Fat Clemenza's

So we wanted to dine out for diner and,well, actually went with UrbanSpoon App to help us make the decision as to where we were going to eat. Thus, Fat Clemenza's. Apparently a decorated, Best of the Emerald Coast place. We hadn't tried it, so we gave it a shot.

So, it is a cozy spot tucked in a mini strip mall. They have a open wood fire pizza girl and there were sweet families and couples that filled the restaurant .it was dimly lit, but appropriate for diner with our little family.

The first thing that the waitress took care of was the needs of our 3 year old by bringing coloring entertainment. That only lasts do long though. A good sign that this local place thinks of little ones. We had pizza which was good- I am regretting that I didn't order any of the Italian dishes that seemed mouth-watering. The order was delivered timely and we had bread pre-meal.

Overall this is a respectable local family restaurant with atmosphere that I appreciate and certainly would visit again.

Of course, like many restaurants the coloring only lasts so long do prep small child entertainment (maybe something that they haven't played with in a while) to make the meal enjoyable for busy little ones.

Jim N' Nick's BBQ Destin, FL

So we ventured out last Saturday for lunch at Jim N' Nicks BBQ. My husband was especially excited!

We found that it was a wonderful atmosphere for families to enjoy lunch or even diner. We LOVED their bread- lets just say we devoured an unspeakable amount ;). My beef brisket sandwich was wonderful and tender (I have been back since and tried it on a salad-mmmmmm).

Apparently this place is a game day tradition in Alabama according to our friends in Birmingham.

SO the great part about this place is that there are not really any Cons. Really! We had a great experience with the waitstaff and plenty of other families seemed to leave there with the same experience. The place was very clean and so was the bathroom which is super important no matter where you are. I completely forgot to check the baby changing station.

I would recommend it to anyone visiting the south ;).

Going to Bay Humane Society's Furry Friend Fun Day Saturday with our 5 month-old boxer Diesel! Excited to review the event!

Camp Helen State Park, Panama City Beach, Florida

So, May 5 we decided to visit Camp Helen State Park. (http://www.floridastateparks.org/camphelen/default.cfm) It was a beautfiul Saturday and we just had to be somewhere outside. The park is very low key and we enjoyed the serenity. The park has a history of once functioning as a resort for an Alabama textile company which explains a few buildings on the walk. THe most notable assets of the park are the beach and the fishing areas.

Here is the brief on what we learned:
1. Prepare for a WALK to the beach
2. The WALK to the beach is NOT recommended for small children. My 3 year-old was exhausted from the 6/10 of a mile walk in the sugary sand AND I am 5 months pregnant and on orders to "take it easy" meaning no running or strenuous activity. Luckily on our way back in a ranger picked us up. A stroller would not make it to the beach in the dense sand.
3. Did I say that the walk to the beach isn't suitable for small children?
4. Go fishing next time! We learned that this is a great location to fish-we watched others.
5. There are not many people on the beach. The Park Ranger told us that it is never busy because people are weary of the walk. Red flag for the little ones, again!



Here are a few snapshots from our adventure.

And our walk begins

Lake view

Looking for gators in the lake!

Sugary white dunes

Camp Helen Beach

Camp Helen Beach

The water was perfect!

Hubby enjoying the emerald waters

Our son had the run of the beach and loved it

A little bird watching

One of the cabins

                                                                            Jessica

Frank Brown Park, Panama City Beach, Florida

We took a little trip on Saturday, January 7 to Under the Palms Playground at Frank Brown Park to check out the place. We are also looking for a location in the area for a upcomming birthday party! The link to the park's website is http://www.playballinparadise.com/

So here is the skinny on Frank Brown Park:

The park is great in January. HOWEVER, any park in Florida WITHOUT shade like this one feels like the surface of the sun in the summer. Steer clear unless you are there for the water park (which we will have to check out then) or for a  Softball Tournament (apparently several are hosted there).

There are a few gaping holes in the rubber which need to be seen to, BUT I do like that the play area does have rubber.

Bring a bike if your kids has one- or a skate board/skooter. There were several kids who were riding trails and my little one wished he had his bike.

The play area is great for even smaller ones, but A HUGE CON: bathrooms. There is not a bathroom near the play area. So, we either walked to the aquatic center or go to the huge building about 1/4 miles away. A huge CON for a mommy with a little one.

Under the Palms Playground

A view of the play area.

We loved the swings!!

A view...

The sandbox seemed to be a hit.

Ringing in the 2012 @ Countdown Seaside

ok. I must admit that this (SEASIDE) is one of my absolute favorite place to go in the Emerald Coast. Here people are real friendly and the water is clear emerald. So, this year we decided to try Countdown Seasde- a family affair- and we rated it an A+ (need a rating system) on friendly to the smaller family members.

