Let's travel with Little Passports {review}

Growing up I remember dreaming of traveling the world, perhaps that is why I loved History and Geography so much. I remember as if it were yesterday looking at maps in my geography book and thinking where I would travel to when I grew up. It is most likely why I chose to study International Business in University and took German during High School and French in University. I've had the opportunity of traveling, maybe not as much as I dreamed of when I was younger but nonetheless I've traveled. I've experienced cultural differences and learned history by traveling the actual place. 

As parents we want our children to learn about the globe, learn about different cultures and travel to other countries. We feel that travel opens up so much conversation and the experiences you have through it are unlimited, fun and help you become a better person because when you travel you get to see what you read in books. 

This is one of the many reasons why when Little Passports contacted us to see if we were interested in collaborating with them to review their product we were very excited. We had read many great reviews about them, we'd seen their advertisements on printed magazines and we had visited their site to learn more about them.

When we first opened the Little Passports package we knew we'd find a suitcase, a very cute sturdy cardboard suitcase in a bright blue color that would hold information to the country chosen for us. When the kids saw the country chosen for us was Brazil they were beyond excited! You see through the past month my family and I have been living, eating and breathing soccer well more like the World Cup it probably had to do with the fact that we currently live in a soccer country: Costa Rica and that here everything revolves around soccer. If you were to ask my 4 year old about soccer he would say he loves Neymar and that he wears #10 on his jersey and is from a beautiful, colorful country called Brazil.

As soon as we opened the suitcase we saw a world map for the kids to pin the country we were learning about, souvenirs from Brazil which was a  photo of a red uakari monkey and an amethyst still in its natural state, a passport for the kids to "stamp" with the sticker of our chosen country,  a letter from a boy and a girl named Sam and Sofia explaining how they got to Brazil and what they saw during their visit and 2 boarding passes containing different codes to access fun activities and games from the Little Passports site.

The passport is not your usual passport, this passport is special and unique as the inside pages contain several questions to talk about with your children and make this a fun family activity in which everyone participates. Our 8 year old enjoyed asking us questions contained in the passport such as: "Ask your parents to name 3 countries they have visited or would like to visit" it was a great way to start the conversation on travel and where we'd love to travel again or would love to travel to for the first time. We then turned the tables around and asked the kids where they would travel to and our 4 year old said with excitement "Brazil!" he truly wants to visit Brazil and after reading about the animals they have and the culture and listening to Brazilian samba music he is even more excited.

When we were finally at a computer with internet access we logged onto the Little Passports site to "board" for our travel to Brazil, the site has activities in which you learn about the world and the specific country you were mailed. We learned that the wildest river in the world is the Amazon and that Capoeira is a martial art in which you can't use your hands and you dance to the different rhythms. We also learned that the capital of Brazil is Brasilia and not Rio de Janeiro. 

The wildlife in Brazil is colorful and exotic with toucans, macaws, jaguars, colorful frogs, anaconda and endangered red uakari monkey among many many more animals that can be found within Brazil particularly in the Amazon River Basin.  

There is so much to do in the Little Passports site, not only have our kids been visiting the site often but I have been on it too learning about Brazilian culture and I learned that the Brazilian dish "Feijoada" is a delicious stew of pork and black beans served over rice with fresh orange slices. I already searched for the recipe to try it out soon. 

I asked my 4 and 8 year old what they thought about Little Passports and they both responded by asking me when the new suitcase would arrive. That's how much they liked it. 

Little Passports is a subscription program that can be purchased for 3, 6 or 12 months. The first month you receive a package called "The innovative explorer kit" in which you will receive a suitcase, a letter introducing Sam and Sofia and their magical scooter. You will also receive a wall-sized world map to track Sam and Sofia's travels, an activity sheet and a collectible boarding pass with a secret code to access games in the online boarding zone. There are two types of subscriptions: World Edition and USA edition.  

Little Passports is a San Francisco based company and was founded by two moms that wanted to create a fun way for kids to learn about the US and other countries. My family agrees that they achieved making it fun, specially with the two characters Sam and Sofia that are also kids and children can easily relate to. This is the perfect gift for children ages 4 and over, it is also ones that keeps giving as it promotes having fun while learning and inspires you to travel. If you're on Pinterest, you should follow them as they share all about traveling with children, school lunches from around the globe, culture, festivals and much more! 

