"My Busy Kit" winners & sick mom advice?

Congratulations to my two lucky “My Busy Kit” winners this morning! These fearless family travelers were selected at random using Random.org:

Dawn, entry #24, who will be traveling to Key West with a toddler for Christmas, is winner of the custom-created “My Busy Kit.”

Rachael, entry #7 on the Travels with Baby Facebook fan page, who will be traveling from Washington D.C. to Phoenix in a few weeks with two kids at 3 ½ and 1 ½ years old (stand-by?!), is winner of the “My Airport Busy Kit.”

Ladies, please contact me ASAP so we can get these kits to you.

Everybody else, remember there is still time to order your own custom “Busy Kits” in time for holiday travel with your children! Thanks so much to our sponsor, My Busy Kits. I am certainly looking forward to busting out our kits in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, got any advice for me?

Ironically, I was posting tips on travel with sick kids last week (click here if you missed it). It looks like I overlooked the possibility of travel with sick mom! (I know, moms aren’t allowed to get sick.) Any of you doctors, pediatricians, and other moms in the know have tips for me on decongestants that are safe while breastfeeding? (Or cough suppressants for that matter?) I usually steer clear of all of the above, but at 30,000 feet it may get a little dicey.

Time to get packing. There is a vacation at the end of this tunnel!

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby

Click here to save an extra 10% off Amazon's already discounted rate

When in Monterey, Go to Paris

As I was organizing some of our Monterey pictures, I thought, “Ah-ha! Here’s a great Photo Friday entry for DeliciousBaby.com. I suppose I might call this “The Other Other Great Place You’ve Got to Visit in Monterey.” My mother, with her excellent pastry-divining sense, led us here while we were out strolling the baby for his nap one morning.

While there is no shortage of wonderful bakeries and cafes in Monterey, California, this was a jaw-dropping-good discovery. Paris Bakery & Café sits unpretentiously at the corner of Bonifacio and Washington Streets, and serves up all the glorious goodies you see here and then some. They have a great lunch menu as well. It’s a treat in itself to nibble croissant, while gazing at the wall-size detailed mural of Paris.

If you’re preparing for holiday travel—or any trip with kids this cold and flu season, don’t miss my "Sick Season" Tips for Travel with Babies and Young Children. And don’t forget to enter for your chance to win one of the two “My Busy Kits” I’m giving away next week!

Oh, and before I go, I should clarify for the Federal Trade Commission that I did not receive any compensation, free coffee, comped cherry croissant, or otherwise, in exchange for this endorsement of the Paris Bakery & Café. Rest assured, the business cards I walked away with were inserted into my pocket by my own hand. I really did just like the café. And if you make it there, I think that you will, too. Just don't take anything from the free sample basket without mentioning it in your own blog.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
www.travelswithbaby.com 

"Sick Season" Tips for Travel with Babies and Young Children

After spending an hour and a half in the car with my kids yesterday, creeping through neighborhood streets behind a hospital, we finally arrived at a drive-thru flu shot clinic and the elusive H1N1 shots were ours! Well, they were my children’s at least. Talk about service--the nurse even climbed into the back of the van to keep us out of the rain. A little bizarre, but better than dragging the three kids into a waiting room filled with sick people. Plus, I will feel much better leaving the country in a week knowing that swine flu and its complications are less likely to be a problem for my baby and young children while we’re away—and after we return.

I know that many of you are gearing up for holiday and/or vacation travel in the next two months, and H1N1 is just one more concern when it comes to your child’s health while you’re away. Since it seems lately like I’ve written tips and spoken on the topic of healthy travels with children ad nauseam (pardon the expression), I’ll just point to some of my favorites here that might help you plan—and gain peace of mind—as you prepare for travel with your child during the cold and flu season.

Here are some topical sections from Travels with Baby (the book):

• Chapter 3 - Tips for packing your child’s travel kit (don’t leave home without it).
• Chapter 7 - Some good pre-trip tips for healthy travels, along with mentions of useful products and gear that travel easily to pack along in case of illness.
• Chapter 9 – Some great (if I do say so myself) advice on getting medical help while you’re away, treating common travel ailments and illnesses, and includes “A Traveler’s Guide to Ear Infections.”

An article: Tips to help protect your baby from flu during travel.

And above: A related appearance I made last winter on ABC’s The View from the Bay.

As always, you’ll find plenty more tips on Traveler’s Health and other topics on my FAQs and Popular Topics page.

And if you're traveling with kids from 18 months to 10 years old, don’t forget! I’m giving away two “My Busy Kits” ($25 and $15 values) to help ease travel with your kids! Click here for details.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
www.travelswithbaby.com

Five Ways Airlines Can Help Make Happier Travelers of Us All

First there was the breastfeeding mom who was removed from a flight for refusing to “cover up” when a flight attendant insisted she use a blanket. Then came the autistic toddler who couldn’t stay in his seat. Now a noisy 2-year-old gets removed from a Southwest flight before it even leaves the runway (but only after the flight crew fueled his fervor with juice—the icing on the cake).

