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!

Enjoying Christmas in the WILD

Christmas in the WILD at
Lowry Park Zoo

I love going to the theme parks during the holiday season. It is beautiful to see everything decorated and all the sparkling lights. This year we decided to go and see the Christmas in the Wild at Lowry Park Zoo. We went the first weekend it opened. You couldn't have asked for a better night. The weather was perfect!

Carollers performing
Christmas songs.

We have been to the zoo quite a few times, especially when my two girls were younger. They are 10 and 12 years old now and this was the first time my husband and I took them to a night event at the zoo.  It was a different experience because it was dark, but there were twinkling lights throughout the park with Christmas music playing. It was also different because you don't see as many animals as you do in the day time, but we still saw quite a few animals.

Randi feeding the giraffe!

One of the girls favorite parts of the night was feeding the giraffes lettuce. In my opinion, giraffes are some of the most interesting and beautiful animals. When you feed them at Lowry Park Zoo you are right up next to them on a platform and they eat right out of your hand.

Checking out some of the animals.

There are several animal encounters you can attend throughout the night. They include one called Presents for Primates with the Bornean orangutans and one called the Elephant Enrichment Social with the elephants. There is also one where you can say good night to the penguins.  And the one we really enjoyed was the Christmas Show. This was a show outside with some of  Santa's elves who brought out different animals for the kids to see including a snake, bunny, goose, turtle and goat.

Ready to ride the roller coaster!

The rides are also open during the night, so the kids were able to have fun going on the roller coaster and merry-go-round.

Riding the roller coaster!

Here's a money saving tip if you are planning on purchasing food or drinks at the park, the best way to go is with the couples or family dining plan. You can save at least $10 for five meals or refreshments or $34 on a ten meals or refreshments plan.   

Randi and Graci having fun with
one of Santa's elves!

Our highlight of the night was seeing Santa. They have a new location for him this year under a hidden tree canopy in the zoo called Santa's Tree Top Lodge. We tried to see him right when we got there, but the wait was about 45 minutes, so we decided to go back later in the night, which was a good idea because the line was shorter and about a 25 minute wait. We were greeted by a funny little elf who took us to see Santa inside a beautifully decorated house. The girls were each able to talk to Santa and give him their wish list. It was fun and we had a family photo taken with Santa and all the festive decorations.

Here's another tip...the photos with Santa are cheaper than the other photos in the zoo. At least they were the night we were there. Another nice thing about the zoo is the parking, it's free to park. So, if you are looking for a place to take the kids this holiday season I recommend the zoo. You can get some great holiday photos and it's a fun time for the whole family.

The zoo is still open during the day. The Christmas in the WILD runs select nights until December 30 from 4pm to 10 pm. To find the exact dates and  more information about Lowry Park Zoo visit their website at www.lowryparkzoo.org

Merry Christmas from our family
to yours!!!!

Lowry Park Zoo Zoominations open until Sunday, June 28, 2015

You won't want to miss, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo hosts the cultural event of the season, Zoominations. The last day to see this wonderful exhibition is on Sunday, June 28. 

It is a dazzling exhibition of colossal lanterns sprawling over 26 acres, it’s an unforgettable journey through the ancient Chinese art of lantern sculpture. Wander past giant glowing pandas, zebras and mythical creatures. Marvel at millions of LED lights and lanterns constructed in a variety of styles and materials that range from silk to dinnerware.

This is the only chance you’ll have to see the festival that’s been a smash in Toronto, London and Beijing, so don’t miss it! Click here for more information. 

*****Zoominations Times & Dates:
Wednesdays through Sundays between 7-10PM.
Last night is Sunday, June 28, 2015. 

More than just a day at the zoo

As I watched my two little girls ages 8 and 9 circling around on the Jungle Carousel at the Lowry Park Zoo, I had a thought, “Can a day get any better than this?”

It was such an indescribable feeling, sitting there watching my daughters have fun and not worrying about anything else. The girls were so excited when I said we were going to go to Lowry Park Zoo. They couldn’t wait because they hadn’t been in years and loved seeing all of the animals.

I couldn’t wait because it brought back memories of me taking them when they were younger. It reminded me of days when we could just get in the van and go on a whim. This was before we had restrictions like school and work.

Since the girls had been babies two of my favorite places to go for a day trip were Lowry Park Zoo and Busch Gardens. I think the reason we liked these two attractions was because we love animals and because we could travel there in less than an hour.

 I love going to the zoo, because you don’t have to pay to park and the admission price is reasonable. Since the last time we went, they even included most of the rides for free and in the past you had to pay for each ride.

We would go to Busch Gardens because they had a preschool pass program where kids could get in free until they were five years old.

I loved walking them in their stroller. It was great exercise! As they got older they would walk. Now they run!

 It just brought back so many wonderful memories. Not only memories of the zoo itself, but the people we went with us to the zoo. While we were driving there, we thought about all the different people who went with us including grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends.

