travel – Desires of my Heart Blog

A Mom’s Top 10 Take-Away Lessons Learned From Disney World

marsha0727 — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 19:57:31 +0000

I know it’s so cliche’ to say “hindsight is always 20-20”, but it is oh so true!

We just returned from a 7 day trip to Disney World with our three kids (age 11, 9, and 3). And, if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you should know that we had a wonderful trip!!

My hug from Minnie

I L.O.V.E. Disney. I try really hard to convince myself that I don’t…especially Disney World…because, I mean, who in their right mind wants to save for soooo long for it to be gone in a fast-paced, crowd-crazy week of “vacation”. Well, despite my efforts to change my feelings for Disney…I do! Anyway, that’s a tangent for another day…

Throughout this trip, some by purposeful planning of our wonderful Magic of Mickey travel agent and some by happenstance, we left with several great “take-away” lessons that we plan to keep and use for any of our future Disney World trips. But instead of just saving them in a file, I thought I’d share them here, in case someone else may find them helpful as they think or plan for their own Disney trip.

But let me preface by saying that I’m not a Disney travel agent…I don’t know all things Disney…This was our first family trip to Disney since our oldest two were 4/5 (6 years ago)…and I am only discussing from our most recent experience. You know Disney often changes things…so, be sure to recheck these things before you go.

And, now that all of that is taken care of…here are my top 10 “take-away” lessons (in no particular order) from our most recent trip to Disney World:

1. USE A DISNEY TRAVEL AGENT. I cannot emphasize this enough! I’ve done it both ways…I’ve spent hours scouring the internet to try to plan our Disney World park days to perfection…using all of the mom sites on must dos/don’t dos. But this time, I fully entrusted our dear friend Todd Russell to plan our trip from start to finish. He charges nothing for his services, but they are priceless! He constantly kept a watch on our package to make sure he was getting us the absolute most for our money (and saved us hundreds by doing so!) He kept up with our countdown…he woke up at ungodly hours to get us the best fastpasses and food reservations…he gave us a daily itinerary that helped us to see how we could get the most done without running ourselves ragged. He answered a gazillion questions before and during our trip. Seriously…I’m not getting paid for this advertisement, but I will never plan for Disney without him again! I just got to sit back, relax, and pick out cute family Disney shirts And, have I said it enough…HIS SERVICES ARE FREE TO YOU!! Okay, I’ll get off this one…but seriously…do it. And, if you want, tell him I sent you, and we’ll both get a sweet treat!

2. FAST PASS PLUS + RIDER SWAP. I already mentioned how we were able to get the best Fast Pass Plus reservations thanks to our Disney travel agent, but you seriously don’t want to do Disney without them! Especially on the newer rides. We would never have stood in line to ride Avatar (which is my all-time favorite now) without Fast Pass! We “waited” (although, it really wasn’t waiting as much as it was just walking to the actual ride destination…INside…in the cool air) maybe 15 minutes with our FP…while the standby line was never less than 110 minutes in the blazing hot sun! And that’s just one example! We did this to meet the princesses, to ride popular rides, and even to see shows! But here’s where it gets even better…if you have a child that can’t or doesn’t want to ride the ride, you get a rider swap. And, while it’s a great idea to rider swap, it’s even more awesome that Disney doesn’t make you do it back to back (because what 3 year old wants to wait that long for two cycles of a ride they can’t enjoy?) — Disney gives you a Fast Pass ticket that is good YOU PLUS TWO for that ride ANY time during that day! So, for us, we would ride Avatar (as an example) — one parent and two older kids…get a rider swap ticket for later, go do something the little one enjoyed, and then later, make our way back for the other parent AND the two older kids to get to ride again…still with little to no wait! It was amazing.

We were told by a cast member that this paper version would likely be going away soon, so make sure to ask when you go!

3. RIDE VOUCHERS FOR FAST PASS. So, what could possibly be more disappointing that getting to a Fast Pass ride only to see that it was closed for technical issues or weather issues?! We had this happen several times during our last trip…sometimes for technical issues…sometimes for weather. But, we quickly learned that if something like that happens during your Fast Pass reservation hour, CHECK YOUR EMAIL! Disney sends you a nice email that explains that your Fast Pass ride has been temporarily closed, and they not only offer you a new Fast Pass that is good for the entire rest of the day (should the ride reopen), but they also give you a nice long list of OTHER options you can use as a Fast Pass in place of the one that was shut down! Since, there were a few rides that we had FP reservations for that my youngest daughter couldn’t or didn’t want to ride, this was an even bigger blessing in disguise for us! One of those said rides shut down temporarily (and the older kids had already had a chance to ride it), so we were able to use those ride vouchers to visit a few characters that we just hadn’t wanted to take 60 minutes to wait in stand-by for. It was win-win for everyone! The cast members don’t always know what you are talking about if you tell them you had this option sent via email, but they offered to “let us try it” to see, and sure enough, every time it happened, our bands would recognize it as a FP, no matter what we chose from the list! The only thing is that I wish I would have known this earlier than day 3 of the parks, because, I wasn’t checking my email regularly until I found this out by chance. We would’ve had even more chances on those first 3 days when several rides were down. They DO NOT alert you via My Experience app, although that would have been handy, since everyone uses that to keep up with their reservations, etc. So, if you are in the parks, and you see a ride closed that you had a FP for, CHECK YOUR EMAIL…seriously…here’s part of what one of my emails looked like:

