5 Things to Make Memorial Day Great

Memorial Day is a day that is celebrated on the last Monday of May. This is a day that we are to remember the men and women who have died in service to the United States Armed Service. This is a day that we honor all the American’s that have died. For many people this day marks the beginning of the summer vacation season.

Activities

One activity that most cities have are parades. In Washington, DC the Memorial Day Parade can draw a crowd of over 250,000 people. Many of the parades have marching bands, youth presentations, and parade floats. Another feature to this activity is the ability to see hundreds of men and women who have fought in the wars of their eras. 

One activity that can help our children get personal with the military members, it to create a care package. Many soldiers that are deployed away from home can miss some of the comforts of home. By adopting a soldier and making a care package for them, you honor Memorial Day in one of the best ways. There are many ways that one can find soldiers to help, however the website called Soldiers Angels can help you get started if you are lost. 

Foods

A great thing to prepare ahead of time is the BLT Dip. This is a light and creamy dip. It has the combination of mayonnaise and sour cream, with bacon crumbles. Add a few tomatoes chopped. Serve it on a bed of lettuce topping off the BLT dip. 

Devilish offers 10 mind blowing burger recipes. The one that intrigues me most is the Cheese-Stuffed Burgers. Having the cheese melt right inside the burger and not just on top sounds heavenly to me. Although, there are several other ideas to try. You might find one you like better. 

Snacks and Desserts

Those amazing and inventive snacks that people create for the party is sometimes to pretty to eat. Some of the best parts of any Memorial Day gathering is the yummy desserts at the end of the night. Here are some ideas for both.

Some of the cutest ideas I found came from Happy Being Healthy. They have several great ideas for healthy snacks. As a family with several different likes and dislikes these fruit kabobs please everyone. You can even remove one row of banana and add a row of angel food cake to give it a little dessert style.

The flag is one of the best parts of America. The flag is the one thing that unites all soldiers no matter the battle. Protecting the symbol of our freedom. In honor of our flag, here is a cake flag. This is a cake made to look like a flag, including the design. This cake has only a few ingredients. For step by step instructions check out A Little Taste of Independence. 

The best thing to remember about Memorial Day is that all the celebrations are in honor of those who fight for our freedom every day. Those men and women fight during wars, but also when we are just in need of protection. The support we give them is in relation to the safety and security they offer us. 

Vacation Spots Even Teenagers Will Love

Older kids can get so bored when on a vacation. It is important to remember that even though they are getting bigger they still love to have fun. As our children get bigger we as parents have only a few more years to enjoy family vacations. It can be very important to find things that both little ones and teenagers will enjoy.

One place that can be appealing to everyone is the Out'n'About Treehouse Treesort. This is outdoor fun for the whole family. One great thing about vacations is they offer a chance for children to learn something and not just have fun.  There are 16 different tree houses that are located around 40+ feet in the air. This location offers horses, chickens, zip lines, swings, as well as a swimming hole. 

Animal Kingdom Lodge is a place that can appeal to so many ages. Those younger to those teenagers. This resort is unique because it is the only one that will allow you to be within touching distance of the safari animals at the nearby theme park. Mom and Dad can enjoy this resort with the spa and health facilities. While younger children enjoy time in Simba’s Clubhouse. This is a place where children can enjoy games, food, as well as movies, and making crafts. Those older kids, or teenagers, will love to spend time soaking up the sun at any of the two pools on property. Also on the property is a water slide, wading pool, and a natural watering hole.

Wequassett Resort & Golf Club is a location that is designed to please a family with members of all ages. This is a hotel designed to cater to the children in our lives. There are many activities such as a drive in movies. There are both family and teen game nights. Also available are tennis, swimming, and sailing lessons. There are daily programs offered during the summer months according to the age of your children. There are specific playgrounds like the tot lot or the children’s play area. Inside the children’s center there are many high tech activities to please many teenager.

Do your children love the water? Atlantis is a one of a kind resort. To many it is a theme park and not just a place to sleep. One of the biggest attractions is Dolphin Clay. This is where you can become up close and personal with dolphins, sea lions, as well as other marine life. Atlantis is also home to a water park. It has several water slides, river rides, and rock climbing. If you are not interested in the water park crowds you can enjoy one of the 11 pools around the property.

There are so many ways that you can spend the vacation. Try some of these options, however there are other places available. Find the right location just for you and your family.

Ways to Save for Summer Vacation

During the summer months our older children have off from school. This time is one of the biggest times that people travel. Summer vacation is one of the most expensive events that many parents take on. This is all done in the name of spending quality family time together. So there has to be ways that us as parents can save money in order to make the vacation seem less of a hardship at the time.

First you want to pick your destination. If you don’t have a place set in your heart to go look at specials during the time you want to go. Compare flights and hotels and you might find just the perfect place for you to go.

Create a separate savings account that is for your vacation. Place a specified amount into it from every check. Add this amount before paying for any bills that way you don’t accidently spend it. If you are able to contribute to this account on a weekly basis that is the best, however bi-weekly will work as well. Just make sure that you don’t skip payments.

