Visit Your Local Park this July For National Park and Recreation Month #ParkRecLuv

Did you know July is national Park and Recreation Month? We love our local parks and, since we live up in the mountains, we visit them often for day and weekend trips with the kids. We can go biking, hiking or even just stay at one of the cabins. There are 9 state parks within 50 miles of our house and the one we visit most often is the Amicalola Falls park, which is absolutely beautiful and has an amazing lodge or you can even hike to an inn that is only reachable by foot! This area is perfect for families and makes for such a great day or weekend trip.

We also have several local parks that the kids love and, in fact, Josiah just had his birthday at one nearby. It has a playground and splash pad, so we could cool off afterwards.

We've spent so much time at local parks as a family and have made some wonderful memories together. Looking at all of our pictures has been a great trip down memory lane and I am sure there will be many more in the future. Here is a picture of Liam's first visit to Amicalola Falls at only a few weeks old, all wrapped up in a baby sling as we hiked around trails!

As part of Park and Recreation Month, the National Recreation and Park Association has one important question for everyone to answer:

"I Love my Parks and Recreation Because..."

You can visit the NPRA website for more information on their initiatives, free resources, a calendar of fun events nationwide and about their month-long weekly photo contest!

Yes, I said contest! 

We love our giveaways and contests here, so we are excited to share this one with you. Get out and about this month as a family and explore your local park or recreation area. Then, share your experience with them via social media. Easy, right? Go to the NPRA Facebook page, click on the Show UR Love Contest and enter for a chance to win a $500 gift card and more! Go and show some love for your local parks by snapping some great family photos.

I try to make summer vacation as fun as possible and this means we spend a great deal of time at our local parks. The boys just love running around and going down slides. I love that we get some great exercise and it gives them a way to get out some of their energy. We just recently packed a turkey sandwich picnic lunch and headed to a park, which the boys liked very much.

There is still time this month and during summer vacation to visit your local parks! Believe me, your kids will really enjoy the experience. Be sure to snap pictures for the contest, too. So, what do you like most about your local parks and recreation?

Summer's Not Over Yet! Make The Most Our Of Summer With Embassy Suites

It's now August and many kids are back in school or starting within the next 2 weeks. I want to let you know that summer is NOT over! It's still officially summer and you need to enjoy every minute of the beautiful warm weather because, before you know it, the air will be chilly and snow will fall. I get cold just thinking about it. We definitely made the most out of the summer vacation time as a family and had such a wonderful time!

Playing Putt-Putt at the beach!

This summer we took several trips to many places near and far. We went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for our beach vacation with Granny and Pop. Liam loves the beach and could play in the sand all day with Ry! We stayed for an entire week, which was so great for Papa to be off of work the whole time and ready to play with the kids. We also took a weekend trip to Buckhead, a part of Atlanta, Georgia, with the kiddos for a visit to LegoLand Discovery Center at Phipps Plaza. Josiah is a huge Lego fan, so imagine his face when we walked into a place filled with Legos! As a bonus part of our weekend trip, we were able to stay at Embassy Suites, which just made this trip awesome because the room was huge and had more than enough room for 2 kids and 2 adults! The boys didn't know what to think when they walked into our room.

Our gorgeous bedroom at Embassy Suites (only half of the suite)!

How are you making the most out of your summer vacation? Speaking of Embassy Suites, they teamed up with Dr. Biali, who encourages vacationing and suggests some great ways to get the most out of your summer vacation time! She has some amazing tips that I completely agree with, including to actually relax during your vacation. I remember when I was younger my mom had to plan out every little detail. Instead, it's best to have some down time, relax and actually enjoy your vacation time. Don't overdo it or you will go home even more exhausted than before and that just totally defeats the purpose, right?

