About Tracy

I just got back from Philadelphia and completely fell in love with that city.  It is so beautiful and full of culture and history plus everyone is so friendly!  This post is a guide to how to get the most out of a Philadelphia vacation is a short amount of time.

Places to Stay

I stayed at the Sheraton Society Hill and was more than satisfied with my experience.  The hotel was beautiful, the staff was friendly and more than helpful, and the rooms were clean and well decorated.  I think my favorite part was their pillows though.  I really loved those pillows and I’m a pillow snob (think the princess and the pea).

Restaurants and Dining in Philadelphia

Taste in the Sheraton Society Hill was great.  We had breakfast, drinks and appetizers there and the food was excellent.  My son said the pancakes were the best he had ever had and I loved the fresh berries in the morning.  At night I ordered the crab cake sliders without the bread and they were delicious too.  The bartender made me his signature.

City Tavern is a must if you want to learn about the history of Philadelphia.  It is like taking a trip back in time.  All of the employees wear colonial dress and there is a story behind all of the authentic colonial meals they serve.  We had the lobster pot pie and beef medallions plus Martha Washington’s chocolate cake, the very same recipe she used.  The room we sat in was George Washington’s favorite when he visited and Paul Revere’s ride ended right outside the front door of this restaurant.  Interesting fact: The term bar and grille come from the grill (or set of bars) that the bartender could pull down to protect himself during a bar fight.  It turned the bar into almost a protective cage.

Philadelphia Cheese Steaks

I made this separate from dining in Philadelphia because these cheese steaks are an experience all their own and deserve to have their own space.  Just the culture surrounding cheese steaks is so interesting all in itself.  A true cheese steak has cheese whiz and onions on top although American and Provolone cheese is also acceptable.  Not only that but the locals in Philadelphia have their own way of ordering their cheese steaks.  First you just say the type of cheese you want then you say “with or without” to advise whether or not you want onions on top.  For example, if you want a Philly cheese steak with American cheese and onions you’d say, “American with.”  If you want your cheese steak with cheese whiz and no onions you’d say, “Whiz without.”  That’s it!

I have to admit I was not really looking forward to the cheesesteak too much.  I wasn’t dreading it or anything, I knew I wanted to have the experience but didn’t consider it a culinary delight.  I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.  We ate at Campo’s which boasts itself as the place where the original Philly cheesesteak was made.  Of course, I believe Sonny’s which is two doors down makes the same claim.  I have to admit though that all of the locals recommended Jim’s or Pat’s as the best place to get a Philly cheesesteak.

Campo’s was great though.  I ordered my cheesesteak “American with” and it was really delicious.  Plus the homemade potatoes salad and the cheesecakes was wonderful too…just in my mouth, not on my scale the next day. Although Campo’s was the only cheesesteak I’ve had and I can’t compare, I would still say you can’t go wrong by trying them out.

The History of Philadelphia

I love learning about every place I travel to and I am a huge history buff.  I honestly can’t believe I’ve never been to Philadelphia before this past weekend.  I can honestly say there was no way I could see everything I wanted to in just a few days but I tried to fit in what I could!  Here are a few of the places we visited during our weekend in Philadelphia but there are so many more!

The Big Bus Tours

I was talked into signing up for the big bus tours by a vendor on the sidewalk when we first got to Philadelphia.  I was hesitant but was so happy I did.  When you buy a pass you can get on and off the bus for a 24 hour period at 21 different spots around the city.  I would highly recommend just staying on the bus and going around to all of the 21 spots in about 90 minutes just listening to the tour guide.  They are such a wealth of information and knew so many different facts and little details about Philadelphia.  As you’re going on the complete tour, mark the places you want to stop at the second time around.  Another great benefit: if you sit on the top of the bus you can get some GREAT pictures of different landmarks and historical sites.

Betsy Ross’ House

I don’t care that the folklore surrounding Betsy Ross as the first person who sewed our American flag is true or false, she was an amazing woman either way.  She was a true Patriot and embodied the spirit of a true entrepreneur.  She is a great role model for women and girls and should have the admiration of all who learn about her.

The lines for Betsy Ross’ House were never that long and I’d prepare to spend about 30 minutes to an hour there but they did have some cool stuff in the gift shop.  I love fun learning activities plus great books and this gift shop definitely had items that were right up my alley.  We bought a bunch of books, some colonial music, and colonial hot chocolate to make when we got home.

National Constitution Center

There is A LOT to do in the National Constitution Center.  I thought I’d get in, see the constitution and get out but here is so much more and I was sorry I didn’t leave more time for this attraction.  I’d also recommend coming here earlier on, before everyone is tired and cranky because there is a lot to take in.  I can also say young kids won’t get a lot from this.  My son is 13 and he absolutely loved it here.  There is a movie which we missed, voting booths where you vote based on quotes from past presidents, movies, interactive computer games, historical displays, and great models of the White House, Congress, and something else.  One of my favorite parts was the life sized replica of the signing of the constitution.  All of the historical figures are life-sized for kids to take pictures with plus they get to sign a mock declaration of independence.  You could easily spend two hours or more here.

NOTE:  The National Constitution Center owns a rare first printing of the constitution (only 25 are still known to exist) but the signed handwritten constitution is kept in the National Archives Washington DC.  Also, the rare copy the National Constitution Center owns is not always on display.  I just want to warn because my son was a little disappointed to find out he was only looking at a copy.  With that said, this center is still a great opportunity to learn and bring history to life.

