Disney Mom at Home • Living Life with a Little Magic

Great Wolf Lodge Tips and Tricks For a Great Stay

November 4, 2020

2020 has been a rough year. We have cancelled so many trips that we were really looking forward to. We were able to get away to the beach this summer, but even that wasn’t the same.

When the topic of Lily’s 8^th birthday came up, we were at a loss on what kind of party to have. Do we invite all of her friends? Only the ones we’ve seen? It seemed more trouble than it was worth. So, we asked her what she wanted. Her answer. A trip.

Now this girl is spoiled. She seems to always weasel a trip out of us for her birthday, partly because we love to travel in the fall, and partly because going away is easier than planning a birthday party for kids. So, we researched destinations that were close and wouldn’t have us quarantining when we returned.

Great Wolf Lodge has many locations throughout the country. Luckily, we have one about 3 hours away in Sandusky, OH. Truthfully, I’ve read that this one is smaller than most and doesn’t have as many things to do, but it was plenty for the weekend and we couldn’t wait to get there!

I booked a standard family suite since we were only staying one night and figured we wouldn’t be in the room that much. If we would have stayed any longer, I definitely would have upgraded to have the wolf den bunk beds room for the kids. The standard suite had two queen beds and a living room area with a couch and table. It also had a small balcony. It was perfect for our family of 5.

The Water Park

The water park itself seemed small upon entering, but it is perfect for smaller kids. There were a variety of slides to try and splash-pad style water structures. There was also a lazy river, but there was nothing relaxing about it. It was small and the kids in there were running and pushing.

If you are looking for thrilling rides and water park attractions, this is not the place to go. It is all created to be perfect for smaller children. And it totally was. My kids had a blast! We only lasted about 3 hours in the water park and we were all done.

The Resort

The best part about staying at Great Wolf Lodge was all of the activities that were included with your stay. I signed my family up for literally everything we could do so that we took complete advantage of all they had to offer.

Since it was the beginning of October, “Howloween” was in full effect. The first activity we did was trick or treating. There were 6 candy stations throughout the resort and they each handed out a little treat. I have to be honest though, they each handed out one piece of candy and maybe a sticker, so you are only getting a bag with 6 candies in it. Now granted they are free, but most places we’ve been that offer trick or treating load you up! When we did Disney’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, we came home with pounds of goodies. The kids enjoyed it though.

Next was story time with Wiley the Wolf. It was cute and I’m sure it was a lot better before Covid when the workers could actually interact with you. I was pleasantly surprised you still got to take a picture with Wiley after the story. He stood on a riser and the kids stood below. Definitely something they enjoyed.

The final activity we actually got to do twice. It was the Monster Bash Dance Party. When we checked in the only available time, they had was 10pm. I took it but as the day wore on, it was clear we were not making it. To my surprise, Delaney held out and demanded we dance like monsters at 10pm after a long day at the water park. It was surprisingly fun and had a decent amount of people in attendance. Everyone else was asleep in the room.

Because of this, we registered to attend the dance again the next morning before we checked out. Kevin took the kids down while I packed up the room. Everyone loved it.

We hit the arcade on the way out to go home. Lily loves an arcade and it was her birthday trip, so I relented and gave each kid $10 which lasted approximately 8 minutes. They each earned enough to get a squishy that I will probably throw away in the next week, so mission accomplished.

Tips and Tricks To Have an Incredible Stay

I’m so glad we were able to head off to Great Wolf Lodge for a quick getaway. It’s somewhere we had been looking to go. Here are my takeaways:

If you are at all worried about Covid – skip it! The resort was mostly clean, everyone was required to wear a mask and they really limited activities, which was nice. However, once you enter the water park it was a free for all. No social distancing, no limits on how many people can be in the pool and you were smack up against the person in front and back of you in line. We were ok with this, but if you aren’t, it’s important to know before you go!

It was absolutely perfect for younger kids. I would say anyone under 10 would really appreciate everything they have to offer!

The free wolf ears all the kids get at check in is an adorable way to start your stay. Seeing all of the kids running around with the little ears really makes it fun!

This is definitely a family-style getaway. Be ready to go down slides or wait at the bottom and act like a kid again!

The food options were great, although pricey. The Dunkin Donuts in the lobby during morning hours was perfect for breakfast before check out!

You can order drinks from the bar and grill and bring it back to the waterpark! We couldn’t enjoy that perk because we were in the water, but we definitely ordered and took back to the room later in the evening!

