Editor Reviews

Hands-On Fun at Orlando Science Center

BY: Karen Logan

alt Our Orlando trip was quite flexible and I was eager to visit Orlando Science Center, a favorite of our friends that live nearby. I knew the museum had exhibits for preschoolers but I wasn't so sure what to expect. Boy was I ever surprised! Imagine a science museum virtually ENTIRELY for kids! It was just our luck that we visited on the first day back to school from winter break for Orange County schools, so we had a lot of the museum to ourselves with mainly preschoolers, no tourist hordes and no field trips.

A Bluetiful Day at Crayola Experience Orlando

I have a few friends that live in Orlando and an attraction I constantly see them visiting is Crayola Experience Orlando, located at The Florida Mall. I was excited to visit during our trip and little did I know that we'd spend over 4 hours exploring and creating (and that we could have easily spent a few hours more!).

A Knight To Remember at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Orlando

BY: Karen Logan

alt On a day of rest during our week-long Orlando trip, I mentioned to my oldest son that we had a special dinner planned. "Donuts?! I really hope it's donuts," was his response. Imagine his surprise when we approached a medieval castle! Our family was about to enter the Middle Ages to dine like kings and queens while cheering on knights at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.

Assembling An Awesome Day at LEGOLAND Florida Resort

My kids were thrilled to learn they'd be visiting LEGOLAND Florida on our trip to Orlando. They've been reading about the park in the free LEGO Life magazine and had a taste of what might be in store at a 2016 visit to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine. I planned our day in the park a bit blindly. I found the online map and website a little overwhelming, so I asked a friend who had visited what her must-do rides were and then read a few reviews online to direct our day. We had a late start and arrived around noon. We were a bit confused by a relatively empty parking lot and when paying for parking I asked the attendant how busy the day was. I was through the moon when he replied "Slow!" Even two hours after opening, we got great parking near the entrance, had no lines at the gates and then just had to navigate to the nearest ride.

A Magical Trip to Walt Disney World Resort

alt For the second time in 12 months, I was faced with the fun, yet terrifying task of planning a trip to Walt Disney World. We strategically planned a visit in 2017 before my twins turned 3 to maximize their free tickets and free character meals (details here). When my husband signed up for the 2018 Dopey Challenge as part of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, I knew I would need to plan this year a bit differently. There are a few ways to prep for Disney - you can put yourself in the hands of a Disney Vacation Planner and let them take care of your hotel, meals and in-park plans (and checkbook), or you can grab a tour book and start a spreadsheet for a bit of number crunching and itinerary planning. I planned day-by-day Disney itineraries as a young girl, so scheduling our days and maximizing our savings was definitely more my speed. Having gone through the motions twice now, I have a few tips for a smooth and affordable trip.

Bouncing Around at Kanga's Indoor Playcenter

My family found ourselves on a chilly Sunday morning over a holiday weekend needing to burn a little energy. My friends have raved and raved about a new indoor playground for months and when faced with another cold day indoors at our house I thought this would be the perfect morning to try Kanga's Indoor Playcenter.

Fun Music Classes in Our Neighborhood! A Sneak Peek at Prelude Music

BY: Karen Logan

It's so special to make music with other people! On Monday, January 8, a handful of our readers joined me (Karen) at Prelude Music Classes to try out a couple of the music classes Prelude offers to families in The Woodlands. Below is a video that'll show you all the fun highlights!

We started out with free time in Prelude's imaginative, Montessori-inspired playroom stocked with wood toys, baby dolls, building blocks, and puzzles, and then we were summoned to the music room where the rest of the magic took place. The video speaks for itself - lots of rhythm-making, hand clapping, singing, dancing, and playing, all the while enjoying a beautiful bond with our children and each other. We ended each class with a calming music & rocking exercise, special snuggle time with our little ones, and complimentary snacks for our group, courtesy of Prelude.

What you don't see in the video is how cool, calm, and collected the music leader, Kasia, is. She made our music class a "happy," unhurried, uninhibited, space where kids and grown-ups alike could feel free and at ease. She also took care to give us insight into how our kids were connecting and learning throughout their musical experience there. I dare say I gained new awareness and appreciation for the responsive and ever-inquiring minds of our little ones!

Gingerbread Men all year long with Krusteaz! (Why not?)

BY: Karen Logan

I hope you don’t think it’s too late to make gingerbread men just because Christmas is over! Gingerbread can be enjoyed any time of year, and, for your little ones, it pairs especially well with a glass of milk and the classic folktale “The Gingerbread Man.” This Christmas, I was so thrilled to discover a delicious and oh-so-easy gingerbread mix, that I feel compelled to share it with you! I’m sure my family will this mix again and again throughout the years! Note: According to the product website, this mix is only around in the autumn season, so I recommend snagging a couple of boxes for your spring and summertime pantry while it’s still available.

For convenience, I grabbed a box of Krusteaz Gingerbread Cookie Mix from H-E-B so my girls could make cookies for Santa this year. Krusteaz wouldn’t have been my first choice. The box is kind of dull and the cookies on the photo look average. However, this was the cookie mix on the end cap of the frozen foods aisle, so we snagged a box on a whim on the way to the check-out line. We usually leave out sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies for Santa, but I recently scored a new gingerbread man cookie cutter set in a White Elephant gift exchange, and I was anxious to put it to work.

Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

BY: Karen Logan

I often hear friends say that there' is just no point in taking little kids to theme parks - that it's a waste of money and preschoolers are so young they won't remember a thing. When researching for our Disney trip last year, one phrase stuck out to me - take trips while your kids are young for the memories you'll have of your children, not necessarily the memories they'll have of the experience. Using that mantra as my guide, I'm here to tell you it is never too early to take your youngest kids to a theme park! We found Six Flags Fiesta Texas more than accommodating for our family of two 3 year olds and one 5 year old, and during this most magical time of the year, Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Fiesta Texas is filled with enchanting experiences that will help capture the holiday spirit.

SeaWorld San Antonio's Christmas Celebration

BY: Karen Logan

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My family just returned from an amazing, festive two days at SeaWorld San Antonio's Christmas Celebration. They're making spirits brighter than ever this holiday season, through January 2nd, with the largest lighting display in the state of Texas - over eight million sparkling lights! If you've ever thought your kids were too young to enjoy or remember a theme park, my experiences with two 3 year olds and a 5 year old have shown there is so much magic and sparkle revealed with younger kids.