holidays Archives - Page 12 of 27 - Have Sippy Will Travel

Lake Placid Holiday Stroll

December 23, 2013 by Samantha 8 Comments

The Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll is the perfect way to discover the magic of the holiday season in an Adirondack Winter Wonderland. The volunteer ran committee of elves has a wonderful weekend of art, music, gourmet foods and boutique shopping planned for the pleasure of visitors. Shoppers love the alternative to the big box store options and the intimate setting makes the Village Stroll appealing to couples and families.

The Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll features over 50 unique stores that accept holiday bucks to help you find the perfect holiday gifts in a serene setting. There is no hustle and bustle of the mall crowd to contend with, and you will find gifts that will be treasured by the lucky recipients.

The weekend isn’t all about shopping. Families will love the ice skating party and Holiday Story Time at the Mirror Lake Inn. Couples will enjoy the wine tastings and art displays. Children will delight in the matinee showing of the Polar Express, the craft workshops and breakfast with Santa at participating hotels on Sunday morning.

If you are traveling to attend the weekend you might wonder where to stay and eat. I have a few recommendations for you to consider while you are planning your 2014 Village Stroll trip.

The Pines of Lake Placid is truly a home away from home. Featuring a huge hot tub and gorgeous decor, the family operated inn offers a peaceful ambiance in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I loved the cozy atmosphere and wholesome vibe of The Pines. I had the pleasure of spending 2 nights at the Pines Inn, I had a lovely stay and was very impressed with the Pines of Lake Placid. The beds were wildly comfortable, and it was within a short walk to all of the town festivities. They also offered great activities for the kids and adult alike, from free movies and popcorn to wine and cheese tasting and a wrapping station.

During my stay I dined at a few great places in Lake Placid. Duncan’s Grille at the Pines Inn offers Authentic German cuisine on weekends at affordable prices including Rahm Schnitzel, Schnitzel Cordon Bleu and Zwiebelsuppe.

A favorite place to dine or celebrate in Upstate New York is the Dancing Bears Restaurant, located at 2384 Saranac Ave., Lake Placid NY 12946 . The energy of this establishment makes for a fun dining experience. The rich history of the restaurant includes the celebrations of Olympians during the 1980 games. On the menu you will find 3 egg omelets, gourmet burgers, lobster rolls and pizza to name a few.

The Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood Companyoffers delectable selections such as the maple and pear flat-bread pizza, BBQ Brisket, Bangers & Mash and the Portabella Philly. The menu here is affordable, most options are under $13. They also have an award winning beer which is loved by locals and visitors alike. Lake Placid beer this fresh is not to be missed, and the kids menu is awesome as well. The below photo is a rib-kid-meal.
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Give a Gift That Is Guaranteed to be Re-gifted… up to Nine Times!

December 21, 2013 by Samantha 3 Comments

Heifer International Offers Perfect Last-Minute Livestock-ing Stuffers. Most people dread knowing their gifts have been re-gifted. At Heifer, not only do we expect it, we know the more times our gifts are passed around, the better.

By giving the gift of a cow, or a sheep, or a goat, you will be the first in a chain of giving that can positively affect eight additional families in need. Each family that receives an animal passes on the offspring of the animal they received, helping transform their entire community. We call it Passing on the Gift®, and it’s the hallmark of our model. When you give today, you can have up to nine times the impact in ending hunger and poverty.

So if you’re still searching for the perfect gift for the person who has everything, consider. Heifer International. It’s a thoughtful and easy way to show you care: charitable gifts of animals and resources that will help families around the world to lift themselves out of poverty.
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Filed Under: holidays Tagged With: holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2013

Hot Toys for Christmas

December 13, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Disclosure- I have received the below in order to review. All opinions are my own and honest. Please feel free to see the “I Disclose” tab for more info.

