Melificent

MegaCon 2019 + Red Roof Inn: Passion Traveling

One of the joys of being a mom is being able to share the things you love with your children. As I’ve mentioned before, travel is something that my husband and I have cherished, both individually and as a couple since the beginning of time. Pair it with traveling for a passion, such as pop culture conventions, and we are happy campers. I remember the first time I went to San Diego Comic Con: before people slept outside to get into panels, when 4-day badges were $100 and if you attended a panel, you automatically went to meet and greets with the cast. No big. Now, living the con life is not as rare as it used to be and people from all walks of life are traveling to attend their favorite conventions in cities all over the country (and world, really).

Luna’s first convention was Megacon in Orlando last year and she absolutely loved it. I really love Megacon because it has all the perks of large cons while still holding on to the feel of a small one. I think it’s a perfect “gateway con,” and one we’ve enjoyed for years. This year, we opted not to cosplay just for comfort sake, got a photo op with the gift that is David Tennant + saw some amazing vendors and friends.

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Zimpli Kids Review

Being a behavior analyst, I am all about the sensory play! Ever since Luna was little I would have sensory days at least 3 times a week where we played with different textures and consistencies, so I was very excited to give Zimpli Kids‘ line of Slime Baffs and Gelli Baffs a try. I wanted to see how they worked in multiple settings, so I gave the Slime Baff a go in the bathtub and the Unicorn Slime Play in a plastic container for her to play with at a table. Both were a total hit with her! In the bath, she loved pretending the slime was Elsa’s ice powers, and in the container, the slime came with two unicorns that she loved to trap within the slime.

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Chicago with Kid{s}

Travel. Something we as a duo have always loved. It almost defined us for awhile, always looking for an adventure whether near or far. It personally gives me life to go to new places and have new experiences. To see how other people live. To breathe in a new culture. It was always a romantic notion that I would be able to do this with my little one in tow, and the time had finally come. We had decided to put on the training wheels and take her somewhere that wasn’t too far, that we had traveled to a few times already and that was kid friendly. We ultimately decided on Chicago.

Luna shocked us with her stellar behavior on the plane. I packed her a small backpack with some new toys and activity books (all from the Dollar Store), along with her tablet loaded with her favorite movies and some headphones. I also brought some lollipops to help with the change in pressure during take off and landing. Even with connecting flights, turbulence and no service or bathroom access, she didn’t complain once. We had prepared her a couple of weeks before with these awesome books that I found on Amazon. She knew what to expect, and I think that eased her anxiety.

We stayed at StayPineapple at The Alise, which was SUCH a lovely hotel. It was super central, in The Loop, which is very important when you have a little one in tow. They also have an amazing restaurant and bar (The Atwood), which was great after long days where we were too tired (or the weather was too bad) to look for one to visit. I think Luna loved the hotel more than the city, and would ask to go back to it all the time! She especially loved opening the huge windows and watching the busy city in the morning.

One important lesson we learned was that we cannot travel the same way we used to. It may seem obvious, but our kid is pretty good (as far as 3 year olds go anyways), and is used to our lifestyle, so we thought we could carry on in a new city. Not the case. She found some things to be the actual worst (like Navy Pier, especially when she saw all the fun amusement park rides were shut down or shopping down the Magnificent Mile), would get overtired or overstimulated, and it would result in the most psychotic of tantrums. She doesn’t tend to make these scenes in public so it led to some frustrating and embarrassing moments. Sometimes we had to walk a very long way, only to walk a very long way right back because she was not having it. We had a very loose daily itinerary and didn’t stress when we couldn’t do something or had to leave early. This is so important.

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Captain Marvel

I was just as excited as everyone else for this movie but I never thought that it would have the impact that it did on me when I watched it opening weekend. I don’t know if I’m just extra sensitive now that I am a mother to a toddler girl or if it is just really that impactful, but I can’t say that I walked out of that theater the same.

After reading and listening to others’ experiences, I realized that I wasn’t alone. This movie made the ladies feel strong and empowered in a way that other female led films (like Wonder Woman) didn’t (and I loved Wonder Woman). That montage of her falling down her entire life and then getting back up? Something I didn’t even know existed inside me bubbled up emotionally and made its way out violently. I had to really control myself not to outright sob in public.

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Holiday Bucket List #3: Safari Edventure

Luna absolutely loves animals, and visiting Safari Edventure for one of my birthdays on a VIP tour was one of the most amazing experiences, so we wanted to make sure that she had the opportunity as well. This place is such a gem. It is nestled in the Redlands and is the home to so many amazing animals, such as wolves, sloths and alligators.

With admission, you get a chance to sit in their very interactive animal show, which takes place twice a day. With it, you are able to have hands on interactions with a lot of amazing animals, such as baby gators, skunks and snakes. We were also able to go play with wolves in a group setting, as well as explore the rest of the grounds.

They offer a lot of very reasonably priced VIP tours where you get similar experiences but they are private and you get time with more animals. I can’t recommend it as a gift more – it’s still one of my most favorite memories!