Style, Recipes, Travel, Crafts & Household Tips
Love these Kohl’s Casual Summer outfits. These pieces mix and match and help you look cute and put together even for casual days.
Here is a new board of Kohls Casual Summer Outfits. These pieces mix and match for 15 great outfits that will have you looking great this summer. We even included a cute straw crossbody bag, long necklaces, wedge sandals and slip on tennis shoes. With just a few basic pieces, you can get ready for the day and look great in no time at all. [Read more…]
You might be saying to yourself, I thought your kids were teenagers Melissa, why would you visit Athens Greece with baby? You are right….this post is from my friend Katie, a fellow blogger that I met during my European travels who has an adorable baby. She is sharing How to Spend an Awesome Weekend in Athens, Greece (with a Baby) but many of her tips work well for anyone visiting Athens and many of her traveling with baby tips work in all different locales.
Perpetually on the hunt for cheap flights, cold beers, and awesome terraces, Katie has been traveling the world since she was 16, when she somehow persuaded her parents to let her move abroad to learn the ways of hygge in Denmark. Picking up a Canadian husband and a Taiwanese street cat along the way, she’s now based in Budapest. Katie blogs at GreenActiveFamily, which is dedicated to helping parents find eco-friendly and toxin-free products for their kids.
Sipping sidewalk cocktails in hip neighborhoods. Walking through ancient monuments that are so close, you could reach out and touch them. Exploring a city that dates back millennia. If this sounds like a memory from your pre-baby life, think again: Athens, Greece, is an easy and fun destination for new parents looking to test their chops traveling with a baby.
We recently spent a weekend in Athens (and 2 weeks in Greece) with our 10-month old. My best tips for enjoying Greece’s intriguing capital as a young family are below.
We spent two days/three nights in Athens, booking a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, two huge balconies with awesome city views, and a sitting room we used as a second bedroom for our baby.
We stayed on the border between the Kolonaki and Exarcheia neighborhoods, which was fairly central, super hip, and easy to get around (we walked and took the metro around the city).
There were plenty of cool sidewalk bars and cafes for an early evening drink before bedtime, as well as loads of restaurants and grocery stores for meals. We also never had a problem getting a baby chair / high chair at restaurants in this area. Score!
Link to apartment we stayed in.
Search for more accommodation options here.
If you’d rather be right in the thick of things, Plaka is more or less Athens’ historical old town. It’s touristy, but beautiful, and you’ll be within walking distance of many of the main attractions.
Now that we’re traveling as a family, we tend to eschew hotels in favor of Airbnb or holiday rental apartments. For all its faults, renting an apartment via Airbnb or booking.com has a lot of pros when you’ve got a baby in tow.
Being able to put our baby to sleep in her own room made a huge difference to our trip. We were still able to enjoy quiet afternoons during her nap, and have a few beers on the massive balconies at night. She got the sleep she needed.
Having a kitchen meant we were able to keep her diet somewhat consistent to what she gets at home, at least for breakfast. We were also able to sterilize bottles in the kitchen and store a few pre-made bottles in the fridge. All this would have been much harder in a hotel.
One of the things we’ve learned about traveling with a baby is you can’t pack too much into your itinerary. Knowing we only had two full days in Athens and would still need to fit in naps and an early bedtime, we prioritized seeing the Acropolis/Parthenon, generally hanging out in our neighborhood, and enjoying a rooftop bar with great views. Anything beyond that was a bonus.
Generally speaking, we stayed at home in the mornings, so our baby stuck to her normal wake-up, play, eat breakfast, nap routine, and explored in the afternoons and early evening. It worked well, and I’d recommend it to anyone new to traveling with a baby!
We arrived in Athens on a Thursday afternoon. By the time we got into the city center and checked into our Airbnb, we had time to wander around our neighborhood, pick up a SIM card, and grab dinner before it was our baby’s bedtime.
As we wandered, we managed to catch the changing of the guards show in front of the Greek Parliament at Syntagma Square.
