I love Maine. I can’t tell you exactly why, but it’s one of my favorite states (after my home state of Massachusetts of course). I head up to Maine every chance I get and Portland, Maine is one of my favorite destinations when I head up. I’ve gone to Portland both with the kids and without and if you are planning on bringing the kids with you, here are some family friendly things to do while you’re there.
If you follow me on social media, you know that my family recently spent some time in New York City. A good bloggy friend, Melissa from The Staten Island Family, invited my family to her son’s Bar Mitzvah. When she first told me that an invitation was heading my way, I was really excited and when it dawned on me that it fell during my kids April school vacation I got wicked excited. None of us have ever attended a Bar Mitzvah before and I thought it would be a wonderful thing for my family to experience. And it was even more wonderful than I could have imagined. Her son impressed the hell out of us with all the Hebrew passages he read (there were a lot) and a speech he gave, which was far beyond his years.
Since it was school vacation week, I wanted to extend our trip by a few days and make the most of our visit. My husband and I go down to NYC a few times a year, but don’t usually take the kids with us. Since they came with us this time, we wanted to make sure they had an amazing time. I decided to go to my trusted resource, TripAdvisor, to see what we should do while we we there.
Did you know that you can book activities and experiences directly through TripAdvisor? It’s super convenient to be able to look through all the things they offer to do in the city you’re traveling to, read reviews while you’re there AND book whatever catches your eye – all in one spot. I mean, you are going to TripAdvisor to look at the reviews anyways, so why not take it one step further and book your experiences right on their site. It’s easy peasy and that way your itinerary will be set before you even leave for your trip (or staycation). Continue reading »
Grilled cheese sandwiches are pretty popular in my house. You can’t really go wrong with a sandwich full of melted cheese I suppose…. Anyways, since I make them so often (and often really is an understatement because I make grilled cheese sandwiches almost every single day), I recently decided to change things up by making a Unicorn Grilled Cheese.
As a general rule, neither of my boys are impressed by this whole unicorn food trend that’s all the rage these days, but I thought I could pull one over on them by making a unicorn grilled cheese. I was wrong. My youngest thought it was cool for about a half of a second, but quickly shrugged it off. The big one literally couldn’t have cared less and just ate his sandwich in one big bite like he normally does. Oh well, at least I thought they came out cool.
I’m not going to lie, when you plan a trip to Walt Disney World you should plan on A LOT of walking. While walking is basically the only way to get around while you are inside the parks, there are many other modes of transportation outside of them. Here’s a guide to all the different modes of transportation at Disney World and where you can use them.
Monorail: The Monorail runs through the Magic Kingdom and connects some resorts (The Contemporary, The Polynesian and The Grand Floridian) with the park and the ticket and transportation center. It connects the Magic Kingdom theme park, with the contemporary resort, the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and the Polynesian Resort. Switch at the Transportation Center to get to Epcot.
The Magic Kingdom and Epcot are the only two Disney World park that can be reached by monorail. Continue reading »
Yesterday I met up with my good friend, Leah from City Living Boston and Kim from Kimworld (who was behind the scenes) to do a Facebook Live about what to do with the kids over the April school vacation. Well, we had some technical difficulties and the live stream didn’t work out, so we decided to just record a video and talk about all the stuff we had planned on telling you about – and if anyone has any questions feel free to comment here or email one of us. If you missed the video, here it is so you can watch it:
I had my nieces over recently and wanted to surprise them with a fun treat. While they only live a few towns away, crazy schedules on both sides make it so I don’t see them as often as I’d like. So when I know I get to see them, I like to plan crafts or bake some special treats for them. I made them some Unicorn Kiss Cookies and they were as big of a hit as I thought they’d be. The best part is that they were really easy to make, so I can whip up a batch every time I see the girls from now on!
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
Congrats to #3 Stephanie
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A brand new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC will take the Boch Center Wang Theatre stage for a limited two week engagement from May 1-13, 2018.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. The beloved musical story of Maria and the von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony®, Grammy® and Academy Award®–winning Best Score, including “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss” and the title song. Continue reading »
Spring is always a great time of year to really purge and get your home organized from the year. Maybe it is because you can open your windows and let that nice crisp fresh and cool air flow through the windows to give you the motivation you need. I have some ways you can work on Spring Cleaning to help you purge and get organized for the year.
While it doesn’t have to be spring to get your clean on, you can use these tips below to clean and get organized any time of the year that you feel the motivation.
Clothing Rule
What I like to do is if I have’t worn an item for over six months I really give it a good look. If I am unsure I give myself six more months to start wearing it or when I hit that next cleanse mark I donate or toss it out. Another thing I like to do is turn my hangers all the same way. Then as I wear the item I turn the hanger the other way, so I know I have worn that item. It helps keep me aware of the clothes I have not worn, and I can debate if time to donate. Continue reading »
The spring season brings beautiful flowers and more sunshine, which of course makes more people feel happier. While the beauty of spring can surely boost your spirits, the pollen flying everywhere can take you down for the count. You’re not alone because millions of Americans suffer from seasonal allergies (including me). Spring is the time when you want to get outside with your family to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, but what happens when your seasonal allergies keep you from enjoying this newfound warmth? Well, you have to find products that will assist in keeping you healthy. That’s what.