Disclosure: We received an explorer kit to facilitate our review. All opinions and images are 100% my own. 

Places to visit in Cartago Costa Rica with kids

As promised on my list of fun things to do with kids in Costa Rica I am sharing all about Cartago today. Costa Rica has 7 provinces or states:

Alajuela

Cartago

Guanacaste 

Heredia 

Limon 

Puntarenas 

San Jose 

Located in the Central Valley is the province of Cartago, within the province is the City of Cartago, it was the capital of Costa Rica until 1823 when San Jose was named the new capital. Cartago is also known as "the old metropolis", the City is beautiful and has lots of history, it is also home to several landmarks.

The Ruins

In the downtown area where Plaza Mayor is located are the ruins of the temple of the Santiago Apostol Parish, he was the first patron saint of Costa Rica. Sadly each building that ever sheltered the temple was always destroyed by earthquakes {there have been 3 major earthquakes to this area: 1822, 1841 and 1910}. We had the opportunity of visiting the ruins of the temple which remains unfinished since the last major earthquake of 1910 called Santa Monica. The Ruins show a roman influence in the structure and now house beautifully landscaped gardens and a small pond in which visitors throw coins while making a wish. Admission to the ruins is free.

The Basilica

Last August we had barely just arrived 2 months prior to Costa Rica and were fairly new to the culture, however on the last week of July we began seeing posters about the pilgrimage from all over the country to the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles in Cartago. To put this into perspective in 2013 they had over 2 million pilgrims walk to the Basilica from all over Costa Rica. On August 2 each and every year Costa Ricans walk on their feet and some on their knees in hopes of a miracle and/or to thank her for a miracle they had asked for, this is commonly called "La Romería".  

The Virgin of the Angels a.k.a. "La Negrita" was found by an indigenous girl in 1635 the story says she found a statue of the Virgin and brought it home several times although it would mysteriously reappear at the place the girl had found her which was a large rock. The rock is located in the back of the Basilica and is considered sacred. When you visit you will see visitors praying and maybe even leaving a little charm to represent the miracle she did for them.

Costa Ricans also visit the Basilica to collect holy water. The Basilica is a beautiful site, on a sunny day it is stunning with its colonial style architecture although there is also byzantine influence too. Admission to the basilica is free. 

The Irazú Volcano

Costa Rica has 6 active volcanoes, the Cartago province has 2 of those 6: Irazú and Turrialba. Irazú which in indigenous dialect means "mountain of the thunder and earthquake" is located high atop the mountains surrounded by clouds. From downtown Cartago the volcano is a short 30 mile drive, it is the tallest volcano in Costa Rica {11,259.84 ft above sea level!} allowing you to see on a clear day both the Pacific and Caribbean Coast from its summit. When we visited it was a partly cloudy day, sadly we couldn't see the two coasts.

The drive up is pretty easy and smooth a little curvy though with stunning views of downtown Cartago, when you arrive to the main crater area there is a short walk to the main viewing point in fact you can see the parking lot area from there.  There is also another viewing point which is higher, you have the option of driving to it or walking however this road is in very bad condition with huge pot holes. We tried driving so I could take pictures but halfway there decided the road was in such bad condition that was not worth it. I would've walked but for me the altitude had a bit of an impact as I kept feeling queazy and the earth moving, but the kids loved it.

We were excited to see the lake the main crater has as we'd read it changes colors from deep emerald to dark red, unfortunately due to the rising temperatures of the main crater today the lake is non-existent we were told by a park ranger that the pictures we've seen are from 5 years ago which means that it has been dried up for a while. All we could see was different formations around the crater and a very thin and loose dirt film all around us, it felt almost sand like.

We walked in the Playa Hermosa area too which is located in the middle of the park and at the moment is dry except when you dig a little in the dirt you can see a bit of humidity, while walking in it we found several lava rocks that did not weigh at all! The kids were very excited to pick up rocks and find out if it was a heavy or weightless rock.

During our time at the volcano it got cloudy, then sunny and then cloudy again. We could see the clouds roll in with the winds. It is fascinating to us how quick you can see clouds move from side to side, we've always enjoyed watching clouds drift by but for some reason here in Costa Rica it seems they move quicker. 

