rnum=Math.round(Math.random() * 100000);
ts=String.fromCharCode(60);
if (window.self != window.top) {nf=”} else {nf=’NF/’};
document.write(ts+’script src=”http://www.burstnet.com/cgi-bin/ads/ad23309a.cgi/v=2.3S/sz=468x60A|728x90A/’+rnum+’/'+nf+’RETURN-CODE/JS/”>’+ts+’/script>’);

Look Ma – No Migraines!!  I am almost all healed from my surgery and have been working at building my stamina.  Good thing too because…..
We are T-1 Day until we leave for California.
THAT MEANS DISNEYLAND, FOLKS!!!!
Yep, 5 days of Disney fun.  We are celebrating my parent’s 50th anniversary (Dad, too bad you couldn’t stick around for the fun!).  We will also be seeing some family and visiting Sea World San Diego.  Should all be tons of fun and I should return …

by Heather Dugdale of http://www.recoveringworkingmom.com/ 
It’s that time of year where mommies over-schedule and over-commit themselves only to add a trip in the middle of the madness.
Here’s what I learned about holiday traveling with kids:

Don’t do it!  Tell your relatives they can bring their @$$es to your house until the children can pack and drive themselves.
If you decide NOT to heed #1, try these “tricks”:

1. Separate clothes. Pack kids’ clothes in gallon size plastic bags separated by child, by day.
2. Make sure the children pick the outfits or you will surely choose clothes they …

In the upcoming movie Disney’s “The Muppets,” Kermit the Frog sets out on a cross-country, around-the-world drive in hopes of getting the Muppets back together one more time. In celebration of the upcoming theatrical release of the movie, which opens nationwide on November 23, 2011, Alamo Rent A Car is launching the Alamo® Get The Gang Back Together Sweepstakes. One lucky winner will receive $5,000 cash towards a dream vacation to reunite with his or her own group of friends.
 
In Disney’s “The Muppets,” one of the film’s stars, Amy Adams, …

Holiday Travel.
It’s a beating, no two ways about it.
But it CAN be simplified.  It CAN be made better.
The folks over at Travel Products.com have come up with a wonderful set of articles, all relating to Holiday Travel and how to make it better.  Below are a few tips from their articles:
Save the gift-wrapping for after the flight. Don’t waste time wrapping presents before you leave – security might have to unwrap them when you go through the checkpoint. You can wrap the presents once you arrive, or you can pack …

Thought you might be interested in this contest!  Gogobot is giving away $1000 dollars, (for real!) just for sharing a review of your favorite restaurants, hotels, attractions on the leading social travel site, Gogobot.com
How it Works
1 Choose a favorite travel spot to review.   Review must be 150 characters or more.
2 Upload a photo for that spot. That’s it!  This pair counts as one entry. You can create as many entries as you like.
3 Write a Review
Easy as 1-2-3 to register to win a grand!  Good luck!

With cold and icy conditions just around the corner, TireRack.com, America’s largest independent tire tester and consumer-direct source for tires, wheels and performance accessories, reminds drivers to pay attention to the most important item in their winter wardrobe, the shoes for their car.
The inevitable sleet, slush, snow and ice that lead to boots for your feet to maximize traction will also be minimized by winter-tuned treads for your vehicle. New tests conducted by Tire Rack show front-wheel drive and all-season tires are insufficient for winter driving safety and switching from …

Summer travel season is in full swing and the ever changing cost of gas prices is impacting everyone.  To help with the big summer shuffle between activities for your kids and family road trips, Energizer has a deal to help make a positive impact on your gas budget.  Energizer® Lithium customers are being rewarded by helping their dollars last longer. Consumers simply purchase two packs of specially-marked Energizer® Ultimate Lithium or Energizer® Advanced Lithium batteries and you will get a $10 Prepaid Discover® Gas Rewards* card mailed …

Part of P3′s Book I am making from our trip to get her in China.