It seems like each year we have a new media blitz that pits flying parents against the airlines—along with every traveler onboard without kids. Why can’t we all just get along?

I humbly admit that it’s not always easy traveling with (or near) babies and toddlers, but let’s at least acknowledge that it’s not always a picnic traveling with the other folks who may be onboard either.

I have to wonder how a woman discreetly breastfeeding at her window seat is more offensive to fellow passengers than the passenger who continues to pass noxious gas throughout the entire flight? How a baby who cries during the descent is more annoying than the passenger who boasts at a high decibel since boarding how he got rich selling water filters “…and you can too!” And don’t get me started on the neighboring “lap cat” who peed on my mother-in-law’s JetBlue seat.

I’ve offered plenty of tips to help parents flying with babies and toddlers. But today I’m offering tips I believe will help everyone fly more happily—crew, kids, parents, and other passengers alike. And I hope somebody’s paying attention.

Five Ways Airlines Can Help Make Happier Travelers of Us All:

1. Include milk and sugar-free beverage options in the onboard drink service. Nothing fuels toddler angst like sugary fruit juice and a safety belt. Milk, with its protein, can be especially helpful for traveling tots, but is not currently an option on many (if not most) flights.
2. Establish a family seating zone, preferably at the front of the aircraft, where travelers with babies and young children may be seated together and will have ease of boarding with car seats without having to lug them the length of the aircraft (especially after other passengers have boarded and are likely to be in the way and/or get bumped). Not only will the family zone ensure fellow passenger sensitivity to issues such as breastfeeding and ear pain, and the presence of a lap child on the row, but they can also share toys. (!)
3. Designate at least one “Family Certified Flight Attendant” (FCFA) on the aircraft to serve this group of passengers. He or she needn’t be a certified nanny (e.g. Gulf Air’s celebrated Sky Nannies), but will hopefully have some experience with young children and sensitivity to the needs of parents. Best of all, they will accept the FCFA posts knowing they’ll be working with child passengers.
4. Allow family pre-boarding before all of the business- and first-class passengers (and Silver and Gold mileage members…) are seated on the aircraft. More importantly, give the option of having only one parent to pre-board with the car seat (CRS) and without the child, to help get the car seat in place before other passengers are likely to get bumped by it. Everyone will appreciate that the CRS is ready to receive the child passenger as soon as he boards the aircraft.
5. Provide helpful baby and toddler items for rent or sale in flight. Many parents would gladly rent a CARES flight harness for their toddler and avoid bringing the car seat onboard, and the airline could profit from this. Not to mention how many travelers with lap babies would be delighted to rent a FlyeBaby infant hammock or Baby B’Air Flight safety vest to use during their flights. Add a few toddler snacks and baby food to the in-flight meal options and everybody’s happy.
   

Am I suggesting the airlines and flight crew bend over backwards to accommodate travelers with small children? Not in the least—though I will say that I am very appreciative of every flight attendant who has gone above and beyond what was required to help us fly better—they do exist and are gems. And I hope they will be first in line when they start hiring for the new FCFA posts.

Would you support these suggestions? Got a few of your own? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. And if you’ll be traveling with toddlers or young children in the near future, check out the “My Busy Kit” giveaway that just kicked off to help banish boredom—not kids—from flights.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
www.travelswithbaby.com 

Banish boredom--not kids--from flights: "My Busy Kit" giveaways!

I was appalled, to say the least, by the news this weekend that a noisy 2-year-old was removed from a Southwest flight before it even left the runway. But that is the topic of an entirely different blog post. The bottom line here is: as traveling parents, we need as much help as we can get in keeping our wee travelers constructively engaged while in transit.

As some of you know, I’m no stranger to stuffing oddball kitchen items in a slide-lock bag to pull out in a pinch while flying with a baby or toddler. As my girls have grown a little bit older and wiser, however, I’ve found the Ziplocs and measuring spoons don’t quite cut it anymore. Nevertheless, I try my best to resist plugging them in to DVDs and electronics as we travel, preferring to keep their eyes open, imaginations and conversations flowing as much as possible--not to mention keeping their hands busy to channel their physical energy into something constructive.

I admit it’s not always easy.

Our upcoming family adventure will kick off with a late night at the airport before embarking on a red-eye flight, and will feature some lovely little layovers. It’s the perfect case for Sominex and a side of pre-dawn Spanish coffee—if you don’t have two young children and an infant in your care.

Happily, I found out about “My Busy Kits,” which you could say are like my “baby baggies” on steroids (without the steroids, of course), with a combination of items to color, create, and help encourage play and discovery. Imagine someone packing all the fun that can fit into a lunchbox-size bag, custom-tailoring the contents to suit your child’s age and gender (from toddlerhood up to 10 years), and delivering it to your door.

