19 Road Trip Must Haves

We have several road trips on the horizon, so I am getting organized in the hopes we won't forget something essential. We do have some items that are musts on our trips.

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25 Ideas for FREE Summer Fun in the Chicago Suburbs {During the Week}

Summer is almost here! Time to have some fun planned to break up the days for the kiddos and keep them active! Here are 22 ideas for FREE summer fun in the Chicago suburbs DURING the week!

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Family Weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan

This past weekend we headed up to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a little summer exploration. Grand Rapids is about 3.5 - 4 hours from the Chicago area making it great for a long weekend. As the second largest city in Michigan, you can imagine there is a lot to experience in the city! This week, we will be talking about our Grand Rapids discoveries as well as our fun at nearby Grand Haven for a little beach time.

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On Top of the World at Wind Point Lighthouse in Racine, Wisconsin

**Disclosure: We receive complimentary tickets to Wind Point Lighthouse for the purpose of this review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Over the past year, I have truly fallen in love with Racine's view of Lake Michigan. Entirely spectacular! Once summer weather returned to the region, our family knew that we needed to spend at least one summer day in Racine. We learned about Wind Point Lighthouse on a previous trip and since we had never climbed a lighthouse before, we immediately added the landmark to our "need to visit list." We were thrilled to find a day this summer to visit the treasure last weekend!

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H. H. Bennett Studio, Stand Rock Indian Ceremonial and More to Check Out in Wisconsin Dells This Summer

H.H. Bennett's Photography: Image via Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau.

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Nothing says summer more than a family trip to the Wisconsin Dells! Having family in Tomah not far from the Dells, I have spent quite a few days there. The atmosphere is always so upbeat and there are bits of childhood nostalgia all over town--such a wonderland for kids! Plus, the stunning sandstone formations along the Wisconsin River are always sure to captivate. The boat tours have always been a favorite of my family's for generations and are a memorable way of viewing the formations. Beautiful adventures!

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16 Ideas for FREE Summer Fun in the Chicago Suburbs

Summer can be a bit costly so we have rounded up some FREE recurrent activity ideas for you to fill up those weekdays during the summer!

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Kick Off Summer with a Yapa Events' Kids Adventure Hunts {& Giveaway June 4, 2015}

**Disclosure: We will receive complimentary admission to a Kids Adventure Hunt for helping spread the word about this activity. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Summer Break is really knocking at our doors. Before we know it, the kiddos will gleefully start spilling out of the schools ready for Summer Break. So, what are you going to do with them....for the next couple...of months! No worries, we will have some ideas for you and Yapa Events has some fun and educational Kids Adventure Hunts coming up the first full week of break to help you out! We have been on several of the Kids Adventure Hunts and they are a great way to keep the kids occupied for a half day while allowing them to learn detective skills and about a local community--while having fun! Curious about what a Kids Adventure Hunt is, check out our previous Kids Adventure Hunt experience!

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Begin Summer with Adventure During Yapa Events' Kids Adventure Hunts {&Giveaway!!!}

**Disclosure: We were given tickets to giveaway and will be attending one of the hunts. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Summer is here! Summer is here! Memorial Day Weekend traditionally heralds the beginning of summer which means the kids will be out of school soon. Some of you may be scrambling for plans. Fortunately, Yapa Events will again be holding Kids Adventure Hunts in downtown Arlington Heights during the kids' first full week off of school!

If you are unfamiliar with Yapa Events' Kids Adventure Hunt, check out our experience last year! We found it to be an fun and energetic way to kick off summer break! Now, Yapa Events has two options for the Kids Adventure Hunt--an Exploring Arlington Heights Kids Adventure Hunt that focuses on the history of Arlington Heights and Arlington Heights in Picture! A Photo Hunt! that shows you Arlington Heights through a lens. The hunts are a good way to spend a day with your kids where you do not have to come up with the itinerary--and they are affordable, too! {They are $10 per kid but adults are free---I love, love, love when adults are not charged when accompanying kids!}These events are designed for kids ages 5-10--so perfect for those in elementary school! We had a blast on the Kids Adventure Hunt and learned a lot about Arlington Heights, too! Here are some more deets:

Kid Adventure Hunts Details:

• When: Monday, June 9, Wednesday, June 11 and Friday, June 13, 2014
• Time: Start any time between 10 am and 3 pm
• How long:  the events take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours
• How much: $10 per child (Adults are free.)
• What’s included: Map, clues, challenges, beverage (Exploring AH)  and your Yapa (an unexpected reward) at the end
• Who: Children ages 5 to 10 and adults.  Children must be accompanied by an adult.
• What to wear: Comfortable clothing and shoes
• Weather conditions: Event takes place rain or shine.  If you need to postpone to the second date due to weather, please email Yapa Events.
• Where: Start at Runners High ‘n Tri, 121 West Campbell Street, Arlington Heights.  Instructions and maps will be given to you there.
• Parking:  Free 4 hour parking on the ground floor of the parking garage, just south of Campbell Street between Vail and Highland Streets.  Free 2 hour parking is available on the streets.  However, the event takes approximately 2 hours and the parking time limit is enforced.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

We have good news for all you trying to line up fun and engaging activities for your kids for their first week of break--we are giving away 2 tickets to Yapa Events' Adventure Hunts to 2 winners! Winners may choose hunt and date. Giveaway ends 6/2/14.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Slaying Travel Stress When You are on the Road With Kids {Guest Post by Kendra Thornton}

I know that many of you are in the midst of traveling or creating summer travel plans. Along with summer travel comes making important choices that can either make or break your vacation. To save you some of the planning headache, we have a guest post from Kendra Thornton, travel expert, with tips for reducing your travel stress. Kendra has been featured on several television outlets. She is also a full time mother of three. Thank you, Kendra, for these wonderful tips!

