We can all use a few more hands
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there! And to all the moms that work hard at being both Mom and Dad. Have a great day!
Father’s Day is this Sunday and Disney PLANES has put together some printable activity sheets and foldable paper airplanes for the kiddos to do with Dad this weekend. They are pretty cute! Head on over to print yours, and yes, completely free (except paper and ink of course!)
This post is by my friend Alexia. Alexia is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping plan magical vacations you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.
So far we have discussed the top ten ways to save on a Disney World vacation and how to make a budget and stick with it. This week we will discuss one of the age old debates when it comes to a Disney World vacation is staying on-site vs. off-site. Most people assume that staying off of Disney property will save them more money. I used to be one of those people. My first two Disney vacations I too stayed off site. On our last trip to Disney World we were taking our children for the first time. This is also the first time I really researched the benefits of staying on site. Here are a few things that I discovered:
On our last trip we ended up staying at a value resort on the Disney property. After one trip on-site and two trips off-site, I can honestly say that I would prefer to always stay on-site. I love getting in those few extra hours at the parks and the convenience of Disney transportation. The price of All Stars Movies ended up being about the same price we would have spent if we had stayed at a nearby hotel off-site. We also traveled while Disney was offering their free dining promotion, so all of our meals were free! This saved us a lot of money. If we had stayed at an offsite hotel, we would have had to figure out a dining budget or packed food for the parks every day.
What do you guys think? Are you fans of onsite hotels or offsite at Disney World?
As many of you know, my grandfather passed away in March after a very short battle with lymphoma. When going through his stuff, we came across this gem:
If there is such a thing as an antique coupon, I think this one counts! No barcade, but a stamped number on it. And check out this note on the back that still totally applies:
Far too often do people abuse the system now, so this really made me smile seeing this on an old coupon. And again, use coupons properly 🙂
The splash pad at East Athens Community Park opened this morning. The fee is $1 per person and operating hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Stay cool this summer and visit the Splash Pad.
Address: 200 Trail Creek Street Athens, GA 30605
I don’t know about ya’ll but I think this is exactly what Athens needed!! Looks like I have something new to add to my Top 20 Places to Visit With Kids Around Athens post!
Below is the latest article from our friend Alexia at Destinations in Florida
Last week we discussed the top 10 ways to save on a Disney World vacation. Over the next few weeks, we will be going over these points in a little more detail. This week we will be discussing making a budget and sticking with it. This seems like a pretty basic thing, especially for those of us who coupon. However, vacations are often a time when many people have a difficult time sticking to their budget, especially somewhere like Disney World when your kids what everything they see in every single gift shop. Most people have a set budget ahead of time and work out the details around their budget. The average family of four spends $3,000.00 on a Disney World vacation. Of course, you and your family may have to adjust your budget based on your family size and needs.
Make sure that your budget covers all aspects of your vacation. This includes transportation (If you are flying this would include your flight, baggage fees, airport parking, etc. If you are driving this could include gas, toll fees, etc.), hotel room, park tickets, food, tips (don’t forget about housekeeping!), and souvenirs. There is no worse feeling than pulling up to a toll booth and realizing that you forgot to budget some cash of the toll roads or getting to your hotel and realizing that you forgot to budget some cash for housekeeping tips!
I think one of the most difficult aspects of sticking with a budget at Disney World is on souvenirs. I know I’m not the only one whose children want at least three things in every gift shop they go in. Here you have a few options. First, you can decide ahead of time not to buy any souvenirs at the parks at all. Stock up on souvenirs before you leave (Think Dollar Tree, Wal-mart, Target, and Disney Store Outlets) and give your children a few small items each morning. This way they will not be as tempted in the parks. Your second option is give your children a budgeted amount in Disney gift cards or Disney Dollars. My girls (ages 11 and 2) were given Disney gift cards for their birthdays from other family members and for doing chores. They each ended up with a total of $100.00 each and were allowed to spend $20 a day. I was really impressed by how much thought they put into each of their purchases. Even my two year old would ask each day if the items she wanted were a “smart choice”. Giving them each gift cards worked perfectly for us!
Hopefully these tips will help you with making your budget and sticking with it. Next week we will discuss the age old debate of on-site vs. off-site hotels.
Alexia is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping plan magical vacations you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package… Guaranteed! Get FREE DINING if you book a Disney Resort Package between 8/25 and 9/27 – click here for a quote!
On Saturday, my mom, sister in law, and I went to a Firearms for Females class. If you’re interested in firearm safety or how to shoot, check with your local county and see if they offer something similar.
Our class was completely free, paid for with drug money. It was pretty fun learning the laws and they being able to shoot the sheriff’s guns along with my personal one.
I didn’t do half bad 🙂
Also most counties offer free gun safety locks if you need one and ask them.
We are already knocking out the list we created about fun things to do this summer! This week we’ve been busy since the next several weeks will be VERY busy filled with camps and VBS. Here’s an update as we work to conquer each and every one:
What have you done so far this summer?
Mommy Octopus has a partnership with Destinations in Florida, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Not only are they FREE for you to use to book your Disney World vacation, but they also guarantee the lowest package prices on Disney World & Universal Studios Packages.
Here are a few of my favorite benefits to booking with the Destinations in Florida:
As part of our partnership with Destinations in Florida, Mommy Octopus has been assigned our very own Disney Specialist. Alexia Christensen is a graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge, Universal Parks and Resorts Specialist, SeaWorld Specialist and Orlando Expert Specialist. To contact Alexia for a FREE quote or to find out more information, just click on the Destinations in Florida button!
To kick off our partnership, Destinations in Florida is giving away a $50 Disney gift card to one Mommy Octopus reader! Simply fill out the rafflecopter below to enter!
I realized we have a bunch of new readers lately and thought I’d do a fun post. First off, I’m Erin and I write this blog! Below is me via Instagram right after I got a hair cut.
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Mommy Octopus
Hope you enjoyed this post! I’d love to get to know more about ya’ll too!
