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Poconos Are For Kids Too

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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Poconos Tourism board.  Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Why did no one one tell me I was missing out on the Poconos as a family friendly destination? 

Watch our short recap video:

Truth moment. We’ve been to the Poconos only once and it was before we had kids. Andrew and I joined my dad and stepmom there one day they were there and went hiking at Bushkill Falls. It was so fun, but we’ve never been back. I’ve never really thought anything of it either. Recently, we decided to make the trek back.  Unfortunately, Andrew couldn’t get off work, so it was just going to be the girls and I. After telling my mom and sister we were going, I got a bit nervous.  Both of them immediately questioned why I would go there with the girls, wasn’t it a romantic getaway destination.

Truth. It’s not.

Don’t get me wrong, it absolutely has the ability to be a romantic getaway destination and full of serene moments that can take your breath away.  However, it’s always the most amazing time for a family, even one with smaller children.

The Poconos are for kids too! 

We started off our trip on Lake Wallenpaupack. We met up with Poconos Action Sports and took a boat ride out on the Lake and learned so much about the area. Poconos Action Sports also offers a host of other fun activities like jet skiing, parasailing, kayaking, and more.`

Resort Fun.

After we had fun there, we headed to Silver Birches Resort. It’s a super quaint resort with a variety of rooms, including cottages.  It was recently remodeled after new owners took over.  It sits right on the lake and it’s stunning. Poconos Action Sports actually comes out and hosts sporting activities like canoeing and kayaking at Silver Birches so you don’t have to go anywhere. There’s a great restaurant just up the hill from the main office where you can grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Tip: Get the breakfast burrito or the pizza!  Other fun things at Silver Birches is the champagne toast and fire pits overnight and they have a playground for the kids.

After our stay at Silver Birches, we headed down the road to check out Skytop Lodge. This historic resort features 5,500 acres so there is literally enough activities available to keep the entire family busy.  They have a full day of kid’s activities planned (like reptile and painting classes), there’s an arcade, indoor and outdoor pools, inflatable lake activities, and more. A full golf course, tons of hiking trails, and more round out this resort.

One of our favorite things was went exploring the land and came across waterfalls right down from our room on the property. There’s a small hiking trail, a bench, and plenty of ability to have fun right there.

Another favorite was taking part in one of the moderate hiking trails. There was so much amazing beauty to be found on a short one hour hike. The girls loved seeing salamanders and I loved the scenery and calmness while we were out.

We absolutely loved our experience in the Poconos. Our girls had an amazing time and I truly learned the the Poconos are for kids too! We’re already figuring out how to make our way back there sooner than later.

Dorney Park Wildwater Kingdom

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 Check out the awesomeness of Dorney Park Wildwater Kingdom!

Growing up water parks were my jam (can I still say Jam?  Is that hip or nah?) Anywho…I loved them.  It was always a special treat to go to a water park when we were little. I waited what seemed like forever until I was tall enough that I could get on the water log rides. Imagine my excitement when I learned Serenity loved the water too. I knew she was going to be up for any water adventures in our future.  Luckily, she is and her sister has been too, though she’s still too little for most things.

SEE OUR SHORT VIDEO FROM WILDWATER KINGDOM HERE:

We were recently hosted and had the chance to check out Dorney Park Wildwater Kingdom and the girls had so much fun.  It was a bit chilly since it was early June, but after the girls warmed up to the fun a bit, they had a blast.  The great thing about Wildwater Kingdom at Dorney Park is that there are so many things for kids to do beyond just rides, especially for little ones, like our Storm. They have designated kid areas all over Wildwater Kingdom that have sprinklers, waterspouts, smaller slides, and even a submarine.

Of course, if you have older ones, there’s plenty for them to do as well, including almost a dozen rides for those over 48″.

The girls (and their friend) loved the water spouts and trying to hide them or sit on top of them.  Another fun spot was the wave pool.  It’s always funny to me to see how much my girls love the waves.  To me, it seems, at that age, it might be a bit scary but they love it.  Next up in the kiddie area, was this insanely fun submarine where kids can go down a host of different slides and actually walk around inside the submarine. 

