Make The Most Out of Your Vacation With Embassy Suites Hotels & Sweepstakes

Vacations are rare occasions for our little family, so we do our best to make the most of each and every one! With kids, I have found it is best to research and plan ahead of time for the vacation so you can have a schedule to make sure the kids are always having fun and there is never a dull moment! This way we have a great time during the trip and they are talking about it for months afterwards. This keeps them excited for the next vacation, too! We are so excited to be working with Mom Central as an Embassy Suites Ambassador this summer and will be taking a weekend vacation to the Buckhead Embassy Suites in Atlanta, Georgia very soon!

The beautiful atrium at the Buckhead Embassy Suites

Embassy Suites recently surveyed parents about their vacationing habits and found that 56% of families consider themselves "vacation dabblers", which means they take a few days here and there throughout the year to vacation and 13% consider themselves "vacation extenders", making use of holidays and other days off of school/work to take vacation without taking time off.  I can definitely relate to this, especially because there are always hurdles to jump through to make traveling as a family possible. As the survey found, 22% of parents said work definitely interferes with vacation planning , 22% say school and other activities for the kids makes it difficult to plan and another 22% say that they may be able to plan dates, but it's hard to coordinate with spouses/partners. This is always something we have to take into account and work, more than not, is what gets in our way because my husband's job is pretty much 24/7.

During the year we definitely dabble with our vacations, taking a day or two here and there, when work and school permits. Holidays and teacher's work days make it so much easier to coordinate and actually gives us a chance to visit places nearby that we otherwise wouldn't. We've visited Chattanooga during 3-day weekends several times so we can see the aquarium and children's museum, which makes for a perfect short vacation with the kids. We've also visited Atlanta so we could see the aquarium, children's museum, LegoLand and more. There are so many things to do nearby that we can always find a fun place to visit without driving all day. These shorter trips are easier to plan, which ends up being less stressful for us and enjoyable for everyone.

As I mentioned, we try to make the most out of every trip we take! This is very important for us as a family, so we try to plan fun activities that are also educational, so that they kids can not only enjoy the experience, but take something away from it. Embassy Suites has partnered with Dr. Biali, a health and happiness expert, to help families make the most out of every vacation or "more-imize" their vacation! Dr. Biali wants your vacation to bring happiness, fun and relaxation. I agree with all of her recommendations and had to share a few with you!

Tips to More-imize your Vacation!

Our last beach vacation view!

1. Vacation isn't just about the time you are away. Looking forward to an impending vacation improves attitude and makes it easier to get through work. I always look forward to our trips because it gives all of us something to look forward to as a family. By the time the big day comes for us to leave, we are all excited about getting on the road, even if that means spending a few hours in the car!

2. Use your vacation days to "relax and do something fun - not to run around and do errands all day"! Do something to actually enjoy the vacation. Don't just stay on the computer or worry about work. Have fun and don't overdo it. Even if you plan activities, don't plan too many. You don't want the vacation to become stressful. Enjoy it!

3. Make your vacation  budget go further by staying at a hotel like Embassy Suites! You get more for your money (more space in your suite, breakfast, complimentary drinks/snacks, etc.) and can either save money or use the extra money saved for other activities!

The reason we vacation every year-- to see these beautiful smiles!

My own tip would be to plan ahead, schedule some fun activities, but to also plan relaxation time as Dr. Biali suggests. In addition, take time after the vacation to talk with the kids. Find out what they found more enjoyable, what they didn't like and what they would love to do again. This will help them remember their trip and look forward to an even better trip next time!

Want to Win a Vacation?

Be sure to enter the "366 Days of More" Sweepstakes on the Embassy Suites Facebook Page to win 2 free nights, one for yourself and one for a friend! Then enter the "Get More Vacation Sweepstakes" from now until July 20th! Just "like" the Facebook page and upload a picture of your family's "vacation face" for a chance to win not only a week-long vacation at Embassy Suites Hotels, but $10,000 cash! Wouldn't that be awesome?!

We will be taking our vacation at Embassy Suites very soon and I can't wait to tell you all about it! So, stay tuned for more info about Embassy Suites and what their amazing hotel offers guests year-round. Be sure to follow Embassy Suites on Twitter to keep up with all the latest news.


Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in an Ambassador Program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Embassy Suites Hotels and received a one-night complimentary stay at an Embassy Suites Hotel to facilitate my reviews and a promotional item to thank me the taking the time to participate.