Vacation Simplified

Recently I came in contact with a lovely woman, Kendra Thornton.

 

Before taking the position as a full time mother of three she was the former Orbitz Director of Communications.

Personally, she has been to 28 countries on 6 continents, and has been quoted
in the news about seasonal travel trends and destinations all over the
United States.

As a girl who loves to travel, any and all tips are always an added bonus when planning a vacation!

I'll let Kendra take it from here!

 

Summer Vacation Simplified

 

Happy August! It’s the end of summer, and for most of us, that means back-to-school shopping and getting ready for fall. It’s also the last hurrah for summer family vacations, but it’s not too late! With proper planning to reduce your stress level, you can get the kids out of their normal environment one more time before the school season. Vacations are a great way to spend quality

time away from everyday life; follow these tips for a well-planned getaway that can be the perfect cap to your family’s summer.

 

1. TSA Simplified

If you're flying for your vacation, airline security is always a tedious task to deal with. To reduce your time in line, you can get online and print your boarding passes 24 hours before your flight is scheduled. In addition, it's always a good idea to put your kids (and yourself) in slip-on shoes, to make the security process that much smoother. Also, be sure to check out the TSA website

to help determine any other last minute questions you might have.

 

2. Do Your Research

 

This should go without saying, but picking a hotel with facilities best suited to your needs will vastly improve your family's experience. Don't just trust the website that says "family friendly", do some research online or with a travel agent to find out what amenities hotels offer. Kid-friendly menus, microwaves, fridges, swimming pools, playgrounds, and high chairs are just some of the things hotels can provide that can help save you money, time, and hassle. Also, I know from experience that traveling to a big city can seem like the last thing a family with little ones should want to do. However, taking your kids somewhere like my home city, Chicago, can be a tremendous opportunity to show your kids a new culture, and allow them to experience all the wonders that come with big city life. Do a little research ahead of time on a site like Gogobot, and you’ll be able to find plenty of family friendly hotels to house you on your next excursion.

 

3. Comfy Road Trip

 

If you're driving for your vacation, long road trips can be a breeding ground for the dreaded "are we there yet" question. Reduce whining by making sure your kids are comfy and relaxed while traveling in the car. Bring along pillows, favorite toys, and snacks to make your kids feel at home in the car, and let you focus on the driving.

 

4. Surprise, Vacation!

 

Surprise your kids this vacation by waking them up one morning and telling them you are leaving then and there for a fun vacation! The kids will love the prospect of going somewhere fun and new out of the blue. Just make sure there's a big "wow” factor involved with where you are going. If the destination is the same place they’ve gone with you many times, the excitement won’t be the same.

 

5. Same Old Routine

Even when you're getting away from it all, a daily structure is important to everyone's relaxation. This doesn’t mean avoid doing anything new or different on vacation, it just means to still incorporate a similar routine with things like naps and meals. Naptime doesn't go away, even in different time zones. Avoid cranky little ones by sticking to the old routine in a new place, and make sure snacks, naps, and mealtimes come right on schedule. With all the fun and excitement that comes on a vacation, your kids will need their rest to be able to handle it all.

 

I hope you are able to enjoy a family vacation this August before the kids have to head back to school. There is still time for all of you to have one last hurrah together!

Are planning one last summer vacation?

 

That's A Wrap: Staycation 2013

Last night concluded my vacation. Yes believe me I cried a river. Oh that reminds me I will be attending the Justin Timberlake concert in December! Fist pumping begins now!

 

 

This mean back to the daily grind, stress and hustling about. On another positive note, Labor Day is in a few weeks which means a short break is in my future. Whoo hooo!

 

Ten days off of work means time to relax, have fun and enjoy memorable activities.

With the weather in the 80's, naps taken daily and time spent with the family this vacation was fulfilling. I am not one to sit around the house with no plans so on my "down time" I did go a bit stir crazy. As much as I dislike the idea of going back to work I do like having a "routine".

 

During the week I took many pictures so here is a recap of my ten days off!

 

We let Madison skip school for the day and took her to the Indiana State Fair. I looked out my window to see Madison's tiny little fingers sporting her rock n roll sign! This had to be the best day of my vacation! She was pretty excited!

 

 I couldn't leave the fair without sinking my teeth into one of these delicious treats!

 

Us girls know we can't make a public appearance without being ridiculously adorable, okay she can pull it off, me not so much.

 

I wonder where she gets her posing from?

 

Still in rock n roll mode, party like a rock star!

 

After walking past Easley's Winery, it came at no surprise that a bottle of wine would be purchased.

 

My daily intake of calories is quite sickening. I think I will start my diet today. I'm pretty sure I gained a lb a day. 

 

Ralston's has to be my favorite new place. Simple, delicious and light satisfied my rumbling stomach.

 

 My mom, brother and I wrapped up a fun day of shopping with a delicious meal at Uno's Chicago Grill. I must have been feeling guilty about all of the fattening foods I had been indulging in because I settled on soup and salad.