4. MAGIC BAND CUSTOMIZATION. Magic Bands are awesome! I love not having to carry cards around everywhere like we did before! But they are plain colors…unless you plan to spend $25-50 on average for specialty bands. UNLESS you know about Etsy! I found the cutest vinyl decals for our magic bands on Etsy for $3-7, so we decided to try them out! They were quite easy to put on, and they lasted the whole week, even in the pools, etc., without issues. We had soooo many cast members ask where we found our bands because they had never seen any like it. It was the perfect way to customize without breaking the bank! Here’s the link to my two favorites: Mermaid Glitter and Princess Glitter

Mom & Addison’s “glitter magic bands (thanks to vinyl stickers!)

5. DINING PLANS. I have told my husband again and again that you really can’t “do” Disney “carefree” without being on a dining plan! It is so nice to be able to treat the kids (and yourselves) to smoothies or slushies or any other number of deliciously satisfying snacks while in the parks (especially when it is over 100* heat index), without having to feel the hit on your bank account. The Disney dining plan is definitely the way to go! And, if you go in the fall, you may even get lucky enough to have it FREE with your resort booking. However, our big take away from our most recent family trip was that we would have rather had the quick service/snack ONLY plan. Our plan gave us snack/quick service/table service for each day. And, while the table service does allow you the character meals, it also means fancier meals (that my younger kids often didn’t care for)…reservations (which meant we had to plan our days around leaving early enough to get to the dinner destination)…and tips for a meal that in Disney “cost” $150-200 for a family of 5, which meant you basically paid for a quick service meal out of pocket each time you left a tip at a table service restaurant. If you are going for fancy…wanting lobster, steak, etc., then you probably would not want to leave out the table service meals. But if you’re like us…doing Disney on a budget…with young kids…who aren’t used to “fancy” food…trust me when I say, quick service will do you best! And the options are endless on quick service meals, too! You aren’t limited to hamburgers and fries all week! We preferred it to our fancy meals about 75% of the time! Just food for thought…

6. CHECK YOUR BILL AT CHECKOUT. So, this should go without saying, but just putting this out there due to our experience. Magic Bands are wonderfully convenient. When you need to purchase something or pay a tip, scan your band and it’ll be added to the card you have on file. It basically charges it to your room, which is less convenient for people like me who watch each transaction as it posts…because, it’s a little harder to keep up with your many receipts from your dining plan throughout the week, to compare it with your bill at the end of the stay. However, my bill was astronomical, and I knew it shouldn’t be because I had kept pretty accurate records of each spending. Come to find out, they had somehow managed to bill someone else’s complete family table service meal (same evening, later time) to mine. They took a bit to research the issue, and did credit it back, but it really had me wondering, how does this even happen?! And how many times does it happen on smaller things that we may have overlooked? So, my suggestion, faithfully keep ALL of your receipts (even though it’s frustrating), and check your bill very carefully! Mistakes can (and do) happen…

7. OPT-OUT OF MAID SERVICE. When we checked into our resort, we were offered an immediate $60 gift card if we “opted-out” of maid service. Basically, telling them they didn’t have to make our beds daily (which, honestly, I preferred, since we could keep them fixed as we wanted them). They still came through and checked daily for security reasons…they still refilled our soaps, etc….they still took out the trash. (And honestly, they still sometimes made our beds, even when we told them not to). But, hey! We got an extra $60 to spend in the gift shops! If you’re given this option, take it! What’s not to lose?

Addison’s “Mickey” bed — it’s a child size murphy bed, and it was PERFECT for her!

8. PURCHASE THE MAGIC DISNEY PHOTO PASS. Our travel agent told us about this early on and added it to our package, so we knew in advance that we would be able to download high resolution images from ANY of the photographs taken by the cast members, so we took full advantage of it! We got amazing pictures (and even some videos!) of roller coaster rides, character meet/greets, shows, family pictures, and so much more. Of course, we had our phones for our own photographs, but it was so nice to let them “do their thing” with their high quality cameras and not feeling regret for not bringing my own. Each time they take a picture of anyone in your group (even if you aren’t together), they scan your magic band, and it “magically” appears in your Disney My Experience account for viewing and downloading. WIN!!

Addison’s first “big” rollercoaster — her picture looks concerned, but she said she loved it!

9. PRE-ORDER YOUR FOOD. I know I already touched on the whole dining thing, but many of the quick service meals can now be pre-ordered at Disney! When I saw this, my first thought was, “I won’t be doing that, because I won’t know when I’ll be there.” But oh, I was so wrong! You can pre-order at any time (the night before…or even when you just walk in and find the only available table and you don’t want to lose it)…pre-order from the app, tell them “I’m here, make my food”, and wait for it to magically appear! This is a LIFE-SAVER when you have kids, especially young ones! I’m hoping this catches on and even MORE restaurants offer it soon. But you can filter the restaurants on the Disney My Experience app to show the ones that do offer it (we did this often!). Because it is just SO convenient and stress-free. And for a mom with three kids at Disney World in one of the busiest times of the year, that means THE WORLD!

