Tag Archives: Travel

SAVE Big in San Antonio This Summer through SAVE – San Antonio Vacation Experience

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SAVE . All opinions are 100% mine.

Known as one of the nation’s most affordable vacation destinations, San Antonio is making visitors’ summer getaway even more value packed with SAVE – San Antonio Vacation Experience. With more than $600 in savings to theme parks, animal adventures, top shops and historic tours, plus great deals on hotels, summer is the time to SAVE in San Antonio.

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SAVE partners include top San Antonio hotels, resorts and attractions. Ranging from budget to luxury, SAVE has a price point for every price point and need. SAVE hotels line the River walk in the heart of downtown as well as the theme parks and airport. Make sure to check out SAVE Limited Time Offers for special limited time deals on hotels and attractions!

My family has been trying to plan a vacation to San Antonio and is so excited about SAVE – San Antonio Vacation Experience! We are going to use SAVE to plan our whole vacation, from hotel stay to all the area attractions.

Where to stay: Hyatt Regency San Antonio on the Riverwalk

Reason why: The only River Walk Hotel directly overlooking the historic Alamo

Now the hard part..what to do while we are there!  Here are some of the deals we found:

  • Alamo Sight Seeing Tour (Kids ages 3-11 $2.00 of and Adults $5.00)
  • McNay Art Museum (Children 11 and under are free)
  • South Heritage Center at Witte Museum ($1.00 off)
  • Sea World San Antonio ($10.00 off per ticket, up to 6 tickets)
  • Natural Bridge Caverns ($2.00 off an adult ticket and $1.00 off a Child’s Discovery Tour Ticket)

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Ways to save on your next vacation to San Antonio:

Summer vacations can get very expensive very quickly, but with using SAVE we can stay within our budget and have fun doing all the adventures we enjoy!

 

 

 

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Two Ways Skype Helps My Family During Summer Travel

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Our summer has been go, go, go!  Non stop planning, packing, having fun at our destination, unpacking, then planning the next trip.  We started the kid’s summer break off with a 4 day stay Callaway Gardens in East Georgia, then we stayed at a beautiful beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama for a week, now we’re preparing for a 5 day stay at The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia this Saturday and then I’m going to New Mexico for a business trip for 3 days, then we’re going to Callaway Gardens again for 4 days again.  A week after that trip I am scheduled to have surgery so I guess you could say that I’ve been trying to squeeze a lot of fun into a short summer break because my surgery is recovery time is cutting two weeks off of potential travel and fun time with the kids.

While my husband is not able to travel with the kids and I on all of these trips this summer and thus can’t read to her every night, which he and my daughter both love, I came up with the fabulous idea of using Skype to allow him to be right there with her in bed and read to her at night even though he’s hundreds of miles away.

Skype gives my kids the ability to see and talk to their dad while we’re away without him.  Seriously, Skype is a life changer for me.  Having my husband help put the kids to bed even though he’s hundreds of miles away is great and couldn’t be done without Skype.

Bedtime stories using Skype

Skype Tip #1: How to put a child to bed via Skype

  1. I get my daughter all ready for bed.  She brushes her teeth, flosses, rinses, goes to the bathroom and washes her hands and face.
  2. Then I tuck her in bed.
  3. Next, I put my laptop in the bed next to my 6 year old and connect to Skype.
  4. After that we call her Daddy on Skype.
  5. He picks up from wherever he is, via his iPhone or laptop.
  6. He talks to her about her day then he asks her to pick three stories from her pile of books by the bed.
  7. He reads the three books to her and then he SINGS to her like he always does at home.
This is just one way that Skype allows my daughter and husband to have a normal bedtime routine even during summer travel!
Skype’s new anti-shake video feature for iPhone makes video chats even more pleasant than they were before!

Skype Tip #2: Have a Skype group chat to help plan your summer vacation

Because our summer vacation trips often involve family members in other states, it is helpful to have a group ‘meeting’ before we arrive at our destination so everyone is on the same page regarding where we are going to go while we’re there, where we want to eat, etc.  It’s a great idea to set up a time when all of the adults involved in the vacation can chat via Skype and go over the details of the trip.  Skype Group Video Chat is available with a Premium subscription.
Here is a fun infographic that illustrates how 1,200 Moms think technology brings them closer to friends and family.
Skype Summer Travel
[simple_series title=”All posts in the Skype Series”]
Alicia Hagan, Editor
Disclaimer: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Skype. I received Skype credits to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

SnoozeShade – Protect your Baby from the Sun and Help her Sleep While on the Go!

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, ,

 

SnoozeShade stroller and car seat shadesYou should have seen the ‘shades’ I rigged for my kids in the car when they were infants.  We would bring tape in the car on road trips knowing that we need to tape a pillow case to the window and then to my baby’s car seat in order to provide her with some shade so she could sleep without sweating.  My husband’s homemade shades more often more efficient than mine because he had more patience to rig up a super duper homemade shade in the back seat of a van, than I did.

SnoozeShade stroller and car seat shadesIf you are on the go often, like most parents are, then you’ll love Snooze Shade.  This is one of the few products that I have actually considered a Mommy Must-Have.

