I get the appeal of a staycation. Really. Its all about exploring your surroundings while you ‘cation at home. But, as a stay-at-home-mom over the summer? That’s not too appealing. And that’s because there is nothing different from that and your every other day.
So… top 10 reasons that my Staycation is nothing short of just another day:
cleaning the kitchen floors after the kids crumb all over them
laundry
quick drives to local places… like the zoo
too close to work
too close to computer
too close to wii
rainy day? how about the mall? or the movies? or anything else we always do on a rainy day?
hard to say no to a playdate during naptime
I’d go to the gym even if I were away on vacation, and now I’m at my same-old-gym
cooking
So, fellow stay-at-home-moms, my advice? Save money and take a VAcation instead. Because the staycation is just another day for me.
What about you? Did you try a staycation? What’s your opinion on the latest anti-travel trend?
#Giveaway #Win a free visit to Giggleberry Fair at #PeddlersVillage
Peddler's Village
Its been a long time since I went to Peddler’s Village. When I was younger, and living in Montgomery County, it was such a thrill. About two or three times a year, our neighbor would pile us into the car and we’d take a day trip (that whopping 40 minute drive was so far. I’ll never forget the time my sister had an accident… but I digress.) The best part about the visit when we were young? The sticker store! We’d each bring our $5 and load up on stickers for the next few months. (Remember sticker collecting?)
Little and Jo-Lynne's daughter at the Fair
Later, Peddler’s Village became a place for Bar and Bat Mitzvah’s. Forty minutes wasn’t too long of a car ride when we were going to dance and play, right? I remember Jenny’s restaurant with the dance floor by the bar, and the luncheon room upstairs. (Jenny’s, by-the-way, is now Earl’s which is, according to @VillageInsider, a true homage to Bucks County.) (Future date night for me and the Huz, yes?)
Many years later, I returned to Peddler’s Village with my boyfriend (who then became my fiance, and then, of course, the Huz). Peddler’s Village became a spot for an evening stroll. A place where we enjoyed late night shopping in unique shops and romantic dinner spots. Going a few weeks before Christmas one year, I remember commenting that the ambiance was so fun and festive, I wanted a promise we’d come back every year.
Big with his only non-sugar prize at The Giggleberry Fair
Grand Carousel
And then we moved to Chester County and the drive to Peddler’s Village seemed so very long and daunting. But this week, I received an invitation to enjoy a morning at the Giggleberry Fair, a lunch at Sweet Lorraine’s and a tour of the village. A long day? Certainly. But the memories started to come back and I realized how much I’d love to share such a magical place with my children.
The kids and I joined about 75 bloggers and kids this week for what was a magical day. We played all morning at The Giggleberry Fair where Middle exhausted himself in The Mountain (a huge climbing and ball-play area) and enjoyed a dizzying (for me, at least) ride on the Grand Carousel and Big became addicted to earning tickets through a variety of games. That, inevitably, lead to him buying candy because he kept spending his tickets on prizes rather than saving for one big one. (Which resulted in crazy sugar high behavior that I was not proud of before he ate his lunch. Sigh. Children.)
We spotted the Vera bags that were such a hit at Blogher (and that Kelly and I had with us on Wednesday)
Our walk through the village jogged a lot of my memories and inspired me to write this post. Its a place where n.o.t.h.i.n.g. changes. Its frozen in time, yet its still so cool and fun. The bright flowers, the well-kept lawns, the animals and water-wheel. Even the shops. Just as I left them 8 years ago. And 8 years before that.
Town Crier Bakery
The Cakes! Just a small selection of their gorgeous masterpieces
After a delightful (yet crazy–the sugar high didn’t calm until after his lunch settled) lunch, we ventured back through the village in smaller groups. A stop at the Town Crier Bakery was inevitable (OMG! their beautiful cakes!), as was Piggydilly’s for home-made ice cream. We stopped at Canterbury Tales Forever, which is one of those children’s book shops like Meg Ryan’s in You’ve Got Mail, the ones that rarely exist any more. I loved the feel of the tight book shelves. And the kids were so cute the way they all plopped down to read on the floor.
Pigadilly's
Its amazing that a quaint village such as Peddler’s Village still exists today. Completely timeless, you visit Peddler’s Village and you’re filled with comfort and peace in your surroundings. Everyone is friendly. Everyone is delighted to have you as a guest. Its like a resort village in the middle of suburbia.
