"" The Exhausted Mom: family
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

June 13, 2013

Pay It Forward Friday ~ Summer Travel Tips for Families


Kendra Thornton has been packing her bags and traveling the world since she visited the Bahamas at 3 months old.  She is 37 and a mother of 3. Before being promoted to the full time position of mommy, Kendra was the former Director of Communications at Orbitz where she was able to travel all around the world.  Kendra also appears regularly as a travel expert on ABC, CBS, NBC and CW affiliates across the country to share travel trends, tips and deals with millions of viewers every year.



To connect with Kendra, contact her via her website, Thornton PR or on twitter @KendraThornton




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Summer Travel Tips for Families




Whether you are looking to travel to Walt Disney World, the Grand Canyon, or New Orleans, you will likely want a vacation that all members of the family are excited about. Once you’ve settled on a destination, you can begin to do a bit of planning. With special attention paid to the needs of the kids, you can craft a trip that will leave everyone raving for years afterwards.




1) Eat Healthy Breakfasts


Because you will likely want to squeeze the most out of each day, you should be sure that your family eats a nutritious breakfast every morning. At Walt Disney World, many family-friendly Orlando hotels offer tasty breakfast platters to their guests. Even if you are staying at a smaller hotel, however, continental breakfasts will usually be available more often than not. Eating at the hotel will also stop you from gorging on theme park food, which can be quite expensive.




2) Research Your Hotel Options
 
Consider family-friendly hotels whenever possible. Indoor playgrounds, for example, will give the kids something to do during the evenings. Elegant suites will often have refrigerators, freezers, and microwaves. Having a miniature kitchen in your hotel room will allow you to prepare meals on the fly. The fridge, in fact, can be stocked with milk, juice, fruits, and vegetables. It’s great to read reviews before you make any decisions.




3) Set Aside Time for Adults



Though much of your energy will likely be devoted to showing the kids a great time, give yourself some time to relax with your husband. You might agree to watch the kids for an afternoon, for example, while your husband goes golfing. You might also hire a babysitter while the two of you crack open a bottle of champagne on the balcony.




4) Try Audiobooks



Audiobooks can be godsends in many ways. They can be easily downloaded to the latest electronic devices. For kids who have grown tired of listening to music, books are good alternatives. Make sure that you bring along some headphones so that others in the vehicle are not disturbed.




5) Bring Along Hygiene Kits



Planes, trains, and hotel rooms are not the cleanest places on the planet. By packing a hygiene kit, you can quickly clean airplane tray tables and hotel fixtures. Airplanes, in fact, are not typically given full cleanings until the end of the day. Sanitizing wipes can kill germs on contact. Hand sanitizer, meanwhile, can be used before meals.


 
In the end, you will need to think outside the box a bit as you go about planning your vacation. By turning to audio books, hygiene kits, and healthy breakfasts, you can create a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The world, as they say, will be your oyster.

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As a way to share the blogging love and meet new bloggers, I have "Pay it Forward Friday."  This is where I periodically feature fellow bloggers with different interests and from new areas.  If you are interested in writing a guest post for "Pay it Forward Friday," feel free to send me a message!  I would love to feature you!!

Alexis

June 11, 2013

Father's Day Bash at Jungle Island

Hey South Floridians, what do you have planned for the dads and men in your life this Father's Day?  Are you searching for something that will entertain the WHOLE family?   Well come on down to Miami for a fun Father's Day Bash at Jungle Island!




Jungle Island is delighted to announce the first ever, Father’s Day Bash. Join us on June 16th for a fantastic event in celebration of everyone’s favorite guy… DAD! The Father’s Day Bash is the perfect event for dad to enjoy the things he loves, while the kids can enjoy the things they love… all in one place! Not to mention, all dads get in FREE!

The Father's Day Bash is featuring brew samples from Samuel Adams all day long and a delicious offering of South Florida’s best BBQ from a variety of Food Trucks including Mojo on the Go, Monster Burgers, Waffleosophy, Che Grill and Dough Catering. There’s also a specially designed "Man Cave" courtesy of Metro PCS where dad can relax or play game machines courtesy of Dave & Buster’s. Dave & Buster’s will also provide prizes and giveaways just for dad. 

The whole family can also check out classic cars from Miami’s Auto Museum at the Dezer Collection and listen to Mad World Orchestra performing classic hits from the 70s & 80s! Plus kids will enjoy the special Kids Fun Zone by Sitter Central Miami which includes Jungle Island’s built-in playground, petting zoo and features face painting, activities and more! The Miami Dolphins, Miami Marlins and the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers will also be a part of the Kids Fun Zone.

As if that wasn’t enough, each food truck will be competing in a BBQ showdown courtesy of Yelp Miami! Yelp Miami’s own, Johnny Todd, will be on-hand to judge the competition along with Adam Kuperstein and Kelly Blanco from NBC 6. One lucky dad will also have the chance to be a judge so stay tuned to Jungle Island’s Facebook page for more info.