 

The rest of my vacation included some pampering. I made a hair appointment and spent a few hours getting a color touch up and trim. 

 

It felt good to cut an inch off and have my roots back in their hiding place. Here Madison and I finished out the night with dinner at Panera. Don't judge, we take selfies in the bathroom :) 

 

Madison got a little treat from The Flying Cupcake, Happy Birthday To Me Vanilla.

I couldn't bring myself to eat another thing.

 

Oh how we love our mud masks! The silky soft feeling and the scent makes our hearts happy. We love our girls nights! She also giggled hysterically that we looked like Smurfs!

 

The deal of my vacation! 4 pillows for $12! When does that ever happen? Thank you Christmas Tree Shop, it has been and always will be my favorite budget friendly store!

 

I'm sure there are many more events, moments and activities that happened this week but I will save that for another day! I'm hoping to have a calm and easy week! The countdown to Labor Day weekend is on!

 

Have you made plans yet?

 

It's Monday And I'm On Vacay!

That's right today I am not at work. Ah what a fabulous feeling! Even though I did wake up at 6am to take little Madison to school I did enjoy not having to rush about as much! So with Starbucks in hand and the sunshine beaming through the window I'll recap what's happened so far!

Friday Night:

The hubs worked another late night so we treated ourselves to Edward's Drive-In. I use to work here when I was in high school so it always feels good to be back in old stomping grounds. Plus, the food is amazeballs so you can't go wrong there! Madison was in a goofy, crazy and entertaining mood so we both sat and laughed hysterically. I wouldn't trade this Friday night for anything!

Saturday:

I attended a cookout where Madison played with her friends and we enjoyed the sunshine and free food!

We were so exhausted from running around and the heat that we both decided to take a nap! Gotta love Saturday afternoon naps!

Sunday:

We have been having such nice weather lately! Anywhere between 70 and 85 degrees! Who doesn't love that! I had received two Colts tickets last month for employee of the month through work so the hubs and I attended the game. Lucas Oil had the roof open so it was a bit on the steamy side. Not much airflow. The game was exciting in the beginning but when they pull the starting line up out and the quarterback things get a little boring. Plus we all know the Colts don't work too hard at preseason games so we usual let the other team win every time. We had great seats and the atmosphere is amazing. If you haven't made it to a game I suggest you try!

So now I am off to enjoy my time away from the daily stresses of life! I have no real plans made yet and I am okay with that! I am excited to attend the Indiana State Fair on Friday so I do have something to look forward to! It sure is nice to take a breather every once in awhile!

Happy Monday XO

Vacation 2013 Myrtle Beach

As you all may have realized by the countdown, sneak peek photos and overwhelming excitement I took my first vacation of the year two weeks ago.

It has taken me sometime to get this little post completed because I feel like if you ever want to visit Myrtle Beach you can come to my post for suggestions, pictures and so forth.
It may get a little lengthy but if you stick around I am sure you will gain a ton of ideas for places to eat, sights to see and the wonderful attractions in the area.

 

I could have and still would love to be a traveling photographer. I’m pretty sure Madison was sick of posing for pictures by the end of the week by the “MOMMMMMM” comments and if objects could speak they would have screamed at me for taking so many random shots.

We tried to stay on a reasonable budget while choosing our dine-in options. It can become very expensive if you plan to eat out for all three meals. I mean come on now who doesn’t love to pig out on your time off? So budgeting can be somewhat of a challenge but I think if you plan carefully it can be a lot easier than you might think. Just make sure you eat POST poolside, I get that little budge we like to call the food baby and with a bikini on it ain’t cute!

I also did a lot of pre-planning when it came to the attractions. I wanted to find discounts online for tickets, wrist bands and anything that said buy one get one. There are a lot of online discounts for Myrtle Beach so definitely use Google and you can’t go wrong!

Saturday May 4th, Day 1: Midday arrival

Arriving around 1pm we checked into the hotel and headed over to the Boardwalk. It was pouring rain that day so we decided to dash into a diner, Peaches Corner. There we devoured chicken strips, hotdogs, fries and soda. Even while budget planning, a lunch for 3 is around $30.

Myrtle Beach has two arcades at the Boardwalk so we spent the night playing games and staying dry. We spent around $30 on tokens and were there for about 3 hours. Madison loaded up on prizes! Their arcades are pretty big so if you have small children it is totally worth it!

After 6 hours of drive time (Madison was surprisingly the best back seat passenger) and a long day we decided to hit the hotel room and get a goodnight’s sleep. Still full from lupper (lunch and supper) we opted out to spend anymore money on food.

Sunday May 5th, Day 2: A Thrill Ride

After finally catching some shut eye from the long drive we ate lunch at Hamburger Joes. I am not a breakfast person and Madison just had some cereal. We weren’t all that hungry but needed something to satisfy our small hunger pains before spending the day at the Family Kingdom, I’ll get to that in a bit. Hamburger Joes was an awesome budget and family friendly place. Hamburger Joes has $1 bills stapled to every wall covering the entire inside with $1 bills. The lunch totaled around $25.