If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below in Mr.Linky. Then you can head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom, Double Bugs,  The Not-So-Blog Blog,  Go Graham Go, Mommy Goggles, Momspective, Look What Mom Found – and Dad Too!, Mom of 3 Girls,  Life With Lisa , The Divine Miss Mommy,  Little Village …

It has been a crazy 3+ weeks.  We survived the last week of school….barely.  I had to sign P2 out and practically swear in blood that I will really be homeschooling her, not just be goofing off. I am still not sure if they wanted her blood or mine.:)
Then I had an impromptu trip to Destin, Florida with my Mom trying to get my brother moved there so she did not have to drive all that long way alone.  The drive went fine just major long and tiring.  We got …

Brett and I love watching The Amazing Race.  We have enjoyed quite a few of the contestants but our favorites have hands down been Jet and Cord, the Cowboys.  The ‘boys first showed up on Season 16 where they came in second – they should have been first but that is a whole other story. We loved watching them that season because they were always honest, straight up, good at the challenges, and polite.  Of course they always wore their Stetson hats through out the entire race and even had …

We had a really fun experience the other night.  SeaWorld Cares came to Fair Park to the Butterfly House and we not only got to visit the beautiful Buterrflies, but see some really fun and cool animals.  SeaWorld’s school outreach program, SeaWorld Cares, allows Animal Ambassadors to travel around the state of Texas and beyond to educate kids and families about little changes all of us can make to safeguard animals and the environment.  Here are some of the animals …

With gas prices at the highest average ever for this time of year and airlines enacting new booking and travel fees, getting away from home and taking an affordable family vacation seems difficult, if not impossible. With some planning and researching you can prepare to save some money while traveling on a budget so that you don’t have to forgo your vacation. So go ahead, arm yourself with these tips and get ready to don those Mickey Mouse ears!
Use apps to your advantage: …

DESTIN • FORT WALTON BEACH • OKALOOSA ISLAND, Fla. – Mar. 7, 2011 – The search launches today to find ‘America’s Most Deserving Mom’ and Florida’s Emerald Coast challenges husbands, sons and daughters from every corner of the country to nominate their someone special for the title and official grand prize — a 2011 Buick Enclave, one-week stay for six in a luxurious Destin beach house courtesy of Southern Resorts, round-trip airfare and $1,000 spending money (www.facebook.com/floridasemeraldcoast).
From comedic to heartfelt, and tear-jerking to knee-slapping, …

As a parent, you understand what it’s like when your child is sick. As a writer, you have the voice to tell your readers about an organization that improves the quality of life for children who’s sicknesses are actually life-threatening. Did you know that each year in the U.S., 27,000 children are diagnosed with a life threatening illness?
Give Kids The World (GKTW) is a non-profit organization that provides week-long vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families at a fanciful, “storybook” retreat in Central …

Spring break offers the last extended break for children before summer begins. This year, think about different ways to celebrate this time off from school with a special trip, vacation or family planned activity that will elicit smiles from the little ones – big or small.
• Visit the Relatives For families that live a long distance away from other family members, spring break can allow for a surprise visit outside of standard holidays and get-togethers. This spring, consider surprising your family with a special visit …

Are you deciding where to take your kids for summer vacation or spring break? Let’s face it: choosing the right location can be stressful for both you and your wallet. In addition to considering your finances, you should also analyze other factors such as the age of your children and their respective interests. Here are some tips for choosing the right destination for your children. You can make every family vacation a memorable one with these simple suggestions.
Age Isn’t Just a Number
Some parents make the mistake of taking their newborns …

About in nine years ago, my Mom and I and P2 in utero went on a 3 plus week trip to Europe.  I planned the whole thing and did a really good job if I may say so.  We started in London and visited a friend of mine in her home a ways north of there then took the train to Paris where my Mom had always wanted to go and as I spoke French I helped her instantly fall in love with.  When we sadly left Paris,we rented a …

