Mini-Cation Post #12 – Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark

Wow where to start, this one is probably going to be a long one but oh so fun.  Crooked creek is probably one of my favorite parts of the whole Great Wolf Lodge trip.  Lay back in a tube and just relax while the water flows you around the lazy river, perfect for when the babies want some down time and Maddisyn actually fell asleep while we were just floating around it was perfect.

Thunder Bay is the outdoor portion of the water park but is not open until Memorial Day weekend so i was not able to try that out or take any pictures of it.  Want to relax in the hot tubs?  Perfect you can choose one of two in Manitoba Tubs.  There is one for people age 21 and over so you can relax without a bunch of kids running around or one for the whole family to enjoy which I know my kids certainly did enjoy.  Big foot pass is a fun area where the kids can jump, or climb with the assistance of an overhead net from one side of the pool to the other on giant lilly pads, my kids loved that part.  Plus there was a floating snake in the same pool that they could climb all over and while in the same pool a small wall separated basketball nets where you could have some water fun with your kids or they could interact with other kids, this part of the pool is called Chinook Cove and is 4.5 feet deep.

The water slides are probably my kids favorite part of this all and there are slides for kids of all sizes.  The little ones can play in Whooping Hollow on the kiddie slides where kids under 48″ only are allowed to use the slides (adult supervised of course).  Maddisyn loved climbing up the stairs and sliding back down to her dad and I who were waiting at the bottom for her.  Alberta Falls is a four story high water slide that goes in and out of the building while you ride on a tube, super fun.  There are three water slide options in this area, one you can ride with up to three people and there are specific tubes.  The other side you carry your own tube up and you can ride either single or double down here.  I seen people bringing kids younger then Maddisyn down but I don’t think that she would like the water in her face so it would not work out for her.

The last area I have been saving is Fort Mackenzie. Fort Mackenzie is a four-story interactive tree house water fort offering 12 levels of super-soaking fun for the family. Younger kids can climb with their parents to reach the slides at the top. The older ones will love making their way over suspension bridges and cargo nets to spray stations and soaker buckets. (Watch out below!) The grand daddy of soaker buckets is the 1,000-gallon tipper that sits atop Fort Mackenzie. Every few minutes, the warning bell clangs, and the bucket begins to tip its contents over the roof and onto the giggling group below.

Here is a video i took of the bucket dump as well as a ton of photos I took that I wanted to share, just click on the thumbnail to open the picture and view it full size.

The last thing I want to talk about here is the most important thing.  We have been to Great Wolf Lodge before and this never ceases to amaze me no matter how many times i see it.  The lifeguards and their reaction time is awesome.  They test the lifeguards occasionally by floating a doll named Timmy into the different pools at different times without letting the lifeguards know they are there, they then watch to see how long it takes the lifeguard to react and get Timmy out of the water.  The one lifeguard I saw do it was amazingly fast how quickly he saw Timmy and we were in a pool full of people and Timmy happened to float underneath Lees tube at the time.  Lee then got to witness this again a little bit later and this time the lifeguard dove in jacket and all on to save Timmy.  I then got to see them jump in after a little boy who lost his footing and took in a bit too much water.  I have never had to use them but am extremely thankful for the lifeguards there and how fast they can react.  Kudos Great Wolf Lodge for ensuring your lifeguards are well trained and on the ball with everything.

Mini-Cation Post #11 – Snap Me Swimwear

I think the most fitting way to start this post off is to let the creator of Snap Me Swimwear tell you why she made it.
“Let me tell you about a typical Saturday during the summer with my family. We have a 2 year old daughter that loves the beach, so we go as often as possible. We all get up in the morning, make breakfast, and then pack a ton of things that we need to bring. Before we know it, an hour has gone by. We get in the car and realize we forgot something. Another 5 minutes and we are finally on our way! It only takes us 10 minutes to get to the beach, and go figure, there is NO PLACE TO PARK!

