Did you know that Cranmore Mountain was named #1 in New Hampshire for Off-Hill Activities by Ski Magazine?
My family recently stayed in the North Conway, New Hampshire area and going snow tubing was high up on our list of things we wanted to do while we were there. We’re not big skiers, but we definitely wanted to make some time to play in the snow. That’s why we all love snow tubing: tubing is a family friendly activity that requires no special skills or equipment. Continue reading »
We have a few school vacations coming up and if your kids are anything like my son, they are always “bored”. The unfortunate thing is that most of us are not independently wealthy, so we sometimes must get creative with finding things to entertain them. Cue the Mr. Potato Head statues located throughout Rhode Island. Rhode Island is the home of Hasbro and Mr. Potato head. In 2000, the state decided that they needed to boost tourism and chose Mr. Potato Head as their “travel ambassador”. The result was a whole lot of 6-foot fiberglass statues (some reports say 37, others say it was closer to 45) decorated buy artists and placed around the state. They were met with mixed reactions and now, 17 years later, there are only a handful left in the state. Rumor has it that there is one in Virginia and a few others are owned privately. One was even for sale on EBay for a mere $5,000, but I digress.
On one of those days where the kids are bored and you need something inexpensive to do, take a Potato Head adventure; the only cost is the price of gas. There is a total of 8 left in RI. A friend and I searched them out over the course of several trips and much research. I have taken all of that away for you. We truly made it an adventure, finding them and taking selfies with each. I have them listed in no particular order. Continue reading »
Picture this: You & your family (or friends) head out for a night at the Bruins, Celtics or other event at the TD Garden in Boston. You fight the traffic getting into Boston, find parking, walk from where ever you parked to the arena, get through security and suddenly you’re starving. It happens every time, right?
Whenever I head into the Garden, the first thing I usually do is make a quick detour to the closest restroom, find my seats and then scout out the food options. What I have always loved about the TD Garden is that they have so many great food choices.
Concessions and food options include:
As with most historic cities in the US, Boston has a rich background and with that comes TONS of tourist attractions. Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States, the area played an integral role in our nation’s history and there are landmarks EVERYWHERE that celebrate this rich and amazing history. Unless you are coming to stay or for a very extended visit, you’ll need to prioritize your must see tourist attractions in Boston. There are some things that you just have to experience while you are visiting Boston. In case you are not as familiar with Boston as I am here is a list to help!
If you are a sports fans these are the places you will NOT want to miss when you are visiting Boston. Along with being home to some of the best teams that call Boston home, these locations are beautiful works of architecture and some even have historical cred of their own!
If you can’t catch a game while you are in town I highly recommend that you swing by anyway just to take in the awesome and massive feel of these locations! Continue reading »
Last weekend, my family had a chance to attend The Midnight Zoo, a brand new Halloween experience at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. Even though we checked out the website, we weren’t sure exactly what to expect, but ended up being very pleasantly surprised by our experience.
This is what the website says:
Under the light of the autumn moon, discover a secret corner of Franklin Park Zoo that is home to a mysterious, mystical world. The Midnight Zoo surrounds visitors with never-before-seen creatures from the farthest realms of the imagination. Wind your way through the darkness as the woods come alive in this 360-degree immersive experience. Elaborate costumes, masterful design, and moonlit surprises await you in this haunted habitat featuring over 20 fantastical creatures ranging in size from tiny to over 8 feet tall. Continue reading »
If you are local to New England, surely you’ve been to – or at least heard of the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo. It’s an annual tradition for our family to attend as well as thousands of others each year. If you’ve never been, you’re missing out because it’s really something to see. The Jack O’Lantern Spectacular is a nighttime display of 5,000 illuminated jack-o-lanterns all along the zoo’s beautiful Wetlands Trail, with well over 100 of the pumpkins carved into veritable works of art. There’s something magical about so many illuminated jack o’lanterns on display as you walk along the trail. This year The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is presented by Citizens Bank and it runs from October 6 – November 6, 2016.
Last week I had a chance to preview the Jack O’Lantern Spectacular before it opened to the public and not only that, I was able to go behind the scenes and see some of the action. I saw the area where the pumpkins are carved and learned how they store the completed jack o’lanterns in a temperature controlled box truck until they are ready to be put on display. Continue reading »
Hear ye, hear ye! It’s that time of year again. For two months every fall, you can travel back in time at King Richard’s Faire in Carver, MA. Spread out over 80 acres of woods, King Richard’s Faire is the place to be if you want to fully immerse yourself into a day in the life of someone back in the 1500’s.
