Everyday Cori By Corine Ingrassia

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Sailing The Fantasy: Our Disney Cruise Pictures, Video + Thoughts

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There is no question that to every kid, Disney World in the mecca of all family vacations. We’ve been there twice in the past two years, and still the kids were campaigning {hard} every day for another Disney vacation this year.

After hearing rave reviews and tons of tips from friends and co-workers, James suggested trying a Disney Cruise this summer and I have to admit that I was not immediately on board (no pun intended).

I had only been on one cruise in my life and suffice it to say, it was not a pleasant experience. In fact, the things I most vividly recall when I think back to that “other cruise” is claustrophobia, anxiety and horrible cafeteria food. Bleh!

So before we booked anything, I spent the next week researching all. the. things…

…and after I could research no more, I finally agreed to give cruising another try.

And you guys? I am SO glad I did.

It’s been one week since our vacation on the Disney Fantasy Cruise ship and I am already dreaming about our next (which we booked on board because of the awesome discounted rates and on-board credits!)  

One peek at our recap video below and you’ll know exactly why!

So what makes Disney Cruises different? 

To quote a great review by Cruise Critic:

what’s amazing about Disney cruises is that they bring magic to everyone onboard, from solo cruisers and adult couples to families, without shoving it down anyone’s throat. There’s a delightful balance of kid- and family-focused activities and adults-only pursuits that ensures the little ones and even the most kid-phobic of travelers will have a great time.

Here are 7 other reasons why we loved our Disney Cruise

1. Activities and clubs for kids and teens

  • It’s A Small World (Babies and toddlers)
  • Oceaneers Club + Oceaneers Lab (Pre-K thru grade school)
  • Edge (Tweens 10+)
  • Vibe (Teens)

Disney is so in tune with their guests needs and interests, they created separate clubs that appealed for every age – toddler through tween –and adult (I’ll get to that in a minute).

Since we were traveling with little ones, upon boarding the Disney Fantasy, our kids had to register for the Oceaneers Club/Lab and were given wristbands to check in and out of the highly secured kids club. These wristbands are able to track your kids anywhere on the ship!

Each guest room was supplied with 2 on-board wave phones that your kids (and their counselors) can use to connect on board at any time. All of this was a huge sigh of relief for this slightly neurotic concerned Mom.

In addition to the character meet and greets that are happening all over the ship all. day. long (and without those long lines you can sometimes get stuck waiting on in the parks), the Oceaneers Club held different parties, activities and games hosted by Disney Characters each day in their center room. This room was the ultimate space for a party too, complete with colorful light up dance floor and oversized plasma TV.

Laina loved the night that Crush from Finding Nemo came on the plasma and interacted with the kids. She also loved Pluto’s Pajama party- because what’s cooler than being able to wear your Pajamas out to play? She is still using the cute pillow case she colored that night.

Surrounding the party area there were several themed rooms that make kids feel like they are living out their favorite Disney movies.

Andy’s Room felt like you literally stepped into the Toy Story movie as one of the toys– oversized everything!

My little girly girl loved dressing up in Pixie Hallow. There were dozens of great Disney dress up clothes to choose from and being a big Monster’s Inc. fan, the Scare Factory was my personal favorite.

The Oceaneers Lab is where my son (7) spent most of his time. In addition to games and crafts, there were science labs and “Anyone can cook” cooking classes, as well as Wii challenges, Cup stacking races and a ginormous iPad where my son and his cruise friends played air-hockey all night long.

I loved that thee Oceaneers club and Oceaneers lab are connected. It allowed my little one who mostly spent her time playing pretend and crafting in the Oceaneers club to visit her big brother gaming in the lab.

Although I didn’t have kids in the tween and teen clubs, the teens and tweens that I saw always looked like they were having fun, busy doing their thing. Never saw anyone looking bored– and that is the goal, yes?