I realized so many times, as parents we get caught up in our everyday lives. I know I do. Even at the zoo my phone went off with a text from work. Of course when I got it, I started texting back, but you’ll never guess what happened? My battery that was charged just died. The phone just stopped working. I couldn’t text back.

I knew it was a sign and that I needed to not be thinking about work and re-focus back on why I was there.

We need to take time and have quality time with our kids. I needed to do this without distractions. My kids missed that and I did too. I probably missed it more than them.

My kids and I had a blast. The weather was one of Florida’s gorgeous sunny days, but not too hot, just right in temperature. Even though the parking lot was full, the zoo wasn’t crowded. We were able to see everything we wanted to see and not have to wait too long for anything. The only ride we waited more than 20 minutes was the Expedition Africa Guided Safaris, which is an 18 minute tour of the animals on a trolley. The other rides, like the Jungle Carousel and the Tasmanian Tiger Family Roller Coaster the waits were minimal. The fun part was going on these rides with the girls. Yes, I even went on the roller coaster and I am not one for roller coasters.

I asked my girls what the best part of the day was and they said they couldn’t pick just one part. They said everything was great! I had to agree. For me this day refreshed and revitalized me as a mom and built on the good memories I have with my daughters.

Moms Get in Free Mother's Day Weekend at Lowry Park Zoo

This weekend May 11-12, 2013 Moms can get in for free at Lowry Park Zoo.

Bring mom to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo for Mother’s Day and she gets in for free! On Saturday, May 11 or Sunday, May 12, moms receive free admission with the purchase of their son’s or daughter’s full-priced admission ticket (paid ticket can be child or adult admission, as applicable). For moms to receive free ticket offer, the paid ticket must be purchased on May 11 or 12 only. Offer not combinable with other discounts.

The zoo is located at: 1101 W. Sligh Avenue, Tampa, FL 33615
Ours of operation 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Click here for Lowry Park Zoo website

$5 day at the Lowry Park Zoo

Hi all! Start planning for you next trip to the Lowry Park Zoo. You can save quite a bit of money if you go on Sunday, February 24th. It is $5 zoo day! Everyone gets into the zoo for $5 that day. Free parking is also available.

Regular admission price is usually $19.95 for a child (ages 3-11) and $24.95 for an adult.

Lowry Park Zoo is located at 1101 W. Slilgh Ave., Tampa, FL  33606

The zoo is open from 9:30 am to 5 pm.

For more information click here for Lowry Park Zoo.

Mother's Day Fun and FREE Admission!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. What a joy it is to be a mom. I am truly blessed with two little girls. I can’t imagine my life without them. Moms know when I say you just can’t describe how it feels to be a mom, until you are a mom. I will be the first to admit not every day is a day of sunshine, but when your child says to you “Mommy, I love you.” It just melts my heart. I think it is important for me to be a role model for my girls. I know my mom was a fantastic role model for me. I can’t thank her enough for all she did for me and all the sacrifices she made in her life to raise me and my brother and sisters.

I know it’s important to spend time with my children. I think that’s why I am always searching for fun activities to do with my kids that are not too expensive. The reason I started writing and blogging was to share my ideas with other mom’s like you, so you wouldn’t have to do the leg work and search for deals. I have already done it for you.

 As a stay-at-home mom, I am always watching what I spend. If you know me, you know I usually have a coupon for just about everything.  If I don’t have a coupon, I will look for the place with the lowest price. The internet is a great resource for looking for coupons and for comparing prices.

I did some research for activities and events coming up for Mother’s Day in our area. I found a few places that are offering FREE admissions for moms. Here’s what I found.

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa is offering FREE admission for moms with a full- paid admission on the weekend of May 12 and 13. Also that weekend, Lowry Park Zoo is offering moms FREE admission with a full price child’s admission ticket. On Mother’s Day, Dinosaur World is letting moms in for FREE with a full-price child’s admission.  A little further away in Lake Wales (between Tampa and Orlando) mom’s can enjoy on Sunday FREE music and the beautiful gardens at Bok Tower Gardens. Make sure you are there for a special carillon concert from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

If you are heading south to Fort Myers, you can visit the beautiful Edison & FordWinter Estates. Moms will get in FREE when accompanied by a paid child on Mother’s Day.

Fantasy of Flight in Central Florida is offering FREE admission for mom’s from Thursday, May 10 to Sunday, May 13 when accompanied by a paying guest.

I also found a Mom’s Night Out at Tyrone Square Mall on May 10 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with free makeovers, entertainment, fashion tips and goodie bags.

Make sure you check your emails from businesses. Right now companies are offering discounts for Mother’s Day and giving away free items for moms. I found several portrait studios giving away free mugs and pictures when you purchase photographs. I always find that even just asking the cashier if there are any specials right now or discounts, they will usually tell you. It doesn’t hurt to ask. So many times, I’ve had the cashier give me a discount and all I had to do was ask.

Even a little extra savings can add up over time.  Happy Mother’s Day!