Lastly, is this gated (which I love as a parent) area called Water Works.  The girls ran around dumping and pouring water, going down slides, and more.  At the end of the day, they loved relaxing in the sun (Serenity says “sunbathing”) until they dried off.

They were all sad to go home, but we promised that we would be back around soon!

As always, Dorney Park pleases the entire family. Head to DorneyPark.com for ticket purchases.

Want to know more about Dorney Park?  See our adventures of past trips here.

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY CEDAR FAIR ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY IN CONJUNCTION WITH BLOG MEETS BRAND, AND I HAVE BEEN COMPENSATED FOR MY PARTICIPATION. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Dorney Park – Our First Park Friend Experience

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Dorney Park holds a special place in our hearts. It was the first place that we went that had something for everyone and catered to our family’s needs. It’s our youngest child’s first amusement park trip and now, with this recent hosted trip, holds the place as the first place we took a friend with us.

See our fun trip in the video: 

I remember growing up that I always wanted to take a friend places with us.  I remember my sister being able to do it, but rarely remember being able to do it myself. There’s something so magically special about being able to experience fun with a friend. Andrew and I both knew that it was something that we wanted our girls to experience. Thankfully, we were able to sooner than later and it was everything I hoped for in a friend trip.

Side note: This trip to Dorney Park was also the baby’s first time riding a roller coaster! She’s hooked!

We allowed Serenity to take one of her best friends to the park and the joy of this first experience was magical. The joy on their faces throughout the day was something you hope stays everyday of their lives. They rode as many rides as they could across Planet Snoopy.  One reason that Dorney Park is a huge hit is that kids are able to ride everything in this one area.  It’s amazing as a parent because it reduces the heartache of having to tell them no to certain rides as we pass them by as we are walking.

Another reason we love Planet Snoopy is that the lines are short because it’s catered specifically to smaller kids, so there’s no reason for huge lines. Bigger kids are in other areas of the park riding bigger coasters and rides. There’s so many things packed into this area that you can quite easily spend the entire day just here. Between the rides and the shows, it’s endless entertainment.

****D E A L     A L E R T ****

June is the perfect month to head to Dorney Park. They’ve teamed up with Alex’s Lemonade Stand to host Lemonade Days. Every online ticket purchase in June is kid’s pricing. That means you pay $39 per ticket – a $19 savings from buying tickets at the gate – PLUS $1 of every online sale goes to Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Everyone wins!

Bonus Tip: Purchase the All Day Meal Plan online. It’s $31.99 per person and you can get a meal every 90 minutes. If you plan to eat inside the park, it’s really your best value. You can also save by grabbing the souvenir drinking cup! It’s just $10.99. Don’t forget, all tickets include access to Wildwater Kingdom! Rides + water = endless fun!

Head to DorneyPark.com to plan your trip today!

Upcoming trips for you to attend at Dorney Park:

  • Father’s Day Beef & Beer – June 18
  • Independence Day Fireworks – July 4
  • Christmas in July Breakfast with Santa – July 25
  • Food Truck Rally – August 26-27

What are you most looking forward too at Dorney Park? Leave a comment and tell us! Hope to see you there soon!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company in conjunction with Blog Meets Brand, and I have been compensated for my participation. All opinions are my own.

Our #1 Goal Before Summer Travel This Year

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of . Thoughts & opinions 100% our own.

I finally feel like this is our summer of fun!  The girls are 4 and 2 years old and while we have to watch them closely still, we don’t have to coddle them constantly anymore.  We can go to amusement parks and both girls can go on rides this year.  Both girls enjoy waterparks, beaches, and more. We’ve know this is going to be a much more exciting summer than the last few and we’ve been preparing.  I mean, I’m FINALLY not pregnant or have a super small human child for the first time in almost 5 years. We’re beyond excited honestly.

But there’s been one thing nagging me.

We’ve already booked 5 trips to take place this summer. That means insanely busy.  That’s just the stuff already on the books, let alone things that come up.  Living 45 minutes from the shore means that any day could be a day trip down to the beach. It happens quite often honestly. I mean wouldn’t you? But as we took more day trips last year I keep having this nagging feeling. We have no additional security system. Every time I would leave the house to go on a trip, I would feel like we were putting ourselves at risk.