If you frequently feel as if family vacations leave you frazzled rather than rejuvenated, you might benefit from engaging in some preparation measures that are designed to help travel go more smoothly for parents of small children. After all, it's your vacation too and you deserve to come home feeling relaxed and refreshed. Naturally, you're going to want your family to be safe, happy and healthy while on vacation, but you also don't want to micromanage every aspect of your trip. Following are five tips that can help you slay travel stress without taking away from your family's fun.

Tip 1: Making the right hotel choice can make a lot of difference in the quality of your stay. You probably already know that tired, cranky toddlers can create conditions that aren't conducive to family fun, so don't be tempted to take the cheapest hotel deal. Paying a little more for rooms in an establishment that practices family-friendly policies such as quiet hours can be well worth the money. Many Orlando hotels offer quiet hours policies to ensure that their visitors get a proper night’s sleep with their children! I enjoy using travel sites to sift through family-friendly reviews to find these little great tips and tricks!

Tip 2: Depending solely on restaurants and snack bars for sustenance can be a huge mistake if you are vacationing with children. Before you make a final commitment to specific rooms, make sure that they are equipped with a mini fridge and a microwave. This will allow you to provide hungry children with healthy snacks.

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Kids Adventure Hunt {Learning, Bonding, Loving Life}

Working hard on the challenges.

**Disclosure: We received complimentary admission to the Kids Adventure Hunt in order to facilitate this review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% our own.

Yesterday, we completed the Kids Adventure Hunt in Arlington Heights. Children love scavenger hunts so you can imagine our girls' joy at doing a large scale scavenger hunt! Through a maze of clues, we covered the downtown area of Arlington Heights learning the whole way. The challenge allowed us to look at Arlington Heights with a more investigative eye, exposing some new treasures. We had a great time beginning our summer journeys with this adventure. Plus, the girls got to stretch their brains--not necessarily an easy feat in the summer!

Here is our experience:

Kat's take:

My daughter and I enjoyed the adventure hunt in Arlington Heights, organized by Yapa Events. It was educational (we learned a lot about the town's history), fun and good exercise, to boot!  I particularly like how it required her to hunt around for the clues to complete the challenges - finding names, dates, train schedules - instead of handing them to her on a silver platter.  Now in this age of the Internet and Google, I think a lot of kids don't have as well-developed a sense of fact-finding as they did a generation ago.  Today's event tapped into skills I want my daughter to have.  I hope Yapa does more of these type of challenges in different towns; my daughter would eagerly participate in them!


Mel's take: 

My daughter and I are history buffs, so this challenge is totally up our alley. The hunt took us by and through many key spots in Arlington Heights like the train station, Dunton House, the Village Hall and Berry-Yo. (Ok, well, Berry-Yo is key for those with a sweet tooth!) Even though I have lived in Arlington Heights for 10 years, I learned a lot and even visited the William Dunton statue for the first time. The walk is not strenuous and since you are in the downtown area, you can even stop somewhere for a bite (which we did--don't those girls look like they eat a lot!). There is a drink stop on the tour, but having a water bottle may be handy. Joan Dubnicka of Yapa Events has designed an impressively thorough adventure through Arlington Heights which even includes bypasses if you are short on time. There are photo challenges involved, which provide you with cute souvenirs. At the end, the kids receive a sweet treat as a reward for their efforts.{I don't think you will have difficulty solving the mystery of the sweet treat at the end!} If you are looking for something fun yet educational with the kids, I recommend this little adventure!

Some more info:

Yapa's Kids Adventure will be uncovering Arlington Heights for more families Thursday, June 13, Saturday, June 15 and Wednesday, June 19. You can start your adventure anytime between 9:30AM and 2:00PM. It took us about 4 hours to complete the adventure including a stop for lunch and a treat at the end. You can register through Yapa Events. The event costs $9 per child.

A surprise from the adventure:

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10 ideas to get yourself organized for {summer break}

When the bell rings on Wednesday, parents in my neighborhood will be greeted by a stampede of exuberant children. While the kids will be scurrying home, some of the parents will likely be walking back a little deflated. Summer can sometimes be a challenge when it comes to keeping the kids busy and even a little productive. However, if you do some research and planning beforehand, you can make sure that your kids have fun and are productive instead of staring at the TV or playing video games ad nauseaum. Here are some ideas to help keep your sanity intact:

1.) Designate specific cleaning days: You may want to pick a specific day of the week when you would like kids to clean their rooms. If you have a larger cleaning project, you may want to warn the kids ahead of time. My daughter seems to do better with cleaning if she is aware ahead of time. If I spring it on her, no dice!

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