• About/Contact
  • Disclosure | Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Sponsorship
  • Home

Tips, activities and support for staying home with your children and joyfully surviving it!

  • Mom Survival Store
  • Complete Guide for SAHMs
  • Kids Activities
    • Infant Activities
    • Toddler Activities
    • Preschool Activities
      • Preschool at Home Curriculum
    • School Age Activities
    • Free or Cheap Kids Activities
  • Motherhood
    • Motivation
      • Me time
    • Homemaking
      • Organization
      • Quick Tips
      • Recipes
    • Faith
    • Parenting
    • Marriage
  • Natural Living
    • Young Living Starter Kit
    • Essential Oils Recipes
    • Cleaning Tips

Spring Break Travel Tips

February 19, 2018 by Jaimi Erickson 2 Comments

Ready to have the ENERGY to be the best mom you can be? Get started! Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome back! Did you already get started here?

{Post by Jessica}

Going on a trip for Spring Break with kids? Get these tips from a travel agent. Spring Break travel tips to maximize your budget AND your fun!

Many of us have been cooped up indoors for a few months now and the itch to escape the cold is growing strong.  I interviewed Ann Valley with Bayside Travel in Bayside, Wisconsin for tips on planning a vacation with your family. Her tips will help with Spring Break travel with the kids.

We did a little Q&A to get the important travel tips you need to make this Spring Break trip with kids the best one yet!

Q: Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to start planning for spring break vacations. How far ahead should families start planning?

A: Spring Break is the most popular time for families to travel during the school year.  If you know you want to take a vacation during that very popular time, book as soon as flights are available.

Most cities offer some type of charter air service through tour operators.  These are usually competitively priced and are non-stop flight.   They also fill up quickly.

You will also have the best choice of accommodations if you book far in advance.  Many times if you book early you can take care of “early bird” discounts.  And many tour operators will offer lowest price guaranteed—so if you book and the price goes down, you can get the lower price.  To avoid disappointment and to be assured that you get the vacation you want, book EARLY!  The same can be said for summer vacations.


Q: Traveling with a family can be expensive; can you share a few budget friendly travel tips?

A: Look for flights that don’t charge for seat assignments and checked or carry-on bags.   Those fees for a family can add up quickly.

Look for resorts or hotels that offer no charge for kids.  If it is not an all-inclusive, find a hotel that offers amenities like free breakfast, free shuttle service/transfers, or have kitchen accommodations in the room so you can prepare some of your own meals.

If going to a popular amusement park area, I recommend staying off-property but close by.  The price will be lower and it will only take a few minutes to get to the park.

Grab some free or cheap kids activities by location to do in your area. This ongoing series shares great resources of free or inexpensive activities for kids in specific areas around the world. Have a great free or cheap activity for kids suggestion? Submit your ideas too!

Q: What are some of your favorite state-side destinations for families during spring break?

A: The West coast offers a bounty of options—you can explore the amusement parks like Disneyland and Universal, Sea World, and San Diego Zoo.  But be prepared to spend a lot of time in line.  It is crowded, especially during Spring Break.   If you can plan your vacation so it is not during the typical Spring break timeframe, you will find it less congested.

If standing in line surrounded by thousands of strangers isn’t really your thing, consider escaping to smaller cities that have activities for kids, such as museums and nature centers. A cabin in the mountains or by a lake is also another way for family members to connect. The national parks have so much to offer as well.  Vacations don’t need to break the bank

Q: What about foreign travel? 

A: Exposing your children to another culture is one of the best experiences you can give them.   One of the first things you need to do if considering a foreign trip is to make sure everyone has a valid passport.

Everyone in the family needs one—kids are good for 5 years and adults for 10 years. Passports need to be valid for at least six months past your planned return travel date.

If you are traveling to an area that will have food your kids might not like, be sure to pack a supply of snacks.  You can always find some of the basics—fruit, eggs, meat—but some of the seasoning might not appeal to their fussy palette.

Q: Do you have any favorite destinations or resorts? 

A: Mexico still offers the best value for a family.  Select an all-inclusive resort that is geared towards families and give yourself a break from the kitchen.  Most resorts will also have activities to keep the kids busy, and some offer special kids clubs.  You should feel safe—use common sense and be responsible when exploring outside the resort.


Q: With so many travel sites available, what are the benefits to using a travel agent?

A: Using a website to book a simple airline ticket makes sense.  However, if you are looking to get the best value for your money, a travel agent is going to do that for you.

They will take the time to find out exactly what you want and expect, and then match that to the right destination.  Often times they will suggest destinations that may have never even been on your radar.

Your agent is your travel advocate.  If something goes wrong, they are there to make it right even in a foreign country.  Many times they have access to special pricing or incentives.  Travel agents are extremely knowledgeable and well-traveled.  Their job is to make sure you enjoy your vacation and create a lifetime of memories.