Yes, please. I’ll take three.

I have to say I was impressed when my two Busy Kits arrived for the girls, along with a third “Airport Busy Kit” for extra ammo. The contents were of good quality and went well beyond anything I’ve managed to think up or pick up before our last several trips. Each is packed with all sorts of gadgets, gizmos, crafts, and art supplies that will not only keep them entertained on the airplanes and in our hotel room, but will keep their imaginations going strong at the same time.

Best of all? It was one less thing I had to mastermind before our departure.

Win one of TWO “My Busy Kits” for your family’s next adventure!

Win the “My Busy Kit” of your choice, customized to suit your child’s age and interests, just in time for your holiday travels! Whether you’re traveling by car, train, plane, or boat, passing time at the station or in Aunt Minnie’s parlor, dragging the kids to church service or to the Outback, chances are you’ll be glad to have a Busy Kit along.

To enter to win a customized “My Busy Kit” ($25 value), add a comment to this blog post by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time next Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 (Veteran’s Day), and include a comment on how a Busy Kit might help on your family’s travels. U.S. only, please.

Up your odds with additional entries:

You can get up to 2 additional entries (only 1 entry per method, please). Here’s how:

1. Subscribe - Subscribe to this blog using the spam-free email subscription box above. Then leave an additional comment below this post telling me you've done so. If you've already subscribed, go ahead and add your extra post. Thanks!

2. Twitter - Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter (http://tinyurl.com/yfbfvlm), including @travelswithbaby and a link to this post, then leave an additional comment below with your twitter handle. (Again, thanks!)
Take a look our sponsor’s site: http://www.mybusykit.com/ to see samples of kits you can choose from.

Categories include:
- My Busy Kit for toddlers (can be customized from 18 months+)
- My Busy Kit for girls (ages 3+, specify age when ordering)
- My Busy Kit for boys (ages 3+, specify age when ordering)

On Facebook? Enter to win an additional “My Airport My Busy Kit,” too!

Travels with Baby Facebook fans can also post a comment to the Travels with Baby wall by the same deadline to enter to win a “My Airport Busy Kit” ($15 value). Just post a comment to the wall stating you want the “My Airport Busy Kit” before the deadline. Click here to see sample contents.

CHECK HERE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12th to see if you are the randomly chosen winner of either or both kits.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
www.travelswithbaby.com

Go Dutch in Golden Gate Park

Few visitors make it to the west-most edge of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, but those who do are often startled by the sight of this enormous windmill facing onto the Pacific. Queen Wilhelmina’s Windmill is one of two enormous windmills that were built in 1902 to help bring water into Golden Gate Park and nearby areas. This recently restored treasure is surrounded by a lovely small garden, which explodes with tulips each early spring and dazzles with other blossoms most of the year.

It’s the perfect place to bring a picnic or plan your lunch outing while exploring San Francisco’s west side. Even on sunny days when the afternoon winds pick up along the coast, this garden treasure is still fairly well sheltered from the coastal breeze by surrounding trees and its slightly sunken location. The windmill itself inspires photos of all sorts, and you may happen upon an artist at work capturing its likeness in paint. Small children love to race around the garden paths and explore the nooks around the base of the structure.



While you’re there:
Ocean Beach is right across the street, so stroll on over to make a sand castle. Also, the Beach Chalet restaurant is just a short stroll away, with its “Park Chalet” outdoor service that is very popular for families with tots on sunny, warm afternoons as we are so lucky to have spring and fall (not so in July). They often have live music as well, adding to the festive ambience. Here is a shot of the approach from the park-side footpath; you can also enter from the front side on Great Highway. The windmill is also an easy stop on your way to or from Fort Funston--another great FREE attraction in San Francisco.



Getting there:
I’m very sorry to say the SF Culture Bus has been discontinued due to insufficient ridership, which now makes reaching most destinations in Golden Gate Park by public transportation—especially the west end—a very slow undertaking for visitors staying downtown. The Fulton 5 line will take you along the northern edge of the entire park, but slowly (more public transit help here). For most visitors with small children traveling out from Fisherman’s Wharf or the financial district, a car would certainly simplify things--and will make it easier to explore other nearby attractions in the Outer Richmond district and along the coast.

This post is part of the Photo Friday fun you can check out at DeliciousBaby.com.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
http://www.travelswithbaby.com/

Jet Set Babies winner + 15% off for you!

Congratulations to Kim Cotton, winner of the $50 gift certificate from our sponsor: Jet Set Babies!

Save 15% on your own order!
For the rest of you, Jet Set Babies is offering a generous 15% off your entire order of baby (or toddler!) supplies for deliveries now through December 25, 2009, when you use the checkout code: TravelswithBaby. 

That ought to help you gear up for holiday travel. ;-)

I'll be announcing another Gear Up for Holiday Travel giveaway soon! In the mean time, you can also click here to see more discounts from my advertisers.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
www.travelswithbaby.com