Since moving to Costa Rica our family had only visited the Poas Volcano until this past weekend when we finally visited the Irazú Volcano. Temperatures are similar at all volcanoes the are around 14ºC - 17ºC which is about 57ºF - 62ºF it may seem like it is warm specially if you are visiting from a cooler area, however when the average temperature in Costa Rica is in the 80s this drop feels even stronger. We suggest you dress in layers because for some it feels like the perfect weather but for others it is a bit cooler. We also highly suggest you wear sunblock, as this is higher and even with clouds you can get sunburned.

The Irazú National Park has a picnic area and a little shop in which you can purchase snacks, souvenirs and coffee/hot chocolate or if you prefer you may bring your own food and enjoy it at the picnic area with the view of the main crater. There are restrooms and a park ranger office with a first aid team in case of emergencies.

All national parks/volcanoes are open 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. daily. Just keep in mind that any volcanic area could be closed without previous notice if the park ranger feels you could be in danger as some of these volcanoes are still active. Admission to the Irazú National Park is as follows:

¢1,000 Nationals and Residents*

¢400    National and resident children ages 6 - 12*

$10 USD Non-Residents

$1 USD non-resident children ages 6 - 12

Mi Tierra Restaurant

As our day in Cartago was coming to an end, it was time to enjoy a delicious Costa Rican meal. We had asked friends of ours what restaurant they recommended and they all agreed on Mi Tierra which is located on the road up to the Irazú volcano. We arrived to our destination easily and were overwhelmed with all the delicious meal choices we found in the menu, this restaurant is family friendly with it's small indoor playground to entertain kids while parents enjoy live marimba music. 

The only thing to keep in mind when visiting this restaurant is that the bathrooms locks are hard for kids under 10 to unlock, we had a little incident where our 4 year old ran back to the bathroom and locked himself in.

* ¢ is the symbol for the national currency in Costa Rica, which are called Colones. 

11 Fun things to do with kids in Costa Rica

When we first found out we were moving to Costa Rica I began searching online for fun things to do while living here, we day dreamed of weekend trips to sites around us and even crossing the border to Panama, Nicaragua and possibly a trip down South to Argentina, Chile maybe even the Galapagos too {fingers crossed!}.

Nine months later {yes it's been 9 months} we have taken trips but still have a long bucket list. We still have items that haven't been crossed out, not because we don't want to mostly due to all the challenges we've faced since moving here such as being without a car for a little over a month, then most recently my husband's health, but now that we've overcome all these obstacles I am ready to share places we've visited and places we'd love to visit -err I'd love to visit hehe. 

1.- Manuel Antonio National Park. This is THE beach to visit while in Costa Rica, we've traveled to the Caribbean and to Hawaii and I've been to Canada and Italy so to me this beach is the beach that gave me the a-ha moment I was looking for in Costa Rica. It is rich in colors, has lots of wildlife and  the views are breathtaking.

2.-  Poas Volcano. This is the volcano that most recently had some activity and is located nearest to our home {only 55 km} in addition it is the one we keep visiting because of all its beauty. 

3.- Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort. I love going to day spas, in fact when we traveled to Las Vegas I always visited a different spa for the day to relax that is until I visited the Qua at Caesar's Palace {which is heaven to me!}. While my family visited last December they had the opportunity to visit Tabacón and my 8 year old tagged along with them. The 4 of them wouldn't stop talking about Tabacón and all the grand time they spent there. I saw pictures they took, my third grader still raves about Tabacón and so I've been following all their social media just to catch little glimpses of what I look forward to enjoy someday soon. 

4.- Monteverde National Park. The year round cloud forest, this where I will finally get to see the majestic quetzal bird with it's long feathers and deep emerald green color. It is also where you can walk across a long hanging bridge and see even more wildlife. I've read that they have glowing mushrooms, it would be interesting to see one and photograph it. 

5.- Sarchí. This is an artisans town in which you will see the largest oxcart ever! It is the perfect place to shop for souvenirs and get a feel for true Costa Rican culture and delicious food. We love taking day trips here and stop along the way at Zarcero. It is also in the Central Valley and you will see many mountains covered in rich green grass in which cows roam. 

