Just for Moms Archives - Page 5 of 11

Top 10 Tips for Visiting …

May 9, 2016 By admin

Water parks are all the rage with junior travelers and the best indoor water parks are catering to adults as well. My family and I took the plunge and visited Kalahari Resort in the Poconos, PA and it really exceeded my expectations. From the fun filled water park and fine dining to activities and spa services, here are my Top 10 Tips for Visiting Kalahari Resort in the Poconos, PA.

Top 10 Tips for Visiting Kalahari Resort in the Poconos, PA

1) Splash in the Water Park –

You won’t want to miss the resort’s 220,000-square-foot indoor water park, the largest in Pennsylvania. Guests will find water coasters, slides and raft rides in all speeds and sizes as well as a basketball pool, lazy river, indoor/outdoor hot tub and more. Kids will love Splashdown Safari (think net crawls, water guns, and slides galore) and Tiko’s Watering Hole with pint sized swings and a mini lazy river.

Learn to swim like a mermaid at Kalahari Resorts, Poconos, PA

2) Try your pick of signature aqua lessons: Mermaid or FlowRider –

My daughter tried out the resort’s new mermaid lessons and loved learning how to swim in a mermaid tail. I decided to tackle the FlowRider where you grab a board and catch some indoor waves. I won’t tell you how many times I crashed into the side wall but it really was a fun experience.

3) Get lost in the arcade –

You can’t get into the water park without meandering through the gigantic arcade so trust me when I say you will spend a lot of time playing arcade games as well as bowling, playing mini golf, laser frenzy and other fun games. Be sure to agree on a spending plan in advance and save room in your luggage for the prizes.

Kalahari’s Adventurers Club features daily activities for children.

4) Sign up for some family-friendly activities –

The Kalahari Adventures Club features daily supervised activities for kids (some fees apply) like games, crafting projects, character meetings, culinary challenges and family activities like hikes and scavenger hunts.

Kalahari features a wide array of family-friendly dining options.

5) Enjoy family-friendly dining –

Every restaurant is family-friendly at Kalahari from the upscale Brandburg to The Great Karoo Marketplace Buffet which features buffet offerings kids will love (think candy filled pancakes and chocolate fountains). If you’re visiting over a weekend, check out Kenya’s Birthday Bash Celebration, a fun-filled character breakfast party with family-style dining, dancing and kiddie games.

6) Save room for dessert –

There are sweet treats available morning, noon and night at The Last Bite. Ice cream lovers won’t want to miss the super-premium Wisconsin ice cream featuring flavors like Zanzibar Chocolate, Caramel Chaos, Fat Elvis, Big 5 Kalahari and more. It is delish!

Take in the African art at Kalahari Resorts, Poconos, PA.

7) Take in the African surroundings –

The resort features an array of authentic African decor including batik prints, sculptures, murals, carvings and more. If you’re an art lover, be sure to look out for the gorgeous artwork in the rooms, hallways, public areas and restaurants.

Shop till you drop at Kalahari Resorts, Poconos, PA

8) Shop Till You Drop –

The gift shops and specialty stores at Kalahari do not disappoint. You’ll find an array of swimwear and fun pool accessories like mermaid fins as well as authentic African gifts, crafts, stuffed animals, games and other souvenirs.

Visit the spa for a little relaxation at Kalahari Resorts, Poconos, PA.

9) Relax in the Kalahari Spa & Salon –

If you’re looking for a quiet retreat, escape to the spa where you can enjoy a full array of body treatments. I stole away for an hour to check out the sauna, steam room and hot tub and it was so peaceful and relaxing.

Check out story time at Kalahari’s Big Five Fireplace.

10) Check out Character Story Time –

Kalahari’s animal characters greet kids and a selection of oversized kids books are read aloud by the Big Five Fireplace.

Be sure to check out my full Kalahari Resort Poconos review for more details on this fun-filled family destination. This water park is so great it is also featured on this article: 19 Epic Indoor Water Parks You Will Want To Visit This Year!

Has your family ever stayed at a Kalahari Resort? What was your favorite part? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks to Kalahari Resort in the Poconos, PA for hosting my family. As always, all opinions are mine. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!

Gear Up for Some Cinco de Mayo …

May 4, 2016 By admin

Living in NYC, my daughter is surrounded by people from all different cultures and exposed to cuisines from around the world. It is very common to see young children chowing down on sushi, edamame, pad thai, tandoori chicken, tacos and other ethnic dishes around town.

Gear Up for Some Cinco de Mayo Family Fun. Ole!

Since Mexican food is one of our favorite cuisines (hello bright colors, nachos and margaritas), I thought I’d share some of my tips for hosting a kid-friendly Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

Whether you order in or cook up a storm, a Cinco de Mayo gathering is guaranteed fun for everyone. And don’t worry, those are mocktails above….

