What I am Loving Wednesday

What I am Loving Wednesday 2/19/2020

Every other Wednesday I will be sharing some things I am loving, it could range from clothes to makeup, to food or a TV show... pretty much anything! I will show everything on my Instagram {@mrsmumaw} stories then round them all up here for you to look back at & get links!

If you have been around for a while, you know I used to do these back when blogging had link ups! They are so fun & I hope everyone loves them too!

To shop you can click on each numbered item, or they are all available in icons below!

*If it is bothering you that, that dresser drawer isn’t all the way pushed in, it is me too.😫😫😫*

1. Luke's Diner Sweatshirt

This one was going to be part of my favorites, even though I DO love it. But, I was wearing it in IG stories today & everyone loved it! Perfect for any Gilmore Girls lover!

2. Star Shoes

These tread closely to being a design dupe, which is not my thing. However, I thought it was just enough difference I would try them out! They are a super cute casual shoe. I wore them all day at Kennedy Space Center during our vacation a week ago! They run true to size, but if in-between sizes or you have a wider foot, go up a half a size! They have stars on the top on the toe as well.

3. The Croc Bag

So, these bags are NOT made by croc but yall had fun in my DMs asking if it was by them! These bags are amazing & I can't recommend them enough.

The yellow bag is a smaller & more budget-friendly option!

The green is the smaller of the two Bogg Bag sizes! You can't go wrong with either.

I take these to the beach, to ballet, to well anywhere! We even put snacks in one for in the car. & I love carrying my laptop in it with other stuff when we are on the go!

Click here for budget version {yellow bag}

Click here for Bogg Bag {green bag}

4. Blind Love

Have ya'll watched this on Netflix yet?

I am obsessed. If you haven't watched The Circle yet, def do that. It reminds me of that show but about dating! Nick Lachey & his wife host it. I am only 2 episodes in {Brandon went on without me} but it's just enough drama & fun for me to love it! Very Bravo-y show! 

5. Sunglasses Case

This thing was a lifesaver on vacation! I love sunglasses & always have a million cases floating around. This worked great to house a lot of sunglasses in my bag & suitcase & kept them safe!

6. Eye Mask

I can't take myself seriously in this photo! I love eye masks. I have a hard time sleeping, & masks always help me fall asleep. Ever since I got eyelash extensions I can't use them though. Well, I found this mask that has a sort of cup so no pressure is on your eyes or lashes! We all keep joking it looks like a toddler bra though when it is laying out! LOL

7. Lip Balm

I really love gloss, but 90% of the time I am not done up enough to feel like gloss goes. This balm is technically a lip plumper. I didn't buy it because of that, but I wouldn't hate if it did plump a little. I still can't fully tell if it does but I love it because it puts a nice shine without being glossy & it puts the best natural tin on your lips! It adjusts to your lip color. I'll put the examples below of different skin tones. I have the "Big O" color!

8. Ticket Memory Box

I have always kept ticket stubs & wristbands. I never had a good way to store them & I really liked the idea of somehow displaying them! I put this memory box on our hall wall that features all of our travel pictures. Well, it supposed to. I haven't finished it ha! There is a little slot on top to put them in!

9. U.S. Sticker Map

This is actually for an RV or car of sort sticker map! I am going to also put it in the hall & fill in the states as we visit them! I just have to find a frame that fits it yet! I love the state's fonts & graphics!

10. Sand Free Blanket

I had to round this to an even number so I also added the link to the sand free blanket because I have gotten a lot of requests to share that again. We left it at the house we stayed at in Florida so I couldn't show it in stories.

Hope everyone likes this new little series! See you next week!

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Kelly Park Crystal Clear Swimming Hole with Kids

Kelly Park Crystal Clear Swimming Hole with Kids

There is a lot of theme parks & attractions near Orlando Florida, but just outside Orlando if you take the ride bring you to the most gorgeous spring with crystal clear water.

