A Mom's Guide To The Smithsonian's National Zoo #DCZoo

My children really loved the National Zoo in Washington D.C I am going to share with you some of the must see attractions and give you some tips to help you plan your visit. The #1 biggest concern that I had when planning our day at the zoo was the parking! I know that parking in DC can be crazy so I was really happy to discover that you can prepay online and purchase a parking spot at the National Zoo! Here are directions and a guide to parking. We drove and parked by the Panda entrance at the zoo. We selected the "VIP" parking which costs $31. I used Parking Panda to find a parking spot. It was very easy and we just followed the directions on the website. TIP: Purchase parking in advance, I would recommend purchasing at least a week or two prior if you are going to be visiting in the summer or during spring break.

My children's favorite animal at the zoo was the adorable panda!

There is a wonderful elephant sanctuary both indoors and outdoors that is beautiful

My son posing with the meerkats

Inside the Rain Forest exhibit building with a gorgeous exotic bird

The National Zoo is free to visit so I did not mind paying to park. We packed the kids a lunch in the cooler and brought them plenty of juice boxes, bottled water and snacks too. The zoo is open from 8 am until 5 pm (in the summer it is open until 7 pm). The exhibit buildings are open from 9 am until 4 pm.

There are so many great dining options at the National Zoo. Be sure to check out the food and dining options on the website. We dined at the Mane Grill located near the lion's. They offer kid's meals and my kids loved the chicken nuggets kids meal. This came with a souvenir lunch box. Here is a photo of the kids meal options ($10.25 for a kids meal is the average price at the zoo regardless of the restaurant you choose).

                                                         Tips for visiting the National Zoo

• Pack a cooler with drinks and snacks
• Bring an umbrella just in case
• Wear good walking shoes, the zoo is huge and there are a lot of hills
• Bring some pennies for the pressed penny machines
• Bring a stroller if your child is not used to walking 2+ miles
• Don't forget a camera!
• Show your children the Zoo's webcam to get them excited about the upcoming visit

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Harlem Globetrotters 25% Off Coupon Code

My kids are SO excited to see the Harlem Globetrotters this year! I have heard it is such a fun, interactive and entertaining time for children of all ages!

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Super Easy & Delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are SO soft and yummy and the best part is they are SO easy to make!! Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup vegetable oil

2 Eggs

4 Cups Flour

2 Cups Pumpkin (canned)

2 Cups Chocolate Chips (I prefer mini morsels)

1 1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 teaspoons baking powder 

Instructions: Mix sugars, oil, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla & pumpkin pie spice with a mixer. Mix remaining ingredients in separate bowl (except chocolate chips, save these for last). Add flour mix to the pumpkin mix. Mix until your batter is a creamy thick orange color. (See photo below). Fold in chocolate chips and gently mix with a spatula. Line muffin pan with cupcake wrappers. Bake at 350* for 10-11 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes. 

Bake 350* for 10-11 minutes

This recipe will make 36 muffins 

Ingedients

Gently fold chocolate chips into the batter using a spatula

Fill wrappers 3/4 full and bake

I like to bake 2 dozen muffins and then use the remaining batter to bake cookies! The cookies bake at the same temperature for the same amount of time. 

Results! The softest pumpkin chocolate chip muffins ever! 

The cookies are just as delicious!! 

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Our Day In Washington, D.C + #WhiteHouseTour

Did you know that you can contact your local congressman and request complimentary tickets for the White House tour?! It takes about 2-3 months to get the tickets so book way in advance. We had tickets for this past Saturday at 7:30 am. We arrived in Washington, D.C Friday night and stayed just two blocks from the White House at the Hyatt Place Hotel. Highly recommend this hotel as it is so convenient to the White House. They offer complimentary breakfast also which is a nice perk. And best of all their hotel rooms sleep families of 6 with 2 queen beds and a sleeper sofa. The Hyatt Place Hotel also offers valet parking for an additional fee.

The White House tour is a self guided tour that allows guests to freely roam the downstairs level of the White House in addition to the second floor. Guests are not allowed to go inside of the actual rooms as they are all roped off. However, you can see the infamous Green Room, Red Room, East Room and China Room. My children really enjoyed being able to go inside of the White House.

Beautiful china from past Presidents is on display for visitors to view

the Red Room

the beautiful Dining Room

China Room

Presidential Library

The Blue Room

Gorgeous chandeliers in the main lobby

                                                 I highly recommend the #WhiteHouseTour

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