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Amazing Travel Tips For Parents Looking To Take The Kids On The Road

September 17, 2019 by Mandy

Planning a trip is easy but making sure the whole family’s prepared can be a nightmare. Check out these travel tips for parents to ensure smooth sailing.

If you love traveling with your kids, you’re in good company: over 100 million Americans plan on taking a family trip in 2019.

But while bringing kids on trips opens them up to new experiences and cultures, it can become nightmarish when you have to deal with long airport security lines and delays.

How can you keep kids patient and comfortable when embarking on a new family adventure together? Here are some key travel tips for parents.

Start Preparing as Early as Possible

Busy parents who work may put off organizing the trip until a few weeks before departure. Our advice is don’t—you’ll only end up feeling overwhelmed as you cram several to-dos in during the last minute. You also will end up not looking forward to your vacation.

Book what you can as early in advance as possible so that you don’t have to worry about unavailability. This includes planned activities during the trip that you want to enjoy together. Use a calendar template to keep track of tasks related to your trip that can be done ahead of time (such as having your vehicle serviced by a certain date if you’re going on a road trip.)

Try to Pack Light

This is easier said than done, but try not to let luggage get out of hand. The last thing any family wants when traveling in addition to strollers and other bulky items is carrying a ton of luggage, so make sure to look for the best luggage sets for your packing light.

Young kids may want to bring along familiar toys or stuffed animals. Limit them to one “security” item and only pack clothing that each family member needs, depending upon the weather and the activities planned.

Prepare Kids On What to Expect

Children thrive on routine, and a trip can throw a lot of unfamiliar situations at them. Keep them informed on what they can expect when traveling and how long it may take to arrive at your destination. Preparing them ahead of time can ease some of their travel stress.

Snacks Will Save Your Sanity

Unexpected delays can throw off meal schedules and make kids and parents alike feel tired and cranky. Always have a supply of energy fueling healthy snacks and bottled water with you at all times to help prevent meltdowns on the road. Your snack arsenal should be low in sugar and high in protein to help tie over hunger until you can enjoy a full meal together.

It also isn’t a bad idea to pack a couple of favorite books and travel-friendly games to keep children amused when waiting.

Allow Plenty of Time

Arrive to the airport ahead of time or hit the road extra early to evade long lines and traffic. While some things that happen during your trip will be beyond your control, leaving your home early will help you avoid any additional stress from feeling rushed.

Follow These Travel Tips For Stress-Free Family Trips

Following these travel tips for families will ensure that you enjoy your vacation as much as your kids do. And above all, remember that traveling with kids does get easier the more often you do it.

For more tips on how parents can get the most of out vacationing with children, check out our latest travel posts.

4 Essential Things Parents Get Wrong When Designing Their Children’s Bedrooms

March 23, 2018 by Mandy

Creating a space for your child is a big responsibility. Mainly because most children develop a strong connect with their personal space. Chances are your child will go on to remember even the most intricate details about his or her first room for years to come. If you do it right, it will be a soothing and fun room with enough storage space for your child’s toys, books, art supplies, and study materials. Without further ado, following are 4 things most parents get wrong when designing bedrooms for children.

Painting Walls Using Bright Colors: This is probably the most common mistake when designing a child’s bedroom. In a bid to keep things fun, parents often use bright red and green colors to paint the walls. Have you ever wondered why most children’s wards in hospitals are painted in pale blue or pink color? That’s because doctors and child psychologists know what most people do not. Soothing pale colors promote sleep and bring a sense of calm. Bright colors, on the other hand, result in sensory overload and they can create an uncomfortable space for sleep and study. However, just because you are using pale colors, doesn’t mean it cannot be fun. Play with wall stencils and patterns to give your child’s bedroom a relaxing yet fun look.

Not Investing in Proper Storage Space: You cannot really blame your kid for not cleaning up his or her room if there isn’t enough space for all the clothes, toys, and study materials. Use cheap storage solutions such as baskets and wall shelves to designate a space for even the smallest of items. It’s also important to create a box or storage space for toys that hide them from view. This will ensure your child is not distracted by Iron Man when he or she has homework to do. When buying cupboards and storage units, invest in things that would work well even when your child becomes a teenager. Something like a tiny colorful cupboard may look cute now, but it would need to be replaced in a few years as your child develops a more mature taste.

Not Adding an Item of Interest: Once you get the basics right, it’s time to garnish the room with something interesting. Much like designing a custom gift card or a greetings card, your child’s bedroom needs to have that wow factor. That’s often as simple as adding a hammock or crafting a small tent with Christmas lights. A paper-box castle can also be a fun little play area for your kid. It’s also recommended to wait till your child develops an interest and then include something that fuels that interest. This allows children to instantly bond with their rooms as well as find the motivation to pursue their hobbies.

