Summer time: It's here!

We have all been ready for the relax days of no routines and a little more sleep. I am the biggest fan ever. Although, my summer has gotten off to a crazy start, the list of things we have planned might have been a bit much. So, now might be a good time to talk about how to balance things out. I myself had to throw up the white flag and slow things down. Things we usually don't think about until you are at the point of exhaustion. After we got home and I went back to work, I was at work sitting at my desk having a conversation and felt myself doze off! Yes, I literally dozed off while a co-worker was talking to me. (embarrassingggg) So, I am putting a little extra effort into planning relax time as well as these outings. I listed some of the tips I take with me, so hopefully they help you out as well.

~ The number one thing I do as to not stress about what we forgot on our trip... is to go ahead and put it in your mind that if you forgot something, you can always buy it. Nothing you are going to forget is going to be so expensive that you cant spend a few bucks to get another one. It will be money well spent to avoid the stress of stressing.

~ If you are heading to the beach, bring the baby powder and a small wash cloth. It is very awesome at getting sand off of your body. It really works!

~ Sunscreen everyone down before going to the beach. It only takes a minute and insures even coverage without the exfoliation of sand in your sunscreen.

~ Bring Ziplock baggies! You can use them for your phone or anything else you don't want to get sandy

~ Bring a beach bag, even if you are going to the mountains. Having everything in one place when you go out makes things so much easier. I reuse my 6.99 bag every time. We all know that is the bag that is going to go where we go.

~ Search printable pages and activities for the kids to keep them busy. We found a scavenger hunt and a license plate game. It helped pass a little time and was fun.

~ Bring snacks - I always pack the car with enough drinks (not to much that you are having to stop every few minutes) and little snacks to tide us over to cover a few more miles before we stop and fill up.

~ Sit down and talk to your family and try to do a little something everyone would like to do. I used one of my blank printable lists and made a bucket list with spaces for everyone to fill out a little something they wanted to accomplish. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed something they wanted to do.

~ Make a budget before you leave. We knew we had a full kitchen where we stayed. We went out to eat and brought snacks and some of our favorite canned goods. I knew we wouldn't always be hungry at the same time. Also, It makes it so much easier to bring some pop tarts or something your family likes to eat when they get up. So, if someone is starving they can munch without complaining that the girls are taking to long to get ready.

We took a trip down to Gulf Shores for Memorial day weekend. With our schedules we had to take advantage while we can, and of course we had the "let's get out of here itch." Don't be like me in that way, the hotel costs more than double from us going just a month ago! I can't complain, that is common sense. It wasn't just that though. Everything went up! So, we try to opt for off season vacations.

If you have never experienced the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo add that to your to do list. I don't care what age you are. It is fun and has animal encounters that allow you to hold a Lemur and Kangaroo's (they have others, but those two are my favorites)!!! Go ahead and add that to your to do list! The beaches are also extremely clean there. We did opt to stay at a condo on the beach, so we could enjoy balcony views in the evenings. Also, Check out The Hangout. The food is a bit on the expensive side, but the entertainment was worth it. If at all possible try to be there at 9 pm, you wont regret that little surprise. They have foam party's for the kids every hour (use caution those kids will trample you), and big sized Jenga game, picture props, a wish wall, and many other things to do for adults and kids.

So, plan small trips and rest up in between!!! Happy Summering!!!

the Alabama Gulf Shores Zoo....just shut up and do it!