I grew up visiting the beach with my family. My grandmother lived 2 blocks off St. Pete Beach when I was a kid and I have fond memories of those times. The beach continues to be a big part of our family and the primary reason we moved to Florida. While at the beach this week for vacation (yes, we still vacation at the beach even though we live near one) I thought I would share some of my random thoughts about visiting the beach that only a true beach lover would understand. That the ugly shells are the prettiest shells on the beach. Early morning and late afternoon are the best time to visit. Finding sea glass is like winning the lottery! You look 10X tanner in the shower after a day at the beach even if you're not! You'll pay anything for a drink and food while sitting on the beach. Beach towels are completely optional. You'll probably only use them to sit on for the car ride home. Backpack chairs are a must; especially with kids! Ours have a big pocket in ... [ Read More ]
Goodbye Winter Olympics, Little Passports Will Carry the Torch
As we bid farewell to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, it's a good time to continue the history lesson with our kids. My oldest (almost 11 yrs old) is pretty aware of the World and our own country but my 5 year old is just starting to figure out the US. We do quite a bit of traveling as a family but I'm not sure she really understands how big the US is (not to mention the World) yet. Little Passports (affiliate link) is a subscription box that brings the US and the World into your home each month and is geared for little minds. You can select the USA or World edition package depending on your child's interests. We started with the USA Edition which is ideal for kids ages 7-12 years old. Inside your first month's package is a Discovery Kit featuring a letter from Sam and Sofia (your guests on your trip around the US), a field guide, scratch book, US wall map, disposable camera and a photo scavenger hunt. Each subsequent month you'll receive a State adventure kit with 2 new ... [ Read More ]
10 Things I Did This Summer
Have you missed me? My last blog post was July 2nd! I should feel ashamed that I didn't touch my blog for the entire month, but honestly I feel so refreshed. I worked, took vacations, and had a lot of fun. Here are the Cliff Notes for my summer: Disney World Orlando Staycation: Did I mention that we have season passes to the parks? We spent a few days in Orlando relaxing at our favorite resort, meeting Princesses, riding in race cars, and traveling to the moon! Of course we never really left Orlando but it was a lot of fun. To see a video of the new Jr. Ride-along <sponsored blogger event> at the Richard Petty Driving Experience in Orlando check out my YouTube channel. Bryce got to take a few laps around a real race track in a real race car. Ichetucknee Springs Vacation: We went on our annual trip to Ichetucknee Springs and tubed down the river over the 4th of July. We stayed at our favorite Hideaway Cottages, ate smores, sat by the campfire, and this year we ... [ Read More ]
Tips for Visiting the Beach With Kids
Even before we moved to Florida our family has always taken vacations to the beach. Both of my kids had their toes dipped into the Gulf of Mexico before they turned 6 months. Regardless of how old your baby or child is there are a few things to keep in mind to make your trip stress-free and fun. Simplify What do you really need to take with you to the beach? Chances are that you and your spouse are the only ones who are going to be toting towels, sunscreen, toys, chairs, snacks, drinks, and yes...even the kids from the car to the beach. Think about everything you take and if you are "really" going to use it. Sun Protection Sunscreen isn't the only form of sun protection that you want to remember. UV shirts and hats can provide safe (chemical-free) protection from the sun and are safer than sunscreen for your wee ones. Most sunscreens aren't recommended until your baby is about 6 months of age. Tents and umbrellas can also provide a shady place for your baby to play. ... [ Read More ]
Tips for Making Your Stay-cation an Adventure
Who says you have to go someplace to have a vacation? Would you like some tips on how to make your next stay-cation an adventure with your family? Join me today on the I See Me blog to see how you can act like a tourist, have a family scavenger hunt, or even plan your next adventure. While you are there, check out the all new My Very Own World Adventure personalized children's book by I See Me. Want a chance to win your very own I See Me book? Check back next weekend as I share a special secret I've been working on with I See Me. Disclosure: My guest post on I See Me is part of a sponsored campaign. My tips, my opinions, and all information shared is my own. ... [ Read More ]
Cloth Diapering at Disney World
Planning a trip to Disney World with baby's? Do you travel with cloth diapers or take disposables along? We've taken cloth diapers with us on all of our trips to Disney when our littlest was still in diapers. On the Kelly Wels blog today I'm sharing my tips with you on how you can take your cloth diapers with you. Want a sneak peek? Hybrids or disposable inserts Flats and covers Diaper services Regular cloth diapers For more information on hand washing and flats check out my post How to Hand Wash Cloth Diapers. You'll have to modify it slightly depending on the supplies you have on hand while traveling. For more tips on traveling to Disney with kids read my post The Pros and Cons of Strollers at Disney. To read more just head on over the Kelly Wels blog and read the full story on How to Cloth Diaper at Disney World. Come back here if you have any questions - always happy to help! ... [ Read More ]
The Pros and Cons of Strollers at Disney (or any place really)
Strollers! I actually listed strollers as one of the 10 things you can leave off your baby registry and got a bunch of feedback from my readers. Some of you agreed with me while others disagreed. I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about strollers and some of the pros and cons of using them at Disney or anyplace you are traveling to during your day. My family has never been a big stroller family. We don't live in a town where we can walk to the town. The only place I could walk to would be around the neighborhood - not really all that exciting. We're not big shoppers or mall rats. We did have a stroller that we got when my first was born but it sat in the garage for almost 10 years and was only used about 10-20 times over those 10 years. When my kids were little we tried to travel with the stroller and we did venture to the mall a few times. We quickly learned that the big stroller was not right - for us! We did however use our cheap umbrella strollers (we ... [ Read More ]
What I Packed for a Trip to Paradise
I've been teasing you for about a week now and it's time to reveal our vacation. If you've followed me on Twitter and Instagram you may have figured it out by now. My hubby and I escaped for 4 days to Turks & Caicos! I know it still sounds amazing! I can't believe it's already over and we're back home enduring the flooding rains of Tropical Storm Debby (you can see how we're faring the storm on Instagram - lots of flooding). Before I left I asked what you would pack for 4 days on an Island with no kids! I had some great suggestions including: anything white, nothing, and alcohol! In the end here are some of the items I packed for the trip. White clothes! You know, those one's you don't wear around the kids because they will end up with grubby little hand prints in 5 minutes! I packed my favorite white shorts (worn twice) and a pair of white capris (which didn't get worn). String bikini! Yes, the one with ties! My kids would have me naked on the beach in 2 ... [ Read More ]
Wordless Wednesday
Hello old friend, where shall we go today? Any guesses? ... [ Read More ]
Tips for Traveling with Cloth Diapers
With Thanksgiving and the holiday season quickly approaching I thought I would share with you some tips on traveling with cloth diapers. I've written about traveling with cloth before but as I get more experienced I change my suggestions a bit. Here are some recommendations and tips: Tips for Traveling with Cloth Diapers By car: This mode of transportation is the easiest way to travel with cloth diaper because the only limiting factor is how much available space you have left in your car after you've packed all of your luggage. As you already know, babies require a LOT of extra luggage depending upon what resources are available at your destination. Any type of cloth diapers can be packed when traveling by car and you can stuff them in any open space that is left. I found that reusable shopping bags from the grocery store are a good method for packing cloth diapers by car because they are open and easy to access when you need to grab a diaper. By air: Traveling by air can be ... [ Read More ]