Swimming is the FUNnest Sport!

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, all opinions and images are my own.* 

Before walking, before crawling, my mother enrolled me in swimming lessons. Back in the late 70s it wasn't very common to have babies learn to swim, however in the spring/summer of 2006 it was very common to join a mommy & baby class at the local recreational center for sim lessons. That's when my now almost 10 year old began getting inside a pool. 

"What could a baby learn about swimming?" you ask, they are taught to not fear the water in fact to enjoy it. Swimming is always taught in a fun way, from a very young age you learn that water is fun, you can dive or jump in, you can swim a few laps or just float and relax. 

Growing up and as an adult swimming has become part of my life, summers are always spent having fun in the water and being I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure both my physicians suggested I swim at least 3 times a week to help my blood circulation and get a more complete workout that would also relax me. 

While living in Costa Rica we had the opportunity of swimming daily, the weather was perfect for it and both my kids were in swim lessons year round. The day we didn't make it to the pool, they would ask all day when they would get back to swimming as they love it.

In honor of Father's Day we were invited to a special event with Swim Today, at this event we had the opportunity of listening to inspirational stories and great memories shared from Rowdy Gaines (3 time Olympic Gold medalist), Dick Franklin (father to 4 time Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin), Pat Dwyer (father to Olympic Gold Medalist Connor Dwyer) and local swim dad Joseph Kim (his 10 year old son is preparing to swim in the Olympics in the future). They also shared some great facts about swimming, here is what they said that I personally liked:

Dick Franklin shared a quote from Missy's coach that is my new favorite: "Swimming is about FUNdamentals -and the first three letters are FUN!" 

Rowdy Gaines reminded us that "you can do any sport you want, just make sure you are having fun at what you do", he also mentioned that "swimmers aren't involved in the sport for the money, they do it because they love it". 

When asked what tips they could give to parents with children in sports, Dick Franklin gave the perfect response which is also a great reminder: "Try not to be an overreaching parent". 

Another favorite was when Pat Dwyer said: "the beauty of swimming is that it's you VS you!". 

These were great messages to take with us, I truly appreciate their wisdom and how open they were to sharing how much fun they've had supporting their children in their own journey. Afterwards,  Rowdy Gaines shared great swim tips in the pool with the attending children, among them was my daughter.

I'm happy to report that today during swim class her coach mentioned she had improved over the weekend. Her head position improved, helping her swim faster and smoother.

Some of the many benefits of swimming are: 

• Every child participates, it is an inclusive sports. No benchwarmers. 

• As I mentioned before my physicians suggested I swim, there is a low risk of injury and it is a total body fitness (swimming burns 650 calories per hour).

• All you need is a swimsuit, googles and swim cap and you're ready to go!

• Swimming is a FUN sport that everyone can do, it's perfect for any age. Once you learn to swim, you can enjoy it always.

After the event, as my daughter and I walked to our car we were greeted by Missy's mother D.A. Franklin. She remembered us from the event and asked my daughter if she had fun while swimming with Rowdy. We chatted briefly and I asked her what tips she had for mothers like myself that want their kids to follow their favorite sport, her response was great:  "always take them to practice, meets with the best disposition, never complain about it and schedule lots of playdates with families that share the same interest. You can always chose swim meets that are a drive away, pack up the boardgames and enjoy some family quality time back in the hotel". That is great advice D.A., we will sure remember it always.

When I first received the invitation to the event, I went to SwimToday's website and read as more details about them. As a parent I love what they stand for and everything I found out, did you know that swimmers have rated the sport at the top in fun, teamwork, confidence-building, health and fitness. I remember watching the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swim Team sharing how much fun they were having, just search for  "Call me Maybe" by the U.S. Swim Team on YouTube and you'll catch Missy dancing and lip-synching with her teammates. That's just how much fun they were having!

If you're interested in more information regarding swimming lessons or in finding a swim club, please visit, Swim Today they will help you locate the nearest instructor or swim club in your area. 

A yearly tradition

Every year in September our family drives to spend the weekend at the Disneyland Resort. It's been a family tradition since Adventure Girl turned 2. Grandparents, aunts and sometimes uncles and cousins join us in the celebration and we visit this year was no exception. Our trip is to celebrate Adventure Girl's birthday. 

We drove from NorCal to SoCal to enjoy the weekend with 9 other family members. It was very special and magical because we got to see family we hadn't seen in months. For the first time we had almost the same amount of kids/adults.

We arrived Friday evening and got settled in our hotel room, this year like last we choose a good neighbor hotel and since we had such a great experience last year it was the same this year. Best Western Stovall's Inn which is across the street from DCA {Disney's California Adventure} in fact that Friday evening as we arrived to our hotel we could see the fireworks from the parks, right in the comfort of our rooms.

The next morning we got up early and got ready for our breakfast at the hotel {they include a hot breakfast -pancakes, eggs, toast, coffee, juices, cereal, pastries and fruit} by 9 we were on our way to the parks. 6 adults and 3 kids, it was so much fun on the way to the main gate as Adventure Boy was enjoying it all for the first time -he has been to Disneyland since he was 8 months but this time he knew what was going on, he identified characters as he saw them and knew what all the excitement was about.

Before our trip Disney I like to search for apps that will make our plans for our time there better, so as I searched I found an app called Disney Parks. This app has a calendar where you chose the date to see the events happening {so you won't miss a thing!} I began exploring the app a week before to see all the features it has a map of both parks (DCA and Disneyland), a list of places to dine, the weather, it also has a tab for character meet and greet. The app is free and I downloaded it on my iPhone, once you arrive at the main gate it has a locator and downloads more features plus it updates while in the park.

