Final Stop Mardi Gras World

So I saved my favorite for last- Mardi Gras World! We were not really sure what to expect pulling up to a large warehouse in an industrial side of town but were ready for another adventure. Upon entering you go into the gift shop and get your ticket (which is a fun necklace) for the tour.  When it is time you are met by your guide and escorted into a room where you learn the history of Mardi Gras, try on some great costumes, and try some king cake.  After a few minutes it time to visit the warehouse:

Who knew so much went into making the floats for the many parades! We were able to go each station and watch how a drawing really comes to life. I liked seeing how they are able to reuse and recycle some of the pieces each year for other floats. The amount of dedication we say and lifelike designs was incredible. This was my favorite piece:

We continued our warehouse tour and saw the many floats the different groups use during the parades. It was interesting to learn how much time, money, and thought goes into each float. My daughter found it crazy the floats even have bathrooms since you can be on there for 7 hours!

The detail was beyond incredible. If you are traveling to New Orleans with your children this is my top pick of things to do and not miss!

Next Stop Creole Queen

Our next stop was of course to explore a local river boat dinner cruise. My daughter was in love with the whole design of the boat and wanted to sing the down the river like Tiana from the princess and frog.

After doing a bit of research we settled on the Creole Queen.  The food served on the cruise was going to be just the right amount of spice and authentic cuisine while serving things we knew our daughter would eat as well. Upon boarding the boat we were greeted with jazz music and dancing: it did not take long for my daughter to drag my husband out to the upper deck to dance-

We had so much good food to eat and the view of the city at night was breathtaking. It was definitely a different spin on the streets we had explored during the day. I would say if you have the time to do one of the dinner cruises on the river. It really gives you the feel what New Orleans is like and the overall history of the city.

Welcome to New Orleans!

We will spend the next few days in New Orleans.....hopefully eating beignets and creating wonderful memories. Our first stop of course was the hotel-look at the view:

The tree outside of our window was covered in necklaces like most trees in the area. It have a whimsical care free feeling to the entire trip-so much so that we went out for treats well after 11 with our child in tow!

She did not mind the late night adventure and even found a great mask to keep "fancy" during our late night stroll. The next morning we spend exploring some of the historic sights and parks in the area.

Everything is so bright and colorful. Each building just oozes history and southern charm. Later this week we will be going on a creole cruise and exploring the mardi gras factory. I believe this will be a vacation full of color and wonder!

12 states down!

I cannot believe we have been to 12 states in just 3 years. This month we will continue to work on visiting Mississippi, Louisianan, Minnesota, and maybe West Virginia.  It is hard to imagine that we have 10 summers left with our little girl and such a big goal-here is to another adventure next week!

Great busy tool for the car

We spend a crazy amount of time in the car which means I am always looking for ways to keep the little busy.  I recently saw a fun puzzle project idea-you hot glue magnets on the back of puzzle pieces and use a cookie tray to keep all the pieces in one place in the car like this:

We tried it this last trip and it did not work out so well. I tried it with the thin puzzle pieces and they seemed to curl and crack. I think this is a wonderful idea if you had thicker pieces and maybe used something other than hot glue. Have any of you tried it? We will try it one more time as I think having puzzles in the car would be time well spent!

Battleship USS Alabama

As we continue our journey to all 50 states we decided to visit Alabama this week. The top stop on our trip was the USS Alabama . During each trip we try to pick something not only fun but educational. This was going to be our history portion of the trip. We began at the monument at the beginning of the park to prep our daughter about what we use the ships for and the importance of each room.

It was nice to see all of the flags and explain a bit about our history in a way she could appreciate the "big boat" we were about to board.  My favorite part of the tour of the ship was the clearly labeled color lines. We could pick our path and work at our own leisure instead of being rushed on a group tour.  We were there on a rainy, cold day so there were only two families on the entire ship which made for a nice family experience.

Each room was very detailed and really brought the ship to life. We were not only able to explain in words what it was like but our daughter was able to get a picture of what it actually looked like on the ship. She was surprised by the lack of space especially since the ship seemed so big on the outside.  All in all I would say it is a great place to stop for a day with the family. If you work at your child's pace you should easily be able to get through the entire ship. There are many levels to climb which may be difficult for some but there is plenty to see on the main floor.

Easter in the Gardens

We are just a few short days away from Easter in the Gardens! Each year I take my daughter to explore the gardens, meet spring animal babies, and of course see the Easter bunny! The gardens are full of great things to do including an Easter egg hunt (each child can pick a certain number of eggs), games, potting your own plant, and a scavenger hunt. We have gone every year for the past 7 years and have never been disappointment. I would arrive early and wait in line a bit as it does get crowded quickly. Looking forward to seeing some of you on Friday!