Pack food for the room because you will get hungry, especially when the kids swim all day! The restaurants close pretty early and the price of snacks was high, so bringing a bag of snacks and drinks worked perfectly. There’s a small fridge and microwave in each room, perfect for bottled water and microwave popcorn!

Great Wolf Lodge supplies towels at the pool and life jackets and puddle jumpers. The puddle jumpers seemed to be limited, so we had to go with life jackets. Next time we will bring our own puddle jumpers just to be safe, but it was nice to not have to pack them if you are short on room!

Final Thoughts

Great Wolf Lodge is the perfect place for families with smaller children to escape and enjoy a weekend together. It was nice to leave cell phones in the room while we were playing in the water and spending time together.

It is a great way to really connect with your children and enjoy things on their level. If you get the chance, definitely take the trip!

$100 Dining Room Update

September 16, 2020

If there is one thing this whole pandemic has shown me it is that our home is a disaster. I say that lovingly because I love our house, but man it is filled with stuff we don’t use and a hodge-podge of furniture that mostly I inherited. One area that I was particularly focused on was the dining room.

For some reason in every house we’ve lived in, the dining room has been the main gathering spot. We work at the dining room table, despite the fact that my husband has an office, and I knew our kids would be homeschooling in there on their at-home days. I had a vision and I really wanted to make it match the feel of our home. However, champagne taste and beer bottle pockets put a big hold on our dining room re-do, so I spent hours on Pinterest trying to find something that was affordable that I liked.

Let me tell you, I love my mom’s dining room set. It’s beautiful cherry wood with comfortable cloth chairs. Both have seen better days but really, it’s a beautiful set. And I love it even more because my mom loved it. It took her years to find all of the pieces she wanted that matched. She never, ever bought a set of furniture, except our bedroom sets, so everything was purchased individually.

Because it reminds me of my mom, I have a strange attachment and just can’t bear to get rid of it yet. But I knew it needed to come out of my dining space. It was so big in there you couldn’t pull the chairs all the way out without hitting either a wall or the living room chair. Since our first floor is an open concept, we were able to make it work for the time being, but it was time to move on. And it really didn’t go with our “coastal farmhouse” feel that we are trying to achieve.

Fun fact about me is that I am addicted to Facebook marketplace. I have bought so much on there through the years, but even when I don’t need to buy something I enjoy looking. For this reason, I always looked at the table and chair sets that were available. I knew I wanted a round table and basic chairs, and it would have to be cheap. My goal was to have an all-white table and blue chairs to give the room some color. Most sets I saw were in the $100 range, and while that is a fantastic price, it just wasn’t what I wanted to spend.

One day, I was browsing while laying with Camden as he went down for his nap, and I saw a $50 set. It looked like it was in great condition. Bonus points for the fact that it was only a few streets away in my town. I popped the car seats out of the car and sent my husband to retrieve it.

It was perfect. A nice Oak table that would fit in our space great and four very basic, older style chairs. While I did re-do the chairs along with the table, I will probably look for new chairs eventually. I would like chairs with a back that is a little higher and we will eventually need 5 instead of 4, so I would need to add an additional chair anyway.

With $40 of paint and sealer, we were ready to go! The best part is that it was all super easy!

Things you need:

A drop cloth – I use an old flat sheet so that I can just toss when I’m finished.
A hand sander (or sand paper if you don’t have a sander) This is what I have and it’s perfect!
Paint – I used Rust-Oleum chalk paint in Linen for the table and Behr chalk paint for the chairs
Sealer – I used Rust-Oleum sealant specifically for chalk paint. It is much easier than using Polyacrylic to me, but you can use either!
Paint Brushes – I used the foam ones to avoid brush strokes

Steps:

The first step to all of my projects is laying out all of my materials. That might sound stupid, but this way you can be sure you aren’t forgetting anything before starting. There is nothing more frustrating than to be ready to go and realize you need to head back to the store.
Lightly sand all of the pieces. I like to do the sanding all at once so then I can put my sander away for the rest of the project. The point of this is to just remove the top layer, so don’t press too hard. This is one of those steps that some people skip. I prefer to do it as I think the paint holds better, but this is your call.
Paint! I only needed two coats of the chalk paint for the blue chairs, but I did four coats of the white on the table to get it completely covered. Follow the directors on the paint you use for drying time between coats.
I let the paint dry for a full 24 hours before I seal it. It’s also important to check drying time between sealant coats as well. And I let the sealant dry for 24 hours before using the furniture.