I’m not one to get particularly excited about changing of the guards ceremonies, and our baby is generally more interested in watching pigeons than ceremonies. But the Greeks admittedly do a pretty good job of this. The costumes are unique, and the soldiers’ shoes are like tap shoes, adding a bit more interest (and noise) to the whole thing. We showed up at the right time and place, and it was worth the watch. If you have a toddler or a slightly older kid, I expect they’d be even more interested.
We visited the Acropolis Museum and Acropolis/Parthenon grounds on our first full day in Athens.
The Acropolis Museum is fantastic, and is a nice way to orient yourself within the history and archaeology of it all before you visit the Acropolis itself. Add to that, the museum is relatively well set-up for those traveling with children. There’s a separate ticket line for people with young kids, and you’re allowed to bring your stroller and diaper bag into the museum itself (other bags need to be checked for free).
Although the museum is spread across several floors, there are elevators to get you where you need to go: no hoisting your stroller up and down stairs. The museum also has baby rooms for feeding and changing.
Because the museum is filled with ancient artifacts, they’re pretty strict about eating and drinking within the museum, and this also applies to babies. I absent-mindedly gave our baby a bottle when she was fussing, and was quickly shut down by a museum attendant. You need to go to the baby room or cafeteria if your little one is hungry.
If you’re traveling with toddlers, you’ll need to be on high alert here and keep their random running and flailing on lock down; there are a lot of delicate and easily-damaged artifacts on display.
While the Acropolis Museum is stroller-friendly, the Acropolis itself is decidedly not. If you have a stroller, you’ll need to go to the main entrance of the Acropolis and check your stroller. Getting up to the main entrance involves some stairs, so be prepared to hoist. As strollers aren’t allowed inside the grounds, we recommend bringing a baby carrier for the time you’ll spend visiting this Athens highlight.
The toughest thing about bringing a baby to the Acropolis is the heat. We visited in the third week of May, and chose to visit late in the day, arriving at 5pm. Despite still being shoulder season and despite missing the hottest time of day, it was still sweltering. By the time we had climbed up to the Parthenon, I was panicking about how our baby was faring in the heat.
We ended up finding a shady patch of ground within view of the Parthenon, spread out a blanket for our baby, and took turns wandering the grounds. This is a strategy we’ve adopted in several countries now, and is a good way to ensure you can see the attractions on your most-wanted list while keeping your kid happy (in Iceland, we discovered our baby hates waterfall mist on Day 2. The rest of our trip involved taking turns hanging with her in visitors’ centres around the country).
Prevailing Internet wisdom seems to be to visit the Acropolis early in the morning. We did the opposite, visiting the Acropolis Museum from 3 pm to 4:30 pm or so, and arriving at the Acropolis at 5pm.
You may be wondering why we did it this way. As we were traveling with a friend who had already visited the Acropolis earlier in his trip, we got the benefit of his experience. Our friend did visit first thing in the morning, and it was crawling with cruise ship passengers. When he walked by later in the day, the cruise passengers were gone, and the crowds were far more manageable.
When we visited at 5pm, the crowds were manageable for us. It was busy, but it wasn’t shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. A late in the day visit also worked better for our baby’s schedule, as she tends to enjoy being out and about at that time of day (and the distractions reduce her evening crankiness)!
On our second day, we spent the afternoon in Plaka. Plaka is more or less Athens’ historical old town. It’s darn cute, and is probably the most popular area to stay in Athens for tourists. It’s filled with adorable restaurants, tons of shopping (both touristy-tacky and cool-designer), and rooftop bars with million-Euro views of the Acropolis.
In other words, it’s the perfect spot to spend an afternoon wandering, stopping for a lemonade, Alpha (Greek lager) or ice cream as the day unfolds.
Plaka isn’t the most stroller-friendly, but it’s not the worst either. If you stick to the main streets, you’ll get around just fine. That said, we used a super lightweight stroller, and would suggest you do the same. We use the GB Pockit, which is only 6 pounds. Even if I do have to carry it up a flight or two of stairs with our baby inside, it’s manageable.