2. Relaxation and Alone Time For Mom and Dad

As much as we love traveling as a family, there is no denying that sometimes traveling with kids leaves you with exhaustion that begs a vacation from your vacation– but the Disney Cruise gives parents the perfect balance of family time and relaxation time.

There is a whole section of the ship dedicated for adults only and thanks to all the kids entertainment, we were able to schedule multiple date nights!

There are 2 adult-only restaurants onboard the Disney Fantasy, Remi and Palo. Both are no- jeans, no- sneakers or sandals– which I like, because I’m always looking for an excuse to get dressed up for date night.

You do need to make reservations for both of these restaurants and  I recommend making these reservations well ahead of your trip because just like dining at Disney World- these restaurants book up quickly!

    • Remi ($75/per adult) Formal
    • Palo ($20/per adult) Semi-formal

James and I dined at Palo. The food was delicious and the view from the top of the ship? Breathtaking.

Oh, and if your husband forgets dress pants there is a handy dandy rental service where he can rent dress pants for $25. Albeit, tuxedo pants, but hey! It gets you in.

After dinner, there was an area made up of several different bars and lounges. One of my favorite lounges had walls of TV screens that looked like you were looking out into different European cities. The videos on the screen were so detailed that if you looked closely, you could even see moving traffic and people in windows– and then every few minutes pixie dust would come down the screen and poof! the city would change.

The Tube is a club with a full schedules of live entertainment and games lead by the adult entertainment director such as: 80’s music trivia, not-so-newlywed game, and more. 

3. Roomy Staterooms With A View

80% of the Disney Fantasy has a balcony view!

When we booked, we booked our stateroom at the VGT level– which basically means we took a risk of getting a {gasp} partial view and paid less for a deluxe suite with  bunk beds for the kids. In the end our room had a gorgeous view, and I loved having split bathrooms (one with at toilet and sink, the other with shower/tub and sink).

There is so much to see and do every day though, that you aren’t actually in the your stateroom too much– so it was definitely worth gambling on the VGT rate (They only pop up occasionally from what I hear, so check the website often).

4. Rotating Dining– Disney Style

All of the food was amazing and freshly cooked. Even at their all day buffet by the pool where they served fresh wraps and sandwiches.

For dinner, Disney Cruise line has what they call “rotation dining”. Which means like other cruises you always have the same table number and servers but unlike other cruises- you are always experiencing a new atmosphere.

The Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship has 3 fantastic restaurants.

  • Animators Palate where you get to interact with Crush from “Finding Nemo” one night, and animate your very own drawing another. This was by far our family’s favorite.
  • Royal Court which will make you feel like your dining in Cinderella’s castle.
  • Enchanted Garden that has beautiful ambiant lighting that changes from day to night and and overhead flowers that bloom. You feel like you are in Pixie Hallow.

5. Pirate Night & Fireworks

Every night there are amazing Broadway-level type shows being put on. We went to and loved ALL of them. But above all- the Pirate show was our favorite.

All of the Disney Cruises have a Pirate Night – that everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) on board takes part in.  A Pirate accessory package on board is $35, but if you plan ahead you can bring your pirate gear from home.  The Bippity Boppity Boutique on board also has a pirate package that includes face painting.

The Pirate Party onboard takes place on the main deck- where they cover the pools and everyone gets to enjoy a pirate show and fireworks at sea. Disney is the only cruise line that does fireworks at sea, and it is a sight to be seen!

6. Cast Away Cay

Disney’s private island, Cast Away Cay was the highlight of the trip for all of us.  It is the ultimate vacation island. It’s not over crowded. No one is chasing you down trying to make a deal over tanzanite earrings (Yes, that happened in Cozumel)

Just like the Disney cruise ship , the island is kept immaculate.

This island had everything you could want and more: an ocean slide, snorkeling, parasailing, tubing, and just like on the ship a kids club, teen get-away and an adult only beach!

My son is still talking about his time snorkeling where he not only saw tropical fish (or as we call them Nemo-fish), but hidden Disney gems on the ocean floor, such as a Mickey Statue and a “shipwreck”.