I’m sure you will be outside a lot during these summer months so be sure to (1) put sunblock on your kids and (2) keep one of these cool (literally) SPF 50+ SnoozeShades on your infant’s car seat to keep her safe from the sun and heat.

The SnoozeShade for Infant Car Seats is great for:

  • those times when your baby can’t switch off.. there’s just too  much going on for her to fall asleep
  • encouraging good sleeping habits and better napping when you and baby are out and about
  • sun protection while taking a walk in the park
  • protection from the blaring sunshine that comes through the car window while on road trips right when she’s about to fall asleep (speaking from much experience)

 

The SnoozeShade for Infant Car Seats (Amazon.com link) comes with a storage pouch and is quick and easy to put on your infant’s car seat.
SnoozeShade also makes a shade for strollers, the SnoozeShade Original.

Learn more about SnoozeShade on the SnoozeShade website.

Disclosure: I was provided with SnoozeShade products for purposes of this review.  My review is an honest opinion based on my experience with the product and was not influenced by SnoozeShade.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

No One’s a Tourist at The King and Prince Resort on St. Simons Island, GA

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The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, GA
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, GA

Have you ever gone on vacation and when it was time to go home you felt like you were leaving home and friends?

The King and Prince Resort on St. Simons Island in Georgia was my home for the last four days.  This four day trip was not a typical vacation destination.  The wonderful people who hosted us while on the trip made us feel like we were at home.  Vacationers are family at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort.  There are no tourists.

Cap Fendig was one of the first residents of the island that I met while at The King and Prince.  Within minutes of meeting Cap and hearing him talk about the island I transitioned from feeling like a tourist to feeling like I was a friend of his visiting the island.  Cap knows the island inside and out and educates and entertains his tour customers.

I also met The King and Prince’s Executive Chef Jeff Kaplan and Vinny D’Agostino director of Food & Beverage who both did everything they could to make myself and the other travellers feel like I was at home while dining on delicious meals including shrimp and grits and blackberry sorbet that just melted in my mouth.  It seemed effortless on their part to make us feel at home.  In just a few days we learned about their families, the history The King and Prince and the island.

For three nights I feel asleep to the sound of ocean waves and for three nights I slept like a baby.  As soon as I stepped onto my balcony in the mornings I felt invigorated, inspired, and ready to take on the day.  My worries and anxiety, something I deal with daily, seemed to drift off into thin air while on St. Simons Island.  Being at The King and Prince Resort was therapeutic for me.  Yesterday I took a walk on the beach and saw dolphins playing in the waves very close to shore. I am pretty sure they were telling me to come back soon and stay a little longer next time.

Today I have a headache and I’ve been trying to pretend the sound of passing cars is ocean waves. Are those signs of withdrawal?

I’ll be back at The King and Prince this summer with my family.  Thank you to Leigh Cort, The King and Prince Resort, Cap Fendig, Vinny D’Agostino, Chef Jeff Kaplan, and Bud St. Pierre, Griffin Bufkin of Southern Soul BBQ, crew of Lady Jane Shrimping Cruise, and the people of St. Simons Island for hosting me on this amazing trip!

Connect with The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort

More articles in The King and Prince Resort / St. Simons Island, GA series:

– Alicia

Family Travel: The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simons Island Family Activities

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For the next few days I am enjoying a stay at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort.   Located on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia, this beautiful island is ranked as one of the top 10 in the country. With family-friendly adventures and amenities, there’s a potential to create many memories while visiting this island.  The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort is on the list of historic places register in the United States.

The King and Prince Beach and Gold Resort

 

I’m looking forward to going shrimping aboard the “Lady Jane” with Captain Larry Creedle Wednesday. Besides going shrimping on an authentic shrimp boat for the first time, I will learn about fishing ecology, which my 12-year-old son will appreciate learning about once I get home.  He loves anything to do with fishing so he’ll be thrilled to learn about shrimping.

Here is a brief overview of what The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort and St Simons Island, GA has to offer.

Coastal Outdoor Adventure Camps 

This camping adventure strives to teach children how to appreciate nature, how to fish and how to swim. With a different theme every registration date, the Coastal Outdoor Adventure Camp is a family fun part of The King and Prince Beach Resort. There are multiple registration dates throughout the year, so that you can coordinate them with your vacation. Read more about Coastal Outdoor Adventure Camps here.

The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort pool and sandbox
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort Children's Sandbox

Resort Activities

From yoga classes to swimming, there are dozens of options for families at this resort. There is a special activity coordinator that can help your group develop a schedule of child-friendly adventures.  Learn more about King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort activities here.

The King and Prince - St Simons Island
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St Simons Island, GA


Bike Trails 

The King and Prince Resort is filled with beautiful forests and coastal shorelines. You can rent a bike from local bike shop, Ocean Motion, and take one of the scenic bike trails through certain parts of the island. The real point of interest is that your family can rent a bike called a surrey, which holds up to 9 people. It’s an amazing opportunity to bond with your family while exploring nature on vacation.

The King and Prince Resort doesn’t disappoint!

Connect with The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor