Most Wanted: Spring Break Essentials

We may not be heading to the beach this Spring Break, but if we were, these beach essentials would be at the very top of our packing list! 

1. Dehna Striped Cotton-Blend Voile Dress // 2. Panama Hat // 3. Cat Eye Sunnies //

Monoi Oil // 5. LL Bean Tote Bag // 6. TKEES Flip Flops 

Do I Need and Umbrella?

I am one of those people who keeps and umbrella in the car all of the time but never remembers to wear my raincoat.  Uggggg!

I have now found one of the greatest gifts known to man on the Internet.  I swear!  This website is so easy to use and I am an addict this time of year!  DoINeedAnUmbrella.com is a God-Send!  You simply go to DoINeedAnUmbrella.com and type in your zip code and it will give you a very simple Yes or No to the question.  It also gives you a mini-forecast but nothing complicated.  Check it out as you are getting dressed or running out the door for the day and it might just make your day!

Stay dry out there!

Traveling with the Kids this Summer?

Summer is here and, as much as I love getting out of town with my son, it is not easy to travel with him! Julie gave me a great tip that worked really well on our last journey. She told me that I should buy a few small and inexpensive (but new) toys and gift wrap them! I went to the dollar aisle at Target and found some great stuff and gave it to him throughout the flight! As soon as he got tired of one toy, I would pull out the next one. The flight was not exactly what I would call relaxing but at least he was having fun and not fussing! There is a fantastic website called Flying with Kids that offers great tips for keeping your kids entertained during travel. You can go on the site and select your mode of travel (train, plain, or automobile) and then read up on their suggestions. It made me feel better about our upcoming travel! Here are a few of the tips they offered:

• Take a small photo album with pictures of friends or relatives that you are visiting on the trip. You can practice names and make the faces more familiar.
• Don't pack noisy toys or games. I made that mistake once and almost fainted from embarrassment as the elderly couple in the row in front of us expressed their disappointment in me! That is a mistake that is rarely made twice I imagine!
• If your child is old enough, get them a rolling bag or backpack so that they can pack their own favorites and carry their own things!

Dallas Blooms at the Arboretum

If you are looking for some spring fun then look no further than the Dallas Arboretum. Their Dallas Blooms event has become the largest floral display in the south! The festival goes on through the 11th of April and features over 500,000 spring blooming bulbs such as tulips and daffodils and over 100,000 pansies and poppies!

Don't hesitate to head that way on a cloudy day because they now offer a Rain Pass! If it starts to rain during your visit they will hand you a Rain Pass when you exit and you can come back any other day in the next three months!

Dallas Blooms is a perfect get away with the kids too. On Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 to 2 you can keep your children busy with a petting zoo, arts and crafts and face painting. For $5 you can have a silhouette made and for $15 you can capture your gorgeous child among the gorgeous flowers from James French Photography. If it is raining outside, they will take the fun indoors! I can't think of a better way to tire out my son on a rainy day!

There is a special Easter Celebration for Children with a concert by Eddie Coker on the 2nd of April from 11 to 12 and then again from 1 to 2.

This weekend they host the annual Artscape event featuring 90 artists on their beautiful grounds. Take a stroll through their booths from 9 to 5 on Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st of March.