Mom Central Travels

Momtrends guest post: traveling to Spain with the kids

Traveling with kids is always and adventure. I'm encouraging everyone to explore something new this summer. Maybe it's a trip to a location historical landmark. Maybe you'll splash out and head overseas. Either way we've got tips and ideas to make travel more fun and interesting for your family.

 This summer our trips took us to Spain, Paris (more on that to come) and Nantucket. Spain was doable thanks to out Chicco Ct0.6 Capri Lightweight Stroller This lightweight stroller (see picture) let me zip in and out of airports, shops, and restaurants.  It folds up compactly and is a breeze to unfold. In fact, I'm so thrilled with Chicco, we're going to offer a special July contest to be announced soon!

What did I love about Spain?  Well, the weather was sublime.  It's also easy to skip the car seat. Madrid has an excellent Metro that will take you from the airport right into Madrid. There are tons of parks. I recommend the large Parque del Buen Retiro. It's got a fun lake where you can rent little boats, plus playgrounds and lots of open space.

We had a great time visiting friends on our short stay (thanks for the Jamon!) hadn't been to Spain since I was 17, and sadly this second visit lasted less than 36 hours, next time I'm going to relax a bit more and see the sights.

One stop I'd recommend is the Baby Deli. This children's shop has a top-notch assortment of organic baby food and snacks, natural skincare products, wooden toys and other carefully selected goodies. The cafe is stocked with yummy salads and sandwiches. We sat outside in the spacious garden near the play tepee. Baby Deli also offers classes (drop in and scheduled). I

What made this whirlwind trip easier? I was glad to have stashed my Plush Pad. Baby had a few “MDSes” (Messy Diaper Situations) that would have brought new meaning the the phrase “ugly American tourist” if we hadn't been prepared. I rolled out the roomy (2' x 2') mat at the park, took care of business, wrapped the stinkeroo diaper in a Sassy Earth Smart Diaper Sack Dispenser, and went on my way without getting flustered. Next stop Paris!

Who else is traveling this summer?

Before we get to France, let's tale a look at where other folks are going this summer. Karen Telegadis from Plush Pad shared her thoughts:

Vacation spot: Connecticut .
Dream trip: A full month in Greece staying with her husband's relatives.
Can't leave home without: Sunblock on a stick, printing out favorite coloring pages for her girls, I Spy books – and of course the Plush Pad!

Nicole Feliciano is a freelance writer and mother of two girls based in Brooklyn, New York. Admittedly style-obsessed, she spent seven years in women’s fashion with Polo Ralph Lauren before taking on the world of parenting. Now she uses her keen eye to spot trends for hip families and shares her picks on her Momtrends blog as well as national print and online publications.

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Disclosure: All links to Amazon are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

From Dates to Diapers guest post: on the go with the family

We are a family constantly on the go. To make traveling easy and fun, whether it be to the supermarket, a trip to Grandpa and Grandma's house, or just to the zoo, we are always prepared, in the car and out!

I don't know about you, but I allow my kiddos to eat and drink in the car, most of the time. Sometimes, however, I wish I didn't because spills are bound to happen! That's why having good coverage in the car is essential. YES Essentials provide much-needed protection for your car's floors and seats.

YES Essentials® fabrics and carpets are engineered with a unique combination of three patented polymer technologies:

1. StainSmart® for repelling and releasing stains
2. AlphaSan® for resisting odors
3. ShockShield™ for reducing static shock

This combination makes YES Essentials factory installed and custom car products resilient and stain proof and easy to clean.

I currently have two kiddos in toddler booster seats and two in five-point harnesses. Fortunately we have a pretty good system for preparing to pull out the driveway. The twins are a big help. Imagine the time it would take if I had to buckle up all four of the younger kiddos myself!

The Clek booster seats are super easy to install and since it has the LATCH system, I can rest easy knowing that is is super safe! The clek booster seats are designed with an integrated rigid LATCH system to deliver both the safety of LATCH and the convenience of uncomplicated installation, features typically at odds with one another.

