Labor Day Weekend at Longboat Key

This was our first time at Longboat Key. We stayed right on this amazing beach with a group of friends. I didn't have my camera out during the day much, but got it out after we all got baths and had dinner. I learned after the first night, giving the kids a bath before we were absolutely ready for bed, was simply not worth it. But I love seing my usually very cautios kid getting in the ocean at the end of the day with all his clothes on. So much fun!

Oh, and it ony takes a bit over 2 hours to get there from Orlando.

Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort

We took another "mini vacation" this past weekend. Isaac was coming, so why not go enjoy the pre-hurricane weather? This was our first time at the Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort. We stayed at the Yacht Club just for one night and we loved it. That pool is just sooo amazing. It goes forever, it has sand on the bottom, and, it has all kinds of other fun features. One area has a sand island in the middle that kids were loving. Another part of the pool is a lazy river. There are also a few waterfalls throughout, an awesome slide that comes out of a pirate ship, and this small area that you go into and get taken for a spin, kind of like a hurricane. The four of us spent hours enjoying that pool. Owen got to practice his swimming and Kellan just hung out in his baby float with a big smile while splashing his own face.

In the afternoon we took a break for ice cream (of course) at Beaches & Cream. We did not get The Kitchen Sink. Even Will Gay — biggest lover of ice cream I know — said that was too much.

The cool thing about staying at one of the Disney hotels even if it's just for one night, is that you not only get to enjoy the pool, but they always have lots of family planned activities. The campfire at night is one of my personal favorites. They do it at this Resort, and I've also seen it at Fort Wilderness and at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Model Railroad

So this past weekend we followed our own advice and checked out a couple of the events going on in the Orlando area. We did the Car Festival in Celebration on Saturday, which was great. And on Sunday we went to check out the open house at the Orlando Society of Model Railroads. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I have to say I was impressed. I had fun taking pictures of everything while my little boy watched the whole thing in awe; and asked all the "how" questions he could think of. I found out they do four open houses a year, but couldn't get the upcoming dates. I'll keep an eye out and let you know though. In the meantime, if you have a little boy, or girl, that's into trains, they told me they were there every Saturday between 10 - 3, and that everyone is welcome. This is fun, and it's free. (If you do bring in some cash there is a bucket for donations)

7208 Aloma Ave. 
Winter Park

The Best Frozen Yogurt

Well, we've been hard at work and our search for the best frozen yogurt in the Orlando area is over. Here's what we've come up with:

1. Red Mango: The family loved Red Mango — the vote was unanimous. Located in the Winter Garden Village shopping plaza (by Panera). A very clean and nicely designed space with great tasting yogurt, and a very friendly staff. It also claims to be the healthiest. We like that. My only complain is no toffee/heath topping, which is my personal favorite. Their almonds are the best though, so I'll forgive them.

2. Menchies: Menchies also has a nicely design space and branding, great tasting yogurt, and a great choice of toppings. (I wasn't allowed to take pictures here)

3. Mochi: This was the first frozen yogurt place we tried, and we really liked it. Their decor is very modern and has sort of a surreal feel. A good fit for a frozen yogurt shop in my opinion.

We also visited Jojo in Downtown Winter Garden and Cold Stone Creamery across from the Winter Garden Village. Jojo's yogurt was good, and I think a better decor/atmosphere would make this place really great. As far as Cold Stone, we think their ice cream is great and they should probably stick to that.

This time, we limited our search to self-serve stores; where you pick your yogurt flavour(s), and toppings, and then proceed to the scale and pay by the weight. It's a great system I think, and it's fun too. Now, if you know of another shop, self-serve or not, that's worth our efforts, let me know in the comments. I'll try and drag my family out for more tasting. So hard to do... ;)

*These results were based solely on my family's opinions. No professional tasters here, just having fun. 

Bob the Builder in Orlando

Bob the Builder is coming to Orlando! The Project Build It Touring Exhibit will open at the Orlando Science Center this Saturday, January 28th. It looks like it might be similar to the Curious George exhibit they previously had there. That one was pretty fun. We are exhited about this one!

Want to go to Ikea?

