An Open Letter to My Family About Family Vacations

Dear Family,

As you know, we are packing up our bags again and going to embark on a family vacation.  Yay!  I love to travel so there is a huge part of me that feels giddy with excitement.  I love having new experiences, especially with you guys.  I mean, seeing the world with your favorite people - there is nothing like it!

However, there is a part of me that is feeling a bit of dread creeping in.

Our last getaway, the meltdowns and tears shone a harsh light on your misaligned expectations of a “family” vacation.  I really want to stress that the word “family” is the operative word in that phrase.

A family vacation should not be confused with a vacation that you take by yourself.  Although we do our best to make sure everyone’s needs and wants are met, family vacations are not individualized experiences.

Kids, that means sometimes you will need sit at the breakfast table in a restaurant and be cool while your Dad and I drink a second cup of coffee so that we have enough energy to ensure you both have a fun day. 

via GIPHY

Sometimes that means I will have to take you to an arcade, an activity that I would put in the same category as having Pitocin without an epidural (one never forgets that kind of pain.  Ever).

Sometimes that means eating a meal that is comprised out of familiar foods that you eat at home, yet presented in a slightly different way.

On the other side of that, your Dad and I expect to eat a hot dog for dinner at some point although we would much rather enjoy a steak and a glass of wine.

Here’s the thing – we are a family, a team!  We are going out into the world and experience it together as a family.  It will not always be about you and what you want to do.  It will be stepping out of your comfort zone; it will be about compromise.

I hate to drudge up the past, but remember the last time we went to Myrtle Beach? At any given time someone was complaining how salty the ocean tasted or how hot the sun was or how communicating his or her disappointment about the limited screen time or complaining about the complaining. (That last one was me – I’ll totally own it).

This is a picture of the three of us (Harrington take the picture) eating breakfast outside because someone (Thomas) wanted to watch TV instead of the ocean.

We were really mean parents and decided to take our kids to a fun restaurant
that served food that they loved.

I waited until day 4 out of a 7-day vacation before reining it in.  I forced encouraged you both to look for seashells in your pjs before breakfast to remind you
that vacation is when you are supposed try new things. 

Let’s do the direct opposite of that.

This is not exclusively your vacation, but a communal experience.  If you approach this trip with an open heart and embrace the spirit of adventure, the fun factor might be higher than if you are constantly disappointed that all of your individual “wants” are not being met.

But shit is going to happen regardless of all of the hours that I spent planning this trip. 

All I ask of you is to limit yourself to one complete meltdown each. I get it – we all have a breaking point, even me (maybe especially me).  But I will not tolerate any diva bullshit that will derail group morale.

Now let’s go make some magical memories!

Love,

Mommy

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Since I am committing more time to writing my book, my blog might not be as active.

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In Photos: Serendipity in New York City

 I have been taking this show on the road!  First I went to New York City and New Jersey with the kids.  And the next thing I know, I’m in Chicago testing out the new Allegro Kids Rule Program at KimptonHotel Allegro. 

This week’s MichMoms post explains how travelingwith young kids is not easy, but it is so worth it.  Traveling just makes me feel all lit up and alive as I experience life in a different place, and I hope my kids will love traveling as much as I do.

This Brandy and I decided to focus on the Blur Tool and the Sharpen tool.  (And she’s new to Twitter, so be sure to give her a nice warm welcome).

This photo was taken at Serendipity in New York City.  That frozen hot chocolate was delectable!  (Thomas almost finished the whole one by himself.  And then proceeded to crash from the sugar high.  Obviously).

Here is the before:

Here is the after:

Here are the steps:

1. Crop

2. Blur Tool (Strength 100%, Size 169px)  Go over the area you wish to blur a bunch of times because the effect is subtle

Hover over Blur Tool and click on the Sharpen Tool (Strength 35%, Size 100px) I focused on focal points, like our eyes and the frozen hot chocolate

Guided Edit Tab in the upper right corner, Scroll down to Photography, Effects Lomo Camera Effect

Apply Vignette

Viola!  A pretty photo is created!

Are you struggling with Photoshop Elements 10?  If you have an effect you would like to learn about, be sure to mention it in the comments!

Summer Adventure Part Two: Chicago’s Kimpton Hotel Allegro Edition

As you may have read, I just returned from New York City from a family vacation.  A few short days later, this road warrior embarked on a special journey to Chicago.  Kimpton Hotel Allegro invited me to stay with them and participate in their Allegro Kids Rule summer program.*

Seriously?!  I was so excited to take part in this adventure!  First of all, the hotel is amazing! The décor is elegant yet fun and playful. 

During their Kids’ Hour, lemonade and popcorn are served in the lobby along with a Wii station and board games to play.  Then, directly afterwards is Wine Hour.  Did I mention that they are both complimentary?  How cool is that?!

The Allegro Kids Rule program also includes a scavenger hunt which was a great way to see the city and introduce me to the  kid-friendly sites of Chicago.

Fun Fountains!

Lots to see walking around!

Sue at the Field Museum

Top of Sears (Willis) Tower with Marie's new friend Sami

Chicago-style hot dog (my first ever), and it was deliciously spicy!

Chocolate chip pancakes at 312

 Fun times, but when I return with Harrington and Thomas, I would break up the scavenger hunt into two days because Marie had a blast playing at the fountains and wanted to see *everything* in the Field Museum.

To be honest, after the series of five-alarm meltdowns Marie had in New York, I was a tad bit nervous to take her on this trip.  Turns out, I really didn’t have that much to worry about (minus a three-alarm meltdown in the Field Museum! Thank goodness that my new friend Lynsey from Moscato Mom and her daughter were very understanding).  I think what really helped was the location of Hotel Allegro.  It’s a short walk to State Street and Millennium Park, but it is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  I could be shopping at the Disney Store and eating Garrett’s Popcorn one minute, and relaxing in our super cool room the next.

