Great way to travel this summer-BubbleBum Booster Seat

School is out and summer is in full swing which means time to travel! My biggest annoyance is dragging my daughters booster everywhere. Not only is the seat ridiculously huge it is bulky and doesn't really "fit" in the luggage when packing. So of course it was time to find something safe but less bulky.  While wandering around a baby fair I see this sitting on a shelf:

At that point my daughter was two or so and I didn't even pay much attention.  Flash forward three years and I now know why the BubbleBum is a must have! The packaging is so little I can toss in any carry on or luggage and have the seat when I arrive for the rental car. We also ended up getting one just to have in the car. Have you ever had a friend call with a flat and they can't make it to pick up time for dance? We had this happen last month and I just had to sit with my daughter and her friend for an hour until the mom could get the tire changed. I now keep the BubbleBum in its package under the backseat. Never will I be left to sit and wait again because I don't have an extra seat!
The BubbleBum is the perfect seat for grandparents, travel, and to have an extra for back to school. Look at all the great colors available:

Visit BubbleBum here to find a realtor near you-it really is a must have seat for anyone in a booster!

Spring is in full swing-time for Day Out with Thomas!

Can you believe our little bean is going to be 5 in a few short weeks! Every year since her first birthday we have always taken her to a Day Out With Thomas. This year is no different and she is beyond excited to see her blue friend chugging down the tracks!
This year the theme is The Thrill of the Ride and is sure to be as big a hit as each previous year.....her favorite part is meeting Sir Topham Hat and getting a tattoo of Rosie. Not sure when Thomas is coming to a town near you? You can check the full schedule here. Thomas will be in Cleveland this weekend May 17-18,23-25 & August 21-24 at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. 

Each year we bring home new memories and the excitement never dwindles-hope to see some of you on the train!

Vita Coco-perfect summer drink!

Looking for a nice refreshing juice box for the kids this summer? Vita Coco is a great substitution for all the “junk” juice drink boxes on the market. They are available in apple island, very cherry beach, and paradise punch. Vita Coco Kids drinks contain about half the sugar and half the calories of leading kid’s juices. Plus each one has 25% of your kids’ daily recommended vitamin C intake!

 So the really important question-how do they taste? Well we had a “planting party” this past weekend and invited all of little misses friends over to help garden and the drink boxes were a huge success! Naturally occurring electrolytes in Vita Coco Kids coconut  water help to keep  kids    hydrated. Apple Island seemed to be the favorite among the 4-5 year old crowd and the little bitties preferred the Paradise Punch. Each child asked for at least two and I was happy to hand over a drink with a ton of flavor and a little sugar. The parents were impressed with the overall juice box look. Have you ever had a juice box “accident”-you know when your little darling squeezes that triangle box and juice goes everywhere? The Vita Coco drink boxes are such a great shape that it seems each child was able to hold the container without squeezing the juice everywhere. Each Vita Coco Kids drink is packed in a spill-stopping Tetra Pak aseptic wedge (made of an eco-friendly wood fiber) to    keep it fresh without harming the environment! 

Overall the kids were very happy with the taste and the characters on the container and the parents were happy with the ingredients. You won’t  find any high fructose corn syrup in Vita Coco Kids  
coconut water, plus every drink is gluten-free and vegan. So happy to have found a “fun” juice box that is also healthy! 

*A Big Thanks to Moms Meet for a great party and the juice boxes*

Spring time in Michigan-Tulip Festival is in full swing!

Oh spring-my favorite season of all because of the beautiful flowers. This year I found a great little get away in Holland, Michigan.

The event runs May 3-10 and is a perfect getaway for Mother's Day or anyone who loves flowers. Just look at the amazing colors:

Although we went the first day of the festival the tulips were very fragrant and open-I would say 50% were in bloom and it was beautiful! Downtown was alive with craft vendors and food carts-we even got a chance to see Dutch dancers in the square. The dancers perform each hour for about 10 minutes but it is a must see. After exploring downtown we then went on to the Dutch Village and Windmill Island Gardens. The windmill is the only authentic Dutch windmill in the USA and for all the Oogielove fans it is the same park they filmed the ending scene!

The whole park was fascinating from the tour to the free carrousel. Our bean's favorite part was the wooden shoe area-she was able to try on a pair then get her name carved into the shoes. It was such a great experience-she has not taken her shoes off since we bought them.

If you have small children I highly recommend visiting Dutch Village. There is a zip line, duck race, rides, and slides. Plan to spend a few hours exploring especially if your child likes to try everything and do everything twice!

Overall it was a great trip away to Michigan. I would suggest planning to spend at least a full day with lots of walking. Happy Spring everyone!

Spring is finally here-garden time!

Oh spring time...it seems here in the midwest we have gone from extreme cold to extreme heat! One of my favorite things to do in the spring is plan out my garden. Has anyone else started this past weekend? I have decided to try something new this year-plant all the seeds inside and then transplant outside.

I found a really cheap greenhouse at a small local shop similar to the one below:

Then I planted all of my plants in toilet paper rolls-yes that is right toilet paper rolls! I filled a plastic container with a small amount of dirt then put in the rolls and filled with the dirt and seeds. The best part is I wont have to worry about breaking any of the fragile roots when I transplant-the whole toilet paper goes into the soil....so easy and you know me anything easy is perfect in my book :)

Happy gardening-looking forward to reading all about your green thumb adventures this spring!