For lunch, you are treated to a beachside BBQ, chock-filled with burgers, corn on the cob, mahi-mahi and soft serve ice cream!

It was such a nice relaxing day with the family. My only wish for this cruise was that we could have had just *one* more day at Castaway Cay.

7. Pepe’s Door and The Mid-Ship Detective Agency

If Castaway Cay, The Oceaneers Club and the onboard Aquaduck were the highlights of our Disney Cruise for the kids, it was only rivaled with Pepe’s Door.

What’s Pepe’s Door you ask?

It is an on-board interactive mystery game with the Midship Detective Agency. The game allows youu solve mysteries through interactive pictures located all over the ship.On our first game, we did a Muppet mystery which led us to “Pepe’s Door”- a small pint-size stateroom door located by the Oceaneers club. My kids became obsessed with it. They were dying to know how to get in (you can’t)… and I heard many MANY other kids onboard talking about this famous door as well.

Sometimes it’s the little things! 

This post was originally posted September 2012. Updated in 2017

D.C. With Kids: 7 Tips to maximize your visit ( PHOTO HEAVY )

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No matter which way you voted in November, there is one thing we can all agree on and that is that this past election season reached our kids possibly more than any in generations past.

I don’t recall ever being interested in elections or history in school, but my kids were discussing it in school, with friends and had questions and curiosities about the places and things they saw and heard about- which I thought was great!  So we decided (somewhat on a whim) to kick off this summer with a 3 day trip to our Nation’s Capitol– which you may have caught a glimpse of if you follow me on Instagram.

The city was more beautiful than I imagined (hence all of the pictures in this post) and despite the heat and humidity frizzing even my pin-straight hair (haha) it was a really nice family weekend.

Below is a little recap of our experience and 7 of our takeaways and tips that we would recommend to anyone looking to visit DC with their kids.

Map out your day

Typically, we are planners. We research tons and have pretty good idea of how each day will be spent prior to our arrival– but for whatever reason, we winged D.C. and you guys, that was a mistake.  Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t “ruin” any part of our trip by any means, we had a blast. BUT, the time we spent researching things in the hotel could definitely have been better spent exploring the city. Also, there are so many parts of D.C. to explore we probably could have dedicated a day to each instead of splitting up the day.  Again, not terrible– but you always want to maximize your time.

The Mall is likely a lot bigger than you think

Maybe this one is obvious to some but since this trip was planned without a whole lot of prep, I made the mistake of assuming everything I saw on TV and in pictures (don’t laugh) were right next to eachother– they’re not– at all, and it is a bit of a hike with little ones in tow.

What we did that seemed to work perfectly for the kids – we explored one-half of the mall one day, and the other half the next.

Note: Learn from our mistakes. You definitely want to pack comfortable sneakers and clothing!

DC Metro is the way to go

The DC Metro got us around everywhere. We purchased SmarTrip cards and it was super easy to navigate and the kids actually really liked it.

The stations and trains are pristine, and the waffle-like ceilings are gorgeous– especially Union Station. In fact, Union Station is so pretty, I’d recommend stopping in just to check it out and take some pics if you can.

A hotel that feels like home > fancy bells and whistles

There is no shortage of hotels to choose from in the D.C. area– but when you are traveling with kids, doing a lot of sightseeing and walking, trust that the bells and whistles of some of the high-end hotels will shy in comparison to having a place that is comfy and spacious enough for everyone to lounge out and feel at home at the end of the day.

During our stay were hosted at One Washington Circle, which is located walking distance to the Foggy Bottom Metro station, part of the Modus Hotel family– and has a killer burger joint right across the park (more on that in a bit).

One of the great things about staying at a smaller, boutique hotel vs. the larger chains is the “Family feel”. The staff knew us by the end of the first day, offered us umbrellas to use in the rain, and fresh fruit infused water before we headed out for the day. It felt so much like home that Avery called it our “new house”– haha.

