Tips for Summer Vacation… w/ KIDS!

The Headlines:


Going on vacation with kids… is not always a vacation. 

10 Tips: how to make it easier.



Years ago, BP (my husband) had a boss from Boston come into town.  BP was living in Arizona at the time and the guy flew in and exclaimed, "how can anyone get anything done around here?  There's too much sunshine and too many palm trees!"  He was somewhat right.  Arizona does have this kind of "resort feel" wherever you go.  Including most homes.  So many are new and we all have pools!

So yes, I kind of always feel somewhat on vacation here - it's one reason I love it - but really leaving on vacation is even better!  Especially in July.  July in Arizona is hot.  Monsoon season starts.  It's stormy.  It's humid. It's the main month to get out.  Most everyone does at one point or another.   That's one of the reasons I quit my job - to be able to join the mass exodus!  It really is wonderful.  Yep, vacation is dreamy.  It looks just like this…

Then I woke up.  Right… when you have kids - vacation isn't like it used to be! It's very very different.  For Moms, it's more like a working vacation because you're never really off, right?  When my son was 5 months old we went across the country to spend a vacation with my sister in law and her kids at the beach.  It sucked.  It truly was so stinking difficult I wished we hadn't gone.  But we did.  And we went on other vacations the next couple of years… they gradually got better.  This year is the first year, he's 3, I can begin to see light at the end of the Summer vacation tunnel.  Here are a few ways that happened.

10 Summer Vacation - with kids - Tips 

1. Invite one set of grandparents to come with you.  This tip is number one because it's the most important.  Key, really. 
2. Leave strict bed time rules at home and sleep in.  This seems crazy for the scheduled parent (me) but when you leave your home all bets are off anyways.  Let them go with the flow more than usual.  Granted, this is the first year my son has let me "sleep in…" last year he was still waking me up at 5:30am.
3. Indulge in treats.  Not all day three times a day but at least once a day - splurge!  It will really help put your kids in the mood.  You like that glass of wine, they love their ice cream!
4. Invite the other set of grandparents to meet you after the first ones leave.  I am not joking.  This tip is just as important as #1.
5. Give your kids a set amount of money they get to spend.  Peroid.  If they want 1 zillion things it's, "sorry, you have --- amount of money and then your bank is closed."
6. This one may be corny but I saw it at an amusement park this weekend and loved it.  Wear the same shoes if you go some place busy for easy ID purposes.
   
   This family of 5 had Dad down to baby 2 year old girl in the same blue converse shoes.  It was ADORABLE.  All I could think as I took pictures of their feet was - "how sweet this cute family is, I wonder if their real home is as harmonic as their shoes!??"
7. Have a plan but don't over schedule.  At home, we are so busy all the time.  Until "vacation..." Summer is filled with camps, dance, swim lessons, BBQ's, it's one thing after another.  Kids need to just play while on vacation.  I bought my kids these bug houses (pictured below by my daughter's leg and in my son's hands - look - it promotes total bliss ).  They're from the Dollar Tree (that store is AWESOME by the way) and they provided HOURS of entertainment.  Seriously, HOURS.     
   
8. If you go to an amusement park of any kind, be careful over spending for your children on dumb trinkets they'll never use.  Instead look for one of these machines.
   
   It's one of those penny machines that flattens and defaces American money by putting a picture on it.  You give them a penny plus 50 cents.  Worth it, I promise.  See.
   
   My kids can be flipping out about wanting XYZ but turn them on to this money machine and all is forgotten.  Works every time.
9. Find other kids.  Kids make friends easy.  They don't have to worry about grown up stuff.  Kids don't care about things that doesn't matter (like adults) they just want to have fun.  Playing is always more fun with new friends.  You can find them anywhere… the beach, the lake, next store to Grandma's house, the park.  They're there - just look for them.      
10. Finally, if I haven't made myself clear on this - make sure you get the grandparents to take part in your Summer vacation.  It really works for everyone involved.  You get some time to rest, they get some time with your kids, kids get to con their grandparents into buying the ice cream.  Everyone is happy.  For a little while at least.