This spring is Rock Spring is which is feed off of the Wekiwa River! Truly so beautiful with emerald & blue hues!

It is a popular area to canoe, kayak, tube & swim!

You can read my post about Kayaking the spring at Kelly's Landing HERE

What is Kelly Park?

Kelly Park is just that, a park that has a swimming area to the Rock Springs Run.

It has a playground, pavilions, a concession stand {this wasn't open when we were there}, hiking trails.

It is generally extremely busy. Especially during summer & peak season breaks.

During the summer they are known to hit capacity within a hour of opening. 

You want to arrive early, to avoid this.

We visited the first week of February, I am unsure if it plus the mix of it being very chilly that day starting out but we had the entire place to ourselves for a while. We only saw one other family as we arrived & a couple arrived & left as we were swimming.

Hours:

Summer 8am-8pm

Winter 8am-6pm

The waterfront closes one hour before the park closes.

How much is it to get in?

1 - 2 people : $3

 3 - 8 people : $5

 Busses are $10 for the bus plus $1 per person.

They take cash & card with ID

They do not allow pets or alcohol.

How will I know if they have reached capacity?

They update their websites & you can also call 407-254-1906

Other helpful info per their website:

"Each morning, 280 vehicles will be allowed entry, and an additional 50 vehicles are allowed in after 2 p.m. with an afternoon parking pass. These 330 vehicles equate to an average of 1,350 visitors each day. You must get a voucher in the morning once we hit our initial capacity to be able to gain access at the 2 p.m. re-open time. Only one voucher will be given per car and they are on a first-come, first-served basis."

Can I bring my own floats?

Yes, you can bring pool noddles & tubes.

They must be no larger than 5ft in width & length.

You are able to bring in third party rental tubes.

Can you see how crystal clear it is here? You can really see the blue/green hues I was talking about too!

Are there lifeguards?

Yes, but they are not year-round. When we were there, there was none. There are lots of areas that are shallow, but it can drop quickly to be quite deeper. Def keep an eye on your little ones, & bring a lifejacket if your kids aren't swimming yet, or not strong swimmers.

Alligators & Wildlife

I think that is the number one question everyone had for me. & here's the thing, if there is a body of water in Florida there is ALWAYS a potential of gators. Did we see any on our trip? No. Have others? Yes.

If you look closely at the picture below on the right-hand side you can see the deer drinking in the water! There were at least 4 of them! So neat! Other wildlife that has been seen there is otter, storks, heron, turtles, fish, bear, bobcat {super rare}!

Here is a great video going over the area!

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Canoeing Kings Landing Florida with Kids | Kelly Park Apopka Florida

Canoeing Kings Landing Florida with Kids

I have no idea how places like this go unnoticed & not talked about. It is about an hour or so from Orlando, located in central Florida. This is an amazing hidden gem for families traveling in Florida. 

The Wekiwa river goes into springs, this post is specifically for Kings Lands & Kelly Park area along Rock Springs Run. The spring is absolutely breathtaking with emerald & blue hues. As if that wasn't enough, the water is completely crystal clear. Each area of the water features a different hue in different places & brighter or deeper in color depending on the sun hitting it! It is a perfect place to kayak, canoe or tube!

First, let's start off on how to get your footing on the area, because it's kind of confusing.

Kings Landing Canoe

Kelly Park

Kelly park is the actual park that features a free-flowing natural spring (68 degrees year-round)

This park you pay admission, it has a playground, pavilions, picnic tables & has a swimming area with several ways to get into the spring. This post is about Canoeing Kings Landing, but it's important to know the difference between the two because they are just down the street from one another & often get confused. We even did, & I KNEW the difference. {you CAN canoe at Kelly Park at their Camp Joy}

           Click HERE for all info on Kelly Park           

Kelly Park Swimming Area

Kelly Park Swimming Area

Kings Landing

Kings Landing is NOT the spring itself, it is an access point to the spring where you rent canoes/kayaks. It is about 2 miles from the mouth of Rock Spring.  The area where you launch & Kelly park where you swim is what is called Rock Springs Run. 