What’s your kid’s favorite cuisine? Tell me below in the comments.

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Exploring Central Park With …

March 2, 2016 By admin

Spring has finally sprung here in NYC and that means its time to go play outside! One of my favorite spots for families with kids of all ages is Central Park and springtime is one of the best times to plan a visit.

Exploring Central Park With Kids

Exploring Central Park with kids is especially fun when the park is in full bloom. After our long dreary winters, it is a treat to see green grass and colorful flowers and kids will love running around taking in all the fresh air and expansive lawns.

Pack a picnic, grab a frisbee and plan to spend a few hours (or a whole day) exploring Central Park. Here are some of my favorite springtime activities for families:

Visit one of the many playgrounds
Climb a statue or two (Alice in Wonderland is my fave)
Stop at the Central Park Zoo (and Children’s Zoo)
Take a spin on the Central Park Carousel
Go fly a kite
Visit Victorian Gardens (opening Memorial Day weekend!)
Get your caricature done
Visit Bethesda Fountain
Rent a row boat
Race boats at Conservatory Water
Check out a story time
Stop for lunch at the Loeb Boathouse
See a free Shakespeare in the Park performance (starting in May)

Check out my Tips for Central Park with Kids in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall story on TravelMamas.com for more details and be sure to visit the Central Park event calendar before you visit.

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2016 Product of the Year …

February 24, 2016 By admin

Feeling lucky? Read on to find out how you can win your very own stash of 2016 Product of the Year Winners, perfect for using at home or on your next vacation…

The 2016 Product of the Year award winners are backed by the votes of more than 40,000 consumers. These tried and true products represent categories such as paper products, pet food, beauty tools, eye care, household, laundry, food and beverages, car care and more.

2016 Product of the Year Giveaway – Great Products for Home or Vacation

In addition to attending the swanky Product of the Year awards dinner, I got a chance to personally test out these winning products. Drumroll please…here are some of my favorites that can be used during and after any vacation or staycation…

2016 Product of the Year Giveaway – Great Products for Home or Vacation

If you’re planning a pampering staycation, I highly recommend the Amopé Pedi Perfect™ Extra Coarse Foot File with Diamond Crystals which buffs away dry skin and left my feet feeling revitalized after a long, harsh winter. Its basically the same effect as taking a long walk on the beach minus the expensive airfare. For pampering lips, the Softlips® Cube will not disappoint. If your purse or carry-on bags are as full as mine, you’ll also appreciate the balm’s square container making it super easy to find.

As a busy mom, having time for coffee before school drop off is a rarity so I was excited for the Skinny Cow Creamy Iced Coffee. These delicious creamy beverages are great to keep in your fridge and they are also the perfect size to bring along in a road trip cooler bag!

Speaking of road trips, this year’s winners included some adult and kid pleasing snacks like Gold Emblem abound™ Unsalted Pistachio & Almond Blend and M&M’s® Crispy Chocolate Candies. Turtle Wax® DASH & GLASS is handy to keep you car windows clean on road trips too.

2016 Product of the Year Giveaway – Great Products for Home or Vacation

You always need extra batteries at home and away so I was glad to find the Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries among the winning products.

We go through a lot of tissues in my house so the Kleenex® Perfect Fit* Facial Tissues was a crowd pleaser. The slim design also makes them easy to use when you travel.

To ward off those airplane germs on your next getaway, don’t forget to back the Emergen-Zzzz®.

The worst part about coming home from vacation is all the dirty laundry so I was super happy that Tide HE Turbo Clean™ Liquid Detergent, Tide PODS Plus Febreze and Downy Fresh Protect were among the winning products.

Check out the complete list of the 2016 Product of the Year Winners below:

