girlymama

weekend in lancaster

Saturday morning, we piled the kids into the car bright and early and headed out to Lancaster. It's so close, but I'm sad to say that we don't make it out there nearly enough. It was a fantastic weekend! I think the pictures will tell the story far better than I can:

We started out at the famous Shady Maple Smorgasbord. Our kids love breakfast, so we get our money's worth at places like this. I'm surprised we don't have our picture next to the cash register or something.

Gracie had a terribly healthy breakfast, consisting mostly of sugar. Note the M&M pancake the size of her head and the donut (with frosting and sprinkles). She topped it all off later on with an Icee. Yes, an Icee. This is what happens when you send one of your kids out into a smorgasbord with your husband. And, of course, she chowed down on the breakfast meats. We eat our money's worth at these places in bacon alone.
The rest of us had healthier fare. My only complaint about Shady Maple was the bacon thief that kept showing up at our table...

Then we headed off to Strasburg Railroad. We pulled into the parking lot and Colin basically started screaming "CHOO CHOO!! MAMA! DADDY! CHOO-CHOO!!" and trying to get out of his car seat.

He was a little excited.

So we climbed aboard (some of us practically jumped) and settled into our seats to enjoy a ride through Lancaster County farmlands in a gorgeously restored coach car.

 
Actually, I think this picture pretty much sums up how Colin felt about the Railroad:

After our ride, we enjoyed exploring  all around the Strasburg Railroad, including introducing our kids to one of our childhood favorites - those little candy dots that come on a long piece of paper. Remember those? So fun! And, just so you know, eating these little candies takes great concentration when you are two years old and will keep a child quite busy and quiet for an extended period if time. If you were looking for such a thing... not that we were.

Ahem.

Anyway, we piled pack into the car and headed over to what several friends told me was a 'must see' in Lancaster, the Choo Choo Barn, which is a 1,700 square foot model train that takes you through everything from famous Lancaster landmarks to a fully animated circus!

Its THOMAS! "Tommeee, Tommeee!!"

And we topped off our visit to the Thomas' Trackside Station. Where Colin pretty much went insane with joy.

We dragged him out after spending surprisingly little (he fell in love with a ball that was only $2.50. Nice.) We headed over to spend the night in our amazing hotel, the DoubleTree Resort Lancaster/Willow Valley, which even had a water park inside!  It was a super fun day, but we were all asleep by 9pm - including Mommy and Daddy! We made it home this morning, where Colin and Daddy promptly made the must humongous train track ever in Colin's room. I'm not sure he's left it all day!

I can't believe we hadn't made it out to Strasburg yet, but I am so glad that we did. I can't wait to take Colin back for the Thomas Train (where he'll probably just about pass out from excitement) and wouldn't that train ride be gorgeous in the fall? Dinner aboard the train would be such a neat date if you were going out to Lancaster for a little romantic getaway.

disclosure: we were provided with tickets to strasburg railroad and choo choo barn free of charge. as always, all opinions are our own.

i drove through times square and lived to tell the tale (so did the car)

I was so excited to be a part of the Chevy Roadtrip to BlogHer program. So on Thursday before BlogHer, Jo-Lynne, Robin and I piled our mounds of luggage into the new 2011 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid (I called driving first. Because I'm quick like that.) and headed up to New York City.

Don't I look so super adorable? I know. This car is my color ;-)

Anyway, by some strange aligning of the planets, there was no traffic in New Jersey (weird, right?) and next thing I knew, I was driving through the Lincoln Tunnel. Which, if you didn't know, comes right out in New York City. So I went from driving down a nice highway to driving in the middle of NYC.  Now - if you didn't know, the Tahoe is a rather large vehicle. And NYC has just a few cars. And several buses. And approximately eleventy billion taxis, all of which are in a hurry and have horns.

My knuckles were white. I kid you not. Ask Jo-Lynne or Robin, who fluctuated between being very supportive as I navigated through the 6 lanes of traffic trying not to lose a side mirror and laughing hysterically at me. What can I say, they're true friends.

I made it to the hotel, thanks to OnStar, and I am proud to say I only swore twice and the car did not even have a single scratch. I immediately called my husband and bragged about what I accomplished. And he didn't believe me.  But I have witnesses to back me up.

Now Chevy didn't ask me to write a review, but I have to say that the Tahoe was gorgeous. The ride was smooth and very quiet, especially when driving in Hybrid mode.  It was so fun to drive and remarkably easy to maneuver, despite its size. Its a big one! I loved the dashboard and how logically it was laid out - everything was easy to access in the drivers seat. 

