5 Tips For An Awesome Family Vacation

March is finally here and kids everywhere are counting down the minutes to Spring Break. When the final bell sounds, families everywhere will be loading up the minivans (or SUVs) and heading off across the state, across the country or even across the world. Ensuring an awesome family vacation for both you and the kids is easy on paper but hardly the case in reality. Don’t fret, these few tips for an awesome family vacation will help keep you on track. 

Create an Itinerary

While you shouldn’t really plan out every minute of your vacation, you should keep in mind that excursions have limited availability and some restaurants only serve meals at certain times. The easiest thing to do is mark down the hard time activities and then sit down at the beginning of your vacation, or even the beginning of each day and create a game plan around them that allows for a little more flexibility. This is more important as kids get older and start to do their own thing. 

Keep Your Routine

When you’re traveling with younger kids, for your sanity and theirs, it’s important to stay close to your regular routine. If you know your child needs at least 10 hours of sleep, don’t plan late nights before early mornings. If your child usually takes a nap during the day, try to keep it within an hour of their usual nap time. This will help avoid melt downs and a miserable time for everyone. 

Schedule Alone Time For Everyone

Most family friendly resorts now offer kid zones that are safe, supervised areas just for kids of select ages, generally two zones – one for kids 3-12 and another for teens 12+. Encourage your kids to sign up as they need alone time just as much as you do! Then, while they’re at the kid zone, mom and dad can get a massage, grab a romantic dinner, do a couples activity or just relax on the beach. 

Discuss Expectations Ahead of Time

To make the most out of your family vacation, discuss expectations ahead of time. Let each family member choose one thing they have to do. Will older kids have the ability to roam? Is there a curfew? Choose souvenirs ahead of time. Maybe one child collects t-shirts and another key chains. I’ve noticed that my daughter is used to getting a souvenir from every theme park but when the resort is one big theme park we have to manage our expectations. 

Keep Your Family Healthy

With so much fun happening, it can be easy to “forget” to take care of the basic necessities. A few tips:

• Keep bottled water in the hotel room and send one with each child.
• Healthy snacks tide hungry kids over for late meals or long days much better than non-healthy options. 
• Keep sunscreen in the day pack – reapply, reapply, reapply. Everyone should wear a hat and sunglasses too!
• Oral care habits are easy to let fall by the wayside on vacation. Pack things like travel toothbrushes, floss or handy soft picks. 

Twitter Party Details

March means spring break is finally here! Take a break from the winter months and enjoy some quality relaxation time somewhere new or at home. When you’re on the go and when taking a break from your usual routine, it’s important to stick with your oral care habits! Share your tips of how maintain healthy teeth on vacation, your best family vacation tips and fun activities to do during a staycation to keep the whole family entertained. Sunstar GUM^® oral care products and Visa gift cards will be up for grabs!

What: #DestinationSmile Twitter Chat
When: Thursday, March 19th, 2015 from 7pm to 8pm EST
Hashtag: #DestinationSmile
Hosts: @SunstarGUM @surfnsunshine
Prizes: 5 awesome prize packs valued between $25 and $150! 
RSVP: MUST RSVP here in order to be eligible for prizes!

Join the Party to Win Prizes

We will be awarding these 5 awesome prize packs valued between $25 and $150 during the party. (yes, you must be present to win!)

2 prize packs ($25 estimated value)

• Sunstar GUM^® products:
  • 1 GUM^® Crayola™ Squeeze-A-Color™ Toothpaste
  • 1 GUM^® Lalaloopsy/How to Train Your Dragon/Power Rangers Toothbrush
  • 1 GUM^® Classic Flossers (110 count)
  • 1 GUM^® Technique Toothbrush
  • 1 GUM^® Proxabrush Go-Betweens Cleaners, Tight
  • 1 GUM^® Proxabrush Go-Betweens Cleaners, Moderate

1 prize pack ($50 estimated value)

• $25 Visa gift card
• Sunstar GUM^® products:
  • 1 GUM^® Crayola™ Squeeze-A-Color™ Toothpaste
  • 1 GUM^® Lalaloopsy/How to Train Your Dragon/Power Rangers Toothbrush
  • 1 GUM^® Classic Flossers (110 count)
  • 1 GUM^® Technique Toothbrush
  • 1 GUM^® Proxabrush Go-Betweens Cleaners, Tight

1 prize pack ($75 estimated value)

• $50 Visa gift card
• Sunstar GUM^® products:
  • 1 GUM^® Crayola™ Squeeze-A-Color™ Toothpaste
  • 1 GUM^® Lalaloopsy/How to Train Your Dragon/Power Rangers Toothbrush
  • 1 GUM^® Classic Flossers (110 count)
  • 1 GUM^® Technique Toothbrush
  • 1 GUM^® Proxabrush Go-Betweens Cleaners, Tight

1 grand prize ($150 estimated value):

• $100 Visa giftcard
• Sunstar GUM^® products:
  • 1 GUM^® Crayola™ Squeeze-A-Color™ Toothpaste
  • 1 GUM^® Lalaloopsy/How to Train Your Dragon/Power Rangers Toothbrush
  • 1 GUM^® 1 GUM^® Classic Flossers (110 count)
  • 1 GUM^® Technique Toothbrush
  • 1 GUM^® Proxabrush Go-Betweens Cleaners, Tight

In order to win one of these prizes make sure you do ALL of the following:

1. Follow the following accounts to make it easy to participate:
Follow @SunstarGUM

Follow @surfnsunshine

2. Please RSVP here to let us know you’ll be attending. (If you don’t RSVP, you can’t win prizes!)

3. Please share the fun with this Pre-tweet. (Just click to tweet!)
Tweet: Join @SurfnSunshine & @SunstarGUM for #familytravel tips & fun at #DestinationSmile 3/19 @7pm ET RSVP to #win prizes! http://bit.ly/1GTM6Gx

4. Show up to the Twitter party and join in on the #DestinationSmile conversation on Thursday, March 19th, 2015 from 7pm to 8pm EST.

Eligibility and Rules:

1. COMPLETION of the above requirements.
2. WINNERS participating in the Twitter party with #DestinationSmile will be chosen at random.
3. RESIDENTS from US only are eligible.

Disclosure: Surf and Sunshine is being compensated to host this Sunstar GUM sponsored Twitter party. During the party, the brand sponsor provides tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Sunstar GUM is also providing all prizing listed and is responsible for prize fulfillment.