Once upon a time, this boutique hotel was a luxury apartment building– so every room is a “suite” with a kitchen or kitchenette in each, stocked with cookware– and a fresh coffee grind & brewer!

King suites like the one we stayed in also include a dining room, 1.5 bathrooms and a huge walk out balcony with sweeping views of the park; we loved starting our days with breakfast on ours.

There is a CVS, Trader Joes and Whole Foods all in walking distance – and Modus Hotels even offers an incredible “Stock The Fridge“ service, where you can have your groceries delivered to you for really reasonable prices. (You can see the menu here.) Cooking on vacation isn’t everyone’s thing, but having quick grab-and-go snacks, drinks and breakfast options on hand save our lives every time with the kids.

Follow The Kids Lead

Say the word “history” and often it can automatically sound like a snoozefest to kids– so D.C. can feel like a gamble– but our kids (12, 8, and 3.5) enjoyed it and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that for the most part, we just followed their lead.

Explore what grabs kids interests and skip past what doesn’t.

With no real agenda, we decided to pop just in a few of the Smithsonian museums (which are all free- nothing to lose!) and see where the day took us.

There was a lot in the Museum of American History that grabbed the kids attention, so we spent a good deal of time there and got to see most, if not all of it. They have hands-on history areas for the kids (toddler- grade school) which I highly recommend stopping by.

The American Museum of Natural History was another favorite of theirs– especially the gems and dinosaur exhibits.

We stopped in The Air and Space and Art Museum, but at that point, the kids were done with museums and tired from a lot of walking, so we headed back to the hotel for a pool break and put it on our list for next time.

The International Spy Museum is not a free one but most everyone who has been there raves about it. Their interactive espionage experience is said to be a really fun one. However, since that activity was ages 12 and up– leaving 2 out of 3 kids out of luck– we skipped it this time and added it to our list for a future visit.

The Monument By Moonlight Tour was the highlight of our trip. DC is a beautiful city in daylight but there is nothing like the beauty of seeing everything lit up at night.

We did the 8pm trolley tour through Trusted Tours, which gave a quick tour around the mall as the sunset and had 3 major stops– The FDR & MLK Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, and The WWII Memorial.

The trolley was able to park pretty close to the memorials so there wasn’t a ton of walking for the kids (though those steps up to the Lincoln Memorial are no joke– James carried Avery (3) up them– he is forever my hero).

Photo tip: At the FDR memorial, there is a prime family photo opp with a fully lit Washington Monument in the background!

Get adventurous with your food

There are so many opportunities to experience great food in D.C.  Food Truck City is located right along the Mall and stretches for BLOCKS and BLOCKS. It has quite literally every kind of cuisine you can imagine– from Greek to Mexican to Indian– you can basically eat your way around the world & even grab some ice cream while you are sightseeing around The Mall.

While Food Truck city is pretty amazing, there is so much more to see in D.C beyond The Mall and grabbing a quick bite is a great excuse to step outside the tourist thing and explore the other areas and eateries that locals love.

Burger, Tap & Shake– Foggy Bottom

Burger Tap and Shake was one of the first places we stumbled upon when we arrived in D.C., as it is was right across the park from where we were staying.  It was one of (if not the best) burger joints we have ever been to. Think Shake Shake– but better!

Their burgers were fresh and could be customized with a ton of different toppings, and their shake menu– which included candy favorites like Twix and Snickers– is incredible.

The kids asked for it every.single.night. of our trip and are still raving about it.

And on a hot summer day like the ones we experienced during our trip,  their unique and delicious “shaketails” (cocktail meets shake) was exactly what James and I needed!

credit: Yelp

Pictured above: Bad cubmaster “Shake-tail” which includes Smirnoff marshmallow vodka, Godiva chocolate liquor, graham crackers and vanilla ice cream.

Pinstripes– Georgetown

Located in Georgetown, Pinstripes is a nice sit-down restaurant with great food, indoor/outdoor seating and bowling and bocce ball right on site!