Getting ready for Christmas? It can be hard to wade through all the noise to find the best Christmas items. Now that “Black Friday” is over, we can focus on what’s fantastic for the season vs how much can be saved at 3am. A few of my current favorites are;

North Pole Communicator Microphone- This is super cute and fun for kids, and lets them “talk” with Santa every night before bedtime. Beginning December 1, get the family together daily and dial up the North Pole to have “real” back-and-forth conversations with the “big man”, elves, and more. The communicator is quite a lot of fun, will amuse adults as well, really psychs kids up and gets them excited, and and is a great way to get the family involved in a nightly activity.

Hallmark’s Keepsake Ornaments are a tradition for many, and giving a treasured ornament (or building a collection for your children) is something that so many people enjoy doing. Keepsake Ornaments has a variety of ornaments that commemorate milestones and nurture memories, as well as scenes from your favorites movies, TV shows, or cartoon characters. Our favorite this year is “Lions and Tigers and Bears”, a Wizard of Oz ornament that moves and talks. All the characters move and speak lines from this scene in the movie. There is an amazing variety of Keepsake Ornaments, so finding the perfect gift for your child or loved one is easy.

The new interactive storybook “Santa and the Christmas Eve Flight” is adorable and will make bonding over reading with you kids fun for both of you. Santa responds with questions or choices as you read key words and phrases. how your child answers will shape this story, which can change each time you read it. There are more then 30 responses from Santa, which makes the possibilities for the storyline pretty diverse.
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Filed Under: holidays, review Tagged With: Hallmark, holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2013, holidays, kids, stuffed animals, talk to santa, toys

Cardstore Holiday Cards

December 11, 2013 by Samantha 5 Comments

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Cardstore. I received complimentary cards and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Its holiday card time! What is one game that is fun to play and also relatively easy? Why it’s the Emmy’s of Christmas cards.

What pray tell are the Emmy’s of Christmas cards, also known as the pointsies? Well, it is a special award where you and your friends figure out which cards are the best in a few key categories.

And they are:

Cutest- cutest kid/puppy/etc.

Mushiest – this is that special card that brings a tear to your eye and a smile to your face. Either a well written card or even a little hand written note tucked into a blank card.

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Filed Under: holidays, review Tagged With: cards, holiday cards, holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2013

Five Attractions to See in NYC Over Christmas

December 10, 2013 by Samantha 2 Comments

The day after Thanksgiving, when families are still full of holiday cheer and pumpkin pie, New York City hangs its wreaths, switches over its store displays, and gets ready to celebrate Christmas. The sound of taxis speeding through crosswalks is replaced by the sweet sound of Christmas carols, as holiday shows go up, store windows are lit with icicle lights, and visitors descend on the city to share in the cheer. Plan your perfect holiday trip with these fun and festive stops along the way:

Holiday Windows: The Upper East Side is known for its terrific shopping, but even those on a budget can enjoy the city’s wonderful department stores during the holiday season without spending a dime. New York’s most famous stores, including Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, and Bloomingdale’s, all deck out their storefronts with elaborate and festive scenes during the holiday season. With just over a mile between all of the shops, checking out all of the windows is a terrific, but time-effective, tour of central Manhattan.

The Nutcracker: George Balanchine’s holiday classic comes alive with some of the world’s greatest dancers at the NYC Ballet. For those seeking an activity that provides ample holiday cheer to a variety of age groups, this festive celebration more than fits the bill. Whether you’re a visitor or a life-long New Yorker, The Nutcracker’s mix of true artistry and holiday whimsy rarely fails to delight.

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Filed Under: holidays, travel Tagged With: family travel, holidays, New York City, NY, NYC, NYC Christmas, NYC holidays, travel

Christmas in Branson

December 9, 2013 by Samantha 5 Comments

Branson, Missouri, is well-known as an amazing destination for summer vacations. Tucked into the rolling Ozarks, and with three lakes in the area, the opportunities for outdoor recreation in Branson is almost off the chart.

