A Checklist for Mountain Biking in Punta Cana

A trip to Punta Cana is a dream for many travelers. The location is stunning and the atmosphere makes even the weariest traveler feel at home. The lush landscapes and ample opportunities to relax or embark on an adventure make this unlike any other place on Earth. A trip to Punta Cana is not complete without a mountain bike tour of the area.

A mountain bike tour is the perfect way to see the real Punta Cana. You will glimpse the daily life of locals, pass through villages and learn so much about the country simply by passing by on your bike!

To help you prepare for an excellent trip through the modern foothill trails that can take you off the beaten path or the ancient coastal path, or wherever your legs may pedal you I have a checklist to help you make the most of your Punta Cana mountain bike excursion.

1. Get fitted for equipment. A helmet and a good bike are essential and you don't want to find your bike is not the correct size, or your helmet is too small after you start pedaling!

2. Pack gloves, glasses, sunscreen, and water! These are essential items for any ride!

3.Create a repair kit. Get a spare tube for your bike, or a patch kit. Should an issue arise, you will want to continue the ride! A compact pump is also a good choice for an adventure!

4. Pack a few small personal items for comfort. A change of socks, lip balm and an energy bar make good options for staying fueled and comfy on any ride.

5.View maps of the areas you wish to explore to gauge distance, terrain, difficulty of the ride and more. Be sure to let someone know where you are headed before you pedal off into the sunrise!

6. Remember that eyewear should also always be on the list. While biking, dust and other particles can quickly get into your eye and cause irritation. Therefore, it’s essential to always remember eyeglasses or sunglasses to offer protection and comfort. Luckily, there are many options available to ensure you get exactly what you need while also looking great! The last thing you want while trekking up a mountain is to get something in your eye while trying to maintain your balance, so rather be safe than sorry and invest in a pair of glasses.

After you return, get ready to rest your sore muscles at a great home away from home, like one of these Punta Cana Hotels. You might take in a massage to rejuvenate your body and spirit after your mountain bike tour, or grab a bite to eat at one of the exquisite restaurants.

Of course, after seeing the sights of Punta Cana by bike, there is no shame in heading to the beach, where a serene surf awaits you. Punta Cana is known for its gorgeous stretches of beach with clear blue seas. Snorkeling, wind sailing, kayaking and more await for you for a seaside adventure unlike any other! If you feel like relaxing with the soundtrack of the ocean to soothe you, that is a completely possible goal too!

Punta Cana is the perfect place to mix adventure with relaxation. The offerings of this popular vacation spot for luxury travel are vast and varied, making it possible to explore the area on a mountain bike, pamper yourself at the spa, indulge your preference for local fare and gourmet flavors and to soak up the sun poolside or seaside on any given day.

Black & Blue Pancakes With Krusteaz

My family loves breakfast! Every other weekend we go to breakfast together. My husband likes scrambled eggs, my daughter likes biscuits. My son, he is a sausage guy. Me? I like runny eggs and toast. But there is one food we can all agree on. And it is not uncommon for me to make a huge batch of pancakes on a whim and feed them to my family as breakfast, lunch or dinner, or sometimes a combination of the three.

This week has been a very busy one. So busy in fact that I have not made it to the grocery store yet. After looking in an empty refrigerator and an empty freezer I considered my options... We could order out. But we do pizza way too often...

I had a few boxes of Krusteaz Pancake and Waffle Mixes in my cabinet. On a whim I came up with a delicious pancake that was as easy to make as 1,2,3.

Black & Blue Pancakes

2 cups of Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake Mix
1/2 cup of crushed black walnuts
1 cup of water
1/3 cup of milk


Mix ingredients well. Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes. 
Heat your griddle to 325 degrees. Spray with cooking spray.

Pour 1/4 cup portions of batter onto the griddle.
Flip when the bubbling of the batter slows.
Cook for an additional minute.
Serve warm, with butter and your choice of syrup.





My family really liked these fluffy, nutty, fruity pancakes! This recipe is a keeper. My husband liked the strong nutty flavor that black walnuts offer, but if you do not like the intense flavor of black walnut, feel free to use regular walnuts, finely chopped. With the walnuts falling from trees right now this is a great time to pin this recipe for a great future breakfast.

If you feel lucky enter to win a great breakfast pack from Krusteaz! One lucky reader will win:
Buttermilk Pancake Mix (1), Blueberry Pancake Mix (1), Belgian Waffle Mix (1) and Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix (1) as well as Krusteaz coupons for free product.


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Travel With Kids: What to Do in Richland County Ohio

My family had the chance to visit Richland County last month. This was a big step for us, to be branching out into the arena of family travel. Once upon a time, my husband and I could throw a few items in a bag and hit the open road, a trip to the beach {700 miles...} no problem... now we have 2 kids. Our traveling has up until this point has been limited to the time frame of 15 minutes between stops to wipe a nose, find a binky, retrieve a lost toy. Richland County was the perfect place to start our travel adventures as a family. Let me tell you why.

