It’s funny, I couldn’t tell you what I wore the Christmas of 1990 (I’m sure it was a gorgeous dress that matched my siblings and we all looked adorable Mom), or what gifts I opened from under the tree, or even if we had snow that year. What I do remember is sipping hot chocolate as we walked through the zoo at night (that in itself is pretty cool to kids) in wonderment at the Lights before Christmas with close family friends, rushing ahead of my parents in awe of the Christmas magic at Children’s Wonderland, touring the over the top decorations at Holidays in the Manor House with my grandparents, seeing the classic, A Christmas Carol, & watching the joy on my father’s face as he recited lines as we watched the classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. That’s the thing about Christmas; it really isn’t about the perfect gift it’s about the time spent with loved ones. So this Christmas let’s focus less on the number of goods under the tree and more on the quality of time spent making childhood memories that our children will cherish for a lifetime.
Tag: Family Travel
The Most Important Job We’ll Ever Have: Why I Took My Daughter on a ‘Parent Review’ Weekend in…
As parents, we spend so much of our lives worrying about our jobs. We obsess over performance reviews, deadlines, and what our boss or HR might think. We juggle meetings, manage projects, and bend over backward to prove our worth at work, all while balancing the never-ending responsibilities that come with raising a family.
Read moreFamily-Friendly Activities To Do While in Florida
With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, weekends are a golden opportunity for families to bond and make lasting memories together. However, it’s easier to wind down when you’re in Florida.
Read moreHow to Survive Road Trips with Kids: Tips for Parents
Parents, have you loaded up the car for your big summer family road trip, mapped out the route, packed plenty of snacks and entertainment for the kids – and are now panicking about how you will survive hours upon hours of being trapped in a vehicle with your young ones without anyone pulling their hair out?
Read moreFamily Adventure Awaits: Fun-Filled Travel Activities and Kid-Approved Dining Ideas
There’s a whole wide world out there beyond the screens all of us—yes, including us, moms—are constantly glued to. When was the last time you and your kids bonded, explored, and made memories together? If it’s hard to point out when you’re definitely going to need this!
Adventure awaits the whole family, and below, we’ve listed fun-filled activities, from quick but luxurious getaways to thrilling week-long excursions, that will surely inspire your next unforgettable bonding experience. Read on!
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Read moreLEGO Bricks & No Brakes!! I was a nervous wreck!
You know those childhood memories that come up around the Thanksgiving table? The ones that have everyone laughing till they practically cry? Like when the van door fell off in Bar Harbor, Maine or when the Taurus broke down on the way to Chicago and the entire family had to squeeze into the tow truck cab, (both are one of many of my childhood travel memories). Well, we made one of those for our kiddos this past weekend. It was the classic tale of two vehicles going somewhere and only one returning home.
It all started Friday afterschool. Kiddos and I packed up the Yukon with the road trip essentials: LEGO bricks, dolls, Floam, music, snacks, etc. and we headed to Troy, Ohio to meet up with my husband who had been there for work. It was going to be a blast, kiddos could swim, we could relax, spend the night, then the next morning, (which just so happened to be our eldest birthday), we would head into Columbus for the LEGO Creativity Tour!! The drive down was so smooth; my 2001 Yukon drove like a champ that day! We arrived, had dinner, swam, watched cable (our house is cable free, so this is an added hotel perk), went to bed, and the next morning the REAL adventure began!
My husband and I both had to drive from Troy to Columbus because we would be going home after the LEGO Creativity Tour. So we headed out, it was a gorgeous day, sun was shining, a few clouds in the sky, traffic wasn’t too bad especially considering Ohio State played that day. On our way into town the car made a weird noise, right around Plain City, Ohio, then it seemed fine. We got into Columbus and suddenly the dash flashed the low fuel sign & anti-lock brake sign pair that with the fact that I had no idea where any gas stations were & no access online and I became one slightly nervous momma. So I did the only logical thing, prayed & we got our LEGO on! Woot! Woot!!
LEGO Creativity Tour!!!

As we walked in we were greeted by these awesome Lego bricks sculptures! They we absolutely fascinating! The time, energy, effort, and creativity that went into those was inspiring!






Then our eldest wanted to check out the YouthDigital booth that offered kiddos aged 8-14 the opportunity to make their own sword and then use it in the Minecraft world, it was kinda the coolest!!

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Our next stop, LEGO Friends!!! The girls absolutely adore LEGO friends, they know all the girls names and have practically all the sets.


They were quite eager to build a house for Heartlake City. The coolest part was once they turned in their house to the LEGO person in charge in return they received a small LEGO kit. I was extremely thankful for that since I know our preschool has a tough time parting with her creations.


They literally had something for everyone, including video games. All 3 of the kiddos lost their minds when we boarded a truck that was filled with huge screens, video game consoles and sweet games. They had the option of playing Minecraft or LEGO and they chose LEGO. Even our youngest got in on the fun, and she has not stopped talking about it since, lol!


We stopped by the Art Gallery…..

Built more SWEET things with LEGO bricks…


Became LEGO Club members….join today, it is free, get FREE magazines, and other fun activities for kiddos! CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

Sadly, we did not get to everything, our time expired. But no worries, just means we will have to go checkout LEGO KidsFest 2016 in Cleveland!! For tour dates and cities, CLICK HERE for info.
We headed out of the parking garage and with every turn the Yukon seemed to get worse and worse, the grinding, loss of anti-lock brakes, eventually it felt like the wheel was literally going to fall off…pair that with the inclement weather and semis and this mommas was a nervous wreck!! We made it as far as Waldo, Ohio. I officially know where Waldo is, lol! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!). We stopped for dinner at an adorable little spot known for their bologna sandwiches, G & R Tavern and then called AAA. The Tavern had huge pieces of pie and since it was our daughter’s 10th birthday and I just so happened to have candles in my purse we made certain we sang Happy Birthday….this is one birthday she will never forget.

This will be one of those stories that comes up at the Thanksgiving table for years to come and I am certain we will laugh till we cry (perhaps not this Thanksgiving, the wounds are still fresh, but next year for sure).
FYI-AAA is another MUST HAVE membership for ALL families on the go! They came to our rescue within 45 minutes and towed us back to Toledo (100 miles!…covered under the Gold Membership). AAA membership makes a great Christmas Gift…CLICK HERE for more info.