Now it’s time to unload the car and drag all of my daughter’s toys, her bag, the umbrella, chairs, cooler, etc. onto the beach. We set up our little area and finally it’s time to sit down and relax. As fate would have it….SHE HAS A DIRTY DIAPER!!!
While I am trying to get her suit off she squirms and sand sticks to her. The suit is wet and I struggle trying to get it back on. So, I sat there and thought there has to be a better way?

Not only is SnapMe Swimwear good for diaper changing, but when you daughter shows signs that she wants to be a big girl and start to potty train you can easily pull off the snaps in no time!

Also, I am sure moms agree with me there is nothing more disgusting than a public restroom at the beach…ugh! You can use the SnapMe Suits for your older girl (sizes up to 4T) so she doesn’t have to drop her bathing suit on that nasty floor ever again!”

Now who can’t relate to that?  I know I certainly can, it never seems to fail as soon as Maddisyn is in her swimsuit and we are at the beach or in this case the pool at Great Wolf Lodge for the day she has a dirty swim diaper and there we go, trying to get it her wet suit off, changing her diaper and then listening to her scream about how cold her swimsuit is as we are putting it back on.  With Snap Me Swimwear you simply undo the crotch snaps much like a diaper shirt, change the diaper, do up the snaps and in no time at all she was back on her way playing, no screaming, no crying, no begging or fits and Maddisyn wasn’t upset about the diaper change either.

We got the pink flower swimsuit to try out with Maddisyn and she looks so cute in it and honestly without telling people no one knew that it was a special swimsuit, I think they should make them like this for me so when i have to pee I don’t have to take my suit off either.  Maddys suit is 84% polyester 16% spandex and has 30 UV protection with two rows of snaps and an adjustment neck strap that was fairly easy to get on and off.  I am going to be buying Maddisyn one more of these because when we go on vacation I like to take two swimsuits so she can wear one while the other dries, and at a mere $27.99-$29.99 I think it is well worth the money.

Mini-Cation Post #10 – Lands End Swimwear Giveaway – ENDED

What vacation wouldn’t be complete without swimwear.  I know that swimwear is a touchy subject for some women, me included.  So when we started planning this mini-cation event and I went to grab my age old swimsuit and found I could almost see through it I was so upset, where was I going to find something that fit me as well, hid the parts I needed it to AND looked good on me.  So I started the swimsuit hunt.  First I asked around to other friends to see where they got their suits from, then I started to browse those places and fell in love with Lands End and all they had to offer in the great colors.

I chose the Womans All-Over Control Slender Tunic swimsuit in the color Black.  Now I was super nervous about ordering a swimsuit online because I couldn’t try it on for fit but it fits perfectly.  It does not make me bulge or feel yucky looking when I am wearing it, I feel it actually smooths me out a bit and just give me an all over sense of comfort and style.  It is known on the Lands End site as the little black swimsuit and is more then meets the eye.  It is said to be especially flattering for rectangle shape bodies, I think I am a little rectangle so I have to agree with this statement.  It has a slimming slendertex fabric, boy cut legs, soft bra cup and the fabric provides up to 50 SPF sun protection.  You can get it in regular torso, short torso, plus size or short torso plus.  This swimsuit retails for 109.50 and while that may seem a bit pricey I think you need to spend a little bit more on a swimsuit to make yourself feel and look good.  56% Lycra® spandex/44% nylon. Hand wash. Made in USA or imported.

I love how cute it is with the ruched look and a swim-dress feel to it, my butt always felt covered because of the cut and never left me feeling exposed.  I thought the back would be uncomfortable because of the clasp high up on the back of the neck but it was great, it held my boobs up and never left me sagging.  All in all I give this swimsuit two thumbs up.  But don’t take my word for it I suggest you get one for yourself.

*Note there are no pictures of me wearing this swimsuit in this review but the waterpark post will be going up tomorrow and will have a picture of this swimsuit in it.

~WIN IT~
Lands End is going to give one lucky winner a swimsuit of their own choosing.