Josiah relaxing by the pool at Embassy Suites in Buckhead

Summer may be winding down, but there is still time to plan a vacation! You could even plan a special end-of-summer mini-vacation or back-to-school vacation to get the kids excited about returning to school. Dr. Biali also suggests turning a family obligation into a mini-vacation, which is something we often do. With this tip in mind, I decided to plan a mini-vacation with my oldest son, Josiah, next weekend! A high school friend is having a baby shower in Athens, Georgia and I am taking Josiah along for an overnight trip! Instead of just going to the baby shower, I am going to take him to the University of Georgia campus (my Alma Mater) and show him where I went to school, go eat at my favorite restaurants, and go to the Botanical Gardens for a hike. We are also going to stay with my friends and visit his Great Grandmother! He is so excited about this trip and now so am I. This will be the perfect trip before school begins and I think he'll be ready.

On the Road! Summer is definitely not over for us!

Are you going to plan a trip before the end of summer? I suggest checking to see if there is an Embassy Suites in the area because this hotel is an amazing family-friendly hotel that really helps you get more out of your vacation time. The Embassy Suites we stayed at in Atlanta had 2 pools, a hot tub, and a beautiful lobby. Plus, they have Manager's Receptions every night with free drinks/appetizers and we were able to get room service from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. We took advantage of that and the kids loved it!

Want to Win a Vacation?

There is still a great deal of time 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! Enter from now until February 28th, 2013! Also, 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.

Kids Sail Free Promo For Norwegian Cruise Line

Hi, everyone! I just found out about an awesome deal and had to share it with you. This is your chance to go on a cruise via Norwegian Cruise Line and get the kids' tickets FREE. Their "Kids Sail Free" promotion is an amazing deal you have to check out.

Kids sail free this fall on Norwegian Cruise Line. Book a beautiful cruise vacation for this Fall 2012 between now and July 7th! Kids under 18 sailing as a third or fourth guest in the stateroom sail free. This is the perfect chance to save money on an amazing vacation. I have yet to take my kids on a cruise and with this promo, you can do so and save money!

Just be sure to book before July 7th. Yes, that's tomorrow, so take a look and decide on a cruise soon to take advantage of this offer!

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Norwegian Cruise Line vacation exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place.  

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.

Traveling Tips For Your All Inclusive Holiday

Summer is here and for many of us, summer is the season for holidays and traveling! Our family takes full advantage of the beautiful weather and days off of school. However, traveling with kids can be very stressful and I know in the past we've come home even more exhausted than when we left. That defeats the purpose of even going, so here are some great tips for traveling as a family this summer!

1. Plan Ahead of Time - Where are some of the places you would love to go during your holiday? Make a list, discuss as a family and do your research. Find the place that looks the best for families.

2. Find great deals on vacations - Search for great deals on traveling during the time you wish to vacation. Finding cheap all inclusive holidays is the best way to travel and save money. When you are on a budget, this is definitely the way to go and with all-inclusive resorts, most everything is included in the price (hotel stay, food, etc.)!

3. Pack Essentials Only - It's so easy to over-pack as a family, but this means hauling too many bags through the airport. Make a list of the essentials (baby bottles, diapers, etc.) before packing. This way you don't forget anything and can stop yourself from packing things that aren't as important. Don't forget sunscreen and swimsuits!

4. Don't Plan Too Many Activities During Vacation - I know you want to make the most out of your holiday, but don't plan too much. This is how you get stressed out and exhausted. Plan a few things, but still take time to relax and enjoy your surroundings. Plus, at all inclusive resorts, there is always time to plan more things at a later time.

5. Have A Date Night - All inclusive resorts often have children's activities, camps and even babysitters. Take advantage of these services and take a night as a couple. Your children will have a great time with the other kids and you can have some fun, quiet time with your love.

The most important part of taking a vacation is to have fun! Relax, don't get overwhelmed and enjoy every second. If you get stressed, take some time to yourself, breathe and remember to take it easy. We are leaving for vacation in July and I'm already planning ahead. It's the vacation we look forward to all year, so we want to be prepared and ready to go.

Where you are going this summer? Leave a comment telling me how you plan for vacations each year!