Happy 2018! January is well underway and it is a new year! I hate to say the word resolutions….I like New Year’s Goals better! What are your goals for the new year? How do you achieve them? I do like to write them down in a travel journal. I also loved the last time I was at lululemon they posted the employees vision and goals worksheet. It is just one of the many sheets that to help you visualize and plan out your goals. Last year my goal was to travel more and this year my goal is to travel monthly. I don’t mean get on a plane each month, but I do mean travel – day trips, new experiences, spending time with family and friends. Whether it’s that girls’ weekend you have been planning or a birthday celebration…just do it! We love our trips into Boston, the beach, skiing, visits with friends, the beach, the beach….Did I mention the beach? Anytime my toes are in the sand, the waves are crashing and my kids are taking selfies (lol) or just spending time together traveling is worth it. Happy 2018 and here’s to a year of good travel and health and happiness!
Beach, beach, beach…..my happy placetoes in the sand…
Christmas is almost here! Are you ready? Any travel plans in the near future? Whether you are traveling near or far to visit family or spend time with friends on a vacation it can be stressful traveling during the holiday season. We just got back from the Bahamas as we were lucky enough to head there for my daughter’s gymnastics meet. There were lots of kids from all over the world and a great opportunity for all the girls at our gym. It was such a fun experience. I like how it was the week before Christmas although we did need to take the girls out of school for a few days but it was a great opportunity! Sun and warmth when it was in the teens and 2os for temperatures in Boston was a welcome relief. We got to enjoy beach activities, all the slides at Atlantis and quality family time. It was THE BEST trip. Next time we go to Atlantis I will plan ahead a bit more and bring snacks for sure as the food can be a bit pricy. Speaking of planning if you are traveling before or during the holidays here are a few tips!
1. Plan ahead – I did all my holiday shopping and wrapped the presents before I left. So right now I am relaxing and watching holiday movies! If you are headed someplace for the holiday think about sending your packages ahead of time.
2. Use the plane or car ride for lists, planning and any last minute work – My girls had to do some school work and homework and I suggested they do it on the plane so they could enjoy the time on the beach. I got some work done as well – use the transition time to your destination wisely.
3. Limit technology if you can – It was nice to do activities without being glued to our phones. That and the Wi-Fi was spotty in places so it was forced family fun lol – no, but seriously I tried to take some photos, relax, and check the phone at night before bed. The kids were really good at taking breaks with their phones. Plus the slides at Atlantis are just crazy fun so no phones allowed! See video below.
Here are some photos from our Atlantis get-a-way.
A fun Atlantis Bahamas trip the week before Christmas!My gymnast at Atlantis Bahamas – at the Atlantis Crown Gymnastics InvitationalSo glad last year we got a Go Pro. It is amazing to take action photos!Go Pro action photo while parasailing at Atlantis Bahamas
This February school vacation week was unlike any other. The temperatures hit 70 degrees in Massachusetts! We went skiing one day and the beach the next. It was crazy! We were lucky to be able to stay with friends at Loon Mountain and skied a couple days. Then we headed to Ice Castles! This has been on my list of must sees this winter. Luckily Ice Castles sent us tickets and we went earlier in the week as with the crazy New England weather they cannot guarantee it will be open, because, well due to melting! While they are closed for the season now, this is something you need to put on your list of things to do with the kids during the winter vacation next year! I thought it looked beautiful and if you have kids that love the movie frozen it makes it even more magical. The Ice Castles are built by hand using only water and icicles. We did go during the day but I hear they light up at night so will have to check it out at night next year! Here are some FAQ’s from the Ice Castles website so plan a bit before you go and wear your snow pants as they have a fun slide!
Disclosure: Ice Castles sent me tickets to check out the venue. All opinions in this blog post are my own.
Heading into a cave at Ice Castles NHSeats, slides and more fun for families photos at Ice CastlesTowers of Ice!Such cool scenery!The crowd was not too bad at Ice Castles NH
It’s September and that means back to school, routine and chaos! I am sure many of you are not even thinking about a vacation or traveling! However as parents we run around a lot with our kids and sometimes taking time off and planning a vacation is not always easy. BUT even if it’s a day trip, a quick visit to another city or a full blown trip around the world, getting away can be fun! We do love our weekend day trips to Boston and each year I map out where I would like to go on vacation. This year the kids want to go back to Florida (it is nice when you have friends you can stay with) as well as take a trip to San Francisco. Of course on my list is to take a trip to Italy and France! What are your travel goals this year?
