Last week, Walt Disney World released park hours for the remainder of 2014 along with changing park hours for July 2014. The change in park hours impacted our plans, especially for our day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. So, it was back to the drawing board. . .
Originally, we had planned to visit Disney's Animal Kingdom on a day with morning Extra Magic Hours--when the park opens an hour early for on-site resort guests. Our plan was to ride Kilimanjaro Safari first thing, when the weather was a bit cooler which means more animals out and about, then go to breakfast at Tusker House with a 8:45 am Advanced Dining Reservations. The rest of the day was full of FastPass+ selections for Festival of the Lion King, Expedition Everest, and Kali River Rapids.
With the change in the park hours, our 8:45 am ADR for Tusker House was still doable, but it meant adjusting the rest of our FastPass + selections and getting to Kilimanjaro Safari later in the day.
I called Walt Disney World Dining with our current Tusker House confirmation number in hand and adjusted our ADR to 9:20 am. The park would open at 9:00, we would walk to Kilimanjaro, ride the 19 minute ride, and have to make it to the restaurant no later than 9:35 am to not miss our reservation and be charged $10 per person no-show fee. I slept on the plans and decided it was cutting the time too close.
I called Walt Disney World Dining again in the morning and changed the reservation to 9:45 am. We will most likely arrive sooner and it will make it tight to get to our 10:50 FastPass+ for Festival of the Lion King, but I think we can make it work.
Looking forward to a great breakfast with characters at Tusker House and a great day at Disney's Animal Kingdom!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Summer 2014 Vacation--Tickets and Paperwork Have Arrived!
Tickets and paperwork for our upcoming Summer Vacation have
arrived!
The Walt Disney World packet contained our luggage ID tags,
but not Magical Express luggage tags because we aren’t using Magical Express to
get to our resort. The packet also
contained vouchers for arcade points. Miniature golf, DisneyQuest admissions—even
though we have those added tour tickets with the Water Parks
and More Fun option. My favorite part of
the packets is the discount card in the very back. This little card is going to save me 10% on a
purchase of $75 or more at the World of Disney Store at Downtown Disney!
Our cruise booklet also arrived for our 7 night sailing on
the Disney Fantasy. The entire booklet
is customized with our names, our flight information (including fees for our
airline), and our port adventures and travel plans for after the cruise. The husband’s favorite part was the cover
that said “Gold” and my favorite was the personalized letter that said, “Dear
Jody, Welcome back!” Disney Cruise Line
knows how to do it right!
We also have our Universal park tickets AND Express Pass vouchers.
Still waiting on our MagicBands but a marvelous email was in
the inbox yesterday from Disney Destinations indicating that the bands have
been shipped.
The boy wakes up each morning and tells us how many days
until our trip. He wants to know when it
is the “perfect” time to pack. My
response was anytime is the perfect time to pack, but we settled on 10 days
prior to our trip would be a great time for him to pack his rolling
backpack. It will include toys (he
already found his Disney Planes characters), a book to read, at least one stuff
character (my money is on Stitch), snacks, and his video game.
Next for the husband is sorting and packing his Disney
trading pins and lanyards!
Labels:
planning a disney cruise vacation,
planning a trip to universal studios,
planning a Universal Studios vacation,
planning a Walt Disney world vacation,
travel paperwork,
williams family
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
What I "Get" Out of a Vacation
The boy was promised a new video game specifically for our
trip (the game is at our house and will be presented to him the morning we leave) and
the husband has ordered a new book (courtesy of a Barnes and Nobel gift card
from Adventures by Disney), again, specifically to read during our upcoming
vacation. The husband pointed this out—the
boy has a new game and he will have a new book—so, what will I have?
I gave a glib and flippant answer about watching people,
flight times, schedules, etc.
But the question and the answer got me thinking. . . I don’t
escape or “exit” with a game or book while on vacation. The vacation itself is an escape for me.