10. BE FLUID…GO WITH THE FLOW. I struggled to decide what would be my final “take-away” from this trip, but this was my husband’s one main take-away, and I felt that it was a very important one…one that helped us to enjoy our trip to the fullest! Buses don’t always arrive on schedule (actually, if they are on schedule, you should count that as magical!), weather isn’t predictable, health (or how exhausted you are) isn’t always what you expect, etc. Things happen. Life happens. It’s good to have a “suggested” plan for each day, but know that it’s just that…a suggestion. Sometimes, you need to leave early and take a nap, then return later. Sometimes, it’s best to sleep in instead of getting to early magic hours rope drop. Sometimes, you need a little extra time at the resort’s amazing pool/water park area. And sometimes, you need to take a late afternoon nap as a family, so you can enjoy the cool, breezy late extra magic hours that go til 1am (because even as typical “morning people”, this ended up being our favorite time of all due to the temperatures and lesser crowds)! Just be okay with change…when you don’t stress about it, the kids don’t stress about it, and you all have way more magical fun!

This is a “bonus” image from our Disney Photo Pass from one of our favorite shows!

Okay, I’m done. Well, not really, but I titled it the top 10, and I’m at 10 now, so I’m making myself stop for you. But, if you have questions, especially while it’s so fresh on my mind, let me know! I’m glad to share any of my “learning” with you. Maybe it’ll help in your future planning! And mine, too!! (Because I’ve already begged for a Mom/Dad only trip to Disney as an anniversary trip in the future…and he just loved that idea…haha…well, he didn’t…but he loves me, and that’s enough.)

10 Things I’d Tell My 20-year-old Self

marsha0727 — Tue, 01 May 2018 17:52:23 +0000

I’m getting close to that next threshold of ages on surveys…you know, when you can no longer be grouped with that 20-35 group? And, I must admit, it makes me feel old! I’ll be officially closer to 40 than 30. That’s right…I’m almost 36…eek! And in my “old” age, I’ve spent more time lately in retrospect…not living in regret, but thinking of what I want to make sure I teach my daughters as they much-to-quickly grow up in front of my very eyes. So, here’s a few things that came to mind when I considered what things I’d tell my 20-year-old self:

Don’t rush into living buying the “American Dream”…when we got engaged and married, there were things you were just “supposed” to have and do. You were supposed to be working toward buying your first house. You were supposed to have certain pieces of furniture…real china place settings…and so on and so forth. But, looking back, I think of the many “things” we hurriedly purchased or requested as gifts that are seldom (if ever) used. I think of how we so early in our journey together, put ourselves in holes financially that we would end up spending years to get out of…all because we thought that was just “what you do”. Don’t be afraid to live WITHIN your means…even if it is different that what the norm is. Just enjoy life together.
And, since it goes right along with the previous statement… Material things really are just things, and they don’t last. The older I get, the more I realize how little the “things” mean…and how much stress and clutter (physically and emotionally) they add. Be mindful of getting necessities and non-necessities confused. No, it isn’t wrong to have nice things, but don’t try to find happiness and fulfillment in things…you’ll fall short every time.
One of the biggest things I’d tell a “younger” me…Travel abroad while you’re young and not in the midst of parenthood. When I was young and just married, I wanted to hurry to get that “American Dream” style life much too quickly. I wanted a dog…and when I had a dog, I wanted a house…and when I had a house…I wanted a child…and, well, everything changes after that. Looking back, although we were young and in love and growing closer to each other daily, we didn’t give ourselves much time to travel and enjoy the world together. We always planned for those moments…we dream of those moments even now…but those dreams often have to take a side seat to life with kids. I’m not saying that you can’t travel with kids or while you have kids, but I am saying that you have way more responsibilities (physically and financially) once kids are in the picture. So, if you have the chance, don’t rush so fast into that cookie-cutter life you think you should have as a couple. Live a little…see new things…find passions together…don’t run so fast to the next stop on your journey that you forget to enjoy the views along the way.
Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks you should be doing. I’ve always been a people-pleaser…I’ve spent my life trying to please everyone else, even when it made me unhappy…because, well, that is just me. But, in my “old age”, I’ve realized that it’s okay if I’m not doing everything exactly as someone else thinks I should. I’m not going to please everyone ever…and I don’t have to. In life, if I am doing what God has led me to do, then I’m doing exactly what I should be. Is it easy to be different from the crowd? NO. Do I still find myself comparing myself to others? Yes. But, I’m working daily to remember this…and it’s something that even at their young ages, I’m trying to teach my kids.
Make time to learn life skills alongside of your grandparents/parents while you have them able to teach. This is still a hard one for me. I lost my grandmother last year to dementia/Alzheimer’s, and still to this day, there are so many things I wish I had spent more time asking her or learning from her. But you see, when I was young, I couldn’t imagine needing, let alone wanting to know those “old” ways. Then, when I was in my early adult years, I was away at college and then busy starting my own life away from home. And, before I knew it, I had kids and longed for those days to return when I could spend the day with my grandmother and learn, when instead, I was taking care of my own little ones. I don’t think there is ever enough time with your loved ones…and, even had I spent every day with my grandma before her passing, I’d still want more. But, if you do still have grandparents, soak in their stories…ask them about your heritage…learn some of their how-to tricks. Those things are so hard to learn when they are gone. And, I promise you, you will want it one day…one day when it just may be too late to get it.
Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart…it isn’t easy…ever! But it’s single-handedly three of the greatest blessings I’ve ever had in life. It’s full of scary responsibility, and sometimes, I’d love to hide from that responsibility (I think most would say the same). You’ll make a million mistakes…and they are great at keeping you humble in so many ways…but I wouldn’t take anything for my kids and all that they have and are teaching me as they grow up and I grow “old”. The days are sometimes oh so long, but the years are gone in a blink!
Life isn’t easy…and trials…hard times are guaranteed to come. We so often live in a “Hallmark movie” dream world…where there are always happy endings…life just somehow “works out” before the movie ends. But, that’s guaranteed not to be real life. There will be great moments — bask in them…but there will also be sad ones…challenging ones…incomprehensible ones. And you aren’t always going to be prepared for them in the ways that you feel you should be, because you never see them coming. But, I remind myself often…God has never failed me…and I fail myself often…so there is no reason for me to ever question our journey, but just learn from it and find joy in it. It doesn’t have to be easy to be enjoyable. Often, the hardest journeys in our life have been the very things that brought us the closest to each other and to God.
Be willing to forgive…over and over again. We are human…we live life with humans…and we are never going to be perfect. People have and will continue to hurt you, intentionally and unintentionally. Make a decision now to be forgiving of others…again and again and again. Do it for yourself. It will affect others, but it will affect you in ways you cannot even fathom.
Marriage isn’t 50/50…it’s 100/100. This is one time that math doesn’t work. If you only put 50% effort into your marriage and your spouse only puts 50% effort into it, even though it adds up mathematically to 100%, it truly only equals a half effort at best…and that isn’t enough to survive, let alone thrive in a lifelong marriage relationship. Marriage is 100% from both…giving it your best…your all…every day. And, if you do that…you’ll both see that effort pay off in ways even movies couldn’t dream of portraying.
Live with NO REGRETS. We all know this, but sometimes you get those sobering reminders (I’ve had quite a few lately)…life isn’t guaranteed…tomorrow, even the next hour isn’t a sure thing. If you love someone, make sure they know it. Don’t go to bed angry…make amends as soon as you can…even if your pride has to take a hit. Don’t put off snuggles, pillow talk, bedtime stories, or sunset walks til tomorrow…none of us know how long God has planned for us to have here on earth with our families. Make time to live in the now, seizing the moments we have today, and never give yourself any reason to look back with regret.

