Take Your Family to Costa Rica!

My family spent spring break in Costa Rica – and it was everything I dreamed it would be! Costa Rica has become a hot vacation spot for a good reason.

This small country, approximately the size of West Virginia, is home to white-sand beaches and tropical rainforests.

The beautiful country is excellent for families for many reasons, one of which is tourism. Tourism is the #1 industry in Costa Rica, so it is very easy to plan a family-friendly trip here.

Vibrant and Beautiful Scenery

Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. The lush forests and the gorgeous beaches are worth the trip itself. Everywhere you look is stunning. You can spend time on the beaches soaking up the sun or walking through a cloud forest.

Plus, the year-round tropical temperatures make it an ideal travel destination. However, given the tropical environment, you may want to plan your trip during the dry season to avoid too much rain. The dry season is from December to April.

Nature Front and Center

A huge part of the appeal of traveling to Costa Rica is the ability to view nature front and center. In addition to the tropical environment, you can also get up close and personal with tons of unique animals.

Costa Rica is crawling with wildlife – monkeys, sloths, frogs, and more. Additionally, there are tons of birds. More than 800 types can be found in Costa Rica, including toucans and macaws.

Amazing Resorts

Since tourism is the #1 industry in Costa Rica, you have your choice of excellent hotels.

My family stayed at W Hotel Costa Rica, and I highly recommend it. W Hotel is located in Guanacaste, W Costa Rica on Playa Conchal beach and a nature reserve.

This luxury resort offers impressive panoramic views, as well as fantastic amenities. The resort features a golf course, water sports, and a lavish spa.

We enjoyed our time spent at the pool and exploring the nature reserve. It was the perfect place for home base during our trip.

Dreamy Excursions

While we could have just stayed at the W Hotel every day, we did want to explore some of Costa Rica outside of the property.

We’d heard a lot about the hanging bridges in Costa Rica that allow you to walk through a forest canopy. For our handing bridge excursion, we headed to Heliconias Rainforest Lodge. It is located between Miravalles Volcano and Tenorio Volcano and offers spectacular rainforest views. There are trails and hanging bridges for you to explore.

Costa Rica is home to more than 25 stunning waterfalls, so you have plenty to choose from. We decided to visit Oropendola Waterfall, located in Rincon de la Vieja National Park. After you hike the short trail to see the waterfall, you can enjoy a swim in the beautiful blue waterfall waters.

Delicious Dining

As a foodie, dining is always a priority on my vacations. Costa Rica made this easy! Their delicious cuisine favors beans, rice, plantains, meat, and fish. In addition to the on-site restaurants at the W Hotel, we also visit popular local restaurants, Patagonia del Mar (seafood), Papaya Restaurant (Pacific Rim and Nuevo Latino fare), and Gracia La Vid (pizza).

Have you visited Costa Rica? What did you love? Tell me in the comments!

10 Things to Catch Up On This Spring Break

Whenever spring break hits, I am in shock and awe that we are almost at the end of another school year. And I am even more alarmed by all the good intentions I had at the start of the school year that have not happened yet.

I am all about traveling over spring break, but there are years when it is wiser to stay home. So if that is you this year, use the days off to catch up on the many things you have wanted to do but just haven’t gotten around to.

Here are ten things on my spring break catch up list.

1. TV Shows

I suffer serious television FOMO. And I have a lot of it because there are so many good shows and so little time! I hope to find time this spring break to binge watch one of the popular series I have heard so much about.

2. Books

I read a lot before I had kids. Now that my girls are older, they give me a bit more space. Over spring break, I’d like to finally finish that book that I have started and put down a hundred times.

3. Taxes

Doing taxes isn’t my favorite thing, but they must be done. I look forward to knocking this boring task out during spring break.

4. Friendships

If you are anything like me, you have good intentions of getting together with your girlfriends, inviting that family over for dinner, and checking in with that long-lost friend… but life got in the way, and those things haven’t happened yet. Over spring break, I hope to find times for friendship.

