We are doing ALL THE THINGS to celebrate the holiday season. We love soaking in as many holiday activities as possible. This year Geoff and I decided that instead of giving a ton of gifts under the tree we wanted to focus more on experiences. We are so blessed and our kids have so much stuff that they really don’t need anything. Don’t get me wrong, we will still have some things wrapped under the tree, but we are trying to focus on quality time and events that will make memories. Those memories will last way longer than the excitement of another toy under the tree that they lose interest in quickly. A few ideas of things we are doing are coupon books for a slumber party, family night out where kids pick the restaurant, extra tokens at Chuck-E-Cheese, etc. These are events my kids LOVE doing and are things we can do to spend extra time together as a family. Another thing my kids absolutely love are staycations. . .well, lets be real, Geoff and I love these too! There is just something about staying in a hotel that is so special. This weekend we gave them an early Christmas gift and surprised them with a Staycation in Frisco. If you are local I highly recommend this. We seriously had the best time!
FRISCO HOLIDAY STAYCATION
Saturday we loaded up the kids and told them we had an early Christmas gift for them. We were heading to Frisco to see the Christmas show at the Star and then stay the night in a hotel. They were super excited! My kids LOVE a hotel! I remember really liking it too when I was a kid. We stayed at the AC Hotel which is a beautiful Marriott property and less than a mile from the Star. It was the perfect location. The hotel is only a few months old and absolutely beautiful. The decor was amazing, we loved our room, the location was great and the food was delicious! It felt like a very nice boutique hotel. This was the perfect spot for our staycation.
We checked in and went up to our room to get settled. There are actually 2 hotels in the same location. The AC Hotel and the Residence Inn. We actually stayed in a Residence Inn room and it was perfect for us. It had a full kitchen and was so spacious. There were 2 queen beds and a little living room area with a desk and sofa. The TV could swivel between the 2 rooms which was awesome!
After we got settled in our room we explored the hotel a little bit. They have an indoor pool which is another huge bonus. Something about swimming inside during the winter is just exciting. We checked out the cute lobby, the lounge, etc. After some exploring we hopped in our car and headed over to The Star. Honestly, we could have walked, but I figured a car would be easier if we stayed late and the kids were tired. Uber would have been a great option too. It was literally a 2 minute drive.
We love going to the Frisco Star. It is the Dallas Cowboy world headquarters. There are over 35 restaurants, shops, the Cowboy practice facility, tons of football memorabilia and a full size football field the kids can run around on. We love to come here, grab a bite to eat and play on the field. At Christmas it is even more special. Every Friday and Saturday at 6 there is a huge FREE Christmas show. The performance showcases the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, dancers, drum line, the Mascot and each night has a different Dallas Cowboy special Guest appearance. It is lots of fun, tons of lights, fireworks, the 67 ft tall tree is lit up with a fun show and Santa makes an appearance. We all loved it.
We arrived at the Star around 4:30, had dinner at Sushi Marquee (Braden tried Sushi for the first time. . .he was a fan) and then walked around a little bit. They day we went they had a cute outdoor market set up with lots of great vendors. After some shopping, we grabbed some yummy ice cream at Cow Tipping Creamery and then got our spot for the show. It was decently crowded, but the show takes place in a large area so you can see from all around. Also there is a huge jumbo-tron TV so you can see everything there even if you don’t have the best spot.
At 6 the show started and it really was great. Lots of music, dancing, fireworks and of course. . .Santa!
After the show we headed back to our hotel. The kids wanted to check out the AC Hotel lounge so we went there and had an evening snack. Kids got lemonade and we had some adult beverages and a yummy cheese board.
We were going to head down to the pool and swim, but when we got in the room Home Alone was on so the kids wanted to get into their Christmas Jammies, play games and watch Home Alone. We love family games so we brought Kids Charades, and Red Light Green Light 1 2 3 with us. There were lots of laughs and lots of snuggles. It was the perfect evening!
We woke up in the morning, packed up and headed down to breakfast. If you stay on the Residence Inn side there is a complimentary breakfast buffet. It looked (and smelled really yummy), but we had heard great things about the AC Kitchen (on the AC Hotel side) so we wanted to try that out and it didn’t disappoint. It felt like you were in Europe! They had a delicious selection of cured meats and cheeses, the most amazing quiches I have ever tasted, incredible pastries and a prosciutto machine that Geoff loved. We all left with very full bellies!
I really cannot say enough about doing a family staycation. Something about getting away and staying someplace else makes the even so much more special and focused on family time. If we would have just gone to the Star and driven home (which is what we typically do), the kids would have run around, played in their playroom, etc and we would have been spread out throughout the house. In a hotel you are all together and even though you are close to home if feels like a real vacation. My kids haven’t stopped talking about it since we got home. If you are in the area I highly recommend AC Hotels. We had the most amazing stay. Everything about the hotel was perfection. We will definitely be back.
The kids don’t know it yet, but we have another fun holiday staycation planned this week! We head out on Thursday. You can follow along on Instagram stories with us! We are really trying our best to soak in the Christmas season with lots of family time. These precious years are going fast!
Thanks so much to AC Hotels for our incredible stay. We had the best time at your hotel. I only share things I love with my readers and all opinions are my own.