Before a quick jaunt to New Jersey a couple of weeks ago, I had never once wondered what to do in Atlantic City — because I had no plans to ever visit, much less with my kids. But now I need to take them back with me to explore the expansive Atlantic City boardwalk and...  Read More » The post NJ tip to tail: what to do in Atlantic City + beyond first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

Whether you’re planning to ski or snowboard at Sunshine Village as a day trip from your hotel in Banff or you’ll be spending a week onsite, overnighting at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge — or maybe you’re just poking around to decide if this Alberta ski resort is right for you — this post has everything...  Read More » The post Sunshine Village: read this before you hit Banff first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

Sunshine Mountain Lodge at Sunshine Village in Banff, Alberta, is truly one-of-a-kind — but is it the right kind of lodging for you and your family’s ski trip? I tried to look up reviews of Banff’s only ski-in/out hotel before our visit and found them wildly incomplete. In this post, I’m going to help you...  Read More » The post Sunshine Mountain Lodge: review, tips & tricks first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

Stop right here if you’re looking for things to do in Banff in winter — especially if you’re in the throes of making Banff itineraries for your trip or someone else’s (I see you, Type A sandwich generation folks, making sure your parents are taken care of on their travels!). I’ve got the seven must-do...  Read More » The post Add these 7 things to your Banff itineraries first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

Now that most of the school boards in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have declared April 8 a PA Day, many of you are probably considering using it as an opportunity to take your kids, tweens and teens to experience the 2024 solar eclipse. We’re making this a multigenerational family affair and heading to Fort...  Read More » The post Watching the 2024 solar eclipse at Fort Henry in Kingston — and more! first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

There are three airports that make it easy to access New York City: JFK and LGA in New York and EWG in New Jersey. I almost always choose the fly in and out of LGA and that’s because of the free LaGuardia airport bus, called the Q70. Pre-COVID, I rarely paid more than USD$30-40 to...  Read More » The post How to take the free Q70 LaGuardia airport bus first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

Looking for the best cheap hotels in NYC? You’ve come to the right place! After more than a dozen visits to The Big Apple, I’m thrilled to share personal reviews for seven properties in Manhattan that offer the best value in the three- to five-star range. Some include breakfast with your stay, while others have...  Read More » The post The 7 best cheap hotels in NYC first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

My top tips for Sugarbush ski resort in Vermont The first time I went to Sugarbush ski resort in Vermont, I’d only had perhaps 20 to 30 total ski days under my belt and my only experience was on easy green runs. I’d never even seen an ungroomed trail before. I had a lot of...  Read More » The post 7 tips for Sugarbush ski resort in Vermont first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

It was so much easier when the kids were little, right?! You could gift them LEGO, dolls or stuffed animals and they might even just as happy with the boxes they came in. Fast forward to the tween and teen years and they either want money or tech. For many gift-givers, though, handing over a...  Read More » The post 7 personalized family gifts for the holidays first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more

Once we started skiing, we progressively ditched the sunny southern holidays in favour of ski trips. Now that I’ve really nailed our ski packing list and system after eight years of trial and error, I figured it’s time to share! Assuming you’re going on a five- to six-day ski holiday, here’s the ski trip packing...  Read More » The post The only ski trip packing checklist you need first appeared on Mommy Gearest ..read more