Kids Gift Idea and Black Friday Deals
Christmas is fast approaching! But I’ve got an awesome gift idea for your littles!
Barrett fell in love with the balance bike from Coco Village! He rides it everywhere!
It really is a great skill to build for kids too. Even big brother (8) can ride this one! Barrett is 3 and it took some prefecting. They also have a 3 wheeled version!
Plus, if you subscribe to the VIP list here, you will receive an email on NOVEMBER 23rd giving you special early access to all their Black Friday deals!!
Coco Village is our favorite stop for gorgeous and fun kids toys. Check them all out!
Here are a few more of their adorable kids items too!
Hope your kiddos will love these ideas!
XX,
Jess
Trip Must Haves
We road trip and day trip a lot this time of year! So, I’ve put together a few things that are super helpful when we travel. These are good for kids of all ages!
I pack food. Duh. More importantly, I pack fun food that we don’t normally have. It makes great entertainment and fun, and even works when you need a little bribe. So helpful on a trip. Pre-packaged stuff is handy too!
I pack mess free coloring. So simple, but so handy. And I don’t have to worry about clothes and car being destroyed or crayons melting. They make some awesome mess free goodies now, all are clear to begin and make color on the special pages. Viola!
Pack a bag within a bag. I take a fold up beach bag like this one. We stop to put our feet in the water at the beach? We can throw things we might need in here instead of taking a bigger, bulkier bag out. Anything sandy can be contained here too!
I pack a wet bag! Same idea, but wet suits or shoes won’t make a mess when contained in here!
I pack a few new or not-used-in-a-while toys. Dollar Tree is great for finding inexpensive and fun surprises to pack. This popper toy has been a road trip favorite this year (from Target).
I pack Tubby Todd Baby Fresh Spray. Mom of boys here. They can get real sweaty and stinky. What if we want to stop for dinner? Spray ’em down. Fresh boys! 😉 (you can use this link for 10% off too!)
I pack a portable fan. I’ve got one that clips to the stroller and this one that mists too in the diaper bag. Easy entertainment and so refreshing when we all need it!
I pack this multi travel bottle.
It holds 4 bottles inside. Perfect for sanitizer, soap, lotion, etc, but keeps them small and contained.
I pack our weighted blankets. Our favorites are from Moxie. These make car naps so easy and enjoyable. Aah, some peace and quiet! (You can also use code Jess15 for 15% off here!)
Hope these are helpful! Happy road tripping!
Also, if you want my bigger list of toddler travel must haves, see the post here!
XX,
Jess
Sensory Play Part 2
I wanted to follow up with some more sensory play ideas we have found since getting our table. If you are new here, here is the first post on sensory play, where we talk about our table and some items that are super helpful!
First, get a funnel. These come in a pack of three and are collapsible silicone. Makes putting it all back SO much easier!
Another thing we’ve fallen in love with are these super cute jars from Busy Littles! You can even customize your jar with her, just message her on Instagram to order!
These are so fun because she adds acrylic letters and numbers that she makes! We got an alphabet that she customized to a camo theme! We also got one of her winter jars and a rainbow number jar. The boys LOVE them all!
So, what have we learned? That ANYTHING can be added to a sensory bin! The boys love that they can mix, stir, explore, dump, and keep the fun going for hours. Ok, minutes. They are kids. But still, its impressive. And anything that entertains both a 7 year old and a 2 year old is impressive in my book!
Also, here’s a peak at the Christmas box from Little Creators Texas too! We still love these also!
Have you tried sensory play yet?!
Jess,
XX
Marineland, Family Florida Trip Ideas
Want to take the kids to Florida, but not quite ready to go all in on Disney just yet? We weren’t either. I have some ideas for you!
Must see in Florida? Marineland Dolphin Adventure!! Truly, this place is a must see and a pleaser for all ages.
Yes, we danced with the dolphins! 🤩 This dolphin is Dazzle and she was a sweetheart. We learned a lot about her and dolphins in general. You can choose tickets to swim with the dolphins or tickets to meet and greet with them (pet them!), like the youngest and dad did.
You can even get a package that includes painting with the dolphins! There are talks and training demonstrations…
There was a tour of the facility, which included learning the history here. They are the first facility of their kind! Movies have even been made here! You can see turtles and other sea life too. There was just so much to explore. Plus, who doesn’t love an adorable gift shop? They even had custom necklaces made with each dolphin’s fluke (tail fin). How neat?! There is also a photographer there to snap photos while you are in the water or focusing on the dolphin fun!
And the view over the ocean was divine, even on a cloudy day…
There is just so much to say about this place. Truly I can’t rave enough and highly recommend you visit there for yourself!
Want to make it a whole weekend and need more things to fill your time? Us too! I’ve got a few recommendations:
Tip- Fly into and stay in Jacksonville. It’s a big enough city to have plenty to do, but not a spring-breaker hot spot.
1. Check out the beaches! The whole family enjoyed the sand and water, even in the cooler winter time. We all love to hunt for shells and treasures. Best beach for shells, sea glass and shark teeth is Mickler’s Landing, a public beach at Ponte Verda. Jacksonville beach, Atlantic beach, and Neptune beaches are all public, close by and very nice. Public beach access in Marineland was also very nice!
2. Jacksonville Zoo! Also fun for the whole family.
3. See St. Augustine! The younger kids didn’t understand the significance and were not super interested, but did enjoy seeing the big stone “castle”. They had lots of lights up in the evening, the bridge is neat, and there is a huge light house. Plus shops and restaurants to please us bigger kids.
4. St. Augustine alligator park! We didn’t get to make it here, but this attraction looked so fun!
5. Catty Shack wildlife sanctuary! We also didn’t make it here, but it is on our list! You can see them feed the tigers!
6. Seafood! Need I say more? I’ll list a few of our tried and true favorites.
*Safe Harbor, Jacksonville
*Slider’s, Jacksonville
*Sonny’s BBQ, Jacksonville (not seafood, but totally a favorite worth checking out)
*South Beach Grill, Marineland
Tip- Hyatt Place, Jacksonville Airport is where we stayed. Casual yet nice, family friendly and spacious. Plus, you can sign up for Hyatt Club for free and get free breakfasts. Just one we would recommend!
I hope you enjoy visiting Florida too! Let me know how you like these spots!
XX,
Jess
Disclosure: we were hosted at Marineland only. All opinions of all locations listed here are fully our own. We want to be helpful for your family, with honest reviews!
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