How easy is that?! So, two days and a total of $100 gave me a beautiful “coastal farmhouse” feeling dining room table and chairs! Now our next project is a new chandelier and painting the room!

Best Baby Gear for Your Beach Vacation

July 14, 2019

Our (not so) little family just got home from our first official vacation as a family of 5. We did a split stay between Ocean City, MD and Wildwood, NJ. We’ve been vacationing to Wildwood (almost) every year and stay at a friend’s beach house, so there are certain conveniences we take for granted that are going to be there (example: dish soap!). This year, however, we decided to add on a few days in a hotel in Ocean City. This meant we were going to experience taking a 9-week old on vacation and had to pack accordingly.

Of course I knew if we forgot anything we could always run to the grocery store or a Walgreens, but I was really trying to not spend money on things we could bring from home. All-in-all the only thing we ended up stopping to buy were some batteries for the stroller fan.

Because it’s been 4 years since we’ve had a baby on vacation, I really researched exactly what we needed (and what we didn’t need) to take. I am all about maximizing space in the car and luggage. No one wants to lug around big, heavy baby items you don’t end up using. The only thing that I invested in that was not needed was a cute little bathing suit for the little man. But I mean really, who can pass up 3 month shark swim trunks? Exactly. No one. Cutest $10 I spent.

Anyway, below are the items that are absolutely necessary to take to the beach if you have a baby. Some of these are even great for toddler and older children, like the stroller fan. And of course, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from any qualifying purchase. Now, on to the good stuff.

Travel Bassinet. This was one of the (many) things we didn’t have for the other kids. We always toted around our pack-and-play, which was great, but heavy and cumbersome to get around in small rooms. This travel bassinet was perfect, and is actually what we use for Cam at home too. It folds completely flat so packing it in the car is a breeze!

Fisher Price On-The-Go Dome. Seriously, this is my favorite baby purchase, and one of the best things I’ve ever invested in. I tried to find it used on Facebook marketplace, but literally people were snatching them up in seconds after posting. Normally I would have skipped it, but the reviews were so fantastic I splurged on it and let me tell you – it is worth its weight in gold! Cam was comfortable and sand-free all week. It folds up easily with a little carrying handle and is pretty light for the walk down to the sand. Now that we’re home, I’m totally going to use it at our pool!

Stroller Fan. I’ve seen these at Disney on almost every trip, but since our girls are older, they have the misting fans so there’s never been a reason to buy them. I ordered an inexpensive one and not only clipped it to the stroller, but I also clipped it to the dome at the beach every day. It definitely kept him cooler and much happier in the 90 degree heat. We will certainly be bringing this to Disney in the fall!

Tent. We used three different kinds of tents on this vacation (not at the same time) and this one by far was my favorite. It provided the most amount of shade and was big enough for us all to sit under when we needed time out of the sun. It’s also great because you don’t have to move it, or your stuff, for the sun. Definitely necessary when traveling with kids!

Owlet. Just because we are traveling, doesn’t mean we don’t use the same things we have at home. Our Owlet is one of my favorite baby necessities and it is great to have on vacation too – especially after a long, hot day at the beach. That peace of mind that it will alert you if something is wrong is priceless.

Baby Monitor. This probably isn’t really necessary if you’re staying in a hotel where you are all in the same room, but we were staying at a friend’s house and got a lot of use out of it! We don’t use a monitor at home, so I just found a cheaper, second hand one to take with us since I knew that they use individual room air conditioners and hearing the baby cry from the deck wasn’t likely. It was perfect and now we plan to use it while we are on the deck or in the pool at home too!

There are so many other little things we appreciate at the beach, like baby powder to remove sand, and good sunblock for the older girls, but those six items are the big ones that made our vacation so much easier. The third time (or kid!) is definitely a charm when it comes to choosing the perfect baby beach gear!

What are your favorite baby essentials for traveling?

Cindy’s Magical December Disney Trip Day 2

May 11, 2019

*** We encountered an issue with the pictures loading for this page. We are working to fix them, but are leaving the text up in the meantime. ***

On our second day at Disney we were off to the Magic Kingdom! Who doesn’t love a day where you might be lucky enough to run into Mickey Mouse?! (Hint, we didn’t. That would have to wait for day 5!)

