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The Summer We Finally Became a Beach Family

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 Living in LA, more specifically on the Westside, we're completely spoiled by the nice, cool weather all throughout the year. Summer is relatively cool, winter is relatively warm. The temperature hardly ever goes above 80 in the summer, and it hardly ever goes below 60 in the winter. It's comfortable year-round, and there's always that cool sea breeze even on those what-we-call "hot" days. So yes, we're spoiled. Either because we're so spoiled that we never felt the need to go cool off, or because we're just simply too lazy, we had never taken our kids to the beach that's only 3 miles away from home. Not until this year. Our older boy wanted to have a playdate with some of his classmates over summer break, and one of his friends convinced her parents that she absolutely needed to have a proper summer - aka, a day at the beach. So we decided to give it a try. Because we're only 3 miles from the coast, we have quite a few beaches to choose from. ...
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Going to LEGOLAND California? Consider leaving on a Friday afternoon

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LEGOLAND California with Kids: Our Six-Year Guide to Making the Most of Your Visit We've been getting annual memberships to LEGOLAND California for the last six years, and every year, we somehow manage to make sure we get our money's worth. At this point, LEGOLAND isn't really a once-a-year destination for us. It's more like our family's reliable go-to when we want a full day of fun without having to plan an entire vacation around it. It's about 2 hours from our home in LA, and after 6 years of trying different ways of visiting - from arriving right when the park opens to staying overnight and going back the next day - we've finally figured out the strategy that works best for our family in terms of time, energy, and money: go on a Friday afternoon. And after all these years, we've also figured out which annual membership makes sense for us, what kind of stroller - or wagon - you really want to bring, where to eat, which attractions our boys never get ti...
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Why We Keep Taking Our Kids to Las Vegas Every Year

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How Vegas unexpectedly became one of our favorite family destinations—even with toddlers Before 2022, taking our kids to Las Vegas had never even crossed my mind. Vegas, to me, was for casinos, restaurants, nightclubs, cocktails, and staying out far later than any parent of a toddler should reasonably be awake. It was definitely not where I would have thought to take a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old. Then one day, a good friend of ours suggested that we try Vegas with our kids. Her son is almost exactly the same age as my older son—literally, their birthdays are only two weeks apart—and she told me something I wasn't expecting to hear:                     “There are actually SO many things to do with kids in Vegas.” Pools. Museums. Shows. Free attractions. Arcades. And all the crazy, over-the-top entertainment that Vegas is famous for. I was skeptical. She was absolutely right. Our first family trip to Las Vegas with kids was in A...
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