Disney Summer Social

Melissa 7 Comments

Balloons, face painting, dancing, Mickey Mouse ears, Disney crafts and games… talk about a great way to spend the afternoon!

The kids had a fantastic time, but ended with a spike in Disney Fever – now they’re begging to go back to Disney!

Can’t say I blame them! My only problem is deciding where I want to go most…

To Disneyland to see the new CARS Land at California Adventure… (Colin would vote for this one!)

Or to Disney World to see the newly renovated Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom… (Grace would totally vote for this!!)

Or… did you know Disney Cruise Lines is adding cruises leaving from New York City in 2012?? WOOT! Who’s going with us???

disclosure: we attended the disney summer social event and received some treats and goodies for the kids. i was not compensated for this post. bottom three images via disney.

williamsburg stop #4: busch gardens

Melissa 10 Comments

On Saturday, we headed to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The kids (who love amusement parks) were super excited. We immediately blown away – Busch Gardens Williamsburg has been voted the world’s “Most Beautiful Park” every year since 1990 by the National Amusement Park Historical Association… and it shows. It was gorgeous setting, filled with fun rides and great attractions like shows and animal exhibits!
The first thing we did upon arriving was stop and get the kids measured. They each got a colored bracelet with their height – which made choosing rides so easy. What a great idea!
We headed straight to Sesame Street Forest of Fun, at Colin’s request. He was dying to see “Elmo’s World” as he called it. He was so so so excited!
We rode several rides in Sesame Street Forest – but the favorite by FAR was Grover’s Alpine Express. This was Colin’s very very first roller coaster. I think he liked it. He claimed this was his very favorite thing at Busch Gardens!
We explored a ton of rides – the kids had a blast in the Land of the Dragons and loved classics like the train and sky ride. I was impressed how friendly and nice all the employees were at Busch Gardens. Every employee we encountered on rides and in stores or restaurants was polite and friendly. So often amusement park employees look bored and grumpy. But not here!

One of the biggest highlights was visiting Lorikeet Glen and Wolf Valley. Both are amazing exhibits – our kids could not stop talking about them. Especially the bird that landed on Daddy’s head! This was my animal lover Ellie’s favorite part of Busch Gardens!
We caught a couple shows as well – Pirates 4D was so funny. And we all loved the Celtic Fyre show! It was absolutely amazing! I was very impressed by the quality of the production and the incredible talent of the performers. You have to see this show if you go!!  My little dancer, Gracie, was enthralled. She said this was her very favorite part of Busch Gardens!
She loved it so much, we had to wait until after the show so she could meet some of the performers!
We had such a fantastic time at Busch Gardens. It is a beautiful park, with tons to do for everyone. Both my girls said it was the most fun park they had ever been to. (And this year, this was our 6th amusement park. Yes, really. We’re not sure how that happened.) We had such a great experience here — this is one of our top parks we’re ever visited and its so affordable! We will definitely be back!

Tips for Busch Gardens Williamsburg with young kids:

  • Buy a water bottle. When you buy a Busch Gardens/Water Country USA water bottle (for $8) you get refills for just 99 cents for soda and $1.99 for frozen drinks. It was a super hot day, so we just kept refilling the water bottle we bought at Water Country USA with frozen lemonade all day and spent less than $10.
  • Bring swimsuits if its hot. There are several water playspots just for kids to cool off.
  • If Sesame Street Forest of Fun is too crowded, head over to Land of the Dragons. There were hardly any lines and a huge play area for kids to run around in!
  • In the afternoon, take a rest by catching a show in a nice, air conditioned spot!
  • Dining with Elmo and Friends is available, so if your child has his or her heart set on meeting characters, this is your best bet. Kids 3 and under are free, so its a really affordable dining option for families!

For more information on travel to Williamsburg, visit www.visitwilliamsburg.com.

disclosure: we were provided complimentary admission to the busch gardens williamsburg to facilitate this post. as always, all opinions are my own.

williamsburg stop #3: colonial williamsburg

Melissa 8 Comments

Well, I can’t include everything, since we took approximately a gazillion pictures during our day in Colonial Williamsburg, but here are a few highlights. It was amazing! I’ve wanted to go there pretty much forever. Colonial Williamsburg is a living museum – there is truly nothing else like it.

It is gorgeously restored, utterly unique and captivating. I was a bit worried about the kids losing interest, but we all loved it! Seriously – with all the technology we’re used to, who could have imagined how fun a stick and hoop could be?  We were there all day and the kids were sad to leave – and were asking if we could come back tomorrow. Even Colin, who is only three, had a great time…
Whenever he saw a soldier, he got really excited and got out his gun. He is also quite fond of pointing it at his sisters. Imagine that.