You will pass Kelly Park {mentioned above} on your right, & then come to a dead-end of the road where you park.

Things to Know

Do not bring anything glass or styrofoam. They have up signs that any bags are subject to be searched before you get into one of their boats.

Always remember not to ever throw away any trash, bottles, plastic, etc while out enjoying the run & make sure you never harass the wildlife.

When you arrive make sure you grab a free drink from the cooler! 😉

Address for GPS:

5722 Baptist Rd.

Apopka, FL 32712

No, I do not want to talk about my husbands choice in sunglasses in this photo.

What do you do?

Canoe/Kayak Swim option

This is what we did. This is more for leisure to enjoy your time type of thing to do. Great for families or couples that aren't avid canoe/kayakers but want to enjoy the beautiful water.

There is plenty of swimming holes for you to get out swim in, they also have rope swings throughout the run. You can take all the time you need to explore the Emerald Cut. It is a straight shot back and forth, as you are going to Emerald Cut{the area before the "bridge" where the prettiest photos I have on here were taken} you are paddling upstream. It's a workout. Like whoa, arms burning, but on the way back the stream seriously pushes you back itself. You only need to steer a little. It is so relaxing coming back & taking everything in.

You simply launch at the landing then spend as much time are you want, but have to be back by 5PM.

There are no reservations needed.

River Run Adventure option

There are other options to do the entire run from Kings Landing to Wekiva Island & be returned by their shuttle. This is the River Run Adventure. I don't necessarily recommend this if your family are not avid kayak/canoers or with young ones unless they are used to doing this. It's beautiful, of course, but long. It is 8.5 miles long and generally takes about 4.5 hours. You must plan on being in the water not later than 11 AM. This also the more expensive option.

When are they open?

Open 7 days a week from 8 am - 5 pm

How much does it cost?

Canoe:  $30

Ganoe: {we needed this because all 4 of us wanted in it} we paid $50

Kayak; 1 Person $40 2 Person $50

These prices are for all-day til 5 PM.

They include the paddles & flotation devices.

NOTE: they only take CASH as payment

When is the best time to go?

I can't say this one for sure as we have only gone once, but I can say what I have heard & researched myself. We went in February, this is for sure a lighter crowd time. We saw about 7 other people on the river but went long passes without seeing anybody. We felt like we were the only ones out there! However, the weather started quite chilly so I am sure that had a lot to do with it, as well. Luckily, as I mentioned above the water is quite warm. Summer, expect it to be very packed. From what I have seen it can get extremely crowded. Remember, you sharing the run with people tubbing, entered at various areas & Kelly Park. So it's not just Kings Landing customers.

As with just about all places, getting there early is always a good idea to beat crowds.
It will guarantee you are boat {or whatever you choose} & let people on the water at first.

Wildlife?

Being this place being so beautiful, the amount of wildlife we saw was amazing!

You can see all sorts of fish since the water is crystal clear you really get a good look at the different kinds. There are also turtles everywhere. We were able to see deer in the brush, storks & herons & wading in the water taking a drink.

Other animals have seen are otters, exotic birds, possibly monkeys, bears & extremely rarely bobcats!

What about alligators?

I think that is the number one question everyone had for me. & here's the thing, if there is a body of water in Florida there is ALWAYS a potential of gators. Did we see any on our trip? No. Have others? Yes.

What if I don't want to Canoe/Kayak?

No problem, you can still enjoy the spring!

As mentioned above Kelly Park is a great way to go & swim to enjoy. I have all my tips & info about going there HERE.

You can also tube! I think this would be so fun. I don't think, based off me doing a tubing trip in Indiana on a river, that taking younger kids would be your best option. I think maybe my 9-year-old could have but for sure not my 7-year-old. However, you know your child best.

