halloween at southern california theme parks
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Halloween at Southern California Theme Parks (she: Kimberly)

ByKimberly w/Get Away Today

Hey everyone, it’s Kimberly from PackedwithFun.com, the official blog for Get Away Today. We specialize in Southern California vacations and I love sharing insider travel tips and tricks here on “Or So She Says.” The Southern California theme parks are always fun, but one of my favorite times to visit is during the Halloween season. Now, just to be clear, I love Halloween, but I don’t do scary. I know there are a lot of people that love to be scared to death, and if that’s what you’re looking for, Southern California is the place for you, too. Each September – October, the major theme parks celebrate the holiday and the events range from G-rated fun for the whole family (my personal cup of tea) to good luck going to sleep at night for the next month or so. Since October is a really popular travel month due to U.E.A. and other fall breaks, I wanted to share a brief overview of what you can expect during Halloween at Southern California Theme Parks:

lime mickey
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Easy and Yummy Lime Mickey Recipe (she: Adelle)

ByAdelle Belnap

Hi Everyone! It’s Adelle from PackedwithFun.com, the official blog for Get Away Today. On a hot day there is nothing quite as refreshing as a Lime Rickey. Since we’re always trying to recreate some Disney magic at home, we decided to make our favorite drink with a twist and call them Lime Mickeys. They were a hit with my kids and I think they’ll be a hit with yours too!
You could get really creative here and use this recipe to make all sorts of syrup flavors. Cherry, Peach-Mango, Green Apple, Fruit Punch… the combinations are endless! Once you’re done with your syrup, transfer it into a container that will be good for pouring and storage.

http://www.skiutah.com/passes/passports
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Tips for Visiting Utah’s Dinosaurland in Vernal (she: Allison)

Byallison l.

Hey there! It’s Allison from Tips for Family Trips and today I’m sharing my tips for visiting one of Utah’s most under-rated vacation destinations – Vernal. The Vernal area is Utah’s Dinosaurland, and if you haven’t been there lately, you might be surprised to find how much the area has grown and how many fun activities there are. Vernal is located about three hours’ drive from Salt Lake City, so for us, this was an easy weekend getaway.
Here are our recommendations for a fun weekend visit to Dinosaurland in Vernal:

Finish Carpentry Ideas www.orsoshesays.com
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Finish Carpentry Ideas ~ Courtesy of My Husband, Round 3

ByMariel

It’s that time of year again, where Northern Utah holds it’s annual Parade of Homes, where builders showcase their finest work. I have a personal love for the Parade of Homes, because my husband, Dan and his crew, often does the finish carpentry work in several of them. It’s really the only chance I get to see his work finished… painted AND decorated. It’s pretty fun. So, every year I tote my camera (or camera phone, in some cases) around and snag pictures of the finish carpentry work he did. And, every year… I share them with you. Well, at least for the past couple years. So, without further adieu, how about some finish carpentry ideas!?!

southern california hotel pools
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Best Southern California Hotel Pools (she: Kim)

ByKimberly w/Get Away Today

Hey Everyone, it’s Kimberly Fidler over at Packed with Fun, the official blog for Get Away Today. It is the middle of summer and I have swimming on the brain. I know I’m not the only one who selects my hotel around the pool. Southern California has some incredible pools, and at Get Away Today, we tour all of our hotels. To make your pool hotel picking a little easier for your next vacation, I’ve narrowed down what I think are the best Southern California hotel pools:

Our Alaskan Cruise Review

Our Alaskan Cruise 2014 ~ Grand Princess

ByMariel

Have you been to Alaska?? I’m so happy to say that I FINALLY have! Alaska has always been one of those places I’ve longed to go, but had to weigh it against a warm (and cheaper) vacation on the beach. But, after a series of beach vacations, the looming hot Utah summer, and a not-quite-swimsuit-ready body, it was a great time for a change… somewhere I had never been before. So, for our 14 year anniversary (yay!), Dan and I packed our bags and took off on an Alaskan cruise. We just got back last week. It was soooo awesome. I bet you didn’t even know I was gone, right? The OSSS behind-the-scenes team rocks it, I tell ya!

Dan and I try to do a non-kid vacation at least once a year. Sometimes it ends up being less often, but that’s definitely our goal. Thank heavens we have fantastic mothers who are so sweet to take care of our babies, while we’re gone. It’s such a nice break and soooo good for us.

Oregon Coast for Families

The Oregon Coast is a No-Fail Family Vacation (she: Allison)

Byallison l.

It’s Allison from Tips for Family Trips! Today I am excited to share a destination to which my family could return every summer – the Oregon Coast. The Oregon Coast is a beautiful place to cool off and unwind, and there are lots of fun and educational activities for all ages. You can rent a beach house and use it as a base for your entire vacation or road trip down the coast, spending every night or two in a different beach town. I have done both.

Charming towns and beaches can be found along the entire Oregon Coast, but my experience is on the northern coast, which is a scenic, 2-hour drive from Portland. Most of my recommended cities are fairly close to each other, making it easy to choose a base and enjoy the activities in most of them.

Tips to Keep Cool at Disneyland This Summer (she: Kim)
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Tips to Keep Cool at Disneyland This Summer (she: Kim)

ByKimberly w/Get Away Today

Summer is here and that means SUMMER VACATION is here, too! The Disneyland Resort is many a family’s choice when it comes to summer vacation destinations. Have you been afraid of booking a trip to Disneyland during the summer because of the rumored crowds and heat? If so, you have no need to fear. The Disneyland Resort is awesome year-round and always makes up for the busy season with extended hours, extra entertainment and even special events.

Today I want to share my tips to keep cool at Disneyland this summer – it can be done!

beach vacation

Beach Vacation Activity Roundup (she: Adelle)

ByAdelle Belnap

Hey everyone, it’s Adelle from over at Packed with Fun, the official blog for Get Away Today. Memorial Day marks the beginning of everything related to summer fun in our house. And what is summer without a beach vacation? We are huge beach fans and make it a point to get to the ocean at least once a year. We also frequent local lakes, reservoirs and dams any chance we get when we’re home. We love the combination of sun and sand! With all of our trips to the beach, we’ve come up with some tips, tricks and activities to make our beach vacations pretty great. So, in honor of summer and beaches across the globe, I wanted to share our beach vacation activity roundup – I hope it inspires some great beach vacations for your family this summer:

First things first, I put together our five ways to make the beach better with my safety tips and beach day hacks.

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May is Family Travel Month – Best Vacation Specials (she: Kimberly)

ByKimberly w/Get Away Today

Hey Everyone, it’s Kimberly from Packed with Fun, the official blog for Get Away Today. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but May is Family Travel Month. Since family travel is our specialty at Get Away Today, I wanted to share some of the very best vacation specials out there right now. I honestly can say that I have NEVER seen this many deals for so many places all at the same time – and I’ve been in the travel industry for 13 years! I can’t list all of the specials, but I did pick some of my favorites to share. I hope there’s one that helps you plan your family vacation!

Dinosaur Destinations
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8 Dinosaur Destinations in Utah for Families (she: Allison)

Byallison l.

It’s Allison from Tips for Family Trips with another monthly dose of travel inspiration. Does anyone in your family love dinosaurs? If so, it’s hard to find a better place than Utah for dinosaur destinations.

Paleontologists recently discovered several new dinosaur species in Utah, and you can find out more about them in the May 2014 issue of National Geographic magazine. These new species, along with (really) old favorites, are on display in Utah museums. There are also plenty of places in Utah where you can still see evidence of ancient life in nature.

Here are my favorite Utah dinosaur destinations for families.