So you’re probably at the point where the kids are back in school after Christmas, and you aren’t even thinking yet about summer vacation! Have you considered a trip to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida?

We just took a trip there this past Christmas, and we were simply delighted by all of the beautiful (and fun!) Christmas decorations that are abundant in both parks! This just threw us headfirst into the Christmas Spirit!

We actually visited Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure all in one day, plus took in the Blue Man Group at the end of the day. Whew! It was tiring, but oh-so-fun! There’s also Universal CityWalk, which is right in front of the parks and offer some of the hottest and most popular restaurants and shops around.

The rides are based on hit movies and television shows. Some are thrill rides and some are more ‘kid-friendly’. But all are loads of fun. There were many times throughout the day when you felt as though YOU were the star! We loved the Despicable Me show and the Shrek 3D show was super!

Did you know that Universal Studios actually has a movie production studio inside? After all, that’s how it all originally started. And they do film movies and shows there. In fact, just by virtue of you being in the park, you are agreeing to be an extra and maybe on film in one of their movies! Now THAT is cool!

We had an express pass that allowed us to skip most of the lines, and I have to tell you, it is worth every penny! You have to remember, Florida (even in December) is hot! Waiting in line is no fun when the temps are moderate, but pretty miserable when it’s hot. It was in the high 80’s when we were there and with all of the pavement, HOT! But our express pass gave us access to (in most cases) walk right in to a ride or attraction. And when you have little kids, it’s worth it just to cut down on the whining that you might hear otherwise. We are very blessed that our little guy is very patient and waits in line like a champ, but I have to say, it was pure bliss to bypass the long lines!

We were also impressed to see many child swap areas. If you have kids that are too small to go on a ride, or they simply don’t want to, one adult can wait with the kids in (usually) a nice cool room while the other rides, then you switch out. Plus this gives the kids a little bit of rest time, too.

When is the best time to go? Probably around September after school starts. Expect it to pick back up around the holidays. But again, just because it’s September, don’t expect cool temperatures. Bring and apply sunscreen!

In this photo, our little guy looks wet…yeah, he is. We had just gotten off a raft ride that soaked us all to the bone. Really. But you know what? The cold water felt kinda good on that hot day! And speaking of cooling down, we loved that there were so many water elements and misters throughout the park. Nothing cools you off better and makes for happy smiles from the kids!

So, moving on. In our house, we love the Grinch. Not sure why…maybe his overall grouchiness and grumpiness resonates with us. Or maybe we just love the fact that we realize that he ultimately figures out what Christmas is all about (after he steals the gifts, eats the roastbeast and generally terrorizes Whoville, including cute little Cindy-Lou Who). We love the Grinch so much that we actually have a life-sized (if you’re only 5 feet tall…like me) animatronic Grinch that comes out at Christmas. He turns his head and sings, too. When our little guy was real small, the Grinch used to scare him to death, especially since I would move it from one place to the next, so he’d never know when he rounded a corner if the Grinch would be standing there staring at him. Poor thing. Now he loves Grinch, too! And he was thrilled to visit the Grinch in person at Grinchmas! There are several character meet and greets that occur throughout the park.  There’s a schedule inside the park maps.  The meet and greets can change depending on when you’re there, but usually you’ll find SpongeBob Squarepants, Shrek and Donkey, Star Toons (Including Woody Woodpecker, Shaggy and Scooby and others), Madagascar Characters, and Hollywood Characters, including classics like Marilyn Monroe. Each of the characters will also sign autographs.

Some extra tips that I love:

1. If you’re going to eat at least two meals inside the park, consider purchasing a meal plan. This will absolutely save you some money (as long as you were planning on two meals!) and you’ll have a huge selection of restaurants and food choices. This is not just simple hamburger and hot dog fare – you can get everything from fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, Cornish pasties, turkey legs and fresh vegetables to fresh seafood, pasta and salads. And you absolutely must try the ButterBeer (available in the Harry Potter area). This non-alcoholic beverage comes frozen or not, and is just like having dessert in a cup. It is soooo good!

2. Don’t fret if you forgot to bring something for the baby. You’ll be able to purchase diapers, wipes and all sorts of baby items.

3. Worried about the kids getting too wet? Towels are available for purchase, or take advantage of the ‘full body dryer’. Or consider taking your own ponchos and hand towels.

