Bunratty Castle and Folk Park

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park

 We like to expose the girls to the history of the country we’re visiting (especially if we are taking them out of school) and we were lucky that our first day in Ireland could include a visit to Bunratty Folk Park.  Set on 26 acres, the park features over 30 buildings that depicts what life was like in Ireland over a century ago.  Traditional jobs and crafts are represented such as pottery, fishing, the forge, milling, farming, and printing. You can walk in each of these buildings and get a peek at their everyday lives since all the buildings are recreated and furnished as they would have appeared at the time.  Some of our favorite areas included:

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Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet

Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet
Pulling the kids from school always includes a little guilt…until you introduce them to culture they can’t learn from reading in a book. Our first taste of Irish culture was by attending a medieval banquet in Bunratty Castle.
We chose the 5:30 banquet since we knew we’d be jet lagged and it would have to be an early night. First, we were taken into the Great Hall for an introduction to the castle. We were greeted by people dressed in beautiful medieval clothes who played their part so well you immediately felt like you were transported in time.

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Bunratty Castle Hotel

The Bunratty Castle Hotel is a wonderful place to stay after flying in to Shannon Airport since it is only fifteen minutes away.  It’s a great introduction to driving on the left side of the road without overwhelming you.  Bunratty is a quaint Irish town with colorful buildings and kind locals. Since I can’t sleep on a plane (ugh…even if it’s overnight) I was thrilled that a room was available for us so early in the morning.  We were all in beds, asleep, by 7:00 am.  A few hours of sleep were all we needed before going out to explore our first taste of Irish culture.

Click here for our full review.

Takeout Kit Review

I often talk about the connection between food and discovering new cultures.  Being Portuguese, where food dictates everyday life, I know you can learn a ton about a culture by eating their food and even more when you have the chance to prepare it yourself.  We were so thrilled to have the chance to try Takeout Kit, a meal kit service that specializes in food from around the globe.  This meal kit is perfect if you want to get out of your comfort zone and try something you never thought you would be able to cook.  My daughter and I loved cooking our dish for the family, and it would also make for a fun date night or a girls’ get-together.

What did we cook?

Takeout Kits gave us a nice selection of dishes to try out.  I let my girls choose the one they wanted and they decided on:

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Swimming with Dolphins and More: Discovery Cove, Orlando

 

Walking into Discovery Cove is like walking into a Caribbean island with tropical music playing, palm trees swaying, and dolphins jumping out of lagoons.  It is a paradise and you will never know you are in the middle of Orlando.  It is not a theme park AT ALL, but rather a tranquil oasis where you can lounge around all day.  We were there from 7:00-5:30 and time flew by. 

When we arrived, we were given a quick tour and then brought to the restaurant for breakfast.  There was so much food on our plates that none of us could finish it.  It was delicious and I love that it is included since it’s one less thing to think about planning during your day.  In fact, I was surprised at how few decisions I actually had to make. 

We were then shown our private cabana.  We could not wait to see what was behind this gate.

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10 Must-Do Activities at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

 

I admit I’m not much of a theme park person, but since I live with two Harry Potter obsessed kids, a stop at Wizard World of Harry Potter at Island of Adventure was on the top of our list during our Florida vacation.  From the second I saw Hogwarts Castle and walked around the streets of Hogsmead, I was hooked.  I’m not sure who had more fun because I was pulling them in all directions.  Here are 10 activities that you must do while you’re there:

DRINK BUTTER BEER:  Before I go any further…I’m not promoting underage drinking pals…butter beer is a frozen piece of heaven that does not have alcohol in it (but boy…that would be good too!).  It tastes like a root beer float combined with butterscotch and caramel. We actually tried to make our own once, but it turned into a Pinterest fail.  It’s a great treat at the end of a hot Florida day.

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DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld

Ironically, my family often runs around so much during vacation that it doesn’t always feel as relaxing as a vacation should be.  By the time we got to the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld we were already exhausted.  That all changed as soon as we walked into the hotel lobby.  We were suddenly transported from the commotion of the outside world into a tranquil place where the world suddenly slows down. The DoubleTree is nestled in 28 acres of gorgeous flower gardens, fountains, and tropical palm trees. Even though you are in the middle of all the action of Orlando, you will feel like you are tucked into your own private oasis.

Click here to read all about our amazing stay. 

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

My girls are big fans of Hope and Winter, the dolphins portrayed in the movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2.  Winter is a great role model of strength and determination. If you don’t know their story, Winter was 3 years old when her tail became entangled in a crab trap line that cut off the circulation of her tail flukes.  She was brought to Clearwater Marine Aquarium and, with the help of the staff, was given a prosthetic tail and fluke and relearned how to swim. Unlike a typical aquarium, Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a working animal hospital and marine life rescue center. 

We started our day with a tour of the aquarium with Julia, who was knowledgeable of all the animals and answered all our questions.  What struck me most was how committed the staff is to the well-being of all of the animals brought here.  They were all quick to answer questions my girls had and if you were looking at an exhibit they would come over and give you facts about the animals like what led them to need help.   It was a welcoming environment and we walked away with tons of knowledge about marine animals.  The girls couldn’t stop telling my husband all about it over dinner. 

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Give Joy Crate Subscription Box

Words are powerful and can inspire, comfort, and drive you to live your best life. (Can you tell I miss teaching language arts?)  Give Joy Crate is a seasonal lifestyle and home décor subscription box that focuses on surrounding yourself and your family with joy.  This company is driven to live in truth and are passionate about creating joy. 

We were so thrilled to have the chance to take a peek at this inspirational box and could not wait to look at what was inside.  First of all, how cute is the outside of this box???

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A Peek at How I Pack

 

My husband should win an award for packing.  Since he travels weekly for work, he has it down to a science.  It takes him about fifteen minutes, he rarely forgets anything, and he doesn’t even use a list…gasp! He’s explained his system to me and it involved the order of how he unpacks his clothes at a hotel, but it could never work for me.  My world consists of a list, Post-It notes, and a highlighter. Honestly…what would the world do without a highlighter! I’m a visual person so I need to see it right in front of me.  Also, when we’re traveling for my blog we don’t travel like most people.  In Iceland we stayed in seven hotels in 10 days and had different activities each day, making packing a challenge.  My method works for me so I wanted to give you a peek at how I pack.

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