Melanie Preis

Latest posts by Melanie Preis

Cute Orlando Spots for Easter Brunch and Easter Bunny Pictures

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Sun, 03/20/2022 - 10:05am

Enjoy a variety of spring activites at Gaylord Palms resort, “Once Upon a Spring”. Photo courtesy of the resort

Dress for the Easter Bunny and let these Orlando restaurants take care of the rest. Several local establishments are serving up a special Easter brunch or dinner menu, and we’ve compiled a list to help you plan your holiday. These Orlando restaurants attract hungry diners for Easter brunch, including the Easter Bunny who may be looking for something better than an old carrot. And speaking of the Easter Bunny...we've also included places to get your Easter photos taken with that fluffy Easter Bunny character!

For families choosing to have an Easter meal at home but don't want the stress of cooking, many Orlando restaurants are offering preorders for Easter pickup. Here are some fun kid-pleasing Easter recipes to try out as well, and kids will love decorating the table with some of these Easter crafts.

Vibrant Orlando Gardens to Discover Color and Beauty

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 03/11/2022 - 10:33am

Albin Polasek Museum Sculpture Garden complements the beauty of art with nature's beauty.

Visiting Orlando gardens is the perfect way to welcome the gorgeous colors of spring. Luckily Orlando is a wonderland of vibrant hues almost every day of the year, and roaming a lovely Orlando garden is a great reminder of the seasonal changes. Wandering among flowers and taking in Mother Nature is the perfect family-friendly activity for all ages.

Enhance your family's garden experience by bringing a picnic lunch and water, and maybe binoculars or magnifying glasses for kids to closely examine blooms and surrounding wildlife. Don't forget sunscreen and hats for protection against the sun, as well as insect repellant and comfy walking shoes.

Fun Orlando Summer Camps for Preschoolers

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 02/25/2022 - 7:24am

Orlando Science Center's preschool camp entertains and educates. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez, courtesy of OSC

Every child deserves to have a great camp experience, including little ones with big plans this summer. Summer camp for preschoolers involves fun, active programming, reliable leadership, and creative camp themes. Luckily, Orlando is full of awesome summer camps perfect for preschoolers!

Mommy Poppins knows how tough it can be to manuever the long lists of Orlando summer camps for preschoolers so we've gathered some excellent camps to peruse. Taking into consideration the needs of Orlando's youngest campers, we've collected camps that will be great options. So pack that sunscreen, fill up the water bottles, and label the swimsuits —it's time to take a look at preschool camps near Orlando!

Need more summer camp ideas? Check out our Orlando Summer Camp Guide and get lots of wonderful ideas and leads on the perfect camp for your kiddos!

Atlanta Food Halls That Really Hit the Spot

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 02/18/2022 - 8:00am

Cheers to the variety of food options available at Ponce City Market (PCM)!

Let Atlanta's great food hall expansion continue! Whether you live ITP or OTP, we guarantee there is a food hall in your vicinity...or at least one about to open. Atlanta seems to be going through a food hall renaissance, with delicious spots intown as well as in the surburbs. And these delicious food halls are perfect for families, especially those with picky eaters, varying dietary needs, and kids who just need to move around in a big space at mealtime!

So what is a food hall? It's sort of an elevated version of the mall food court you may have hung out in your teens, except better and more creative cuisine, upscale setting, and no Orange Julius. Or think of it as mini restaurants built as individual stalls? However you define them, food halls offer hungry patrons a chance to eat amazing dishes from a variety of chefs in a centralized locale.

Here in Atlanta, kid-friendly food halls offer both indoor and outdoor seating at large tables —great for meeting new people or dining in a large group. Some even have communal games, like corn hole and oversized chess sets, that kids can play and safe areas that younger diners can explore while their parents eat. Food halls offer a great opportunity to expose children to different cuisines...and if necessary, bribe them with something sweet as almost every food hall has at least one dessert stall.

Grab your appetite and fork because here's a look at kid-friendly food halls in Atlanta!

Black-Owned Restaurants, Retailers, and Landmarks to Discover in Atlanta

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 02/04/2022 - 11:27am

The TEN Spot beauty bar in Morningside offers mani parties for kids of all ages. Photo courtesy of The TEN Spot

Atlanta has and remains a crucial piece of African American life—the birthplace of the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr.; now a utopia for successful black-owned businesses, practices, restaurants, and more. Atlanta pays homage to King's work and the fight for equality at various museums and landmarks throughout the area. The city's African American roots continue to extend, as today's Atlanta attracts bright minds and great leaders from around the world, including younger generations attending notable historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) of the Atlanta University Center consortium.

In honor of Black History Month, we're spotlighting black-owned restaurants near Atlanta, black-owned shops, and African American historical sites and important locations in Atlanta. This round-up only scratches the surface of the many black-owned businesses worthy of a visit; but it is a reminder for our community to support locally-owned businesses, large and small, owned and operated by people from all races, religions, and backgrounds.

Atlanta Kids Will Love These Birthday Party Entertainers

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 01/28/2022 - 10:05am

Venus de Hooplah shows off her amazing hula hoop skills at birthday parties for all ages. Photo courtesy of entertainer

Birthday party entertainers can change a party from dull to delightful, from frumpy to fantastic, and from just plain boring to breathtaking! Atlanta has some fantastic birthday party spots throughout the metro region, but sometimes, it's nice to bring the fun into your house. Parents can keep the hijinks centrally located in their own home, while getting a breather to actually enjoy the party with the help of these talented birthday party entertainers.

These birthday party entertainers run the gamut of themes and talents: clowns, magicians, princesses and characters, scientists, artists, and much more. There's definitely an Atlanta birthday party entertainer destined for your child on his or her special day!

Orlando Kids Will Love These Birthday Party Entertainers

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Sun, 01/23/2022 - 10:34am

Bubble Bus Orlando enhances any birthday party with bubbles...lots and lots of bubbles! Photo courtesy of Bubble Bus Orlando

Whether your child is into magic, sports, princesses, clowns, or something else entirely, there are birthday party entertainers to satisfy even the most narrow interests. Orlando kids (and parents) love these birthday entertainers because they keep the kiddos engaged and happy during the special day, and mom and dad can take a break to actually enjoy the party. Yes, Orlando has some fantastic birthday party venues throughout the area, but sometimes it's nice to bring the entertainment to your own home or neighborhood.

We at Mommy Poppins have rounded up some of the most interesting, sought-after birthday party entertainers in Orlando. These creative, family-friendly folk will make sure to enhance Orlando kids' birthdays with a huge amount of fun!

Free Indoor Playgrounds for Kids in Atlanta to Let Loose

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 01/14/2022 - 9:22am

The High Museum's Greene Family Learning Gallery is a magical space full of color and shapes. Photo by CatMax Photography, courtesy of the museum

Free indoor playground time in Atlanta means exciting (and warm) hijinks for the kiddos and a load off the wallet. Atlanta is boiling in the summer, icy in the winter, and a wet mess during the rainy season, so free indoor playgrounds can offer relief for kids to run around without hefty fees and entrance costs. And besides the happy moment of watching your children run off that pent-up energy in a place other than your own house, it's also a perk to have saved some cash in the process.