Woodstock, Vermont
Vermont is rich in farming heritage and Billings Farm & Museum is the perfect place to learn all about it. Take a peek at my afternoon…
My first stop was the museum. There were so many recreations of life in rural Vermont. Some of my favorite were:
Machine thatching
Butter making
Summer has finally arrived in New England and we are loving being outdoors. It is time for hikes, beach visits, picnics, long days on the boat, and lazy afternoons reading on the dock.   Each month I share a roundup of products we’ve been using. Here is June’s Product Roundup…enjoy!!!
WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM
When you’re traveling with kids, there are certain products you can’t forget to bring with you. As a parent I am very conscious about what products I put on my kids. I like their products to be clean, non-toxic, gentle and effective. Earth Baby has products that are wonderful for the whole family! It naturally delivers calming, nourishing, cleansing and protecting benefits to baby’s delicate hair and sensitive skin. This is the perfect kit to throw in your carry-on, backpack, or in your car.
WHAT PRODUCTS DID WE GET?
You spend so much time planning the perfect getaway, but it’s not so perfect when you’re wide awake at 3 am. Talk about frustrating! Those nights can be endless and makes me want to throw something. So, what can you do to ensure you get a good night’s sleep in a hotel? Here are 15 tips:
Before you get to the hotel:
Not all rooms are created equally so don’t be afraid to make some requests. You may want to avoid rooms that are on the first floor, or near elevators, ice machines, or housekeeping closets.
If you know me you know I’ve been on the search for the perfect pillow for year. (Still haven’t found it…. gggrrrrrr) If you’re picky about your pillow choice, you may want to bring your own. Thick, hard pillows or thin deflated ones may be your neck’s worse nightmare.Â
Nothing is worse than planning on sleeping in, when suddenly a ray of sunshine pierces your eyes at 6 am! Most rooms have light block shades, but an eye mask takes up almost no room in your bag, so you may want to bring on. Â It is better to be safe than sorry.
 Fairs are a fun activity to do with families, but they can also be a lot of work. Rides, animals, food…so much fun! Here are 10 tips for taking kids to the fair.Â
Decide before you get there how many rides you are going to allow them to go on. Some fairs have unlimited rides but others require individual tickets and that can cost a fortune.
  MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENT
Nothing is worse than having your kid wait in line only to find out they are one inch too short to ride. Save the tears and have them check the height requirements first. There is usually a place to measure your height right at the entrance.Â
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Summers are short and sweet in New England so we always make the most of them. We try to spend our days outside and make every moment count. A Summer Bucket List helps keep us on track and creating one lets us daydream of days to come. Last summer was a crazy one, but it did let us fill our days with family time. Here is our list for 2021!!
Go to a drive-in movie
Sunset dinners at the sandbar
Watch all of the X-Men moviesÂ
Go to Lake Fest, a summer concert on the water
Make our own gelato with fresh fruit
Confession…I’m a travel blogger that doesn’t love flying. I can’t sleep on a plane, am never fully relaxed, and squeeze the heck out of the hand of the person next to me during takeoff. Kids learn from your behavior and I want mine to love flying so I’ve learned to keep it together during flights. I’ve developed some coping strategies that really help me while flying. Here are my top tips for nervous flyers:
Some of my tips for nervous flyers happen before they even get on a plane. Make sure you have plenty of things to do that will keep your mind off your worries. I love to get lost in a good movie, so I always download some onto my electronics. Don’t count on the plane to provide good movies; it’s always better to bring your own and not use them. I also load new music onto my phone.  Â
 Ironically, takeoff and landing are the times when I’m most nervous and that’s when you can’t use electronics! I always plan things to do like a new book, a magazine, or a crossword puzzle. Here are some great books.Â
Summer camp is right around the corner and that means it’s time to start planning. One of the most stressful things about camp is your kids needing something but you not being able to give it to them right away. That’s where the planning comes in. With the right list you can sit back and relax that they’ll have everything they need. So, what should you pack for sleepaway camp?
My girls got their trunks from Everything Summer Camp. It has so many fun colors to choose from! Word of warning…they will be using this trunk for many years and bubblegum pink may be great for a fourth grader, but will they still like it in high school?
Fun stickers to decorate their trunk
Their camp requires you to bring a plastic chest of drawers
T-shirts/shorts
Long sleeve shirts
A pair of jeans
Athletic pants or leggings
Sneakers
10 Tips for Taking Kids to a Drive-In
Although the word is full of unknowns, we can’t stop having fun and making memories. We simply need to figure out how to do it safely. One good thing about social isolation, is it brought back some nostalgic activities…like baking bread, family game night, and movie nights. Every summer we do something that screams nostalgia…DRIVE-IN MOVIES! Do you know there are less than 350 drive-ins left in the US? I wasn’t going to let anything stop us from doing it this summer. Here is an article I wrote last summer, but I’ve added some tips for safely doing it during COVID-19. Enjoy!
One fun thing to do during summer is take your family to the drive-in. Not only is it cheap (It was only $28 for a car of 4 people), but it’s a fun nostalgic thing you can do together. Many drive-ins run throughout late summer/early fall in New England but in many parts of the country they are lucky to have them run year-round.Â
 BEACH CHAIRS/CAMP CHAIRS
 Most people don’t sit in their cars like I had expected. Cars get hot and the windows can get foggy so it’s best to find a spot in front of your car. Bring a chair you can comfortably sit in for 2 hours. One family even brought bean bags for their kids! (Many drive-ins are operating at 50% capacity and making you leave space in between cars. Practice social distancing by always keeping 6-feet away from others and wear a mask if you’re near others.)
 There’s no one to impress, so dress code is all about being cozy. This is the time to bring out the yoga pants or sweats. Even better…best things for kids to wear to the drive-in are their PJ’s!Â
Summer for our family always includes trips to the beach to build sand castles, go boogie boarding, read, and play games in the sand. Last summer we thought we might miss out our summer tradition, but we made it. We hadn’t gone ANYWHERE all summer, so it was a hard decision to make. With a little planning, we spent an amazing day at the beach and can’t wait to go again this summer.
The early bird gets the worm…as well as the best beach spot. They may be limiting the number of people allowed in, so it’s a good idea to get there before the crowds.
By now you know…6-feet apart is the new norm, and at the beach I would suggest WAY more than that. No one wants people sitting close to them (even when there’s not a pandemic going on…lol), so make sure you are far enough away that everyone feels comfortable. You also want to be respectful and stay away when you are playing games, going on walks, and collecting shells around others.
Hello May!  I’ve been waiting for you and praying for some nice weather! As you know, I love sharing new products I’ve started using! Here are some great products I’ve used this month. Enjoy!