4. Bargain? Buy the refillable pop corn tub. It’s around $5.50 or so, and you get refills all day for only $.99. Well worth it for a snack! And water is free. They will fill your water bottle for you if you ask.

At the end of the day, we still had some super fun to look forward to…the Blue Man Group show! It’s right at CityWalk and this is a must see show. It’s almost impossible to describe – I will just say that you’ll see things that are indescribably cool!

Sorry this picture is poor quality – the light was low in there, but our little guy was still amazed and impressed!

Fast forward to later that evening, back in the condo. We were all spent. But in a good way, you know? So our little guy was kind of wrapped up in a Christmas movie and asked if he could stay up to watch it. Hey…it’s vacation…I’ll let him stay up. So I told him he could stay up, but to make sure to turn the TV off when the movie was over and go to bed. He’s usually very responsible for a six year old. The next morning when I got up and went into the living room area…this is what I saw. Yep…that’s where he slept. All night.

There is no better way to discover a city, neighborhood or culture than by the food! And taking a food tour is one of our musts when we travel. We learn about history, culture, taste fabulous food and drinks, meet friends and find those hidden, off the beaten path places that you wouldn’t find on your own.

This one is in Prague, (Taste of Prague) and it’s one of the best days we had. We have enjoyed this particular food tour so much that we have taken it three years in a row and sent several friends and family members.

Meet Jan, our tour guide. Born and raised in Prague, he is a self proclaimed foodie and has a passion for sharing Prague’s food culture with visitors, who end up being friends.

We would be hard-pressed to say which part of the tour was our favorite – but we will say that it’s one of the best tours that we have ever experienced. We are thrilled that we got to know Jan and we would highly recommend you take this tour at the beginning of your Prague visit, because Jan is a great resource, and you’ll likely want to visit some of these restaurants again before you leave. Can’t wait to come back to Prague and do this one all over again!

Visit their website here, and tell him we sent you!

One of the very first things that we do when visiting a city either here in the USA or abroad, is to take a food tour (or two!). We have found that we learn so much about the culture of the city, and really, the food is simply a vehicle to share a story.

The very first time we took a tour with Secret Food Tours, it was in Paris. It was incredible. So incredible, in fact, that we took the very same tour back in May, one year later. So when we were invited to take Secret Food Tours’ tour of San Francisco’s Mission District, we were excited. We knew that the food would be good and the tour would be a ton of fun. And we were right!

What makes it secret? There’s always one secret stop and secret food that you don’t know about in advance. You can search their website, but you won’t find it, and I’m not telling. But I will tell you this – the secret food on both the San Francisco and the Paris tour was fabulous!

The groups with Secret Food Tours are small – so you get personalized attention and really get to know and interact with your guide.

From the very beginning, it felt just as if our guide, Charlotte, was a good friend. Her passion for sharing the Mission District was obvious, and the food was superb. You need to make sure that you come hungry – we skipped breakfast for this very reason.  These are not tiny little bites – you will NOT go away hungry!

We started with a brief description of the Mission District, then joined the line waiting to get into La Taqueria. We didn’t have to wait in line for a table – we just had to wait until they opened the doors. Inside, we enjoyed a delicious burrito (best we’ve ever had) with a glass of red wine. You wouldn’t think that red wine and burritos go together, but I’m here to tell you, it worked! And got all five tour guests in a great mood for the rest of the tour! Charlotte gave us some inside info about what’s special about this burrito, and what’s special about the owners.

As you can see, you get a lot more than just food. You meet great people, see really cool features in the city, and create a wonderful memory.

The meeting point was easy to find, but keep in mind that parking can be a challenge, so give yourself time. You will not end up at the same place you started, and there is a lot of walking involved, so if you have a hard time with that, bear it in mind. There are plenty of stops, though, so it wasn’t tiring, but when we were done, we were ready for a nap! Charlotte gave us some great info about the area and was simply delightful to spend time with. We would absolutely do this tour again and will recommend it highly to our friends. Thanks for a great time, Charlotte!

Secret Food Tours has several tours in Europe, one in South America and now several here the the United States.

You can book your tour here, and use promo code SFT10 for a 10% discount! Go visit their page on Facebook for some fantastic photos, and connect with them on Twitter here.

 Now…where will we go next???

IT’S NOT JUST BASKETBALL, IT’S THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS!