So…this isn’t an “exhaustive” list by any stretch. But as I think on life now, and things that I’ve learned over the last almost 16 years, these are the things that stick out the most. What would you say to your 20-year-old self?

Top 10 Budget & Family-Friendly Things To Do in South Wisconsin | 2016Family Vacation Recap

marsha0727 — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:47:00 +0000

Several months back, I told you about our new “Scratch Map” — where you scratch off the states that you have visited, to reveal a full color map beneath. Well, that map sparked our family vacation planning this year. Our goal was to go somewhere new that was still within a reasonable driving distance for us and our three kids. So, after looking many different directions, we decided on our 2016 Family Vacation destination…Wisconsin!

Enjoying the windmill farms as we travel through Indiana

Beautiful farmland views on our way North (from Alabama to Wisconsin)

Bison herd in Wisconsin

The resort we chose talked of being “all inclusive” — having golf (not that we would ever golf!), horseback riding, petting zoos, indoor/outdoor waterpark, rock-climbing walls, and more…So honestly, I didn’t do much “planning” prior to leaving for our trip. I googled the area from time to time, but never saw any “must-do” things, so I quit planning and fully anticipated parking daily at the waterpark and just letting the kids live it up there, while I “relaxed”. Well, there were many “unplanned” circumstances and several “non-disclosed” details regarding those amenities at our resort, which that led me to searching out other things for us to fill our days with. And, you know what?! Those things are what the kids enjoyed most…the small, unique experiences that I originally didn’t even know existed. And those things are the reason I’m sharing…so that, should you ever find yourself in the Mid/South Wisconsin area, you’ll have a great start of frugal, family-friendly ideas of fun things to explore!!

More beautiful views of the farms

Here are a few of our personal favorites…

1. Jelly Belly Warehouse Tour/Sampling (FREE)
Okay, so this was the coolest place (and the most talked about part of our vacation from our kids)! I really didn’t know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised! It is decorated with all kinds of Jelly Belly art and history (which we all enjoyed!) You get a warehouse “worker” hat to wear through the warehouse tour, which is a little “train” that is narrated by an employee and also audio/videos at different spots. You get to see “art” made from Jelly Belly candy…and when I say art, I mean impressive artwork. And at the end of the tour, you are given your own sample bag of the original Jelly Belly flavors, and are then able to visit the Jelly Belly shop. The Jelly Belly shop has (my kids’ favorite) the sample bar of all of the Jelly Belly flavors — including all of the yucky ones (skunk spray, stinky socks, rotten cheese, and more). You can try any and all of them (you just have to have patience if there are many people there, as you have to ask for each one you want to try). Thankfully, they also have a “can’t handle it” trash can in case you need to spit out one of those yucky ones (Katie was thankful for that area!). All of their store items are very reasonably priced, and they also have many clearance areas to shop at! We spent less than $10 for our entire Jelly Belly experience, and came home with all kinds of treats and surprises for us and some of our friends/family! I think my kids would have been perfectly content to visit here every day of our vacation, had we let them. It’s definitely a “must see” if you’ve never been!

