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Archives for October 2012
Rental Homes Vs. Hotels for Large Family Vacations
October 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When you’re getting the whole family ready for a big trip, there’s a lot to take care
of, and it can be tough making sure that all of it gets taken care of right. Whether you’re
a single parent or not, coordinating a vacation involving a lot of people involves a ton of
moving parts, from packing lists to lodging arrangements, everything has to be perfectly
planned and flawlessly executed. Nothing’s worse than a vacation gone awry, so we’re
going to talk about some of the finer points of deciding whether or not you should go with
a rental home or a hotel for when you take your flock on a vacation.
Cost will, of course, always be an important factor in your decision, but we’re
going to talk about some of the other elements first, and for a good reason. The cost
advantage between a rental home and a hotel can vary based on a pretty wide variety of
factors, so we’ll begin by discussing some of the more practical needs that might factor
into whether or not you opt to go with a rental home or find some nice hotel deals.
Age factors into this decision pretty significantly, as a hotel might be a better option
[Read more…]
Honeywell EnergySmart® Surround Select Ceramic Heater Review
October 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
With winter just around the corner, who doesn’t have the need for a Space Heater? I live in the middle of Kansas, where we have extremely cold winters!! My husband is definitely pretty frugal (I think that’s the best way to put it 🙂 ). He always likes to wait and see how long he can wait to turn on the heat. It was definitely no big deal when it was just the two of us, because I LOVE to snuggle up with blankets, but now that we have 2 younger children, it really isn’t an option for us to do!!
This past weekend it was already in the high 20s/low 30s! I was all for turning on the heater, but my husband of course was reluctant! SO, I recently received the Honeywell EnergySmart Surround Select Ceramic Heater to review! I couldn’t have been any happier. I KNEW this is one product that I most definitely could thoroughly test, as well as get some great use out of!
I decided it was definitely time to break it out of the box!! I got it out and read some of the instructions, to make sure that I didn’t mess anything up 🙂
Here are some of the features of the Heater:
- Ceramic Technology for quiet, even heating
- EnergySmart Digital Controls
- 180 degree feature for directional heating
- 360 degree tip over protection
- Cool TouchCarrying Handle
- Two heat modes
- Programmable thermostat
- 1-8 hour timer
- 3 year warranty
My Thoughts:
I absolutely LOVED it. It works wonderful. Our living room is fairly large, so I wasn’t sure that it would be able to warm us up, but it definitely did. We were almost to the point of being hot. I LOVE the Cool carrying [Read more…]
Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo
October 11, 2012 by 1 Comment
Boo at the Zoo Returns to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo
Boo at the Zoo Bronx Zoo
Celebrate a New York Halloween tradition at WCS’s Bronx Zoo
Safe, family-friendly activities include:
The Haunted Habitat Mansion
Creepy Hollows Hayride
Costume Parade
Music, Magic, and MORE
Master Carver Pumpkin carving demonstrations
kids haunted hayride
Boo at the Zoo festivities run FIVE weekends beginning this Saturday, Sept. 29!
Sept. 29-30; Oct. 6-8, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28
Boo at the Zoo returns to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo for five full weekends of Halloween-themed family entertainment and activities. Attractions and activities embrace the spirit of the season while highlighting wildlife and conservation.
Annual favorites including a haunted walk-through adventure – The Haunting at Habitat Mansion – and the spooky Hayride through Creepy Hollows headline the festivities and have been enhanced for this year’s Boo at the Zoo. Visitors will enjoy magic shows, musical performances, and costume parades in addition to traditional guest favorites including the hay maze, haunted extinct graveyard and special seasonal craft workshops.
Children 12 and under wearing a Halloween costume will receive free general admission with one paid adult general admission. All Boo at the Zoo activities are included with the price of general admission with the exception of the hayride and haunted mansion.. The Creepy Hollows Hayride and the Haunting at Habitat Mansion walk-through adventure are included with the purchase of a Total Experience Ticket.
From Monday, Sept. 17, guests that purchase four or more Total Experience Tickets online will receive a plush snake hat created in the spirit of Boo at the Zoo. Offer is good while supplies last.
Guests are encouraged to visit www.bronxzoo.com for a complete schedule of keeper chats, animal enrichment sessions, and family activities.
Boo at the Zoo activities include:
The Haunting at Habitat Mansion
The Habitat Mansion, once owned by wildlife conservationist Dr. Benton Broome, is said to be the most haunted landmark in the Bronx Zoo. Dr. Broome left his legacy of preserving animal wildlife, habitats and conserving the earth’s precious ecological resources to his son, Dusty. But Dusty is not up for the challenge and the ghost of his father wants to ensure the memory of all endangered species is not forgotten. In the Haunted Habitat mansion, ghosts of the past, visions of extinct animals, and the messages of Dr. Broome’s ghostly house servants encourage guests to remember the importance of protecting wildlife from the threat of extinction. Mansion admission is included with Total Experience Tickets.
