Tuesday, November 28, 2017

"Not Another Gift" Guide

All of the opinions and reviews are my own. Sadly these attractions have not paid me for my opinion... however if they want to... I'd be down for that! 

I'm slightly obsessed with reading blogs. Any blog. All blogs. I don't really have any particular favorite "blog topic." I will say I love reading all about daily lives or normal mamas just trying to make a healthy meal here and there all while rocking a basic mom outfit. It's a total plus if this mama is a teacher too!

This time of year all of my go to blogs are posting their gift guides. I do find them somewhat helpful and will say that the three gifts from Santa this year all came from blog recommendations. BUT... toys are great. Gifts are awesome. However, this IS NOT another gift guide. Well... kinda not really.  I am here to post about my top three FAVORITE experiences you could give your kiddo this year.

ONE. Zoo Season Pass.


Want to know how many zoo visits the Cain fam made this year? Twenty. Six. (insert big eye emoji)


No seriously. We LOVE LOVE LOVE the zoo. We bought the pass one year ago this October. At first Calla just liked to go, see the elephants, tigers, giraffes, and otters and then she was good to go home. Now she is more into all of the animals and LOVES them all. She knows where we are when we hit the parking lot.

I'm located in Atlanta so Zoo Atlanta is my jam. The layout of the zoo is pure perfection. We made many summer trips and I never felt like I was going to melt. Sure it was hot, but lots of shade was available throughout the journey. The best best best part about this pass is that when you purchase the family pass, you get YOU/ one random adult (I mean... not really random but someone you know!)/ and 4 kiddos in free for the day! We often go for literally an hour then go home. This summer I met friends there daily while Coach was at workouts. I got my three mile walk in while Calla ran from the pandas to the otters. There is also a free splash pad, train, and petting zoo. We go for just an hour and don't get upset if we don't see one animal or do one activity. We just go back the next week to see something different. It probably took us four trips before we felt like we covered the entire zoo.
I'm telling you... GIVE THE GIFT OF A ZOO PASS!


TWO. Georgia Aquarium

At first I will admit: I was NOT 100% sold on this attraction. It is expensiveeeeeee to visit the Aquarium. It would be like $100 for our family to visit ONCE. Once!!! Have you ever been? It is usually PACKED OUT if you visit on a break or on a weekend day. It makes me super nervous when it is super packed. I feel like I am always in someone's way. Plus I freak that I am going to lose my very active kid.



So... the solution: A family membership.


Wait... what?! (Ugh.... 4th grade talk here.) If it is expensive and packed... why would I buy a membership? Well..... you see... when you get a membership you can be the first one in the building on a Saturday at 8am, stay one hour, then leave just as the crowd arrives.

Do that twice... and you've paid for your membership, see all you want to see, and have ZERO worry. Again, we visit for like an hour and see one room per visit. Our next visit we see something different. Again, the pass makes this totally worth it.

As for my 2 year old.... she stinking LOVES it! Seriously... she will sit at the Ocean Voyager and just sit. sit. SIT! Y'all... she will just SIT! and watch. I'm not going to lie... Coach and I will sit and watch too. It is pretty amazing.

Give yourself the gift of a trip to the Georgia Aquarium. Your kids may love it too!


Three. Children's Museum.



This place is an indoor playground. It is absolutely perfect for kids ages 1-7. There are hourly shows, craft classes, building classes, a painting wall, climbing walls, a farm, kitchen, grocery store, tree house, I mean... the list goes on. Calla is 100 mph from the minute we walk in the door to the minute I am putting her in the car kicking and screaming because we are leaving.

If you are visiting once it is kinda expensive. If you take one kid and one adult and you plan on visiting more than once in a year... the pass is worth it. I'm telling you... your child will LOVE this place! I kinda even love cooking a waffle in the WH kitchen!

You can cover this entire place in about an hour. We get there right when it opens and then leave just when the crowd arrives. We are home just in time for lunch and naps. Naps are usually super awesome on days we visit the museum!

Tickets to this place would be an awesome gift to give your kiddo!


Four. Stone Mountain.

Shhhh.... don't tell Coach  Calla... but this is our next adventure. I had a trip planned for a weekend in December to Callaway Garden to see the lights. Then I had several friends post about SM and I decided to change the trip into a family pass to Stone Mountain. I am super pumped about this one! I will be sure to share details on this one soon!


Plus, isn't Atlanta just like the most amazing place ever?! (side eye to Coach.)
Love love,
C2


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