Florida Living

Family Trip to Vero Beach, Florida @verobeachcvb

March 18, 2019 By Anne

Spring Break is here or will be here shortly depending on where you live. Florida has some wonderful places to visit and spend time in the sun. I recently was asked to visit Vero Beach with my family.

We were asked to stay at The Disney Vero Beach Resort and had a fantastic itinerary set up for us. We were not able to make it down to Vero Beach until Friday evening. We got to the resort and settled in around 9:30pm. The resort staff was very helpful as Disney employees always are. My partner and I hit the lounge after the girls layed down. It was right across the hall from our room!

Vero Beach Sunrise

We woke up early to see the sun rise. It was so pretty to see right over the beach. Then it was off to Goofy’s Beachside Character Breakfast with Donald and Goofy.

We gathered later to head over to the Vero Beach Museum of Art. The director took us on a tour then took us over to the children’s Art Zone. The Art Zone has many hands-on activities that encourage children to play and explore. They have a magnetic wall with colorful geometric shapes and a chalkboard wall for the kids to make artistic creations. Another wall is an interactive sketch aquarium, which was my favorite part of this interactive children’s exhibit, lol. The kids were each able to color in a sea creature then it gets scanned into the computer and magically it appeared on the wall!

Every piece of the Art Zone has been designed with kids in mind. The adults explored the rest of the museum. This was my favorite piece.

Learn more at their website at www.VBMuseum.org.

We had lunch at Mulligan’s Beach House. We sat beachside and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the ocean, music and delicious foods.

We then drove over to the McKee Botanical Garden. The McKee Botanical Garden has 18 acres of tropical terrain bursting with activity. I thoroughly enjoyed the gardens. I miss my South Florida landscape, so this gave me a chance to reminisce. The kids had a blast exploring and checking out all the flowers and plants. McKee’s has a new program called, Garden Discovery Backpacks. Each backpack is filled with exploration tools, guides, journal and an activity guide. There is even a small gift for the children to take home.

I would to have all of this in my backyard.

I am looking forward to coming back to explore more. Learn more at www.mckeegarden.org

We hit the pool for a while and relaxed in the sun before dinner.

For dinner we drove over to Waldo’s Restaurant at Driftwood Resort. Oh my the views were amazing! Right on the beach!

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to relax after a long, fun filled day.

Sunday morning we woke up and headed downstairs to the Disney’s Wind and Waves Grill for breakfast. Then we headed to the pool. The pool had a fun waterslide, jacuzzi, mini golf and a play area. W

It was a fun filled weekend in Vero Beach. I am looking forward to going back. Thank you VisitIndianRiverCounty.com.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Florida Mushroom Festival at Ravine Gardens State Park

January 21, 2019 By Anne

Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Last weekend we took the kids to the Florida Mushroom Festival at Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka, Florida. The park is absolutely beautiful! We got there just in time for a wild identification walk throughout the park to spot different mushrooms growing in the wild.

There were two of these suspension bridges.

Oyster Mushrooms

Cats on the trail!!

My daughter and I.

It was an absolute beautiful day!

For upcoming events check out Florida Mushroom Festival on Facebook and Ravine Gardens State Park

Anne

Seaworld Orlando’s 2018 Halloween Spooktacular is Happening Now!

October 6, 2018 By Marijean

SEAWORLD ORLANDO’S 2018 HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR RETURNS

Popular Daytime Halloween Celebration Returns Weekends September 22 – October 28

Halloween Spooktacular returns to SeaWorld Orlando this fall on September 22. Guests of all ages can join everyone’s favorite furry friends from Sesame Street as The Count, Elmo, Abby and others take the stage in “Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween.” Families will also enjoy a Halloween Dance Party and meet whimsical characters inspired by the sea. For this special event, children can dress in their Halloween costumes and take part in fun-filled trick-or-treating in the park.

The daytime Halloween fun takes place every Saturday and Sunday starting September 22 through October 28, 2018 and is included with park admission. Event hours are 11 a.m. to park close.

Halloween Spooktacular Highlights Include:

· Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween

Celebrate a Spooktacular Halloween at SeaWorld with The Count, Elmo, Abby, and the rest of your Sesame Street friends! The Count is feeling lonely this Halloween, and it’s up to you and the loveable monsters from Sesame Street to get him into the Halloween spirit. Batty bats and spooky skeletons join the fun in a song-filled stage show that invites you and your family to dance, play and sing along.

· Trick-or-Treating

Costumed youngsters can trick-or-treat for ghoulish goodies. Each sea-themed, trick-or-treat station features an assortment of candy favorites. Please join us in our efforts to protect our seas by bringing a reusable bag or Halloween bucket from home for treats. We will have an assortment of reusable bags, for $0.99 and up, at select locations.

· Pets Ahoy Halloween

Guests can enjoy a special Halloween version of this side-splitting show with surprise twists, and a cast of unlikely characters that will have the whole family laughing from beginning to end.

· Halloween Dance Party

Children join under-the-sea friends for a Halloween Dance Party where they can participate in line-dancing favorites as clouds of bubbles fill the evening air.

· Mermaid Grotto

Meet a mystical mermaid from an underwater world of fantasy. Capture the amazing moment with a Mermaid Photo Package, available for purchase at the park.

