Unforgettable Childhood

In two weeks I get to meet the wonderful voice behind Layton Family Joy. She is sharing a little about her town today on Unforgettable Childhood. I love her tips and I can’t wait to use them when we arrive in Orlando. Don’t forget to stop by her blog and say hello.

When I tell most people we live in Orlando they automatically think Mickey Mouse.  Some people think Shamu.  We eat sushi not so much whale.  Very few people think Universal Studios.  Although I live directly in the middle of all of these attractions – my house is not shaped like Cinderella’s Castle.  But some days sure do feel like I just stepped off the Tea Cup rides!!

We live in sw Orlando – close enough to Disney to hear the fireworks at night (our very own little evening thunder concert), but thankfully we’re not too close we have to dress in costume to walk down the streets.  We enjoy the oak trees and Butler Chain of Lakes more so than concrete and skyscrapers of downtown Orlando.  I think Orlando is very interesting because you do not have to drive too far to find a completely different scene.  Less than 5 miles from my front door is a quaint town called Windermere where only 2 roads are paved.

I thought I’d give Amy and some other folks tips if you’re traveling to Orlando this summer.

1. Bring sunscreen! I don’t care if you have a great base tan – you will burn in Orlando. I’d bring a hat and sunglasses too.  It’s only early May and it’s already low 90*s

2. Bring a bathing suit – bring two!  There are enough opportunities to get wet from hotel pools, splash parks, and random fountains – you will not have time to dry one suit out before you need it again.  And you will need it again!

3. Plan for rain – it’s amazing but every day starts off bright and sunny and by afternoon we always have a random shower.  Don’t fret – it’ll be sunny again within an hour.

4. Bring your patience – there is a ton of traffic.  Even in October on Wednesdays at 2pm – there is a ton of traffic.  And people honk here – all the time!  Don’t take offense it’s normal.  This is a must – do not go on green. If you’re waiting for a green light stay patient!  Do not go right away.  There is usually someone running the red light in the opposite direction.  I’m not kidding! I’ve traveled around and Orlando is the worst for red light running.  Better to get honked at than t-boned!

5. Bring your pennies - everything costs more inside the parks!  But definitely bring some cash for Twistee Treat, the best soft ice-cream drive thru spot outside of Downtown Disney on South Apopka and 535. I gained 10 extra lbs during my pregnancy because of stops by Twistee Treat.

6. Bring your appetite – Orlando is great because there are so many different types of food and varieties - it’s a chore deciding where to eat!

If you can’t decide we’re usually at Anthony’s off I4 & Sand Lake Road (closer to Universal than Disney), brick fire pizza!
7. Plan a day to nap - when you get home you will be exhausted!  There is plenty to see and do in Orlando I haven’t seen it all in the 4years I’ve been here! You won’t see it all – relax and enjoy what you will see!

8. Hit Walmart for souvenirs – What?? – Your WalMart doesn’t have Disney magnets, shirts, cups, towels, and hats?  It’s cheaper in Super WalMart off Sand Lake Road and I4.

I hope these few tips will help you out when planning for your fun trip to Orlando!  Safe travels - and reapply that sunscreen!!

Stef blogs about her faith at Layton Family Joy and is a contributor to Gather Inspirit.

My girls love to spend time with their Dad. They never seem to mind when I have something to do and they get him all to themselves. He plays games with them, takes them to the park and drives a lot faster on the four wheeler than I like.

He reads bedtime stories to the girls every other night so one night this week he read Karen Kingsbury’s new children’s book, Let’s Have a Daddy Day. The girls really enjoyed the book. They would love for their daddy to build them a tree house. The only thing negative they had to say is that they wished it was longer. They can’t wait to have their next Daddy Daughter Day.

Here is a little more about the book from First Wild Card Tours.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

Let’s Have a Daddy Day

Zonderkidz (April 13, 2010)

***Special thanks to Pam Mettler of ZonderKidz for sending me a review copy.***

New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury has written more than forty of her Life-Changing Fiction titles and has nearly sixteen million in print. Dubbed by Time magazine as the Queen of Christian Fiction, Karen receives hundreds of letters each week and considers her readers friends. Her fiction has made her one of the country’s favorite storytellers, and one of her novels, Like Dandelion Dust, is under production for an upcoming major motion picture release. Her emotionally gripping titles include the popular Baxter family novels, the 9/11 Series, Even Now, Ever After, and Between Sundays. Karen and her husband, Don, live in the Pacific Northwest with their six children, three of whom are adopted from Haiti. You can find out more about Karen, her books, and her appearance schedule at her website.

