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Our Ten Day Itinerary for Traveling Sicily with Kids (the Good and the Not as Good Choices)
We were prepared for this trip. Sort of. I had read and researched what to do in Sicily with kids. Again and again. I had bought books (which admittedly collected some dust on them until about a week or so before we left (I mean I am a mother of three little people; I gave up reading a long time ago (like almost seven years ago))). Still, we had a general idea of what we wanted to do, some suggestions if you will, culled from here and there, but nothing sealed in stone. Part of the reason we were trying to be fluid is we wanted our little people to…
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Five Things I Wish I had Realized Before Visiting Scotland with Kids
We had a whirlwind seven days spinning around Scotland with kids, which, I think, officially makes us experts. Not true. Not at all. The only thing that it taught us, like really really taught us, is that we need to dedicate a lot more time to this little nation that has so much to offer beyond kilts and bagpipes, haggis and Scotch. We cruised through farmlands, hills, mountains, and cities. Found islands and shorelines. We made our home in city apartments, mountain resorts, and small village inns. And in all of that movement and in each nook and cranny we crawled into, we met amazing people, ate food rich in…
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Our Top Ten Family Travel Moments of 2017
2017 has been good to us. We’ve managed to meet some of our favorite characters, see the places where fairies live, hunt for mysterious monsters, take a surprise balloon-filled bubble bath, eat ice cream in a cow field, make friends with pandas, and have sand whip our faces as we bump over giant dunes. But of all the things we’ve seen and done this year, what’ve been the top moments of family travel for us? Moments we just can’t forget? It was hard. And I think that if we revisited this question in a week, we may all come up with different answers. But here’s where it stands today, in…
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Thinking of Staying at an Airbnb? Here’s 5 Reasons We Loved It and 5 Reasons We Didn’t
The world is not made for odd numbers. Stop lights only really work well when the intersection can be cut evenly across, usually in fours but six will still work (at least it seems a tad bit less confusing than having no street directly across from you). Walk into any restaurant as a party of five and you’re either forced to squeeze into a table meant for four or spread out, awkwardly I might add, across a table meant for six. Conversations can be jumbled, lopsided and no longer linear. And managing to find acceptable hotel rooms without spending oodles of money? Forget about it. When we set out to…
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Three Kids and a…High Tide
This was supposed to start as a cliched story of a fabulous vacation photo with two of my little people. In fact I had spent countless hours in the shower working out the story in my head (or minutes really, just minutes, because I'm a mom and they're always lurking, even when I'm in the shower while on vacation). And then it happened; high tide happened. And the story seemed like it was gone for good.
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The Dos and Don’ts of Dining at Disney World
Food. It seems like it should be a pretty simple topic, but when traveling with kids, it’s anything but (because, you know, kids). It seems my little people are often hungry on “off times,” sleeping during “dining hours,” hating whatever it is I ordered for them (usually the only thing that would eat the day before), and wiggling about as they struggle with sitting quietly in their chairs while everyone at the table finishes. It just isn’t easy. Think it’ll be easier at dining at Disney World? Well, actually, maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. (But hopefully it will.) Because, again, you know, kids. But there are a few things…
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The Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real Family Concierge Reviewed: A Family-Friendly Resort
I wanted to melt into a chaise by the ocean, float in a pool, swim up to a bar, and stretch along the balcony as I watched the sun set. And, as any parent with preschool-age little people knows, to find this elusive vacation one must find a place to stay that would make one's children feel like the little royals they often believe themselves to be (insert eye roll). Que The Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real.
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Guest Spot: Elyse from Kauffman Tànxiǎn 探险 Blog Offers Her Advice on Traveling with Kids
We got split reactions from everyone. It was either "you're crazy, I could never do that" or "that's amazing! I wish I could do something Ike that!" The truth is. You CAN do it. ANYONE can. I promise. Before you start rolling your eyes and stop reading, hear me out. Sure, it takes some serious planning and patience, but it's totally worth it. And, let's be clear. I don't mean "move to China." But if you have the opportunity to do that, please take it!
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5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Book Your Walt Disney World Vacation (and Why You Need to Answer Them)
It's these hiccups that really end up being the stories we carry forward as a family. And it's these hiccups that helps us plan our next trip. Through the past seven years of visiting Walt Disney World a number of times a year (for any number of days, any time of year (except summer...we just don't do Florida Disney sticky, sweat-inducing summer heat)), we've figured out some questions we ask ourselves each and every time we book a new trip. Only after we've figured the answers to these questions out, do we really get to the task of actually making the magic happen.
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Edaville Family Theme Park is Worth Your Weekend (Let’s Be Honest, It’s Thomas Land)
For a family that typically does Disney World at least three times a year and a momma who grew up working at a family-owned theme park in Pennsylvania (which we visit annually), we really didn't know what to expect before showing up. But it was perfect. It was small and sweet. It was managable. It was suited for everyone. And, most importantly, it had Thomas.