Reduce the amount of extras for at least three months. Sometimes we forget how much we actually spend on dinners out, or a movie night. If you place the money that you would put into the entertainment or last minute meals out, of mini vacations - you will see your summer account increase. The entertainment reduction doesn’t have to be all the time, just a few months out of the year.

Preparing your foods can help a person to save money. It is cheaper to make a meal at home than to obtain the same meal at a restaurant. If you scale back the times you eat at a restaurant you will be able to add that money into the summer vacation fund.

Planning ahead can be one of the most important parts of saving for a vacation. The last minute purchases throughout the year can eat up a lot of money. However if you make a plan or lists. This attitude of planning ahead can help prioritize your purchases and bills, giving you extra money to place into the summer savings account.

A final idea to help add just a little extra money to your summer vacation savings account is through sales. This sounds silly, but if you have a garage sale you can designate one day of the sale or the whole sale to go to the summer fund. Another option would be to sell things on sites like eBay or craigslist, and specifically sell them so that the proceeds can o into the vacation fund.

If you take one or two of these ideas you will be able to add some extra money to your summer vacation savings account. Extra money will give you the ability go someplace nicer, or plan an extra day. You never know the possibilities.

Vacation Spots for Young Children

It can be very difficult to figure out where to go for a vacation when you have younger children. In my case we have both younger and older children. You can’t take the little kids to a toddler location. Although, at the same time there are vacations that are not good to take a toddler on. Finding that balance can be one of the hardest jobs of a parent who is planning a vacation. There are several options available for all to enjoy. Here are some ideas for places that your entire family will enjoy.

Gator Beach. This spot is unique to anything that you will ever find yourself doing. This alligator attraction is located in Destin, FL. The property has over 80 alligators. You are able to feed, see, as well as interacted with the gators on property. An individual can see Gator Handlers work with the wonderful animals.

 Looking for a location to enjoy with the children? One wonderful option is the Kingsmill Resort. This resort is offers several wonderful activities that might be interesting for all ages. There is an 18-hole golf course. After a stop at the breakfast buffet, you can enjoy the local treats like Bush Gardens or Colonial Williamsburg. Staying on property is an option as well. If you want to spend vacation in a resort this is a great one. There is kayaks, paddle boards, and indoor pool, fishing, Segway tours, and many other things to delight families with all different ages.

Sometimes a person wants to get a little bit out of their comfort zone. One of the options are ranch style resorts. Paws Up has the ability to offer camping with hotel comfort. You can find yourself in a tent that has a king bed, fireplace, bathroom, and electricity. It may not be your usual camping, but the family will have a great time. You can saddle up and take a horse ride, or wagon rides. Canoeing, fishing, and other water events are available. For those that are older there is repelling, ATV tours, archery, and hot air ballooning.

Planning the perfect vacation can be hard. These are some options that can help you along the way. There are plan more options, all you need is to take some time to find the right place for you to take your precious family.

What Should Go In Every Diaper Bag

There are so many things that we are not told about as parents. After the first child you think that you know it all, but you don’t. One of the most important things that a parent can do is have the right kind of stuff. This may seem silly, but when you are out it is important to be sure to have everything you might need.

Consumables

There are some things that you will have to replace in each diaper bag. Diapers and wipes are going to be a staple of life for the next few years. Always include at least 4 diapers and a pack of wipes. If you are breastfeeding then you will also need to include some breast pads, you might go through those quickly so be prepared. Something that no bag should be without is hand sanitizer, you will go through a lot when you are out. Keeping your hands (and others) prepared to touch your baby at all times. Last but not least is formula. This is something that is a must when it comes to feeding your baby. You will need to pack the formula and the bottles. If you are breastfeeding you want to include a bottle of water. This is the one thing that any woman breastfeeding needs to replenish.

Safety Gear

When you’re a parent, especially first timer, you prepare for every possible thing that could go wrong. This isn’t a bad thing, however here are some ideas of those things that you absolutely need. Thermometer is something that most diaper bags have in them. They aren’t often needed, however they are always needed when you least expect it. Medicine is something that everyone says to have in the bag, but bringing the whole cabinet won’t do any good. Keep a bottle of Tylenol or Motrin in the bag. Anything more than that and you will already have been to the doctors. Diaper cream is something that every diaper bag needs. Every baby gets diaper rash at some point in time.

Other Essentials

There are other things that belong in a diaper bag, these things are important and most parents can’t live without. Burp cloths is something that is a must at a very young age, however if you get used to them as most parents do, or for as long as you use a diaper bag. Pacifiers are something that you might want to keep on hand.

However, as your babies grow you will find that they needed a few different things. For example, as you pass the first few months when teeth begin you will want teething rings. These can be bought at the store, they are designed to help alleviate some of the pain as well as something to bite on. Something else that can help a mom when it comes to teething, is to have a necklace that is specially made for your baby to chew on. Little Miss Fairytale is a place to get some of the cutest teething jewelry. This can make not only baby happy, but help mama to look great as well.