Urban Suburban Mommy

Tag Archives: Experiences

You Only Get 18 Summers

Posted on by Posted in Bon Voyage .

I admit it. The ending to Toy Story 3 tears me up. 

Every. Single. Time.

It starts with the scene where Woody watches through a hole in the box as Andy says goodbye to his Mom, who has just walked into his room and is struck by how different it looks with all his favourite things packed away for college.

I know I’m not alone. This family favourite movie tugs at the heartstrings of every Mom out there. [Urban Mommy Elisa says “This. Every time.”]

We know it’s going to happen. In fact, we WANT it to happen. We want to see the children we’ve raised to adulthood go off to college or university and start the next exciting chapter of their lives. It’s so exciting and bittersweet all at the same time.

If your kids growing up feels like it will be here before you know it and you wish you could slow down time, then there is no better time to create those memories. No better time to make these last few years before they fly the nest truly count.

Research shows that families who travel together develop life long bonds that don’t easily happen any other way.

We only get 18 summers with our kids before they are wrapped up in college, jobs, friends and boyfriends/girlfriends.

Wouldn’t you love to make those few summers unforgettable? Planning a fantastic vacation for your family is a great way to do just that.  It’s an investment in your family.

It’s memories they will carry with them long after you are gone. It’s the things they will tell their children stories about for years to come.

Beyond that, giving your children the gift of travel, exposing them to different cultures and experiences is priceless. They’ll learn far more from those experiences than they will in any classroom.

Whether it is something as simple as meeting a favourite childhood character onboard a Disney Cruise or traveling halfway across the world to visit the Grand Palace in Thailand, those memories will be priceless for them, and for you.

[Urban Mommy Elisa says “Too true, those 18 years go by too fast. My boys were just babies and now we’re more than half way done. My family took a 5 month break from urban life to travel Europe in 2018. It’s something we treasure. It’s time and money that couldn’t be spent better. A year later we still talk about what we saw and did with wonder. It’s inspiring, rejuvenating, and the experiences and memories are truly priceless. If you want some advice on extended travel, I’m always happy to discuss our adventure, just comment or get in touch. And Clara is the perfect person to help plan!]

Clara Power is a mother to 2 well traveled kids, Andrew and Lauren.  She is a Personal Travel Advisor at her own travel agency, Clara Power TPI, which is in association with Travel Professionals International.  As an active traveler having visited over 35 countries and almost every continent, (still working on Antarctica), Clara is no stranger in understanding the unique wants and needs of families travelling together making her your expert choice for creating those special family vacation experiences.  Her agency is also recognized as an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner due to her extensive knowledge and superior service.

Do not hesitate to call her today to learn about what she can do to help you plan a seamless and enjoyable vacation!
cpower@tpi.ca
clarapower.ca
ClaraPowerTPITravel

tpi

Originally published on Clara Power Restless Traveller

Disclaimer – UrbanSuburbanMommy.com does not receive any financial or product/travel compensation from Clara Power TPI. We believe she is an exceptional and extremely knowledgeable travel agent we and love her insight and advice. She’s just too good not to share!

This holiday’s hottest gifts

Posted on by Posted in Mommy Approved .

You never know if you’re going to get the greatest gifts ahead of time or race around on December 24th trying to finish your list. My husband likes to try to predict the year’s hottest gifts and get me to buy them early. They’re usually things his inner 12-year-old boy is pining for, and, thank goodness, he’s usually right.

Don’t get stuck hitting Craigslist and paying 25 times what that toy is worth because you’ve left it too late. And if you are shopping for those nieces, nephews and family friends that are outside your comfort zone, here are a few gift ideas – both traditional and unusual – to get you to the check-out just a little bit faster.

Collectible cards:

If you know that they’re into it, you can’t go wrong with trading card games and their accessories, like cases and carriers. Pokeman, Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic Cards are all fairly safe options. These all come in various editions and packs, so you can get anything from a $5 stocking stuffer to a $50 or $100 set.

Sports cards are a great option for the little athletes on your list. If you know which sport they love, you can start up their collection. The gift you get them could end up being worth big money a few years down the road. You can either pick a trading card company like Topps or O Pee Chee, or you can go to a collectible card shop and purchase a specific card with value that you know is sure to increase. This lets you spend exactly the dollar value you had in mind because they vary so widely in price, from a up-n-coming star to a sports icon. Go for a Michael Jordan or a Gretzky rookie card if you’re looking for a big gift.

Pocket toys:

This year Shopkins are looking like one of the hottest gifts out there. Those cute little ordinary retail items come to cartoonish life, and they mean the world in the schoolyard. Individual characters are great stocking stuffers and only run a couple of dollars – or make it the big gift with a set or pack for $20-$30.

Star Wars:

Anything Star Wars. With The Force Awakens hitting theatres the week before Christmas, and pre-sales proving that this long-awaited sequel has fans with an appetite for all of Disney’s merchandise to collect and enjoy, you can pretty much pick anything and you’re sure to please. From Light Saber tooth brushes that glow, to 4-foot Darth Vaders and $300 Millennium Falcons, there’s something for every price range. Some of the most desirable items are from the newly issued Black Series. Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma were sold out in mere hours, but keep your eyes out for shelves to be stocked, those are hot tickets.

LEGO:

There are incredibly complicated sets, mini sets, sets with licences characters and sets that come without instructions for your little Master Builder. You can buy little lego figures, specialty pieces, vintage sets, and pretty much any child will know what to do right out of the box. As an add-on, get slippers for the parents. Those horrible little blocks kill when you step on them – like no other pain I know. But my kids and my niece get lost in LEGO. Yes, niece. Don’t skip the girls on your list. The great thing is, sets run from a couple of dollars to a couple hundred, making it easy to stay on budget.

A garden:

It’s not all about the toys. Give a kid the gift of gardening and growing. AeroGardens are big fun because they produce food that can be consumed. Kids really love being part of that – and that’s a hugely important lesson. We’re a society that’s become very disconnected from our food, this one’s a gift that gives such a great lesson. They start at around $60. If not an AeroGarden, consider a pot with seeds for growing plants and flowers. You can even give a starter kit so that they can start seeds in the late winter and have seedlings that can be ready to plant in the garden come spring! Planting sets can be quite inexpensive. And then, there’s always Chia Pets!

Experiences:

There are a lot of things you can give a kid, but giving them your time really is the coolest gift. For a niece, nephew or child of a friend, that gift of time can be a double-header – you take the littles and those parents get some always welcome free time! You know how much your kids would love that favourite adult in their life to spend time with them. Take your lucky little one to the zoo, a museum, a movie, a waterpark, a sporting event or to a play.