Growing up, I didn’t have a security system, but my family also lived in a small, quaint town where we didn’t even lock our doors some nights.  Things today are much different.  Not to mention the fact that we post and stream our lives daily, so when we do bigger trips, it means that people know we aren’t home. It’s always bothered me.  I’ve also been terrified of the trauma that could be left behind if we arrive home and someone had broken into our home. The trauma that a young child must face in that instance has to be insurmountable.

It’s all changing this year!

Actually, phase 1 is already completed. We received some fantastic security pieces from  , however the products from the collection are extremely affordable and we had everything set up in about an hour. Honestly, we’ve looked at this system for a few years now.  Iris was the first security brand we saw that had everything that we needed, and every time we go into Lowe’s (*cough* it’s almost weekly *cough*), we stop and admire the display that is set up. With so many trips planned, we know this year was the correct time to set it all up.

Some of the features that sold us on the by Lowe’s is:

  • Ability to connect all Iris-compatible smart devices through one app
    • Turn lights on and off, receive alerts from alarms, stream video feeds from cameras, etc. Automation events, like turn lights on when you walk in a room, are also available.
  • No long-term contract that professional security monitoring system require with the same benefits
    • Iris features a self-monitoring system completely FREE, a mid-tier system for $9.99/mo. or professional monitoring for $14.95/mo. – an affordable solution for all families
  • Over 100+ smart devices
    • Examples: sensors, switches, plugs, keypads, locks, thermostats, bulbs, alarms, detectors, garage openers, heaters, vents, and more
  • Completely customizable system to our family’s needs with endless possibilities
    • Examples – Get a notification if kid’s get home early, sirens sound when glass breaks, measures CO levels in your home, remotely monitor door locks, and more

The is the heart of the Iris system.  This is what allows us to be connected with all the devices we currently have. Additionally, any devices we plan to add, can be connected. The smart hub helps you stay connected to all the devices in your home by the single Iris by Lowe’s app. Alarm Tracker™ is also a brand new feature that allows you to follow an alarm from the time it sets off to the time dispatch is sent. It’s an amazing feature that gives you even more peace of mind.

Reader Discount Alert

We are so excited about our family travels this summer now that we know we are protected. We’re hoping to help you feel even more safe this summer too. Right now you can use “MYIRISSECURITY” at the website and get 10% off any Iris starter packs and smart hubs. Offer valid 5/30-6/29/17.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Iris by Lowe’s. Thoughts & opinions 100% our own.

 

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander

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The time has officially came. We are in the market for a new vehicle.  We literally have no idea where to begin looking.  Part of me just wants a new car, the other part an SUV, the mom in me a minivan, and I’ve always dreamed of a pick-up truck. So here we are. Searching.

The Search Begins

We recently planned a “friend-cation” to Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos and thankfully Mitsubishi let us test drive the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC for our trip. We only have two girls and our family doesn’t plan to grow anymore, however we are looking for something that allows our girls to take a friend each with them on our travels. For this trip, Andrew wasn’t joining us, but my girlfriend and her two littles would be. The rest of the week that we had the trip would be just us seeing how we liked the vehicle.

I’ll admit I was a bit nervous when the car arrived. We had four kids in car seats – three of whom are rearfacing, plus luggage and food. The Mitsubishi Outlander has generous space for a small family when you have two children, but four children and luggage, it was going to be a tight fight. The optional third row can be:

  • down completely
  • up completely
  • one side can be left down while the other is up
  • or down completely with one side of the second row also down.

When the optional third row is up, there is limited trunk space. I didn’t measure, but I would roughly estimate it to be between 13-15″. There is extra space for belongings underneath also (this is where headrest are stored when not in use).

On road!! #greatwolflodge

A post shared by A Arnold (@mrs_aarnold) on

But we did it.

We were able to get the following into the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander:

  • 2 adults
  • 4 children in car seats (3 rearfacing, 1 in 5pt harness forward facing)
  • large duffle bag
  • average size suitcase
  • diaper bag
  • case of water
  • 4 canvas reusable shopping bags full of food
  • a day bag for the park (needed before we could check in)
  • a pack and play
  • a bumbo chair

and I’m sure a few other things I’m forgetting at the moment. It was crammed, but my friend and I were both pretty amazed that we got everything we needed into the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander.