Wet Ones go with us everywhere! These handy wipes are perfect for wiping off every thing from ice cream smudged faces to Cheeto stained fingers. I keep a package in my purse, a canister in my car's front console, and several individually packed Wet Ones in my glove box. With six kids you never know when you may need to clean up a mess!

A good stroller is a must for any time we leave the house. Noah doesn't generally like to be in a stroller for long periods of time, so for long days out I usually wrap him on to me and stroll Ben and Josh along. I just got a lime green Phil & Ted's Sport with the double kit and have fallen in love with it! It is wonderfully lightweight and maneuverable and allows two of my kiddos to ride comfortably with plenty of room.

The Phil & Ted’s company is an incredibly innovative and parent-centered company and were actually the pioneers who first featured a three wheeler with a swivel-front wheel. They certainly know what parents want and need in a stroller!

Some of the features that make this stroller my newest favorite is the large basket for storage, the sleek style, smooth and easy ride, and the fact that the fabric is tough, washable and waterproof.

Visit Let's Go Strolling for tons of information on the greatest items to make outings easy, from strollers to diaper bags. There you will find the best products for on the go, as well as superb customer service to walk you through the selection process. For more tips for on the go, check out Mamanista's post Travel Tips: Best Gear for Traveling with Babies and Children

To read more from Christine, visit From Dates to Diapers and Beyond! 

How to travel in the car with kids without losing your mind

A long car ride can be difficult for everyone. Hours spent on the road with little to keep your kids entertained, constant distractions from the backseat, and frequent stops can get any vacation off to a rocky start. This is especially true if your child gets carsick.

In order to help you plan your future car trips, Nicole Feliciano of MomTrends shares her tips

Do your kids get sick in the car?

Do your kids hurl in the car on long trips? The July 2008 issue of ShopSmart advises parents:

• DON’T let carsickness-prone kids read, color, play handheld games, or watch videos. Have them listen to music or audiobooks and play games such as I Spy that involve looking out the window.
• DO plan frequent stops for fresh air. Wear the kids out at a park or fast-food play area. Sleeping children don’t get carsick.
• DON’T give susceptible kids an untried over-the-counter antihistamine. Try a test dose at home. These drugs make most people drowsy, but some kids have the opposite reaction. You don’t want to be stuck in a moving vehicle with a hyper child.
• DO be prepared with a waterproof bag and a cleanup kit. Include a change of clothes, paper towels, an enzyme-based pet-spot remover (good for cleaning and deodorizing after human accidents, too) and a towel.

Kid friendly road tunes for the car that won’t drive parents crazy

• Snack Time by the BareNaked Ladies – Hilarious!
• In My Hometown by Tom Chapin – Simplicity in melody here...never cheats the rich instrumentation or complex.
• Not for Kids Only by Jerry Garcia and David Grisam – Their ironic approach makes 12 traditional cuts extraordinary.
• Songs for the Young at Heart by Taj Mahal – A spirited collection of blues and world tunes.

More family car travel tips

Finally I called on a pal at Babble.com. Kate Bayless is a wealth of information and she didn't let me down:

We frequently make the six hour trip up the coast to see my extended family in Northern California. With a two-year old and a six-month old, our trips have become quite different (think Thomas the Train marathons and Old McDonald choruses).

I've had some luck relying on FindLocalParks.com for locating local grassy areas to run around and Yelp.com for finding kid-friendly restaurants and other activities like zoos and hikes to help break up the drive.

And never underestimate the power of being silly. With an hour left to go in the six hour car ride and everyone a bit antsy, my husband and I can do some wicked renditions of Disney movies, nursery rhyme songs and character voices that keep the whole car entertained. Momentary stares from neighboring cars are not nearly as bad as 60-minutes of toddler whining.

I'd love to see this in person some time Kate.  Are Dory and Nemo in your repertoire?
 