**Disclosure: My family and I received complimentary admission to King Richard’s Faire in order to tell you about our experience there. All opinions are strictly my own and we not influenced in any way.
If you’ve never been to a renaissance festival, you’re missing out on a chance to travel back in time to the 16th century. They make for a seriously good time.
King Richard’s Faire is very family friendly. There are many rides and performances throughout the day that are offered to entertain any and all age groups. From face painting to carnival rides to the beer garden, King Richard’s Faire does their best to keep everybody happy. For my family, it’s the overall atmosphere that keeps us going back time and time again. It’s a fun and light-hearted way to spend some quality time with your family. Continue reading »
Leading contemporary circus troupe Cirque Éloize premiered their latest creation, Cirque Éloize Saloon, at Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Fox Theater on Friday, August 12 and I was lucky enough to be able to attend the opening performance with my husband. Yay for date night!
Cirque Éloize, a leading worldwide contemporary circus troupe, is thrilled to unveil their latest creation, Cirque Éloize Saloon, at Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Fox Theater next month. This captivating and energetic show transports audiences to the height of the Wild Wild West era, telling the story of a piano tuner’s astonishing journey through a world filled with gold diggers, rail workers, chorus girls and cowboys. Mysterious and intriguing characters will light up the stage to explosive live music, resulting in a series of unexpected situations packed with rhythmic acrobatic prowess and original choreography. The series begins Friday, August 12 and runs through Sunday, August 21 for a total of 12 remarkable performances at a variety of family-family show times.
Can you believe that Blue Man Group is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year? I’ve seen the show a few times over the years and it’s one of those things you need to experience for yourself. It’s so hard to explain what the show is all about unless you actually go see it with your own eyes, but I’ll try:
Blue Man Group is comedy,theater, rock concert and dance party all rolled into one. This wildly popular phenomenon delivers an outrageous, multi-sensory experience you’ll never forget. Don’t miss the show that has captivated 35 million people worldwide. Blue Man Group – enemy of monotony, remedy for boredom, promoter of overjoy and elation!
For their 25th, they embarked on a World Tour in March, launched their third album, THREE, in April and will release their first ever book, Blue Man World, in October.
Blue Man World is a graphically rich, textually dynamic, cheekily clever deep dive into the world of the Blue Men, as well as a hilarious cultural satire. Including archival photographs, specially commissioned artwork, infographics, and interviews with Blue Man experts (both real and potentially not real), it answers all the burning questions including: Who are these Blue Men? Where do they come from? Why are there only three of them? What drives their curiosity? What do they hope to accomplish? Continue reading »
Last week my oldest son turned 12. TWELVE! I’m honestly not sure when that happened, but in any case I can personally attest to the fact that the “tween” thing is real. He’s not quite a teen yet, but definitely he has all the attitude & sassiness of one. He’s also apparently too cool to do “kid” stuff anymore, which has created a bit of a challenge for me to keep him entertained (and off those pesky electronics) this summer. Both of my boys have August birthdays and I always plan a day of fun for them on their special days and this year I was really scrambling to come up with something that my oldest would like.
Then it came to me – I would take them to the brand new water park at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis. If you’ve been around here for a while, you may remember that my family stayed there about 18 months ago and the boys really enjoyed the indoor wave pool (if you need a refresher, here is the post). I had heard that the Cape Codder was expanding and creating an amazing water park and when I found out that they had just opened on Friday July 30th, I knew that it was where I was going to take my kids for my oldest’s birthday. My oldest loves to swim and I knew a day at the water park would be right up his alley.
The Wave Pool, which was already there, is approximately 10,000 square feet and the expansion is an additional 20,000 square feet – you you can only imagine how excited both my boys were when I told them that’s where we were going! It’s the only one of its kind on Cape Cod and has so much fun to offer! Continue reading »
I love living in the Boston area, but especially in the summer time. With its rich history, bustling neighborhoods, and beautiful coastal landscapes, it’s a perfect place for the whole family.
I recently discovered a website called, MapAround, which is a search engine for finding local events in the Boston area. This was perfect for us, as it even has a “Kids & Family” category. Once we started searching, we had no idea how many events were happening around us every single night. From concerts to comedy shows, movie nights to boat cruises, farmers’ markets and festivals, I couldn’t believe how many awesome things are happening in Boston every single day.
