When I was a new mom, it seemed like every well-meaning stranger in a grocery checkout line would turn to me and remind me to enjoy the infant and toddler days because they'd go "so fast." Their warnings terrified me, and I wondered what life would be like when my babies were teenagers. Would they still need me? Would we get along? And what would the dating years be like for me as a parent?

I stopped drinking cold turkey at the end of last year, desperate to shake hangovers and increased anxiety. I've found a sense of well-being in sobriety that I won't be giving up anytime soon. Still, I wondered what it'd be like to be in a booze-centric environment and abstain from alcohol.

The last time my husband and I visited an adults-only all-inclusive resort was over a decade ago. My memories of that trip are hazy, filled with drinks at the swim-up bar, wine-fueled dinners, and feeling a bit hungover each morning. Since then, I've chosen an alcohol-free lifestyle, but my husband still drinks.

To save some cash and try to replicate a high-end meal on my own, I made Ina Garten's recipe for restaurant-quality steaks, which requires filet mignon and a few simple ingredients.

Here's what it was like to visit Florida's "best cheap eats" winner, Gypsea Crepes — and why I'd make the long trip back to the panhandle to do it again.

There aren't a lot of chain restaurants at Disney World, and with lots of dining options across the parks, my family hasn't been to many of the property's franchises. But recently, my husband, two teens, and I visited STK Steakhouse at Disney Springs for the first time.

Ever since Gideon's Bakehouse opened at Disney Springs in 2021, I've heard nothing but good things about its massive, ½-pound cookies. But the bakery is known for having hourslong lines, so I've never visited myself.

Recently, I shopped at Lowe's and Home Depot to see which home-improvement store would be my go-to summer shopping destination.

I've been writing about my family's travels for over a decade and traveling for even longer. I'm also an introvert who gets easily overwhelmed by crowds and finds energy in moments of quiet solitude.

But even as a seeker of alone time, cruising remains among my favorite ways to explore the world.

For months, I've been trying chain restaurants in search of the best meals and deals for my family. Recently, I put two of the most famous chicken-wing chains to the test: Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings.

I ordered the same meal at both chains to see which served the tastiest wings, appetizers, and sides. Here's how they stacked up.

We love getting breakfast together on the weekends, so we decided to visit Bob Evans for the first time to see what kind of value we'd find.

Here's how our visit to the famous chain went.

Millions of TikTok users have viewed Caesar-salad chicken-crust pizza videos in which creators share recipes and promise the viral dish tastes fresh and flavorful. Plus, it's fairly low-carb and high in protein, especially when compared to a typical pizza.

I was excited to check out the deals from seafood chain Red Lobster since it has family meals ranging from pasta to crab legs on its menu. Plus, with the debt-laden chain reportedly considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year, I was wondering if its food would be such a great value after all.

So, instead of cooking dinner on Taco Tuesday, I headed to seafood chain Red Lobster to try its family taco meal deal.

It's been over seven years since my husband and I chose to relocate our family from Maryland to Florida. It's a decision I've never regretted once, but living in the Sunshine State is very different from life in the Northeast.

Since I live with two teenagers who'd eat McDonald's for every meal if I'd let them, I tried to find the fabled $12 "dinner box" at my closest Mickey D's locations.

It's been nearly a decade since I shopped at Gap or Banana Republic, but the retailers — both owned by parent company Gap Inc. — have been mall staples for as long as I can remember.

I recently visited both stores at my local Orlando mall to get a sense of the value each offers. Here's what my experience was like.

The multigenerational trip, for which one of my mother-in-law's best friends tagged along as her travel partner, proved to be an unforgettable memory for all of us. My kids left the ship feeling like they got to know their grandmother — who lives far from our Florida home in Pennsylvania — even better, and so did I.

Since my family started visiting chain restaurants for the first time about a year ago, we've dined everywhere from Ruth's Chris Steak House to Bahama Breeze.

I've never seen customers lined up just to get a table at any of them until we visited Olive Garden on a Friday night.

Recently, I visited Aldi with a $60 grocery budget to see what I could put in my cart. I bought ingredients for three nights' worth of dinners as well as several gluten-free pantry staples.

Here's what it was like shopping for my family of four on a limited budget.

Here's what it was like to order, pick up, and eat a family meal from Cracker Barrel, and why I'd definitely order a to-go dinner from the chain again.