We left our hotel by 8:15 am and decided to once again use an Uber as we were being lazy and could sit right in front of the hotel and wait for them to pick us up. This is Gary, Seth and Em in front of Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL) all ready to begin our days adventures!

We had the driver drop us off at the Contemporary Hotel. If you pin the Magic Kingdom (MK), it will drop you off at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and then you have to go through long security lines there, and you then have to either get on the ferry or monorail to get to MK. If they drop you at the Contemporary it is a 5-8 minute walk to the gate with a very short security line along the walking path. Or if you really don’t want to walk, you can hop on the Monorail on the 4^thfloor of the Contemporary!

It was a beautiful sunny morning and we got to MK by 8:45.

We made our way directly to Adventure Land as we did not have a fastpass (FP) for Jungle Cruise and the lines are frequently over an hour. If you go at rope drop, you can usually get on several rides before the larger crowds show up later.

It was at this point that a small teensy family disagreement occurred. As we were rushing up main street to get to Adventure Land ,my husband, who loves to pin trade, wanted to stop on main street and trade with a cast member there. I suggested (firmly) that the plan was to get to Jungle Cruise before the crazy long lines occurred. He was not happy with me and as we waited a good while for rope drop he informed me (several times) that he would have had time to pin trade for the very rare and excellent pins he saw on the cast members lanyard.

After, I did feel guilty and tried to apologize but it wasn’t until we ran into this guy, and he was able to pin trade with Wendell, (fairly certain it’s Wendell, one of the Country Bears), did he forgive me!

While we were hanging out with the bears, Seth and Em used fastpasses to ride Space Mountain.

And they ran into one of our favorite princesses (Merida!) on their way back to meet us.

Then, I’ve got them where I want them – in the stockade!

We then headed off to use a fastpass for one of Gary’s favorite rides, Thunder Mountain Railroad! We certainly don’t waste time getting things done in the Magic Kingdom!

Love this walkway along Rivers of America! You can see Thunder Mountain Railroad in the back ground.

Next up was a stop for lunch at Peco Bills. The lines weren’t too bad and I think we all got nachos. They were very good and it was nice to sit down for a few minutes.

After that was time for my absolute favorite, the 7 Dwarf Mine Train!!

I absolutely love this ride and it was also a ride that on my FP day 60 days before, could not get a fastpass.😠

But, (as someone pointed out-looking at you Gary), I am as tenacious as a bulldog and by stalking the My Disney Experience (MDE) app got us 4 FP’s for 2 pm! But, I was very sad for Gary as for the past 2 trips he can’t bend his knees enough to fit in the very small seats. He tried to get in (as I actually had him practicing at home trying to bend those rebuilt knees), but alas could not get seated and couldn’t ride with us.

After that it was time for the requisite “how much have you grown” picture.

When we first went to Disney my oldest child, Aleisha was 3 1/2 and we took her picture on the wall to the right of Cinderella’s castle. Seth’s first pic “on the wall”, was also age 3 1/2. And that started a tradition that we carry on to today. Gary stood in for Aleisha who couldn’t make this trip.

Remember how I recommended that everyone gets to pick a restaurant and a fastpass? Well, today was Em’s day. And we also happened to be celebrating her 18th birthday! Em chose Cinderella’s Royal Table! And even though she is technically not one of the family, she acts just like one. Why, you ask? Because CRT is one of the most difficult reservations to obtain! She didn’t know this when she picked it, but, it was fun to tease her.

We had a blast!

The food and service was excellent, we had Snow White, Jasmine, Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty come to our table for pictures. Snow White enjoyed teasing Gary!

After dinner we parted company with Seth and Em. They headed for Hollywood Studios. We headed back to AKL.

As I was trip planning I knew we (old people), were going to be tired by that point in the day, so I only booked Seth and Em for the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! dessert party.

They had delicious desserts, received a Jingle Bell/BAM ornament and got to meet Santa Goofy and BB-8!

They then had preferred viewing for the projection and fireworks show. They gave it a very high rating.

Well that ends day 2 of our adventures, tomorrow we have moving day in the morning then off to Epcot for day 3!

Top 10 Tips for Surviving Disney While Pregnant

April 10, 2019

As we wind down to the end of my third (and final) pregnancy, I get asked a lot of questions about how to do Disney while pregnant and still have fun. We were fortunate enough to go twice during this pregnancy, once in the first trimester and once toward the end of the second. While both stages of pregnancy were very different, one thing stayed the same – there is definitely tons of fun to be had at Disney while you are pregnant.