Hiking and biking and horse-back riding through the fragrant woods, or waterskiing and wakeboarding on the lakes, or fly-fishing on the near-by streams – there’s definitely something for every taste and ability.

But what about winter? Well, that’s when Branson really shines – to say the least. Christmas in Branson is over the top, too, and is especially magical for all the kids in the family.

Dinner Show on the Showboat Branson Belle

Many of the live shows in Branson’s 50-theater strip go on hiatus during the “off season” of January and February, but most of the theaters are ablaze with Christmas cheer from the weekend following Thanksgiving to the end of December. Christmas songs, Christmas carols, Christmas plays and Christmas romps bring the joy of this cheerful season to all children be they tykes or teens.

Almost all of these shows are “family-rated,” so taking the kids out for a live theater or concert experience is easy. Especially popular shows for kids includes Kirby VanBurch’s Christmas Spectacular, a magic show with surprise assistants – full-grown tigers! And the kids are sure to enjoy Christmas sing-alongs and caroling with family-oriented performers such as the Baldknobbers and the Presley Family.

Silver Dollar City is another Branson attraction that closes during the months of January and February, so the Christmas season is a great time to get your last licks in. Branson’s Silver Dollar City theme park is bedecked with the old-fashioned Christmas fun of the 1800s. Festive drapes of pine bows, red ribbons and strings of popcorn and candies decorate the western town.
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Filed Under: holidays, travel Tagged With: Branson Missouri, Christmas in Branson, family travel, travel, vacations in Branson

Top 5 Attractions in Toronto with Kids

December 7, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Once Winter has rolled around, there are fewer places on earth better than Toronto for getting your family into the holiday spirit. Every year, there are multiple seasonal events that are fantastic fun for kids and a darn good time for grown-ups too. Here are five of the best.

Holiday Parades
Every year, the Greater Toronto Area holds weekly Santa and Christmas-themed parades that are pure joy for little ones, featuring as they do, lights, music, floats, marching bands and a host of colorful characters—including the guest of honor, Santa Claus. The parades and events take place in 23 different locales, every Saturday, in and around Toronto, throughout November and into early December. The event not to be missed in 2013 is happening at The Junction Train Platform on December 7th between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Arrive early to meet Santa and his elves, enjoy story-time with Mrs. Claus and spend the rest of your day indulging in gift-shopping, craft workshops, or perhaps watching some seasonal dancing.

Cavalcade of Lights
The lighting of the tree in Nathan Phillips Square has been dazzling families for almost half a century now. These days, the focus isn’t only on the holiday tree though, thanks to the spectacular fireworks display, wide variety of family-friendly live music and ice skating rink dance party that all come with the event. A celebration of this magnitude may be a little overwhelming for younger children, but your pre-teens will be in heaven. In 2013, the Cavalcade of Lights is happening on November 30th, starting at 7 p.m.
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Filed Under: holidays, kids Tagged With: canada, family travel, toronto, travel, winter travel

Elf Magic- Fun Holiday Traditions

December 3, 2013 by Samantha 5 Comments

My son loves his Elf Magic Elf, Burke. Burke was hard to get back to Santa last year, and my little dude was NOT a happy camper. He made an early return this year, with my son finding him inside of his Trick or Treat pumpkin.

Burke, like us, likes to travel. When we sent our letter to Santa last year, we let him know how much we move around, and asked him to send an elf that would like to see the world as well. We can’t have an elf that gets car-sick or won’t get on an airplane now, can we? LOL. Burke, luckily, is a hardy elf, and enjoys all the new places and spaces we tote him to.

With Burke in Philly

Last year he joined us for many trips and daily outings, even really exciting things like the supermarket. I know. Mind. Blown. Try to contain yourself. You are a grown up, act like it.

My son was so taken with his Elf Magic elf that he even took him to our Christmas photo session last year. Yes, that’s us, and Burke. I’m not telling my then-5-year-old that the elf isn’t part of the family, that’s just mean.
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