Dying to go? Of course you are! I have a set of 2 tickets to the Giggleberry Fair to give away. Tickets include a visit to Giggleberry Mountain and Giggles Discovers, unlimited rides on the Grand Carousel and ten free tokens. The winner will also receive two coupons for a free children’s meal (each requires the purchase of an adult meal) at Sweet Lorraine’s Cafe, where we also had lunch. These coupons expire September 30, 2010.
To enter to win, leave a comment below sharing your favorite place to visit growing up (because then maybe I’ll check that out next!) Extra entries will be received by tweeting about this give away using the green retweet button above. (please do not comment that you retweeted. The button auto-alerts me to your retweet).
Thanks to Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife for the photos. I wish I had some from way back when to share as well. But if you haven’t been in a while, I can promise you, it barely changes.
Last week, I posted about my fear of traveling without my children. I’m grateful for all of the feedback, advice and virtual hugs. Unfortunately, none of it worked, but I don’t think any of the respondents actually expected it to.
The night before I left for the Yahoo! Motherboard Summit, I cried. I cried to myself. I cried to my husband. I picked up the phone about 7 times, ready to apologize for not being able to come.
My stress affected my husband. He finally told me he was offended by my fear. He expressed that he travels often enough; while he is often fearful, he takes comfort knowing that should anything happen while he’s away, our children will be safe, secure, and raised well and right by their fantastic mother. Of course, this made me cry harder. Added to my fear was guilt. He thought I was worried about our children being raised without a mother. He worried my concern was that he couldn’t parent them alone.
He was wrong.
My concern was that I wouldn’t be there. That my growing relationship with my children would end if there was a plane crash or a dreadful Earthquake. My fear was that I’d miss their first days of school, their first dates, sweet sixteen, college, wedding, home run hits, highs and lows. I know my fears were unlikely, but I couldn’t get past them.
I never did make that phone call, though. I packed for my trip. I overslept and ran out the door to make my plane in time. I rushed through 3 terminals on foot, for fear the shuttle would take to long. I made it to the plane, for the 5+ hour flight to San Francisco’s airport, without an opportunity to break down and cry.
On the plane, I scrolled through my pictures. I teared as I showed the stranger-friend (Nikki from Stella & Dot) next to me my adorable children.
It was totally worth it. I came back inspired (more on that coming soon), energized and even more in love with my family. I couldn’t wait to hug and hold each one. Today the computer stayed off: instead, I played and listened. After four days away, I realized how much I wanted to just stare at their faces and listen to their voices.
I learned a lot this week while at the Yahoo! Motherboard Summit. The most important thing I learned is to value time I have with my family. My time traveling without my children helped me grow into a stronger mom who recognizes the importance of time well spent.
Boothbay Harbor is one of my favorite places to visit in Maine. The atmosphere as a real “down east” harbor is inviting, as are the many shops aligning the streets. I’ve probably been there about 25 times, at least.
departing Egg Rock Island
This year we parked on the main street side (at $5 per day) and went directly to the Puffin Cruise, something I’ve never done before. While I couldn’t get a good picture of the puffins, I did take this video of the harbor. The guides, entertaining, interactive and informative. Both Big and Middle loved the experience, though we all found the top deck to be a bit cold (remember to bring a sweatshirt if you go!)We found the best seats to be up front on the first level, where the breeze wasn’t so strong. Inside, you can get drinks and snacks at extremely reasonable prices, and while some tourists enjoyed a cold beer at 10 am, I heard the coffee calling my name. In addition to hundreds of puffins out on Egg Rock Island, we saw porpoises diving (beautiful!). A few passengers spotted a whale (!) so the captain slowed down to wait for another citing. Sadly, we learned that in one flip of a tail, whales can travel a half mile. They can also stay under water for about a half hour. Alas, we never were able to spot a whale. There’s always next year!
The Lobster Wharf Restaurant
Every time we go, we continue our tradition of lobster at the Lobster Wharf (yum!) and this year’s selection was excellent. The Lobster Wharf is about a 10-15 minute walk from Cap’n Fish’s docks (across the foot bridge on the other side of the bay, you can also drive directly there). There, you can eat outside on the wharf overlooking the harbor, and walk down to the water and watch the lobster- and fishermen.
We followed lunch with a walk back to town (actually, Middle and I ran), casual shopping and delightful ice cream at one of the many ice cream shops in town.
We were exhausted and didn’t get to visit the Maine Maritime Museum, but have been before. Inside this tiny museum, kids can touch local marine animals–a definite must do, especially on a rainy day, or for any family staying in the area.
We’ll be back again next year, what are your Boothbay favorites?
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, the ones that rarely exist any more. I loved the feel of the tight book shelves. And the kids were so cute the way they all plopped down to read on the floor.
