Category : Guest Posts
Happy Holidays! I hope that the past few weeks were fabulous, no matter which holiday you choose to celebrate in your family. Even though I took a little break from blogging here, I did have a few posts that are on a few other sites and I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to visit, maybe leave a comment and surf around a bit. They are great websites and I read them regularly! I will be using January to clean up the site a little and get back to writing.
Family Friday: NYC – A Traveler’s Library – In this post, I shamelessly admit that I am using my children to help me convince my husband to take us all to NYC this year!
Objects that will Drop in the South on New Year’s Eve – Traveling Mom – From moon pies, pickles, and peaches, read about the funny (and some strange) things that are dropped on New Year’s Eve in destinations around the south.
Holiday Fun at the Gaylord Palms – Travel Mamas – We were so honored to represent Travel Mamas at the Gaylord Palms for their Dreamworks Experience. We played in snow, saw amazing ice sculptures and had breakfast with Shrek.
Miniature Golf in Myrtle Beach – Traveling Mom – I couldn’t believe the number of mini golf courses in Myrtle Beach. It seemed like there was one on every corner. Read about our favorite one.
Do you have a favorite post from your blog or elsewhere that you would like to share? Leave a link in the comments!
A few weeks ago, my family and I got the chance to drive to Orlando and meet Shrek and his pals. It isn’t often that you can see snow and ice in Orlando, Florida but you can if you visit the Dreamworks Experience at the Gaylord Palms. I was honored to represent Travel Mamas, a site that I love and read often. Hop on over to Travel Mamas and read about our visit to the Gaylord Palms Resort Dreamworks Experience!
Just a quick post to share where else you can find me this week!
The Vacation Gals is one of my favorite travel blogs and is one of the first that I started reading on a regular basis. I am so honored to have a guest post over at The Vacation Gals about the things that you should to do before you go on vacation without the kids.
I am also at Traveling Mom sharing four reasons why you should choose Hollywood Studios as one of the theme parks to visit on your Disney trip. We have always avoided it and when we went recently we fell in love with the park.
Over at my Pensacola with Kids site, I wrote an extensive review of our trip to LEGOLAND Florida in Winter Haven and the things that you need to know before you go.
Happy Halloween!
We are a family of readers for the most part. We read books to escape with characters and join them in their fantasy worlds. We read books to learn about real cultures and environments or to find answers to questions we have. Before every trip, we always look for a book that goes along with the theme or location of the trip. I am so excited to announce that I have joined A Traveler’s Library where once a month I will be sharing books that encourage family travel on Family Travel Friday!
This month, I shared our love for aquariums and the one book that we read before every aquarium trip!
Today, I am in two places at once. Er…three places at once if you count here too!
I am over at Trekaroo sharing why we enjoyed Callaway Gardens so much and I am also over at Traveling Mom sharing some of my favorite tips that we have picked up along the way about how to keep the kids entertained at a museum that is not a children’s museum.
Stop by tomorrow to see more pictures from the Navarre Sand Sculpting Festival for my Photo Friday submission! Have a happy day!
Even though things have been a little quiet here this week, I have been a busy bee. Besides getting sick, my daughter getting sick, going out of town, coming back in town, going out of town and coming back in town again, hanging with friend’s visiting and so much more, I have been writing. Sort of. I should say I have been catching up but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel…school starts in a few weeks and I will have more time to devote to the projects that I have been working on. Meanwhile, I would appreciate it if you give these friends a little visit!
On page 99 of the August/September 2011 issue of Southern Child Magazine, I have a little article about a few family-friendly things to do in Myrtle Beach, SC. We had so much fun checking out all the different activities and I was glad to share some of our favorites!
If you haven’t found my pal Traci’s blog, Go Big or Go Home, you are missing out! She packs her family up and travels to some of the BIGGEST places this world has to offer! I was so excited when I got to guest post for her…luckily I actually got it written and sent to her though my pictures leave much to be desired. For something that we visit on a regular basis, apparently it has been awhile since we visited as tourists with camera in hand! See my post about the World’s Largest Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
Over at Traveling Mom, I am still writing as Southern Traveling Mom! I wrote about our travel planning style (here is a hint…we don’t have one!). I also shared a book review of Kids Love Interstate 95, a handy book that guides down I-95 all the way from Pennsylvania to the bottom tip of Florida!
Speaking of Trekaroo, could you take a moment and vote for Sharlene and Michelle of Team Trekaroo? They participated in the Race to the Alamo this past week but voting is still going on. You can vote once a day and you even have a chance to win a trip to San Antonio for yourself!
