Things to do with your kids on Mother's Day

Mother's day is right around the corner on Sunday, May 13. Are you trying to think of something to do with your mom for Mother's Day? I know as a mom, what's most important to me on Mother's Day is being with my two daughters Randi age 13 and Graci age 12. I know not everyone can be with their mom on Mother's Day,  so if you aren't able see her give her a call or write her a letter. It's important to let them know you are thinking of them.

As a mom with two young girls,  I usually decide and plan the day unless my husband surprises me with something. Since my mom and mother-law don't live too far away, we usually see them both over the Mother's Day weekend.

I know coming up with a plan for the day can sometimes be a challenge, so I thought I would share 10 fun ideas of things you can do with your kids this Mother's Day. I even found some free things you can do.

1- Go to church

Since it is on Sunday, I usually go to church with the family on Mother's Day. It's a great way to start the day off right.

2- Go out to a restaurant

A lot of restaurants cater to moms on Mother's Day and offer specials or discounts. Some even offer free meals for moms. Check the internet for Mother's Day specials in your area.  

3- Go to the beach

We are so fortunate to live so close to so many beautiful beaches. It is free to go to the beach and it is so relaxing and stress free. I love going with my kids to the beach and they love it too. They enjoy the sand and looking for sea shells along the shore.

4- Go for a bike ride

Another fun idea is riding bikes on the trail. We have the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail which is 70 miles of a paved bicycle trail from St. Petersburg in the south all the way to Tarpon Springs in the north.  Lately it's been so nice out and this is a great way to get your exercise in.

5- Go bowling

Right now kids can bowl two free games a day for free. You can sign up and get free passes from now and throughout the summer at Kids BowlFree. Log onto www.kidsbowlfree.com and register. The only thing you would need to pay for is shoes and the adults who bowl.

  

6- Have a picnic at the park

Picnics are always fun and if the weather is nice, why not take the family to the park and eat lunch.

7- Get a manicure or pedicure

This is one of my favorites to do with my girls. We don't do it often, so a special day like Mother's Day is a good day to splurge. I enjoy going with my mom too! I guess it's a girl thing.

8- Have a tea party

You can have a tea party at home with your kids or go out to one of the local tea rooms and have high tea which includes mini sandwiches and tasty treats.

9- Play games and sing karaoke

My kids love to play games like Pictionary with the family. It's fun and entertaining and the whole family can enjoy it. We also like singing karaoke. You can find apps on your phone or iPad for both Pictionary and karaoke.

10- Go to a theme park or museum

We have so many different theme parks and museums to choose from. Some of them offer Mother's Day discounts. In less than two hours you enjoy several theme parks including: Sea World, Disney World, Epcot, Universal or LegoLand. Busch Gardens and Adventure Island are less than an hour away along with Lowry Park Zoo. Locally we have museums like the Salvador Dali, Great Explorations and the Morean Arts Center to name a few.

The Hendricks Crew on
Mother's Day!

 These are just a few ideas. It really depends what you enjoy doing with your kids. It's your day so do what you want to do. Sometimes just sitting and doing nothing can be a fantastic Mother's Day.

The Tubbs Crew on
Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Thank you for all you do all year!

LEGOLAND® Florida Resort honors U.S. veterans with free admission

LEGOLAND® Florida Resort honors U.S. veterans with free admission and ticket discount Nov. 1-20

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — In appreciation of the service and sacrifice of U.S. veterans, LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is offering all non-active duty military personnel free admission Nov. 1-20, 2016, plus a 50 percent discount on tickets for up to six guests during the same period.
To receive free admission, U.S. veterans must present valid military ID or proof of veteran status at the theme park ticket windows on the day of their visit. This offer is not available online or by phone.
On Veterans Day (Friday, Nov. 11) only, LEGOLAND Florida Resort will further honor veterans with a 10 percent discount on retail purchases and food and beverage items. To receive the Nov. 11 discounts, veterans with valid ID can request a wristband and flyer at the ticket windows. The discount only will be honored for those wearing the wristband.
For the purposes of this promotion, U.S. veterans are defined as retired or non-active duty members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines and U.S. Coast Guard in possession of valid military ID or other proof of veteran status. The discounts described above are exclusive and cannot be combined with any other offers, including annual pass discounts.
On Nov. 11, LEGOLAND Florida Resort reserves the right to limit or exclude certain items without prior notice. Complete details of limits or exclusions will be available in participating locations.
Meanwhile, don’t forget that active duty U.S. service members receive complimentary admission to LEGOLAND Florida Theme Park and LEGOLAND Water Park all year long! This offer is available only at the theme park ticket windows with valid military ID, and is not available online or by phone.
For additional details about discounts available to U.S. military personnel, please visit www.LEGOLAND.com/florida/buy-tickets/military.