There is tubes to rent, that is already inflated just up the road {you would have passed it getting to Kelly Park / Kings Landing area. It is called Rock Springs Bar & Grill. The tubes are only $7 for the day! You can also bring your own tube but it must be less than 5 feet in length. 

Extra Tip

More than likely you are going to be pretty hungry afterward! I highly recommend this BBQ resturaunt right by Rock Springs Bar, called HOG & DOG BBQ. The food was outstanding. All southern BBQ food & sides & the the service was amazing! The portions were huge so we got plenty to replenish us!

Here is a great video going over the area!


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Visiting Kennedy Space Center

We want to thank the Kennedy Space Center for our tickets and having us for the day! We had such a blast {pun intended} & made so many lifelong memories!

Visiting Kennedy Space Center

If you are anywhere near the "Space Coast" you have to plan a trip to the Kennedy Space Center. My youngest is absolutely obsessed with all things space & astronaut so we knew this trip would hit it out of the park, but every single person in our family enjoyed it so so much!

It's hard, to sum up the whole day, we weren't even able to do everything that they had to offer! So, first, let's start with that. When KPC had emailed me they said you would need several hours, & I thought no way. We could do this in no time. I was so wrong. We arrived around 1230 & it closed at 6. So, I really suggest getting there when it opens.

Kennedy Space Center Hours:

{in 2020}

The hours vary month to month

Always opening at 9 AM but closing varies from 6,7 & 8 PM

Check your dates online before you go!

For your GPS, the Kennedy Space Center address is:

Space Commerce Way

Merritt Island, FL 32953

We made the mistake of putting in the Kennedy Space Center, only. & you actually want, Visitor Complex. 

Parking is $10

Kennedy Space Center Tickets:

Buying tickets is super easy. You can buy them right online, in person at the ticket booth or they have great {on theme} self-serve ticket kiosks. 

One thing I really loved was the entire center is funded by ticket sales & donations. No taxes contribute to this amazing place, it mostly funded on your tickets. I felt like after looking at the prices it made it even more worth it that it was contributing to keeping this amazing place running!

Ticket prices are:

CHILD {ages 3-11} $47

ADULT {ages 12+} $57

* NOTE there is a military presence outside, this can be a little frightening for some young children. You may want to have a conversation before arriving just that there may be men in camo with very large guns but they are there to protect us.*
* ALSO, if you bring a bag you will go through a bag check twice. Don't make the mistake I did of zipping everything up & putting it back in to only do it again steps later*

Our MUST DO's at Kennedy Space Center

Where to start?

I am a planner & I like to make the most of the time we have when we go to places like this! I am hoping by sharing our day it will allow you to do the same at the Kennedy Space Center!

 After you arrive, obviously get your photos out front with the NASA logo {there is also another photo opt NASA logo inside} & grab one in front of the rockets in the "rocket garden" when you first go through the gates. 

Then go straight to the bus tours. You're going to be tempted to go to a few places first, especially if you have young ones. There is a jungle gym/play place of sorts that will be hard to pass up but trust me you want to head back to the bus tours. The lines get long, & the time gets lengthy. They do an amazing job of constantly having buses dropping off & picking off but there are only so many people that fit on buses.

Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour

Your first thought may be, nah I am good. A bus tour isn't our thing. But, I promise you want to go on this. The bus takes you out to Saturn V {the big rocket} & so much more. The bus tour itself shows off the launch pads, you get to see a space crawler, Space X, & get to hear a lot of info! I really loved hearing about the endangered & protected species on the property! We even got to see one of 16 bald eagles, & her nest! We also got to see her little babies' heads pop up from the nest! The nest is 50 years old & current mom & dad have been in that nest for 25 years! So incredible! The main reason people take the bus tour is to get out to Saturn X but they make the ride amazing.

*PARENT TIP* This may be less fun for younger ones, but I find pointing out everything yourself & talking about will help keep younger kids engaged & interested. It takes about 15 mins to get out, & about 5 mins to get back since they don't stop to look at things, etc on the way back.