The kids got really into talking to people, asking questions about what they were doing and such. When they ran through the town shouting, “The British are coming! The British are coming!” Gracie asked nervously, “They’re not really going to fight… right?” (Good question! Everything else was real!)  The Revolutionary City Street Theater was so really cool – the kids were really into that! Colin loved seeing the soldiers ride their horses.

The kids had a blast playing RevQuest, where you play the part of a Patriot spy trying to thwart an assassination attempt by the British. The kids were running around, deciphering secret codes, and hunting for clues in secret locations around Williamsburg. It was a little advanced for our kids to do on their own (ages 8 and 6) but they still had a great time and were really into the whole process!

working together to figure out the clues...

A few tips with young kids:

  • Plan on more than one day. We really found that one day was just not enough to see and do everything. With young kids, two days is probably the limit. Without the kids, I could probably wander around much longer!
  • Bring some snacks. Colonial Williamsburg is truly restored properly – so there are not tons of drinking fountains and food stalls like an amusement park. Have bottles of water and a few snacks for the kids, especially if your kids are like mine and go from zero to starving in three seconds.
  • Pack sunscreen, plenty of diapers and wipes, band-aids, and whatever else you think you might need. Again, not lots of supply shops in Colonial Williamsburg.
  • Take advantage of all the programs for kids! Use the Kids Adventure Maps where kids can get a special prize for getting their map punched at different stops and the RevQuest activity.
  • And don’t worry… if your kids aren’t behaving, you can just put them in a Colonial Time Out:

For more information on travel to Williamsburg, visit www.visitwilliamsburg.com.

disclosure: we received complimentary admission to colonial williamsburg to facilitate this post. as always, all opinions are my own.

williamsburg stop #2: yorktown victory center

Melissa 2 Comments

Our first peek into history this week was a stop at Yorktown Victory Center. Yorktown played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War and the Yorktown Victory Center now serves as  a museum of the American Revolution, offering a unique blend of timelines, film, thematic exhibits and outdoor living history.

We started out in touring the 1780s farm. We saw a home, saw (and smelled) the tobacco drying in the barn, visited gardens, held a one day old baby chick from the chicken coop and saw a glimpse of daily life back then.



We spent some time wandering through the galleries for a bit – the sunken ship display was fascinating! But our favorite was the Discovery Room. Gracie was thrilled to get to dress up just like a Colonial Girl! (And complained, “Its not fair – the girls have to wear so much more clothes than the boys!”)
Then we headed out to check out the Continental Army Encampment. Absolutely fascinating! The mortar firing was particularly exciting – and by ‘exciting’ I mean ‘so loud that the ground shook.’ WOW! There are tents for different ranks of soldiers, examples of daily life, learn about colonial medicine and you can even learn how to load a musket.

"Mama, his gun has a sword on it! COOL!"

Ellie imagining life as a soldier.

Colonial Discipline

We so enjoyed our visit to Yorktown Victory Center – we needed a bit more time though. I did not anticipate how interested the kids would be in seeing everything! I would recommend at least 2-3 hours. And if you have kids who are really interested in guns, cannons and loud booms in general, plan to be there when the artillery crew will be firing! That was pretty amazing to witness!

For more information on travel to Williamsburg, visit www.visitwilliamsburg.com.
disclosure: we were provided complimentary admission to the yorktown victory center to facilitate this post. as always, all opinions are my own.

 

fall trends: bold gold

Melissa 13 Comments

Another hot trend for fall is GOLD! I own so little gold jewelry – I’m determined to add more to my jewelry stash! I mean, its my duty to my fashion blog, right? To buy jewelry?? (Go with it.) Lets find some gorgeous gold pieces to add to our fall wardrobes…

One piece that I’ve been drooling over is the Chantilly Lace Chandelier Earrings in the new fall Stella & Dot Collection. How gorgeous are these?

gorgeous. delicate, but bold.

And the matching cuff is TO DIE FOR! I saw one just like this by Aurelie Bidermann for over $1300.
I’m more drawn to a chunky gold bracelet – kind of like this one.
I bought these earrings recently and I’ve worn them constantly.
This Lace Paillettes Neckalce by Anthropologie is so sweet – and under $40!
Oh my. My my my. I love the Shepherd Moon Necklace!!

How about you? Are you into gold this season?


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williamsburg stop #1: water country usa

Melissa 2 Comments

Today, we went to Water Country USA in Williamsburg and had such an amazing time.

