Meet Pri, a Bébé Voyage mom of two and proud Orlando resident! Follow Pri and her kids along on their family-friendly Orlando day as she proves that the area is more than just a resort town.
Hi! We’re a family of four living in Orlando, a place I have called home most of my life. We’ve lived in different parts while here but kept coming back to right south of downtown. We’ve been settled here for a few years now with an almost 8-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, who love it as much as we do. I mean, when you have summer weather most of the year and Disney in your backyard, what’s not to love?!
But Orlando is also a big little city that is so much more than the glitter that the theme parks bring, and I wanted to show what a day in the life of a mom in Central Florida looks like!
6:30 AM–Rise and Shine We’re up fairly early in the morning as my kids are not fans of sleep. They’re the YOLO and FOMO kind, so typically wake up asking what we’re going to do with the day. We try to have breakfast at home on weekdays as a family, especially if my husband’s schedule allows, and make a very simple routine of homemade staples with little hands to help cook.
On weekends when we have time together as a family, we’ll sleep in a little longer and enjoy breakfast out. One of our favorite spots is Craft & Common (47 N. Robinson St, Ste 100, Orlando, FL 32801) in the heart of downtown Orlando. It’s a small, chic café with a limited menu but a great environment. It’s also across the street from our church so we can pop over easily (or even have a coffee date while the kids are in Sunday school). It’s also a short walk from the Orlando Farmers’ Market (20 N. Eola Dr., Orlando, FL 32801), which happens within Lake Eola Park. We love spending our Sunday mornings there enjoying the park, visiting vendors, and picking up a few treats to enjoy as we walk the park. The green tea mojito is everyone’s favorite–don’t worry, its virgin and absolutely amazing!
While the boys are at work and school, I take my daughter for a morning of play. We may end up at one of the local library branches for an activity session and to check out some books. Or, we’ll visit our local botanical gardens, Harry P. Leu Gardens (1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando, FL 32803) for a chance to explore this historic site, visit a traveling exhibit, and enjoy a packed picnic lunch outdoors. Currently, the park has turned into a fairy hideaway, with doors lining the gardens beckoning the homes of fairies that hide throughout! We love searching for the elaborately decorated doors and reading about who each fairy is. Leu Gardens also hosts the Orange County Library System for a storytime on the first Monday of the month for infants to school-age children, so we attempt to align our plans for a two-for-one day!
1:00 PM–NaptimeAfter a full morning, it’s usually time for a nap for my preschooler. This is perfect for me as it’ll give me a few down hours before we pick up the big kid and start all over again!
On days that we have a lighter load, we love to visit the Orlando Science Center (777 E. Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803) after school. The center has four stories of interactive, hands-on activities for kids of all ages to immerse themselves in. Everything from life sciences to learning about dinosaurs to outer space to visiting live animals in the swamp! We can easily spend a few hours getting lost in here and time easily escapes us. We also love that our membership here gets us access to participating science museums around the country, so we can have activities for a rainy day or just to wear the kids out when at home or when traveling!
On the way home, we may as a special treat stop at Kelly’s Ice Cream (1817 S. Ferncreek Ave Orlando 32806) for some dessert before dinner – with the promise that it won’t be ruined!
After a full day, we always end up back on our side of town. Dinner will typically be at home, but for a special treat out or on a night we have commitments, we’ll skip cooking and head out to eat. Our favorite spot is VanBarry’s (4120 S. Orange Ave Orlando 32806) This open-aired casual restaurant is always full of life and is quite the place to take the kids. You can find live music on most nights. If the weather allows you to sit outside, you’re in for the perfect evening. They offer board games to borrow for your table and yard games to partake in. They even offer one of those iconic swan boats to climb on. For reference, you can still ride one of these fabulous swan boats on Lake Eola, located in downtown Orlando but this is a lot less work – I can vouch for it! Our kids love this place because they literally eat on the run – I’ve never seen dinner devoured so fast just so they can play!
And that’s just a preview of so much more! We still spend our days amongst the mouse and his magic. For the most part, however, we spend time enjoying home for what it really is – an eclectic city with so much diversity in what to do for families of all ages!