Enjoying the sites in Boston from the car! #travel #travelblogger
It’s September and that means back to school, routine and chaos! I am sure many of you are not even thinking about a vacation or traveling! However as parents we run around a lot with our kids and sometimes taking time off and planning a vacation is not always easy. BUT even if it’s a day trip, a quick visit to another city or a full blown trip around the world, getting away can be fun! We do love our weekend day trips to Boston and each year I map out where I would like to go on vacation. This year the kids want to go back to Florida (it is nice when you have friends you can stay with) as well as take a trip to San Francisco. Of course on my list is to take a trip to Italy and France! What are your travel goals this year?
Enjoying the sites in Boston from the car! #travel #travelblogger
The Great Wolf Lodge is a fun, close get-a-way this holiday season with lots to do for kids of all ages. We stayed onsite to enjoy a dinner at the Lodge Wood Fired Grill and it was great. I got the buffet which was mostly a Mexican theme and it was really good. Kids loved their meals as well, but there are so many food options to choose from. There is also a Dunkin Donuts onsite. As my kids are on the older side the two best slides, according to both of them, are the wolf’s tale and howlin tornado. The wolf tale is super fast and daring! You step into this launch pod – according to the description on the web site – and the floor drops out from under you, and you’re hurled into a nearly vertical, 20-foot free fall, followed immediately by a 360-degree, high-speed loop! Everyone in my family did it. I did not this visit but have in the past and I cannot believe I did it! It is unlike any water ride I have been on. And the howlin tornado, well this ride is built for four and has lots of tilting twists and turns! We went on this together several times and the drop was unbelievable.
We also received paw passes which allowed us to receive free games, tattoos, create your own stuffed animal and more. There is also lots of gift shops too! Check out the web site for their latest deals and fun!
Disclosure: I was able to stay overnight at a discounted media rate and received complementary paw passes. All opinions are my own in this post.
Well it has been a few weeks since we visited the Red Jacket in South Yarmouth and I miss it! Summer has been so busy but I will never forget our quick adventure to this must see beach resort! As part of the Red Sox Moms the kids and I were invited to stay at this lovely beach resort and we loved it! It is not too late to enjoy a night or more at this fun beach resort so check out the specials they are offering here.
The Red Jacket Beach Resort is on a beautiful beach on Nantucket sound. If you have been to Cape Cod you know there can be a lot of running around and many things to see. What I like about the resort is how quiet it is yet there are so many things to do right on the property.  They have an indoor pool and an outdoor pool that is very close to the beach. Some of the adventures of staying here include yoga on the beach, a great restaurant right on the property, a complete spa and children’s activities each day! Here are some of our photos from the trip. If you want to explore some more around the cape and for more information go to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce web site. Click here for the site.
Disclosure: I was treated to a two night stay to the property as part of the Red Sox Moms initiative. All opinions in this blog post are my own.
Lots to do @rjresortsIndoor pool at night #RedJacketResorts #CapeCod
The Red Jacket beach resort in South Yarmouth has the best sunsets I have ever seen!
Well it has been a few weeks since we visited the Red Jacket in South Yarmouth and I miss it! Summer has been so busy but I will never forget our quick adventure to this must see beach resort! As part of the Red Sox Moms the kids and I were invited to stay at this lovely beach resort and we loved it! It is not too late to enjoy a night or more at this fun beach resort so check out the specials they are offering here.
The Red Jacket Beach Resort is on a beautiful beach on Nantucket sound. If you have been to Cape Cod you know there can be a lot of running around and many things to see. What I like about the resort is how quiet it is yet there are so many things to do right on the property.  They have an indoor pool and an outdoor pool that is very close to the beach. Some of the adventures of staying here include yoga on the beach, a great restaurant right on the property, a complete spa and children’s activities each day! Here are some of our photos from the trip. If you want to explore some more around the cape and for more information go to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce web site. Click here for the site.
Disclosure: I was treated to a two night stay to the property as part of the Red Sox Moms initiative. All opinions in this blog post are my own.
Lots to do @rjresortsIndoor pool at night #RedJacketResorts #CapeCod
The Red Jacket beach resort in South Yarmouth has the best sunsets I have ever seen!
