Canobie Lake Park - New England Fun for All Ages!

We were provided with complimentary tickets to Canobie Lake Park to facilitate this review. 

All opinions expressed are my own.

Last weekend we took our annual summer trip to Canobie Lake Park! It's always a relief to make the final arrangements for this super fun day trip because I'm asked almost every day of the summer, "Can we go to Canobie Lake this weekend?" Being another crazy summer that included broken bones, we had no choice but to again wait until the end when we were all cast-less and ready to play.

Canobie Lake Park is conveniently located in Salem, New Hampshire, just a couple of minutes from Route 93. It's easy to get to, parking is free, and if you plan to spend the entire day there, I can promise you won't get bored!

We have a seven year old and a 19 month old and they both, not surprisingly, had a blast at the park this year.

Our big kid will ride most all the park rides. A few of this year's favorites were the Canobie 500 Cars, the Kiddie Dragon Coaster, the Caterpillar, the Policy Pond Log Flume, the Boston Tea Party (SO WET!), and the Pirate Ship.  We decided to wait one more year before riding the biggest roller coasters like the Yankee Canonball, the Corkscrew Coaster, and Untamed.

Our little one enjoyed her first carousel rides(s) this year! I lost count of how many times she rode the Antique Carousel but the nice things about Canobie Lake Park is that once you've paid for admission to the park, you're good for the day and can ride what you love an unlimited number of times!

Our entire family loved riding Over the Rainbow.

It is so fun to have rides that can be enjoyed by the whole family!

Although our youngest was big enough to ride the rides in the kiddie section of the park, I didn't quite trust her to ride alone and my oldest is a tad too big for those rides. For the most part, these rides have a 48" max height. If this girl wasn't in a phase filled with "no" and some pre-terrible-two defiance, I may have trusted her, but climbing out of cars and boats mid-ride wouldn't be good! Next year!

The food at Canobie Lake Park is always delicious and this year was no exception. In fact, this year was better than ever before with the new Smokin' BBQ! My husband and I enjoyed delicious pulled pork sandwiches with baked beans, coleslaw, and iced tea. My parents tried out the BBQ chicken. My southern husband is pretty critical when it comes to barbecue and he was impressed in this authentic, delicious meal! Smokin' BBQ is only open Friday through Sunday, starting at 1pm, and only until the food runs out. We got there at 1:00 to get the freshest of the batch and we'll do it again next time for sure.

You can't bring food or drinks into Canobie Lake Park, but there truly are tons of options for meal and snack time! We enjoyed popcorn, cotton candy, and ice cream throughout the day. We'd been looking forward to them all year and they surely didn't disappoint!

If you haven't had a chance to make it up to Canobie Lake Park yet this year, it's not too late! There is still tons of fun to be had at Live Shows, the Canobie Petting Zoo, and Screemfest, which begins this weekend! Start planning your trip today!

Safe Nausea Relief from Sea-Band Mama!

I received this product for free from Moms Meet to use and post my honest opinions. 

Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links. 

As I entered pregnancy with my youngest daughter, I didn't expect to struggle with much morning sickness or nausea at all. My first pregnancy was a breeze in that regard. I had a little bit of morning sickness in the very beginning but it truly was minimal - no vomiting, and easily managed with a little lemonade and some oyster crackers. However, since no two pregnancies are alike, the pregnancy nausea hit me a little more than I expected the second time around! It was like clockwork. I'd get up in the morning and jump in the shower hoping it would be gone by the time I got out. Nope. Not a chance! I tried special lollipops and candies, all promising to relieve my nausea, but even just the taste of anything in my mouth just made it worse! Every morning for months I was plagued with morning sickness that was only relieved by vomiting. Yuck. 

I wish I'd known about Sea-Band Mama!

The Sea-Band Mama! product line includes Ginger Lozenges (fortified with iron), a pocket-sized Aromatherapy Rollette with essential oils of lime, ginger, and spearmint, and Acupressure Wrist Bands, all to aide in nausea relief.

Recommended by midwives and pregnant women around the world, the Sea-Band Mama! wrist band uses acupressure to provide a natural choice for effective - and safe - nausea relief. Simply wear two knit elasticated wrist bands and position the plastic studs to apply pressure on the P6 Nei-Kuan acupressure point between the two central tendons near the wrist. It's easy, convenient, safe, and effective.

Now, we all know nausea doesn't only effect pregnant women. Sea-Band offers nausea-relief products for non-pregnant people of all ages including wrist bands - for both adults and children - and drug-free ginger lozenges to aide in nausea from travel and motion sickness. I used these acupressure wrist bands when I was experiencing some stomach upset just last week before bed and I was able to fall asleep comfortably in no time. We also used bands on a recent amusement park trip that was packed with stomach-dropping rides and didn't hear one motion-sickness complaint.

Easy, safe, and effective - that's how I'd describe Sea-Band products. Sea-Band Mama! is available to purchase at CVS pharmacy, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and many other drug stores and pharmacies. To find Sea-Band Mama! in your area, click here for a full list of locations.

Visit Sea-Band online to learn more. You can also connect with Sea-Band online on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Canobie Lake Park - A Perfect New England Day Trip!

We received complimentary admission to Canobie Lake Park to facilitate this review.

All opinions expressed are our own.