So, the kid loves Ikea. I don't think he would go to the extreme of saying it's as much fun as Disney, but for me, at least during the very hot summer, it is! By the way, that top picture in the middle is a chair that spins. He'll get in there and then ask me to spin him around. All I hear is laughter after that. There's music playing too, so on the picture at the bottom left corner he's dancing between the rugs. And then, there are of course the cinnamon buns that for some reason we don't ever seem to be able to avoid on our way out.

I was too into eating the cinnamon bun and didn't get a picture. So that shot was borrowed from the Ikea website.

Max & Oli, Winter Garden

We met some friends at Max & Oli and spent a few fun hours there the other day. The kids didn't want to leave. It's not a huge place but it has lots to do. There's a train, a merry go round, spaceships and cars to ride on, inflatables, and, the big hit – the pool of balls. It's basically a little indoor amusement park, which is nice considering the heat right now. The cost is $8 for children 3 and under, and $12 for 4 and up.

Max & Oli
4036 Winter Garden Vineland Rd. 
Winter Garden FL 34787

Monday through Saturday 10 am - 7 pm, Sunday 10 am - 6 pm

Update on Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 3:53PM by Zig & Zag

Max & Oli is no longer open -

Axum Coffee

"I like that coffee place mama. That coffee place has a lot of toys. Do you like it to?" I do! And here's why: Nice ambiance, super friendly staff, delicious hot chocolate and coffee, and yes, most importantly, TOYS that keep the toddler entertained while I can take a second to relax and have a conversation with another adult.

And, as an added bonus, they give 100% of their profits away to serve the world. You can read more about it on their website. 

Axum is in Downtown Winter Garden, just a few steps from the Splash Park

146 W. Plant St., Ste. 110
Winter Garden, FL 34787

Monday-Friday  7:00 AM  – 10:00 PM
Saturday 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM

Orlando Science Center

If you haven't taken your kids to the Orlando Science Center yet, I highly recommend you do. I have yet to hear of any child not liking this place. It opens at 10 a.m. and, with our determination to always avoid crowds, that's usually when we get there. Here are some of O's favorites:

1. Kid's Town (Level 1): Playing with boats, kitchen area, and picking oranges.

2. Science Park (Level 2): The favorite activity here is the race car ramp. (Even though he can't reach yet and I have to pick him up to participate)

3. All Aboard (Level 2): He loves this whole area!

4. DinoDigs (Level 4): Not into the giant dinosaurs so much, but he does enjoy digging for bones in the sand boxes.

They also have fish, turtles, alligators, and the likes on Level 1. And, if hunger strikes there's a Subway also on Level 1 for a quick fix.

The temporary exhibits are worth checking out too. The last one we saw was Curious George and it was really great.

Tip: Parking is $5, and admission isn't cheap. However, if you become a member after you spend a day there, what you paid for parking and admission will be taken off of the membership price.

Splash!

It is way too hot to do anything outside that doesn't involve water. We LOVE the Splash Park in Downtown Winter Garden!

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons didn't really go as planned. I took my 3 year old to his first lesson at the Roper Y. After the instructor let him go and told him to reach for the wall, he went under water and came out terrified. For the next two lessons I sat and watched the other kids learn while mine refused to go anywhere near the pool (Even thought I was bribing him with a surprise). So, this really frustrated mom decided to see if something could be done. I was referred to Chad, their Aquatics and Family Director. He proposed I bring him to him the next time and he would try one on one. Without a lot of hope, I did. And it worked! Chad had the right approach. My kid was still hesitant but got in the water and gave things a chance. Second lesson with Chad was all smiles. He's loosing his fear, which I think is huge when you're trying to learn a new skill. Now, I know not all kids need this kind of approach. But I also know enough that do, and finding the right instructor just makes the biggest difference. Besides Chad, I have heard Brandon, also at the Roper Y, is great in this kind of situation.

The Bribe: I bought a $15 box of Legos. I used the same bag they came in, cut it and divided the Legos into the amount of lessons he'd be having. My brilliant bribe didn't get him in the pool but it did make him very happy after Chad's successful efforts. I needed an excuse to buy legos anyways...

This schedule might be handy if you're planning on doing some lessons this summer.