The kids really liked it there and since it was a nice night out we were able to walk there from our hotel and get a little peek at Georgetown– which I’d love to explore more next time around! Such a cute town with some great shopping too!

Baked & Wired Cupcakes– Georgetown

Baked and Wired is a local cupcake shop that came highly recommended by several people so we saved it as our very last hoorah and their cupcakes did not dissapoint– truly out-of-this-world (Try the chi cupcake- to. die. for!!).  That being said, I would recommend ordering online before you go as it is a fairly busy, small shop and the staff seemed a little put-off by things like indecisive small children or requests for almond milk for coffee.

3 days will be enough and also not enough

One thing we didn’t expect was to leave with an even longer list of things we wanted to see than when we first came. There is seriously just SO much.

I personally could have spent a full day just taking pictures of the architecture– GORGEOUS!

On our way home, James and I discussed what we thought would be the perfect amount of time to spend in D.C. with kids, and we decided that although 3 days wasn’t enough to see everything by any means, 3 days was perfect for the kids.

We were able to see all the things they were most familiar with and learn enough about the city to make them want to come back again and see more.

Disclosure: Our stay was hosted by One Washington Circle. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

8 Fun Adventures To Have On Your Maui Family Vacation

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Our Maui family vacation remains one of our all time favorites because if was a great mix of fun and relaxation. Yes, I used the words “family vacation” and relaxation in one sentence and I meant every word.

When we visited Maui, our kids were young (toddler/pre-school age) and we were pleasantly surprised at just how much fun we all had exploring the island!

If you’re planning a Maui family vacation, below are 8 things we did with our kids that made for a fun and memorable trip we still talk about til’ this day!

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8 Fun Maui Adventures With Kids

1. The Penguins And Parrots At The Hyatt Maui

While vacationing in Maui, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency as it was recommended to us as one of the best places to stay in Maui for families; and we truly did love it! 

In addition to a beautiful pool and beach area, the Hyatt offers some great family dining as well as some adorable penguins, parrots and swans. The parrots and penguins are out every day and their feeding schedule is available at the front desk. My kids loved visiting during feeding time to learn more about the animals and their talents from staff members.

2. Watching The Island “Wake Up”

Traveling from the east coast to Maui definitely caused a little confusion with time, but also had it’s perks. We were up the first few days very, VERY early.

Like 4 am early. Turns out this is one of the most beautiful times to explore the island. We would get up and out early to splash in the quiet beaches and “watch the island wake up” at sunrise. It was gorgeous!

3. Authentic Hawaiian Luau

A Maui family vacation would not be complete without a luau experience. There are many to choose from in Maui. After researching, we chose the Feast At LeLe in Lahaina as it had the best reviews and was touted by many to be the most “authentic luau” on the island.

The Feast At LeLe kicked off by being greeted with a Lei and beverage (non-alcoholic beverages were available for the little ones).

There was a trio band playing live music and some hand crafted Hawaiian items for sale as everyone was seated. The kids loved the welcoming party atmosphere. The show and dancers were amazing, complete with a “fire swallower”– which was the most anticipated moment for Ry (7 years old).

The food is brought out in courses to allow you to experience a variety of Polynesian cuisine and we even got to celebrate our son’s birthday Hawaiian style!

While the food was good, this was the only down fall when traveling with picky eater. My son is a true foodie and loved trying everything, while my daughter on the other hand ate next to nothing. Other Luau’s may have more traditional food or a kids menu. If you have a picky eater in your group, this is just something to keep in mind.

4. Beachside Family Portraits

When traveling as a family, often one person is left out of the group photo as they the role of photographer (this is usually me)- or you ask a stranger, and well… it’s never easy to assess a strangers photography skills as they walk by- right? It’s a 50/50 shot.

I highly recommend hiring a family photographer in Maui and make it your annual family photo. The beaches and sunset backdrop make for gorgeous holiday cards too!

