Murphy's Laws for Moms

I'm always on the lookout for new adventures to do with my family.  But, I have to admit that when the opportunity became available to explore New Mexico, I had to question what we would find.  Having only ever driven quickly through the state, I didn't know much about it except for the fact that there was a lot of desert. Ruidoso, New Mexico has expanded my horizons - quite literally.  The beauty of this mountainous area almost makes me feel as though I'm driving through the Pacific Northwest.  The fact that it was 60 degrees (and an elevation of over 7,500') also blew my mind. Only a couple hour drive from El Paso or Albuquerque, Ruidoso is a beautiful, mountain village that offers a lot of activities during any time of the year.  Because we were visiting in the summer, we opted to check out the Flying J Ranch - a replica of Western cowboy living. Flying J Ranch is a dinner theater-type event that opens at 5:30pm when you can pick up tickets that you've...

Recently, my husband and I decided to take a last-minute trip up to British Columbia.  In over a decade of living in the Pacific Northwest, this is one place we have never been.  Since there were so many things we did and saw, I've broken this post down into question you might have about visiting Vancouver. What do you need when crossing the border? Because this was a last minute trip, we did not have the time to get our children passports.  So, we were very excited to learn that children under 15 do not need passports when driving across the border.  You only need to have their birth certificates.  As adults, we did need to bring our passports. Note: If you fly into Vancouver, then you and your children will all need passports. What about your auto insurance? We almost forgot to check on our auto insurance coverage when driving into another country!  So, we were very grateful to learn that our coverage was still valid as long as we did not stay ...

Because of the often high cost of travel, I have become very picky about how I get from Point A to Point B. However, living in the West Coast, flying often makes the most sense.  Since I often travel with my kids, I look for airlines and routes that are family-friendly. Recently, I learned I need to start looking at even more: the airport through which we are traveling. Nothing is worse than a long day of travel - often starting early in the morning - with kids who just want to get to their destination.  But, when you toss in a non-family-friendly airport...well, things have just about become impossible. This is where my kids and I found ourselves on a recent trip: in Salt Lake City. I used to love traveling through the Salt Lake airport. They had numerous play areas where my kids could let loose and use up some energy before our next flight. When you have two to three flights in a day, these play areas are a lifeline for family travel. But, Salt Lake has taken out all of ...

Last year, my house had a water pipe break - causing damage to our floors.  Thankfully, the damage was not extensive and did not require immediate repair.  But, it did require us to move out of our house for an extended hotel stay.  We were blessed that this was covered by our homeowner's insurance.  And, we were doubly blessed that our insurance provider booked us in one of Marriott's TownePlace Suites . Living outside of your home while having to maintain a regular schedule of school, work and extracurricular activities isn't easy.  Not only do you have to continue your regularly scheduled life, but you have to do it in a new, temporary location where you don't have everything you usually rely on.  Yes, you've attempted to prepare by packing enough clothes, toys, books, and other supplies, but it's still not home. Kitchenette and living room TownePlace Suites; however, helps you feel like you can still maintain your daily routine by providing a sm...

Driving through South Dakota Road tripping across the country with just one parent and two kids, age 3 and 5, isn't always exciting.  With all of the obstacles I attempted to plan for, the one thing I forgot was summer road construction.  As we drove across many of the northern states, there were a lot of construction projects that brought our speed down to 45mph...thus increasing the time it took to get from one planned location to the next.  Then, when you add in limited attractions throughout the Plains states, kids will get bored...no matter how many movies you have for them to watch. New cowboy boots! Thus, the appeal of Wall Drug, South Dakota .  It's in the middle of nowhere - and I mean NOWHERE.  It literally popped up on the highway right when I thought I was going to go insane from listening to Thomas: Tale of the Brave for the 75th time.  New cowboy boots! Driving into Wall Drug is like driving into the Wild West.  My kids i...