We drove the almost 3 hours from my house to Great Wolf Lodge and finally arrived, amazingly barely using half a tank of gas. Score!

Once we were home and our friends were gone, we were able to see more about the features for just our family.  Our girls have been recently fighting in the back seat of our car. “Don’t touch me.” “You’re on my side”. Repeat. Constantly.

One of the best things about the optional third row was that I was able to keep our 4 year old in the back and the baby in the second row.  They didn’t argue once!  It was bliss! 

The last day that we were reviewing the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander, our oldest begged to sit next to her sister again.  They got along for about 3 minutes until I was ready to move her back again.  For that, the optional third row was pure blissful joy.

Let’s talk about the features: 

Some of these are optional features depending on ES, SE, SEL or GT 3.0 S-AWC models – 

  • Starting at $23,495
  • 25/30 MPG
  • Seats 5 comfortably with optional 3rd row for 7 total seats
  • 10 year/100k Miles Powertrain Limited Warranty
  • Forward Collision Mitigation System
  • Super All-Wheel Control
  • Rear Cross Traffic Alert System
  • Blind Spot Warning and Lane Change Assist
  • Multi-View Camera System – 360 degree view
  • 7″ Touchscreen + Apple Carplay + Android Auto
  • LED Headlights
  • Heated front seats
  • Heated steering wheel
  • Front Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control
  • premium Rockford Fosgate surround sound

  

Once we got home from our trip, we definitely enjoyed our little family inside. All the features were fun to play around with and I loved the sun roof on the warm days that we were getting as the weather warms up. I think if you have a small family who does limited traveling, this could be the perfect option for you (I’m already tired of the girls fighting again). 

5 Dishes to Try at Bahama Breeze

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We don’t eat out often. Never really have and since having kids, it’s been even less frequently.  Partly to save money, partly because kids act crazy as soon as you sit down at a table. However, before we had kids we absolutely loved Bahama Breeze.  With Andrew’s Caribbean culture, it’s a nice way for him to get a taste of home when we can’t make it over to his parents for dinner (I haven’t mastered the flavor profile yet – though it’s on my to do list).

Recently, we headed over to a nearby mall and once there I told Andrew that we should have an early dinner at Bahama Breeze. This is the face I got. I’m so happy that he loves somewhere so much.

The girls absolutely love the food at Bahama Breeze too. I know the flavor is in their bones, but I also love that we can expand their palates of different foods at such a young age at one of our favorite places.

Today, I wanted to share with you a complete meal from start to finish of some of our all time and recent favorites. I’ll share with you a few extras too.

Appetizers – Beef Empanadas. These are a new favorite.  They are perfectly fried pastries filled with beef and potatoes. Everyone loved them. The jumbo lump crab stack is another fav of ours.

Soup – Seafood chowder.  Hands down one of the best soups I’ve ever had.  What’s even better is that this soup broke the ice for Andrew trying soups.  He swore he hated soup until he tried this.  Now, he won’t try other soups still, but when we are at Bahama Breeze, he will keep asking for bites of mine.

Entrees – The girls always continuously ask for bites of ours as soon as we order our dishes. Andrew always gets the same thing – Calypso Shrimp Linguine. Creamy, spicy, perfectly sautéed entree that embodies Caribbean style.

Trinidad Chicken Curry Bowl. This was a new one for me, but instantly a favorite. Chicken, chickpeas, and tomatoes in a curry and coconut milk sauce. It’s served with pineapple chutney and naan and it’s just amazing.

The fish tacos and the jerk chicken sandwich are equally delicious. I have a goal to work out way through the menu one day.

You can’t forget the drinks!  We love a virgin Pina Colada as a fun and sweet treat.

The entire spread always looks amazing and we’re never disappointed. We absolutely love eating at Bahama Breeze.

And don’t worry – if you have littles that are less exploratory than ours, they have traditional kids meals like chicken tenders and fries.

Bahama Breeze is one of our favorite places and we just can’t get enough of it when we get out.