Here’s a few events that I liked best:
Free Friday Flicks is one of Boston’s favorite summertime traditions! Every Friday night around sundown, families and friends gather at DCR’s Hatch Shell along the Charles River to watch a movie. All you need are your own chairs, a cozy blanket and of course, some snacks. There are even fun games and prizes for the kids. This was a perfect way to end a long week. Continue reading »
If you are a regular around here, you already know that I am always on the go & I am always on the hunt for new ways to keep my family – especially the boys, entertained. Recently the four of us had a chance to check out The Great Escape Room in Providence, RI and not to give too much away right off the bat, we LOVED it.
You’ve probably noticed that escape rooms seem to be popping up more and more & I have been curious for a while now to check one out to see what all the buzz is about. I have never done anything like this before, so I honestly had no idea what to expect. Let me just say that our experience at the Great Escape Room far exceeded my expectations.
Here’s a little background: “The Great Escape Room is a real-life room escape game based on the popular computer and mobile phone escape games. Escape games are the newest craze sweeping the nation – a fun, team-building, brain-busting experience! After entering a room with your team, the door is locked behind you. 60 minutes are on the clock! You must work together in order to find clues and solve puzzles that will lead you to your escape. It is part scavenger hunt and part puzzle game. Only about 20% of groups are able to meet the challenge and escape in time!” Continue reading »
When someone mentions Massachusetts to you, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Boston? Cape Cod? Those places are both great, but there is a lot of fun located in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, too. There are so many fun-filled attractions in the western part of the state and they are definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for some family fun this summer.
Did you know that Six Flags New England is the Coaster Capital of New England? Six Flags New England is home to the New England SkyScreamer, Flashback, Pandemonium, Mind Eraser, Batman the Dark Knight, Goliath, Wicked Cyclone and the brand new Fireball, which just opened this year. Six Flag New England also relaunched the BIZARRO coaster this season. It’s now SUPERMAN™ the Ride.
If coasters aren’t your thing, you are not alone. I don’t like them either, but fear not – there is a ton of other stuff to do at the park. For the little ones, there are four areas specifically dedicated to kids including Looney Tunes Movie Town, Kidzopolis, Whistlestop Park and Splash Island (in the water park). There are tons of rides in those areas including bumper cars, a carousel, the scrambler and many more classics. Continue reading »
As a former Jordan’s Furniture employee, I can personally attest to the fact that they truly enjoy keeping their customers happy. The owners, Barry & Eliot had a vision of making visiting the stores more than just furniture shopping – they wanted to make it an experience for the whole family. Now that Barry has retired from the family business, Eliot has kept the family fun aspect of the stores going strong. I worked at the Avon, MA store, which is the home of MOM (the Motion Odyssey Movie Ride), Enchanted Ice (an indoor skating rink) and the Boston classic, The Enchanted Village. Families come out in droves for those attractions, but if you are a local you know that each store boasts at least one fun family attraction. In the Reading store, they have the BeanStalk™ Adventure Ropes Course and I was able to head there to check it out with my family last weekend.
Disclosure: My family received complimentary tickets for the course in order to provide an honest review of our experience. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way.
The BeanStalk™ Adventure Ropes Course is a 32-foot tall, 2 level ropes course (12 feet or 24 feet up) complete with 30 exciting activities including zig-zag beams, cargo nets, angled rope ladders, crisscross walks and more. Participants choose their own path through the elements and go at their own pace. No two obstacles are the same! The ropes course is also equipped with a Sky Rail zip line connection measuring 69′ long. which costs $2 more to ride.
My boys have done rope courses before, so they already knew to empty their pockets before the employees helped them put their safety harnesses on, but for those of you who have never done a course like this – you do need to empty your pockets so nothing falls out on the people on levels below you. And no, cameras are not allowed on the course, either. Continue reading »
Many of you know that my family recently visited Washington DC for the second year in a row. Last year we found that a week in DC just wasn’t enough time to be able to see and do everything that we wanted to, so we took the kids back again this year over their April school vacation to we could see the stuff we missed last year. Madame Tussauds Washington, DC was high up on our list and I am so excited that we were able to squeeze in a visit this year.