~TO ENTER~
Go to Lands End and tell me which swimsuit you would choose.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Mini-Cation Post #9 – Dittany Baby

I wear my babies as you all know, when we were going to Great Wolf Lodge I was concerned about the water and handling both Maddisyn and Holden so that Lee and I weren’t both tied to the babies and one of us could go and play with the older boys.  So I did my research and found that not many companies make water or H2O slings anymore which really bummed me out because I was in a panic.  Then I found Dittany Baby and fell in love with their H2O water sling.  Another big problem I had was with sizing because I am a bigger momma I do need slings to fit a plus size momma, Dittany Baby slings will fit all the way up to 3x and can also do a custom sizing for a small fee ($2.00).

I set up with Dittany Baby to work with them but then the rep I was working with went on maternity leave and so my request had to be shuffled to another person.  It took a bit to get coordinated with them and my trip was fast approaching, then the worst of worst happened the vacation was only days away and I was so upset that I would not be getting my sling.  Dittany Baby was not going to have that happen though, they are amazing to work with and I would recommend them 100 times over for how fast they were.  I did not receive the sling at home in time for my trip BUT they over-nighted it to me at Great Wolf Lodge and I had it there by Saturday morning now THAT is amazing customer service and well worth the knuckle squeezing moments of worry that I was not going to receive it in time I love my sling.

So the sling arrived on Saturday morning and I took it out of the package and was in love right away.  It is adorable with the guitar on it, goes perfect with my little man/rock star.  The sling fit me perfect when wearing either Maddisyn or Holden and Holden loved me wearing him in it because he was able to play in the water with us and I was able to keep a hand or two on Maddisyn when needed.  The quality of the H2O water sling is superb, I have had many baby carriers/slings and I have to say this is one of my favorites and I can’t wait for it to warm up more here so that I can use my sling more.   The H2O sling is super soft and is like a mesh type material that allowed the water to be right up against Holdens skin and since he loves to play in the water I knew that something like that would be the only way it would work right for us.  Now being in a hotel the biggest concern I had was drying time, I couldn’t just take it and toss it in my dryer and let it dry up it had to try fast and man this one did, it dries almost the second we get out of the water (and get wet Holden out of the sling of course).

A+ to Dittany Baby on their amazing customer service, prompt response, willing to ship fast and making an amazing product.  The H2O water sling comes in 6 different patterns all very cute and very hard to choose from.  The price on them is $72.00 $56.00 and is right in line with other slings/carriers of this quality.  It comes in 9 different sizes from XXS up to 3X and as I said earlier you can have it custom made for an additional $2.00.  To see what size you would need you can check out the size chart on each page to ensure proper fit when you receive it.

EDITED TO CHANGE SOMETHING: DITTANY BABY EMAILED ME AND WANTED ME TO ADJUST THE PRICE IN THIS POST, THE COST OF THE SLING WAS DROPPED FROM 72 TO 56 DOLLARS.

Mini-Cation Post #8 – High Sierra Sport Company Giveaway – ENDED

What travel plans would be complete without a great piece of luggage to pack in.  When we look for luggage our biggest things are that it must be lightweight, have wheels, be easy to roll and a retractable handle.  Space is of course a big one as well, when we travel Lee and I prefer to pack together to make travel lighter so we need to ensure we have sufficient amounts of space to pack two adults plus any misc toiletries etc in our bag.  High Sierra Sports Company met our need and oh so much more.

We received the Elevate 28″ Wheeled Upright.  This is what High Sierra says about this particular case “Pack in your gear without packing on the pounds with our 28-Inch Wheeled Upright. At a mere 8.2 pounds, it’s lightweight, high-density internal foam structure maintains its sleek shape no matter what’s packed inside.”

This is what I have to say about High Sierra, AWESOME.  Our last suitcase was this huge heavy monster that was simply too big, we were able to pack us plus both the babies in one suitcase due to the space allowance, but then it was a super heavy case which really sucked.  The Elevate suitcase as stated above is super lightweight and even when fully packed does not weigh nearly what my other cases do.  The main compartment opens like a book and has a super mesh pocket on the lid to store socks, underwear or items you might want to grab on the fly.  It also has clothing straps to stop your clothes from sliding all over the place when the case is standing upright to be rolled.  Speaking of rolling this puppy rolls like a charm, it has in-line skate wheels which are set into the corner protectors to prevent them from being broken during rough handling at airports.