We really look asleep don't we? Ha!

The amusement park opened at 1 so we drove to the park, grabbed our ride tickets and began the fun! It was still a little cloudy and drizzling rain but that wouldn’t stop us! $1.25 a ride or $25 per person and I can say this was the most fun I had the entire trip!

Later into the afternoon we decided to go back to the Boardwalk where Tim would take a ride on the slingshot, we would explore the scenery and eat dinner at the River City Café. The River City Café was the most budget friendly dinner we had and the food was excellent! They cover the tables in brown paper so we got to pass the time drawing up Myrtle Beach art and taking pictures. The entire place is covered in license plates and other memorabilia. Really neat!

Monday May 6th, Day 3: An Adventure To Remember

Everyone I talked to advised me to go to Alligator Adventure. It was a mini zoo and beautiful garden area in one. It was a little overpriced ($60) but we had a good time. When we arrived we were able to catch the alligator feeding and it was unlike anything I had ever watched. Who knew alligators could jump out of the water so high?

We spent about two hours there and then walked over to Barefoot Landing where we had lunch at California Pizza. I wasn’t a real big fan of this place. They didn’t get our salad order right and the pizza was very doughy. Around $40 for lunch. I wasn’t too impressed.

It began to really warm up so we decided to spend several hours at the pool and beach. There is nothing like getting a good tan and drinking fruity drinks!

We wore ourselves out swimming so we stuck by the hotel and ate at the hotel’s restaurant, Crowe’s Nest. They had the best drinks and nachos! Such a great combo for taste but not for calories! Whoopsie!

Tuesday May 7th, Day 4: Explore Galore

The talk of the town was to not leave Myrtle Beach without visiting Broadway At The Beach. It is a little area with lots of shopping, Starbucks (thank god because I hadn’t had one yet and there are no shops without driving a half hr) and lots and lots of things to see and do!

We fed some fish and ducks, explored the grounds taking lots and lots of pictures and grabbed lunch at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Volcano Nachos (if you haven't noticed, I'm kind of a nacho freak) and a fruity tootie drink called Don’t Stop The Carnival a tropical blend of Margaritaville’s Authentic Island Silver Rum, Island Oasis® Strawberry, Banana, and Mango mixes. YUM!

After leaving Broadway at the Beach we spent the afternoon swimming and re-visiting the beach and pools, our resort had 23 of them.

I had been craving seafood since we drove into town and I needed it in my life asap. I googled recommendations and prices and found that Seafood World was the best choice. The buffet cost us $90 with drinks included for the three of us. It was pricey but being able to fill around 5 plates of seafood, salad and dessert it was worth it!

Wednesday May 8th, Day 5: Hole In One

The morning started out a little breezy and cloudy but like every other day ended in sunshine and warm weather. Myrtle Beach has a miniature golf course on every street corner but the closest one to the resort was Cancun Lagoon. It had a Dairy Queen next door and trying to stay on budget we grabbed lunch and headed to play a round of golf. I ended up winning (as usual) and Madison kicked butt getting a hole in one on a pretty hard hole. She like her mama will rule the golf course one day!

Being that it was our last full day at Myrtle Beach we stayed around the resort soaking in the sun and scenery. We walked the beach down to a nearby pier about 2 miles away where local fisherman set up their fishing poles trying to get their next big catch. One fisherman caught a baby shark and Madison begged to see and touch it and so she did, a lot braver than I’ll ever be!

 

We spent the evening re-visiting the Boardwalk and snapping some last minute pictures. We walked down to a local shop and grabbed Madison some ice cream then spent the rest of the night packing and cleaning up the room.

Thursday May 9th, Day 6: Red and Blue lights are never a good sign

We gathered our things and left Myrtle Beach around 8am. I drove about two hours and to my surprise my phone had been in roaming the whole trip and so my data roaming charges had hit their maximum limit so my GPS and apps became disabled. Being that we had only printed off directions going down to Myrtle Beach and not back made it quite frustrating. You would think “Oh just use the same directions, just go the opposite way.” No my friend it doesn’t work that way.

The way we were coming back was a little different, a shorter route. So while driving and trying to get our phones to work with no reception I ended up on Kentucky 9. This would be the road that is 55 mph, 2 hours long to get into Cincinnati and of course with my luck a cop catching me doing 88 in a 55. Dang it. So of course, he whipped a U-Turn and flipped those lights on.

Thank you Kentucky law enforcement for being so understanding and letting me off with a warning. I think with a map in my lap and the look on all of our faces he could tell we needed to catch a break. I set the cruise control and completed the 13 hour drive looking like a hot mess but ticket free.

In all the vacation was wonderful. Many strolls along the beach, hours spent poolside and one too many strawberry pina coladas (who am I kidding there will never be enough of those!) If you want to take a reasonably priced vacation and experience many cool attractions this is the place to visit!