The map feature helped so much as it was interactive and you could view all the attractions and it's locations plus restrooms and guest services all helpful information to enjoy your day.

When we go to Disneyland we always take an extra change of clothes for the kids, extra diapers, jackets and sometimes I will bring in one or two snacks for the kids. This year just like last year I decided to rent a locker, if you have never rented one I highly recommend it. Makes your day easier to handle and your hands are free, there is also the fact that your stroller won't flip over when the child is out of it because of the weight {oh, how many times has that happened to me!} Furthermore, lockers are easy to access and they have three different sizes. We get the smaller one (regular) as we usually just put in the jackets, extra diapers and the change of clothes; it is the perfect size for a backpack full of stuff. Prices are:

Jumbo $15.00

Large $10.00

Regular $7.00

Coincidentally I also took my cell phone charger with me, I don't own a camera so my phone is my camera. However I couldn't find a place to charge it! Except while we had lunch at the Plaza Inn, but that was not enough to charge my phone completely. So I asked around and it turns out there are locker rentals for charging cell phones! These lockers are located in the locker rental are and have a power outlet in them and are $2.00 an hour just remember to bring your charger with you.  Disney thinks of everything, right?

On this trip we did a park hopper perfect if you are planning for only one day at the parks. The first park we visited was Disney's California Adventure (DCA) because we wanted to enjoy Carsland, it was everything we thought it would be and more! It was as if we were inside the movie. I highly suggest it be the first thing you visit while at DCA. It opened on my birthday this year {June 15th}. 

We got to see Red, Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater. Adventure Boy couldn't believe his eyes we enjoyed the tractor ride and the racers. It is the perfect addition to DCA and best area to find Cars themed toys or apparel. 

In the evening we were a bit hungry while visiting the Baby Care Center on Main Street in the Disneyland park {perfect place to change diapers, feed baby, nurse and use a kid sized potty for children ages 4 and under read more here} we decided to enjoy some delicious corn dogs from the Corn Dog Cart it was the best idea and will now be part of our Disneyland dinner tradition! 

We were able to enjoy our corn dog outdoor, sitting on benches and the kids were able to run around a bit and burn some of the excitement for the fireworks. Needless to say the corn dogs were large enough to satisfy us and just made. :)

The fireworks were spectacular as always and were the perfect ending to our day. 

On Sunday we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen, if you haven't been to a character dining we highly recommend it. They are always buffet style so you choose what you eat, but the best part of this experience is getting one on one time with characters. In this one in particular we got to see Pluto, Goofy, Rafiki, Princess Belle, Princess Jasmine and Gepetto. We had a great time and the kids loved dancing with the characters, talking with them, having their autograph book signed and taking pictures. 

We had a splendid weekend celebrating our annual tradition and Adventure Girl had an awesome birthday as always. 

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored or paid post, this post reflects only my opinion. All pictures were taken by Stroller Adventures. 

Holiday Traditions.

Photo Credit: Stroller Adventures in SoCal

Every year for the holiday season our family embarks on following through several traditions we have began with our kids, here is a list of what we do for the holidays:

• Take a picture with Santa. When our daughter was born we took her to visit Santa it was easy and a happy visit. The following year our visit was not as smooth, you see she didn't want to get close to Santa without me; so we ended up sitting in the picture with her and turned it into our tradition. We as a family take the picture with Santa and use the wallet size print in an ornament for our tree. It's fun to see how our kids have grown and how we have changed through out the years.

• Decorate a gingerbread house. Our family loves purchasing the kits at our local store and assembling the house and then the kids decorate it, we also use it as a centerpiece at our breakfast nook.

• San Diego Bay parade of lights. On our first holiday's as a married couple we visited Seaport Village and enjoyed a nice dinner and shopping day, we saw crowds were gathering along the bay to watch and enjoy the parade of decorated sail boats and yachts since then every year we enjoy a nice evening of shopping at Seaport Village and then get our hot cocoa and cookies from Seaport Cookie Co. to enjoy the parade.

• New Pj's on Christmas morning. Since our kids were born I have started a new tradition that every Christmas eve they wear a new set of warm pajamas. Our 6 year old knows this tradition well and now reminds me of her new pajamas. We like Gymboree's because of their great quality, soft material and very warm for any winter night.

• Christmas Circle. Less than 5 miles away in the heart of Chula Vista is Christmas Circle, a street that connects with another (Whitney/Mankato) between First and Second Ave. where all the houses are decorated for the holidays and the sidewalks are lit with colorful twinkle lights. We like to head over to Hans & Harry Bakery in Bonita and get our freshly baked gingerbread men and enjoy it with some hot cocoa wearing PJ's in our car while we tour Christmas Circle. Another fun thing to do at Christmas Circle is play "I Spy" with your kids. There is so much to see it is always exciting to take drive there.

• Cookies for Santa. On Christmas eve after dinner and dessert, we bake chocolate chip and sugar cookies for Santa. We place them on a plate next to a glass of ice cold milk with a little thank you note that our daughter writes for him. We also buy a bunch of carrots and leave them next to the cookies for the reindeer. Our daughter loves this tradition and always lets Santa know on her visit to the take a picture with him that his cookies will be waiting for him.

As you can see we have began traditions with our family that will last a lifetime of memories. We hope you enjoy this holiday season to the fullest.

What traditions does your family have for the holiday season? Please feel free to share with us.