Legoland Family Adventures

Legoland Florida Resort Movie Premiere of the LEGO Movie 4D: A New Adventure
Photo courtesy of Legoland

My girls, Randi and Graci, ages 11 and 10, were so excited to go to the premiere of The LEGO Movie 4D: A New Adventure at the Legoland Florida Resort in Winter Haven. Our family was invited to attend this red carpet premiere, and the girls could hardly wait. When I told them we were going, they couldn't stop jumping up and down with excitement.

Jack Griffo, star of Nickelodean's
"The Thundermans"
Photo courtesy of Legoland

Several celebrities from the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon were
going to be there along with social media sensations, the Eh Bee family, who my daughters watch on YouTube. They told me, this was going to be the best night of their lives. The girls had never been to a movie premiere event, so this was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time because they didn't know what to expect.

Eh Bee Family
Social Media YouTube
photo courtesy of Legoland

Let's fast forward to the day of the event. It was a weeknight, and we were leaving right after school got out. The weather was bad. It had been raining all day and was still raining when we left. Usually a drive to Legoland from our house takes about an hour and a half.

We left in plenty of time, so I thought. We were stuck in traffic for hours. I had never seen it so bad. It took us two hours to travel what usually takes 45 minutes. It was frustrating, to say the least, and it looked like we were never going to make it for the event.

The girls were sad and heartbroken. I felt terrible because I knew how disappointed they were and knew how they had been looking forward to this event.

My husband was the only one in the van with his head on straight and thinking logically, telling us we weren't going to make it there on time, and the weather was too bad for us to continue. Someone almost smashed into our van early on in the drive, so I knew he was probably right.

We decided to head back home and visit the park on Sunday. Little did I know that decision would turn into a wonderful family adventure. The weather was beautiful! We couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous Florida day. We drove to Legoland and got there within an hour and a half. It was like night and day from our drive earlier in the week.

Watching the girls faces and reaction of seeing the huge Legoland sign for the first time was priceless. They were so excited to arrive at the park.

Once inside the park, we saw huge Lego models in Miniland, which were breathtaking. It was amazing to see how many hours of time and how many Lego bricks were used in each one. The park is huge and, if you didn't know, was built on the old Cypress Gardens. The botanical gardens were preserved and are part of Legoland.

Not only are there tons of Legos to see, there also are rides and shows. Of course, we went on almost every ride. The girls enjoyed the roller coasters the most. There are several roller coasters, each one little different than the other. The girls favorite was the Coastersaurus. We were able to go three times in a row on that one!

Even though the fairly new Legoland Resort hotel was booked, the crowds weren't bad. We had a five-minute wait or less at most rides. Not having to wait in line for rides was something I wasn't expecting, especially in season and on the weekend. We really lucked out!

My husband and I went on almost all the rides with the girls. Parents, especially moms, if you can, don't miss out on going on the rides with your kids. Sometimes as moms, we think, “I'll sit back and hold all the belongings while dad goes on the rides.” No moms, you go too! You'll be glad you did and your kids will remember it.

After the rides, we were able to watch the LEGO Move 4D A New Adventure. The red carpet was still there leading up to the theater. Several of the characters from the movie were there too, and you could take pictures with them.

Photo courtesy of Legoland

The movie was about 12 minutes long. I had been to 3D movies before, but never a 4D. If you are
wondering what happens as part of the 4D, there's wind, water, fog and strobe lighting during the movie.

Our day couldn't have been any better. We stayed until the park closed. We'll never know why we didn't make it to Legoland on our first try, but our second time around was something we'll all cherish forever as a family!

TIPS and SAVINGS for parents & kids

1- The earlier you book your tickets the more money you can save. Florida Residents can get a pass for $99 per year. Parking is $17 but you can pre-purchase for $15 online
Free child ticket with purchase of adult ticket special offer click here. Good until 2/28/16

2- Great park for family. Kids 2-12 will enjoy it. There are special things for kids age 2 with low or no height requirements. Some of the rides have height requirements.

3- Don't forget to bring your Legos as part of the minifigure trading with Model Citizens or Legoland employees. It's free to do.

4- If you are interested in all your photos from the day in the park....especially the photos from the roller coasters, make sure you have a model employee write you photo number from each photo you have on a piece of paper. At the end of the day when you go to look at your photos, if you have all the numbers you can get all your photos on a disc for a special price.

5- My souvenir from the day was a Lego toy frame with our family photo on it. It's a real Lego that comes apart! I love it!

***Your kids can join the LEGO club for free and receive a magazine 6 times a year sent to your home. It's easy to do go to www.LEGO.com/Club