The recessed telescoping handle is great, it even has a little zipper pocket that goes over it to cover the handle and protect it from stuff falling into the hole with it.  There is a hidden away ID tag in the front pocket to prevent people from seeing your personal information and also to keep it safe from being ruined.  The lower front pocket is big enough to put in your carry on liquids that you perhaps may need to be able to quickly access for security.  The top front pocket is perfect for airline tickets, id, boarding passes and soothers to be quickly accessible.  There is a tow strap attached to the top of the suitcase that you can attach an extra bag to, I attached my purse to this when we were going to Great Wolf Lodge was so handy and I knew where my purse was the entire time.  The kick plate between the wheels and the bumpers on the corner makes this suitcase super safe from rough handling and damage during flights.  Another one of my favorite features on this is the fact that the main compartment expands for an extra 2″ of packing space.  The suggested retail price on this suitcase is $300 and I would for sure pay it and will pay it for our trip to Florida that we have coming up.

~WIN IT~
High Sierra Sport Company is going to give one of my readers a random pack, it may not necessarily be from the luggage line but I have been promised it will be something awesome.

~TO ENTER~
Go to High Sierra and tell me something else that would work for your family.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Mini-Cation Post #7 – flexflop Review

I am a sandal person, I love to wear sandals from the time the snow goes away until the time it flies again and I will wear them rain or shine.  When given the opportunity to work with Flexflop I jumped at it, what an ingenious idea.  Soft terrycloth sandals that can be folded in half and put into a cute little travel bag which of course makes them traveling easier.  Each pair of flip flops has a matching logo on the bottom of the sandals, is made with memory foam for extra comfort and each pouch has a little hanging hook on it so I have been keeping my sandals hanging in my closet.

The flexflops come in different colors such as black, brown, pink, red or blue.  Each bag has a cute saying or picture on it with rhinestuds.  The flexflops are good for more the just easy travel, if you are going for a pedicure you could throw them in your purse to wear rather then having to put your shoes back on and chipping your freshly painted nails.  If you are having a baby they would make a perfect addition to any labor bag and folded in the pouch thye would take up very little space as well.  I am not sure how they would hold up for extended periods of wear because I did not get the chance to wear mine for long times but they worked great going to and from the water park at Great Wolf Lodge and were not yucky feeling when they got wet.

Flexflops come in lots of colors, in 3 fabrics (terry, twill or microfiber), plain or with bling, to cover every emergency from casual to dress-up. The new “Sole Salvation” group even includes an extra shoe bag to tuck away the shoes you can’t wait to get out of. The pedi-friendly styles have a clever sliding strap that makes it easy to stay smudge-free at the salon.

There are Flexflops for special occasions (Valentine’s Day, weddings), special people (Mother’s Day) and special treats (pedi time and spa days). If you have your own special idea they will even create a custom design for your Flexflops pouch – silk-screened or in rhinestuds – sweet personalized gifts for a wedding party or girls’ retreat.

Mini-Cation Post #6 – Jeep All Weather Reclining Stroller – Ended & Drawn

I posted yesterday about the Jeep Trek Easy-Travel Playard and how impressed I was with the functionality as well as the durability of it.  Today we are going to talk about the Jeep All Weather Reclining Stroller.  I want to start out by saying that there will be a mix of pictures both from me and the Jeep website because I did not take pictures of the stroller without Maddisyn in it and I want to use their pictures to show you the options.

Maddisyn loved the stroller, it was pink so of course she needed it put together the second that we took it out of the box.  We did not use it before we went out of town so I was unsure what to expect but wow I love this stroller and only wish we would have gotten it in a different color to use it with Holden although I doubt Maddisyn will be outgrowing it anytime soon.  While we were at Great Wolf Lodge Maddisyn insisted the stroller go everywhere with us even if she wanted to walk, just in case she needed to sit down and be pushed around to take a break while walking.  We made double sure we took it to the pool with us in case she fell asleep while the other kids were playing so that we could have something to put her in, thankfully the stroller reclines because she did indeed fall asleep and need to be put in it and I was able to not have to worry about her head falling forward and her getting a kink in her neck.

