Did you know that Northwest Florida is part of the Monarch Butterfly’s migration path to Mexico? Every year, during the month of October, thousands of these orange and black insects fly through our neighborhoods, down 98, and over the Gulf of Mexico. The Panhandle Butterfly House in Navarre is a a rest stop and milk weed feeding station for these travelling butterflies, and is a great day trip from Destin or South Walton County.
Local attractions and schools have already been closed for tomorrow, and after three steady weeks of rain, I’m not thrilled about spending another few days housebound with Alex and Harper. I’ve been trying to think of some fun ways to keep them entertained if the power goes out for any period of time. Portable electronics are charged, the library has been restocked, and crayons and paints are at the ready, but there must be more to keep them… Read More »
For locals along the Emerald Coast, school is right around the corner. If you’re like me, you are both looking forward to getting back into a regular school-homework-bedtime routine, and a little sad that the summer unscheduled fun-camp-late bed times vacation is going to end. In addition to taking advantage of tax free shopping this weekend, there are a number of end of summer events to help you go out with a bang! If you haven’t checked out… Read More »
As we all know, the weather along the Emerald Coast has been crazy hot. If you’re like me, my willingness to cook tends to go out the window when the temperature rises. And, while grilling is a perfectly acceptable alternative for dinner, there’s still breakfast, lunch, and snacks to prepare. If we’re headed to the beach or on the boat, I’ll bail on full scale meals all together and pull a “snack-tastic” picnic together. Everyone can graze throughout the day,… Read More »
We’ve been laying low this week. Between Tropical Storm Debby making the Gulf un-swimmable, and a bout with Strep throat, we’ve had to make do with some backyard fun. Alex has reached that point in the illness where he is still not feeling well enough to do anything in public, but he’s feeling too good to spend the day on the couch watching TV. Today, we headed out into the backyard for some water play, a good, cool alternative to… Read More »
Living along the coast and thinking about family-friendly activities tends to conjure up memories of, well, sandcastles and sippy cups. Of course, the Emerald Coast offers some of the most profound beaches and opportunities for coastal memories of a lifetime. No question about that. What you may not realize, is that just off the white sand covered beaten path, there are also other family friendly adventures that also provide some lasting memories of Florida family fun. My family and I… Read More »
Ahoy Mateys: Billy Bowlegs Storms Fort Walton Beach My kids are at an age where they don’t agree on much. With three years between them, there aren’t too many things that interest both Alex and Harper, especially when it comes to media. Alex is definitely in “big boy territory, choosing Phineas and Ferb, Ninjas, and Star Wars to watch or read, while Harper prefers Dora, Franklin, and Doc McStuffins. They both, however, like pirates. So we are lucky… Read More »
When I came up with a name for this mommy blog, Sand Castles and Sippy Cups came pretty naturally. They are two things are a part of my daily life with two toddler kids (we literally had to invest in a sand box because my two-year-old son was digging holes for castles in our back yard faster than an industrial digger on a deadline). What does not happen on a daily basis for me is getting up before the sun… Read More »
Saturday was a perfect beach day along the Emerald Coast. A clear, blue sky, warm water with a “light chop” and green flags flying on every beach. Instead of grabbing our beach chairs, pails and shovels and beach umbrellas, Harper and I headed to the beach at Pompano Joe’s to give surfing a try. The Annual ‘GROM COMP”, hosted by Billa-Bong Surf Shop provides kids and teens with a short surfing lesson, and then a chance to show off… Read More »
Hi all! I will be tag teaming with Andrea to bring you the best family friendly fun along the Emerald Coast. I thought I should start by introducing myself. I’m a transplanted New Englander and have been working my way slowly south since I graduated from college. My husband Shane and I live with our children, 7-year-old Alex, 4-year-old Harper and recent college graduate, Jennings. I like to think that we are raising our kids with an appreciation of both… Read More »