Jungle Island’s Father’s Day Bash is an ideal way to spend a day with dad all while enjoying bbq, brew, live entertainment and the many amazing attractions and exhibits that Jungle Island has to offer!

For more information on this unique event, visit www.jungleisland.com/Fathersday.

Alexis

April 18, 2013

Sane Traveling ~ Cocoa Beach

For our spring vacation this year, we decided to explore an area of Florida that is new to us.  We live in Miami, a stone's throw to Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.  We've been to Naples and are always in Orlando.  This time we chose to visit Cocoa Beach

Despite the fact that a tornado came through the area and kept us in our hotel room for a day; and then the weather turned really cold, so we couldn't spend as much time at the beach as we wanted; we had a great time exploring the area.




Things to do in Cocoa Beach:

Beach
Well, this is just a given.  The sand is so different from the beaches here in South Florida.  It's so soft.  Since it was windy, the waves were great as well.  (My boys love jumping the waves.)  We actually parked at Ron Jon's Surf Shop for free and walked the short walk to the beach.  

  
Ron Jon's Surf Shop
Ron Jon Surf Shop is recognized world-wide as an icon of the surf and beach lifestyle.  The location in Cocoa Beach is the World's Largest Surf Shop and is Ron Jon’s "One of a Kind" flagship facility.  The best part: it's open 24 hours a day!  Not only can you buy your favorite beach essentials, but they rent them too.  
 
Golf 'n Gator Mini Golf
Golf 'n Gator is a 36 hole mini golf course.  The kids had so much fun competing against each other.  (The hubby & I also had our own competition.)  Not only did they practice their putting skills, but they were vying for the coveted "hole in one."  Golf 'n Gator also has live alligators that you can feed and pose with.  Yeah, I skipped that part!
 
Kennedy Space Center
Well, this goes without saying.  Kennedy Space Center is NASA's launch headquarters and the only place on Earth where you can tour launch areas, meet a veteran astronaut, see giant rockets, train in spaceflight simulators, and even view a launch.  Now there's a new Angry Birds Space play area where kids can create their own Angry Bird, shoot pigs using a lifesized slingshot, and even make it through a laser maze.
 
Cocoa Beach Pier
This historic Cocoa Beach Pier was built in 1962 and stands 800ft. above the ocean.  It has 5 restaurants, 4 bars, and a gift shop.  You can rent fishing equipment and catch the varied fish in the ocean.  We actually saw a group catch a baby hammerhead shark...the boys were AMAZED! 







We had a great time visiting a new spot in our Sunshine State!  Have you ever traveled to Cocoa Beach?  Do you have any recommendations for the next time we visit?

  Alexis

February 27, 2013

Our Favorite Time to Visit Disney

My family loves going to Disney World!  What's not to love?  It is honestly the happiest place on earth!  Everyone is so friendly and everything is so clean.  I haven't even mentioned the rides!

My family goes to Disney no less than 2 times a year.  I mean after all, we only live 4 hours away! 

Since we go so often, we have learned the best times to visit.  Check it out!




 
When is your favorite time to visit Disney World?



**Disclaimer:  Although I was compensated to film a short video about traveling to Disney World, all opinions are completely my own.**


Alexis

December 11, 2012

Holiday Traditions ~ Family Ornaments & Giveaway

The holiday season is a time for traditions.  No matter the holiday that you celebrate at this time of year, everyone has traditions.  In this wonderful time of the year, I want to share some of the traditions that we have as a family....some that we have had since we were little, and some that we have created since we have been married.

Ornaments for our Christmas tree have been a family tradition since before I can remember.  Anywhere that someone travels to, instead of bringing back a t-shirt, we bring back ornaments.  I have long loved this tradition and look forward to opening the box of ornaments each year.  Decorating the Christmas tree takes longer in my house because I sit and reminisce about each one.  

I have taken this tradition and put a little of my own spin on it.  Since I have known my husband, I have purchased a personalized ornament for us.  Now that we are a family of 4, we have our family ornament tradition.  I've even begun buying them for other family members.  


Our yearly family ornaments

While at a craft fair in 2004, I found these adorable handmade, personalized, mini clay ornaments made by Cynde's Minis.  Since then, I look to Cynde to buy my family ornaments each year.  (Maybe I feel connected to her since she is a former elementary teacher!)  Each year Cynde adds a new ornament to her collection.  They are all so cute, it's hard to choose!

Cynde's Minis also has clay minis for other holidays as well.  And wait until you see the wedding cake toppers...if only I knew about them 9 years ago....


This year's newest addition to our tree! LOVE!

Do you want a personalized ornament from Cynde's Minis?  You can win one here!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


What holiday traditions does your family have?  I'd love to add new ones into my celebrations!

 
Alexis
 
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