10 Things to Do at Howell Living History Farm – Lambertville NJ

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A few weeks ago, we found ourselves at Howell Living History Farm in Lambertville, NJ.  I’ll admit that I had never even heard of this place before a friend suggested it, but it was just about an hour drive away, so we went. Once there, I couldn’t believe we had never been before.  This place is amazing! Seriously, I immediately told all my friends that we have to come back and bring our kids again. Andrew is really hard to impress, especially when I told him we were going to a farm, but even he was blown away by the awesomeness that we experienced there. And best of all, it’s TOTALLY FREE!

Howell Living History Farm is an educational facility that preserves and interprets farming life and processes from the era of 1890-1910. It was amazing to see a real life working farm from this era as if nothing had changed at all.  It’s recommended to wear older, comfortable shoes when you go as there is a lot of walking and possibly mudding in some places. Rain boots are a great option too!

Here’s 10 things you must do when you visit Howell Living History Farm!

  1. Grab a snack or even lunch in the main building
    • When we were there, they had soup, hot dogs, and mac and cheese, as well as homemade cookies, drinks, and bags of chips.
  2. Spot the beehives
    • Don’t get too close to the bees, but it’s fun to spot them and teach your kids about where honey comes from
  3. Visit with all the animals
    • There’s sheep, pigs, horses, oxen, chickens and more. The girls loved touching the thick sheep’s wool and trying to feed an ox. There’s plenty of opportunities to get up close with them if your patient enough.
  4. Watch the horses carry equipment from one area of the farm to another
    • While we were there, the horses were carrying containers to collect sap and then carrying it to where the maple syrup is made. Depending on the season you visit, will determine what you get to see the horses doing
  5. See if you can walk across the creek without getting soaked
    • There’s a few rocks you can hop on to get across the creek.  It’s a fun challenge for the little ones. Don’t worry, there’s a bridge to cross too if you don’t want to chance getting wet.
  6. Eat freshly made pancakes in the kitchen of the farmhouse
    • Unfortunately, we didn’t get to partake in this, but we did get to see the farmhand gather the eggs from the chickens and walk them over to be used to make the fresh pancakes
  7. Help cut and chop the wood
    • There’s a station set up down near the creek where you can help hand saw logs and then chop smaller pieces with a hatchet
  8. Pump yourself a fresh drink of water!
    • Our girls thought it was amazing that they could pump water from the ground! I haven’t seen one of these since I was little and remember having the same reaction.
  9. Take part in the special seasonal activities
    • We attended during maple syrup season.  While we were there, we got to see how to collect the sap and then got a lesson on when is the best time, how to see if you can do it at your own house, and how to spot the best maple syrup in the store.
    • Depending on the time of year, you may also be able to learn about beekeeping, plant things in the garden, collect and learn about egg grading, lambing, hog weighing, and more.
  10.   Have a picnic!
    • Bring your own lunch and blanket and have a picnic or eat at one of the picnic tables provided. There’s a ton of open space where you could eat at anytime during your visit

Bonus!  If you live close enough, consider enrolling your child in one of the kid’s programs.  These weekday and weekend programs, as well as a summer camp that immerses children in the farm lifestyle. In these programs, they will do things like gather the eggs, feeding the animals, gathering firewood, and so much more.

Learn more about Howell Living History Farm, including hours and location, here.

5 Kid Friendly New Jersey Sites To Visit This Summer

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Today, we’re sharing with you 5 Kid Friendly New Jersey Sites To Visit This Summer!

This summer we will have a 4 1/2 and 2 year old, which means more summer trips with less hassle.  Both girls are carefree and down for adventure at any given time.  They love getting out of the house and exploring the world around them.  Since I haven’t lived in New Jersey my entire life, there’s a lot of things I haven’t seen, so it’s just as much of a joy for me as it is for the girls. Andrew also works crazy hours, so being able to do day trips is really important for our family to be able to get out and explore together.

We’ve slowly been exploring more and more parts of New Jersey and we thought we’d share some of our favorites so far with you!

 

  • Ocean City, NJ
    • Hands down Ocean City is one of our favorite things to do every summer.  We’ve gone to Ocean City every summer since having kids.  It’s our favorite spot shore place!
    • Must-Dos! Of course the beach! But after you’re done, grab pizza at Manco & Manco, Gelato at Shriver’s, and then finish out the day with rides and games at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier! Don’t forget the taffy!

