Jan 2013 Disneyworld Trip Report

January 2014 Disney World Trip Report

We decided to extend our Christmas break this year and spent a week in Disney World with our son (11) and daughter (8).  It was our first big trip to Disney World as a family and we decided to do the whole package deal – we stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort Hotel, spent 6 days in the parks, and bought the Disney Dining Plan.   We had some bumps along the way but generally speaking it was an amazing trip and I’d love to go back!

I did a lot of research before we went and was quite pleased with how everything worked out.  We debated renting a car but were really glad that we didn’t in the end.  The bus system was fantastic if you just embrace the fact that you will be spending a bit of time on and waiting for the busses.  We found that they stepped up the frequency at peak times (like coming home after the parades) and we really appreciated that.  It was also nice that we didn’t have to share busses with other Disney resorts.  We agonized over the locations of the different hotels when deciding on a resort but in the end I don’t think it matters much if you plan to go to all of the parks… some are going to be closer than others no matter where you go.

21 Amazing Trips to Take in Your Life

This is a list of different trips I have taken or would one day like to take in my lifetime

1.       Backpack across Europe

Get a Eurorail and YHI pass and hit the European hotspots… See Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, see Buckingham Palace in London, visit the Sagrada Familla in Barcelona, take a Gondola ride in Venice.  Travel and stay cheaply and splurge on the experiences.

2.       Travel through Southeast Asia

See Angor Wat in Cambodia, tour the Mei Gong river in Vietnam, lie on the beaches in Thailand

3.       Go on an African Safari

Take photos of the big 5 and see herds of animals migrating!

4.       Go to Mexico with friends

We booked an all inclusive vacation in the Mayan Riviera and spent a week touring the ruins, hanging out at the beach, eating at great restaurants and visiting the spa

5.       Take your children to Disney World

Do the whole shebang…. Stay at a Disney resort, sign up for the Disney Dining plan and spend a whole week visiting the parks!

114 Things to do With Your Kids Before They Grow Up

We’ve done all of the things on this list with our kids.  In some respects I feel like they are pretty spoiled and they have no idea how lucky they are to have done and seen so many different things at such a young age!  On the other hand I think (and hope) that their broad range of experiences will make them more empathetic, worldly and interesting people as they grow up.

1.     Plant a garden and eat the things we grow
2.     Go to a petting zoo & snuggle the animals
3.     Make homemade ice cream
4.     See a theatre production
5.     See a concert with a musician they love
6.     See a professional sports game
7.     Find a sport that they love and stick with it
8.     Go to a children’s festival
9.     Milk a cow, collect eggs
10.   Climb a mountain
11.   Have a pillow fight
12.   Take them to toddler play classes
13.   participate in a sporting competition
14.   Hold some scary snakes and insects
15.   Go to a children's festival
16.   Go camping

My Winter/ Christmas Bucket List for 2014

My Winter/ Christmas Bucket List for 2014

Family Friendly Vancouver Fun

We live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and we really do try to take advantage of its offerings.  We love this website as a resource:  www.findfamilyfun.com , especially for the things going on around town.  Here is our list of favorite family activities, in no particular order

Stanley Park & the Aquarium

So much to do here:  swim at 2^nd beach and/or the outdoor pool, go to the awesome playgrounds and splash pads, bike or roller blade around the seawall visit the Aquarium and see a 4D movie (get a season’s pass if you live here and have small kids).

Must Read Books for Babies, Pre-schoolers and School Aged Kids

Starting a library for your kids? 

A list of amazing books to read with your babies & toddlers, pre-schoolers and school aged kids.  Here are my suggestions if you want to put together a great gift for new parents or just want to build a library for your kids.  Included in these lists are ones that I consider to be essentials for our bookshelves (in bold), but I’ve also included other less well known titles that you might want to check out from the library.  Our family has read and can recommend all of these books… many we discovered from the 1001 Children’s books to Read Before you Grow Up list, but others are childhood favorites or popular books we’ve picked up over the years.  I mostly stuck with fiction here…. Non fiction will need to be another list!

Babies

1. Moo Baa La La La (Sandra Boynton)
2. Barnyard Dance (Sandra Boynton)
3. But Not the Hippopotamus (Sandra Boynton)
4. Goodnight Moon (Margaret Wise Brown)

   

   Starting a Library for your kids!

5. Usborne touchy feely books - That’s Not My Puppy!
6. Usborne touchy feely books - That’s Not My Truck!)
7. Mr. Brown can Moo – Can You? – Board book version (Dr. Seuss)
8. Hop on Pop – Board book version (Dr. Seuss)
9. Where’s Baby’s Bellybutton (Karen Katz)
10. Counting Kisses (Karen Katz)
11. Elmer (David McKee)
12. Baby Beluga (Raffi)
13. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
14. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Bill Martin, Jr.)
15. The Wheels on the Bus (Annie Kubler)
16. Dear Zoo (Ron Campbell)
17. Pat the Bunny (Dorothy Kunhardt)
18. Baby Einstein Mirror Me (Julie Aigner-Clark)
19. Baby Faces (DK Publishing or others)
20. Waterproof books for the bath (like this one - Baby Einstein: Water, Water Everywhere)
21. Fabric books with lots of texture (like this one -Fuzzy Bee and Friends (Cloth Books)

44 Lessons for Life

My very first post on my very first blog!  This is a list I've had in my journal for a long time... a collection of lessons for life

1. Once a year, go somewhere you’ve never been
2. Once a year, go to the Theatre or an art gallery
3. Start saving for retirement with your first paycheck
4. Pay off your credit cards every month
5. Burn the candles…. Use the good dishes…. Wear the fancy lingere.  Why wait?
6. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
7. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful, or brings you joy
8. No matter how you feel, dress up and show up
9. Marry someone you love to talk to 
10. Children only get one childhood…. Make it memorable
11. Being kind is more important than being right
12. Your heart is your best compass
13. Humor and time cure most pains
14. Work hard and find a job you enjoy
15. Get enough sleep…. Make it a priority in your life