I enjoy skimming the Sky Mall catalog and airline magazine
while on the plane—both things I would not normally read or look at. I look at the airport layouts in the back
pages of the airline magazine and find out about new flight destinations and
services. On the ship, I’ll read the
Personal Navigators and other cruise information. And, at the resort, I’ll read the information
presented at check-in.
My mind is in “on” mode while traveling; navigating now and
planning what’s next. (The husband would
assert that my mind is in “on” mode all the time, including when I am
sleeping.)
One of my favorite movies is “Gosford Park”
and one of my favorite lines from the movie is about the difference between a
good servant and a great servant is the ability to anticipate; knowing what
people will need before they know they need it.
I continue to develop the gift of anticipation. My role, especially when traveling, is to be
able to anticipate what will happen next and what my family will need. Not worry about what will happen, but know
what will happen—which allows for planning and preparation. This is something I do in every day life, for
example, the day a soccer tournament took us out of town. I had checked the weather forecast and
planned accordingly by packing umbrellas, towels, and a complete soccer uniform
including cleats, socks, shin guards, jersey, shorts, even undies for the
boy. This all came in handy as the team
got soaked during their second game and still had another game to play. Other folks went to Wal-Mart to gather gear,
but not us. This anticipation, this
planning, saved us time and money. And,
since anticipating is something I try to do every day, it is fun for me to try
it out in different settings when on vacation.
You know how Sheldon from Big Bang Theory picks out the best spot, his spot, on the
couch. Well, I try to find the “best”
during our vacation. The “best” or most
efficient FastPass+ strategy, or best time for ADR’s, or best way to meet
characters on the ship. The mental
challenge and planning/preparation opportunities I appreciate and I know my
family appreciates what I do. (And, it's Disney so almost everything is efficient!)
So, while the husband is enjoying his book and the boy is
enjoying his game, I am enjoying the strategizing for the next move and how to
make whatever it is smooth (meaning not frustrating) and efficient.
You might be reading and thinking that I don’t enjoy my
vacation. Well, I do enjoy my vacation,
very much! I especially enjoy when all
is flowing—there’s such a sense of wonder and
accomplishment during those times. And,
if you see me on Toy Story Mania, for example, it is all pure enjoyment; pure fun!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
More Items Checked Off The "To Do" List!
As our Summer 2014 Vacation draws near, more items have been
checked off the “to do” list. What a
great feeling!
Tuxedos—check! The
husband and the boy will both have tuxedos waiting for them, including shoes
and socks, in our stateroom when we board the Disney Fantasy. This makes packing so much easier!
Universal tickets—check!
Previously, we had purchased the Express Pass
portion of our tickets, but had yet to purchase the park tickets
themselves. We now have 3 one-day park
to park tickets coming our way via Undercover Tourist. The total price was $14 less than using
Universal’s site and the tickets are being mailed to us.
Photo services—check!
Disney’s Memory Maker was added to our reservation at the time we booked
our trip and we just pre-ordered Universal’s Photo Connect—click here to read more. One of our on board perks from our
travel agent is a photo package—planning on using it towards the Photo CD at
Shutters on the Disney Fantasy. Get
ready for photos!
Garden Grocer order—check!
Click here to read more about this convenient service that providesgrocery delivery right to your Disney Resort!
Lawn service—check!
Secured someone to take care of our lawn while on vacation. And, made sure our pet sitter knew about the
lawn service and vice versa.
Now we can sit back, relax, and wait for our MagicBands to
arrive!
Monday, June 23, 2014
Universal Orlando Offers Photo Connect--Who Knew?
We are counting down the days until our 12th trip
to Walt Disney World, our 6th Disney Cruise, and our 2nd trip
to Universal Orlando. Even with all of
our experiences, there are still some things still have yet to learn.
Islands of Adventure:
It wasn’t until our 2nd or 3rd trip to
Walt Disney World that we fell in love with Disney’s Photopass service. Since then, we have pre-ordered and pre-paid
for the Photopass CD prior to multiple trips and last summer, did the same for
Photopass+ (click here to read more) which has now morphed into Memory Maker,
which we already have added to our My Disney Experience account—click here to read more about Memory Maker.
