Guest Post: Five Top Tips for Family Vacations

Hello Dear Readers,   
Today's post is written by travel expert and mother of three Kendra Thornton. You can read about here on the Guest Contributers Page. My family still has several weeks before we travel anywhere for Summer, but I know many people will be traveling soon. Anyone who has ever traveled with kids in tow knows there can be many challenges, so Kendra's post comes at the perfect time. Enjoy and feel free to share your own travel ideas/tips/stories in the comments section.


It’s summertime and we all know what that means: time for a family vacation. Trips with the kids can be the perfect time to bond and enjoy one another. As a travel advocate and enthusiast, I have been fortunate enough to continue traveling with my family. The best times we’ve had have been those I’ve taken the time beforehand to plan for success.

Tip 1: Find a truly family-friendly hotel

When looking for a family-friendly hotel, don’t just take the hotel’s word for it. Be sure the accommodations have amenities your family needs in order to enjoy their stay. Look for a hotel that provides in-room refrigerators to store leftovers and kid-friendly snacks. This is essential for small ones who require bottles. See if you can find a hotel that has a playground or other play area for young children to enjoy. Also, take a look at customer reviews to learn if the hotel’s claims are true. My family found a great family friendly resort in Oahu by reading through other families reviews of the top hotels in Honolulu.

Tip 2: Preparing for Fourth-of-July celebrations

Many families choose to go on vacation over Independence Day. If you are planning such a trip, consider fireworks displays when you book your hotel room. Watching local displays from a hotel balcony provides a safer, more kid-friendly option than celebrating amid the crowds and close to the hot embers. When booking your hotel, check to see if you can get a room with a good view of the fireworks display. In addition to safe viewing, you will be able to balance different interests and bedtimes seamlessly.

Tip 3: Help everyone enjoy themselves more by sticking to a routine

Both adults and children find comfort in routine. For young children who are used to regular meal and snack times as well as naps, a break in routine can be extremely stressful. While on vacation, don’t neglect regular naptimes and meals. It may take a little extra planning, but your kids will be much less fussy when these needs are addressed in a timely fashion.

Tip 4: Carry a backpack

You’ll find hundreds of trendy travel bags that you can purchase for your trip. I have found, however, that a backpack meets my needs best. A good, ergonomic bag will allow you to carry more without being encumbered by the weight. Also, most backpacks offer plenty of carry space as well as multiple pockets for organizing everything you need. Plus your hands will be free! Everlane offers some trendy ones or try your local sporting goods store for a variety of shapes, sizes and prices.

Tip 5: Remember to bring a few plastic bags

You probably won’t forget the big things you need to pack. You’ll bring clean outfits and underwear. You’ll remember everyone’s toothbrush. But don’t forget to stash a few extra plastic bags in your luggage. These come in handy when someone has an accident, the kids can’t resist a last-minute dip in the pool before leave or you just need to keep clean and dirty clothes separate.

Vacation is a time for fun and relaxation. Use these tips for the most success possible.


Thanks for the tips Kendra! I think my favorite is the plastic bag tip. We go through a lot of the sandwich and gallon slide top bags in our household. The small ones make the perfect holder for baby wipes, so everyone can carry their own in their bag. Also the backpack tip works for little ones as well. As soon as our son was big enough to walk we got him a backpack so he could carry his own diapering supplies. He loves it. What makes traveling with little ones easier for you? 