Now onto the great features of the Jeep All Weather Reclining Stroller and there are quite a few trust me.  As I already mentioned the stroller reclines which is a big thing for any mother and certainly a bigger thing for on vacation if you plan to have your child in the stroller for a long period of time that may cause them to sleep.  It has a canopy that is easy to adjust into multiple positions so you can block the sun out no matter where it is coming into the stroller, I absolutely hate that I have a canopy but the sun still goes underneath and into my childs eyes, this stroller has solved that problem.  It has larger sized wheels which makes it easier to push over gravel and stuff, I hate when your stroller wheels are too small and it gets stuck in the rocks or sand.  There is a removable cupholder up by the foam covered handles for parent cups which carried my bottle of water or Maddisyns sippy cup very nicely this weekend.

The Jeep All Weather Reclining Stroller also has two saddle bags on the side which were both great for holding diapers and wipes in one side and a few small toys of amusement in the other side.  You can see the saddle bag very well in this picture of Maddisyn snoozing away after her busy afternoon in the waterpark.  They are quite large and very easy to attach or take off with two pieces of velcro on each that wraps around the bars on the stroller and holds it in place.  I was concerned about the weight of a bottle and sippy cup in the same pocket but the velcro held them very well and at no point did it fall off or even get loose, I think all strollers shoudl come with saddle bags like these, what a life saver especially sicne I forgot my diaper bag at home on the table.  There is a 3 point quick release buckle which assists in getting them out quickly if your child is an impatient like mine is.

The very last thing I want to share with you on this stroller is the cool-climate roll up which when rolled up not only creates a cool climate and allows air to get at your little one but it also creates a pillow for them.  I love to take the kids on walks but one thing I have noticed before is they do get a bit sweaty in the back because there is no air movement behind them in the stroller, Jeep recognized this and met that need.  Of course the built in pillow is also a big help and something that Maddisyn loved as well this weekend adn would not even let me unroll it so she could try the stroller without it, she insisted that it stay right where it was and since I was not riding I was not arguing.

I just want to throw in the technical specs of the stroller because these are also something I look at when I am buying a stroller.  The stroller only weighs 10 lbs so it is super easy to carry in one hand with a child, suitcase or the like in the other hand.  It will hold a child up to max weight of 35 lbs but keep in mind your little one should be able to sit unassisted before using this stroller.  it folds up so tiny it was easy enough to stick into the small space we had left after packing the rest of our gear into our van.   Heard enough about this amazing stroller?  Want to know where to buy it, well I would be happy to tell you, you can purchase this stroller online at target.com, babyage.com, amazon.com and baby supermarket.com, the suggested retail price of this stroller is $59.99.  Want to win one of these great strollers, good I am glad because I want to give one away so here we go.

~WIN IT~
Kolcraft is going to give one Jabbering Jessi reader a Pink Jeep All Weather Reclining Stroller of their own.

~TO ENTER~
Go to Kolcraft and tell me something else you think would be useful to your everyday life.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Mini-Cation Post #5 – Jeep Trek Easy-Travel Playard Review

I have worked with Kolcraft in the past on a review of their Kolcraft Contours Three Wheel stroller, I absolutely love Kolcraft products and how well they hold up so it was only natural for me to go back to them for the Mini-Cation event.  I was lucky enough t be able to do a double header this time for them with the review of this Jeep Trek Easy-Travel Playard as well as a smaller stroller the Jeep All-Weather Reclining Umbrella stroller which we will be giving away during this event.

