What Ana Does

The best part of being on vacation is no dishes to wash and put away. The worst part? Umm, can't come up with one. Sun burn? Daily Views Vacation means unhurried time with my family. Reading time. Swimming time. Time to eat. Sleeping in. No dogs to let out early. No school bus. No schedule. Putting Facebook on my phone because I have time to scroll through. Time to get dirty. Extra time to get clean. A different pace to the day that eases the knots of what's normal.  Related posts: Let's talk about traveling with kids 

We took a quick trip down to Universal Studios over the weekend. And while the weather was chilly for Florida at 65 during the day, it was lovely to be in the sun without hats, mittens and boots. But more importantly, the Harry Potter experience is basically heaven on Earth for Potter fans. The attention to detail! The shops! The food! To quote Ace Ventura (as I often do) "this is my Graceland, sir." Well worth the price of admission. Alice would have gone on the Hogwarts Express ride 20 times in a day, if she could. It was that amazing. The rest of Universal parks are pretty cool, too. Lots to do and see. And it wasn't a crazy-busy time of year, so the lines weren't nuts. Fantastic family getaway. HAD to Get These Hogwarts-Bound Wizards Robes and Wands! We also got to see my Grams who recently relocated near Orlando and bring her lots of flowers. We're heading back to Orlando in a few weeks but with no park passes, we're looking forward to relax...

We had an amazing weekend at Disney World in Orlando. The girls are just at the PERFECT age to really enjoy the parks ... and the princess! They were in total awe meeting Cinderella and Rapunzel -- totally adorable. We loved the roller coasters, the Mickey ice cream pops, the parades, fireworks, the hotel pool, shopping (obvi) and meeting the characters -- we filled autograph books and they're our favorite souvenirs.   Here are a few favorite pics I took with my phone. Dave brought the big camera, too, so a photo book is in the making.  Taking on the Magic Kingdom! We Just Loved That Castle! Mickey Pops -- A Favorite Treat to Keep Cool

If you have a family member who lives in a warm-weather destination -- or the means to travel to one -- always, always book a trip in February to said location. In January I booked a trip to visit my big sister in Florida for the end of February, knowing how much I loath that month. I packed up my girls (poorly -- where are all the shorts?), kissed the husband and dog goodbye and jumped a flight south. What a difference 2 hours on a plane and 4 days in the sun makes! We returned sunburned, refreshed and ready for the never-ending end of winter. And I got to spend a fun-filled weekend with my favorite big sister and my hilariously adorable nieces. Four kids under 7 and only two Moms? Nooooo problem. Nothing stopped us from venturing out to the beach, a pizza place and Legoland! Plus, an afternoon of just sister time getting pedis, antiquing and lunch. Perfection! So Funny That Leah Was the BIG Girl for the Weekend! Yeah, I Forgot Ample Sunscreen. We Burned. We're Over...