Happy Travels,
Mrs.PJ

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Aspirations

• I love to write. There are pages of unwritten stories and essays floating around in my head. Non-fiction mostly, but some totally made up in my imagination. One day I want to write a book so I can share it all with other people. I want Oprah to read my book that does not exist, so then everyone will read it. Then I want to write five more.
• Quilting and crafting are another creative outlet I enjoy, but there is never enough time for. My supply stockpile is so huge that if I ever get around to it I want to open an Etsy shop. I have already done tons of research, come up with a business plan, store name, picked out a theme and everything. Now all I need is the time to make all of the things I want to make.
• After my Etsy shop becomes wildly successful I want to open a real store. There are several funky 1970's era buildings in our town that I want to take over. I want to sell handcrafted goods and vintage finds. I want to sell records and comics and be the cool hangout for all the hipsters. My husband has informed me that no one but me is into records anymore, bummer. Well, I'm going to bring them back.
• I want to buy up all of the cute little properties that are for sale in our town.  I want to fix them up and rent them out. I want to be a real-estate mogul. I want to get filthy rich and own the town.
• One day I will get my masters. After that I will get National Board Certification. and be the best teacher ever. Then after that I will teach at a University and I will teach aspiring teachers how to rock. Maybe I will write a book about that too. 
• My children's daycare is so awesome that I want to have one too. There is a need in our community and our church has tossed around the idea. I want to help open it and be the director. I want to help run everything and play with the kids and lead the teachers. 
• Having this blog has made me want to create a website for my students. This project I am actually working on. There are several great sites out there that have inspired me, but this will be one for my kids. I want to have resources available for other teachers as well. Hopefully my students will gat excited about it and actually use it. 
• Summer is almost here. In a few years I want to be able to take our real kids on awesome summer vacations. Not theme parks, but real destinations. The redwoods, grand canyon, Niagara Falls. Ok, Geography destinations, but I want to take them camping and hiking. 

One step at a time. I know realistically I can't do all of these things all at once, but I can pursue them a little bit at a time. I can let my big dreams inspire me to do fun things and take a leap. What inspires you? What are your secret ambitions? Who do you aspire to be? Share below and have a great weekend!

Work hard and have fun,
Mrs.PJ

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I should really write some of this stuff down....

Well, at least that is what people keep telling me. I know it is true because time flies when you are having fun and they just grow up so fast. You know you have a toddler in the house....

- When you buy the largest bottle of ketchup the grocery store sells. Did you know there is a 64 ounce squeeze bottle?

- When you think you hear a parrot and then realize it is your child. Toddlers like to mimic. Lately he has been telling me, "Mommy you're just so cute." He even pets my hair and kisses me on the cheek.

- When you triple check the toilet seat before sitting down. At least there have been no potty accidents at school (daycare) this week so far. That is worth celebrating.

- When you spend the whole weekend cleaning house but by breakfast time Monday morning there are no clean place mats.

- When your favorite nursery rhymes get the toddler touch re-mix,
   " Ba ba black sheep, you're an animal" and " Old McDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O.  On that farm he had a dog whose name was B-I-N-G-O."

Love them while they are little because it goes by fast.
Take care,
Mrs. PJ

 

Lost and Found

Lost 
1. Cloth diapers size XL. Stored in a large space bag that may not have had the air vacuumed out. Our house is only so big and I have already checked every storage spot I can think of. Those things have to be around here somewhere. Little Miss. PJ's tush is getting bigger every day.
2. Issues of a magazine I published a decade ago. It was a very small operation titled Feed Your Head and consisted of mostly repurposed English papers. My friends and I created it when we were in community college. It was one of the first projects I really felt proud to be a part of. I lost all of my issues in Hurricane Katrina, but a friend of mine gave me another set. I remember thinking the last time I saw them, "Okay, I will just put them right here, so they will be safe and I will know exactly where to find them next time I need them." If only I could remember where "right here" was.
3. My Spring Break. Where does the time go? It has been a great week, but like every year before it, time is almost out and my to-do list is still miles long. My wedding anniversary and firstborns birthday always fall during Spring Break (because I'm a teacher). We also had family from out of town on both sides. We planted our vegetable garden and re-planted our front flower bed for the fourteenth time. It has been fun and busy, but I am not ready to go back to work yet.
Found
1. I just finished reading Whale Done by Ken Blanchard. It is a business management book and I am a super nerd who really enjoys reading motivational business management books. This one focuses on building positive relationships in the workplace and I can totally see how some of the techniques in it are also appropriate for the classroom.
2. It looks like it has been out there awhile, bit Parent Hacks is a website worth checking out if you have little ones, school agers or work with kids. It is fully loaded with all of the awesome parenting tips and tricks you wish someone had told you about at your baby shower. Seriously, every time I go there I spend way to long perusing their posts. www.parenthacks.com/
3. So, last night I was in the grocery store and I saw this woman with two tots in tow. A little boy and little girl like mine. She had the little girl in a baby carrier and they looked super comfy.  I have a baby carrier, but the straps on it are a million miles long and I can rarely get it to work the way I want it to. I had to ask her where she got hers at. She told me that she is actually part of a group of moms called baby wearers. You can check them out here:  www.thebabywearer.com

Take care,
Mrs. PJ



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