Easter is on its way!

We are a few short weeks away from Easter which means egg hunts! I found a great idea this year of putting glow sticks in and around the yard for a nighttime hunt.  We are also going to get the solar paint and make a small mark of some of the eggs to light up the eggs a bit more. I would love to hear what interesting ways you have done egg hunts!

Mini vacation weekend-Atlanta, Georgia

This weekend we are in Atlanta, Georgia at the World of Coca-Cola!

I was not sure that it would be great for our six year old but we took the chance and could not have been happier. After watching a short film you are released into the rest of the building to explore on your own path. Our first stop was to see the Coca-Cola polar bear-he was so realistic and spent time with each child...it was the highlight of my trip watching my daughter interact with the life like bear.

After a short visit it was time to visit another area to see how things are bottled and prepared-my daughter had a ton of questions and was very intrigued to see how things were done in the past. In another room we also were able to hold the Olympic torch which is such a special treat! My husbands favorite room by far was the vault:

We were able to explore and learn more about the trusted secret along with an art room and many other rooms filled with facts and information-who knew a soda factory could be so fun!  After a day of exploring it was time for our final stop-the tasting room. It is a large room of soda from around the world that you can try along with the new free style machine.

We had so much fun comparing sodas from all over the world and picking our favorite! It was such a fun family day full of interesting facts and memories. My daughter still talks about my husband "setting off the coke alarm" in the fault room-if you visit be sure to stay off the yellow line! 

Valentine's Weekend

Can you believe we are only a few days away from Valentine's Day! I know some of you are still looking for a few last minute crafts. My daughter and I decided to create this adorable and simple craft. If you do have any puzzle pieces laying around you can always trace some on cardboard. Have a wonderful Valentines Day!

Disney on Ice-Let's Celebrate is coming to town!

Can you believe it is that magical time of year when we can step into Disney without leaving our very own town?

This year Disney on Ice is presenting Let's Celebrate- here is what they have to say about the show:

"It’s one colossal party on ice, with all your favorite Disney friends at Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate! Presented by YoKids Organic Yogurt. Join Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy as they celebrate a Very Merry Unbirthday Party with Alice and the Mad Hatter; a Royal Valentine’s Day Ball with your favorite Disney Princesses, including Cinderella, Ariel, Belle and Tiana; a Hawaiian luau with Lilo & Stitch; a whole new world with Jasmine and Aladdin; a winter wonderland with Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear; a Halloween haunt with the Disney villains and more in a magical medley of holidays, celebrations and festivities from around the globe. Come join the celebration you’ve been waiting for when Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate! skates into your hometown!"

I am most excited for the vilians!

 

It is not to late to get your tickets online or at the box office-see you at the show! 

Betty Crocker cookie time!

I am not usually a big baker but this year my daughter has to bring in 4 dozen homemade treats for school-eek! So I began the search for something wonderfully simple that would make me look like I spend hours in the kitchen. Here is what I found:

The recipe can be found at Better Crocker here.  It is such a delightfully simple treat that looks beyond adorable! I cannot wait to show up with my two dozen brownies!

Now I also need two dozen cookies and found this little gem at Betty Crocker once again!

This one does not look as simple as a quick cut but we are going to try our best! What cookie recipes are your go to for the holiday season?

Perfect End to Black Friday Shopping

Have you ever tried Not Your Father's Root Beer? We stumbled across them at a local brewery show last year in Cleveland, Ohio. We were not lucky enough to have them in our area until I came across in our local Meijer! To make an end to a long Friday of shopping we decided to celebrate with root beer floats with a twist!

If you have not tried it is beyond delicious- a little vanilla ice cream and Root beer make the perfect grown up ice cream float!

Thanksgiving Table idea

As we approach the holiday I am always on the look out for easy ideas that make it look like I have it together! This year we are doing a "I am thankful" white paper table cover instead of the traditional table cloth. If you also are going this route look at the amazing crayon/marker holder ideas I have found!

Enjoy the holiday season!

Great Thanksgiving teacher gift idea!

As many of you know I love the holidays! My favorite part is trying to match the best gift with each person. This year my daughter has three teachers so we were looking for something affordable and unique for Thanksgiving.

Look what I came across: An entire site full of great affordable ideas!
http://thanksgivingcrafts.net/thanksgiving-arts-and-crafts-projects.html

I personally like the jar filled with candy-although I think we will do a mason jar and I will have my daughter write why she is thankful for her teacher on feathers.


Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving season!