Best Family Travel Advice is the place to go if you need an answer to a question about travel with your family. It is a question and answer database that will help you plan a trip with your family whether this is your first trip or you are a family of seasoned travelers. You can search the Best Family Travel Advice website for answers to your question but if the answer isn’t there, submit your question and one (or more) of the 24 family travel bloggers who have been there and done that will answer your question.
I am excited to announce that Two Kids and a Map has joined Best Family Travel Advice. I am so honored to be a part of this group of amazing family travel writers and bloggers that include:
Next time you have a question about family travel, stop by Best Family Travel Advice!
It has been over two months since I wrote my 33 Things I Want to See and Do the Year I Turn 33 post and I haven’t done a single update. I have actually already checked a few things off my list and I will write about those things in the next few weeks (I have been such a blogging slacker!) but today I want to share with you the completion of a HUGE goal!
I have an article in the latest issue of Southern Child Magazine, an online publication. EEEEEEEEKKKKKK!
A screenshot of my article!
When I started this site three years ago, I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go with it. Deep down inside, I knew that one of my goals was to get published in some format…book, magazine, pamphlet, other online sites. As I have continued this journey, I have learned a lot and met some amazing writers, editors, and publishers. Amazing men and women who have given me opportunities that I would never have had. Amazing men and women who are quick to offer advice to help me become a better writer. I still have a LONG way to go, but I am so honored that my first published article is in such a great magazine.
I love Southern Child Magazine and their mission. Not only do they provide information about many topics to help educate parents, they also provide affordable advertising. If you have a product that would be a good fit with Southern Child Magazine, drop them a line. They wonderful to work with!
That isn’t all they do though. Their main mission to help place foster children with their forever, or permanent, families. They share photos and bios of children who are waiting to connect with families.
I would be grateful if you stopped by to check out my article titled Pensacola with Kids in the Seeing the South section. You can find it on page 113-115. While you are there, take some time to read those bios as well as some of the other great articles. There is a Savvy Stroller Guide where they reviewed a ton of strollers so you don’t have to go nuts trying to find the perfect stroller. There are articles about Easter crafts and treats, and teaching children about sustainability.
It is time to start thinking about spring break destinations! Our spring break is not until late April but we start seeing spring breakers from all over the place heading down south as early as February. I wrote about a few of our favorite spring break spots on Traveling Mom yesterday.
What are your spring break plans? Are you spending it at home, the beach or the mountains?
Please give a big welcome to Mandy, my friend and fellow blogger. Mandy blogs about all sorts of stuff (family, being a mom, cooking, and much more) over at Mandy’s Life After 30. I love hanging out with Mandy because she has a great outlook on life, a sense of adventure, and she is absolutely hilarious! I have to apologize to Mandy for not getting this post up in a timely manner. I am sorry! Today Mandy is talking about her love of the Welcome Center!
Do you need tips on places of interest and attractions to see when you visit a new city? Are you looking for more things to do within your own hometown? The best place to start your adventure is the local convention and visitors information center.
Even the smallest cities typically have a welcome center with stacks of brochures highlighting nearby marvels, restaurants and more. I love to frequent these places while on the road or even in my hometown.
What’s not to love about these hubs? Welcome centers generally offer free maps to visitors. Most even have a list of annual events and festivals. The volunteers or part-time personnel who work there are typically some of the nicest folks you’ll ever meet. I always ask these people for “local” restaurants to try and for family-friendly activities that mine would enjoy. You may find the most obscure, interesting sights to visit just from picking up a flier or brochure sitting inside a welcome center.
Pensacola, Florida’s information center has walls and walls of literature arranged by category – from dining to diving, from historic tours to nature trail guides and much more. The building is quite impressive compared to other centers I’ve visited. It boasts larger than life statues highlighting the city’s mascot and several attractions. This center has a puzzle for visitors to piece together in addition to snacks for patrons to enjoy.
During my last visit to this particular facility, I obtained details regarding an upcoming art and wine festival, picked up a copy of free newsletter and took a free map of birding trails. I also received a two-page sheet of every festival and known event taking place in Pensacola, signed up for a travel guide and became entered into a contest where a friend of mine could win a free trip to the area. So, you never know what good things may come just from visiting the local information shop!
Changing cities receive new businesses and excursions frequently so be sure to check out your local visitor center for fresh ideas. Or if you know of an event or business that should be listed in an area, inform the local city officials so they can include it their collection.
The best place to play tour guide is right in your own hometown. Start there for fun things to do then branch out as you travel. Happy trails to you! May you feel welcomed and inspired in each center you visit!
Stop by Spotlight Thursdays over at Trekaroo!