The Jeep Trek Easy-Travel Playard is simply amazing to me, not only is it a playard with the ability to have a bassinet and change table but it also has storage on the end in which you can pack your child’s clothing, diapers and other necessities while traveling.  When we went to Great Wolf Lodge I was faced with the dilemma that it was Holdens first time traveling so he had nothing to pack his clothes in to go.  Then there was also the question of space with traveling with playards as well as all of our luggage for 7 people in a van with very little storage space.  The Easy-Travel playard certainly solved both of those problems.  As you can see from the picture I was able to pack all of Holdens clothes, diapers, wipes, swim diapers, lotions and other necessities all into the playard quite easily with room to spare.

The compact size it folds into makes it very easy to pack into our vechile, while it may be a little wider it is not very thick so that makes a big difference on space when packing it into your car.  To me it seems thicker then a suitcase and actually saved us space when taking into account we would have had to pack a playard as well as a suitcase into the van just for Holden alone this certainly killed two birds with one stone.

Holden loved sleeping in the playard while we were at Great Wolf Lodge which was a major concern of ours was how well he would actually sleep but we spent a couple hours a day in there for nap time as well as overnight from about 10 pm until 9 am or so and we never heard a peep from him all night so he obviously liked it.  Holden is too big for it now but there is also a bassinet attachment for this playard as well as a change table and toy arch.  If you want to fold it with the bassinet on you can, which is an amazing option that way you don’t have to haul around the bassinet part separately from the playard.  The one and only thing I had an issue with was that it is smaller then a normal playard and so the sheets I had did not fit it, but I am pretty handy with a sewing machine so I was able to modify one of my sheets to fit.

To fold this playard you simply remove the floor pad, pull up on the handle to start the fold, press the buttons on each side and it collapses and accordions into each other, I thought I had taken pictures of this process but I was wrong.  You then secure it with the two straps on each side that go through loops and Velcro to each other and viola the playard is folded.  Best of all you can still access the clothes when it is folded prior to putting the bag on it for travel.  Once you are ready to go you simply slide the bag down over the playard, loop it under the no fall foot and zipper it from underneath to the other side and it is ready to go.  There is a carry handle on the side of the playard as well as a retractable handle that allows you to tow the playard around like it is a piece of wheeled luggage and it is very easy to maneuver around as well.

 

 

Mini-cation post #4 – Great Wolf Lodge – Lodge Life Part 3

This is my third post about life around the Great Wolf Lodge.  I know there has been a ton of information shared already but there is still a few more things I want to share with you about the amazing atmosphere and activities that are there for you to do with your family.  This will be my last Lodge Life post but then I am excited to share the most amazing exciting part of our trip…the WATERPARK.

Lets get this party started by talking about having your wedding at Great Wolf Lodge.  There are ballrooms in the lodge that allow you to have your wedding reception right in Great Wolf Lodge, the bonus of this is if you have family travelling in from out of town they could stay right at the lodge and if they have kids they could bring a babysitter and leave the kids in the room with the babysitter while they enjoy your wedding reception all while knowing the kids are simply an elevator ride (or walk down the hallway) away and that there is lots of stuff for the kids to do to be amused.  There is a wedding coordinator, banquet facilities and gourmet cuisine all available for you to help make your special day perfect.

My family loves to play games so going to the Northern Lights arcade is the perfect thing for any fun loving family.   Jam-packed with over a hundred games. Dance, race, spin, throw — it’s the only “workout” that will let you earn prizes.  You play the fun filled games, earn tickets that are automatically dispensed from each machine in varying amounts dependent on the game and your points/success.  Once you earn your tickets you take them and feed them into the ticket counter which once done prints out a receipt that shows how many tickets you have earned.  Then you can go and redeem them for prizes of different values.  They have stuff from 5 tickets all the way up to over 2000 tickets.  We got Maddisyn the most adorable pink guitar for 1200 tickets and Maddisyn and Holden each a ball for 150 and 400 tickets respectively and we only spent 30 dollars playing the games.  The boys got a bunch of junk food, a couple balls and multiple other things that I have not even had the chance to see yet.  Tons of fun and a great way to pass the time.

