Toronto Zoo

THE WHAT:  Toronto Zoo

THE WHERE:  World class zoo located in Toronto.  Lots of parking.  Stroller and wheelchair rentals available.  Very family friendly – restaurants, picnic areas, restrooms and baby change stations.  Open 364 days of the year.

THE DEETS: A super family field trip where you can see lions, tiger and bears (and more!  Seriously, we spent 6 hours at the zoo and didn’t see all the animals.  The Toronto Zoo has over 5,000 animals).  Meet the keepers and learn from them about specific animals, what they eat and their habitats.

HANDS-ON DISCOVERY:

Stingray Bay

Touch real stingrays at Stingray (yes, it’s safe – we tried it).  Explore Zellers Discovery Zone; featuring the Kids Zoo, a dynamic, Splash Island (a two acre splash pad), and the Waterside Theatre.

Ride the zoomobile, conservation carousel (pictured), camels and ponies

MEMBERSHIP:  A year’s pass membership pays for itself in 2 visits!

MUST SEES:  polar bears, gorillas, and the elephants (before they move!)

How to make a kids’ travel activity bag

#TravelTuesday

Put all your kid travel activities in a resealable bag!  This way each child is responsible for their own belongings. Packs easily in a bag.  Easy to store under a car seat or in the pocket in front of you in an airplane.

Kids Travel Activity Bag

This one was for our trip to California…in it I put:  gum (for the airplane), colors-to-go, ipod, head phones, and dsi.

If you need ideas for snacks for travel – click on my Healthy Snacks for Kids and Travel post.

Cavalia’s Odysseo Toronto, ON

THE WHAT: Cavalia’s Odysseo in Toronto, ON

THE WHEN:  Opens in Toronto May 15 (great Mother’s Day gift idea!)

THE WHERE:  324 Cherry Street, Port Lands

THE DEAL:  When ordering tickets be sure to ask about special pricing for young children — as low as $29.50!

What do horses dream about? The same thing we do: Freedom.

#WordlessWednesday – Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach, California

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#TravelTuesday – biz card tip

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#TravelTuesday Tip: Stick one of your business cards in one of the shoes of your child so that they have your contact information on them whether it be a field trip or international adventure.

Great for kids who tend to wonder off.

Also be sure to talk to kids about who to talk to when they are lost (i.e. Police, store employees, security, etc.)

Travel with Kids Tip

Travelling with kids?

Pack each child their very own activity bag.  Then, in the car, plane, or train each kid can have their own activity bag at their feet.

It saves time and effort looking through one gi-normous activity bag for little Johnie’s ipod or Jane’s book.

And separating the activities means that each child has to be responsible for their own belongings.  Not a bad life skill to learn.

Universal Studios Review

THE WHAT: Universal Studios (Hollywood, California)

THE STUDIO TOURS: The Studio Tour with King Kong 360 3-D is the main must-see at Universal Studios Hollywood.  Long, extended, golf-cart-like tour buses take you, open air, along a tour like none other.  Comedian Jimmy Fallon is the new video host.  TIP:  sit in the middle section of the tour bus to get the greatest views.

See Wisteria Lane from ABC’s hit series Desperate Housewives.  Visit the studio “streets” where many outdoor scenes are filmed.   See the legendary Bates Motel from Psycho, explosive special effects of the Fast and the Furious: Extreme Close-Up, the plane crash from War of the Worlds and yes…there may or may not be a Jaws experience.

War of the Worlds - Universal Studios

Warning: younger children may be surprised at the King Kong 360 3-D created by Peter Jackson part of the tour - as well as the dinosaurs sequence.

Water World

THE ATTRACTIONS:  Of the many, many, attractions at Universal Studios is Water World.  Entertaining for the whole family, but watch out for the splash zone, this spectacle brings together a stage show, water show and special effects show together to one massive wow-event.


Disclosure: Admission to Universal Studios was provided for this review. The opinions on this site are my own.

