Experiences as gifts… loving this blooming tradition!

I recently posted about a trip my daughter and I took to Ocean City this winter. This came from my daughter asking for and getting a local trip for Christmas last year. And, it’s the best tradition ever!

My 11-year-old daughter has gotten to an age where she does not want many toys but has not started to care enough about clothes and shoes to ask for a bunch of that for holidays. Because of that, a year ago, she started asking for experiences.  

Last Christmas she asked for a trip. Santa provided the hotel and an experience, and I paid for the rest. We did a local visit to a fun area in DC only about 30 minutes away.  My daughter and I both love hotels so we did not need
to go far to enjoy a night away.

Then came her birthday, and again, she did not have any huge wants, so we went to a concert, and she brought two friends.

So, when Christmas came around this year, she knew exactly what she wanted… another trip. This time she asked for 2 nights so that we could really enjoy without feeling rushed.

I know there may eventually be Lululemon clothes on her list or she may want to upgrade from her from her Kookaburra to full Uggs, but I hope the Christmas trip always happens.  In fact, I want to plan something similar with my son before he graduates. The one-on-one time with the kids gets less and less as they get older and I genuinely cherish it.  It would be harder for my husband because of his back injury, but I may even try to see if we could make something work around that for him.

I should add that my kids have several grandparents still living.  That blesses them with fun and love and stories.  It also gives them a chance to ask for an extra gift or two for holidays.

I know this won’t be for everyone, or every stage, but I highly encourage experiences as gifts. It doesn’t have to be a trip, it could be a membership to the aquarium or a sporting event. But, if it works for you, those memories will last forever. Give it a try.

Let me know in the comments if you need some ideas.  I would be happy to throw some out.

Why Ocean City, MD in the Winter? Let me tell you!

Ocean City, MD with my 11-year old daughter…in Winter…during the coldest week in years? Yep! And here is what we did and why we loved it!

Food, activities and a great hotel at a great price!

Let's start with the food.

While all of the restaurants are not open, some of the favorites are and they don't come with the summer wait that you might be used to from May to September. We were freezing, so we chose comfort food most of the weekend. We walked right into Alley Oops for great mac and cheese, Dumpsers for comfort food and an am
azing ice cream sundae and the Bayside Skillet for the best crepes I've ever had!  On top of the great food, the service was wonderful everywhere.  The servers were not busy and rushed so we chatted with them about living in OC during the winter and got wonderful service.

Between our yummy food, we enjoyed some activities together.

We started our weekend at Alley Oops! This place is like a smaller and more manageable Dave and Busters.  On top of good eats, they have a cool shark tank and an arcade with duck pin bowling.  Once you buy your arcade card, you can play typical games for tickets that get you prizes or use your card for bowling. Bowling bonus, no shoes required, you just walk up. Since the winter is less busy, the first-come, first-serve style was not a problem. We ended up playing two rounds and a few games. They have a special each day and that day, we got
$40 worth of games for $20 so we had plenty of points.

Our other out-of-the hotel activity was mini golf, indoor that is. Old Pro mini golf has a couple of locations that have indoor courses. We went to the one on 68^th street. It was a great course. Being inside did not make it any less fun. It is on multiple levels. You go up and down stairs and in and out of scenery. We had a great time, and I even won a free game! They also had a small arcade where we played ski ball (my fave) and a few other games
winning Ella a triangle game like the ones at Cracker Barrel.

Our hotel held our last activity. An indoor heated pool! We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Oceanfront on 28^th.  We stayed 2 nights. Santa paid for the hotel but if we had paid for it, it would have been half of one summer night! You read that right, 2 nights for 50% of one night! The pool area temperature fluctuated a little so I was chilly when I got out, but nothing a towel and robe could not fix.

If you were wondering what else was opened and closed, most of your summer things are open (less the boardwalk and rides) but maybe not every location. We went to Candy Kitchen, Sugar Planet and even popped into a Sunsations. We found that Google was accurate most if the time, but calling ahead might be helpful to just to make sure you don't drive to a closed location. We did not try to go down the boardwalk but did take one picture. It is crazy to see how empty it is.

Overall, we had a great few days away and did it at a great price. I would definitely recommend this for a quick getaway if you are in the area. 

If you want a video see my Tiktok @aimeesheriffstaff