We chose the husband and wife team of Dimitri Photography on the recommendation of friend and fellow blogger, Sarah of The Ohana Mama.

Dimitri and Sandra chose the tucked away, DK Fleming Beach for our shoot. A “secret beach” of sorts that we may have never discovered, had it not been on their recommendation. Our pictures came out phenomenal, and was a beautiful way to remember our Maui vacation for years to come.

5. Surfing Lessons

Maui is the ultimate place to experience a little surfing and there are lessons available for beginners as well as experienced surfers.

James and Ryan took a private lesson for beginners with Tide of Rivers To The Sea.  They had a great time learning the basics and Tide was amazing with the kids- he even let Laina (3 yrs old) in on the fun. Rivers to the Sea is just one of many surfing schools on Maui, but we truly loved them and highly recommend! Run by brothers Tide and Kiva, they have taught some Hollywood celebs including: Zac Effron, James Gandolfeni and Amanda Bynes (before she went Cray-cray).

6. The Hawaii Tropical Plantation

The Tropical Plantation is open year round and offers a train ride through the plantation showing off the island’s agriculture and beauty including a gorgeous lake area and fresh coconut-tasting experience.

We visited during spring break/Easter vacation, while Maui was celebrating it’s annual AG Feast at their Tropical Plantation, which was fun! If you are visiting during that time of year as well, definitely look into this festive event.

7. The Lahaina Market Place

The Old Lahaina Market Place is a great place to check out some local handmade craftsmanship. From jewelry to soaps and wood carvings- this cute little village has it all. My kids loved going from shop to shop browsing all the local goods.

This market place is also the central point where many boat tours leave from. So you can make a day of it by booking a boat tour and then touring shops and grabbing a bite to eat!

8. The Road To Hana

This road-side experience was so amazing, I gave it it’s own in-depth post. In short? DO. IT.

Road To Hana With Kids r2H Maui

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 Looking for a romantic date night idea while visiting Maui? Check out our oceanside dining experience at the Marriott Wailea Beach.

Is Maui a good family vacation?

Maui offers families a great mix of fun, adventure and relaxation while on vacation. Kids love exploring Maui’s nature and learning about the Hawaiian Culture too.

Some family favorites include:
– Taking surf lessons
– Checking out the Lahaina Marketplace
– Visiting Aunt Sandy’s for a bite to eat along on the Road To Hana
– Finding rainbow trees

What is there to do in Maui with toddlers?

While known for its beauty and nature, there are still many things to do in Maui with toddlers. Some great activities to do with little ones are:
– Playing in the calm water and beaches early in the morning
– Checking out the Maui Ocean Center
– Attend The Feast Of Lele Luau- they’ll love being greeted with lei’s!
– Visit the penguins and swans in the Hyatt Hotel’s lobby

This Private Oceanfront Dining Experience is Maui’s Best Romantic Dinner– EVER.

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When in Maui, restaurants on the beach are a must!  While we were on our family vacation in Maui, my sister (and babysitter extraordinaire) came along with us so that in addition to the fun family attractions Maui had to offer, we could also enjoy some of the island’s romance as well.

James planned a date night for us at Marriott Resort and Spa at Wailea Beach that truly was the best romantic dinner in Maui we could have imagined– complete with sweeping sunset views right off the ocean.

Oceanfront Dining– Maui Style

When we arrived we were taken via golf cart to our table. While we drove up to our reserved table we could see a secluded table for two, oceanside overlooking the gorgeous Wailea Beach.

Wait. What? This was for us? 

Even James, who made the reservation couldn’t believe it. Not another table in sight. This was all ours!!

Passers-by looked on from a distance as we were seated, prepared with cameras in hand. What were they waiting for? I felt like a celebrity couple being watched by the Paparazzi.

After we were seated a group of teenagers ask our server “Did she say yes??”  They had apparently seen him setting up the table earlier and thought we were getting engaged!  We turned around and told them, that I had… but about 7 years ago.