**My family and I were provided complimentary admission to Madame Tussauds in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way**
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Washington DC is definitely not your typical museum. I had been to the Madame Tussauds wax museums in Vegas and NYC sans kids, but I when I found out there was one in DC – I knew my boys would love it and I was dying to take them there. Continue reading »
I’m a Boston girl. Always have been and always will be. It’s no secret that I love living here and whenever I meet someone who is not from around here, as soon as they find out where I’m from I inevitably get asked the same question: “Can you say park the car in the Harvard yard”? Seriously – it happens every single time. It fun to play along, though, because we know how cool our accent is around here and we love to bust out the Boston whenever we can!
For the record, there are no “R’s in that statement whatsoever. It’s paaaahk thuh caaaaaah in the Haaaahvid yaaaaad.
Even though there are no R’s to be found, there is tons of IQ at Harvard and my husband Chris and I learned all about it when we took the Hahvahd Tour last weekend.
The award-winning tours of America’s most prestigious University are led by current Harvard students. Harvard student guides greet you right in Harvard Square. which is where the tour leaves from. The tour is scripted to be an entertaining, theatrical experience – you’ll have fun learning about Harvard! Continue reading »
Inspired by the hit movie, this holiday favorite comes to life as you and your family take a ride on The Polar Express. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, families are sure to enjoy their trip to the North Pole, complete with hot chocolate and cookies served on board the train.
My family had a chance to ride the polar Express at Edaville last week and I want to tell you all about it.
**Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets to ride the Polar Express in exchange for our honest review. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way**
Our train was scheduled to leave the station at 6 pm, but we noticed that people were lining up early (like around 5:30), so we lined up, too. There was a Thomas Christmas train running the same night, but they had the Polar Express riders on one side of the platform and the Thomas riders on the other. It was clearly marked, so we knew exactly where to go. Plus, there were employees there to switch out our tickets from the printed ones we had to the golden tickets we needed to board the Polar Express, so they were able to direct people. Continue reading »
Edaville USA is a modest theme park located in Carver, MA with cranberry harvesting and railroading as its two main themes. It is a really fun family attraction which features about a dozen or so amusement rides including a Ferris Wheel, carousel, bumper cars and more. Each admission includes a five mile train ride through the cranberry bogs on their property. It’s one of New England’s largest displays of Christmas lights and our family looks forward to going every year.
**My family received complimentary admission to Edaville in order to experience the Festival of Lights for ourselves. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way**
In fact, I grew up going there with my parents, sister and brother and I am happy that it’s still around for my own children to enjoy. Continue reading »
I recently had the chance to take my family to the circus and it was the first time I had been to see it in about 30 years. The last time I saw a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey production was with my parents, brother and sister in Boston. My brother was really little at the time (maybe 4 or 5) and at some point during the show a clown was shot out of a cannon. The loud noise sent my poor little brother in to hysterics so badly, that we all actually ended up having to leave the show. He just wouldn’t calm down until we left. But such is life, right?
Anyhow, when I found out that Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey LEGENDS was coming to the TD Garden in Boston, I was excited to take my kids. I just knew that they would love the show and I was right.
Disclosure: My family received complimentary tickets to see LEGENDS from the folks at Feld Entertainment. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way. Continue reading »
The Salem witch hunt was indeed a real-life horror story. In case you need a refresher, twenty innocent people were put to death during the Witch Hysteria of 1692, leaving Salem forever branded. Actually, these days many people refer to Salem as “The Witch City.”
The people of Salem totally play up their spooky reputation to tourists, too. In addition to the town’s normal bewitching attractions, Haunted Happenings run for the entire month of October and draws nearly a quarter of a million people to the city. This year, my family was among Salem’s visitors and today I want to tell you about all the fun we had there.
**Disclosure: I received a complimentary media pass to all of the locations mentioned in this post in order to tell you about our experience in Salem. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way.
Since we had the kiddos with us, we kept our visit to Salem family friendly (well, as family friendly as the murders of 20 innocent people can be I suppose). Here are all the things we did while we were there:
The Salem Witch Museum
The main presentation is based on actual trial documents. Visitors experience the drama of that dark time though thirteen life-size stage sets, figures, lighting and a stirring narration as they are witness to the web of lies and intrigue of the Salem Witch Hunt.
In our second exhibit, Witches: Evolving Perceptions, live guides take you through changing interpretations of witches, the truth behind the stereotypes, witchcraft practice today and the frightening phenomenon of witch hunting.
The Salem Witch Museum is located at 19 1/2 Washington Square and is open daily, year round: 10:00am-5:00pm, but they do have extended hours on select dates in October, so be sure to check their website before you go. Continue reading »