Now first a confession: I hate water parks. I do. Maybe there is something wrong with me. But its true. I only go for the kids. So imagine my surprise when I had a terrific time at Water Country USA. The park was amazingly clean, had great activities for kids, and was honestly really relaxing and enjoyable! It was so easy to navigate and to watch the kids, even in the busier pools, that I would take all three back by myself with no qualms. Really.

my little sea monkeys

We loved the lazy river, the wave pool and – of course – the water slides!

Gracie was fearless!

that splash is my husband ZOOMING out of a water slide. the kids decided to skip that one.

The little details – like changing areas right next to the kiddie pools, tons of healthy food options everywhere, clearly marked bathrooms, friendly employees – made this park stand out.  Our only complaint was that we only had 4 hours to play. None of us wanted to leave – we could have stayed and played much longer!

According to Ellie, this is MUCH harder than it looks.

This was such a gorgeous park. We left only hours ago and the kids already want to go back! (And I have some great videos of the kids on the water slides that I promise to post when we get home! HILARIOUS!)

Thanks for hosting us, Water Country USA!

For more information on travel to Williamsburg, visit www.visitwilliamsburg.com.

disclosure: we were provided complimentary admission to water country usa. as always, all opinions are my own.

 

carne asade tacos

Melissa 1 Comment

Last week while the kids were gone, we went out for Mexcian. I LOVE Mexican food. My favorite thing to order is carne asada tacos. LOVE them. So I’ve been trying to make them at home. I found this version on Food Network. I’m not sure how authentic they are, but they were quite yummy, a hit with the family and super easy!

Carne Asada Tacos

1 pound thinly sliced sirloin steak
1-2 tablespoons garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup white vinegar
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese
corn tortillas

Lay out the beef rounds in a single layer. Season the meat on both sides with the garlic salt and black pepper. Put the meat in a medium mixing bowl and add the vinegar. Let the meat marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Warm tortillas in oven. Serve with lettuce, cheese, and any other toppings you love on your tacos!

other than a mom

Melissa 1 Comment

Last week I had a week to myself with no kiddos running around.

It was a little weird. Very quiet.

But nice too. My husband and I enjoyed time alone, went on dates and just generally marveled at how much spare time we had, not quite sure what to do with it. Like after dinner… we had nothing to do after dinner! No baths to give, no reading or homework, no refereeing fights, no playing outside, no trips to the pool, no playdates…. just free time. See? Weird.

I got tons done around the house, but I also got to go shopping, meet a couple friends for lunch, go to the dentist and other exciting adventures that are usually complicated by needing childcare.

I also learned

  • It is amazing how clean the house stayed. So that means that the mess is all the kids’ fault.
  • Shopping without kids rocks my socks off.
  • I miss friends. I loved catching up with a girlfriend over lunch. Its so hard to talk when kids are running around.
  • My caffeine consumption went down drastically when the kids were gone. Coincidence? I think not.
  • I can leave my kids for about 5 days and have a blast. After that, I miss them too much. I’m dying to get my hands on my babies and kiss their cheeks and get some cuddle time.

It made me see the light at the end of the tunnel. This fall when Colin is in preschool and I will have time to myself during the day with no kids for the first time in 8 years. Maybe I can be something other than a mom for a few hours a day…

 

fashion friday: back to school with crocs

Melissa 2 Comments

So… its August already. And here in the Girlymama house, we’re looking at Back to School items already. My inbox is full of Back to School pitches for my fashion blog.

[insert deep sigh]

I’m about half excited to get a little time to myself during the day and half bummed that the summer has flown by so darn quickly. When we get back from our trip to New England, our top priority will be making a dent in back to school shopping. Top of the list? Shoes. For all three kiddos. Because my kids’ super power is rapidly growing feet that never seem to stay in shoes longer than a month.

For Ellie, my oldest, I’ll buy sneakers. She is not a girly girl at all and prefers sneakers to dress shoes. So for her, these Argyle Cover Sneaks are so perfect!

Hover Sneak Argyle Girls - $39.99

Now, my super girly Gracie will FLIP for these Keely flats! They’ll be perfect with her daily uniform of frilly skirts and ruffled shirts! She can wear them all fall then when it gets chilly, she can add tights or knee socks!

Keeley Comfortable Girls Flats $24.99

My Colin loves his classic Crocs and wears them all the time. But for school, he really needs more of a sneaker. But I would so miss the convenience of him being able to put on his own shoes… So these Hover Slip-On Sneakers are perfect for him!

Hover Slip-On Sneaker $39.99

Although, I think the Dawson Sneaker is super, super adorable and maybe he needs these instead!!

Dawson Sneaker $44.99

Are you going Back to School with Crocs??

Thank you to Crocs for sponsoring this blog post. Please to learn more about Crocs’ new Back to School line. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.


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