vacation Archives - Serendipity Mommy

Pre-Vacation Chores Your Kids Can Help With

May 15, 2017 by Mandy

If you’re about to embark on a family vacation, you might feel like you have too much to do before you leave. Don’t worry, that’s normal. You simply need to make a checklist of must-do jobs and then get some help from the family. Here’s a guide on some pre-vacation chores even your kids can help with.

Prepare for Your Absence

Image via Flickr user JeepersMedia

You need to do a few routine tasks before leaving. Make sure your home looks like someone is there as a way to discourage theft. You’ll also want to prepare your HVAC system for your absence.

Set it at a neutral temperature, around 80 degrees in the summer or 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, so you’re not paying to cool or warm more than necessary while you’re away. It’s a good idea to have a professional inspect your HVAC unit to make sure it’s in good working order if you’ll be away for a week or more. This will limit the chance of a breakdown occurring while you’re gone and unexpectedly returning to a sauna in the middle of summer.

Make Laundry a Joint Effort

Clothes are a big part of any vacation. You’ll wear a lot of different items, and you’ll have to pack for various weather conditions. You may need jeans for when the weather gets cold, shorts for sunny days, and maybe even a dressy outfit or two for special events. Plus, a lot of vacationers enjoy swimming or water sports, so you’ll need clean bathing suits, too. Clearly, you need help with your packing!

You don’t want your child to take care of all the laundry, of course. That’s a bad sitcom episode waiting to happen. Still, you can get your kids to help. Ask them to collect all their dirty clothes and put them in the laundry hamper. If they don’t already know how, teach them how to separate colored clothes from white garments.

When you’re ready to begin laundry, check each item before putting it in the machine. That way, you work as the supervisor for when your kids accidentally put some white clothes in the wrong hamper. You’ll have all the clean clothes you need for the trip. Plus, your kids will have a better idea of how laundry works.

Teach Kids to Pack on Their Own

Packing is one of the most grueling parts of vacation preparation. You have to pick enough outfits for several days away from home. Then, you have to add extra clothes for the reasons above. You wind up with three or four extra days of clothing, and it takes a while to pack.

As a parent, you have to repeat these steps for your kid unless they help. Take this opportunity to teach your kids how to pack. Tell them to go to their closet and pick out several of their favorite pieces of clothing. Supervise as they choose various outfits, pointing out what they still need to add. Your kids will learn a life lesson while you’ll spend less time packing.

Vacation packing is rarely fun. Just remember that you have help. Kids are never too young to start learning valuable skills that will help them all the way into adulthood. And you’ll really appreciate the extra help!

Some Of The Nicest Places For A Road Trip

May 10, 2017 by Mandy

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Road trips are often celebrated in movies and books. They have a nostalgic glow to them. They are not only fun in the moment, because everything is new and exciting, but they are also wonderful to talk about years afterwards.

Road trips build bonds between friends, between couples, and between family members. They also close the generation gap. They are a simple way to escape the ordinary routines of life and embark on a fabulous adventure.

An American Experience

Let’s take a closer look at one of the most famous road trips in the United States—the Pacific Coast Highway.

In California, the Pacific Coast Highway connects San Diego to San Francisco (approximately 130 miles) and then on to the Canadian border, and includes passing through Los Angeles.

Start in San Diego. This city is the home of the Lawrence Welk timeshare, California a fabulous resort complex built by the famous singer. The Lawrence Welk show, featuring the American bandleader and television impresario, was so popular that it ran from 1951 to 1982. San Diego has been called “America’s Finest City ” because of its inexorable miles of white sandy beaches and balmy weather.

From San Diego drive to Los Angeles. This, of course, is the home of Hollywood, famous for its movie stars and studios like Paramount Pictures, Universal and Warner Brothers. L.A. is also well-known for Griffith Observatory and Griffith park; Disneyland; the Getty Center; Santa Monica; the Natural History Museum; and the California Science Center.

After you leave Los Angeles, you have an epic drive ahead of you. You’ll pass many mission towns and view vast stretches of beach that clasp the cliff-hugging highway. You’ll want to drive slowly to take in the sight of the crashing waves, the occasional elephant seals, and the magnificence of Big Sur.

Finally, you’ll arrive at San Francisco, the hilly city that sits on the tip of a peninsula that’s surrounded by the deep blue Pacific Ocean. Take in San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, the cable cars, the impossibly winding roads, and all the brightly colored Victorian houses.

Beyond America

Many people in the United States are under the impression that a road trip is something of a unique American tradition. After all, America was the home of the Model T Ford and developed a vast network of roads to open up the country to its citizens. Moreover, Jack Kerouac’s adventures with Neal Cassady described in his book, On the Road, became a classic novel of freedom. It’s an inspiring story about the search for identity that defined an entire generation of people seeking the authentic life.