Now, let me be very clear: I am not saying this Summer vacation was without error.  Oh no.  There are still the fights of 2 siblings.  That will never change.  Until one day, they will slow down, perhaps stop entirely the year they decide they no longer want to speak to each other.  Then, ironically, I will probably miss the bickering.  Yes, I'm convinced the things that drive us nuts about the ones we love are what we'll miss most when they're gone.  The fighting will end and peaceful vacations will return.  But I bet I'll wish the chaos was back.  

I can see that blog post already...

No Melt Ice Cream Sandwiches

The Headlines:


These ice cream sandwiches are so yummy.

Perfect for a hot Summer day.

Because they don't melt.



Huh?  Am I just talking crazy now?   Has the Summer heat gone to my head?  What's that saying?  If it's too good to be true…?  No no no it sounds too good to be true but it is not.  Just check these babies out.  Rich, yummy, cold goodness that make virtually no mess down the faces of children everywhere.

Rest your eyes on the pieces of magic below!

Fudge Cream Sandwiches

I've been making these guys for several years now.  Here's the deal with where I live… it's hot!  In Arizona, it can easily get up to 110 degrees.  It's been known to get up to 115, 116 even 117.  It's a seriously hot place.  So ice cream sandwiches, outside during the Summer, is really not an option.  It's just not.  Until I made these.  Kids can take these outside in 110 degree weather and they WILL NOT MELT.  Well, not significantly anyways.  Leave one sitting on a plate for 10 minutes and it won't stay completely intact - a little meting will definitely occur.    

The secret is this: while you freeze it, there's actually no ice cream in the frozen treat.  Uh-huh!  That's how I get away with it.  It's made, instead of melted chocolate, marshmallows and whipping creme!  Tah-dah.

As with all of my stuff, it's really easy to make so it will take you like a whole 5 minutes.  Carve out the time, you can find it. 

You will need:

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

50 large marshmallows

24 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips

3 cups of heavy cream

graham crackers

You will do this:

Take a 9x13 inch pan and line it with foil.  It should spill out over the top.  Heat the milk and marshmallows in a large pan over low heat.  Stir a lot to avoid burning.  

When it's smoother than the picture above, it's done.  Pull it off and add the chocolate chips, stir, until all of the chips are melted into the mixture.  No white spots.  Once it's semi cooled off, put it in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes until fully cooled.  Then, make the whipping cream.  Use a large bowl and, with an electric mixer, on medium high beat the heavy cream until peaks form.  Then, fold it into the cooled, chocolate mixture.  It will look much like a chocolate mousse.

 

But don't stop there, now spoon it into that tin foiled pan.  Cover and  place it in the freezer for at least 3 hours.  While that's freezing up take the graham crackers and break them in half so you have some ready to make the ice cream sandwiches.  When it comes out it will be a big chunk of chocolate goodness but you still have a bit more work to do. Lay a graham on top of the chocolate chunk to basically measure the filling size you need to cut.  Then slice it like pictured below.

Now assemble your sandwiches.  Stick in the freezer inside a covered container until you eat.


Three side notes:

1 - you can half the recipe above, use a smaller pan and make a smaller batch.

2 - I never make enough.  That's why the pictures on this post have a second, lighter layer on it. That's not supposed to be there.  But since I made too little again when I did this, I just added some marshmallows and milk to the remaining cholocate left in the pan, made some extra whipping cream and mixed together for a second layer (below).  It worked.  They were yummy but I have since adjusted my recipe so that you won't have that problem!

3 - These are super rich and for adults and some young kids I will make cut them even smaller.  They cut easily after being frozen as sandwiches.

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Whatever the road traveled, if your end destination looks something like this... you're good!  Everyone at that hot Summer backyard BBQ will be happy!  Including you!