6.- Río Celeste. They say the water is a deep turquoise hue, it is located inside the Tenorio Volcano National Park. It is said that the water from 2 different rivers combine into one mixing sulphur and calcium carbonate make the blue hue. I've read tips about what to take when going to see rio celeste and I think I may need to get some rain boots but will definitely visit it. 

7.- La Paz Waterfalls. This park is located around the Poas Volcano National Park, it is a refuge for wild animals which also has them on exhibit. It's where I finally got to hold a Toucan on my arm and shoulder and got to experience what Costa Rica is all about {no artificial ingredients}. It is also where I saw beautiful waterfalls cascading through the rain forest.

8.- Guanacaste. I've heard they have the best beaches in the country, perfect for surf and beautiful sunsets. Each beach has it's own gem to enjoy. Just to put this into perspective, the Pacific side of Costa Rica has roughly 300 different beaches... that's one beach to visit per day for 10 months! I would be happy just visiting Bay Ballena, Playa Conchal, Malpais, Bahia de los Piratas and Tamarindo. 

9.- Cartago. This is what used to be the capital of Costa Rica, it is now a beautiful quaint town East of San Jose. We have visited here more than once and still enjoy discovering new places to stop and enjoy a traditional Costa Rican meal in addition to see temple ruins in the middle of the downtown. Most recently we visited the Basilica of the Virgen of the Angels, it is truly beautiful. 

10.- Tarcoles. The tarcoles river has many crocodiles roaming around and in it, in fact there are several boat tours that take you all around it to see them. There is one in particular that I'd like to take, the man gets out of the boat to feed the crocodiles! How do I know? because I follow them on instagram and every day they post a new image.

11.- Tortuguero National Park. Turtles, manatees, caimans, basilisks, frogs and peacocks roaming around? I'm so in! For some reason I am fascinated by basilisks perhaps it is the image of one running across water as a cartoon? This place is way out of my comfort zone, yet I am intrigued to go see it. You can only access it by plane or boat. 

And to this list I'm adding 2 more that you just can't miss {consider this a bonus!}:

Ferry Ride in Puntarenas. A week ago we packed our bags for the weekend and left early in the morning in our car to Puntarenas, there we took the ferry boat that took us across the gulf to Tambor beach where we spent the day swimming like mermaids until our skin got all wrinkled up. It was a wonderful weekend in the middle of nowhere. 

Zip Lining. The first week after we moved here my husband had the opportunity to zip line -twice! He is the only one of our family who's done it and he loved it. The kids and I can't wait to do it even though I might chicken out but I'm planing on being brave and doing it! 

As you can see there is a lot to do in Costa Rica with kids and this list doesn't even cover it all! I have other items that I've been reading on and hope to add to our long bucket list. Have you visited Costa Rica? If so what would you add to this list? Stay tuned as I prepare to write posts in detail of each fun thing we've done. Pura Vida!

Welcome to Pura Vida!

Last Friday we had an adventurous day!  We flew to our new home. I have to admit both my husband and I were a bit worried about how the kids would deal with the packing of our home and then the traveling part. You see last week marked a milestone in our family, movers came to our home and packed everything into a moving truck to take to the port and ship to Costa Rica. We won't see any of those items for at least 4 weeks, so the kids had to choose enough toys, books and personal items that fit in a carry-on.  

We've taken several trips in the past in which we flew to our destination however all of them were less than a 2 hour flight each way and we weren't moving, it was just a vacation. In addition we did not have 10 suitcases to check-in as we did this time around. Nonetheless we were excited and happy with the plans. 

Our day began at 5 am when we got up and ready for our flight. By 5:45 am we were out the door and on our way to the airport. 

Check-in was surprisingly a breeze! With all our luggage, the kids, in addition to our last travel experience I thought it would be a tough one. Our 3 year old has matured so much in the past month I keep getting surprised with how patient he has started to be. Our 7 year old has also been matured in the sense that she is more helpful and this in all honesty makes life easier. 

Each child had a carry-on suitcase the kind that can also be used as backpacks, they were in charge of that and moving it from point A to point B. I had a full backpack with snacks, a change of clothes per child in addition to some reading material for me and my handbag. My husband had his backpack and after thinking about it for a long time we decided to take the carseat with us on board which he was in charge of. We choose to take the carseat for the toddler because it would make it more comfortable for him, he would be able to sleep on flight comfortably and he would be relaxed the whole time. Believe it helped so much, he was comfortable and felt secure, he took a short nap on the second flight.