Location; By Somba Village
Time; 11:00am- 5:00pm
Creepy Hollows Hayride
Enjoy a thrilling hay ride beneath a canopy of beautiful fall foliage past the Birds of Prey exhibit and through the animated town of “Creepy [Read more…]
Ascarium: A Pirate Adventure at the NY Aquarium
October 11, 2012 by 1 Comment
Ascarium: A Pirate Adventure, brings a new thematic to the NY Aquarium as a part of this season’s Halloween celebration. A range of pirate themed, kid-friendly, not so scary experiences will be part of this year’s festivities to continue the tradition of providing Brooklyn and area families with a great destination for their Halloween celebration.
Ascarium combines the fun of this iconic holiday with the NY Aquarium’s mission of connecting people to wildlife. Ascarium will run the last three weekends in October (October 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28).
This year’s activities will include:
Haunted Seafari; The Tragic Tale of Captain Paul Looter
This year’s seafari adventure takes guests into the sunken ship of Captain Paul Looter, an awful pirate captain and a deep-sea criminal. Guests will enter the quarters of Captain Looter, where he still guards his gold coins, gold objects and scores of treasures from beyond his watery grave.
Our ship explorers then head into the Briny Brig, where our deteriorating devil crew are paying the cost for their pirating as well as their overfishing the waters and poaching some of the seas most magnificent, and endangered species. They are egged on to exit the ship and have a few choices…will they WALK THE PLANK to their doom Or will they head ON DECK?
Walking thru the Brig Portal…our treasure hunters will find the deck of the ship. Finally finding their way, our explorers are dumped onto the seashore, where all is NOT well. The effects of Looter & his slimy crew have polluted this craggy-rocked landscape. But it seems that Captain Looter has learned his lesson. His ghostly image speaks to us to let us know that he realizes now – that treasures are not in gems or gold, but the greatest treasure of all is the marine life and clean water that support our planet and it inhabitants.
Location: Explore the Shore
Timing: 11:30am – 4:30pm
Pirate School!
Pirate School! is a madcap, swashbuckling one-man family vaudeville show created and performed by veteran New York physical comedian and actor David Engel. During Pirate School! the bumbling professor Billy Bones teaches youngsters how to be good pirates with zany lessons on how to stand, talk, sing and laugh like Buccaneers, skulls talk, cutlasses drop and pets run amok. And there’s marine conservation information incorporate as part of the programming. Ultimately Pirate School! aims to satisfy children’s universal curiosity about the briny Buccaneers of yore while subtly boosting their self-esteem and pro-social skills by prompting them to be more empathetic, responsible, courageous Corsairs.
Location; Seaside Pavilion
Timing; October 13,14,27,28
11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm
Musical Performance
The Brigands, a four piece musical group performing period pirate and nautical related music, will be the featured musicians. Their performances will include songs, ballads and fiddle tunes from roughly 1680 onwards, from the Golden Age of Piracy, thru the Tall Ships era right up to modern day with [Read more…]
Hallmark Halloween Decor Review and W!N @HallmarkPR
October 11, 2012 by 22 Comments
Happy Halloween boils and ghouls!
How can you throw a wonderful Halloween get together without scaring the pants off your more sensitive, smaller guests as well as adult ones? How about by having Hallmark help with the decorating and Halloween shopping? Hallmark are the greeting card experts and have been for years. Halloween cards are great for any occasion, with bright colors, meaningful words, or and silly phrases. Some cards are even decorations as well, these large cards can open up and be put out for display. Hallmark is also known for their holiday decorations including Christmas, Thanksgiving, and of course Halloween. Their Halloween line is ever-expanding and constantly getting spooky, playful decorations and this year is no different. Here are a few highlights:
My Pet Ghost is a little jar that holds your choice of 3 ghosts, each with their own personalities including Genevieve Ruffles, Julian Hijinks, and Maxwell McSpooky. When the top of the jar is pressed the ghost lights up inside and give you some spooky insight into the ‘life’ of a ghost in a silly fun way. Little Man really liked this little pet, he was endlessly amused by it/her. He took it to his room to scare off any rouge monsters that may creep up in the night. Hey, whatever works.
Another spooky decoration is the new Witch’s Hat Door Decor. The hat hangs on the door and is motion activated. All you have to do is walk in front of it and it [Read more…]
Hallmark Discount Code
October 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
For those of you still shopping for Halloween we have a special treat for you- a coupon for 30 percent off Hallmark’s [Read more…]
Children Fighting in the Car: 5 Ways to Cope
October 11, 2012 by 6 Comments
Raising children is an amazing experience; watching kids learn and grow is one of the most enjoyable experiences in life. It is not, however, without its challenges. As kids grow, they go through phases where they can be difficult to deal with. Parents of grown children will all agree that kids in cars get in arguments. Here are five ways to cope with children fighting in the car.
1) Give them a comfortable environment – One of the leading causes of kids fighting is boredom. On long trips, kids often resort to starting petty arguments with siblings that can spiral out of control. Giving them plenty of room to sit and entertainment options for long trips. A family car, for example, may offer DVD players that you can use to distract your kids while on the road.
2) Be firm – Make sure the rules are clear before leaving. Fighting will not be allowed, and fighting will lead to punishment. Make sure that you catch them fighting early in the process, and remind them of the consequences. Simply being told that fighting will result in punishment may not be enough, but it will eventually lead to results. Make sure you remind your kids why rules are important; when driving, fighting in the back distracts the driver and can lead to dangerous driving situations.
[Read more…]