I want to introduce you to Lifestix E.N.T. Care, an oral immunity probiotic that will help many people (both kids and adults) stay healthy this spring season. Please note that this product is not a gut probiotic and is not for use to help with digestive health. Lifestix E.N.T. Care contains a specific probiotic that focuses on the health of ear, nose, and throat for the entire family. With the delicious strawberry flavor and the ability for anyone ages 2 and beyond to take, it’s worth checking into this product if you or anyone in your family suffers from seasonal allergies. Continue reading »
I am totally obsessed with chocolate covered pretzel sticks (and by sticks, I mean the long rod ones). I seriously make them all the time. I mean, they are so easy to make so why not? Plus the sweet and salty combo is just plain awesome. My nieces were coming over to my house last weekend, so I made them some Unicorn Wand Pretzel Sticks and needless to say, they loved them.
Sometimes I tell my boys that they have no idea how lucky they are, and they really don’t. There are so many cool things now that we just didn’t have when I was a kid. Take Launch Trampoline Park for example. There was no such thing as a trampoline park back in the 90’s. If we wanted to jump on a trampoline, we had to beg our parents to buy one.
Speaking of Launch Trampoline Park, my boys get so excited whenever I tell them we are going there. Did you know that Launch RI just got a major upgrade? It’s not just a trampoline park anymore. Of course they still have trampolines, but now they have a bunch of seriously awesome attractions (a Ninja Warrior Course, Extreme Dodgeball and Laser Tag to name a few).
Here’s what they have at the new Launch RI complex: Continue reading »
Many people forget that New York is a town full of families and plan their vacations without providing much thought to the entertainment possibilities that abound for children in New York City. It only makes sense that with so many families living in this city that there would be very many family oriented things to do and sights to see.
For instance, there are 5 zoos in New York City; some of them better known than others. The five zoos are Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Bronx Zoo, and Staten Island Zoo. Each zoo has something slightly different to offer than the others and if you have a true animal lover in your family there really is no harm in stopping by all of them.
I love starting my day with a delicious smoothie. I am not a big fan of eating first thing in the morning, so smoothies give me the energy boost I need to get my day going, but don’t leave me feeling overly full. The thing is, this carrot cake smoothie tastes more like a decadent dessert than a nutritious way to start the day. The natural sweetness of the orange and carrots are balanced by a couple of complementary spices – and the homemade coconut whipped cream serves as the perfect finishing touch.
This smoothie is ready in just 10 minutes and makes 2 servings (so you can have seconds!!).
People tend to have a love/hate relationship with their local gym or workout center. They are usually paying a monthly fee to be a member, and know they should go. However, after working all day, picking the kids up from school, and fixing dinner, who has time to go to the gym? It would be much easier and cheaper to find ways to workout at home. What if you were to take it one step further, and create a home gym? Here are some tips for building a home gym that you will actually use.
Find the room The first thing you have to determine when building a home gym, is where you are going to put it. In order to maintain some organization and avoid distractions while working out, it’s important for the gym to be separate from everything else. Choose a guest bedroom that isn’t getting used, a closed off area in the basement, or possibly part of the garage. Make a list of the equipment you want to have and make sure there is enough room for everything to fit. Once this is done you are ready to start creating your home gym. Continue reading »
When my boys were little, I loved doing craft projects with them. Now that they are older and wan’t no part of it, I am thankful I have a whole slew of younger nieces and nephews to make crafts with. I recently did this Easy Easter Art Project with a couple of my nieces. They had a blast making their projects and they came out so cute. If you are looking for an easy Easter art project to do with your kiddos, try this one!
Easter is coming up soon and if you’re looking for a fun dessert to bring or serve at Easter dinner this year, try these Easter Bunny Cookies. They are fun, festive and most importantly – delicious.
I have a child with sensory issues, so he loves to play with putty/play dough type things. It just so happens that the same child is obsessed with sour things, so when I made this Edible Sour Gummy Worm Silly Putty, he just about flipped his lid. It’s wicked easy to make and super fun to play with (and eat)!
My sister is hosting Easter dinner this year, which sounds great to me. I hosted Christmas dinner at my house and I am not fully recovered from all the work I put into cooking and baking that day yet. Anyhow, since I obviously can’t show up to her house empty handed, I have been playing with some different ideas of things I can bring to her house for Easter dessert. I ended up making some Chocolate Covered Easter Pretzels for my boys as an after-school snack and decided that I want to make them again to bring with me to my sister’s house on Easter. They could not be easier to make and I found these cute little candy carrots to put on them, so now they are super festive. Plus, there’s that sweet and salty combination for the win!
If you are a family who doesn’t plan to go somewhere to vacation for Spring Break but would like to have a bit of family fun, then this article is for you. There are many inexpensive ways you can plan family fun for Spring Break right at home. Today I wanted to share a few ideas to get you moving forward in the planning stages before Spring Break arrives.
Host a Family Meeting
Sit down with the family, kids included, to have a little discussion about what each family member would enjoy doing during Spring Break. Make a list of ideas and take into consideration the budget so that you don’t overspend during this week off from school. Encourage family members to come up with family fun ideas for Spring Break that allow you to stay close to home. Continue reading »
If you are looking for a fun Easter treat, these Chocolate Chip Easter Bunnies ought to do the trick. They’re easy to make, super festive and sure to be a crowd pleaser.