Jelly Belly Warehouse Tour entrance

2. East Troy Electric Railroad Train Depot/Museum
This small museum and train ride was a great highlight of our vacationing! The fares were reasonable for a family (and free for 2 and under), and were good for the entire day. I will say, as a visitor who knows nothing of the area, I expected the rides to be a bit different than they were. Their website describes that there are 3 locations that the train stops at. Honestly, I assumed that each of those locations were places that you’d spend some time, and then hop back on the train to get back by the last train pick-up time. However, in reality, The Elegant Farmer stop was really the only time we “got out”. (I’ll highlight that stop later in the post). It was totally worth the trip for the experience of a vintage electric railroad train ride…and the conductor was full of history, stories, and was especially great with the kids…but don’t expect it to be a “full day” type of event.

The museum was a neat place to see, as well…you can buy your tickets there, watch miniature train sets, see historical relics, and hear stories from the volunteers that work there. It may not have been what I “expected”, but it was definitely an enjoyable experience for all of us! As a side note, there are multiple electric trains…so be sure you talk to the volunteers when you are buying your ticket to know which one you want to be on (ours was an old Chicago train complete with “flipping seats” that switched your position since the train doesn’t actually turn around…which we all loved experiencing), but we passed an open air train, as well…so thankful we weren’t on that one on such a hot day!! It pays to ask for those details that aren’t totally clear on the site!

They also do “dinners” and other special events on the trains. We weren’t interested, but if that’s your type of thing, be sure to look up those details, as well!

And, don’t forget to stop in the old-fashioned ice cream parlor right next door to the museum for some great ice cream treats

East Troy Electric Railroad Train Depot/Museum

Riding the train, old-style Chicago

3. Elegant Farmer

We stopped at the Elegant Farmer while we were riding the East Troy Electric Railroad, and we loved it so much, we went back later on during our vacation for more fresh produce! I will say, they have “daily specials” that are WAY cheap (our first day was very cheap, very GOOD blueberries)…we just assumed they were always that cheap, but two days later, the blueberries weren’t so cheap, but watermelons were. SO, I say that to say, if you are wanting to have some for now and some for later (as we did), buy it THEN…don’t wait! They have all kinds of fresh produce and great Wisconsin cheese, along with a little eatery, and their famous “paper bag apple pies”! I never got it, but their grilled cheese sandwiches looked amazing!!

4. Choo-Choo Charlie’s Restaurant
We absolutely LOVED this little restaurant! They had model trains all around the place, which the kids (especially Addison) were amazed with. Those trains also “deliver” the food to your table area (just make sure you sit near the tracks, as some tables are too far away from the tracks to fully enjoy). The kids were given colored pencils and crayons to “color” the tablecloth while we waited for our food, which was great for keeping them in good spirits, even after a long day.

The food was very reasonably priced and totally delicious! Mark mentioned several times how “real” the chicken fingers tasted, instead of the “normal” fast food style typically tastes. We were all full and fully satisfied with our lunch at this diner-style restaurant.

The kids also enjoyed ringing the bell and seeing “Charlie” the dog while there. Great food, fabulous service, and super-sweet staff who went above and beyond to make our vacation as awesome as possible! I highly recommend this place!!!

Watching the trains go around and around at Choo-Choo Charlie’s

Visit Kenosha
So, we actually went to Kenosha specifically for Choo-Choo Charlie’s Restaurant (which I had found reviews for online, and it seemed like a unique place to try). But while at the restaurant, the owner came to our table and talked with us while we waited, gave us a great little magazine about things going on in Kenosha, recommended the 3 museums (that you’ll hear about shortly), and even gave us a few tokens for the trolley system that picks up right outside of their restaurant. This website (above) has great information like the magazine did, so I recommend checking it out for special events that may be going on.

5. Kenosha Fine Art & Natural History Museum (FREE)
This is one of the 3 museums found in the Kenosha area (all very close together, and all are stops for the Kenosha trolley). We didn’t even know about these places prior to the manager at Choo-Choo Charlie’s telling us about them! But we had a great time at these museums!! This one was full of fossils and artifacts of all kinds on the bottom floor, and a beautiful fine art museum on the top floor. There was also a quaint souvenir shop with very reasonably-priced items. And, what was better than a FREE history and art lesson that we all enjoyed!?! And, it’s opened daily…just check the times before you go.