Also, 312, the restaurant adjacent to the hotel, was amazing!  Not only was the food delicious (best brioche French toast I have *ever* had), but the service was incredible.  They didn’t have chocolate chip pancakes on their menu, but I asked if they could please make some for Marie.  They totally did, and they were the yummiest, gooiest she had ever eaten (guess I’m going to have to step it up and put more than three lonely chocolate chips in each pancake).

Traveling is one of my most favorite things to do in the whole entire world.  It does something for my soul; I feel renewed and energized experiencing life outside of my little suburb.  I was so excited to share my passion and this adventure with Marie.  I place a premium on stretching the boundaries of life beyond my Babes’ backyard, and this was a wonderful opportunity to do so.

I am now plotting and scheming on a return visit to show Harrington and Thomas all the amazing sites we saw! 

And to be quite honest, I think Chicago is my new favorite city.

How’s your summer vacation?  Have you been on any adventures?

*Kimpton Hotel Allegro picked up the tab for the room, parking, and some meals; however, these opinions are all mine!

In Photos: Instagram Edition

If you read yesterday’s post, you will know that I made it back home from our family vacation adventure team building exercise experiment.

Although I was mortified by my children’s behavior, we did have some fun times.  I have proof via Instagram (which if you aren't following me, I highly recommend that you do.  I'm erin_mommyonthespot).  If you are wondering why Buzz Lightyear, Jesse, and the alien from Toy Story are in our photos, they were our family mascot.  This was a comment on my What Do You Think Thursday with Skinny Scoop by Moms Are People Too, and thought it was a great idea.

If you are wondering where my Photoshop lessons with Brandy Nicole Photography are, look for a bonus post this Friday!

Enjoy!

Off to NYC!

 

Break time with Monster Sundaes at Friendly's!

Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity gets a thumbs up!

Central Park after going to see Freckleface Strawberry.

We love Central Park!

View from my family's apartment.

Home again!

How to Survive a Family Vacation with Little Kids

 As you know, I have been preparing for our family vacation.  I have written it about it here, here, and here.  And guess what?  The drive went really well!  Yay!

However, the rest of the vacation wasn’t *exactly* how I imagined it.  During our twelve hour car trip, I reflected a bit on what went wrong differently.  Number one thing I would’ve done differently was to prepare my suburbanite Babes what life in the big city is all about (walking, lots of walking).  I usually do lots of prep work with them (we watched the Disney planning video for months before we went)!  However,  we had to make some last minute changes to this vacation(more on that later!), so I was preoccupied with making the trip actually happen as opposed to explaining the rules for riding in the cab (apparently is frowned upon if children play with the window controls.  Understandably so).

Here is the rest of the information I have processed and felt compelled to share with you so your family vacation is a success!

First, change the word from “vacation” to “adventure.”  Vacation conjures up images of relaxing on a beach with a drink and a bag of chips.  However, on an adventure, you never know what you are going to expect.  Maybe a yummy frozen hot chocolatefrom Serendipity.  Perhaps a whirlwind of a time at the American Girl store.  Possibly a homeless man getting dressed in the middle of the sidewalk. You never know – it’s going to be an adventure!

If “adventure” doesn’t work, try using the phrase “team building exercise.”  We all need to work together if we are going to walk 10 blocks (which my delicate suburban Babes thought was a country mile).  If everyone six and under starts to cry because that tenth block was just too much for their little legs, start using the word “experiment.”  Therefore, if your daughter is crying because she wanted to spend her college fund at the American Girl store while simultaneously complaining about walking a few blocks, you can say that this experiment failed, and it doesn’t sound as bad as your family vacation was, at times, uncomfortable.

When it comes to restaurants, I found it best to eat a place that has a kids’ menu and an extensive cocktail menu as well.  Let’s just say, before you had brunch at a quaint little place called Cafe Luxembourg, you had a wonderful day at Central Park and taking in the musical Freckle Face Strawberry.  Since you (foolishly) assumed all the wiggles were out and had promised pancakes, you were in the clear for a delightful meal.  Oh, no.  Quite the opposite.  Thomas had a full on meltdown complete with hitting and screaming hurtful things like “I HATE YOU!  I HATE PANCAKES!”  I tried talking to him calmly.  I tried taking him outside, but we ran into homeless man screaming FUCK as loud and as many times as he could. 

New York City is a big place, but there was room for only one meltdown, and since we were on this guy’s home turf, we let him have this one.

Back inside with an angry child who was not being allowed to express his true feelings for the horror of having pancakes in the middle of the day, I politely asked the waiter about the Rosemary Fizz cocktail.  Without skipping a beat, he said, “Delicious, I’ll have one for you right away.”  (I felt an instant bond to this waiter and secretly wished to trade places with him so he could watch my kid while I took over his shift).

Since all my strategies had failed, I decided to just drink my Rosemary Fizz and ignore Thomas in hopes that everyone else would do the same.  Success!  (I think.  I had stopped paying attention at this point and was focusing solely on my drink).

Will we go on a family vacation again?  Yes.  Any time soon?  As soon as it takes for me to forget about how mortified I was by their behavior.

You may be thinking, “What?!  That’ wasn’t so bad!”

I must take a break before I talk about how my kids need to learn the finer points of being a well-behaved house guests while staying with family.

Please, I beg of you, tell me about your worst family vacation adventure team building exercise experiment memory!