Parenting Survival Tips

Cheap, Fun - Family Vacation!

Hi Parents,

Ok - my family loves to travel so I plan to start blogging about some of our favorite vacation spots. I would love to hear about your favorite family get-aways too, so I can add them to our list! :-)

Over the Christmas holiday break we drove up to one of our favorite vacation spots - our annual snow-filled holiday get-away to Circus Circus in Reno/Lake Tahoe! Every young kid's dream and not a bad deal for the parents too! :-)  My 2 boys are now 7 & 9 and they beg to go to Circus Circus every year and after reading our top 10 list of reasons why we love it so much, I am guessing you will be clicking the link above and making your own reservations today! :-)

1) How many hotels do you know of that have a monorail that takes you from the lobby to your room?

2) How many hotels do you know of that have free circus acts going on around the clock?

3) How many hotels do you know of that have the mega of all ChuckECheese like game area on the main floor where you can fairly easily win stuffed animals larger than your child? - I will share my stuffed animal recycle story with you another time! :-)

4) How many hotels do you know of that have a never-ending buffet restaurant with an endless array of seafood, salads, kid-friendly food, desserts and oh so much more!

5) How many hotels do you know of that have a Krispy Kreme donut store right as the elevator doors open on the first floor and it opens at 6am - (if your kids are early risers like mine - this is the best) - they also carry Starbucks coffee, so we head down in our PJs - ok don't tell anyone - grab a dozen along with that Tall Starbucks and head back up to the room to comfortably enjoy our vacation breakfast before really starting our day!   

6) How many hotels do you know of that have a free shuttle bus that will take you to 4 different Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts every day and then bring you back at the end of the day so you don't have to worry about driving on the snow covered roads or if you have a cocktail after a hard day of skiing  - no worries - you will be safely chauffeured home!

7) How many hotels do you know of that have endless entertainment within walking distance or a short drive from your hotel? The list at Circus Circus is endless, but some of the highlights are the great shows, concerts, shopping, variety of restuarants, swimming pool coming this year, gambling if that is your preference - all under the same roof. If you don't mind driving a few miles you can check out the University of Nevada Planetarium that is just down the street and it has kid's celestial shows going on all throughout the day. Sometimes we will hang out there and sit through 3 different shows just because they are so amazing and the kids love it! There are also several museums (cool auto museum), laser tag and more very close by.

8) How many hotels do you know of that hand you a 20-page coupon book as soon as you arrive that is good for restaurants and local attractions?

9) How many hotels do you know of that offer suites with whirlpools in them - ok - well at how about at these low prices? How low you ask - read on to reason #10....

10) My favorite reason of all - the Circus Circus room rates can be as low as $39/night - where else can you find a deal like this? Simply awesome for a fun and memorable vacation for the entire family! ok - now I put the link in here again because NOW I am sure you will want to check it out and book your Reno family vacation today! :-)

I look forward to hearing your comments about your favorite family get-aways!

Until next time...

Julie
aka: travelling mom

 

Enjoy the Wait!

Ok Parents -

Raise your hand if you enjoy waiting in line or waiting at the Drs. office?

I am guessing that most hands are down but I am also guessing that most of us have experienced a wait of more than 15 minutes within the past week. Today, we live in a hyper busy world that seems to be moving faster and faster and if we can't "microwave it" the value declines! If we have to wait in line at the Post Office or wait in the Drs. office for more than 10 minutes our blood pressure starts to rise and the complaint letters are underway. Now add a few kids along side of us during this wait and the temperature can quickly rise to boiling.

I recently returned from a trip to Disneyland with my 2 young boys and oh yes - I am sure you will agree that Disneyland is the line-waiting capital of the world!  Even with a Fast Pass you can expect your wait time to exceed 15 minutes, so I hope that you will print this Post out TODAY and tuck it into your bag TODAY so that anytime - anywhere you encounter a line with your children you are prepared to keep this experience enjoyable instead of stressful (the best part is this list is all you will need and you don't have to worry about having special props or other materials to enjoy your wait). Instead you can use this time to bond with your children while setting an example about the lifelong gift of patience.

Tips to Enjoy the Wait! - Part 1 (check back soon for more fun while you wait tips!)

1) I SPY - 1 person choses a item they can visually see and then provide 1 clue and allow the other peope to guess what item you chose.

2) Sing-a-Long - take turns selecting favorite songs to sing together or take turns teaching each other new songs.

3) Ink Pink - Oh - one of my absolute favorite games that I play with a group of kids that may be getting wrestless as we wait for our turn to march in the parade or waiting for our turn to go on stage etc. You select 2 words that rhyme and then provide 1 clue for each word to the kids to see if they can guess the 2 rhyming words. Ex: The first word is a color and the second word is something you wear. Answer: Blue Shoe

4) Twenty Questions - I am sure everyone has played this game but you think of 1 object and then the kids get a total of twenty questions that must be "yes" or "no" questions to guess the correct object you are thinking of.

5) Alphabet Soup - Take turns drawing a letter or for older kids spelling out an entire word on a person's back and see if they can guess the letter or word within 3 guesses. This was a lifesaver as we waited for 45 minutes in The Aladin Show!

6) The Magnificent Story Teller - One person starts a story by making up the location, the characters, and plot and then turns it over to another person to add to it until the last person who gets to make up the ending. If the kids are younger, the adult can ask them questions to help bring the story along.

7) Blink - Whoever looks away or talks first gets 2nd place (notice there are never winners and losers when working with children)

8) Follow-the-Leader - If there is enough room (great for the Dr. office wait if they are feeling up to it or while waiting with a group for the team photos), take turns making up an exercise that the others have to follow and you repeat 10 times, such as arm circles, hop on 1 foot, neck rolls, etc.

9) Nursery Rhyme or Super Hero Game - Describe a character with 3 clues and let the others guess who you are or what Nursery Rhyme you belong to. Ex: 1) I'm oval 2) I like to sit on walls 3) I have a great fall. Who am I?

10) The Letter Game - Pick a letter and ask the other people to find 10 items that you can all see that begin with that letter. Ex: Letter B, the kids start to guess "boy", "baby", "bridge"...but they have to be items that you all can see.

I hope you find a few of these tips useful and be sure to check back for more tips that are coming soon to help you and your family enjoy the wait!

Julie
a.k.a. Mom