Kenosha Fine Art & Natural History Museum

6. Kenosha Dinosaur Discovery Museum (FREE)
Here is another of the free Kenosha museums (my kids’ favorite)! It was small, but had a huge amount of dinosaur fossils and replicas within it’s walls. Lots of dinosaurs that we had personally never heard of (and I have a dinosaur-loving little boy), so he was thrilled! It also had an area where you could see the fossils that their archaeologists were currently working on, as well as a little kids area. It didn’t take us a long time to go through this museum, but again, it was free, and TOTALLY worth the time! **It is CLOSED on Mondays, so if you are making plans to see all 3 Kenosha museums together, don’t choose Monday!**

Kenosha Dinosaur Discovery Museum

7. Kenosha Civil War Museum (Minimal Cost for Adults/Kids FREE)
This Civil War Museum was incredible!! Definitely a one-of-a-kind museum. I was thankful to see that they allowed all children in for free (a great way to encourage learning about our great country’s history!). There is a charge for adults, but it was totally reasonable…and even cheaper if you actually live in the area. This Civil War museum focused mainly on the Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin areas and their parts in the war efforts. The museum has many personal stories and testimonies all throughout, which made it make history truly come “alive” for the kids (and for me, too). There was also a 360* movie presentation about “Seeing the Elephant” (when the soldiers actually saw battle for the first time), which was a very interesting and educational from several different perspectives. I could have spent all day here, myself, reading about and looking at all of the many historical relics this museum held! I highly recommend this museum. It was a highlight for me on our trip, for sure!!

Kenosha Civil War Museum

8. Racine Zoo
When I saw the zoo’s cheap admission prices on the website, I figured it would have to be a sad excuse for a zoo…but I also knew it would fill a little time with the kids (even if I wasn’t impressed). So, we decided to give it a try, and we were all delightfully surprised! Have I seen bigger and better zoos? Well, of course…the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans is still my favorite, by far (but it is also more expensive). But I have also paid much more for zoos that had much less to see/do. This zoo was very kid-friendly…had lots of “shade” places as you walked…great interaction areas (even with wallabies!). The animals were mostly all out and active, even in the heat. And there was a great little play area that my kids would have stayed at all day, had I let them! This one cost a little, but we all enjoyed our day at the zoo.

Racine Zoo fun

9. Menominee Park & Zoo, Oshkosh, Wisconsin (FREE)
Menominee Park & Zoo (City of Oshkosh site)
Visit Oshkosh Calendar Guide
So, I had NO idea what to expect at the Menominee Park area, but we had a little time to kill one afternoon and decided to give it a try. I was hoping for a small play area for the kids. BOY! Was I surprised!! This place was HUGE, and could easily take an entire day for you, should you want it to. This park is surrounded by Lake Winebago (which to this small-town Alabama girl, looked like an ocean), where you could enjoy the water and sandy beach areas…and then they had nice shower/bathroom areas to clean up when needed.

But in addition to the beautiful lake scenery, there was a beautiful circular walk area that took you around and through a FREE zoo that housed both domestic and exotic animals. My kids LOVED this little “surprise” to our park adventure. There were probably 40 or so different animals there, and all were very easy to see. (And, in case you need to know, there are bathrooms at the zoo entrance, as well!)

Then we made our way around to their really cool “wooden” playground area, where my kids could have played all day long! It was a very large playground area, so I followed my kids around constantly, as you couldn’t sit somewhere and see them all over the park, but it was lots of fun! It was totally made for all ages…

Lake Winebago

Menominee Park & Zoo

White Wolf in Menominee Park

10. Red Ridge Riding Stables
$3 off per rider PRINTABLE COUPON
We gave our kids the choice of one “special” outing (something that we knew would cost a bit more than our other activities)…horseback riding or an indoor waterpark. To my surprise, they chose horseback riding, as it was something that they rarely get to experience (if ever)! So, there were two riding stables (both near the Wisconsin Dells area) that I had found online, and both were comparable in price. This one offered an additional $3 off per rider coupon (online), and mentioned many times on their site that their guided trail rides were perfect for beginners to advanced riders, so we decided to give them a try. I knew I would not be riding, since I had Addison, so we would have 3 “mostly beginner” riders. Helmets were offered, but not required (you did have to sign a waiver if you chose not to wear one), and who knows how often (if ever) they were sprayed or cleaned…but this momma is never without her Thieves Spray!

I guess my review of this place is both positive and negative, so please bare with me as I explain. Upon arrival, there was no welcome area or person waiting to direct you to where you should be. We made our way to the barn, where we met the owner, who is obviously great at what she does and loves horses (but lacks little to no customer relation skills). She came across as very harsh and rude at times…I often thought, we just need to leave now. There were also times that I thought she was kidding about her horses “needing” the treats (that you could purchase for an additional $5 or so), but then later came to realize that she made it clear (once the kids were on the horses) that they should have treats in order to ride. I digress…but just suffice to say, she lacks people skills majorly…or maybe was having a really bad day.

She sent the group out with her helper, told me that we could hang out at the barn or clean stalls or whatever while we waited for the hour tour to be complete, but that she had somewhere to go (and she left!). The mommy in me was trying to stay calm, but I was worried about my babies (but thankful my husband was with them).

Needless to say, despite the owners less than par customer relation skills and her seemingly rude attitude, my family loved their guide, their horses, and their ride! Mark and the kids were told fun stories, etc. by the trailguide, and the kids talked about this horseback riding experience for weeks! I think she really just needs a “storefront manager” to greet you with smiles and information, and then get you set on the ride while she takes care of the farm. But that’s just my two cents.

It was a great experience…but it would have been nice to know what we were walking into. We may give the other stables a try, should we find ourselves there again, and just let her keep her $3 off.