Ford Explorer Review

THE WHAT: Ford Explorer

THE HOOK:  Family friendly vehicle with space and neat tech features

THE FINDS:

  • Orange “warning” light pops up in side mirrors when a car passes you.  Great for keeping blind spots in check. (Picture 2)
  • Integrated GPS unit.  As someone with direction difficulty (*waves hi*)  this is an AMAZING feature. (Picture 3)
  • Space without feeling like your driving a shuttle.  Comfortable seating, loads of trunk space and the back seats fold down with a press of a button to provide even more space.  (Picture 4)
  • Integrated plug (and there is an integrated usb port plug too).  Never knew I needed one until my experience with the Explorer.  Integrated power plugs for phones, cameras, ipods and more make travel easy. (Picture 5)

THE REVIEW:  Excellent vehicle experience.  Comfort, safety, style meets tech world.

Comfortable to drive (easy for car seat installation too).  Drink holders in front and back for the whole family.  Seat warmer optional for front seat (great for chilly months!).  Lots of space for a modern family.  The one con is that visibility backing up is somewhat limited however the integrated camera is a smart Ford fix giving you a perfect view of what’s behind you (also has warning signals and visual indicators for backing up and parallel parking).  Easy maneuverability.  A very fine family car!


Disclosure: Ford provided a Ford Explorer for test drive. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Disney Tips

Just back from my 1st trip to Disneyland (California Park) – being a Disney newbie I didn’t know what to expect but along my magical adventure…I gleaned some tips to share…

1st time visitors – When you get you tickets at the box office mention you are a 1st time visitor.  They give you a souvenir pin (FREE).  As you would expect, souvenir shops are a plenty on the park grounds (and pricey) so to keep your souvenir budget down – keep your ticket stubs and take lots of pictures for your scrapbook.

Stroller Parking – I was amazed at the organized stroller parking at rides. On the baby-at-Disney topic – I loved that there were at least 4 changing stations in women’s washrooms so you didn’t have to wait to change a diaper.  Also, smart Disney has a nursing area, extra diapers and formula for purchase at the child services office (saved my bacon!).

The Parade – get your curbside spot at least a half hour before the Disney parade (spots fill up fast).  Blankets are good to sit on or wrap up if the evening is chilly.

Switch pass – while waiting (meaning walking back and forth with baby in my arms) for my dh and big kids to ride autotopia a Disney cast member gave me this good tip…if you have a child unable to ride (like a baby) you can ask for a switch pass – whereby when the adult and big kids who are riding are done you the “waiting parent” hand off baby and bypass the same ride line to ride get your turn to ride with the big kids.

Shows – there are Disney stage shows throughout the day at different locations.  Be sure to ask a cast member for a listing of where and when the shows are running (a Disney cleaner gave us the listing).

Crowds – we went on a long weekend (bad idea – it was le crazy!).  If you can schedule to visit Disney mid-week you can probably have a more magical experience.

Cineplex Movies $2.50

THE WHAT: Each week beginning February 18, 2012 (on going to April 29th) a different family movie will be offered exclusively at participating Cineplex theatres on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. (local time) at a discounted admission price of$2.50 for all ages. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

THE GOOD:  Great price for a family field trip!

Yes, Mommy is stressing

I confess…I snapped at the kids tonight.  All because we are going on a trip.  And travel stresses me out.

It’s the laundry and organizing and planning and “what ifs” which send my tipping point to snapping point.

And you would think I’d be over this.  My kids are travel troopers.  I’ve taken them to France (many times), Spain (a few times), Germany (but not on purpose), Dominican Republic (one kid returned with stitches), United States (more than once) and of course lots-o-places in Canada.  They are travel-ers.

It’s me that doesn’t travel well.

I get a travel itch (this time it was replacing a Sophie the Giraffe I killed a few months ago – you should NEVER EVER pour boiling water over Sophie to sanatize her…it kills her.).

I never know what to pack – how much to pack – or if I’ll have pack regret.

This time, I decided that it’s just easier to pack THIS…so I did…because I need to make life easier for myself.

A man travels with his credit card (if he needs something he’ll buy it).  A women travels with everything (just in case she needs something).  That’s my own little philosophy there.

And yes, I am snapping and stressing.  It is my travel nature.