So, when planning our time at Universal Orlando, I wondered
if they, too, had a similar service as Disney’s Photopass. And, indeed they do! Enter, Universal’s Photo Connect.
This service allows guests to pre-purchase the package that
is right for them, or purchase once they get to the parks. The packages vary by length—number of days—and
include ride photos and photos taken by Universal photographers. Click here to read about how ride photos make great souvenirs.
Finding information about this service is NOT easy and there
is nothing about it on Universal’s website.
Here’s a link to a great article that explains everything you would ever
want to know—click here. I have gone
back to this site repeatedly trying to figure our exactly what would happen and
what to expect.
We purchased the one-day digital package for $39.95. Given that prints of ride photos start at $17
and go up from there, paying $40 for digital access to all of our ride photos
is a bargain! Of course, the one-day
package is only available on-line and for pre-order. Click here for the pre-order page.
Once we made the purchase, I received an email with very
clear directions. I print out the email,
which has a barcode, take the print out to any Universal Photographer, present
the barcode, get my first picture taken and receive instructions on where to
get my Photo Connect card. After that,
my Photo Connect Card will be scanned and all photos will go into my Photo
Connect account automatically.
After we get home, I log into my Photo Connect account, edit
and download all of our photos. There’s
even a scanner for Smartphones to access the digital photos. There are also opportunities to customize
merchandise with your photos on the Photo Connect site.
Here‘s a list of participating attractions:
Universal Studios Florida:Islands of Adventure:
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
- Jurassic Park River Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- E.T. Adventure (USF)
- Transformers: The Ride (USF)
- Shrek 4-D (USF)
- The Simpsons Ride (USF)
- Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man (IOA)
- High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride (IOA)
There may also be more photo opportunities with the opening
of Diagon Alley and the addition of the Hogwarts Express.
It’s an exciting time to visit Universal Orlando!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Garden Grocer.com Order Placed--The Husband Gets His Mountain Dew!
The husband’s sister came to town the other day and was
surprised to hear that her “little” brother still insisted on Mountain Dew,
that Mountain Dew cannot be found anywhere in the Disney bubble, and that we
get Mountain Dew delivered to our resort!
She asked how and I got to explain about Garden Grocer.com.
Garden Grocer.com is an on-line grocery service that
delivers items directly to your Walt Disney World Resort (other destinations
are available as well.) We just placed
our order yesterday for our upcoming trip.
I logged into the site using an email and password as a
returning customer. First time customers
can create an account with an email and password. I loaded items into my cart and then
proceeded to check-out. Prices are
higher than I would typically pay, but not outrageous. There is a $14 delivery fee for orders $40 to
$200. Orders over $200 have a $2 deliver
fee. There is also an option for a
gratuity or tip. Customers can pay with PayPal,
a credit card, or call and pay for the order via phone.
We ordered apple juice boxes, small cereal box assortment,
sunscreen—lotion and spray, fruit bars, and of course, for the husband,
Mountain Dew! Our total came to $60 with
delivery, tax, and gratuity.
At check-out, I got to select my Disney Resort which then
had the address and the phone number of the resort automatically appear in the
fields. I then got to select a delivery
time which are in two hour increments. I
selected the date of our resort arrival and a delivery time of 8:00 am to 10:00
am. Since we are coming to our resort
after disembarking from the ship, we will be at our resort that morning.
This is our third time using Garden Grocer and I am still
impressed with the ease of transaction and level of customer service. A confirmation email was sent immediately
after placing the order and a follow-up phone call came next. The sweet voice informed me that we did not
have to be present for the grocery delivery, that it would be stored at Bell
Services at our Disney Resort and refrigerated if necessary. She also said that we would receive a text
message confirming the delivery to the resort.
Hints and Tips to make using Garden Grocer even easier:
- Once you create an account, log in anytime to add items to your “favorites” or to your cart. Then, once you are ready to place your order, it will take less time.
- You can edit your cart, so go ahead and add items to your cart while browsing and then remove later. It is easier and faster than trying to find the item again if you decide you want it.