  • Adventure Aquarium
    • This is the first place that I took Serenity as a baby. Andrew and I also had been here before we had kids.  We all have a love for water, so it’s just a fun place for us to go! There’s always a new exhibit opening for you to learn more about and it’s the perfect place to go for rainy day fun. Touch a Shark and a Stingray, watch the hippos swim, walk across the Shark bridge and get face to face with over 400 animals in their 760,000 gallon home at Ocean Realm. Pack a lunch to eat inside or outside (or grab one in the cafeteria).

  • Paw’s Discovery Farm
    •  A recently new family favorite New Jersey location. We love the abundance of indoor and outdoor play spaces available, along with the ability to have lunch outdoors, take a nature walk, and get up close and personal with lots of fun animals! Make a weekend trip by checking out the Children’s Discovery Museum and Kid Fit Cherry Hill, both partner businesses.

  • Diggerland/Sahara Sams
    • This was the girls’ first waterpark, so it will always hold some special memories for our family.  We first went here during a birthday party for a cousin, but have been back since and every time we go it’s so fun. I love the ability to combine the waterpark and Diggerland passes together for the ultimate indoor and outdoor experience. We plan to head back to Diggerland soon since Serenity is now tall enough for most of the attractions! Lazy river and the slides are our favorites at Sahara Sam’s, and the swing ride was a favorite for Serenity at Diggerland in the past.

  • Howell Living History Farm
    • We know how hard taking trips can be when they are not financially feasible, so we wanted to include a FREE option.  Yup, completely free. You do have the option to make a donation to support the farm, but it’s totally optional. This is a real working farm based in the late 1800s.  You can pet animals, see how the farm actually worked then and is still working now – like watch as they collect eggs from the chickens, and take to the kitchen to whip up homemade pancakes.  Every weekend they have a different activity going on to teach you as well. The weekend we went we learned how to make maple syrup, but there’s also activities like Saw Milling, Ice Harvesting, Lambing, Beekeeping, and more!

This year, we’re also planning to go to:

  • Hiking trails in southern New Jersey
  • Wildwood, NJ and Morey’s Pier
  • Cape May Zoo
  • Edelman Planetarium
  • Storybrook Land

Looking for more inspiration?  We’ve teamed up with four other local Jersey bloggers to get 5 of their favorite places to visit in New Jersey. We took a sneak peek and there’s a bunch of fun places to check out!

What’s your favorite kid-friendly location in New Jersey?  Leave a comment below letting me know. We’re dying to get out and explore more, but these are a few of our favorites!

Finding Joy When The Family Vacation Goes Wrong

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How do you go about finding joy when the family vacation goes wrong? Let’s discuss!

In the blogging world, the elusive Disney Social Media Moms trip is on everyone’s radar. It’s a blogging conference about Disney where you can bring your whole family. No one really knows how anyone is invited on this family vacation or what the criteria is, there’s no application to apply, and it’s invite-only. We were first invited in 2015, but couldn’t financially swing it. Invited again in 2016, but at the time of the event, I would have been 36+ weeks pregnant with our second, and thus our doctor said no travel. Fast forward to last November, and we received our third invite.  We could make this happen. Andrew and I talked it over and ended up registering. You would have thought I was a little kid again. I was soooooo excited.

I was excited for a family vacation.  Our first as a family of four.  I was excited to go back to Disney. I hadn’t been to Disney since I was 8 and Andrew was around the same age. I was excited about the girls’ first Disney trip. I was excited about meeting other bloggers. I was just plain, stinkin’ excited.  I planned daily for the next three months. Everything from making Mickey ears, to planning our outfits, writing out all the rides we wanted to do and the places we were going to eat.  I don’t think I left any stone unturned.

The day came! 

I went into the day saying that nothing would railroad our trip, we were going to have a magical time.  It’s Disney, after all!!

As soon as we hit the airport, the issues started.

  • Both our bags were over the limit, we had no where to move anything around, so we just had to pay the overage fee.
  • The airline, put me in the same seat as someone else. Thankful for a not full flight, we got it all sorted so we could all sit together.
  • Serenity and I both experienced sharp eye and head pain on the decent into Florida. It was horrible and I hope neither of us ever experience that again.