Liberty Bell

The line for the Liberty Bell was long but we took a local’s advice and waited until the afternoon to visit and I would recommend doing the same.  The morning line was just unbelievable but was more reasonable later on in the day.  I can also assure you that it moves fast.  It’s free to get in but once you’re inside you won’t spend that much time there.  There are exhibits and movies and I will admit I got choked up learning about the Liberty Bell’s amazing history and what it means to people all over the world.  Prepare to spend about an hour inside if you plan on taking in everything plus getting a photo op with the bell itself.

Sign the pledge and take a stand against bullying.

As parents, we want to raise children who are kind to others.  Who of us would be proud to hear our child labeled as a bully or to find out they were picking on other kids?  Today I don’t want to talk about how to defend yourself or your child from bullies. I want to talk about how to prevent a child from becoming a bully.

Why Do Kids Bully?

One thing a bully feels is bad about themselves.  A person reflects what they are feeling, so a child who feels secure in himself and positive about himself does not feel the need to hurt another person in order to build themselves up.  Let’s make our children feel good about themselves so that they want to make those around them feel good too.

Bullies learn their behavior at home.  Take a long look at yourself.  Do you talk bad about other people behind their back?  Are you rude to waitresses or cashiers or telemarketers or anyone you think is less than you?  Your children are watching and learning how to behave and how to treat people.  Every single person deserves respect so we must be mindful of what kind of behavior we are modeling.  Another question to ask is how do you treat your children?  Do you bully them?  Bullies are usually getting bullied and many times from their own family.

Another place bullies learn their behavior is from their friends.  Do you know what kind of kids your child is hanging out with?  Do they exhibit the kind of morals you want in your child?  We all become the company we keep so make sure you encourage positive friendships for your kids.

Bullies have not been taught the right way to interact with others.  Make sure that you voice your values and morals loud and clear.  Tell your children how you want them to behave.  When there are stories in the news about bullying take the opportunity to teach them the outcome of bullying.  When a teenager kills themselves because of bullying I always talk to my son about how badly they must have been feeling.  I tell him how disappointed I would be if he ever hurt someone like that.  We also talk about how we can stand up for people getting bullied and how a kind word can change someone’s life.

Bullies don’t have a mind of their own.  Many times we see a huge group of kids bullying one person.  There is usually a leader or two but most of the bullies are just followers.  They want to fit in so badly that they are willing to do anything they can to side with the leader, even if that means hurting someone else.  Teach your kids to have a mind of their own and to stand up for what they know is right.  Teach them about gang mentality and how sometimes it takes just one person to say, “NO!  This isn’t right.  Leave them alone.”

Bullies do not have empathy.  Bullies can hurt other people without remorse because they can’t put themselves in another person’s shoes.  They can’t feel for them.  Talk to your child about other’s feelings.  Start young.  When they are small teach them that pulling the dogs tail hurts.  When they hit or push another child on the playground discuss why that child was crying.  When someone hurts their feelings remind them that they should never do anything to make someone else feel like they do.

Bullies are judgmental.  Many times the victim of a bully or bullies is a little different.  They may have a speech impediment or are effeminate (for boys) or masculine (for girls) or are overweight or are a different race or a different religion or maybe just don’t have good social skills.  Bullies feel these people deserve to get bullied because they are different.  Teaching our kids acceptance can go a long way.  One thing I believe with all of my heart is that everyone has good in them.  Every single person has something to offer.  All we have to do is look for it and it’s pretty easy to find.  When our kids know we are all different yet deep down the same, they will not be able to hurt another.

Bullies don’t realize how much power there is in kindness.  Share your own stories.  I can say for myself that I ALWAYS stood up for the underdog or the kid getting bullied.  I’m still that way to this day.  When I was in high school I found some big guys picking on a skinny little kid.  I screamed at them and scared them away and walked the kid to and from classes.  There was another girl who was picked on incessantly and I always made sure I was nice to her.  I was popular in high school and noticed she sat alone every day and people would throw food and spitballs at her.  One day it got so angry I couldn’t stand it anymore so I went and sat next to her so all of the other kids would leave her alone.  She told me later on that I was the only person who was ever nice to her in four years of high school and one of the reasons she didn’t kill herself even though she had thought of it many times.  Those are stories that I tell my son to show him how much our actions can affect other people’s lives.  We can truly save a life just with some kind words and actions.

This post is sponsored by TakePart.  Participant Media, TakePart’s parent company, produces socially relevant films with the idea that “a good story well-told can change the world.” Films such as An Inconvenient Truth, The Help, Lincoln, and Waiting for Superman have helped inspire action in a wide range of issues. TakePart aims to further those messages with quality content. In our education and social justice coverage, we’re committed to exploring important topics that impact our children.

“Who Lives in the Sea?” by Monika Mira follows an inquisitive child as the child learns about the ocean by speaking to all of the sea creatures.  It is a great book for kids for several reasons.  The author uses conversational language that kid’s respond to, she repeats the same words and phrases, and includes many undersea creatures for kids to learn about.  It’s the perfect combination of repeating familiar words to promote fluency as well as learning the names of unfamiliar animals.

This book is obviously meant for kids to be able to follow along because simple language is used.  The main character, Baby (we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl), is at the beach with mommy and wants to learn about the world surrounding them.  Simple words are used to enable beginning readers to follow along this whimsical tale.

The repetition of many of the simple words and phrases help to enable kids to read along and learn new words.  Baby repeats on every page, “Who lives in the sea?”  Any child will begin to recognize that phrase and at least read that sentence aloud.  That is the perfect way to learn sight words and help kids to read more fluently.

There are many sea creatures mentioned along with colorful pictures.  Rock crabs, humpback whales, and the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal are all included.  I especially like how it ends by asking, “Try to tell me some of the sea creatures that live in the sea.”  That’s perfect for starting dialogue about ocean life.  This is a great book to learn the name of new animals and would compliment a unit on the ocean or sea life quite nicely.