Q: Any final tips for families during spring break?

A: BE FLEXIBLE.  Don’t get upset if things don’t go exactly as planned.  Enjoy your time together.

If you are in a foreign country, remember it is not going to be the same as at home.   Embrace the culture.  Disconnect. Relax.

Homemaking tips Tuesdays where you find quick tips for keeping a clean and organized home.

Where are you going on Spring Break this year?

Going on a trip for Spring Break with kids? Get these tips from a travel agent. Spring Break travel tips to maximize your budget AND your fun!


Jessica Stremer of Five O'Clock JellyJessica is a stay at home mom of two lovely little girls.  She is also a military spouse and an entrepreneur.  Jessica enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors with her family, cooking, and reading.  In addition, Jessica is hard at work growing her company Five O’Clock Jelly.


 

Successful Mom Daily Checklist to help you gain balance between housework and play time with the kids. Get more done, and feel more successful as a mom and homemaker.

Enjoy your time at home!

Your Name

Filed Under: activities, organization, quick tip Tagged With: spring break, travel, travel agent, travel with kids, vacation

Comments

  1. Hussain Sajwani says

    June 18, 2018 at 3:58 am

    Thanks for the tips. It is really a helpful and the knowledgeable.

    Reply
    • Jaimi Erickson says

      June 29, 2018 at 3:49 pm

      Great! I am glad to know that.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me on Instagram!

sahmsg_jaimi

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” - Audrey Hepburn

I spotted her just looking at our little seedlings. The peace of doing with our hands what we have learned with our mind is so satisfying. 

Tomorrow we can plant our first seeds in the outdoor garden beds. I am so excited for the simple task.

#gardenathome #athomegardening #athomefarm #homesteaddreams #learningtogarden #growingagreenthumb #hope #quote #quoteoftheday #familytime #outdoorswithkids #unschooling #learningaswego #peace #peaceathome #children #homeschool #homeschoolmom #homeschoolkids
Focus for art + dirty finger nails from playing in Focus for art + dirty finger nails from playing in the woods. 🎨 🌲 

 #wellrounded #myboys #boymom #raisingboys #momofsons #momof4 #homeschoolingboys #homeschoolingmom #artforkids #playtime #outdoorlife #outdoorkids
What are your plans for the weekend? #friyay We What are your plans for the weekend? #friyay 

We are having a few neighbors over tonight. (Obviously not locked down here. 👌) 

I am thankful for like minded people. 

I am thankful too for friends that are not always on the same page. 

I am thankful for God’s word that teaches us to create and build community in love. 

I am thankful for Fridays. 💗💗💗

What are you thankful for today? 

#gratitude #twoworlds #fridaynight #fridaywithfriends #fridayplans #livinglife #atpeace #gratitudepractice #momlife #momsintheneighborhood #eastnc #faithoverfear #faithlovehope
Today’s schooling looked a bit like this. 💕 L Today’s schooling looked a bit like this. 💕 Library, reading, painting the toy that came in the kids meal, reading time, and calm. 

When I think about my homeschool style (aka structure) it has definitely evolved over the years. I never really researched a style until today actually. 😂 What I found was, we started as Traditional - workbook-based learning. Then I added Unit Studies to our Traditional structure. Now we naturally have shifted to a more Charlotte Mason + Unit Study approach for some subjects and Traditional approach for a few subjects (math most specifically). 

Flexibility keeps our interest. Plus learning never stops.

Today our day began with a visit to our library. When we got home the kids all found a spot and were so quietly reading I did not want to shift gears! So I didn’t. 

There was reading, eating, drawing, painting, and so much quiet you guys I just had to let the kids go with this. My brain was soaking in the peacefulness.

When I started homeschooling, I would have never thought that a day like this would make me feel successful. It feels so good to have reached this point. 

When days happen like today, it feels pretty much like magic. 

What is your style if you homeschool? If not, what style would most appeal to your family?
#homeschoollife #homeschoolmom #homeschooljoy #homeschoollearning #homeschoolday #perfectday #homeschoolinglife #homeschoolingmom #homeschoolingmoms #homeschoolingstyle #kidslearningathome #charlottemason #unitstudy #traditionalhome #stayathomemom #momsathome #homeschoolreallife #eastnc #readingwithkids #learningtoread #librarytime #peacefulday #moms #momswhopray
You know what’s funny? I took this pic not even You know what’s funny? I took this pic not even noticing what random things were out of place. 😅 Perfect for this post today. 👇

Motherhood is a juggling act. We try to seek balance and be joyful, but kids, husband, house, our needs and wants all pull us in different directions.