“Okay”, I said, “Whatever! We’re still going to Disney! WE MADE IT!” We were just a short ride away from checking-in and heading over to the parks.

Fast forward, we got to the park, met up with some local Jersey native, now Florida resident friends, and made it through our first two activities (Meeting Talking Mickey & Tinkerbell!).  All was going well and the annoyances of the morning were a thing of the past. Serenity fell asleep while we were walking down Main Street to get to Tomorrowland. We ended up waking her up to get on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Walking from the stroller parking over to the ride, she threw up everywhere.  All over herself. WE DIDN’T HAVE EXTRA CLOTHES WITH US. HUGE. MAJOR. #FAIL.  Even though she had been drinking water, we got her some more, found the closest store with her size clothes and bought her a shirt, and sought out somewhere to eat. In the mean time, she fell asleep again. We decided to just relax and let her sleep while we ate. Before we were finished she woke up and asked for ice cream. We were across the street from Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, so Andrew said he would walk her over there while I grabbed the baby and our stuff. I met up with them as a cast member was cleaning up her vomit again. At this point we decided to head back to the hotel. I missed my first official business part of the trip and the girls slept through the rest of the evening activities.

After a night’s rest, all seemed right the next day. We enjoyed all our activities. We had a great day at the park. Serenity and I rode Splash Mountain and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train together. We had a great day. The third day started off amazing too.  We boarded buses to take us to Port Canaveral for the second portion of our trip. I was so excited about this part because the hustle and bustle of the parks was so overwhelming, that I was looking forward to the confinement of the Disney Wonder cruise ship and having everything within a short walking distance. The whole first part of the day went great.  Then, disaster.

  • Sitting down to dinner the first night, the baby threw up everywhere.
  • Woke up in the middle of the night to Serenity throwing up.
  • Both girls threw up the entire first night.  We got about 30 minutes of sleep that night.
  • The baby threw up at dinner every night.
  • Andrew was sea sick the whole time.  He couldn’t join us for most of the dinners.
  • I was sea sick the whole time, though not as bad.

And more.

I say all that so you can see how our trip went wrong. But after all, we were still on a Disney Trip. So how did we find joy when everything was seemingly against us from having fun and making a memorable trip?

  1. Make it a Memorable Trip!
    • YOU have the power to change whether you make memories. You know what’s funny? If you ask Serenity, she’ll tell you she threw up but can’t wait to go back. She doesn’t care. Don’t let it ruin your joy if it’s not even bothering them. Be as resilient as your children are in the moment.
    • Take a Break and Reset
      • Going back to the hotel or stateroom and rest for a bit.  I know it’s hard, you spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars for this trip. But as Daniel Tiger says, “Rest is Best. Rest is best”. If you aren’t allowing yourself, or your kids in our case, to rest, the entire trip could go even worse. Stop. Break. Reset. Try again. Make fun.
  2.  Relish hard on the things you are able to do.
    • Sure we missed out on some things we would have liked to do, but the things we did get to do where so memorable. Meeting Talking Mickey, riding Splash Mountain, going down the water slide on the cruise, enjoying a Broadway caliber show, riding bikes on Castaway Cay.Watching the girls eyes light up as they met Anna and Elsa or Rapunzel, seeing the Frozen show, playing at the kid’s club.  These are the memories that I will hold on too from our trip. We truly did make so many memories.
  3. Savor the Moment.
    • Everything was going wrong.  We could have held onto that and stayed in the room miserable or we could get up and try again.  We kept choosing to try again. And that’s what allowed us to be able to create the amazing memories that our girls keep talking about now.
  4. Be willing to change plans.
    • We were scheduled to have sit down dinners every night and even one breakfast during the cruise. It didn’t happen because the baby kept getting sick when we would sit down at the table. Instead we went to the cafeteria and ordered room service. We still ate, we still had good food, it was just a bit different than the original plans.
  5. Be grateful.
    • Yeah, I didn’t want to do it either. But you are on a trip, some people can’t do that. You are with your family, some people don’t have that. We did about 1/50th of the things I had planned (literally), but I’m so grateful for the few things we did get to do.
  6. Give yourself (and your family) Grace.
    • Again, I know you’re thinking, I just spent so much money. You didn’t expect all this to happen and it’s sure not ideal, but it’s happening. Just give yourself grace and realize that there will be another trip, there will be more memories.

