One of our favorite things to do as a family is to spend some good ol’ fashioned quality time together. Some of the best memories are made when we disconnect from our phones, iPads, and television to really be all there with each other. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day chaos with the boys, and so often, more than I’d like to admit, it’s more convenient to throw on a cartoon or give them their iPads so I can get something done, like dinner. Working from home also makes it hard for me to put the phone down and be present in the moment. This day and age, I know I can’t be the only one. Having the quality to multi-task has become a proud trait to carry, but it’s also caused us all to be more detached than ever.
When Wyndham Grand approached me with the challenge to put the cell phones away and experience their new RECONNECTED program, I jumped at the chance. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect since both of our workloads were causing major burn-out and strain on our family. Our kids were starting to ask things like “do you have to leave for work, daddy?” and when my 4 year old politely asked me to put down my phone to play one night, I was ready to wave the white flag. Talk about major mom-guilt! Vacations are all about memories, but it’s hard to be in the moment when our phones are within reach and we’re all guilty of just checking for that one text or email.
So what’s RECONNECTED?
Reconnected encourages families to play together by providing all the tools they need to create a one-of-a-kind adventure. It’s a Wyndham Grand Family experience that offers an opportunity for your family to do fun activities together and enjoy imaginative play-time. You take the the distractions away like Instagram and the need to share fleeting instastories, by locking up your phone in a lockbox with a timer preventing you from even sneaking just a little bit of phone time.
When we arrived for our staycation at the Wyndham Grand Mills House Hotel in downtown Charleston, the kids were immediately greeted with “adventure backpacks” filled with the essentials: a flashlight, instant film, a shadow-puppet book, coloring tools, and more. Once they arrived in the room, the surprises didn’t stop: an Instax Polaroid camera, all the materials necessary to build blanket forts, and a copy of The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions, a novel following the adventures of a trio of nocturnal animal friends by Tracey Hecht with a matching “lovie” (as Hudson likes to call it). There was also a book with instructions on how to do shadow puppets and yummy Smores pops, that the boys devoured almost immediately.
No one really had to pull my leg to lock up my phone, so I was more than willing to put it away and get to work on making memories for the weekend. Overall, it was one of the best experiences we’ve had together and I know it’s something the boys will remember for years to come. They did such a good job with their blanket fort and Aden took it upon himself to even give it a “Betz Bros” sign. Luckily even though it was no girls only, mommy was still allowed. 😉 They even became quite the budding photographers. We seriously had the BEST time!
Now for the 1,000 photos.
LET’S GO! How do I book?
The Reconnected Family Experience is currently being offered at 5 participating Wyndham Grand Hotels such as Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach; Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek; Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront; Hotel Galvez, a Wyndham Grand Hotel; and The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel in SC. For more information on booking you can visit the official website.
Thank you to The Mills House & Wyndham Grand for hosting us and giving our family the opportunity to reconnect. It’s a trip we’ll never forget!
This post was sponsored by Wyndham Grand. As always, all opinions are 100% honest and completely my own. Some photos courtesy of Rachel Nolan
Beautiful photos it looks like you had so much fun!
I would put my phone in this box for a stay cation. Family time is important and I make sure that I make time for my boys every day.
OMG I’ve never heard of this RECONNECTED program, but I’m totally obsessing now! What a great idea!
Beautiful pictures! Family time is always valuable, glad you guys had fun.
xo, Sondra
Cuisineandtravel.com
Family re-connection – lovely concept. Beautiful pictures.
I’ve never heard of this reconnected program before. What a great idea! All those photos are beautiful!
What a great way to reconnect with your family. Through your photos, you could see the love that you all have for one another. I hope to do this kind of reconnecting with my family soon.
It really is super important that we take the time to reconnect. Family time is super valuable.
It is so important that we set aside time to make sure that we are REALLY connecting with our loved ones. Beautiful photos.
Such cute photos here! Iove the little kido.
This sounds like a nice prompt for families who struggle to find things to do together. We have lots of quality time since we choose to follow attachment parenting.
That looks like a great relaxing place to be. Loved your pictures. Family time is all we need to rejuvenate!
I never knew about such an experience! Such a brilliant idea.
I think one of these lockboxes need to be in most homes and restaurants. So many times I’ve seen people eating and on the phone instead of interacting with the people around them.
I love being able to disconnect to connect. The kids are only kids for so long !
This is such a great idea! I love disconnecting so we can reconnect, we need more of that in our lives!
What sweet babies you have! I so love the idea of getting reconnected with the family. It looks like your family had a wonderful staycation!
You have a beautiful family! Looks like you had a great time together.
Family time is and will always be very important for me, because in reality you never really know what the future holds. These pictures were so nice! Thanks for sharing.
Oh my god, I am going crazy over this! What an amazing idea! I love that Wyndham does this! I went to Instagram and entered! My family could use something like this!
THIS! This is exactly what we need. I have a hard time putting down the phone because the to-do list always taunts me. I know this would be so meaningful for the kids, but I really need it.
Such a beautiful place and I love all your family photographs. Glad you had such a lovely time 🙂
Such a beautiful place and I love all your family photographs. Glad you had such a lovely time 🙂
We love spending time together as a family too. That looks like the perfect location for some fun family time and memories.