Homemaker Barbi was happy to have Oscar Mayer as the official sponsor of our Memorial Day BBQ Bash.  But like all things in Alaska, you just never know what is going to happen with our weather!  You may have already seen our midnight Alaska bbq we had with Oscar Mayer hotdogs.  Needless to say, things are pretty topsy turvy when you live in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Our Memorial Day Barbecue was scheduled for 4pm.  It was hot outside, upwards of 80 degrees and sunny.  We had planned to let the kids run through the sprinkler with their swimsuits on, even. Well, that didn’t happen…

We got rained out! At exactly 5 minutes to 4pm, as we started bringing out all the food to the picnic tables, the sky turned black.  Rain clouds rolled in and rained on our picnic!  We quickly moved all the tables and food under the awning against the neighbor’s window (shown at right). 

The food was safe, but we had to huddle on the sidewalk until the rain slowed to a drizzle.  Our barbecue food was as great as ever, even if my picnic tablescapes didn’t survive!  We had delicious Oscar Mayer hot dogs (including the new spicy jalapeño ones for my husband, and had great company with friends, family and neighbors!  Note the raindrops on our hot dog packages:

By the end, the rain stopped and the kids (even the big kids!) were able to run around an play with the hula hoops and frisbees.

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My hubby and I are always happy, no matter what unexpected circumstances we run into.  Here are some photos of pregnant me, Danelle Ice, and my hubby, Michael Simmons, on our rainy Alaska summer afternoon:

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We didn’t get many pictures because of the rain, but if you want to see a few more, check out these:

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Thanks again to Kraft and Oscar Mayer for being the official sponsor of our Alaska Memorial Day BBQ Bash (even though it was mostly rained out)!

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No matter where your family vacation destination is, there are simple steps you can take to make the most out of your summer vacation. Follow the summer vacation tips below from this mom of four kids to eliminate stress and enjoy some quality family time during this summer’s annual trip.

Hotels and Food

When booking your accommodations, don’t overlook the benefits of staying in a hotel suite or condo rather than a regular hotel room. Though pricey, these home away from home settings are spacious and family friendly, and may well be worth the extra money spent.

Family suites are usually equipped with washing machines and dryers (or access to them), allowing you to pack lighter for your trip.

Family suites also offer full service kitchens complete with refrigerators, toasters and microwaves. By preparing breakfast in the room and packing a lunch, you will significantly reduce food costs associated with dining out for all 3 meals.

When visiting a popular destination such as Orlando, grocery prices tend to be higher than average. For added savings, buy the bulk of your groceries before leaving your home and store in a cooler, if you have the room in your car. This provides the additional bonus of healthy snacks during the drive and decreases the amount of rest area stops and drive-thrus to feed the aching bellies in the back seat. 

Keeping Kids Entertained While Traveling

Whether traveling by car or by plane, you will need to keep the children entertained. Even parents that have cars equipped with DVD players find that children will grow tired of movies during the drive.

Individual activity bags for each child work wonders in keeping the kids entertained. For younger children, fill individual backpacks with coloring books and crayons, favorite small toys, picture books, miniature family photo albums, snacks and juice.

Flying and Confirming Details

If you are flying, pack a small carry-on bag of essentials to have on hand.  (Print out our checklist How to Pack a Carry On Suitcase.)  Be sure to include band aids and first aid items, important documents and phone numbers, etc. This will come in handy should your luggage get delayed. Compile a list of all confirmation numbers (i.e.; rental car, hotel, theme parks admission, etc.) and include this in your carry on as well.

It is always good to spend some time before you leave confirming all aspects of the trip. Call the hotel and confirm check in dates and times. If flying, call airline and make sure flights are not delayed. To save time, print the boarding passes at home.

Check the weather for your destination online to make sure you have all appropriate clothing. I often visit Florida and the weather is inconsistent. Sometimes it’s sweaters and hats, other times it’s bathing suits and sunscreen. Better to be prepared before you arrive than to have to spend money on clothing when you get there. If you are traveling by car, be prepared with a road atlas and even a direct map-quest route. Automobile navigation systems have been known to go haywire, and should such a thing happen while in unfamiliar territory you will be glad you took such precautions.

Vacation Routines with Kids

While vacations are a time to relax and do away with rigid schedules, it is helpful to maintain somewhat of a routine while away from home. Children will not adapt as well as adults if their normal behavior patterns are disrupted. Try to maintain normal sleeping patterns by ensuring bedtime and naptime remain fairly consistent during the trip. The combination of disrupted sleep and over stimulation from a vacation environment are the key factors responsible for tantrums and meltdowns. Bring comforts from home such as personal pillows and favorite toys.

Have realistic expectations about what your children can tolerate and how they will behave on vacation. Children do not have the capacity to cope the same way adults do. They need to be entertained without being over stimulated. Finding the right balance is the biggest challenge of family vacations. A good rule of thumb is to keep adult-focused activities to a minimum and fit them in between family friendly activities. Bored children result in cranky children, which results in cranky parents. By planning in advance, you can do your part to provide a family friendly summer vacation that is enjoyed by everyone.

Family Friday: Time to Share!

Now it’s time for you to share your Family Friday post with the rest of us!  If you’re not sure how it works, read the directions and guidelines for Family Friday here.

Please add your family-related blog post below in the Mr. Linky. Remember, you MUST link your post back to HomemakerBarbi.com. (If your link was deleted, email us.)

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What are your plans to celebrate the first day of summer? The kids are out of school, it’s a beautiful summer solstice weekend, and the living’s easy! Just because the first day of summer is such a huge event here in my city, I have to tell you a little bit about what it’s like to be in Alaska on the longest day of the year.

In Alaska, summer solstice is one of the biggest holidays of the year. Not only is summer solstice the longest day of the year, but it’s also considered by most to be the first day of summer. Alaska is called “The Land of the Midnight Sun” for a reason; it really does stay light all day, all night, and then all the next day. It’s like three days in a row where it stays as sunny as if it’s noontime, even at 10 o’clock at night! What a great first day of summer!

They have a cool race called the Midnight Sun Run on the first day of summer which starts late at night and goes into the wee hours of the morning. Also, all the stores stay open past midnight with what they consider to be spectacular sales! The streets downtown are blocked off for a late-night street fair and festival with kids’ activities and musicians. All in all, summer solstice is a really fun holiday that people get very involved with here in Fairbanks.

My family has done all these first day of summer activities in years past to get into the spirit of summer solstice. All these things involve spending a moderate to a large amount of money, however, which is not very frugal and somewhat dampens the fun when you’re on a tight budget! The street fair has lots of expensive junk food, kids’ rides and vendors peddling their wares. The first day of summer shopping may offer great deals, but we’d still be spending money on things we don’t need (that would be better off in our savings account). Even the midnight race has an entrance fee of $25 per person!

This year to celebrate the first day of summer, I think we’re going to have the best summer solstice of all. We’ll fire up the barbecue at home later in the night, grill some hot dogs and burgers and probably see our neighbors wander over. My husband and I will break out the lawn chairs, sit outside in the bright summer sun (at midnight) with the kids in bed, hold hands, sip some coffee, blog on our laptops while enjoying the spectacular midnight view of our neighborhood, and marvel that the best things in life still don’t cost a penny!

What is your family planning for the first day of summer? Do you have any special traditions for summer solstice? Do you let your kids stay up extra late on the longest day of the year?

Happy summer solstice and first day of summer to you all!

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