When you get dropped you may have to wait or go right into the little info show depending on when the show before you gets done. It takes probably 20 mins. all together. The first show you stand & watch a little history video & then you lead into the exact replica of the Apollo mission control/firing room. They then replicate leading up & during Apollo lift off. Down to the exact sounds, with windows shaking, the sun outside, when people were speaking it lit up their chair for who spoke. Was just so freaking neat.

However, if you have little ones or children that don't love sitting/standing still & being quieter; when you get off of the bus go right towards the new Moon Tree Garden & enter the building on that side that is covered in windows.

Apollo 8 & The Firing Room

Moonscape-- See the real Lunar Module 9 with a life-sized scene from the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

I can't even name all of the things to do in this space. There is Lunar Theatre, looking at the rocket itself, there is a cafeteria where you can eat near the rocket which is so cool, so many exhibits to looks at with real memorabilia. It may be cheesy to some but this green screen photo op was so fun for our girls & the photos that came from it are keepers! 

Atlantis 

After you are done with the bus tour, it will drop you off right in front of Atlantis! Head straight in there next!

There is another neat educational video you watch that opens you up in a 3 story building that is chalked full with a million things to do. Tons & ton of hands-on things to explore & try. Including seeing the actual Space Shuttle Atlantis! They also had a beautiful memorial for the lives lost in missons STS-51L Challenger and STS-107 Columbia.

They have super fun modules you can explore by crawling in, sitting in & full panels where you can press all the buttons your heart can desire.

Sensory Sensitivity Advisory

I really loved the signs for sensory advisory everywhere, they had one for every experience big or small. That way if you know each sensory sensitivity could be a trigger for your child, so you can choose if it is right for you kid or self.

Fun Extra Notes:

-In the gift shops etc they have astronaut food you can buy to try, like ice cream sandwiches, strawberries that would be so fun to have as a treat & show how astronauts eat.

- Speaking of eating, the food here is quite over prices & normal theme park food. If you can pack snacks & lunch. Or like we did have a big breakfast coming in, then have a snack & grab dinner after you leave. We went to a nice restaurant at Port Canaveral about 10 mins away.

- Photos. As you saw above they have some photo opportunities throughout the day. Before you get on the bus, at Saturn V, & before you get on the Shuttle Experience. The top price to get all digital photos is $55. They have packages starting at $30 & they end up being such fun souvenirs! 

Shuttle Launch Experience

This is on the bottom level of the Atlantis building & by far the favorite part of our visit. This is a simulator experience to feel, hear...everything as if you were in a real shuttle launch going into orbit!

The "ride" is about 8 mins long!

You must be at least 44 inches tall for this. You can not bring anything with you, but they have free lockers right outside the entrance for you to put all of your things in. This is a pretty true simulation experience. They really playfully try to scare you, & in my opinion make it a bigger deal than what it is. It was very neat but none of us found it scary. If sensory if an issue, you may want to stay clear of this though. Brandon & I's only compliant was how much the fat on our necks was shaking 😂😂😂

*PARENT TIP: the video, like I said, really tries to kinda scare you into thinking it is a very real experience, even with things going wrong etc, reassurance is going to be key to make your kiddo feel safe & that everything is fine*

photo via Kennedy Space Center

So much to do!

Those two buildings alone took 6 hours to go through! There is that much to do! & while there is a lot of signs for reading & learning, they did such an amazing job making the learning also so hands-on that I really feel this is a stop for all ages to enjoy. 

Some other stops are Heros & Legends the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

There is the old launch clock out front, that was the original clock for every launch before 2016. 

Other things to see & do:

-Astronaut Encounter

-IMAX theatre 

-EYES ON THE UNIVERSE: NASA'S SPACE TELESCOPE

This is the perfect destination for the space lover in your family but I promise even if none of you are space addicts you will thoroughly enjoy your visit. 

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