This week it's really hitting home that summer's over. Not only are the kids fully back in school (well, except for my daughter who keeps getting excused for doctor appointments due to breaking her wrist on Day 2 during PE!), the weather has also officially turned on us.I know those of you not familiar with the Seattle area probably won't believe this, but we really do get gorgeous summers. It's also not unheard of for those summers to stretch all the way to the end of September.This year, … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: 7 Reasons I Love Short Vacations
When I was a kid, my parents saved their time off work and extra spending money for the big two-week summer vacation. The trips started out humbly—camping in a tent—but progressed to more exotic locations like Mexico and Hawaii. Two weeks is a significant amount of time. You can drive far distances, really experience a new location, do all the tourist things on the list. While there’s nothing wrong with the two-week vacation, I’ve found that mini-breaks work best for my family. We spent two … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Guide on How to Fly with Toddlers When They Outnumber You
Traveling with young children this holiday? We know it can be daunting but don't worry! We've totally got your back... The Prime Directive: Realize it is you against them, and you’re outnumbered. Like in any hostage situation, appeasement is your best option. Remember, it’s just one day. It does not define your parenthood. Forget about eating vegetables or avoiding materialism or any other things that parents love and children hate. The goal is to keep them gruntled … [Read more...]
Don’t Even Think About Heading to Disneyland without these 13 Essentials
*Post contains affiliate links. I’m not the type of vacationer to get super hung up on schedules and plans once we’re there, but I also don’t want to waste any time looking stuff up or figuring things out when we could be taking in a show or screaming with delicious delight on the kids’ favorite ride. Plus, there’s enough waiting around at Disneyland as it is, no need to test the kids’ patience any more than necessary, right? One of the things I found most helpful in my planning were lists of … [Read more...]
27 Must-Know Tips for Happy Family Travels
If there's anyone that's qualified to write about how to travel with kids, it's our talented contributor Kaley. She's currently living in Vienna, Austria with her husband and two little girls and "on a mission to see as much of Europe as possible before heading back stateside". Her blog is full of gorgeous photographs of her family's travels to places like Berlin, Slovakia, and the Netherlands. She also shares lots of smart tricks she's learned along the way, including how to make a DIY … [Read more...]
An Inside Look: Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge
It's about this time of year that the folks in my neck of the woods start making plans for family vacations come spring. (It's somewhat of a natural consequence of the start of the rainy season.) But our family isn't joining them this year for two reasons: We did the vacation thing BIG last year and it seems prudent to keep it much more low key this year Our youngest is at the perfect age (20 months) for making the idea of a plane trip or long lines at an amusement park sound … [Read more...]