Seattle who were vacationing in Florida. As you can see, we share a fetish for dressing our girls in matching outfits. Because if 2 matching girls are cute, 4 matching girls are even cuter. They matched at Sea World, too. (Even Shamu was impressed.) I was going to take the ... read more
vacation
It has been a very good couple of weeks. We’ve spent a lot of time getting wet…. …at the splash park… …and in the pool. Trouble has started sleeping in the big girl bed. At least some of the time. Princess had a “camp out” in the living room… …while Trouble pretty much did her own thing. I was completely spoiled on my birthday. (Thanks honey.) The girls and I had fun testing out my new tripod and the self-timer on my camera. Our garden is growing! It is so exciting. We even got to enjoy our first fresh garden salad! Granted it was just some lettuce, and baby lettuce ... read more
Five Tips for Disney Fun (on a budget)
I’ll spare you all the boring [to everyone else] details of our [very fun] trip to Disney and share just one very humorous anecdote: This trip we were staying at the Contemporary Resort (thanks to some awesome Florida Resident deals), and on Saturday evening we left the park around 11:30pm and took the monorail back to the hotel. By then both girls were asleep in our double stroller and we wanted to keep them asleep at all costs. Unfortunately, when we got off the monorail at the hotel, we were told that the [only] elevator was out-of-order. We asked how long it would be, since at that point, waiting was ... read more