There were a few minuses: The MSRP “starts” at $50,000, and the list price of the one we drove was $56,000.  Wow. I also found the brakes took some getting used to and there wasn't as much storage room as I would have thought a vehicle of that size would have. It would be hard to fit three kids and all of our stuff in the Tahoe without taking out the third row seats. I mean, this was just three adults:


(Granted it was three women going to BlogHer, but still...)

We probably wouldn't consider the Tahoe for our family - my husband is the one who is starting to look to replace his car. Since we already have a minivan, this would be a lotta car for one family! We'll have to check out the Traverse or maybe the Equinox. We'd love a small SUV so we'd have 4 wheel drive and room for all three kids.

beach vacation

Heaven has a beach. I'm sure of it.

 

KISSES!!

making traveling with tots a bit easier

Thanks to all of you for all of your fabulous tricks and tips for traveling with toddlers!!

As you probably know if you read this blog, my husband and I both really love to travel. And we love to travel with our kids. We've traveled all over the place with toddler aged kids.

We've done 10-hour car rides and airplane rides across the country and even taken the train a few times. We've done quick, one-night trips to nearby cities, done Disney, and even took a trip to India - a trip  that involved 40 consecutive hours of traveling with a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old. And I was 5 months pregnant.  (No joke.)

Traveling with a toddler is not easy. And I understand why people don't do it. It requires lots of luggage, flexibility and lots of patience, But, I promise you, it is worth it.

Taking our kids to India was stressful. Buckets of Purell aside, there was a huge time change and all the unexpected craziness of traveling in Asia. But our kids loved it. They still talk about it all the time and ask to go back. It was an amazing trip that our whole family will remember and treasure forever. 

I have three tips for making toddler travel easier:

1. Plan ahead for delays. Pack more diapers than you think you need, bring an extra outfit in your carry on (for you and baby), take extra snacks and toys. You may get there early. It happens occasionally. But you are much more likely to get delayed. (It continually amazes me how surprised people get at flight delays! Like its unusual!) So if you're already planning for it, it will be much less stressful.

2. Be flexible. I'm a planner. I had every minute of our trips to Disney planned out - and quickly realized how silly it was. You need to be flexible with toddlers. There will be everything from unexpected diaper incidents to exhaustion-induced temper tantrums just as you're ready to eat dinner. I highly recommend padding your schedule with an extra day if you can - especially with a trip somewhere like Disney. Having an extra day in your schedule will take the pressure off and can help you avoid overtired toddlers. And parents.

3. Bring a bit of home. When we travel, I bring my toddler's blanket, quilt and pillow. It takes a lot of room in the luggage, but it is so worth it. It makes him feel that much more comfy in the portable crib at the hotel and makes bedtime so much easier. A nightlight is a must for helping preschoolers find the potty. And I always bring some books, coloring books and small toys for keeping the kids entertained and not bouncing from bed to bed in the hotel. Not that my kids would ever even DREAM of doing something like that. This is why I am so excited about Marriott's new Tots Travel Too program - finally a hotel is helping parents conquer traveling with toddlers!

Don't be afraid to travel with your toddler. Start small. Go stay overnight in the nearest city. Go sightseeing and play tourist in your own hometown. Begin building memories with your toddler that will stay with them for a lifetime.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I am working in partnership with Marriott and TheMotherhood.com to cover the Marriott Tots Travel Too program and have received a stipend.

Is it Safe to Visit Mexico?

While I'm crazy-busy helping my sister get married, please enjoy the following guest post from one of my favorite ladies in social media, Beth Feldman, founder of RoleMommy.com.

As an avid traveler and lover of amazing places and deals we can share with your our readers, we are thrilled to be working with Villa Group Resorts as we help spread the word about their gorgeous resort properties in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta and coming soon...Cancun and Loreto Mexico! Offering families, couples and singles incredible and affordable getaway options throughout the year, this season, Villa Group has introduced ultra-inclusive vacations that include dining and beverages, a kids club, babysitting options, spa packages, golf getaways, dolphin excursions, water sports and much more!

