v 1 issue 1: summer travel with kids

Traveling with Kids

Summer means travel and in order to keep stress to a minimum and maximize the fun, this issue is just the ticket. Find fantastic products to keep the kids occupied and your sanity in check.

Cover by Amanda Elkins

travel tips



1. If you play your cards right...by picking up Amazing Places: National Parks Card Set...your next trip will be a fun filled adventure! Amazing Places: National Parks will introduce your children to 52 of America's National Parks with beautiful photos and fun park facts. Travel made educational and entertaining for the small price of $9.95 at Bird Cage Press.
2. Let your little traveller take a load off with the Maclaren Volo. We love that the Volo is urban chic and ultra light, but most of all we love its 55 lb weight limit. Rest for the weary at Baby Style.
3. Move over Louis Vitton, Trunki (luggage for little people!) is here. Ride on it, carry it, or pull it, just don't leave home without it! Your next trip should be to Trunki.
4. All we can say is don't forget Fodor's Fun For All Ages series next time you travel to the city. Guides for London, Paris, New York, San Diego and more are packed with kid friendly stops, games to play while waiting, fun facts, and themed tours. Fodor's fabulous fun awaits you at MadAllie.com .
5. Treasure your travel memories with a photo book from PhotoWorks.com. Simple drag and click design (let your kids help design it), superb quality, and fantastic prices (try the Everyday Compact for only $12.95) make PhotoWorks photobooks one of our favorites, and hopefully one of yours!


kid-friendly travel

Family-Friendly Resorts; The Best of the Best
Traveling with family means traveling in comfort and style when you reserve a room at one of our favorite family-friendly resorts. Without reservation, we recommend the following:

1. Four Seasons:
We love the Four Seasons for families. Family friendly offerings are numerous and include: wonderful children's menus, separate children's pools and play areas, Child and Teen Concierges, baby furnishings, children's toiletries, and even pint-sized bathrobes. We also love the complimentary Kids for All Seasons program which offers supervised activities at each resort. For a luxurious family vacation, the Four Seasons is our top pick.

2. Ritz-Carlton:
Fabulous family travel is for Ritz Kids! Whether you are looking for a connected child suite, a butler drawn bath for baby or kayaking lessons, the Ritz Carlton Ritz Kids program has it. Kids ages 5-12 are welcome to join Ritz staff (CPR and First Aid certified) in either full or half-day programs. Be sure to check out your resort's Healthy Taste for Ritz Kids menu, as they are designed by the resort's chef using the freshest and healthiest local foods. Ritzy travel with the Ritz-Carlton.

3. Loews:
Dedicated to the principal that the 'Family that stays together, plays together', the luxurious line of Loews resorts offers the Loews Loves Kids program and the T-Loews program. Younger travelers will enjoy the lending libraries of games, Fisher Price welcome gifts, and supervised recreational activities. Teens in the T-Loews program will love 24/7 Very Important Teen Treatment (can you say unlimited use of Gameboys, DVDs and more?). And we are sure that parent's will adore Loew's twice-daily maid service that lets mom and dad truly relax.

4. Disney World Resorts:
For a magical family vacation, choose a resort with the Magic of Disney. The world's most famous theme park takes themed resorts to a new level, and kids will be in love the minute they arrive. Parents will appreciate the convenience of the resorts, extended theme park hours, discounted food (save upto 40%!), kids' bunk beds, and easy airport transportation.

5. Hilton:
Hilton World Resorts are dedicated to making family travel fabulous travel, and offer several programs (Vacation Station, Kids' Paradise etc) to keep the kids entertained. Kids under 12 will enjoy children's playgrounds, kid's pools, gifts, game and toy libraries, kid-friendly snacks and a free stay! Parent's will enjoy supervised kid's activities, family rooms and a Hilton Website that answers all your questions (and lists the 49 resorts Hilton most recommends for families).


mom tips

Cleaning Tip: This summer, the new black is white, and we have a few great ideas to keep your whites whiter. 1. Try using dishwasher detergent in your white loads to keep the whites super bright. 2. If you get a grease or oil stain, sprinkle cornstarch on the spot, allow to stand for a few minutes and then brush off and wash as normal. 3. For blood stains, spot treat with hydrogen peroxide and then wash as normal.

Green Tip: It's summer, and we hope you are all drinking lots of water! We also hope that you'll fill those empty water bottles with water, freeze, and use them to keep things cool on your next picnic!

Financial Tip: Believe it or not, being frugal can be fun! Visit mom-mysavers.com to learn when your favorite stores (like Old Navy, Gap and tons more) do their markdowns, and save a fortune on this year's back-to-school shopping.

Parenting Tip: Since back-to-school shopping is almost here, now is the perfect time to teach your kids the value of money, the reward of hard work, and the importance of giving. Having a family yard sale is just the way to do it! This is what you'll need to do: 1. Set aside a day to help your children clean out their closets. 2. Help your children identify items they outgrown, or no longer play and then help them to decide which items would be appropriate to sell at the yard sale, and which items would benefit a Community Organization like your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Church. 3. Allow your children to help you make the donation, and organize the yard sale. (Tip: if you have older children, counting change at the yard sale makes for a great math lesson!) 4. Reward your child's generosity and hard work with the opportunity to use their yard sale earnings for back-to-school shopping.