View from rooftop bar
We opted for Thea Rooftop Bar (21 Apollonos) for our “rooftop bar” experience and would recommend it if you’re traveling with kids. Unfortunately, smoking is everywhere in Athens, and sitting on a patio often means contending with second-hand smoke.
At Thea, we were able to escape the smoke and still enjoy the view and ambiance. The bar is separated into an open-air patio, which allows smoking, and a glass-enclosed interior that is non-smoking. Because it’s all glass, you still get great views of the Acropolis when you sit inside, without the unwanted cancer risk.
Most of the places we stayed in Greece offered baby cribs, including the Airbnb we stayed at in Athens. However, as we had already decided to bring our own travel crib with us, we generally declined the offer to have a crib provided.
At one Airbnb stay outside Athens, we said yes to the host’s offer to provide a baby crib, and found the mattress was covered in mildew. Greece is hot and humid, and mattresses don’t hold up well in humidity. In that instance, we were really pleased we’d packed our own baby crib, as that one was disgusting.
We used tap water in Athens. We drank it, and we used it for our baby’s bottles of formula and drinking water. It was totally fine, and our understanding is the tap water in Athens is safe. However, if you plan on traveling outside of Athens (or Thessaloniki), double check safety before drinking the water.
Our baby started drinking water around 6 months; as a 10-month-old she drinks quite a bit throughout the day. We brought her Nuby water bottle (with a soft straw) along with us, and made sure she drank plenty of water to stay hydrated in the heat.
If your baby isn’t yet drinking water, it may be worth talking to his or her pediatrician before your trip to discuss keeping cool in the Greek heat.
Mentioned above, but worth repeating. We spent a total of 2 weeks in Greece, and there were plenty of times during our trip that we needed to lift our baby in her stroller to carry her up or down stairs, get her over a rocky patch, or get her up or down an escalator. If we had a heavy stroller, this would have been a huge pain, and may have changed how our trip played out.
We use the GB Pockit stroller and have nothing but good things to say about it. We even carried it on the plane. As the Pockit comes with pretty terrible sun protection (okay – I guess I have one bad thing to say about it), we bought a separate removable sunshade on Amazon that works great and is easy to pack.
Some parts of your trip will be completely inaccessible to strollers. Strollers aren’t allowed at the Acropolis in Athens, for example; you have to check them at the main gate before entering. If you plan to visit the Greek Islands after Athens, you’ll probably find some beaches are also unfriendly to strollers.
In those cases, we put our baby in our Ergo 360 carrier, which gave us far more flexibility in terms of our itinerary and activities.
We spent 10 Euros for an 8GB plus talk SIM card at Vodafone. If you don’t have an international SIM (such as some US carriers offer) or an EU SIM with free roaming, we suggest getting a SIM card when you land in Greece. This way, you’ll be able to call police, medical, or fire in an emergency.
Note: your phone has to be unlocked for this to work!
We loved visiting Athens, Greece with our baby, and would encourage anyone who’s considering doing the same to go for it! While your baby won’t remember the experience, your family will create great memories. As it’s a relatively easy destination to visit with a baby, you’re also likely to get a bit more confident in your new role as a traveling parent!
Yamas (Cheers)!
Are you looking for a simple way to make Father’s Day special for the Dads in your life? Then check out these adorable free Father’s Day printables that make a great homemade Father’s Day Gift. We include both necktie-shaped bottle tags and cupcake toppers. I included four different tags. Some are more elegant and some are more playful and you can choose which ones fit the Dads in your life. These are so easy to make that even the kids could help cut these out or help assemble them making them a great father’s day gift from kids. Plus, you probably already have most of the supplies to complete this project at home! [Read more…]
We know buying gifts for the men in your life can be hard. We rounded up the best golf gift ideas and golf gifts for dad. Looking for Father’s Day golf gifts or golf Christmas presents? These are some of my greatest golf ideas for him that my husband personally uses and recommends. At various levels of price, you are bound to find the perfect golf presents for the golfer in your life.