Great Wolf Lodge even has a spa called Elements Spa for adults.  The prices are I think reasonable for a Spa although i have never been so I honestly cannot say one way or another on that front.  You can go and get many different treatments like an antioxidant facial, radiant skin facial, green science facial, the Elements signature facial, teen facial, a neti body treatment, aroma body wrap or a Caribbean Therapy Body Treatment.  I had not planned this time to have a spa trip but I will for sure be returning to Great Wolf Lodge and I will be going to the Spa then.  Want to send your little girl to the spa while your there to pamper her?  They have a spa for kids called Scoopswhere your kids can get a facial, manicure or pedicure.  Whats so special about Scoops?  Well other then that they are girls only, they do their treatments with ICE CREAM.  It is designed specifically for kids 4-12 years of age.

I have been saving my kids activity for the very last bit of this post because it is a big one.  Magiquest.  You purchase a wand and receive a quest book and it takes you all over the lodge playing, looking for items.  When you find a chest you can point your wand at it and it opens and gives you gold.  The same practice is with the quests, you go around and when you find the item you point your wand at it to activate it and it records to the wand.  Then as you finish each part of the quest you must report to the boxes with a certain character like a gargoyle or man or stone etc to check your progress.  Then you report back to the magic trees to start a new quest.  Once you complete all the quests you get to go on adventures and have to help power a fairy stone, defeat a gargoyle and defeat the dragon to become a dragon master.  The kids all complete the entire set of quests while we were there in no time at all, I was rather proud of them and while I bought myself a pink wand merely because it is pink I did not get to really play.

Well that was life at the lodge, and while I tried to share with you as much as I possibly could I truly believe that you need to visit Great Wolf Lodge at least once with your kids because in this case seeing is truly believing.

Mini-Cation Post #3 – Flojos Fashion Footwear GIVEAWAY

I am a total shoe lover as you will see throughout this Mini-Cation, I gathered up a few kinds of sandals to share with you all so that there was a good variety for different shoe lovers because after all we all don’t have the same taste in shoes.

The first pair I am going to share with you I fell in love with the second I saw them on the website and although I was a tad concerend about the height of them I went with them anyhow.  I am so glad that I did, they are super comfortable and very cute with a pair of jeans, capris or a dressier pant, I have worn them all three ways.  They are made by a company called Flojos.

“Flojos®, recognized as one of the top sandal manufacturers in the world, is a name synonymous with the active, California beach lifestyle.  Flojos® (pronounced flo-hos, meaning “kick back” in Spanish) specializes in beach, fashion and sport sandals for women, men and children, with a focus on comfort, style and affordable prices.

Flojos® established itself as a force in the U.S. sandal arena in 1979, with the introduction of the original Flojos, a popular rubber criss-cross sandal.  The original Flojos style was borrowed from a traditional design from the Mexican culture, a style that has been a favorite among fisherman, surfers and beachcombers since the 1940’s.  Recently, the Original Flojos and other Flojos® styles alike have been making resurgence, showing up on beaches as well as city streets.”

I received the Anacapa sandal which has a 2.5 inch heel, padded sock and an adorable silver studded strap.  They are a very comfortable shoe to wear whether you are going on a short walk or running through an airport in Chicago (I have worn them both ways).  I get tons of compliments on these shoes as I should haha since I look super cute wearing them.  I opted to receive them in cognac but they are also available in ivory and black and come in sizes 5 to 10 and are priced at a super reasonable $36.00.  I am very glad that my mom does not have the same shoe size as me because she would have stolen my shoes on me because she loves them just as much as I do.  I wore these at great wolf lodge for quite a bit of the time there and they were just as comfortable after three days on my feet as they were on day one.

Flojos carries many different styles of sandals from dressy to pretty beach.  They also have mens and kids shoes for both boys and girls.  I really like the mens Echo sandals and am thinking of getting Lee a pair for fathers day perhaps.

~WIN IT~
Flojos is going to give one reader a pair Anacapa Sandals in the size of your choice.

~TO ENTER~
Go to Flojos and tell me another pair of shoes you absolutely love.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

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