Author: InACents

You Can't Buy Brotherhood

A Disturbance to the Brotherhood Force

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We are parents of three boys, and with that comes a lot of testosterone, running, jumping, screaming, and fighting. Sometimes as a dad I feel bad about myself based on the number of times I had to raise my voice to express my concern of a brother beating up on another brother. At other times I am proud with joy at the underlying connection our boys have to each other by their express of concern or love for each other.

Our three boys, as dynamic and different their personalities may encompass, share an incredible bond together that only siblings can understand.

This past weekend was one change in the force that was sort of heart wrenching to experience as a dad.

Our oldest son had his first play date this past weekend with a fellow classmate from his kindergarten class. While the foursome of boys chased and jumped from room to room, it gave my wife and I the opportunity to connect with the friends mom and have some shared adult conversation, which was a refreshing change.

However, the dynamic of the brotherhood was changing. Not necessarily for the bad, but something that naturally happens over time, and the first time I had seen it from a dad’s perspective.

As our oldest son and his friend played together, there was a strong desire of our two youngest to play with their brother and friend. This was not surprising at all, as the boys usually play and can not get enough of each other everyday. However, our oldest son wanted to spend some alone time with his friend. Sadly, our two youngest sons were being pushed aside for friendships.

Our two youngest sons desperately wanted to be with their oldest brother, and it was heart wrenching to watch. They were not used to being told they can not play with their brother.

Quite often we have to tell our two oldest boys to separate and go to other rooms in the midst of a battle. However, this time for separation was not because they were mad at each other, but because at least one wanted to spend time with someone outside of the brotherhood.

Forming friendships is a crucial part of human development, and as great as it was for both my son, my wife and I to connect with fellow people, it was also sad to see a son yearn for his brother.

141220 Toledo Zoo Lights

Toledo Zoo Lights Revisited

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Back in November 2011, and before our family really learned about the benefits of traveling over Thanksgiving, we had a local staycation and headed out to Toledo to see the Zoo Lights and other area attractions. So we were due to make another trip out to Toledo and show the grandparents the great light displays.

For our visit in 2011, we were surprised on two fronts. First, the Toledo Zoo puts on a FANTASTIC Christmas lights display. This year they have over a million lights spread out across the park. This was the first park I ever saw the dripping lights, which now hang from our garage during the month of December. The other thing we were surprised to learn in 2011 was that our Cleveland Zoo membership, or any other zoo, did not offer reciprocal benefits during the holiday lights. This in turn was quite the sticker shock.

So during our visit this year, we knew ahead of time that there were no discounts available. Well turns out, as soon as we got there we learned that if we had arrived one hour earlier, before 3:00 PM, we could have used our reciprocal zoo membership discount.

Regardless of what it costs, the Toledo Zoo still puts on a great Christmas display. While the animals may be sparse during the cooler months, the lights and displays were more than present.

141220 Toledo Zoo Lights

141220 Toledo Zoo Lights

141220 Toledo Zoo Lights

141220 Toledo Zoo Lights

Tips:

– Dress for the weather and with good walking shoes.
– Try and arrive early and before the lights go on. This will ensure you get a good parking spot and see some of the animals in the daylight, before the crowds transcend onto the park.
– Visit on a weekday to avoid peak crowd times.
– While there is food available in the park, and stations selling popcorn and hot chocolate, the meal options are limited to your standard park food. You might want to consider eating prior or after to the event.

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Source: InACents

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

Cambria Suites, Avon, Ohio

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Our family’s passion for travel means we spend a good deal of time throughout the year in hotels. While we live in a nice home in a residential suburb of Cleveland, and have a shared development Olympic size pool, our kids love the adventure of not only new travel locations, but also new hotels.

As soon as we get to the doorsteps of a new hotel, our kids favorite thing to do is grab a luggage cart and ride along with all of our belongings to our room. It then is only a matter of time when our family is all in our bathing suits and headed down to the pool.

So it came as no surprise when our middle son was turning 3 years old earlier this year, and requested a hotel pool party with the family. Our family used points to rent a room at the Staybridge Suites near Akron, Ohio, and had a great time entertaining family and giving our son a great time.

Since that time, we have now had countless requests to have another hotel pool party in 2015. So we have been keeping an eye on what options we have within a reasonable vicinity for our families to meet.

As luck would have it, a brand new Cambria Suites recently opened in Avon, Ohio. So I recently paid them a visit and arranged a private tour of the property to check out the rooms as amenities.

Most important amenity for our family is the pool. The hotel features an indoor pool and jacuzzi, adjacent to a fitness center.

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

Next, we took a look at four different room types.

First, was a corner room king bed suite. Most of the rooms we saw were brand new and had yet to even have anybody stay in them. The bedroom was separated by a small wall with a small sitting area. Both rooms featured flat screen TVs. The bathrooms were large and modern with walk-in showers. The room also featured a small kitchenette area with fridge, sink and microwave.

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

The next room was also a king bed suite, though this room was ADA accessible and featured a lot more open space. In lieu of a walk-in shower, these rooms featured a tub with shower chair.

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

The third room we saw was a standard 1 bedroom king suite. This room was the same format as the prior rooms. The only difference was the kitchen area was smaller with no sink.

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

The last room was a double queen room. Again, same amenities as the standard 1 bedroom king suite.

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

141221 Cambria Suites Avon, Ohio

All rooms featured a pull-out sleeper sofa, though our boys would see the “L” shape design of the couch and likely sleep on it as is.

Overall, I was really impressed with the rooms and thought they could be an excellent property to evaluate in the future.

Adjacent to the main lobby was a large foyer/sitting area, business center, bar, and restaurant. Breakfast is not included in the nightly rate, so plan accordingly.

Cambria Suites Avon is part of the Choice Privileges rewards program, with rooms currently starting at $99 per night or 16,000 points.

While the hotel soft opened on December 14, 2014, the grand opening of all the rooms is scheduled for January 15, 2015.

Save Money, Travel More!

Source: InACents