See the photo above? That was at a Harlem Globetrotters Game ten years ago. We’ve been several times since then, and we’re headed back in April! With a star-studded roster, the Harlem Globetrotters show is unrivaled in the world of family entertainment. Their 2024 World Tour will showcase incredible ball-handling wizardry, rim-rattling dunks, trick shots, hilarious comedy, and unequaled fan interaction. After the game, Globetrotter stars will sign autographs and take photos with fans.

Halftime is a lot of fun with interactive fun with the fans.

A Globetrotters game is great entertainment for the whole family, even if you don’t know anything at all about basketball! I’m looking forward to April and going to the game in Estero, FL! 

Tickets Now On Sale

SAVE 20% for ALL Harlem Globetrotters Games with promo code USFAM
Go to this link: https://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/world-tour/schedule #globetrotterpromocode” 

This is one of the coolest freebies this year! Just click here, compose your message and Synthesia will turn it into a custom, personalized video! It only takes about 2 minutes and your kids will be delighted (or any special someone!)

A few days ago we received this hilariously funny “Watch Ya Mouth Throwdown” game to take a look at and share our thoughts with you.

Our thoughts? It’s hilarious!

This game is a little different than the original ‘Watch Ya Mouth’ game. It comes with a deck of Throwdown Cards that have different challenges on them (like putting the mouthpiece in your mouth, holding a pen or pencil in your teeth and drawing a picture).

The game comes with all sorts of fun “Props” from balls, to straws, to noisemakers guaranteed to make each throwdown a barrel of laughs!

And there’s one thing we can definitely promise: there WILL be drooling!

To get your own, go here on Amazon. This would make a super gift, or game to have on hand when you have company!

Now that people are venturing out to the movies again, we’ve got a great one for you!

The movie ‘2 HEARTS’ is a fantastic movie that will tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh and make you cry. It’s a true story of love and loss and redemption.

Adan Canto (X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST; Designated Survivor) and Radha Mitchell (THE SHACK)–two of the stars of the upcoming film 2 HEARTS–recorded a personalized greeting for YOU, our readers, at the front end of a new, exclusive promotional video called ‘The 2 HEARTS Story’. Watch to learn more about the incredible true story that inspired this film!

More about the story:

Make plans to now see this movie! And come back here on October 16th for Coupondipity’s review!

Giveaway: post a comment about your favorite inspirational film on our Facebook page here to be entered two win two tickets to see 2 HEARTS.

Christmas is a magical time for children, and to make it even more special, have Santa send your kids their very own package from PackageFromSanta.com!

Our little guy loved getting a package from the ‘Big Man’ himself. Every detail in the package was thoughtfully created, and having our child’s name on Santa’s lips thrilled him!

It’s simple to order and personalize, and there are three packages to choose from.

Ours included a free personalized video and our little guy will also be receiving a phone call from Santa closer to Christmas.

You can get your package in three easy steps:

1. Choose your package

2. Personalize it

3. Watch your kid go bonkers!

To get your package, click here – you’ll thank yourself as you watch your children’s delight!

I’m not sure what our favorite part is, but probably the video!

• Personalized video starring your child!
• Multiple adventures with Naughty or Nice verdict!
• Watch Santa say your child’s name!
• Includes child’s photo, name, age, and MORE!
• The REAL Santa! No fake beards here!
• Includes all of your favorite North Pole Characters!
• View online & share with friends!

This is one of the most fun ideas during the Christmas season. Enjoy! And don’t forget to use promo code FAM2060 for 25% off!

Only what seems like about 5 minutes after the busy start of the school year, the weather becomes cooler (well, not much here in Florida!) and the holiday season starts, usually kicking off with Halloween. Which happens to hit right in the thick of school and after-school activities. 

Costumes have to be endlessly discussed then somehow brought into being, fall parties have to be planned and attended, then Halloween itself arrives with frightening speed…at least to busy moms who have to make sure that everything falls in place.

But good news! Our friend, actress and blogger Eva Amurri Martino over at Happily Eva After has put together some great ideas to save your time (and sanity) as Halloween approaches at the end of the month. 

Take a look at Eva’s post here, and enjoy her super ideas. My favorite? Serving Red Baron Pizza before the trick-or-treat craziness. Check out how she does it. You’re welcome!

Free movie or game night! Text TECHSTUFF and STUFF to 727272 to score FREE Redbox DVD, Blu-ray, or Game Rentals at Redbox.com for one-night only. Not valid at kiosks. Note that this offer is working on movies too not just games. Your codes are valid through April 15th. Enjoy!