I could totally understand why they had assumed he was going to propose. The setup and experience would make for the most romantic Maui proposal ever– or even a great honeymoon dinner for couples vacationing in Maui!

From start to finish, the dinner was a first class dining experience.

Our server for the night was the sweetest man ever. He stood off to the side throughout the meal, as not to interrupt us but let us know he was there for anything we may need.

Our first need was of course photos to capture this breathtaking moment. He graciously offered to take the zillion and one pictures we wanted to take, even giving us some tips on where to stand for the best shots of sunset, etc.

These photos are not photoshopped in any way, my friends. No filter. The view was just amazing.

The custom menu that James had chosen for us was printed out on individual scrolls and sat on the top of our place setting. The menu listed a parade of food that was all delicious (not to mention extremely filling!)– four courses to be exact– including an appetizer, salad, seafood dinner and Kona coffee layer cake! 

The lobster mac and cheese was heaven and it only got better from there. Thankfully, each course was spaced out nicely so you could enjoy each course and spend time talking and taking in the view.

After dinner, we walked around the Marriot property– which is stunning all lit up at night. The dining experience we had is also private cabana-style dining offered poolside which were also beautiful.

photo credit: wailearesortdining.com

The cost of this dining under the stars experience can be pricey but for us this dining experience was a “splurge” with our American Express points–  it’s true what they say, it pays to be loyal. When we travel we use Loyalty points offered by credit cards, hotels and airlines all.the.time. It can really pay off if you rack up points through the year (Hello, Christmas shopping reward!)

I am so glad James booked this private dinner because it really felt like it made our Maui vacation complete. It’s absolutely perfect whether you are looking great spot for a Maui proposal … or like us, fall in love all over again.

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Originally published April 20, 2012. Updated 2017.

5 Family Fun Faves In New Jersey

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Exploring and traveling with the kids is one of my favorite things to do, but there is nothing quite like finding fun and adventure in your own backyard.

Here in New Jersey there are some truly great places for family fun and so today I am teaming up with some of my fellow ‘Jersey girls’/Moms to share our favorite spots!

/ Mama Lew /  A Fancy Girl Must / Everyday Cori / The Millenial Mom / We’re Parents /

Five Family Fun Faves In New Jersey

/ Outdoor fun /

LIBERTY STATE PARK

When it comes to the perfect park day there is just nothing that compares to this one.

Beyond your typical playground fun, Liberty State Park is home of the most breathtaking views of the sweeping New York City skyline, a gorgeous 9/11 memorial, old vintage train yard and a ferry to Liberty Island!

[read more about my favorite Mother’s Day ever at Liberty State Park]

/ Family Noshing /

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT ROONEY’S

credit: Rooney’s 

We don’t often eat out for breakfast but that is what makes it extra special when we do!

Located directly off the beach in Long Branch, New Jersey, Rooney’s offers indoor and outdoor dining with a view– that is totally family friendly!

Rooney’s Sunday brunch is one of the best we’ve ever experienced here in New Jersey. Served buffet style (the kids looove buffets), they have everything you can imagine omelets, carving station, muffins, waffles, bagels salads, desserts…. and complimentary mimosas!

/ Indoor Fun /

KNOCKERBALL AT THE MONMOUTH MALL

This one we just discovered this past week when my oldest attended a birthday party here. Such a unique and fun experience, I knew right away I had to include it in this post.

Whether you’ve heard it called bubble soccer, bubble ball or bumper ball, Knockerball is basically human bumper cars. It is SO much fun and the perfect way for active kids to burn off some energy indoors!

The Knockerball location at the Monmouth mall also offer human foosball, “foot pool” (life/human-size pool table), “foot darts” and bocce. You can reserve any of these activities for 60-90 min.

/ Sweet Tooth /

FAMILY ICE CREAM SOCIAL AT CONEY WAFFLE

credit: Coney Waffle

You know those crazy, ginormous, ice cream sundaes people wait in line for, for hours (literally.) in New York City??