5. Scheduling Appointments

One of my least favorite chores is calling and scheduling all the appointments moms need to schedule (various doctor’s appointments, dental appointments, etc.). I want to set aside a chunk of time to schedule all the appointments in the near future.

6. Outdoor Landscaping

Spring always makes me want to spend all my time outdoors. But after winter, my yard is in bad shape. And I don’t have the time to clean it up on the weekends. Over spring break, I want to clean it up and turn my backyard back into an oasis.

7. Indoor Cleaning

Spring break is a great time to do some spring cleaning. I plan to get the whole family involved so we can tackle our spring break list in no time.

8. Renovations and Makeovers

If you aren’t traveling, spring break is a wonderful time to finally do the home projects sitting on the back burner. Use your time off to renovate a bathroom or give your kid a bedroom makeover.

9. Summer Planning

Nothing makes you more ready to plan a summer vacation than a spring break spent at home! Use that motivation to your advantage! Go ahead and plan the perfect summer vacation. Book your tickets and start a countdown. And don’t forget to sign your kids up for summer camp.

10. Wardrobe Swap

Spring break is also the perfect time to swap your cold weather wardrobe for your warm weather wardrobe. Donate the clothes that no longer fit or have gone out of style. Look through your warm weather wardrobe and take note of what is missing. Then, go shopping!

How to Spend a Quarantine Easter Break at Home

2020’s Easter Spring Break is bound to be one remember for the rest of our lives. Not because we go on some amazing family vacation but because we do just the opposite. While we are staying home to save lives, it means spring break is canceled. Or does it? I believe there are some ways we can still have fun and make spring break memorable.

Celebrate the Holiday

Easter is going to feel different this year with egg hunts and Easter Bunny photos canceled. But you should still find ways to celebrate the holiday with your kids. For example, have an indoor Easter egg hunt and get creative with what the Easter Bunny puts in their baskets (such as gift certificates to be redeemed at their favorite places when the world reopens).

Take a Trip Online

If you had a trip planned that was canceled, then see if you can take a virtual trip to experience it from home. For example, theme parks like Carowinds have added virtual roller coaster rides to their YouTube Channel. You can also find virtual Disney Park rides. Other creative people have recreated Disney Park rides at home!

Enjoy a Vacation Themed Day

Or if you had to cancel your tropical beach vacation, then do your best to recreate it at home with a vacation-themed day. For example, have a Hawaiian themed day where you have a luau and eat a Hawaiian meal and watch a movie or show based in Hawaii (such as Lilo and Stitch). Or, just have a day where you dress up in your vacation attire and pretend you are there.

Visit a Virtual Zoo

There are several zoos across the US that are hosting virtual visits where online viewers can see their favorite animals up close and personal. It is another great way to “leave your home” and escape from the monotony. One of our favorites is the San Diego Zoo because it features ten live-web cams and a kid-friendly website.

Have a Movie Marathon

This is a perfect time to have a good old-fashioned movie marathon. Watch your way through the Harry Potter franchise or the Toy Story films. This is also a good time to introduce your kids to some of the movies you loved growing up since so many streaming services are offering deep discounts for families during this time. Plus, with movie theaters closed, families have the opportunity to see brand-new movies, like Onward and Trolls World Tour, over spring break through streaming services.

Do Absolutely Nothing

If you have spent the last few weeks working from home AND trying to homeschool your children like me, then what you may need this spring break is REST. And tons of it. Maybe what you need to do this week is absolutely nothing. If you have been working and teaching and trying to stay calm, you are tired and need a break. Be lazy. Spend time cuddling and relaxing and don’t feel bad about it.

6 Reasons to Look Forward to Spring in NYC

Did you know it is officially Spring? It sure is hard to tell when it is still in the 40s here in NYC! I am so envious of the people down South posting Spring pictures already. But, I know that soon it will feel like Spring. To help me get over my jealousy, I am spending time thinking about all the fun things I can do once the warmer weather moves our way.

Park Hopping with My Girls

I love taking my girls to the playgrounds around NYC. We have so many great ones to choose from, and it is a wonderful thing to do as a family. We all get out of the house, get some exercise, and have fun. This spring I want to park hop. All this means is I want to explore new parks and playgrounds instead of frequenting the same ones every time.

