Mom & Dad Guide: Great Wolf Lodge - Kid-Friendly Travel on a Budget

I never knew what the Great Wolf Lodge was when I was a kid. The closest one was a state away, so the great water park was something I didn't know I needed! My Mister and I took his two sweet angels this weekend for our first family trip together. The second best part of our family adventure (after their smiles and fun) was being able to save some money along the way!

We went to the GWL in the Poconos and really lucked out with a great rate. Our Family Suite was $310 a night, normally $600, for a total of about $930 for our Fri-Mon weekend stay! That's my first tip for cutting costs with kids (or any travel in general). If you have any flexibility with your dates, shop around to see if there are better rates!

Travel: The Greek Life

Santorini Church

It finally happened! The first vacation back to Europe since moving back to the States in 2015! I came to the realization that 9 hour flights across the pond are much less enjoyable than a 2 hour RyanAir flight to insert destination here. This trip was in the works for a while. My sister and I had been talking about it with my mom for a couple of years. "Okay, next year is it!" Well this year it was.

The three of us, along with our gents, made the trek to Athens, Crete, and Santorini. What a dream! Hiking a gorge, climbing into caves, swimming in the Aegean Sea, dining with locals, visiting the Acropolis...it was great! We spent about 10 days total (including travel) there. I shared a suitcase...which meant no over packing for me if I still wanted room for souvenirs! I'll detail the trip along with tips I found along the way.

 

Where Do I Go?

Here is our complete itinerary for the trip.

 

Clean Cleaning

If you've read my Vintage Cleaning Schedule blog, these are the homemade products I like to use for a clean, green (and inexpensive) house!

Vintage Cleaning Schedule

I posted a few weeks back about a "new" cleaning schedule I was testing, and I got requests to share!
*Disclaimer: While this is based off of "1950s housewife cleaning" research, I understand that not everyone in the 50s followed a schedule like this. It's made to be enjoyed, so put on your apron, grab your feather duster, and get to it! :)

Monday: Kitchen
Tuesday: Bathrooms
Wednesday: Bedrooms
Thursday: Living Room
Friday: Dining Room
Saturday: Free!
Sunday: Free!

Cover Girl (Clean Sweep) 1963

 Here's a detailed breakdown of what those days entail.

Get a massage!

I love massages, and I don't care who knows it!

I got a free 15 minute massage last Friday - courtesy of work....ahhhh it was great! Honestly it made me just want to go back home and sleep instead of going back to my desk (that's what I get for doing it first thing in the morning -- lesson learned).

I wouldn't say I'm an EXPERT massage-ist (is that the right word? :) ), but I've had quite a few in my short life. Every experience except for one has been absolutely wonderful. What's the "one", you ask? *sigh* it makes me so unrelaxed just thinking about it.

The Turkish Experience