We worry that if we drop one ball they all will come crashing down! We are busy, yet not feeling productive many days. The line between needs and wants become blurred.

Attempting to keep it all organized is overwhelming. 

We tend to define balance with images in magazines, snapshots of other moms who are
having a together day when we are not, or elaborate spring cleaning tasks that sound great and get pinned but ultimately leave us feeling even deeper in frustration when we do not complete them.

*****
Balance is not a place where you go and never ever again feel a bump in the road.

Balance is an on-going, always changing, never finished job. 

*****

If you feel out of balance today, you are just in the process of working your way back to it. 

If today was a great day, prepare yourself now because the scale may tilt and things may feel out of your control tomorrow. #reallife

It is not easy to cut things from our calendars or limit our focus each day. I feel that struggle so much. My whole family needs and deserves my time and attention. I am constantly in a state of re-balance, and making attempts to re-organize, as I attempt to balance four children and a husband.

That requires a lot of humility, prayers for God’s peace in my life, and relieving myself of any guilt for not doing it all every day.

Do you see the items out of place in this pic or are you focused on the beauty within it? 😉💕

#motherhoodinspired #motherhoodthroughinstagram #mothersunite #mamahood #grow #momtribe #momsunite #womensupportingwomen #motherhood #mamassupportingmamas #momlife #motherhoodrising #realmotherhood #motherhoodjourney #motherhoodunited #mommymoments #lifeasamama #honestmommin #motherhoodisdarling #simplymamahood #thatmomlife #motherhoodunfiltered #momstofollow #motherhoodunplugged #honestmotherhood
#homeschooling
#homeschoolinglife
#AD Today was hard! School took longer than expect #AD Today was hard! School took longer than expected, grocery shopping got pushed back, and I am soaking up my time to get quiet and pray it all away. 

I have discovered simple, quick ways to feel refreshed staying at home. With four kids, homeschooling and military life I can not just get a break when I feel I need it. 

These ideas have helped me feel rejuvenated in small moments even when I can not get out of the house to have a break.

One of the simplest ways to recharge is with a good old hot shower. I think it pretty much cures mom overwhelm and stress. I always planned my showers around the kids’ quiet times. That way I could take my time.

Choosing hair care products that are really special make it even better. @hairmayraki has natural repairing shampoos, hair growth kits and weightless moisture shampoo that feeds moisture into your hair so it feels and looks amazing even if you have to air dry!

**Use code JAIMI20 to save 20% on your Mayraki hair care products!**

As we get older our hormones shift, so hair loss can be a problem. Just like after having a baby!

Using Mayraki Hair growth and anti hair loss products helps me maintain full, healthy hair. It smells so nice and makes my hair feel moisturized and completely clean.

I put together a helpful list of ways to help us moms feel refreshed.

They are simple actions we can take to care for ourselves each day. I even have some ideas from my friends here on Instagram too! 

Check out the tips from my friends on the blog (via link in bio):

@thewholeparenting

@brandyintheatl 

@joqueen_and_family 

@coffeechaosandcuddles 

@pnicole_05 

What are your favorite hair, skin or spa products to make your pamper time feel special?

#momtime #goodhairday #selfcare #metime #quiettime #naturalhaircare #quiettimeformoms #momneedsabreak #mommytimealone #mommytimenow #momsgetabreaktoo #haircare #reenergizeyourbody #mentalbreak #momlife #mommylife #sahmlife #sahmproblems #sahmlifestyle #sahmmom #sahm #moms #blogger #momblogger
I spy two creatures who naturally love nature, wat I spy two creatures who naturally love nature, water and most of all dirt. 😍

Are your kids the outdoorsy, adventurous types? Anyone just over having clean floors with all the wet boots and feet going in and out like me? 🙋‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I can handle dirty floors for all this nature play without a doubt. 

#outdoorkids #freerangekids #natureplay #natureschool #siblingplay #siblinglove #kidled #kidlearning #homeschoollife #letthembelittle #freeplay #instakids #saturday
#AD Yesterday we had some talks. Things got a litt #AD Yesterday we had some talks. Things got a little tense. There were tears because she was embarrassed about what she did and said. 

I made sure to go to her room after things cooled down (where she was sent for her behavior) and ask why, talk about my reason why, and then she decided to come down and eat her dinner. (The whole issue was that dinner included a green vegetable...😅😂)

Everything returned to contentment. We all smiled. This is real life and real parenting. Our emotions clashed but calm logic brought things back in focus.

Today we can laugh and be silly thinking about it. 

What is the most recent heated or challenging moment you’ve experienced with your kids lately? Did things get resolved? 