A day trip to Canobie Lake Park is an absolute must if you live in New England! Just a short trip north, this family-friendly Salem, New Hampshire amusement park is one you don't want to miss. It's been my absolute favorite since I was a kid... and now that I'm a mom, I love sharing it with my whole family!

My five-year-old loves amusement parks and is at a really fun age (and height) that allows her to enjoy both the kiddie rides and many, if not most, of the bigger rides at Canobie Lake Park. Whether you're a scenic train ride type person...

 or a roller coaster enthusiast...

 you'll find plenty to do on a trip to Canobie Lake Park!

Our favorite ride this year was the bumper cars. Perhaps the best part is that there is a version for grown-ups and bigger big-kids and then a version for kids my daughter's age. There was a wonderful staff member who explained to the kids exactly how to get their bumper cars unstuck - before they even started! Maybe I would have enjoyed bumper cars more as a kid if I had known this!

The trick to getting unstuck in a bumper car is to turn your steering wheel all the way to one side and press down on the gas until you move! It works like a charm every time!

Our daughter also got brave enough for the ferris wheel this year! You'll see from the picture that I was taking this picture for the ground... I haven't quite outgrown my fear of heights yet and this ferris wheel is huge!

Besides great rides, there are many other great things about Canobie Lake Park.

The park (including bathrooms) are so clean considering the number of people that are running around there any given day. We went on a busy Saturday and were very impressed with the cleanliness throughout.

Parking is free, free, free, and there is tons of it!

There are plenty of options for food and drink inside the park. You cannot bring food in from the outside, but you'll find pretty much whatever you might be in the mood for on the inside. There are sit-down options as well as snack stands and you can find everything from burgers, to pizza, to fried clams, to ice cream. In fact, within the free Canobie Lake Park Map mobile app, you can open the Menu feature and see a listing of foods and how close you are to them. This made my Root-Beer-Float-craving-pregnant-tummy very, very happy!

The app also provides a map of the park, a ride sorting feature, and even a tool for marking your vehicle's location in the parking lot and helping you find it when you're done with your day!

As I mentioned earlier, there are so many ways to have fun at Canobie Lake Park - whether you're little or big or somewhere in between. You can read more details in our last review or on the Canobie Lake Park website.

If you haven't made it up to Canobie Lake Park yet this year, don't despair! They are still open every weekend through October! Although you'll need to skip the water park portion, I guarantee you'll still have tons of fun! Canobie offers some really fun fall programming that you won't want to miss, like a petting zoo, pony rides, and a pumpkin house - we may need to head back up for those extras! Check out the Canobie Lake Park website for more info on hours, pricing, and programs!

 We can't wait to make our way back up to Canobie Lake Park again soon!

Palace Playland at Old Orchard Beach

We received complimentary admission to Palace Playland to facilitate this review. 

All opinions expressed are my own.

We took a day trip up to Old Orchard Beach, Maine last weekend to visit Palace Playland - New England's only beachfront amusement park!

Palace Playland is a fairly small, but very fun, amusement park - and it truly is right at the beach! We have a five year old who loves amusement parks but obviously isn't big enough for every ride at every park. Palace Playland was perfect for her. There were very few rides that she was not tall enough to ride but the majority she could ride either alone or with an adult - even the roller coaster! If you're looking for a fun day trip with young kids, consider Palace Playland!

We went to the park on a sunny, hot, summer weekend day and were very surprised to find that it was not at all crowded - a huge plus when visiting an amusement park with a young child! No crowd, no lines, no wait, instant fun!

The park opens on weekdays at noon and weekends at 11:00 AM - and there is no official closing time! I'm actually guessing that on a hot summer day, it crowds up at night when beachgoers have had enough sun, but we arrived at about 11:30 AM and the park was practically empty... although the adjacent Old Orchard Beach and surrounding streets were full to the brim! 

There is no parking at Palace Playland but there is plenty of pay parking locally in public lots or on the street. Just head toward the beach and pick the closest lot or spot you find and you'll be good to go - just walk toward the ferris wheel!

You can walk right into the park without a ticket but you'll need to pay if you plan to ride. You'll see below that you can purchase tickets in the form of day passes or per ride. If you have a child that's taller than 42", you'll want to skip the Kiddie Pass because they are able to ride most rides - not just the kiddie rides - as long as they have a paid adult with them.

Palace Playland offers a plethora of different rides, and something for everyone.

There are rides that spin...

Rides that drive...

Rides that fly...

 Rides that bounce...

And a whole bunch more in between!

There are also some big-kid rides, but only a few that are for big-kids only, like this one.

Even my littler kid could ride on the roller coaster - with a grown-up! I think she rode it six times!

And what's an amusement park without a log ride?! This is the perfect ride to end a hot day at Old Orchard Beach... just don't expect to be dry at the end!

I was quite impressed with Palace Playland. It was incredibly clean - both in the ride areas and in the bathrooms. The staff members were very polite and kind. It was small enough to not be overwhelming and large enough to keep my five year old entertained for several hours. 

There is food at the park, such as snack stands, but you're also right in the middle of a beach town with tons of little shops, restaurants, and food stands within walking distance. As I mentioned earlier, admission into the park is free - you just pay to ride - so you can leave and grab a bite to eat and then come back at your leisure.

Oh! There's also an arcade at Palace Playland. I almost forgot to mention it because we didn't use it, but it's there if that's your thing!

All in all, it was a great day for us at Palace Playland. We weren't familiar with the park before this trip but will definitely return again soon.