spring break : do's and don'ts

Here we are, freezing our hineys off, and trying to find things to do that don't involve our kids wrestling each other.

It's that time again, friends. The time where we say BLESS OUR HEARTS and WE CAN (possibly) DO THIS.  

It's spring break, y'all.  

Spring break USED TO mean that I would throw my cutest bathing suits into an overstuffed duffel bag, pile into someone's mom's minivan, and drive 12 hours straight to Miami. Because COLLEGE. 

Now, what it means is that you plan to take your kids on a SUPERFUN staycation to Stone Mountain. You feel overly proud and smug about your fabulously frugal idea. But you fail to check and see when the attractions open for the season, and spoiler alert: they open the day after you go home. 

John likes to adorably refer to this as our "Dickens at Wally World" spring break. I like to roll my eyes REAL HARD, while mentally planning our Caribbean spring break in 2019. 

Pretty sure the ocean will be open, sooooooo.......yeah.

Anyway, I've put together a few of my Spring Break Do's for y'all. And what's a Do's list, without a Don'ts list? 

SPRING BREAK DO'S:

1. DO plan to get out of your house if at all possible. Even if it's just day trips to the park. I learned this the hard way last year, when I thought AG might enjoy spending her spring break helping me fold laundry. 

She did not.

2. DO engage in ADVANCE PLANNING. Start checking travel sites for deals, and/or figuring out how to use points or sky miles to go somewhere awesome. If you don't, you will probably spend spring break beside your hotel's indoor pool, cursing the fact that you are an Enneagram 7, and therefore physically incapable of checking websites for IMPORTANT INFORMATION. 

3. DO snag some fun new spring break travel duds. (I've got ya covered with a few favorites below.) If ever there's a time to treat YO'self, it's when you know you're about to spend 7 straight days of uninterrupted family time together. 

Probably at the indoor pool.

SPRING BREAK DON'TS :

Y'all I really only have ONE DON'T. And I kinda think it applies to most things involving our beloved offspring. Ready?

MANAGE YOUR FREAKING EXPECTATIONS. For most of us, spring break will involve some level of unplanned issues/whiny attitudes/projectile vomit/unexpected lice outbreaks. And that's OKAY. You can still have a memorable and even fun spring break together. But, if you're expecting spring break to be OMG THE BEST EVERRRRRRR, well, good luck to ya. (And if it actually is, then I'd like to politely beg you to come plan mine next year.) 

P.S. If you're roadtripping this spring break, then THIS POST is for you. 

P.P.S. Shop my spring break faves, since I'm pretty sure both calories and dollars don't count during forced family time. 

Until next time, (and also GODSPEED)