However, the road trip is actually popular all over the world. In the UK, a Cornwall road trip is a delightful experience. In Australia, the Sydney to Brisbane Drive is considered a worthy adventure. And in Germany, the Romantic Road is a 220-mile drive past forests and fields, medieval towns, and castles.

Affordability

One reason why fewer people are going on road trips is because of the cost. However, the adventure is more than worth the trouble of saving and planning for a road trip.

Although economic considerations like inflation and the rising cost of living have discouraged enthusiasm for road trips, it hasn’t stopped it altogether. While the price of gas, food, and lodging isn’t as cheap as it used to be in the past, road trips are still possible.

In fact, when you sit down and think about it, there are many ways to reduce the cost. Here, for example, are five suggestions:

Plan out your trip ahead of time, deciding exactly where you want to go, instead of just seeing where the road takes you.
Use smartphone apps to find the cheapest places to pump gas, eat, and sleep and plan your route accordingly.
Work within a budget and plan your trip according to your expense forecast.
Break up your adventure into mini-trips, going at different times of the year to your selected locations. In other words, shorter trips to improve cash flow.
Prefer the open road, long stretches of highway, instead of smaller, winding roads for better gas mileage.

Compact Packing Tips for Family Holidays

May 3, 2017 by Mandy

For children, travel is a fantastic experience. They get to enjoy new places and meet people from other walks of life. Most of us want our children to travel as much as possible, but finding the money for regular vacations is not always easy.

Save money, ditch unnecessary luggage

Fortunately, there are ways to keep the costs down, so that you can travel more. One way to do this is to travel with less baggage. Luggage costs vary from airline to airline, but typically each case you put into the hold will cost you between £25 and £32.

That means that if you are a family of four travelling with three cases you will have to spend between £150 and £192 on luggage alone. If you pack wisely you can usually manage with just one case, and greatly reduce this travel cost.

Divide the case into sections

In all likelihood, you will need to invest in a bigger case and book the upper luggage allowance. In addition, everyone will need to maximise the amount of cabin luggage they carry.

Once you have the case, divide it up so that each member of the family has an equal amount of space available. Assigning each adult a third of the case and dividing the remaining third amongst two children works well for most families. Use packing cubes to make sure the space is divided fairly.

Mix and match

Now lay out what you want to take onto the bed and rearrange your clothes into outfits. The more clothes you pack that can be mixed and matched the better, because doing this greatly reduces the number of items you need to pack.

Washable clothes

Bear in mind that you can easily rinse out lightweight items in the hotel sink and let them dry over a couple of days when planning each person’s outfits. Try to make sure that any items you plan to do this with do not need ironing once they are dry.

Sensible footwear

It is very important to take sensible footwear with you when you travel. If you are going somewhere hot, a pair of sandals and comfortable pair of closed in shoes is an ideal combination. You can wear the sandals to keep your feet cool, and the other shoes for activities that involve a lot of walking. Ideally, you only want to pack lightweight sandals, like these. They are lightweight yet sturdy and will not take up a lot of space in the case. The closed in pair of shoes should be worn to the airport.

Travel size toiletries and medications

Only pack travel size toiletries. You only need enough for the couple of weeks you are away.

Do the same with medications. Although with vital medicines that have to be taken regularly it is always wise to pack an extra week’s supply.

Learn compact packing techniques

To get everything in you will need to roll lightweight items of clothing, rather than fold them. It is also important to fill any little gaps with items like socks and pants. The trick to compact packing is using the entire cube as effectively as possible.

Travel & Driving in Canada

February 13, 2017 by Mandy

If your travel plan have you headed to the vast country of Canada, you probably already have an idea of what you want to see, where you want to go, and how many days you can dedicate to seeing everything it is that you want to see.

If you are planning on renting a car yourself, you will need to ensure that you have all the required documentation necessary to legally drive to all of the amazing destinations that await you. Depending on where you are visiting from you should do some research based on your country of origin.

Here are a few tips to make your travel experience seamless and enjoyable

For EU Residents

If you are visiting Canada from a EU member nation the requirements for driving legally in Canada will vary. Canada allows tourists and visitors to drive with a valid driver’s license for a short period. This time period varies so if you are planning on an extended stay in Canada the best route to being legal on the roadways is to obtain an International Driver’s license.

You can apply for an International Driver’s license prior to your travel online. There are various websites that offer international licenses but ensure you are choosing one that is recognized by the authorities in Canada.