Below are my Top 10 Tips for doing Disney while pregnant and enjoying yourself!

Have Flexibility – If you’ve been to Disney, or are in the middle of planning a Disney trip, you know that scheduling things like Fast Passes, dining reservations, and pretty much all parts of your trip are important in getting exactly what you want. This is great and totally how we vacation, except while pregnant. You need to have the flexibility to cancel fast passes (even the best ones) if you are feeling like you need to head back to the resort to rest or find a cool spot to rest.
Stay Hydrated. I hate water. There, I said it. I live on pop and love staying in a Disney resort with an unlimited mug of cool Coca Cola refills. However, there’s a time and a place for everything, and Florida is HOT. So, even I, hater of water, force myself to drink a few bottles of water a day to stay hydrated. A refillable water bottle or cup is the perfect souvenir or compliment to your park bag.
Don’t Get Hungry. Disney is a place that is known for their food. We usually plan at least half of our trip around where we are going to eat, and often times split something small like a Mickey pretzel for lunch in favor of a huge buffet dinner at one of their awesome restaurants. When pregnant though, hunger is the root of all evil and usually the cause of most sickness in pregnant women. Therefore, it’s important to eat throughout the day. I like to pack some snacks in our park bag so if I start to feel a little sick, I can eat immediately.
Plan on Resort Time. We often do balls-to-the-wall park days. We get there at rope drop and linger long after the fireworks end to avoid the big rush to the buses. While I love long Disney days full of magic, I know my pregnancy limits. When I start to get tired or overheated, I know some resort time is necessary. Especially during the hot months, a nice afternoon nap or trip to the pool can really make the difference in my day.
Avoid the Heat. This one goes hand-in-hand with resort time. Florida is hot for the majority of the year. Whether your trip is in the dog days of summer or in January where it can be relatively cooler weather overall, you can still encounter days that are just downright hot. The middle of the day is particularly the most brutal, so it’s the perfect time to take a break. If you are staying offsite and don’t want to leave the park, this is the time to make an awesome dining reservation at a great restaurant and get into the AC and off your feet. Take your time too, don’t rush to get back out into the heat.
Shoes are Important. Because Disney World is HUGE, you are going to be doing a lot of walking. I will never forget sobbing as we walked to the buses at Hollywood Studios from the back of the park because it was SO FAR away and my whole body hurt. I learned that two pair of shoes are necessary. Tennis shoes for the majority of the day and flip flops for when your feet start to swell and need to breathe. Benches are also your best friend when your legs just need a break.
Use Fast Pass as Much as Possible. I am the person who goes crazy when people say they used fast passes for rides like Mad Tea Party, Buzz Lightyear, and The Haunted Mansion. Lines for those rides are usually only 30 minutes at max and are often not a good use of a fast pass. When you’re pregnant, though, any time on your feet can lead to pain, swelling, and a general feeling of being unwell. So, use those fast passes, schedule them close together and then you can add more as you go. Staying off your feet as much as possible is just as important as riding the popular rides (I know it sounds ridiculous, but I promise it’s true!)
Stick to One Land. Most of our Disney trips we find ourselves crisscrossing the park a million times to get on the rides we want. This is usually great (and great for your daily steps!) but not while pregnant. Finish one “land” before moving on to the next so you can minimize your walking. This will keep you going longer in the park.
Dress for Comfort. This one is just as important as shoes. Especially during the warmer months, dressing comfortably is a key to enjoying your day. Wear the most breathable, least amount of clothing possible. My rule of thumb is if you can wear a dress, wear one! Something that doesn’t squeeze your growing midsection is my preference.
Listen to Your Body. This is absolute, most important thing you can do! What works for me in the parks may not work for you! Or even, what worked well during one pregnancy may not work during another. When we went in 2015, I was just as far along as when we went this January. I could power through the parks all day and make it to fireworks. This trip, I maxed out at 4 hours. Take it easy and go on whatever schedule YOU need to! It’s really the biggest key to a successful pregnant trip!

Going to Disney while pregnant can be great fun. There’s an extra layer of magic when the cast members make a fuss about your little mousketeer on the way. If you plan ahead and do it right, you can still have the trip of a lifetime.

Do you have any secrets to successfully doing Disney while pregnant? I would love to hear them!