We also had an opprotunity to eat at Pickles resturant in seaside and try their fried pickles. The pickles were wonderful my family agreed- and my husband is a pickle connoisseur. Really. He is. The atmosphere was very casual on New Year's Eve and that is just what we wanted. The service was fairly quick and their prices were in line with the area. It would be a great place to walk up from the beach and eat at. Here is the link: http://www.sweetwilliamsltd.com/pickles.html


Tips for a New Year's Eve at Seaside:
-Have a blanket or chair handy to watch the concerts.
- Bring something for the kid(s) to do if you plan on staying late for the fireworks. Listening to music for a few hours won't work. Don't expect it to.
- Prepared to park and walk. We brought a stoller- it made parking and walking a breeze.

Here is an overview of the night...

As we walked up to the festivities, the first thing that we spotted was balloon making. And there was a ling. How cool?!

The ballon making lady. On stilts.

The craft tent. They had two crafts for the kids to decorate the noise makers to bring in the new year. Our little one was super excited.

Craft #1.  There were tons of fuzzies and beads to put on the boxes of noise! He loved it.

Craft #2 was a tube to decorate with gliter, paper and sequins. Inside, we wrote our favorite memory from the year and locked it in. What's better than glue and glitter? All of the kids around were excited to decorate their noise makers. And, at that sight we were prepared for lots of noise making at 12:00 AM January 1, 2012.

The crowd. Seaside had several bands rocking the stage to entertain families. They were pretty mellow.

Then, Camden decided he was hungry, so we were off to Pcikles to grab a bit. Mommy and Camden @ Pickles.  

Fun with Daddy.

Happy 2012! 

 Jessica

Our Excursion to St. Andrew's State Park

We decided to venture out to St. Andrew's St. Park in nearby Panama City Beach, Florida. It was a ideal sun shiney day in December- what better time to check out a park in the winter?

We had a load of fun. But were certainly tired. We hope our little one came away with a fun outdoor experience in the park. All in all the park was a welcoming winter spot. Hiking this time of year in Florida is best in St. Andrew's. Summers are just too hot- I want to be near or on some body of water. The highlight, of course, is the pristine beaches. But we had a fun time looking for shells without the heat and being in the water- and the walk on the beach is great.

Here are a few of my recommendations for visiting in St. Andrew's State Park:
1) Bring a change of clothes. We were soaked from walking on the beach.
2) Bring a bag to put the dirty clothes in
3) If you are planning on collecting shells, bring a zip-lock type bag to put them in. It is eaiser to carry, and less messy than putting them in a jacket pocket.
4) Wear tennis shoes
5) Snack. Little ones can't live without snacks. And if your planning a day in the winter, a picnic is best. The camp stores looked like a ghost town
6) If you plan to go on a trail or leisure walk- the area, remember, is sandy- so an all-terrain stroller is ideal.
7) Dress in layers. It's Florida. We have crazy weather here.

St. Andrew's State Park entrance. It wouldn't be Florida without palm trees!

First things first: our little one was very eager to ride his new BIKE in the park. So, that is just what we did. There are several areas (like the camp area) where we biked and had a view of the bay. The other areas of the park are wooded and provide an opportunity to find deer roaming the park.

Then off to JETTY BEACH. As we approached, Jetty Beach, this was the view. Breathtaking. I know.

And we walked out on the wooded walkway. It is a fun spot for the little ones to run. There was a sort of camp store behind us- but it was a ghost town on this December day.

It was a RED FLAG day meaning that the waves were too rough. Don't worry, we didn't plan on swimming on the cold December water though it made for a windy adventure on the beach.

THE JETTIES and a view of the gulf.

One of our favorites things to do is to find shells to skip on the water.

The park has a ton of SEA SHELLS- the best sea shell hunting area we've found yet. Cam found a a shell to add to our collection.

Smiles on the beach.

People fishing off the jetties.

Yes, there were guys skim boarding.

And ther was the OTHER PIER. This is where, as the sign says, boats and kayaks can be rented. We decided not to this windy December day. We opted to watch the fishermen and the PELICANS.

Guys casting their nets.

 Nearby the smaller pier, there was an Old Cracker Turpintine Still. Our little one was a interested in it. But, we went for a walk and the nature walk behind it. He enjoyed running through the woods much more.

Playground Near the Turpintine Still. Much needed.

On our way out, we ran into a group of DEER grazing by the road. My son was amazed at this apparent commen place in the park.

     Jessica