Seeing the Cherry Blossoms at Brooklyn’s Botanic Garden

You know spring has officially arrived when the Cherry Blossoms bloom! The best place to view them is at Sakura Matsuri, the annual cherry blossom festival held at Brooklyn Botanic Garden on April 27th and 28th. It is such a fun, cultural event for families.

Visiting Our Favorite Zoos

We love going to the zoo, but we’ve learned that some seasons are better than others to visit. For example, if you go to the zoo on a really hot summer day, you won’t see much activity from the animals (probably because they feel just as miserable as you do in the heat). But, if you visit on a nice spring day, you will get to see the animals being more active.

Heading to Coney Island for a Day

Yes, Coney Island is a tourist trap. But, it is still great fun for NY families! Spending a day at Luna Park and exploring the boardwalk will leave your kids happy and tired. The rides tend to open up on weekends around Easter and then daily after Memorial Day.

Eating Outdoors

I love to eat, but I really really love to eat outdoors. Once the weather warms up and the skies are clear, I love to find restaurants with outdoor seating where I can eat and people watch at the same time. It is also the perfect time of year to plan a picnic. I love hiking and it a picnic afterward makes the hike that much more exciting.

Family Scavenger Hunts at Central Park

Anyone can create their own scavenger hunt, but did you know there are tons of official scavenger hunts for Central Park? Whether you create your own or purchase a ticket for a group scavenger hunt, you will have a blast searching Central Park for clues!

What are you most looking forward to doing this Spring in NYC?

Why I’m Choosing Choice Vacation Rentals This Spring Break

It’s cold right now, but before you know it, it’s going to be Spring! Like every other family living up north, we look forward to spring break all winter long. And, now that it is March, it is time to start planning my family’s spring break trip. All I know at this point is I want to go somewhere warm and sunny. I want to put all the new sunny vacation goodies I recently splurged on at T.J. Maxx to good use!

Why a Vacation Rental Over a Hotel

Because this ^^^ (PHOTO: Choice Vacation Rental in Destin, FL)

Another thing I already know is that this spring break we will opt for a vacation rental over a hotel. Don’t get my wrong – I love a nice hotel! I love resort vacations! But, every now and then, I want to escape to a new locale and still have as much space as I would at home. I want bedrooms and kitchens of my own. With a vacation rental, I get to magically pretend someone else’s home is mine for just a week. It’s a nice change of pace.

Choosing Between Vacation Rental Companies

Clearly I am not the only one who feels this way as vacation rentals are more popular than ever! Not only are people choosing to book a vacation rental rather than a hotel for their trips, but people are also making a second income by renting out their homes through AirBnB, VRBO and Homestay. The vacation rental industry is booming!

Given that sudden popularity, there are many people jumping on the bandwagon and renting out their homes. While this sometimes works out well for both the homeowners and the vacationers, there are also tons of horror stories. Imagine thinking you are renting an extravagant vacation home and arrive to discover a dump.

Choice Vacation Rentals Gets My Vote

Honestly, this is the biggest reason why I start my vacation rental hunt with Choice Vacation Rentals. Choice Vacation Rentals offers beautiful homes, private residences, townhomes, and cabins as a part of the trusted Choice Hotels Brand. Instead of dealing with individual homeowners, Choice Vacation Rentals are professionally managed ensuring your rental is of clean, well-maintained, and fully furnished.

Plus, Choice Vacation Rentals offer stunning vacation homes in the most popular destinations in the US. No matter where you plan to book your family’s spring break trip, you will find a vacation home rental you love on their website, which is super easy to navigate.

Finally, Choice Vacation Rentals gets my vote because you can earn Choice Privileges Points for every hotel or vacation home stay. Since my family loves to travel, I look for any opportunity to save money. As your points add up, they can be redeemed for free nights, free hotel stays, digital gift cards to popular restaurants and retailers, and exchange points for airline miles and cruises.

Now, it’s time to decide which spring break vacation destination my family will visit this year!