Well because we are friends, I’m going to let you in on a super secret I just recently discovered– you can find that same jaw-dropping sweetness here in New Jersey– without the crazy lines!

Coney Waffle is located Ocean Avenue in Belmar, New Jersey and serves up unique Sundaes that will wow your taste buds and give you and your family the ultimate dessert experience– what kid wouldn’t love that??

/ Beach Fun /

Jenkinson’s Boardwalk

There is definitely no shortage of boardwalk fun to be had here in New Jersey, but Jenkinson’s remains our favorite perhaps because it is holds so many years of memories for us.

It’s where James and I spent countless days when we first started dating, where we took our wedding photos, where all of our children had their first “beach day”, where we started our Father’s Day-at-the beach tradition – and not to brag, but it’s where our claw-game skills truly go to new levels– we get super competitive with each other over these games– only at Jenks!


We love spending the morning at the beach, the afternoon playing games, riding rides, sometimes popping in to see the penguins at Jenkinson’s Aquarium and always stopping at Joey Tomatoes for a ginormous-Jersey size slice of pizza. I highly recommend the buffalo chicken slice!

The fun doesn’t stop here!

There is so much more family fun here in The Garden State.

Hop on over to check out more Jersey Mom Favorites below:

/ Mama Lew / We’re Parents / A Fancy Girl Must / The Millenial Mom /

Riding The Polar Express Train Ride– Morristown and Eerie Railway (New Jersey)

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Sometimes the most fun is the unplanned kind.

A few weeks ago, a family friend let me know she had purchased tickets for the Polar Express train ride, NJ and wanted to gift them to our family since she was now unable to attend herself– yea, she’s pretty amazing.

We’ve heard a lot about the Polar Express train ride, there are two here in NJ but had never been and really weren’t sure what to expect– but we knew the kids would have a lot of fun– especially Avery who is crazy about trains these days.

What we didn’t expect is how into it our oldest would be! He’s 11 (going on 16) now, so it’s sometimes hard to get him excited about these types of things–but as soon as he heard we were going he announced: “I’m wearing my Pajamas!! We didn’t know that families are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride, but apparently, our son did!

So with all 3 kids in PJ’s and bundled up– we headed to ride (what Avery has dubbed) “Santa’s train”….polar-express-8

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The station and train had a classic look and feel and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE who worked there was upbeat and in character– from the people at the will call window to the people calling groups for boarding.

When our group was called, we approached the train. The conductor welcomed us, and before we could enter,  a little boy in a deep blue robe (like in the book) quickly ran up to ride the train. polar-express-11polar-express-12

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The train was beautifully decorated and the sweet smell of sugar cookies and hot cocoa waft throughout.

We sang songs with the train staff and they read the Polar Express as we were served hot chocolate and cookies. The cocoa was the perfect temperature too– not too hot, but warm enough for even Avery to enjoy right away… and as if this winter wonderland experience couldn’t get any more perfect, the snow began to fall– for real!

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The train ride lasted about an hour and passed by Santa’s village in the North Pole where Santa boarded and stopped in to say hello and gift us “the very first Christmas gift– a silver sleigh bell”, which he explained could only be heard by those who truly believe.

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When we stepped off the train, into the snow, dreams of a snow day began dancing in the kid’s head, but sadly for them, it was not snowing back at home– *poof* magic moment over–end scene.

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About The Polar Express along the Morristown and Eerie Railway

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THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride departs from Whippany Station located at 1 Railroad Plaza, Whippany, NJ 07981. Passengers are required to arrive at least one hour before their listed departure time to allow time to park at a designated offsite lot, ride a shuttle to the station, and board the train.

Tickets are available at two price points, $35 & $75 and sell out fast!

The $75 tickets include a bell, table seating and ceramic souvenir mug.

There is merchandise available for purchase, but it important to note that it is CASH ONLY.

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