- Place your order several days prior to your arrival date. Delivery slots are limited and do run out. Discounts are sometimes available for orders made a month or longer before arrival dates.
- There is a “sale” section, so be sure to check it out for bargains and deals that you might want/need.
- If your Garden Grocer delivery is at your resort, but your room isn’t ready, just let Bell Services continue to hold the items until your room is ready. Bell Services can also deliver your order right to your resort room, but you must be in your room to receive the order.
We can check another item off our “to do” list in
preparation for our upcoming trip!
And, the husband is pleased to know he will still have
access to Mountain Dew while we travel to Walt Disney World. Just ask him how many people ask him about
where he got his soda while he drinks it in the morning and while waiting for
the parks to open.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
How Do You Find The Time. . .?
A question I get asked weekly if not more often is “How do
you find the time. . .?” End this
question with “for couponing”, “blogging”, “working”, “teaching coupon classes”,
etc. I think the question really is
about making everything work—and not going crazy!
I was talking about this question with the husband the other
day because I had been asked it again. I
gave a vague answer and then probed only to find out that the person asking
commuted 90 minutes to and from work every day.
An “ah ha” moment followed when they realized that they were dedicating
the same about of time driving that I use for writing and other “paperwork”
each morning.
Just to give some context, in addition to being a mom and a wife, I work full time—50+ hours a week
in a position I love on most days and like on the rest. I teach coupon classes once a week, sometimes
twice. I’m also serve on three community
boards and volunteer for each of them.
This is in addition to being involved with the boy’s activities, household
chores, maintaining a blog and two Facebook pages, and spending time relaxing
and having fun. I will also confess that
I enjoy the 7-9 hours of sleep I get each night with my best sleeping hours
being 9 pm to 5 am. The boy hits the
sack around 8:30 and I am not far behind!
The morning hours are very productive for me—no alarm clock needed, even
on the weekends!
So, how do I do it?
How do I “find” the time? Well,
it isn’t about finding time as everyone has the same amount of time in a day,
it is about using or spending time in ways that have been determined a
priority. Also. . .
- The husband and I are on the same team when it comes to parenting and household chores. We made it very clear early in our relationship that we would not have stereotypical gender roles around the house. We both do laundry, he cooks dinner on most days while I do the grocery shopping, he makes the beds, I iron, I load the dishwasher and he unloads. There is an equitable distribution of household responsibilities based on time, skill, and availability. If I have more time in the evening, I make the boy’s lunch for the next day and if he has more time, he does it. I am more likely to be seen with a hammer in my hand, but he handles the lawn mowing and snow removal. And, we renegotiate if things aren’t working smoothly, schedules change either temporarily or for long stretches of time, or if another priority is decided—such as 6 weeks of rehearsals for an upcoming show.
- Routines! Routines are huge time savers and sanity savers. We have morning routines for work and school, after school routines that involve homework and trombone practice, and bedtime routines. These routines seldom vary and can be sped up or slowed down depending on the amount of time available. And, we keep the same routines year-round, including bedtime. (I just read an on-line news article about the importance of keeping the same bedtime for kiddos during the summer—and I agree!)
- Systems—that get used most of the time. (The husband is the biggest culprit for not using systems.) By systems I mean ways of handling things, such as car keys, cell phones, coats, backpacks, purses, etc. There’s a basket hanging on a doorknob near the garage door for keys and sunglasses as one example of a system. Mail goes in a certain spot, as does the boy’s instrument. The systems are supposed to save time when gathering items—I say “supposed” to because sometimes they don’t! Again, the husband could tell you more about when the systems break down. When systems are in place, to gather shoes for example, it also means less clutter, less nagging, less time gathering items, and more harmony!
- Tools—We live in an age where there are time saving tools all over the place. And, we have invested in some of those tools. One is the DVR. We enjoy watching television but with a DVR we can record the shows we want and watch them at our leisure by-passing commercials. A 30 minute show then takes about 18 minutes to watch.