Well, we are back from our Disney vacation and we miss it already. So much has changed since the last time we were there 5 years ago. I will NOT wait that long to visit again. Everyone has their tips and strategies for navigating through the parks so here are my top 5 tips/favs from The Walt Disney World Parks.
1. It makes sense for us to stay at a Disney resort as you can take advantage of the magic hours and those magic bands are great as that is really all you need to carry with you. Who wants to lug around a bag with stuff all day especially if you have older kids.
2. Early in, rest afternoon, late night, back at it – Here is our strategy as our kids are a bit older (10 and 13) – Get to the park early, get your favorite rides in first thing and schedule fast passes for either late morning or later in the evening. My kids like to go on multiple times but with long lines that is not possible. We took a break each day at around 2 and we enjoyed the rides early in the morning with no lines, some days had the fast pass mid-morning and when we got back in the evening we enjoyed the sites and did not stress about the long lines. (at Magic Kingdom there were no lines at 11:00 pm lol)
3. Eat where you like and it doesn’t have to be a big sit down meal each day – we did not do the meal plan. We had one lunch reservation (so we could have a Fantasmic show pass) and of course the most coveted meal -a dinner reservation at Be Our Guest). The other meals we just went with what we liked – dinner at Epcot in Italy and Germany. We also like Downtown Disney as our favorite restaurant is Wolfgang Puck Express. It’s casual, the food is great and you do not need a reservation.
4. Treats! Get the Dole Whip treat at Aloha Isle in Adventureland which is the popular frozen treat blended in pineapple, orange, vanilla or swirled flavors. I kept seeing that frozen banana on a stick everywhere! It was so good! The kids loved the Coke slushie in Animal Kingdom as they never drink it so that was a special treat.  Another favorite in Downtown Disney is Ghiradelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop. LOVE the one scoop sundaes.
5. Disney is not a relaxing vacation -it is very fun but it’s non-stop and tiring. We were lucky as it was 85 and sunny each day so relaxing by the pool each afternoon was a real treat. That is one recommendation – to take a break and relax each day. There can be so much shuttling back and forth on those buses and waiting in line and running to the ride you want. TRY to relax each day if you can. We also spent our last day by the pool and got a ride to the airport at 3:30 (yes my kids were in the pool at 3:05….didn’t want to leave the 85 temps for 25 degrees back home!) so at least we got to have a bit of a wind down period. As I kept saying to my family, “you can rest when we get home!”
Looking for a quick trip overnight someplace close with adventure, water and relaxation? We recommend the newest indoor waterpark resort @GreatWolfLodge. We were invited to the grand opening celebration last week in Fitchburg, Mass and what an adventure. I surprised my kids by not telling them their secret destination for the day. When we pulled up to the parking lot they were screaming! This really is a family fun destination as not only does it have 68,000 square feet of waterpark but 300,000 gallons of water and it’s more than a waterpark with interactive games, activities, a kiddie spa and more.
There is a waterslide for all ages from the kiddie Whooping Hallow and Tadpole Pond to the Howling Tornado and the exclusive Wolf Tale, you will not be bored at all. The girls and I loved the Slap Tail Pond which is the gigantic wave pool. I tested ALL the waterslides and I do mean ALL of them including the Wolf Tale, in which you step into a clear enclosed tunnel and then the clear floor drops right out from underneath you. The younger kids would love the Fort Mackenzie which is like a treehouse in water!
We were so impressed with the waterpark that we didn’t even venture back to the Howlin Timbers Play Park (next time!) There is a 9-hole mini golf course, family bowling and a 30 feet adventure climbing attraction! There is also the Howly Wood® XD Theater which is a motion thrill ride that transports you directly into the movie action! We will have to check this out for sure next time we visit!
My girls also loved the Scooops Kids Spa which has ice cream-themed manicures, facials and more. There are three different gift shops and six restaurants/snack bars (which includes a Dunkin Donuts). Ok so where does the relaxation come in? I like how the lounge chairs are close by the pool so if mom and dad want to take a bit of a break they can. However, I was going non-stop with my kids! There is also the arcade and a restaurant close by in the arcade so parents can relax there too. My girls are all about a good arcade experience!
Admission is exclusive to resort guests. Head over to Great Wolf Lodge onlineand you can save 30 percent on your stay.
Disclosure: My kids and I were invited to the grand opening celebration for the day and got to enjoy the adventure. All opinions are my own.
All smiles @GreatWolfLodgeWave Pool!The kids and the slides…quite an adventure