– Oral Care: ACT® Advanced Care™ Mouthwash

– Snacks: Gold Emblem abound™ Unsalted Pistachio & Almond Blend

– Feminine Care: Playtex® Sport® Collection

– Sustainability: Energizer® EcoAdvanced™

– OTC: FLONASE Allergy Relief

– Paper Products: Kleenex® Perfect Fit* Facial Tissues

– Pet Food: Beyond Purées

– Sugar Confections: SweeTARTS Soft & Chewy Ropes

– Liquid Laundry: Tide HE Turbo Clean™ Liquid Detergent

– Laundry Pacs: Tide PODS Plus Febreze

– Vitamins & Supplements: Emergen-Zzzz®

– Beauty Tools: Amopé Pedi Perfect™ Extra Coarse Foot File with Diamond Crystals

– Kitchen & Home: Finish Powerball Max in 1®

– Condiments: FRENCH’s Tomato Ketchup

– Shower & Bath: Lysol Click Gel

– Condoms: Durex RealFeel® Condoms

– Eye Care: CLEAR CARE® PLUS

– Specialty Laundry: Downy Fresh Protect

– Frozen Foods: Ore-Ida Bold & Crispy Steakhouse Fries

– Better For You: Weight Watchers® Smart Ones® Smoothies

– Chocolate: M&M’s® Crispy Chocolate Candies

– Pet Treats: Milk-Bone® Good Morning™ Daily Vitamin Treats

– Hair Styling: göt2b mind blowing fast dry HAIRSPRAY

– Men’s Hygiene: Right Guard Xtreme Heat Shield Deodorant

– Hair Care: Schwarzkopf essence Ultime Omega Repair 11-IN-1 Leave-In

– Lip Care: Softlips® Cube

– Coffee Beverage: Skinny Cow Creamy Iced Coffee

– Ice Cream: Skinny Cow Dipped Ice Cream Bars

– Car Care: Turtle Wax® DASH & GLASS

Ready to win? Product of the Year Awards is partnering with Globetrotting Mommy and one lucky reader will win a gift bag full of this year’s award winning products!

To enter please leave a blog post comment below – Which award winning product is your favorite?

For additional entries please leave separate comments for each:

Like Globetrotting Mommy on Facebook
Follow Globetrotting Mommy on Instagram
Follow Globetrotting Mommy on Twitter
Like Product of the Year on Facebook
Post on Facebook or Tweet about this giveaway.

This giveaway ends at midnight EST on Friday, March 11.

** Congratulations to Amy Orvin!

Thanks to Product of the Year for inviting me to the NYC awards dinner and providing me with these winning products. As always, all opinions are mine. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for …

December 10, 2015 By admin

If you’re looking for some holiday gift ideas the whole family can enjoy, today is your lucky day. Below I’ve rounded up some fun family gift ideas for globetrotting families to enjoy at home and away…

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Globetrotting Families

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Globetrotting Families

The Gift of Membership – If you’re looking for a gift that keeps on giving, a family membership to a favorite museum, amusement park, zoo or other cultural attraction is an awesome gift. Some museum memberships include reciprocal benefits where you can receive complimentary admission to hundreds of museums across the United States. Check out the North American Reciprocal Museum Association and the Association of Science-Technology Center’s Travel Passport Program for more details.

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Globetrotting Families

Go See a Show – Save a date and take the whole clan to see their favorite artists perform on stage. From Frozen on Ice, Peppa Pig LIVE! and the Big Apple Circus to Sesame Street and Yo Gabba Gabba shows and musical concerts, there are dozens of family favorite events going on this winter. My top picks for families include the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring The Rockettes, Blue Man Group, Aladdin and The Lion King.

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Globetrotting Families – A Duck Tour around Boston makes a great holiday gift.

Take the Family Sightseeing – A staycation or vacation makes a great holiday gift. Give your family the gift of go with a Go City Card valid for tourist attractions in 11 cities across the US or book a family fun sightseeing tour like The Ride in New York City, a Boston Duck Tour or a Carriage Ride around Charleston.

Family Friendly Travel Books – From travel inspired coffee table classics like Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel and Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places to trip planning guides and Lonely Planet Kids Activity Books, books are a great family gift idea.

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Globetrotting Families

Culinary Gifts for All – Foodies of all ages will appreciate culinary gifts that offer tasty treats from near and far. Some ideas include the Peninsula Grill Ultimate Coconut Cake® from Charleston, South Carolina, Tessemae’s Chesapeake Mayo from Maryland, Norwegian Smoked Salmon, Trader Joe’s Chocolate Passport, The Everyday Eatalian gift box featuring products from Italy, a Great Lakes Food Club membership from Michigan or a Try The World foodie gift box subscription.

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Globetrotting Families

Must Have Family Friendly Travel Accessories – I’m always bringing home leftovers from holiday celebrations and Igloo has a great selection of chic insulated totes (Trend, Maxcold and Stowe) that make nice holiday gifts for everyone on your list. I especially love that these bags fold up for storage and are leak-resistant making them great picks for road trips and plane rides. For junior travelers, the adorable bag tags and travel journals from Mudpuppy are sure to please. Other ideas for family friendly travel accessories include selfie sticks (I know, I know) and gift cards to make photo books showcasing your travels.

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Globetrotting Families – Family friendly games are sure to please.

On The Go Games – Family friendly games are great to bring to holiday get togethers and the classics from Hasbro (think Twister, Operation, Jenga and my all-time favorite Monopoly) are perfect options. I also love travel friendly family games like Melissa & Doug Travel Hangman, Spot It, eeBoo’s Color Go Fish Cards which are great for little hands.

I received some review items at the Momtrends holiday event but all opinions are my own. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!