- Multi-tasking—You don’t want to know how many “windows” are open on the computer as I type or that my cell phone is next to the computer “working” on something else. With focus, I am able to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously, but only for short periods of time. My favorite mulit-task is walking our dog with the husband in the evening—exercise, fresh air, and connecting at the end of the day. Sometimes the boy joins us.
Along the way, I have also stopped worrying about the stack of
papers on the counter—they will be dealt with in time—and other small things. Each of us has different priorities of how we
want to use our time. My only advice is
to spend your time as carefully as you spend your money—it is just as valuable
if not more so.
Labels:
finding time,
managing time,
spending time wisely,
time,
williams family
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
A Little Bit of Disney Came to US!
A little bit of Disney came to us in the form of a puppet
builder from The JIM HENSON Company & Puppet Heap NYC named David
Valentine.
As part of a summer theater program, David invited children
and adults to two different puppet workshops at a local events center.
The boy spent the morning enthralled with the puppets and
made them come to life.
David shared a secret. . . he said that most of the Muppets’
eyes are a bit cross-eyed. I had never
noticed that before, but sure enough, they are!
What a great opportunity!
And, we will never be able to watch the Muppets or visit their namesake
attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios without thinking about this hands-on
experience.
David actually built the puppet, Constantine, (the evil Kermit the Frog) in
the latest Muppet movie Muppets Most Wanted.
Oh, and the husband’s favorite puppet—Yelmo—a yellow
Elmo-like character.
Labels:
JIM HENSON Company,
muppets,
puppets,
williams family
Sunday, June 15, 2014
How A "Couponer" Prepares For A Disney Vacation (Or Any Vacation For That Matter)
Last summer, after our multi-day Walt Disney World trip, I
wrote a post about how a “couponer” does Disney—click here to read more. But as our summer 2014 adventure approaches,
I thought I would confess/tell/share how a “couponer” prepares for a Disney
vacation.
Let me begin with the fact that I know taking a family
vacation to the most magical place on earth is a potential budget busting
affair. Flights, resort stay, park
tickets, and dining can all add up and that isn’t even taking into
consideration souvenirs or other magical experiences. A husband of a friend was surprised to hear
about how much we spend on a multi-week vacation that includes adventures on
land and sea. He was under the impression
that since we save so much in other parts of our life that we would save on
vacations, too. Well, Disney hasn’t give
us a trip, but we have saved by purchasing and reserving in advance, using a
travel agent that can snag discounts and perks for us, and not adding extra
days or privileges to our park tickets that we would not use which means we
aren’t paying “full price” for our vacation.
Let me also add that our multiple trips gives us some
advantages such as not having to go out and buy stuff like a misting water fan
or umbrellas or ponchos or a park bag.
These items, among others, are things we already have on hand and I make
sure to keep tabs on them when we return from a trip so that they are easily
accessible for the next trip. Having
these items saves us money before AND during the trip.
Another caveat is that we do not, I repeat, do not, go out
and buy a bunch of new clothes for a vacation.
If something new is purchased, such as a new dress for me for formal
night, it is purchased well in advance, is most certainly on sale, and the
purchase comes out of our regular budget.
But sometimes, other items are needed. . .
There were some new items that were needed/purchased for the
upcoming trip. Some did not cost us a
thing and many of them I made money back when purchasing them!
- The husband needed a new pair of black, closed toe, fisherman sandals. These could be worn on the ship as well as at the parks and are perfect for cruise casual evenings. I “bought” them from Amazon using Amazon gift cards I had earned through Swagbucks. And, not only did I not pay a thing, I MADE money, as Ebates was offering 3% back on shoe purchases on Amazon. ChaChing—money in my pocket—cash money! (Click here to get started with Swagbucks and click here to start earning cash back every time you shop on line with Ebates.)
- One of our planned meals for our upcoming trip is at T-Rex Café. Again, we used Swagbucks to earn a $25 gift card AND will earn another $25 credit on our Landry Select Club account as it will be the anniversary of joining Landry Select Club. Nothing like dining for FREE!