These golf umbrellas come in many colors and patterns, hold up great in rain, and are not too expensive. The double cover lets the wind flow through for those breezy days. These umbrellas also come in a couple of different sizes (width). This golf umbrella is used by many golfing professionals due to its durability and effectiveness. The Bagail golf umbrella is equipped with a vented double canopy, rubberized comfort grip handle, and auto-open mechanism. This would be a cool golf gift for any golfer. The vented double-canopy has been designed to resist inversion by allowing wind to pass through the canopy, plus has a lightweight but strong fiberglass frame for extra protection. They offer an unconditional guarantee against any defects in craftsmanship!
Check out this Golf Umbrella Here
Every golfer needs a nice divot tool. I like this divot tool because it folds up nicely in your pocket and there are no pointy edges digging into your leg. It also has a magnetic ball marker and conveniently packs away in your pocket. This tool is all metal for solid grip and feel
This club brush from Frogger is awesome. Clicks right onto your bag and has a retractable feature to quickly access during a round. Use the metal brush to clean your clubs when needed. Very durable and long lasting. It has a 2.5-foot retractable attachment cord and ergonomic grip make it easy to keep your clubs clean. The sharp and secure groove cleaner gets out even the most stubborn dirt and debris. This product was awarded “Best New Product” at the PGA Merchandise Show.
My husband loves items that have multiple purposes and this is just one of the reasons he loves the Ogio Half Dome Bag. You can use this for golf or the gym. Ogio bags are really durable and have plenty of cool features. This bag has a shoe compartment with vents to keep your bag from getting smelly. It is also large enough to carry clothes for short golf weekend. The Ogio Half Dome bag also comes in a variety of colors. The OGIO Half Dome Duffel Bag is the perfect gift for the golfer on the go. This bag has all-metal hardware which gives a clean, professional look. The front zipper pocket is great for keeping essentials accessible yet secure. The webbed shoulder strap is designed to enhance comfort and support, and the bag fits easily in a gym locker or the car trunk.
Check out the Ogio Half Dome Duffle Bag Here
Short sleeve polos are the staple of any golfing wardrobe. This Nike polo is made from Dri-FIT technology. Translation: It is cool in the summer and wicks away moisture. Perfect for those hot summer days on the course. The Nike Dri-FIT Victory Polo provides the soft feel of double-knit fabric with sweat-wicking power to help you stay dry, round after round. It is available in many colors and in stripes. It features a regular fit to give a relaxed feel while maintaining a polished appearance.
Check out the Nike Victory Polo Here
These are the “#1 Ball in Golf”. Every golfer would love to have a new set of the Titleist Pro-V1’s. They must be #1 because I find more Pro-V1’s than any other golf ball in the rough. Stock up on these balls for your Dad and he will be forever in your debt. For golfers looking to shoot their best scores, the Titleist® Pro V1® golf ball provides total performance from tee to green with penetrating flight and very soft feel.
Check out Titleist Pro-V1 Golf Balls Here
Add some spice to the college fan who plays golf. These markers are magnetic so they can easily be attached to a hat or belt. Pick your guy’s favorite college team to make it special. It includes two interchangeable iron stamped ball markers embellished with collegiate trademark and is packaged in hangable clamshell.
Click here to see the Collegiate Golf Ball Marker
Who hates getting their club wet in the rain? Basically everyone. One of my husband’s partners had this smart golf club umbrella from Drizzle Stik and he had to get one. It’s the perfect size to protect your clubs during those pesky downpours. Just stick in the bag like any other club. Pop it up if it rains and you are good to go. It Keeps your golf gear protected and dry with a convenient flex spring top which allows the canopy to pivot in any direction for easier club access. the telescoping shaft and matching sleeve allows the drizzlestik to be stored neatly in your golf bag. It made of durable nylon construction.
