I love the focused look on Darya's face as she digs into her very first fondue
Related Links
Whistler, Canada With Kids
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
Everest had never encountered a real life typewriter until we saw them in the Museum of Modern Art at San Francisco (SFMOMA). The expression on his face seems fitting for a blogger's son, right?
Related Links
San Francisco With Kids
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
These beaded curtains hung at the entrance to an exhibit at San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). The kids couldn't wait to go in - after all, an entrance like that could only conceal magic. Everest was willing to explore the collection with me, but Eilan quickly figured out that the entrance was the best thing going, and he hung out here with daddy passing back and forth through those sparking beads.
Related Links
San Francisco With Kids
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
When I first told you about TripDoc, the iPhone app my husband and I created to help you plan your travels, it was brand new. Seven months later, we've gotten some great feedback, released two updates, and even released a version for the Windows Phone (WinPhone users, here's a link for you)!
To help you plan your summer travels, for today only, Friday March 18, we're announcing special promotional pricing in the Apple App Store. For just $1.99, you can have the full version of TripDoc (regularly $4.99). There's also a free version you can use to try it out before you buy.
We're doing this as a part of a promotion from Moms With Apps and you should visit their site to see the other family travel apps available at reduced prices today!
Why TripDoc
If you're like me, you start every trip with a long list of ideas from friends, guidebooks, the Internet, and more. It's tricky to organize all that information so that I can use it on our trip. The worst part is that once we're on our trip, I'm sometimes choose the nearest restaurant only to find out later that a highly recommended restaurant was just around the corner.
You can buy a copy at the Apple AppStore or you can even test drive TripDoc for free.
What TripDoc Lets You Do
- Keep track of recommendations that you get from friends, guidebooks, websites and magazines. Adding new places is easy - just search for the name, and click on the right place.
- See all your places on one map
- Show your current location on the map, and easily get directions to the closest restaurant, attraction or back to your hotel
- Keep a list of favorites so you don’t miss a thing
- Mark places as visited
- Keep your list of places for your next trip
- Send information about your favorite places to friends along with your personal notes
How You Can Help
If you like TripDoc, please help spread the word by reviewing it in the AppStore, posting about it on your blog, or even good old-fashioned word of mouth.
Related Links:
TripDoc in the Apple AppStore at $1.99 promotional rate
TripDoc Website
TripDoc Free
Filed Under:
tripdoc
8 comments |
Posted on March 17, 2011 |
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According to my notes, we took this picture of 6-month old Everest at Notre Dame in Paris. Poor baby looks jaded and bored already - where could we possibly take him for an encore?
Related Links
Paris With Kids
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
We travel often enough that I can pretty much pack in my sleep. Still, every time we go somewhere new, I realize that we need something a little different than what's on my generic Packing Lists for Family Travel. Here are the extra items I found useful for packing for our trip to Great Wolf Lodge.
Personal Items and Clothing
- Cute PJs for the kids. They'll wear them to the 8pm story hour in the lobby
- Swimwear - I usually bring two swimsuits for each person to avoid putting
- Beach Bag. If you plan to enter the waterpark before your room is available you should pack your swimsuits, googles and flip flops in your beach bag so that they're easy to access. Ditto on your last day, just pack your street clothes in your beach bag and carry the suitcases to the car when you check out.
- Waterproof bag for wet swimsuits (A Ziplock works great)
- Coverup for walking to the room - through the lobby, etc
- Swim Diapers if your child is under 4. Nobody checks, but believe me, you don't want to be the parent whose child causes a "code brown." Children sometimes have an accident in the pool long after they have been fully potty trained. Swim diapers are available at the lodge, but not surprisingly they're cheaper out in the real world
- Goggles
- Flip Flops for Crocs for walking around the pool area and the resort.
- Quiet activities (coloring or board games work well) to do in the room or lobby when the kids need downtime
- A book to read poolside if your kids are old enough to go in the pool alone
Food
- Bring along snacks and any food you might want to prepare in your own room.
- Since treats like ice cream or fudge can be a big budget buster, consider bringing along your own cookies or other treats as well.
What You Don't Need
- Pool towels and life jackets are readily available poolside
- Sunscreen
Related Links
Packing Lists for Travel With Kids
22 reasons to pack a ziplock bag when you travel
Filed Under:
travel-tips
4 comments |
Posted on March 15, 2011 |
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Last week, our family took a quick overnight trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Centralia, WA (about 1/2 way between Seattle and Portland). While the resort had hosted us in the past, this trip was at our own expense, and it was important to me to keep our costs down. It's no secret that a trip to Great Wolf is a splurge, but with advance planning, you can keep your costs under control.
Save on Your Room
- Travel Midweek: Do you have a school break that isn't a traditional travel time? Perhaps day two of parent teacher conferences when you are scheduled on day 1? Rooms tend to be significantly cheaper midweek than on the weekends.
- Look for Rate Specials: Instead of heading straight to the company's reservation page, take a minute to find the "deals" link on the homepage (here's the link for Great Wolf Grand Mound Deals) and see whether any might work for you. If you are a member of an Auto Club, a teachers union or a government agency, call the reservations line and ask whether there are any discounts for your organization.
- Book Early...or latePrices tend to be cheaper if you book well in advance, but it's always worth looking for a last minute deal if you find yourself in the need of a spur-of-the-moment getaway. If you are waiting for the "right" rate, get on the Great Wolf Lodge mailing list.
- Don't fall for "Package Options": Package Options like breakfast or lunch rarely represent a value.
- Use the Water Park All Day
Remember that you can use the water park beginning on 1pm on your checkin day and until the park closes on the day you check out. You might save money on an extra night by leaving the park just after dinnertime and heading home.