First off, Richland County offers so many possibilities for family entertainment and activities! My kids were thrilled to visit the Mansfield Fire Museum. The display of working firetrucks of the past had my son so excited he could not contain himself. My husband and I enjoyed learning about the history of the area, the fire chiefs of the past and the replicated scenes from Mansfield.

One of the many fire trucks on display at the Mansfield Fire Museum

My daughter adored the trip to the Richland Carousel Park in downtown Mansfield, but my son went wild for it. This is a lovely carousel that has the distinction of being the only new, hand carved carousel to be made in the USA since the 1930's. The animals are lovely, beautifully detailed. The ride goes surprisingly fast to the delight of kids. The music? Classic! It completes the experience in a wonderful way. We loved the gift shop as well, they had tons of great trinkets and toys to make ideal souvenirs.  We loved that the rides are affordable and the carousel was truly a work of art.

Girls just wanna have fun on the carousel...
funny faces for selfies anyone?

He loved it! He wanted to do it again and again! 

Roo loved the carousel. He is still talking about it!

Malabar Farm was the home of famed author Louis Bromfield, this is a lovely property with a rich history. Unfortunately I cannot share much of that with you, we found that the house tour and wagon ride of the property were not child friendly. At least not for our fussy kids. I managed to get a few photos before being effectively sent on my way with my squawking kids. My husband and I agreed we would love to return, without the kids someday. Either way, we are going to try to visit again for Heritage Days this month.

The desk of Bromfield

Papers still in the drawer of the desk.

I will be featuring the Ohio State Reformatory in a post later this week, as well as the scoop on where to stay and what to eat while you are in town with the kids. Have you ever been to Mansfield or Richland County? If so, give us the goods on what is good, what is fun and where feels like home!

Cocoa Puff French Toast

Cocoa Puff French Toast

I guess breakfast is kind of my thing. I sure make a lot of breakfast for dinner meals! The number of pancake pics on my phone is mind boggling. There is just something about breakfast that I seem to romanticize... maybe because I rarely sit down to eat a hot breakfast? 

A few weeks ago I had an idea that maybe I could make french toast even yummier by adding a little crunch to my recipe! The results were fun, delicious and a crowd pleaser!

My entire family liked this version of French Toast. After trying this out I have plans to try dipping french toast into a a variety of flavors of cereal too!

My french toast recipe is simple.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons butter

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

10 slices white bread

1 cup crushed cocoa puffs

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and set aside briefly.

In a 10-inch / 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Mix together cinnamon mixture, eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into a shallow container such as a pie pan. Dip bread in egg mixture. Then dip into the crushed cocoa puffs. Fry slices for about 3 minutes  then flip to cook the other side. Serve with syrup or whipped cream!

Egypt Themed Sensory Play

Last week I read 2 fun books from our collection with Roo and Harper {Where's My Mummy and 10 Little Mummies} when inspiration hit for a fun play session.

The kids liked the stories, especially Where's My Mummy. We talked about what the mummies are. I reminded Roo about our trips to the Ohio Historical Society where saw a real mummy. We talked about pyramids and how they look like triangles.

Then I captured his attention on the subject of mummies and Egypt for days with a new sensory bin.

For about 6 weeks I held onto the Egyptian Toob from Safari LTD. I knew I wanted to involve these figures in a sensory play session, but I was stumped on what to use on the base. I knew I could use real sand, but I wanted to take it a step further and avoid a sand mess.


It dawned on me to use granulated brown sugar, Roo could touch it, smell it and taste it.

I poured about 3/4 of a bag of Domino Brownulated Light Brown Sugar in a plastic bin.

Next I added assorted Egyptian figures from our Toob.

And a few plastic palm trees.

When it was time to play I gave Rolf a spoon, a fork and a small measuring spoon so that he could dig around in the "sand". He was really interested in digging. Then he smelled the sand and said "yummy!" I told him to taste it, he was hooked... things got a little out of hand from there, he was licking his hand, sticking it in the "sand" and licking it off! Ha! He didn't make it to playing with the Egyptians...


While this sensory play session resulted in a sugared up, sticky little mess of a boy, it was fun. Rolf used his sense of touch, smell and taste... He got to dig in the sugar sand and he says he had fun... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

What is Sensory Play?

Sensory play is any activity that engages a child's senses, such as sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. It is a vital part of early childhood development, as it helps children learn about the world around them and develop important skills.

There are many benefits to sensory play, including:

• Improved cognitive development: Sensory play helps children develop their problem-solving skills, memory, and attention span.
• Enhanced language skills: Sensory play helps children learn new vocabulary words and develop their communication skills.
• Improved fine and gross motor skills: Sensory play helps children develop their coordination and dexterity.
• Increased social and emotional skills: Sensory play helps children learn to interact with others and express their emotions.
• Reduced stress and anxiety: Sensory play can be a calming and relaxing activity that can help children cope with stress and anxiety.

There are many different ways to incorporate sensory play into your child's day.

Do your kids enjoy sensory play? I would love to hear about your favorite sensory activities in a comment.

You can find more favorite sensory play ideas here.
Sensory Party in a Bag
Rainbow Disc Sensory Bag