How to Save Money at Atlantis …

October 30, 2015 By admin

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard how fabulous and fun Atlantis Paradise Island Resort is for family vacations. All that fun comes with hefty price tag but today I’m going to tell you how to save money at Atlantis.

How to Save Money at Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, Bahamas

Read on to find out some of my favorite money saving tips for visiting this kid-friendly Caribbean hot spot.

The best way to experience Atlantis Paradise Island Resort without breaking the bank is to stay at the nearby Comfort Suites Paradise Island hotel. Most travelers don’t know this but Comfort Suites Paradise Island hotel guests receive free access to Atlantis’ exclusive features (think water parks, pools and beach) and charging privileges in all restaurants and bars. The newly renovated property is within walking distance and rates include daily breakfast and free Wi-Fi. You’re welcome!

Atlantis, Paradise Island, Save Money, Budget, Family Travel

Many rooms at Atlantis offer stocked kitchens so families can prepare meals.

I always bring emergency food and snacks with me but you’ll save a ton of money if you stock an extra suitcase with snacks and breakfast/lunch friendly food like peanut butter and jelly. When we stayed at The Reef, our only breakfast option was a super busy (and painfully slow) Starbucks and it was either wait for a $5 muffin or take a shuttle over to another area for breakfast each morning. If you don’t want to travel around the large property with hungry kids, bring food from home or stock up at the supermarket on your way to the resort. PS – Many guest rooms have family-friendly kitchenettes.

Atlantis is the opposite of all-inclusive and this means you will find yourself shelling out big bucks for extras or saying no to your kids all day. To avoid this, get some activities offered on property (like glitter tattoos) in advance and surprise your kids with them during the trip. When we visited over the summer, there was a decorate-your-own-cupcake activity that cost around $10 per cupcake so be sure to manage your kids’ expectations for extras and souvenirs before you go.

There is no shortage of great restaurants at Atlantis and many of the worlds best chefs have outposts here. One of the best budget friendly options is dining family style at Carmine’s where kids and adults can share Italian favorites and desserts without breaking the bank. If you’re traveling with young children, most restaurants offer affordable kid meals that can often be shared as well.

Atlantis, How to Save Money, Budget Travel, Beach Toys

Bring your own snorkel gear and beach toys.

Bring your own snorkels, water toys and other beach essentials. I know these can be bulky to travel with but you will save a lot of money not having to rent or buy them on property. The resort charges $12 an hour to rent a snorkel and fins so if you plan to snorkel, it pays to bring your own. If you travel a lot, stock up on beach toys at the end of summer when a big bag of sand toys is just $3 and you can leave them behind without feeling guilty.

Take advantage of complimentary activities at Atlantis Paradise Island Resort. There are plenty of free activities for guests staying at Atlantis including movies, The Dig, character parades, casino lessons, gym access and more so be sure to work these into your schedules.

If you’re planning a trip to Atlantis, be sure to check out my latest TravelMamas.com posts:

Top 20 Things To Do at Atlantis Paradise Island Resort

5 Things to Do on Paradise Island with Kids in the Bahamas

What are your favorite money saving vacation tips?

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Museum Day Live! – …

September 10, 2015 By admin

Mark your calendars! This September 26, 2015, Smithsonian Magazine is offering free museum day visits to more than 1,500 museums across the country with Museum Day Live!

Museum Day Live! – Smithsonian Magazine Offers Free Museum Day Across the US

Families can check out hundreds of children’s museums, art institutes, science centers and other cultural institutions for free when they register for Museum Day Live! online. One ticket admits two guests so plan accordingly if you have a big family. Note, many museums admit young children for free.

Check out the list of the participating museums in your area. Here are a few of my favorite ideas for a family-friendly museum day across the country. Whether you’re planning a road trip or staycation that weekend, there are plenty of options.

Families can visit The Hershey Story Museum for free with Museum Day Live!

New York City, NY – The Skyscraper Museum

Macon, GA – Georgia Sports Hall of Fame

Springfield, MA – Springfield Museums (Four museums and the Dr. Seuss sculpture garden)

Boston, MA – Museum of Fine Arts

Hershey, PA – The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue

Portland, ME – Portland Museum of Art

Chicago, IL – Swedish American Museum

Miami, FL – Zoo Miami

Boca Raton, FL – Children’s Science Explorium at Sugar Sand Park

Charleston, SC – The South Carolina Historical Society

Baltimore, MD – The Baltimore Museum of Art

New Orleans, LA – Louisiana Children’s Museum

Where will you be that weekend and which museum would you like to visit?

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Five Beach Must Haves for …

July 16, 2015 By admin

Beach trips with kids are way different from beach trips without kids. Your days of relaxing in the sand with a good book may be over (for now) but here are Five Beach Must Haves for Families that will help you keep your sanity or at least help keep the sand out of your sandwich…