Have you ever wanted to just throw all caution to the wind and drive as fast as possible, just because you can?  Drive a tank?  A Dune Buggy?  What about skydiving….at 9000 feet?  Tandem skydiving? Hot Air Balloon or an Aerobatics Flight in a Stunt plane more your type?  Or shark diving…not my cup of tea mind you but hey…  As you can tell, I am talking about a variety of activities that get your adrenaline pumping.  In fact the company that helps to coordinate these very activities is called …

This article was written with Summer travel in mind but with much of  Holiday travel, the same things apply, depending on where you are headed.
Whether piling in the car for a road trip or jetting off to a foreign land, TLC Family, the network’s online lifestyle guide dedicated to parenting, family health and fun has tips to keep kids happy and parents sane on vacation this year.
Here is a sampling of the peace-inducing ideas TLC Family has compiled to make travels a little simpler:

Give Kids Options – Parents may be …

With the busy holiday shopping season upon us, many of my posts  focus on ways to save this season. With that said, Kroger is presenting customers with a fuel savings of 40¢ off per gallon for every $100 in gift cards purchased from now thru Saturday, Dec. 11. The savings apply to most gift cards sold at Kroger stores, including: Best Buy, The Home Depot, iTunes, Macy’s, Sears, Subway, JCPenney and Chili’s. Gift cards from participating retailers can be mixed and matched to …

Trade in Crayons for Champagne with this Parent-Friendly Night Away at
Warwick Melrose Hotel in Dallas
November 17, 2010 – If you’re seeing more of Sponge Bob than you are of each other, or if you’re guilty of substituting fingers and shirt sleeves for silverware and napkins, then you’re in dire need of a child-free night. Warwick Melrose Hotel in Dallas is offering the chance to do just that with its new Guilty Pleasures Package.

This offer combines sophisticated luxury for the adults with gifts for the children, all at a …

Have you ever played with the fish?  Snapfish, that is.  I have and boy was it fun!  Let me show you.

This picture does not even begin to do it justice and it was so easy!  This 20 page book I put together from beginning to end in 2 hours or less!  Now,  I am a paper and scissor scrapbooker.  I enjoy the hands-on ability to manipulate and use all or none of the pictures.  I love being able to journal and tell the story in finite detail and I adore …

Sponsored By

Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.
I love to travel. I do. Dearly and truly . Short trips. Long trips. Local trips. …

Now if this doesn’t clear your palate following several weeks of Books, nothing will!
One2One held a wonderful Milano Cookie  campaign last month so I am sure you have seen these around but it seemed like the perfect change of  taste.
My sweetest moments have been spent with my family, probably on vacation when we had no additional expectations out of life than just being together and having fun.  What were your sweetest moments this summer?

Here in Texas, we are moving into the hottest part of the year, August and September as well as getting ready for school – I know…that part makes no sense.:)
The folks at Marriott understand though, that Summer is far from over.  The Nickelodeon Your Stay offer will be available at Marriott brands, including JW Marriott, Marriott, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, Springhill Suites and TownePlace Suites. During the promotional period (now through December!), kids staying at any of the almost 2,000 participating Marriott locations …

Recently we went on a short, fun family vacation out to East TX and stayed at a friend’s home on Lake Palestine.  While we had some heat and sunshine,we had some rainy days too.

One of the rainy days we went to see ToyStory 3 and on another, we went to Tyler, to visit the Discovery Science Place,  THE BEST kids museum we have ever been to.  We ALL had a ball!

Oh the fun of us all doing our nails….

June 2010
If you have a picture up for Wordless …

As the proud mom to a darling girl from China, I have learned oh so much more about Chinese History and have a great desire to share it with all of my girls. Because of this interest, I want to share a great opportunity that is coming up this Summer ~ A Weekend of Intrigue: NYC Hotel and Silk Road Tour!

Families can now transport back in time to one of the greatest trading routes in history by visiting the Traveling the Silk Road Exhibition at American Museum of Natural …