Not Creating a Study Zones: For most children, their rooms are their personal spaces where they play, sleep, and study. Dividing it into different zones or mini-areas is a smart approach. For example, the study zone should have fewer distractions and give your child easy access to all of his or her study materials. This approach will enable your child to concentrate better during study hours.

10 Fashion Pieces to Pack on a Cruise Ship Vacation

January 26, 2017 by Mandy

Source

A cruise ship vacation can be a great way to see a region of the world without having to worry about extensive travel planning. Instead, you and your family can simply relax and enjoy the scenic ports, the fun excursions, and the luxuries aboard your ship. Packing for a cruise that is sailing through the islands takes some care. Beyond some summer outfits and your bathing suit, here are 10 essential fashion pieces to pack on your cruise vacation.

1. Extra Hangers

Packing extra hangers is a must if you want to keep your clothes looking great and ready to wear. Most cruise ship cabins don’t have more than a handful of hangers inside of their closets, so you’ll need to bring your own to accommodate all of your looks. An easy way to keep your hangers packed tight in your suitcase is to use lightweight wire hangers. Slip each of your outfits on a wire hanger and flat pack your clothes into your suitcases.

2. Formal Evening Wear

Many cruises still hold several formal dining events on board. If you want to make an impression and experience this unique event, be sure to pack several options for formal evening wear. Forgetting these essentials means you and your party will have to skip the formal dining room and make do with a casual buffet meal on those nights instead.

3. Fine Jewelry

To complete your formal evening wear look, be sure to pack your best pieces of fine jewelry. These are the nights where you’ll be posing for lots of formal portraits with your family or by yourself. If you’re nervous about bringing expensive pieces on board, pick up some authentic looking costume jewels for your ensemble instead.

4. Comfortable Walking Shoes

When you’re ready to go out exploring on those exciting excursions off of the cruise ship, you’ll need a pair of comfortable walking shoes. Sturdy shoes with a strong sole can help you keep your feet from getting too sore and uncomfortable as you navigate port.

5. Lightweight Beach Bag

For the days when your cruise ship is docked at each destination, you’ll definitely want to check out the gorgeous Caribbean beaches. Because you’ll be constantly on the go, you’ll need a lightweight beach bag option to take ashore. Look for one that is made of a sturdy material, like straw or linen, to hold all of your beach essentials.

6. Wide Brimmed Hat

While the warm rays of the sun in the Caribbean can be comforting, you’ll need to prepare yourself for the trip with some sun protection. Being closer to the equator means you’ll need extra tricks to help keep the sun from making your skin burn or causing too much fatigue. Try packing a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off of your face.

7. Easy Sundresses

For your fun days on board your ship while it cruises to further destinations, you want to look your best without having to put in too much effort. A light sundress is the perfect option for those lazy days. Best of all, sundresses are easy and effortless to pack.

8. Chic Sandals

Don’t forget your great sense of fashion for your feet when you’re setting up your packing list. While flip flops are a standard for any cruise ship vacation to a warm weather destination, you should also consider bringing some gorgeous heeled sandals to dress up your outfit. You can find a great selection of sandals with online store Tobi.

9. Casual Gym Wear

It’s also a good idea to include some casual gym wear. This way, you’ll be able to start off each day with a workout on board your ship. Or, if you aren’t ready to hit the gym, you can simply stroll the top deck of the ship each morning.

10. Light Jacket

While it’s true that your cruise destinations may be warm and sunny with mild temperatures, things can get chilly on board at night. It’s smart to pack a light jacket for those colder nights just in case. Sometimes, the cruise ship’s air conditioning can be too powerful as well.

Getting ready for a cruise to a sunny destination can be a thrilling part of your trip. Before you set out on your boat, make sure you pack these essential fashion items to keep your style picture perfect each day of your trip.

Tips for First Time Outdoor Home Holiday Decorating

May 22, 2016 by Mandy

Owning a home comes with a wide array of benefits and freedoms. One of these assets of being a person of property is the ability to decorate the outside of your house for the holidays how you see fit (to the limits of local ordinances of course.)

However, with great freedom comes great responsibility. Putting up outdoor holiday decorations for the first time requires a little bit of preparation and forethought. Without them, a home risks damage, drama, or worse.

Alas, there is no need to worry, so long as you abide by the following tips for first time home holiday decorating:

Stay Safe

In the movies, a failure to be safe when putting up outdoor decorations leads to humorous calamity. In real life, however, neglecting to take personal safety seriously will only lead to damage, injury, or even worse. Make sure ladders are securely placed and lights being actively strung up are not connected to a power source. If you’re getting on the roof, wear the right footwear and never work alone.