The main tip is and always will be, find the little joys, live in the present moment that you are in at the time. Don’t look back at what bad things did happen.  They are there, if you are willing to look for them. So if you’re having a rough family vacation, just look for the joy. I promise you can find it.

How do you go about finding joy when the family vacation goes wrong?  Leave a comment and let us know your tip!

 

 

5 Essentials to Pack For Day Trips with Kids

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprout Organic Foods for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

essentials to pack for day trips with kids

As I finally get the hang of having two children (it only took a little over a year), we have started taking more one off day trips to various places.  We love traveling and enjoying the world beyond our house. What I found though was that I was overpacking. One time, Andrew was like, “why is all this stuff going with us for 6 hours?” My response: “we might need it”. The truth is, we didn’t. And in the unforeseen circumstance that we may, there’s usually a store within 5-10 minutes of anywhere that we go. We could easily just run in to one and grab what we need. I mean I was packing the same amount of stuff if we were running to Target, going to be gone the entire day, or spend the night away. Seriously, moms, we have to stop overpacking!!

Whether the beach, a national park, or an amusement park, there are some things that I absolutely must pack. These are no brainers for us. I won’t leave the house for a trip without these 5 essentials to pack for a day trip with kids.

  • Cash
    • This may sound silly.  Everyone accepts credit cards nowadays, right? WRONG. We’ve run into many places that still only accept cash or other places that you can get a discount for using cash. So now, we always make sure we travel with cash.
    • Tip: If traveling for more than one day, see if your local bank is nearby your destination.  This way, you aren’t traveling with a lot of cash, and instead can just grab more as needed.
  • Extra Set of Clothes
    • No matter the age of your kids, pack an extra set of clothes.  Kids are messy, life happens, always have extra clothes.
    • Tip: Pick light clothing and fold it up into a gallon size resealable bag so it doesn’t take up a lot of room. Keep this in your car and switch out every 3-6 months.
  • DVD player or Tablet loaded with Games
    • Forget the toys. Instead load a tablet with educational games or take a DVD player. Toys get thrown, lost in the car, etc., and no one has time to listen to screaming because of fighting over a toy or because a toy fell onto the ground.
    • Tip: Load a CD case with DVDs if going on a long trip so you only have one case to take instead of trying to making 15 DVD cases.
  • Sunscreen or UVA protective clothing
    • No matter where you go, you’re likely going to be out in the sun at some point with your kids. We love UVA protective clothing so we don’t have to worry about lathering sunscreen on later.
    • Tip: Skip the spray sunscreen.  It’s not safe for kids to inhale and most kids can’t hold their breath long enough to not inhale.
  • Snacks
    • NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT SNACKS! Almost all of your sanity can be saved with snacks.
    • Tip: Choose healthy, non-refrigerated snacks so you don’t have to worry about a cooler.

organic sprout food pouches

We love Sprout foods for our snacks options, especially the pouches! Unlike leading competitors that primarily focus on two flavors (apple or pear); Sprout offers delicious blends of whole fruits, vegetables, and grains giving babies greater exposure to wholesome foods. Additionally, Sprout honestly labels their products so Flavor names match the primary order of ingredients inside. This way Moms knows EXACTLY what they are feeding their babies. In fact,  Sprout’s Honesty Pledge commits them to transparency and honest labeling. Flip over the pouch and the ingredients on the back, match the ingredients on the front with whole fruits, vegetables, and grains! It’s one less thing I have to worry about on our trip!

sprout pouch label ingredients

Download a Buy One, Get One Free Sprout Coupons​ here to grab some new pouch flavors before your next trip! The new flavors are: Mango, Spinach Banana Apple, Blueberry Banana Oatmeal, and Pear Spinach Prune. Find out Where to Buy Sprout Snacks. 

sprout pouches

Watch the Sprout Video to learn more on how Sprout wants to “Keep it Honest, Make it Real” by being dedicated to research that shows developing a love of healthy foods early on helps foster healthy eating habits for life as a part of their Mission & Values.

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What about you?  What are your must pack essentials for a day trip with kids? What new flavor Sprout Pouch are you going to try?

5 essentials to pack for day trips with kids

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