Ready to Ride at Red Ridge Riding Stables

Addison loved the barn cats while we waited…

Those would definitely be the “highlights” of our trips, but we also enjoyed shopping in the Oshkosh area. I think it’s closed now, but Katie loved the one and only American Girl outlet store! We also found a great little Lego hobby shop called Bricks & MiniFigs, where you could buy and sell legos in bulk or as individual pieces. This place would be awesome for kids like my son, who love to collect the MiniFigures that *only* come in the $100+ sets! We also stopped in a Once Upon A Child store and scored Katie an American Girl mini doll for only a few dollars! Those are my types of {frugal} shops!!

The activities were fun and frugal…the views were breathtaking…the weather was picture perfect. I absolutely loved our Wisconsin trip, and look forward to adding many more trips like that to our “map” over the next years!!

Our Travel Adventures | Home Decor DIY

marsha0727 — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 20:08:00 +0000

Lately, I have found so many cute home decor ideas involving MAPS, and I have fallen in love with the idea of “mapping” our family’s travel adventures in a way that we can use in our decor!

I found a small 6″ globe (from Target) for my sweet baby sister, and purchased personalized vinyl lettering to say “Adventures of Megan” on the (ocean) side of the globe…then I marked with self-adhesive gemstones (from Hobby Lobby), all of the places she has been. I almost wanted to keep it for myself! It turned out beautifully!! (But I’m horrible and forgot to take a picture, so I’ll have to add that later when she can send me one).

Well, apparently my love for that idea was evident enough that my sweet hubby found a “Scratch Map” and surprised it with me for Valentine’s Day! If you don’t know what a Scratch Map is, let me tell you (because I had never heard of it, either!) — it’s a large map of the US (or World) that is covered in a gold scratch coating, so each state that you visit, you can “scratch off” the gold part to reveal of beautiful colored map underneath. Obviously, our goal is to scratch off the entire US…and then, on to the “World”.

I was thrilled with my map! My only problem was trying to decide how to display it. It was a “non-normal” shape/size, so either it was going to look strange in a misfitted poster frame, OR I was going to be out $100+ for a custom sized frame…and I didn’t care for either idea! So, I kept looking…until one day, I found it! Exactly what I needed!

Hobby Lobby had clearanced out these LARGE, beautifully framed cork boards…and it was perfect for our map! It was just big enough to where we can add family pictures of our “adventures” all around our travel adventures map! Now, it’s hanging beautifully, awaiting my pictures (which I’ve finally ordered)! And I couldn’t be happier.

Now, on to more adventures…only a couple of months, and we’ll be scratching off our first “new” adventure for 2016 to Wisconsin!

Labor Day Fun

marsha0727 — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 21:32:00 +0000

So, our family enjoyed our first “official” school holiday this past weekend — Labor Day. Yes, we were guilty in the past of homeschooling on those “holidays” to catch up or get ahead…so, it was great to have and enjoy a holiday with no schoolwork!

Mark’s parents came in town for the weekend, so we had a great time with them. And we ended it by taking a spontaneous trip to the Birmingham Galleria to see the LEGO Americana Roadshow before it was gone. It was totally worth the short drive to see the amazing LEGO architecture and my excited kids amazement as they saw pieces of history in LEGOS!

I cannot even begin to imagine building LEGOS for 450+ hours to create ONE of these! But they were definitely neat to see!!

And who could go there without visiting the LEGO store?! Definitely not us…Austin had some birthday money that was just beginning to be spent on new LEGO sets. And, making a build-a-bear stop and Lego stop for the kids may have helped “buy” away the sorrows they felt of havng Nana and Pawpaw leave.

Our weekend was short, for sure, but it was lots of fun!

Throwback Thursday | Trip of “FIRSTS”

marsha0727 — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 12:30:00 +0000

I was looking back through old pictures the other day, and ran across these images from 2005…WOW! What memories flood my mind at the sight of these. So, I thought I’d share them with you, too…

This was a trip of many “firsts” for me…some planned…some not-so-much…some good…some, well…

This was my first trip on a plane…ever…anywhere. And it started with me getting to the airport {hours from home} with no picture ID to show to board the flight {thanks to those pesky little “hidden” coin compartments in the bank teller envelopes, that so easily hid my license from me…and what’s that old saying again? Out of sight, out of mind…well, yeah…totally true…until you are in line ready to board the plane in another state. What a start to my first plane trip! haha} But, God provided a way, and I was able to board the plane with my mission team and my husband.

This was my first trip out of the U.S….my first steps onto foreign soil. {Which proved interesting due to my prior post about my ID not being in my possession for the first part of the Mexico mission trip. I definitely don’t recommend this, but, BOY!, does it give you stories to tell and memories to laugh about!}

And, my first trip to beautiful desert land…

which also happens to be where lots of nightmare-ish creapy crawlies like to hide…everywhere…

My first time putting my hands to work putting together God’s Word for people that longed to have their own copy…treasured it…read it…shared it with their family and friends. Over 10,000 copies handed out for what the average household spends on a mortgage for one month…

And, my first true “culture shock” seeing the conditions in which so many lived, but yet were so happy/content/thankful for what they had {which was seemingly nothing in comparison to our lives}.