UK Residents

If you are visiting from the UK, you have undoubtedly passed through a difficult driving theory test already. Although Canada has its own roadway rules and regulations, coming from the UK, your knowledge base of general driving theory is probably already high.

You will want to find out if you can drive in Canada with your UK based driving licenses. Many provinces in Canada permit tourists and seasonal visitors to drive temporarily with their UK driver’s licenses. The best bet is to check the regulation based on the specific provinces that you will be visiting.

US Residents

For residents of the United States, you are permitted to drive in your northern neighbor’s provinces but only for a period of 3 months. As EU member residents, if you are planning an extended stay in Canada you must obtain an international driver’s license. You can do this online prior to leaving the United States. Many US residents obtain International Licenses from companies like AAA that can be utilized all over the world.

Wherever you are visiting from you will need to ensure that you have your documentation in order prior to getting on your flight. There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination and having issues due to not being prepared. Canada is huge country and you will want to explore as much of it as you possibly can in the time that you have.

From Ontario, to British Columbia, Quebec, to New Found land, Labrador and beyond Canada is truly a breathtaking country. From historical landmarks to beautiful scenic drives, and striking landscapes Canada does not disappoint. We hope you that you enjoy your stay.

10 Fashion Pieces to Pack on a Cruise Ship Vacation

January 26, 2017 by Mandy

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A cruise ship vacation can be a great way to see a region of the world without having to worry about extensive travel planning. Instead, you and your family can simply relax and enjoy the scenic ports, the fun excursions, and the luxuries aboard your ship. Packing for a cruise that is sailing through the islands takes some care. Beyond some summer outfits and your bathing suit, here are 10 essential fashion pieces to pack on your cruise vacation.

1. Extra Hangers

Packing extra hangers is a must if you want to keep your clothes looking great and ready to wear. Most cruise ship cabins don’t have more than a handful of hangers inside of their closets, so you’ll need to bring your own to accommodate all of your looks. An easy way to keep your hangers packed tight in your suitcase is to use lightweight wire hangers. Slip each of your outfits on a wire hanger and flat pack your clothes into your suitcases.

2. Formal Evening Wear

Many cruises still hold several formal dining events on board. If you want to make an impression and experience this unique event, be sure to pack several options for formal evening wear. Forgetting these essentials means you and your party will have to skip the formal dining room and make do with a casual buffet meal on those nights instead.

3. Fine Jewelry

To complete your formal evening wear look, be sure to pack your best pieces of fine jewelry. These are the nights where you’ll be posing for lots of formal portraits with your family or by yourself. If you’re nervous about bringing expensive pieces on board, pick up some authentic looking costume jewels for your ensemble instead.

4. Comfortable Walking Shoes

When you’re ready to go out exploring on those exciting excursions off of the cruise ship, you’ll need a pair of comfortable walking shoes. Sturdy shoes with a strong sole can help you keep your feet from getting too sore and uncomfortable as you navigate port.

5. Lightweight Beach Bag

For the days when your cruise ship is docked at each destination, you’ll definitely want to check out the gorgeous Caribbean beaches. Because you’ll be constantly on the go, you’ll need a lightweight beach bag option to take ashore. Look for one that is made of a sturdy material, like straw or linen, to hold all of your beach essentials.

6. Wide Brimmed Hat

While the warm rays of the sun in the Caribbean can be comforting, you’ll need to prepare yourself for the trip with some sun protection. Being closer to the equator means you’ll need extra tricks to help keep the sun from making your skin burn or causing too much fatigue. Try packing a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off of your face.

7. Easy Sundresses

For your fun days on board your ship while it cruises to further destinations, you want to look your best without having to put in too much effort. A light sundress is the perfect option for those lazy days. Best of all, sundresses are easy and effortless to pack.

8. Chic Sandals

Don’t forget your great sense of fashion for your feet when you’re setting up your packing list. While flip flops are a standard for any cruise ship vacation to a warm weather destination, you should also consider bringing some gorgeous heeled sandals to dress up your outfit. You can find a great selection of sandals with online store Tobi.

9. Casual Gym Wear

It’s also a good idea to include some casual gym wear. This way, you’ll be able to start off each day with a workout on board your ship. Or, if you aren’t ready to hit the gym, you can simply stroll the top deck of the ship each morning.

10. Light Jacket

While it’s true that your cruise destinations may be warm and sunny with mild temperatures, things can get chilly on board at night. It’s smart to pack a light jacket for those colder nights just in case. Sometimes, the cruise ship’s air conditioning can be too powerful as well.

Getting ready for a cruise to a sunny destination can be a thrilling part of your trip. Before you set out on your boat, make sure you pack these essential fashion items to keep your style picture perfect each day of your trip.