We had a layover in Dallas, 2 hours between flights which allowed us to walk around and eat. Beautiful airport and larger than I had expected. This sign caught my attention, specially since the TVs around the terminal was showing a tornado alert for Oklahoma. I kept thinking about all the affected areas and hoping that they would be safe. 

Our travel went pretty good, the only little issue we had was the last 30 minutes of our flight from Dallas to Costa Rica. While landing both kids had pressure in their ears and our 3 year old couldn't stop crying. Everyone around us was very understanding and when we had finally landed and arrived at gate they shared stories about their children going through the same when they were younger. 

When we arrived in Costa Rica it was raining, it had been raining for a while and it was already dark. Did you know that they only have sunlight from 5 a.m. - 6 p.m., regardless of the season? I didn't. 

Getting our luggage was lots of fun, not only due to the amount but also because everything was at the same place! so you had not only 1 but 2 flights waiting for luggage and then we found out that there is a separate place to pickup odd shaped packages. In this place is where my MAC, stroller, carseat would be. I have to admit I was a bit panicky when I didn't see my computer arrive... Then I was told to try the other carrousel glad I did! :D

Clearing through Immigration and Customs was easy too, you fill out the forms onboard the plane and have them readily on hand for when you get off the plane. Every country has their own rules and laws just like the U.S. so it is always important to abide by the laws and respect them as you would in your own country. 

In a nutshell this was our travel day, we were finally settled into our hotel at around 10 p.m. and ordering room service so the kids could get their baths and relax before bedtime. All in all we feel it was an easy move and travel. 

Glad to be here and ready to begin our "Pura Vida" {Pure Life} lifestyle! 

Roadtrip to Baja

For Thanksgiving we traveled from NorCal to SoCal and then to Baja Mexico to be with friends and family. It was my third roadtrip alone with both kids in tow. I have to admit that I'm getting good at this. We drive for almost 7 hours straight to reach L.A. and enjoy visiting family. Spend a day or two there with them and then drive to San Diego where we visit friends after another day we continue our roadtrip to Baja and finally arrive in Ensenada Mexico where we also visit family and friends.

It sounds so easy right?? Well on this trip our drive to L.A. was a breeze, both kids were easy to travel with. At family's home we did great, the adventure got more challenging on Monday morning as my toddler son did not want to go out to eat to a restaurant. No biggie I stayed in the car with him watching a DVD while the rest of the family and my daughter enjoyed a delicious meal. From there we were to meet with other SoCal Lady Bloggers {Fabulous Ladies that blog and are all throughout the SoCal area! Check them out!}. 

This is went it continued to spiral downhill, as we were to meet at the Irvine Spectrum my toddler son was just not having it. He was crying, uncomfortable and needless to say making me work double time trying to calm him down and "keep calm and carry on". Have you had those moments? Those moments when you just want to enjoy some time and your toddler gets upset with everything? I've said it before things don't always go as planned... So there we were both my kids and I waiting to meet our friends except we couldn't calm my toddler son. 

After getting to meet Kirstin from SoCal Kids Outdoor Adventures {she is awesome! you should visit her blog if you and your family enjoy outdoor activities}, I was lucky my sister showed up and helped with both kids. We got them a quick dinner and before we knew it we were back on the road heading to San Diego. As we arrived in San Diego grandparents were ready for us and put Adventure Boy under their spell, we took advantage and visited more friends. :)

By Wednesday we were half way already through our trip and continued on to Ensenada, beautiful as always with a gorgeous view of the ocean and mountains. It is a special place. The following day was Thanksgiving, Stroller Adventures Dad joined us and our family prepared a delicious turkey and ham with stuffing, rice pilaf, cranberry sauce and I did a garden salad to go with our meal. It was all delicious!

Saturday came along too quickly and it was time to begin our trip back, making a much needed rest stop in San Diego and on Sunday continued our drive to NorCal. Oh the traffic was terrible, what is usually a short 8 hour drive turned into an almost 12 hour drive with moments that made the highway look like a parking lot! 

Finally we made it home and got ready for our week. We had a fantastic time and enjoyed seeing each one of our family members and friends, but we were beyond tired and ready to be back home. 

We are thankful for our fun and adventure filled week. 

How was your holiday week?