- Also, the husband needed some rash guards. Those, too, were FREE with Amazon gift cards and I earned cash back—click here to read the post about the FREE rash guards.
- All three of us were in need of waterproof watches. Enter Amazon and Swagbucks. Again, paid zippo and earned 3% back when shopping on-line through Ebates.
- This one is a need/want, depending on your perspective. We promised the boy a new game for his Nintendo 3DS for the trip. He selected a game and I added it to my cart on Amazon and waited until I had enough gift cards to cover the cost. This item is on its way! But, the boy won’t get it until the day of the trip.
- The boy had outgrown several of his swimsuits. K-Mart had boys’ swimsuits 50% off ($6.49) and because I started my on-line shopping at Ebates, I earned 4% back on my purchase.
- A big cash rebate from Ebates came when we booked our stay at the Hyatt at Orlando International. I knew we needed a reservation for two nights and I also knew that we were members of Hyatt’s Gold Passport Program. Then, I waited. And to our luck, Hyatt offered a “double cash” back promo on Ebates and so I got 12% cash back for our stay! And, points earned using our Hyatt frequent stayer program.
- The boy also needed new tennis shoes. He wanted Nikes (gulp)! Thanks to MyCokeRewards, I snagged $50 in Nike gift cards for FREE and the boy has new black/red Nikes.
- What’s in it for me? Well, in addition to knowing that my fellas are well taken care of, I am looking forward to a treat of a pedicure prior to our trip. No out-of-pocket costs though, as I was given a gift certificate during the holidays AND am getting a $30 check from an on line company that pays me!
There you have it. A
family prepared for a summer vacation without breaking the bank or busting the
budget. I am so grateful for Swagbucks
and Ebates—both allowing me to keep our budget in check.
Click here to get started with Swagbucks. And, if you sign-up now and earn 1,500 Swagbucks by July 14, you'll get an addition 500 Swagbucks Bonus!
Click here to get started with Ebates—remember to start at
Ebates every time you shop on line AND be sure to select your sign-up bonus!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
New Monorail Operation Hours Announced During Updates
The Williams Men on a Disney Bus. |
Walt Disney World announced
changes in monorail schedules beginning June 22, 2014, and until further notice
to allow for maintenance as the monorail moves more to automation.
The monorail operation schedule is
below:
- Magic Kingdom Resort beam - 8:30am to midnight
- Magic Kingdom Express beam - 9:30am to 11:30pm
- Epcot beam - 9am to 11pm
What does all of this
mean? Well, personally, it means that we
are going to have to go to Plan B when it comes to getting to Ohana’s for an
8:00 am breakfast reservation. The
original plan, and one we have relied on multiple times, is to take the bus
from our home resort—which this trip happens to be Port Orleans French Quarter—to
the Magic Kingdom and then take the monorail to the Polynesian which is where
Ohana’s is located. We aren’t going to
make it if the monorail doesn’t start running until 8:30 am!
So, we’ll have to make a different
plan. We can either take a boat launch
from the Magic Kingdom
to the Poly OR switch buses at the Magic
Kingdom—locate the bus to
Polynesian. The weather will help
determine our plan as the boats do not run when there are storms in the area.
The other thing is that guests
staying at Deluxe Resorts on the monorail line, and who are paying mightily for
that privilege, are not going to make it EPCOT prior to park opening. I guess with the onset of FastPass+
reservations being made ahead of time, there is less of a need to rush to
Soarin’ but I would be frustrated with this setup. And, on the days Magic Kingdom
opens early for Extra Magic Hours, monorail resort guests will have to take
buses or boats to get to the park.
And, what about off site
guests? If they want to arrive at the Magic Kingdom
at or prior to a 9:00 am opening, the Ferry is the only option. Good thing there are two ferries transporting
guests from the Ticket and Transportation
Center to and from Magic Kingdom.
Of course, guests have to
sometimes be inconvenienced in order for updates to take place at the most
magical place on earth. It is just
unfortunate that the upgrade to monorail system is happening during peak travel
times.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Update For Summer Vacation 2014!