***Sweatshirt: @choseninchrist 
Get it: Use code jaimi for 15% off...Link in bio.***

#realmotherhood #motherhood101 #logicalparenting #realisticmotherhood #motheranddaughter #kidsneedconsequences #learningtoobey #logicwins #greenvegetablesaregoodforyou #momwin #parentingtruths #parentinglife #stayathomemom #sahmlife #sahmgoals #raisingarrows #healthyeating #momblogger #bloggerlife #momlife
How have you been taking time to recharge while st How have you been taking time to recharge while staying at home? Making my list of favorite ways to refresh ‘cause moms with full schedules from morning to night need some simple ideas to get in quiet time. 👏 Do you need recharge time?

I like keeping it simple. 👌 Luxurious shampoo and body butter to maximize the spa feel after a hot shower, Bible study in the morning with my coffee, walking the dog solo are just a few of my break ideas. (I think hot showers are a cure all for a lot of stress! Time to think, feeling the strain wash away...all good things.) What do you think?

Since I have been a #stayathomemom for 13 years now, my kids have always been around and my time has been devoted to home and family. But I NEED time to have quiet and just be alone too. 

That means I have to squeeze in my recharge time in creative, simple ways. 

I am going to finish up this blog post and share it all with you. Share what you do too! I would love to give you a  mention you in the post. 👩🏼‍💻 💕

#inspiredmotherhood #foodforthought #bloggercommunity #instablogger #blogging #motherhoodinspired #motherhoodthroughinstagram #mothersunite #mamahood #connect #momtribe #momsunite #womensupportingwomen #motherhood #mamassupportingmamas #momlife #motherhoodrising #realmotherhood #motherhoodjourney #motherhoodunited #mommymoments #lifeasamama #honestmommin #simplymamahood #thatmomlife #motherhoodunfiltered #momstofollow #motherhoodunplugged #honestmotherhood
I just love this community! Come join me 👇👇👇

⭐️ LIVE GROWTH EVENT ⭐️
Bringing mamas / bloggers / smalls shops and influencers together! Make connections with your target market!! 
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Follow these steps below to join the Loop 👇🏼👇🏼
➡️ Follow me ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
➡️ Like this post 
➡️ Go to @motherhoodconnectiontribe and follow all directions on their post!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
👉🏼👉🏼 Like my 5 most recent and I will return!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ That’s it! Thanks for joining me & Happy Looping ✌🏻
.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
.⁣⁣⁣⁣
.⁣⁣⁣⁣
.⁣⁣⁣⁣
#motherhoodsocial #motherhoodconnectiontribe
When you really focus on fear, isn’t it pretty s When you really focus on fear, isn’t it pretty silly how much we let it run our lives? 

Anyone who knows my 7 year old daughter knows she has a “no fear” spirit. She can be a bit of an adrenaline junkie. She is always moving, seeking out fun and not intimidated by the unknown.

As a parent I both admire and cringe. 😅 

I find that I have to suppress my fear when it comes to her adventurous spirit so I do not diminish her true nature. I also have to be on the ball from a parenting perspective to talk through being smart while having fun. 

It is not as if we can ever see the results from the actions before we act though. 

Remembering myself how I truly only know what I see and what faith teaches me allows me to focus on eliminating fear from ruling.

For many years I was the opposite of my wild child. I was always thinking too far ahead to see what potential pain may come. That suppressed my nature. I see my kids so social, so eager to try new things and it energizes me to set that example too. 

Fear is not a worthwhile debate partner. 

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” ~Proverbs 31:25, NIV

Do you wrestle with fear in parenting and life in general or are you more of the no fear type?

#nofear #resistfear #faithandlogic #adventurousspirit #truenature #enneagram #enneagramparenting #personalitytypes #wildchild #wildandfreechildren #freerangeparenting #freerangeparents #instakids #instamom #instablogger #parentingmindset #goexplore #explorenature #natureschool #sahmsg #easternnc #eastnc #camplejeunelife #militarykids #militarylife #godledmotherhood #godledhomeschool #motherhoodsocial
Everything is better with people who are genuine, Everything is better with people who are genuine, content, loving and honest. 

Mardi Gras lunch (yesterday) with a great group was food for the soul. Belly laughs, ear to ear smiles and beignets made the day. 

#FatTuesday #MardiGrad #lunchbunch #osccamplejeune #camplejeunelife #mykindofmasks #goodfood #goodfun #goodpeople #realpeople #strongwomen #militarylife #militaryspouse #millife #milworld #eastnc #nclife #thegoodlife #blessedlife #motherhood #asiturn40 #momlife #momsdayout #motherhoodsocial
Load More... Follow on Instagram





Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in



©2018 The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide – Jaimi Erickson

HOME | ABOUT | DISCLOSURE/PRIVACY | SPONSORSHIP

Facebook | Pinterest | Email