Nicole Feliciano is a freelance writer and mother of two girls based in Brooklyn, New York. Admittedly style-obsessed, she spent seven years in women’s fashion with Polo Ralph Lauren before taking on the world of parenting. Now she uses her keen eye to spot trends for hip families and shares her picks on her Momtrends blog as well as national print and online publications.

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Disclosure: All links to Barnes & Nobles are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

Momtrends guest post: vacation planning for family travel

All great family vacations involve lots and lots of planning! Nicole Feliciano of Momtrends has all of the great advice and resources you need to make your trip go smoothly and ensure the whole family has fun.

Cool Hotels Family & Kids is a gorgeous paperback travel guide jam-packed with vivid color photos. The author has picked all the hippest spots around the globe to travel with family in tow. The book targets "cutting-edge parents" who "don't want to slow down or sacrifice style for practicality."

My globetrotting friends will adore the shots of the Vienna Dream Castle Hotel to the Chedi Phuket in Thailand all the way to the Voyages Dunk Island in Australia. If high-style and adventure are your thing this book is for you! From $18.96 at Amazon.com.

If you need more help planning your next jaunt consider TravelMuse. TravelMuse is the online travel destination for inspiring, planning and booking vacations—giving useful tips and insights to make traveling with children the best it can be.I asked TM's Director of Marketing, Fiona Ashley to share her family travel tips.

Four tips for planning a vacation with small children

1. Aside from cleanliness—which is a universal requirement regardless of the traveler’s age—make sure the hotel you select has three things:

• A kitchen or kitchenette. Being able to make your own food, or to at least store snacks, medicine, breast milk, formula, etc., saves time, money and helps with peace of mind.
• Access to a yard or nearby park. Having a park on site or nearby gives young kids a place to run around and meet other young temporary playmates.
• A swimming pool shallow enough for the littlest kids. A pool? Well, what kid doesn’t like to splash around in water? Kids clubs and babysitting services are nice extras, but not every kids club is necessarily a good club, and not every parent wants to leave their kids with strangers.

2. If you waited to take your kids on trips until they were two years old or older, ease them into travel by selecting destinations that are closer to home. Four or five hours in a car or plane for the first time can be frustratingly restrictive for young kids, especially if they’re used to being active.

3. Make sure you select activities that the entire family can enjoy. If visiting an amusement park and you have both young children (under six) and older kids, check the height requirements for the rides to make sure there are enough attractions available for the littlest ones to enjoy their day ,too.

4. Find out ahead of time where the nearest “in-network” urgent-care facility is located, as well as where you can run out in the middle of the night for diapers, formula or medicine should you and the hotel run out of emergency supplies.

Fiona’s family travel plans

Where are you going this summer? I just got back from a five-day mountain biking and hiking trip to Mammoth and Yosemite, California, over the Fourth of July weekend and had brought our two-year-old daughter. We hired a babysitter for three hours on a couple of mornings while my husband and I headed up the gondola and down the trails on our own—it was amazing! We hiked Lambert Dome at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite on the way back home, and our daughter did great at sitting in our Macpac backpack and trotting down the trails.

What is your dream vacation? Trekking in Torres del Paine, Patagonia, and exploring the South Island, New Zealand, are high on my list of places to visit.

What item you won't leave home without? Crayons. Yes, throw out the moisturizer and the lip gloss! I’d rather have an amused two-year-old. So in any one of my purses you could currently find a half dozen multi-colored crayons in a small Ziploc bag. Whether we’re at a restaurant or the hair salon peace reigns—well at least for a little while!
 

Nicole Feliciano is a freelance writer and mother of two girls based in Brooklyn, New York. Admittedly style-obsessed, she spent seven years in women’s fashion with Polo Ralph Lauren before taking on the world of parenting. Now she uses her keen eye to spot trends for hip families and shares her picks on her Momtrends blog as well as national print and online publications.

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Disclosure: All links to Amazon are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.