Upgrades to Your Spooktacular Day at Seaworld

· Count von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast

Count von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast features a delicious buffet enjoyed with the furriest characters in town. This breakfast is a fun-filled experience sure to delight kids and parents alike. Starting at $14.99 for kids and $29.99 for adults, reservations can be made online, at the Information Counter or by calling (407) 545-5550.

· Reserved Show Seating: Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween

Enjoy a reserved seat at a showtime of your choice for Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween show at SeaWorld Orlando. Priced at $10 per person, guarantee a seat for a showtime of your choice.

Best Way to Play:

For Spooktacular event days on Saturdays and Sundays through October 28, children between the ages of 3 and 9 will receive a free ticket when a full-paid adult single-day ticket is purchased.

Just Around the Corner:

· SeaWorld Orlando’s Praise Wave

Praise Wave, the popular Christian music event, returns for a second time in 2018 offering guests a day of fellowship and fun at SeaWorld Orlando. The live concert events will take place on Saturday, September 15 featuring Michael W. Smith and Saturday, September 22 featuring Newsboys.

· SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas Celebration

SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is where holiday traditions are made, with delicious food, stunning live shows, delightful holiday shopping and joyous entertainment. SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration brings together family fun and holiday traditions on select nights, November 17 – December 31, 2018 and is included with park admission.

For more information, park hours and to purchase tickets and passes, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com. Events and times are subject to change. Follow SeaWorld Orlando on Facebook,Instagram and the SeaWorld Orlando Blog for the latest park updates and information.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Wordless Wednesday

August 8, 2018 By Marijean

Sunrise at Jax beach

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Kids will have a BLAST on the GOTRAX HOVERFLY ECO Hoverboard

July 11, 2018 By Marijean

I was very intrigued when Hoverboards first came out. They sound so fun and were very cool to look at. My kids were still little so I knew I wasn’t going to get one right away. With my oldest now almost 10, she has been asking about Hoverboards since some of her friends have them. We were very excited to review the GOTRAX HOVERFLY ECO Hoverboard.

Safety Certified with a Powerful Glide

The HOVERFLY was constructed by our top spaceflight engineers to provide the utmost safety for every commander and citizen of the GOTRAX GALAXY. All electric, battery, and charging systems are tested and certified to UL 2272 safety standards for self-balancing electric scooters hoverboards. For additional protection, we added non-slip foot platforms, and system safety features including Auto Shutdown.

Few hoverboards can boast the power and seamlessness provided by the GOTRAX HOVERFLY. The dual 250W motors combined with the space-age gyroscopic self-balancing electric scooter technology create a smooth and controlled hoverboard riding experience.

UL CERTIFICATION INFO

The GOTRAX HOVERFLY self-balancing scooter is tested and certified to UL 2272 safety standards for e-Mobility devices. This certification means that electrical, battery, and charger systems have been thoroughly tested and certified for safety. To learn more about UL safety standards, please visit http://www.ul.com/hoverboards/.

GALACTIC HOVERBOARD FEATURES & SPECS

ELECTRICAL SAFETY CERTIFIED: Electrical, battery, and charger systems tested & certified to UL 2272 safety standards.
THRILLING TORQUE: Get a powerful and smooth, self-balancing glide with dual 250W motors.
BECOME A MASTER FASTER: Quick and easy hoverboard learning with simple operation.
ENJOY LIGHT-YEARS OF FUN: Space travel up to 7.4 mph and for up to 12 miles on a single full charge.
STELLAR FIRST-CLASS DESIGN: LED lights, cosmic colors, high-quality space materials built to last.

When you receive your Hoverboard, it will come in a really fun designed box my daughter loved. The hoverboard will be inside, a charger, protective bumpers, commander’s manual, and the quick launch galaxy guide. The overboard weighs about 23 lbs. The hoverboard comes in 7 colors. I decided to get the Neptune Blue which to me is just like a really pretty “baby blue.”

The hoverboard came fully charged, which was a plus since my kids wanted to try it out right away! We read over the quick launch galaxy guide and put the hoverboard into training mode. We have a very large downstairs living area, so she tried it on the carpet first incase she fell. Make sure your child has a helmet, knee and elbow pads when they are using the hoverboard. It does take a bit to balance on it when you first try it out. I held her hand until she figured how to balance properly. It only took her an hour or so to learn how to balance and ride herself. We have had it a week now and she uses it every day! It is super easy for kids and adults to use.

The minimum weight limit is 44 pounds and the max is 220 pounds. Perfect for children and adults to have fun. I know my husband loves it!

Before I decided to review this product, I did some research to make sure this hoverboard didn’t have any fire or safety issues. All of the electrical, battery, and charger systems are tested and certified to UL 2272 safety standard guides.

This would make an out of this world birthday gift or holiday gift for any child or adult! The GOTRAX HOVERFLY is on sale right now for $179.00.

You can purchase this awesome Hoverboard from GOTRAX or Amazon.

PRIME DAY is coming up on 7/16! Use the code 15mommyworks for 15% off all gotrax electronic rideables until July 21st! https://www.amazon.com/gp/mpc/A3TSWC0WN5AMIL

*I received a product in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.