Factor In the Local Riff Raff

Even the best neighbourhoods are bound to have a few bad apples bent on slashing inflatable lawn ornaments and popping lights out with BB guns. Kids are just going to be fools sometimes, there’s not much else to it. Security systems are ideal, and not uncommon. According to securitychoice.com, nearly 7 million households utilize ADT, with many taking advantage of mobile device integration to have live feed footage of their property wherever they are. Motion detecting lights are also good deterrents against attempts to damage or steal your holiday decorations.

Check with Neighbours

Inflatable snow globes and other lawn ornaments are increasingly popular holiday decor. However, a series or sequence of light strings will always be the go-to classic Christmas decoration of choice for households across the western hemisphere. These array of bright and oftentimes flashing green, red, blue, white, and yellow lights can be beautiful, but they can also be an eyesore depending on the vantage point. It’s a smart policy to check with your immediate neighbours to see if they’d have a problem sleeping or watching TV with bright flashing lights across the way. Compromise to lessen the annoyance; no point making bad blood over holiday cheer.

Stay Coordinated

Suburbia is in no short supply of flat out ugly decoration setups during the holiday season. The failure to make their efforts lead to an eye appealing result boils down to a lack of harmony. Stick to a colour theme and abide by the golden rule of decorating: less is more.

Schedule (and Stick to) a Take Down Day

Time flies. Before we know it, the holidays are over and it’s a whole new year. The decorations stay up longer than they ought to; the second weekend of the new year is a good baseline for when it’s time to take down the festive decor. Make a point to pick a specific day to take down the lights, deflate the reindeer, and remove the electric candles from the windows. Don’t forget the tree too, of course. This helps to prevent rolling into February with Father Christmas still on the roof.

Homeownership allows for the freedom to set up your own winter wonderland on the exterior of your house and around the front lawn. First time outdoor holiday home decorators ought to let their creative juices flow, but not without due diligence. Getting the project put up and taken down responsibly is a sign of a smart and thoughtful neighbour.

Fall Fashion Wish List For Moms

November 11, 2015 by Mandy

As you might have already guessed from the strong winds, heavy showers and morning mists – autumn is in full swing! Like any season it has its good points (beautiful colors, Christmas holiday excitement, hearty meals) and its not so good points (see aforementioned weather forecast). Make the most out of fall by investing in clothes that will not only protect you against the elements, but also make you feel and look good.

Here is a wish list of items for your fall wardrobe.

Barbour Jacket

barbour

Steal outdoors style from our friends across the pond by getting a coat from a Barbour outlet. Classic, cosy, weatherproof Barbour Original designs include the quilted jacket and the waxed coat, big hits with Brit It-Girls including Kate Moss and Alexa Chung. Choose a neutral shade (khaki, navy, black) so that you can pull out this quintessential British number for years to come. There are plenty of protection sprays and waxing kits to keep in good shape and, with the brand being a perennial favourite, your coat will never go out of fashion.

Knitted Jumper

knitted

There should be plenty of reliable knitted jumpers in your wardrobe, but wouldn’t it be nice to have an extra special one that brightens up even the grayest autumn day? Knitwear is no longer reminiscent of what your grandma knitted when you were younger – it’s now pretty funky! Invest in a piece from Isabel Marant, Micheal Kors, Donna Karan or – for something seriously patterned and jazzy – Missoni. Get a style with a little sparkle on it, so you can wear it in the run up to Christmas.

Hunter Wellies

Another one borrowed from the British, no bonafide It-Girl is seen without a pair of Hunter wellies when the rain pours down. They are also made by special appointment for the Royal Family, so you could be wearing the same wellingtons as the Queen of England herself! The brand has undertaken a bit of a style renovation recently and there are lots of lovely glossy patent or brightly colored designs to choose from.

Designer Hats

hat

Ideally, you’d love to stroll around in a fedora hat but the high winds make this a very unwise option. Instead, go for a chunky, woolen knitted beanie. This does not mean you have to sacrifice style though! Many top design houses sell great beanies, like UGG Australia, Eugenia Kim and Burberry. Look around for a versatile design that is made with the highest quality, using super soft material

Scarves

scarves

Be sure to wrap up warm to beat the chill this fall – do not leave the house without wearing one! Go for a large, cashmere scarf to walk around in luxury and coziness, like the classic, checked Burberry scarf. If you’re after something that is a little more funky, perhaps for date night, the Alexander McQueen skull scarf is still top on most people’s wish list.

There are always less expensive options and designer copies available, or discounted lines available like at the online Barbour sale. Take a look around before making a purchase. You deserve at least one treat this fall, so go for one of the items above and waltz through the new season is style.

Images from O&C