This was a trip of many “firsts” for me…but, I pray, not the last! I hope that we can one day be able to bring our kids to Bearing Precious Seed Ministries and let them put their hands on missions work, printing, making, and sharing God’s precious Word to those who still need to hear of His love for them.

What memories…what challenges…what blessings…what answers to prayer God gave us in this week of “firsts”!

Wordless Wednesday {Disney Style}

marsha0727 — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:03:00 +0000

This is what happens when you put the kids (and myself)

on the wonderful tea-cup ride with Nana…

Round and round and round we go…

Faster, faster, FASTER!!

And, all I can say here is…

{in my best “Darling kids” voice}…

POOR NANA!!!

Disney World | Day 3 | Epcot

marsha0727 — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:18:00 +0000

Our 3rd day at Epcot was a very RAINY one! Thankfully, there are lots of “inside” activities in Epcot. We spent a LOT of time in the aquarium (seeing the fish, talking to Crush, and riding the Little Mermaid ride over and over again).

We also enjoyed “Figment” and his ride through the imagination, and then the fun hands-on activities following the ride! The kids thought the “smell” tester was the best!

After hanging around in Epcot’s Land area for a while, it was time for our evening meal at The Coral Reef Restaurant. It was very nice…fancy, even! But thankfully, we weren’t the only ones there who felt like drowned rats!

Austin asked for lobster bisque for his

appetizer, and he ate every last drop of it!

After dinner, the rain cleared up for a while, so we walked around Epcot to see the different “countries”. We made it about halfway around, when it began to pour again…so we cut that part of our evening short

All Austin needed here was

his superman outfit

Katie with Mary Poppins

A beautiful sunset, regardless of all of the rain!

Disney World | Day 2 | Animal Kingdom

marsha0727 — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 21:27:00 +0000

We began our second day bright and early — enjoying the extra early magic hour for Animal Kingdom! We had breakfast reservations at The Tusker House, but had almost 45 minutes before our reservation, so we headed immediately to the Kilamanjaro Safari Ride! The animals were all out and about early this morning

Katie about to get on the jeep for the Safari

Hippos

Our jeep Fun times!

Don’t ask me what this is…

I’d say a cow with horns

The Savannah area — Giraffes

Temite mound (on steroids)

Buffalo

The giraffe that almost made us late

for our breakfast reservation because

he wanted to eat his breakfast in the

middle of the road!

Rhino

Lion

When we finished with the safari ride (later than anticipated), we sprinted to The Tusker House for breakfast, where we were met by Donald! The kids both loved giving him hugs

The kids with Goofy

Our super cool Tusker House waiter —

he made our breakfast so much fun, and made

this meal the best one of the week!

Mickey and the gang (less Austin —

he was too busy eating to take a picture).

Since Austin wouldn’t stop eating

to take a picture, we took his

After breakfast, we let the kids get their faces painted — this was on their “wish list” — and we had been told that Animal Kingdom did the best face paintings, hands down! I would have to say, they did amazing! The kids were so thrilled!! After they finished, Austin asked us almost every 5 minutes or so to find a mirror, so he could check on his pirate face

Another great day in Disney World! We all loved Animal Kingdom, and were excited to see the next park after a few much needed hours of rest

Disney World | Day 1 | Magic Kingdom

marsha0727 — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:51:00 +0000

Against everyone’s suggestions, we chose to start off at the Magic Kingdom (Hey! We’ve gotta take advantage of those Magic Hour days hehe) I think I was even more excited than the kids!! I couldn’t wait to see their expressions when they got their first taste of DISNEY!

Here’s Austin waiting IN his stroller

in our room…I think he was ready to go!

Nana on the Main Street

Getting “organized” before getting

started in Magic Kingdom. Yep, I had

my camera…but it was VERY lightly used!

Most of our pictures ended up being “snapshot”

style with Mark’s camera!

A little fun on the Carousel!

Can’t forget the Dumbo ride!

This isn’t the best quality picture, but I had to share it!

Austin begged to go shoot the aliens and

defeat Zurg! Here’s his “I defeated Zurg” picture

After spending most of the day in Magic Kingdom, we we back to the resort for a short naptime. Then we got dressed and ready for our first reservation dinner with the Princesses at Akershus Banquet Hall. Katie wanted to dress as a Princess for dinner, so she is “Merida”.

Belle was Austin’s favorite…and really the ONLY

Princess he would take a picture with!

Katie and Cinderella

Katie and Aurora

Austin stayed focused on eating the whole

time…no time for the Princesses

Katie and Snow White

Princess Ariel spent a while at our table…

trying to get Austin to talk to her He didn’t say

much, but he did think it was funny when

she asked him if she could ride a bike with her fins!

After dinner in Epcot, we went back to Magic Kingdom for the late extra magic hours (9-midnight), and enjoyed the “less” crowded park! The castle was beautifully lit at night, and changed colors constantly!

A quick family picture with the castle!

Riding the Magic Carpets in Aggraba (is that how you spell it?!)

We had a great first day at Disney World! We didn’t see NEAR all of Magic Kingdom or Epcot, but we’ll have time to go back to both later in the week, thanks to our Hopper Passes (SO worth the money!!)