It's the last week of school for us... Summer has hit us like a ton of bricks

It's hard to believe that this is our last week of school and then it's full on summer break, but we've got plans to make this summer count (and manage having to work AND be present for the kids)

So, tomorrow starts our last week of school for the kids. How is that possible? I was talking to other friends around the country and they still have four weeks of school. And I’m over here like “Welp, let’s hit the ground running because summer flies by.” QUESTION FOR PEEPS WITHOUT KIDS: do you treat your summer like it’s summer break or is it just another season with a work schedule and nice weather? I have many questions about this for when our kids are done with school…

Today I’ve got a few things to share, including some tips for parents as the school year is wrapping up, some summer travel ideas and some simple ways we can do good here in the USA. And then I’m also sharing my thoughts on the Nottoway Plantation burning this week, cuz it’s been interesting and telling to watch.

BUT FIRST, WHAT’S NEW on the blogs: I tried to work on the things this week that have brought me the most joy to experience, so that’s how I got through different things I’ve needed to publish. I don’t write articles about things that are duds (that’s why my writing is always positive reviews and stories) so this week’s focus was on experiences that added fun, new experiences for me.

2TravelDads.com - Last month I had two big trips that both felt like more fun than work. The first was doing an adults-only Florida Keys trip with two great friends. We got to stay in adults-only resorts, do activities I wouldn’t normally do with kids, and enjoy cocktails bars that I’ve always skipped in the past. So check out that article for some ideas how YOU can do a trip like that. The other thing I really enjoyed publishing this week was Broadway Shows with Kids. There’s a lot to think about when you’re taking kids to a show in NYC, from the content on stage to the length of a show and more. I put together a guide to planning the iconic NYC show experience together for the fam, including a quick itinerary for the day if you have a matinee or evening show.

MyAlohaTrip.com - I keep thinking I’ll be able to get more done than I do, but I was able to finish writing up our Jeep camping experience on Maui. It was a fun, totally different way to visit and Aloha Glamp was a good experience for setting it up. Hopefully this week I’ll have some fresh articles about both the Kilauea Iki and Keanakakoi Overlook in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, especially since the eruptions just keep on going!

TheKeysExplored.com - I only was able to get one thing published on our Florida Keys site this week, but it’s such a cool spot that I’m fine with that. The Crane Point Hammock is this wonderful, kind of overlooked preserve on Marathon and it’s full of trails, kayaking and other fun things to do. The highlight is the natural fish pedicure station. Perfect for anyone that wants their toes nibbled by tiny creatures on their vacation.

MyAlaskaTrip.com - OMG, I’m still writing about Fairbanks because we did so much on that trip and I still am not through it. One of the random things we did that was way cooler than expected was the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, which is fully outside of my areas of interest… and yet it warranted a whole article because it was so unique. Also fresh on the blog is a review of the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks, formerly run by Holland America. It’s a great place and solid choice when you visit Fairbanks in any season.

Update on the Haters

Only recently have I started getting hate mail and troll responses to my newsletter. After sending one for years it’s a new thing as of this spring. So each time somebody responds and trolls something, I have been pulling up their subscription record for my newsletter and letting them know the date they subscribed. I then remove them from my email list and mark any future responses as spam. Call it being sassy or call it guarding my peace, but I just don’t have the emotional energy for being to rip at me from the safety of their faceless computers.

WITH THAT, I have LOVED getting notes in response to my weekly newsletter from friends and strangers. It’s been fun hearing from people I haven’t gotten to see in a while or getting questions about travel planning things. Really, for all the complaining I do on the regular (I’m a complainer, guilty) I really do love my job and the people I get to interact with. Keep it coming, friends!

Summertime NO SCHOOL Tips

This part is for the parents getting ready to have kids home all summer. I love when school is out and we get to have total freedom to just do whatever and go wherever, but there’s also a lot of summer where we’re home and having to balance work with having us all home all the time. I know some parents get their kids involved in summer camps and summer sports, but that doesn’t work for us because we’re gone so much of the summer. Today I’m sharing how we roll when we are all four home and two of us have to work.

May I present THE SCHEDULE. Kids get into a rhythm during the school year with different classes or subjects at the same time each day or repeating different days of the week, so we keep that going during the summertime with a schedule of at-home subjects:

• reading

• biking

• basketball

• pool time

• board games

• self-led art projects and creativity

• chores

• tech time

Our kids have gotten really good and adhering to the schedule as well as managing it so they can enjoy doing the things they want while still having a balance of indoor and outdoor time. If you are a stay-at-home or work-from-home parent this is such a great way to bring both peace and fun to your summer, and for me it helps manage stress.

Trusted Housesitters for the Win

I’ve talked about using Trusted Housesitters before, but I wanted to bring it back up as people are gearing for summer trip. We’ve now used the service twice and had great people stay at our home and take care of our cats. We’ve got them coming again soon for our trip to Houston and again when we head to Seattle this summer. I’m so glad this service is available because leaving the pets at home is always a little stressful, but the people we’ve met through Trusted Housesitters have been amazing. They are people who genuinely love animals and so far have been really clean, peaceful people that we’ve had great experiences with having them in our home.

If you’re not familiar (and maybe I’ll write about this on the blog) Trusted Housesitters is an app and website where you can connect with people who have been reviewed by other home/pet owners to look after your place while you travel. Some of our best friends have been sitters all over the world through the platform, and now we use it to ensure our three cats receive all the love when we have to be gone. Especially with Rocky (our huge Bengal) this has been big because he needs humans to stay sane. And I like to think that the people who come stay at our house enjoy having a little beach vacation at the same time they’re helping us out.

USA Face-palms this Week

You know I always have things to say about what’s happening in the USA, whether it’s ways to help our fellow humans or things to be aware of. Well, first off: MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR JUNE 14 for the NO KINGS PROTEST. This is an opportunity all across the country to show up in peaceful numbers to be seen, heard and feel energized to stand up TOGETHER. It’s happening in small towns and big cities.

But here’s what’s leaving me with non-stop face-palm moments this week when I read the news. First off, this whole business with 45/47 accepting a $400M airplane to become Air Force One and then become his personal plane. This is literally illegal and must be approved by Congress as something like this leaves the d-bag beholden to a foreign power… who also has now given him the chance to build a $5B golf course resort in Qatar. Seriously people, follow the money and open your eyes to see that he doesn’t care about the people of the USA at all and is just chasing dirty deals.

And then something else that’s both good and bad is, of course, the destruction of the Nottoway Plantation in Louisiana. Yes, it was a beautiful example of Italianate architecture from one of the UGLIEST PERIODS IN US HISTORY. Seriously, if you have ever visited a plantation you know the vibe is off and the whole lifestyle was only possible because of enslaved people. It take the tiniest drop of brain power or empathy to realize that the “Antebellum way of life” was disgusting and places like the Nottoway Plantation were continuing to profit off the backs of slaves, years after the fact. It’s not just a “but history was lost” moment. No, people do and will continue to remember and the “history” has been well documented. The people who are mourning the loss of this building are the same ones screaming about “states’ rights” and such. SMH…

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That’s it for this week. Next week maybe I’ll share more about some of the other things happening. It’s been a week of bumpy conversations and dealing with all kinds of life stuff that’s just too much to share right now. Since it’s the last week of school, I’m sure starting soon the busy feeling and stress will calm down…

Have a great week, stay safe and healthy, and thank you for following along as we continue to navigate this wild world. :)