An update for our grand summer 2014 adventure that includes a day at Universal Studios, 7 nights on the Disney Fantasy, and a week at Walt Disney World. . .
Our travel agent emailed yesterday informing us that our
cruise documents have arrived.
Yippee! She is waiting for the
Walt Disney World paperwork and then all will be delivered. This means our time is getting closer!
Packed umbrellas, ponchos, park bags, door decorations, the
misting spray bottle with fan, and autograph items and pens. Taking a white pillow case with fabric
markers and an 8 X 10 photo matte with a 4 X 6 opening along with sharpies. Oh, the stuff you need (and or want) while on
vacation!
The other day the boy asked when we should start
packing. I told him we had already
started. He was fine with that
answer. The other thing he wanted to
know was when I was going to get him his new game for his 3DS---I had promised
him a new game just before the trip.
Yep, that’s when he will get it. . . just before the trip. The new game is in my Amazon cart.
Feels like packing for this trip is easier. . . at least
right now. Maybe having items separated
into bags by the “legs” of the trip is helping.
Still have items on the “to do” list including our Garden
Grocer order, the boy’s tuxedo, securing lawn care, and the park tickets for
Universal—we just have the Express Pass so far.
The list is dwindling though!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Why We Make Family Vacations A Priority
Kids grow up fast!
And, that’s one reason why I’m glad that we have made family vacations a
tradition.
The husband has fond memories of annual treks to Minnesota and other travels. . . to California
and Colorado
for example. I can recall two family
vacations from childhood—Florida and Pennsylvania—but do
remember my grandparents taking me to other nearby destinations for day trips. When I got older, I traveled with student
groups and friends. The husband’s
tradition of family vacations have seeped into our family, even though the
destinations have changed.
Here are some reasons we have made family vacations a
tradition; a priority:
- Memories! Wow—we have lots of them and they are shared. The stories and photos last a long, long time.
- Fun! Family vacations are a great time to let loose and have some fun. The family that plays together stays together.
- You have to be “present.” At home, it’s easy to get distracted with chores, duties, responsibilities, as well as escapes such as TV, computers, and phones. On vacation, the mere fact that you are most likely removed from those distracters means that you can be “present” in the moment to listen, connect, and enjoy.
- Seeing family members in a different light. At home, I’m the problem solver, but on vacation it can be any one of us. The husband has dealt with baggage handlers and hotel services and the boy has navigated queue lines and menus.
- There is some learning, too. Destinations require research and the whole family gets involved learning the ins and outs as well as helping with the planning.
Family vacations don’t have to break the bank and can happen
during any time of the year, any season.
And, if your family can’t agree to a destination—compromise. Now, go ahead, make some memories!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Swimming Pools and Water Parks--Overview for Summer 2016!
We've compiled quite a list of swimming pools and water parks and hope our information helps you to plan for your family!
Adventure Bay in Altoona—Adventureland’s
water park.
Albia—Monroe County Aquatic Center: The best bargain around!
Bloomfield Municipal Swimming Pool—not our favorite.
Centerville Municipal Pool—bring your inflatable rafts to
this Olympic sized pool!
Fun City’s Huck’s Harbor in Burlington—indoor and outdoor water fun!
Grinnel Mutual Family Aquatic Center—has
a lazy river!
Honey Creek’s Buccaneer Bay—indoor adventure.
Indianola Veteran’s Memorial Aquatic Center—great area for
little kids!
The Riverview Club in Keosauqua—the view!
Mount Pleasant Family Aquatic Center—a gem, but hard to
find. Follow our directions.
Oskaloosa's Edmundson Park Swimming Pool--great example of renovation!
The Beach Ottumwa—wave pool! (Price increase $6.00 admission.)
Pella Aquatic Center with Adventure River—bring your own chairs!
Sigourney Swimming Pool—padded bottom in a park setting!
Labels:
swimming pool reviews,
swimming pools,
water park reviews,
water parks,
williams family,
williams family blog
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