Having stayed at Villa la Estancia in Nuevo Vallarta, I immediately felt like I was being welcomed into the lap of luxury - receiving a hand massage the moment we walked into the lobby. We stayed in a two bedroom suite complete with marble floors, private bathrooms, cozy living room, dining room, massive kitchen and sweeping balcony with a wet bar...can anyone say...margaritas? While I'm culinary challenged (no need to cook since there are fabulous restaurants on the premises including the award-winning La Casona), it's great knowing that while we're on vacation, we can store refrigerated snacks, drinks, and breakfast items if we want to sleep in and the kids are in the mood for cereal and cartoons. And the granite countertops, state of the art appliances and sweeping views of the ocean and pool and bathrooms to die for, are not so shabby either!

As you contemplate where you'd like to go for your next vacation, the Villa Group Affiliate Travel Network, comprised of nearly two dozen dynamic parenting and lifestyle bloggers, will offer a series of helpful articles that will give you the inside track on all things Mexico. For our first post, we're tackling important questions that most travelers ask when they travel to Mexico. Hopefully, this will help guide you as you plan your next vacation!

Q. Is it safe to drink the water in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas?
A. In Puerto Vallarta, you should be aware that incredible efforts have been made to provide safe water to residents and tourists. Over the last two decades, the Mexican government spent millions of dollars developing a safe water purification system in the area. As a result, this state of the art system has greatly reduced water-induced illnesses for travelers visiting Puerto Vallarta.

According to CaboExpo.com, for visitors to Cabo San Lucas, the resort location has never had the significant water quality problems that mainland Mexico as traditionally experienced:

"Sitting at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula, the fresh water in Los Cabos is some of the best in Baja. The local waters start thousands of feet above Los Cabos in the very tall mountains north of Cabo, drain down into local aquifers, and then are treated locally and then often treated again at the hotel or restaurant level. Tourism is just too important to let bad water become a factor."

Q. Is it safe to travel to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta? Where are the dangerous parts of Mexico anyway?
A. According to AOL, which recently devoted extensive coverage to Mexico and issues relating to safety and even gives an overview of the places you should avoid, you'll take comfort knowing that both Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas were ranked as being incredibly safe for travelers. As a precaution, always avoid streets that are not well lit (as you would in any country), but for the most part, your experience should be safe, relaxing and enjoyable!

Q. Are there any safety tips you can offer to a traveler who has never been to Mexico?
A. When you arrive at the airport, make sure you have made provisions for yourself and your traveling companions to take you to your accommodations. There will be many individuals offering you a ride or claiming to be your driver - while they are friendly and it is safe to ride with them, you will be better served if you book a car in advance.

If you decide to leave your resort and travel to a location in the evening, make sure when you are walking at night that you are aware of your surroundings and that you traverse well lit streets. Or, arrange for a car to pick you up after your evening is over. Better to have someone waiting for you to take you back to your hotel then go off exploring in the middle of the night!

Take precautions while swimming, snorkeling or surfing! The surf can be rough - especially in Cabo San Lucas and if you are not a strong swimmer, you may want to take precautions. Or, book an excursion that will take you on a guided water tour with experienced lifeguards on board.

Q. What about taking a road trip - is it better to book a tour or can I go on my own and explore?
A. While you can certainly rent a vehicle and explore Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas on your own, your experienced will definitely be enhanced if you register for a tour that is led by someone who truly knows the lay of the land and the water! While it's always nice to discover new things, you can accomplish that by being a part of a guided tour and traveling with a group of vacationers like you. Of course, if you've been to either resort town many times, then you may feel more comfortable venturing out and returning to a favorite destination - suddenly you'll be the expert offering tips to new travelers. But if it's your first time, we suggest consulting with your hotel concierge who can offer some great tour options for you and your family.

Q. Are there parts of Mexico we should avoid due to the BP Oil Spill?
A. Here's a quick geography lesson: The BP oil spill is nowhere near Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. While the spill has contaminated many US cities located near the Gulf of Mexico, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta are located on the west coast surrounding the Sea of Cortez. While travelers may believe that Mexico might have been affected by the recent environmental disaster, the hardest hit regions have been in the United States.