Dan Andreasen lives in Medina, Ohio, with his wife and three children. He has illustrated more than thirty picture books. When his daughter was asked by her first grade teacher, “What kind of work does your daddy do?” she replied, “He colors.”

Product Details:

List Price: $15.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 13, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310712157
ISBN-13: 978-0310712152

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We live in small town South Dakota. We can’t afford to fly everywhere in the world with our family. However, it is still important to us to bring culture to our family. One of the ways we do that is to Travel Around the World without leaving our house.

Today in honor of Cinco de Mayo we will be traveling to Mexico. Here is a favorite recipe for our family. We love tacos, but sometimes it is fun to make them with a twist.

Start with 2 packages of Crescent Rolls

Arrange them in a circle, overlapping the rolls.

Set aside and brown a pound and a half of hamburger.

Remove from heat and drain grease. Add Taco Seasoning and 2 T. of Water. Mix Well. Add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Mix together.

Add one scoop of taco mixture on each crescent roll.

Fold over each roll to cover the meat.

Brush rolls with 1 slightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Place Taco Ring in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

We like to eat them with Salsa and Sour Cream. Yummy! Add some spanish rice and this is a perfect Cinco de Mayo meal.

Taco Ring Ingredients:

• 2 pkg. Crescent Rolls
• 1 1/2 lb. Hamburger, browned
• Taco Seasoning
• 2 T. Water
• 2 cups of Cheese, divided
• 1 egg white

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook ground beef until no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles, drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and water.

Scoop filling evenly over desired shape; finish shpae as directed. Brush with egg white. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with toppings. Serves 8.

Do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Do you have any favorite recipes to share?

Yesterday I spent hours on the computer making car rental reservations, agendas and itineraries, and crunching numbers for my banker husband for our upcoming trip to Disney World. I am trying to bring all the of the Magic to my girls while still keeping within my budget for him.

Lucky for me I have connected with some women online that have some great Disney insight and they have been sharing it with me. Today Amber from Dixon Dialogue is sharing about her last trip to Disney World with her 11 month old son. I really appreciate her insight. My girls are a little older, but she has some great advice that I am adding into my plan.

Walt Disney World (WDW) is one of my favorite places in the entire world – it truly is magical! I have been several times as an adult and had so much fun! I always wondered why people would bring their small children to WDW. Sure, it is meant for kids (and kids at heart) but crowds, lines, heat and long days don’t usually equal happy kids or parents.  For these reasons, I said that I would not take my son to WDW one day before he turned 10 years old!

Well, that plan changed when my husband’s parents treated us to a Disney vacation last October. My son was a mere 11 months old! We traveled with my husband’s family which consisted of 6 adults and 3 kids (7 months, 11 months, and 3 years old). We had a great time and it was magical to see WDW through the eyes of a child. I almost cried when my niece met a princess for the first time – the wonder and awe on her face was priceless. And it will be fun to tell my son about the time we took him to WDW before he could even walk.

I have found that this tips really made our vacation relaxing and fun! I hope they work for you too.

Have a Plan

WDW is a huge place – 4 parks, 2 water parks, mini-golf, Downtown Disney and the list goes on and on. If you like to wander around aimlessly for several hours each day trying to decide what to do – don’t make an itinerary. But if you prefer to make the most out of every minute of your vacation – make an itinerary. I made an itinerary for each of the four parks. I listed attractions I wanted to make sure we got to, food options that my family would eat and show times for the shows we were interested in.

It takes a little time compiling your list before you leave for vacation but it will save you so much time once you get there.  The point is not to have every minute of your vacation scheduled but to have an idea of the things you want to fit in so you can prioritize. And if you’re an overachiever like me you can print and laminate your itinerary so that a spilt drink or a sudden rain doesn’t ruin your planning.