Save on Food and Incidentals
- Bring Your Own Food: Rooms have a refrigerator and microwave. I've seen families show up with a crock pot! Treats like ice cream or fudge can be a budget breakers too, so if you're on a tight budget be sure to pack some special treats.
- Check your list twice! You'll pay a premium for swimsuits, sandals or swim diapers once you're at Great Wolf, make sure you have everything you need before you zip up your suitcase.
- Ask What's Free In addition to the paid crafts and activities you'll see signs about in the cub club, there is also a small selection of free activities. Ask the staff what's available at the time of your visit. Ask for information about scheduled story times and other activities as well.
- Save on your Cell Phone When you arrive, ask for information about signing up to receive discount texts on your phone. But be careful, you might be so drawn in by a deal that you end up spending money on something you hadn't planned to buy.
- Leave the Resort for Dinner There are many food options near Great Wolf Lodge. Some cheaper, some more expensive. For our family, leaving the lodge for an hour or so to eat gives us a "reset" that lets us throw ourselves back into the waterpark with gusto
- Bring a Refillable Water Bottle or Coffee Cup Instead of buying expensive bottled water, bring your own refillable bottle. Starbucks (located in the lobby) will also give you a discount for bringing your own mug)
- Order "Take Out" If you don't bring your own meals, or dine off-site, ask about lower prices on takeout meal packages that you eat in the lobby (During our trip, a Pizza, Salad, 2 Liter soda and breadsticks was available for $25. That was more than enough food to feed our family of 5)
Additional expenses to expect
This is the sort of vacation picture my mom would have absolutely made us line up for as kids. It's right at the front entrance, it has the name of the attraction, it's well lit, and there's even a convenient place for the kids to perch. By the time I was 10, I rebelled against every staged shot, and you rarely see a posed picture on DeliciousBaby. But turnabout is fairplay in parenting, so after watching tens of other kids get their picture taken on the big wooden bear's lap, Darya begged me to make a picture like this for her. Mom, your print is in the mail!
Related Links:
Kid Friendly City Guide: Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound
Family Vacation at Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge with Toddlers
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
We were the hosted guests of the Great Wolf lodge two years ago, and decided to make this return trip entirely at our own expense. Nobody (except the computer reservations system) from the lodge knew that we would be returning or that we would be writing about our adventure, and my writing always reflects my own opinion. Whenever I accept a free product or service I will always let you know.
The last time we were at Great Wolf Lodge, Eilan was still in my "tummy," Darya was 2 1/2 and Everest was just about to turn 4. The kid focused trip was my guilt-ridden suprise for the kids, one last chance for them to have our complete attention before Eilan would be born. Now, two years later, we returned to Great Wolf lodge as a quick getaway at the tail end of midwinter break. This was a cheap and easy substitute to the longer vacation to Hawaii, or Palm Springs or.... Bali that I wish I'd been able to manage.
The kids weren't pining for anything else though. In fact, I undersold this vacation in every possible way. Let's go stay in a hotel for a night, I said. I'll try to find something with a pool if you want. It wasn't until we pulled off the freeway in snowfall heavy enough that it was beginning to make driving difficult that the kids started to put it all together. Wait a minute, mommy, that looks like Great Wolf Lodge announced Darya. After a few minutes, Everest (who is really starting to realize how useful it is to know how to read) confirmed that she was right. I wish I'd had my video camera out at that moment. The chatter in the back seat of the car was ADORABLE
My husband dropped us off in the hotel drive, and without even grabbing our snow jackets we rushed out of the snow and into the warm air of the hotel lobby. The kids jetted past the checkin line and straight back to the huge floor to ceiling windows that showcase the waterpark. We'd return in a few minutes to join the other families waiting to check in, get their wristbands, and gain entry to the waterpark (Every guest at Great Wolf gets a wristband to wear. The wristbands give you access to the waterpark from 1pm on your checkin day until closing on the day you check out. The can also be used to open your room door and to charge food and other items to your room.
With our room not yet ready (the hotel would page us later with a room number) we headed straight into the water park, changing in the huge locker rooms next to the kiddie pool.
And then we were off to the races
Eilan wasn't so sure about all the noise and splashing, and he stayed in my arms most of the time, and finally retired to the sidelines for a snack.
And finally, drenched and tired, we decided to check out the room. The kids loved climbing in and out of the bunk beds in their own little nook, and at the end of the day they actually raced into bed (though not without the required drama about teeth-brushing).
I won't bore you with more pictures from day two - imagine splashing, pizza and a truckload of arcade tokens and you've pretty much got the picture. As the sun set, we piled our tired kids in the car and drove back home to Seattle, and I think all of us were ready for a day or two of quiet. Still, in the midst of a dreary cold winter, it was nice to make a quick and easy getaway and to be active and warm for a few days!
Related Links:
Kid Friendly City Guide: Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound
Family Vacation at Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge with Toddlers
Filed Under:
travel-stories
10 comments |
Posted on March 9, 2011 |
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If you're a regular reader, you've probably noticed that I haven't been posting much lately. Things slowed down in December as I struggled to keep things going while my dad was having some health issues (he's doing much better now), and then there were the holidays, and back to school, and then of course, I needed to catch up on all the things in my not-blogging life that had been put on hold.
Thankfully, I'm back on a normal schedule again - or at least as normal a schedule as a mom with three kids under 6 can have. We've had some great adventures in San Francisco, Napa and at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, WA over the past few months, and I have several trips lined up over the next few months as well. I can't wait to share it all with you!
Thanks for sticking with me through this dry spell!
6 comments |
Posted on March 7, 2011 |
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