See the Golf Club Umbrella Here
FootJoy makes a really nice golf glove. These WeatherSoft gloves are exactly how they sound. Nice and soft. Golf gloves wear out fast, so it’s always nice to have a pair of extra gloves in your bag. The #1 selling golf glove in the world combines revolutionary performance with maximum durability along with a consistent, soft feel. More than 90 million WeatherSof gloves have helped golfers to perform at their peak in all weather conditions. One in every five golfers in the United States prefers the technologically-advanced model of WeatherSof. FJ, The #1 Glove in Golf. Exclusive FiberSof material provides the most advanced combination of a consistent fit, soft feel, and a secure grip.
If your guy obsesses over golf like my husband, then he would love a subscription to Golf Digest to always stay current. Golf Digest has tons of tips and advice throughout the year. Also, the Annual Hot List is a must have especially when its time for new clubs. Getting a subscription is way cheaper than picking up an occasional magazine. This makes it one of our best golf gift for men.
Golf Digest Magazine Subscription – through Amazon- Be careful they often have an auto-renew option that is why I like to but magazines through Discount Mags – link below
Golf Digest Magazine Subscription – through Discount Mags – they often run great specials – or use code BARGAINSHOPPERMOM for an extra 20% off or try code 5OFF10 for $5 off
Free Shipping! Free 2-day shipping for all orders $50+ on TaylorMade Golf with code FATHERSDAY19
Coupon Offer! Extra 20% off TaylorMade Golf Sale Accessories + Free Shipping! Use code: SALE20
If you love this list of the Best Golf Gifts for Men and you need more gift ideas, be sure to check out our great gift ideas page. We add more gift ideas and shopping tips throughout the whole year. Be sure to sign up for our free newsletter so all the updates come right your inbox.
If you are interested in finding deals on gifts for the entire family, check out our EverydaySavvy Deals Group on Facebook.
Father’s Day is coming up soon and finding that perfect gift for dad can be hard. My friends over at Savings.com rounded up some great Father’s Day gift ideas. I am all about experience or useful gifts. I think my husband would love tickets to a game or a concert. This is listed on page 4 of the gift guide below. Tickets to a Tigers game is always a great gift for the Detroit sports lover. We also just bought a new house so I can see many of the DIY gifts on page 2 being very useful too. I think he would prefer a gift that is more fun though than work around the house related.
Check out the gift ideas below. You can click through each one to get more details and on a few, there even is a coupon code you can use as well.
If you are more of a DIY kind of person, check out these cute printable Father’s Day Tie printable bottle tags and cupcake toppers.
These printable tags can be added to store bought cupcakes to make a cute dessert for a Father’s Day get together. The bottle hang tag can be added to any soda, beer, or wine bottle for an easy DIY Father’s Day gift or just as festive party decorations.
Need more Gift Ideas?
This Loft Summer Capsule wardrobe is full of easy to wear and cute summer outfits. A capsule wardrobe doesn’t have to be bortig neutrals. We include lots of fun colors and patterns for summer.
Here is a new Loft summer capsule wardrobe. This capsule includes a printed skirt, wide leg pants and fun shorts that can be dressed up or down. This capsule has so much fun summer colors and patterns including stripes and florals. One thing I love about Loft is that you can get shorts in the inseam you prefer 4-inch or 6-inch. You will be ready for almost any summer activity with this summer capsule wardrobe. It is perfect for traveling as well. [Read more…]
Summer is here, the kids are home and likely more time will be spent outdoors. While June will find us entertaining outdoors we will still be spending a lot of time in the heart of the home- the kitchen. That is why this Kitchen Cleaning Checklist is so helpful. The kitchen is where we store and prep for indoor and outdoor entertaining so let’s give it a thorough cleaning to get ready!
[Read more…]
Are you ready for summer? This new Old Navy Summer capsule wardrobe is for you. I love the cute floral and striped tops, gingham shorts, fun pants, and a cute straw clutch. This set has just 15 pieces with includes two pairs of shoes, a clutch, and necklace!!! Plus, Old Navy is so reasonably priced, you can grab it all and look great all summer. These outfits are perfect for a vacation capsule wardrobe as well. If you want to make even more outfits you can easily do so with accessories. I am a huge fan of Jane for fashion jewelry at great prices. You can add a bit of flair with statement necklaces, earrings, or scarves.
[Read more…]