Take a Good Stroller

When traveling with small children and preschoolers it is absolutely necessary to have a good stroller. “Good” can be defined several ways but I define it as lightweight and fully reclining with a small basket underneath to hold any purchases. My son can sleep just about anywhere so a fully reclining stroller was a must for us – we could stay at the park all day without him missing his afternoon nap.  Our stroller happens to be lightweight but I would go with your full size/travel system over a cheap umbrella stroller. You and your child will be more comfortable. And there are designated places to park your stroller while you enjoy an attraction or restaurant.

Stay in a WDW Resort

Staying in a WDW resort is the most convenient accommodation. WDW offers several modes of transportation from their hotels so all you have to do is hop on a bus or ferry each morning to get to your destination. WDW resorts have a wide range of price points from tent camping to elaborate 5 star hotels. My family has stayed in the All Star Sports hotel which is very budget friendly.

Eat Good and Bring Snacks

Eating in the parks can be costly and it is tempting to eat burgers and fries for every meal. But be good to your body and schedule a few good meals during your vacation. Many of the restaurants offer healthy options and it can also be a chance to sit down, relax and recharge.

Pack healthy snacks for your little ones. The parks do not offer too many healthy snack options and they are priced astronomically. Some snacks that we took were goldfish crackers, juice boxes, fruit strips, cheerios, and apples.

Use Fast Passes and Single Rider Lines

Using these options will save you many hours of waiting in line. This is especially important if only 1 or a few in your party want to ride a roller coaster. Fast Passes allow you to get a ticket to come back and ride the ride during a certain time frame. These are great because they are FREE and allow you to use that time to do other things. But, these can run out especially on the most popular rides.

WDW is, in my opinion, genius for implementing Single Rider Lines – on some of their most popular roller coasters you can wait in this considerably shorter line if you don’t care who you ride with – they fill in the empty spaces on the ride. I am the only one who rides roller coasters in my family so this is what I did all week. I rode a roller coaster 3 times in about 15 minutes!

Be Flexible and Have Fun

And this is the most important tip! Even the most well planned trip can run into a few bumps! Being flexible is the key when traveling with small children – go with the flow, enjoy the magical moments, dance in the street parade, and take a gazillion pictures!

Amber Dixon is a Christian, wife, mommy, avid reader and social worker. She blogs about her family and life at www.DixonDialogue.com. You can also follow Amber on Twitter: @DixonDialogue.

Well we are down to three weeks before our Disney World vacation. This weekend we sat down together and tried to start making a plan. What is going to make a 4, 7 and 9 year old happy. Plus keep Grandma and Grandpa sane. . . Well let’s just say we have a lot more planning to do.

This month I am going to have some guest posts from moms that travel with kids. I am also going to have some posts on being a tourist in your own town. I am going to add vacation tips and tricks to surviving car trips and plane rides.

Join the fun! If you have a fun story to share, let me know I would love to feature you here.

Today I am compiling a list of ideas for us to hash out as a family and try to make a plan before we get on the plane. Join us tomorrow as Amber shares her recent experience in Disney with her 11 month old.

Coming soon. . .

A new Traveling with your Kids series. By moms, for moms, how to survive Car trips, plane trips, motel stays, etc. How to pack your car and your bags when you are traveling with kids.

Travel Games, Movies and more to keep your kids entertained until you get there.

Destinations that are family friendly.

A chance to highlight where you live and why it makes a great place to visit.

Miles of Memories begins here at Unforgettable Childhood. Come and Excover with us!

This is a wonderful book! The pictures are beautiful and the story is touching. My girls loved to see all of the cultures and countries depicted in this book.

It was fun for them to hear the names and the customs that differ from our own. This book would be a wonderful baby gift. It made me remember the days I brought each of my own children home from the hospital.

Zonderkidz is donating $10,000 to Word Vision in celebration of the publication of this book!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called aFIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

Just Like You: Beautiful Babies Around the World

Zonderkidz (March 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Pam Mettler, Associate Director of Public Relations, ZonderKidz for sending me a review copy.***

Marla Stewart Konrad is keenly interested in global issues and has a special concern for the well-being of children. Her career as a speechwriter and communications professional has taken her to numerous countries in Asia and Africa. She lives near Toronto, Canada, with her family, and is the author of several books for children.

Product Details:

List Price: $15.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (March 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310714788
ISBN-13: 978-0310714781

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