If you're interested in finding out how you can book an unforgettable vacation in Mexico, visit Villa Group Resorts and check out their hot deals page - where they've got some incredible vacation options this summer - plus the offers run through December 2010 so you can book now and still save on your vacation! And, there's still time to enter the She Knows ultra inclusive trip giveaway to Puerto Vallarta. Enter today and you and a guest could win an all expenses paid vacation at Villa La Estancia...Arriba!!! This post is sponsored by the Role Mommy Writers Network.

how can traveling with tots be easier? *giveaway*

**This giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Bethany, comment #47**

My day in numbers:

400: Number of miles I drove today.
7: Number of hours I spent in the car today.
3: Number of kids that were with me.
0: Number of other adults to help me.
15: Number of chicken nuggets ordered for lunch at Wendy's.
2: Number of stops for diaper changes along the way.
397: Number of times I heard "Are we there yet?"
4: Number of movies watched by the kids while I drove.
1: Number of people who saw my underwear when my son opened the door of the bathroom stall at the rest stop.
25: Number of minutes my 2-year-old napped. ALL DAY.

We've traveled all over the place with toddlers. Including a trip halfway around the world that involved 36 consecutive hours of traveling. (No joke.) Traveling with a toddler requires endless patience, a sense of humor and - ideally - the same brand of luggage Mary Poppins uses so you can bring all the necessities that toddlers require!

So believe me when I say that I understand that traveling with a toddler is not for the faint of heart. And, finally, so does a hotel chain.

Marriott hotels is introducing Tots Travel Too™, a program designed to make travel easier for families with young children, that will be available at more than 2,500 Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels in the continental U.S. and Canada.

This complimentary Tots Travel Too program provides guests, upon request, with a travel crib and laundered COVERPLAY® removable crib slipcover to ensure their “traveler-in-training” can rest comfortably.  For a bit of bath time fun, a complimentary gift comes with the COVERPLAY, an animal squirtie toy.  In addition, parents who have forgotten to pack their tot’s essentials can contact the front desk for complimentary items, including outlet covers, nightlights, baby shampoo, and baby lotion, plus disposable bibs will be available in the breakfast areas.

Marriott and TheMotherhood.com are giving one lucky Girlymama reader a $250 Marriott Gift Card and a Marriott Tots Travel 2 Welcome Basket to give away (if there's no Marriott-affiliated hotel nearby, winners can use the gift card at Shop Marriott)! Here's how to enter:

Marriott and TheMotherhood.com are creating "The Ultimate Traveling with Toddlers Must-Have Tip Sheet" and we need help!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment sharing your best tip for traveling with toddlers.
Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to my feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2:  Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Tuesday, June 29th. Entries such as "Enter me" or "I want to win" will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don't hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner. 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I am working in partnership with Marriott and TheMotherhood.com to cover the Marriott Tots Travel Too program and have received a stipend.

wordless wednesday: some favorite hawaii pics

chinatown

Last night, we took a bus to Honolulu's Chinatown. Nick and I met while we were both living in China for a summer, so going to Chinatown always brings us back! (Wow - was that really 12 years ago?) In our true overly-adventurous form, we even successfully navigated the public bus system to get there and back! 

pearl harbor

a taste of summer in the middle of winter

This weekend, we took a little family retreat. We needed one, believe me! Life has been so crazy lately. Since we returned from Disney two weeks ago, we've all been sick, my husband has been traveling, we've had EVEN MORE snow and our house has been annoying the heck out of us (what with the furnace not working and needing a new oil tank and all). Needless to say, we needed to recharge.

We headed up to Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland, NY. Just what we needed.

We had such a fantastic time! I've never been to a indoor water park before and wasn't sure what to expect, but it was really nice! The kids had a blast swimming. And they even tried tubing. (And, boy, did they sleep well. Holy cow, they were exhausted! It was awesome!) And it was so nice to go somewhere that was warm... even if it was inside ;-)

Colin was totally hysterical! He has zero sense of self-preservation and just throws himself into the water. He was seriously depressed that he could not go on the gigantic slide with Daddy. And he loved the small kiddie pool with a tiny slide (which he went down face first, of course)!

 Gracie was the biggest surprise of the weekend. Our normally timid little girl loved the waterslides! She was barely tall enough to go on them and once she did, it was all she wanted to do. Even if I was on the other side of the waterpark with Colin, I could tell when she went down the slide... she screamed the whole way down. Ellie and Gracie both loved the pools that went outside.

And the girls LOVED tubing with Daddy! (Mommy stayed in the room while Colin rested. Sitting by the fire. Sipping a hot cup of coffee and reading a book. Awesome.) I even got treated to a massage Saturday. It was fabulous!

I highly recommend running away from home!!

disclosure: greek peak provided our family with a room for the weekend. i was not compensated financially for this post. a review coming soon to girlymama reviews.