Eilan sits safely in his own airplane seat using the CARES harness
Eilan is two years old now, and a few weeks ago he flew in his own, purchased seat for the first time! As with the other kids, we buckled him in using a lightweight CARES Child Aviation Restraint System. It was a great reminder for me about how much we've used and appreciated this product, so when I returned home, I contacted CARES to see whether they would let me give one away to one of my readers. I'm excited to say that they agreed! It's easy to enter, just leave a comment telling me about a family friendly hotel, restaurant or attraction. It can be in your hometown, or someplace you have visited.
Cares Harness
Here's more about the CARES Child Aviation Restraint SystemCar Seat Accessories). CARES is a special harness designed just for airplane seats. Instead of lugging along your child's carseat, you bring this small, lightweight belt system that slips around the airplane seat. It's FAA approved, and it doesn't interfere with the way the seat operates in any way. Plus it fits in a purse or a backpack pocket. But just between you and me, the thing I'm most grateful for in-flight is that the kids sit back in the seat far enough that they cannot kick the seat head of them. We have two CARES that we purchased at our own expense for Everest, Darya, and now Eilan. We've also lent them to friends, and they're still in great shape 4 years later. They've been worth every penny.
Thank you to CARES
who generously sponsored this giveaway
How To Enter
One lucky reader can win. If you would like a chance to win, leave a comment telling me about a family friendly restaurant, attraction or hotel before 11:59PM PST on Wed Sept 14, 2011 and tell about a kid friendly attraction, restaurant or hotel. Please fill in the email field of the comment form (your email isn't shared with anyone, and I will not send you email unless you win).
How to Earn More Chances to Win
There are several ways you can get additional entries in this contest. Each takes only a few minutes!
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For Five Entries: Recommend a kid-friendly attraction, restaurant or hotel in our city guides. It takes only a few minutes, and it is a great way to share your favorite places with other parents. To make a recommendation, just Click Here. You may recommend as many places as you like, and you will get 5 entries for each one. You do not need to leave a comment here - I will be notified of your entries automatically.
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Winners I will choose a winner randomly and announce the results here by Saturday Sept 17, 2011.
Rules Please, only one comment per person per giveaway post (except as outlined above where the comment is related to an extra entry). Duplicate comments and Anonymous comments will be discarded. Please make sure that the email address in your comment form is valid (email addresses are never public). Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Sweepstakes winner's failure to respond to the prize notification and provide a shipping address within the specified three business days will be considered such Sweepstakes winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. To enter, you must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older. Employees, partners and vendors of DeliciousBaby and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. When applicable, the winner may be required to execute and return within five business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected. All prizes will be awarded. No substitutions including for cash are permitted, except that DeliciousBaby reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize.
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Florida is a long haul from Seattle, in fact, it's impossible to take a longer flight from Seattle and remain in the continental US, so while all my East Coast friends seem to regard a trip to Florida as an annual entitlement, I haven't visited the state since I spoke at a conference in Orlando in the 1990's! Still, the promise of sunshine and a new area to explore piqued my interest when the Sandpearl Resort at Clearwater Beach invited Darya and I out for a visit earlier this summer.
Darya is just loving the water and sunshine in Florida
Every resort has a character, and I'd say that the Sandpearl Resort is a calming retreat especially well suited to families with very young children. Sure, we saw teens hanging out, trying to look cool, and retired folks sunning themselves by the pool, but we also saw oodles and oodles of babies, and after a few days at the resort, I understood why.
Overall Layout First of all, there's the resort layout. With just 253 guest rooms, you won't feel like you're walking a mile to the pool. From our tower room, we could take an elevator to the lobby level, or directly down to to the pool.
Pool
Here's the view from our room at the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach Florida
While the pool wasn't the sprawling, water-sliding, lazy-river-riding affair you might find in Phoenix or Hawaii, it was plenty big for the number of guests at the Sandpearl. During our stay, the pool never felt overcrowded, and the design, with some shallower and some deeper areas created enough "conversation areas" that each region felt cozy. For a parent with a child who doesn't yet swim, the fact that there was no spot in the pool where I couldn't stand was particularly reassuring. There were also in-pool ledge-seats where Darya could rest between her efforts to swim towards me.
Darya tentatively tries out the zero-depth entry pool at the Sandpearl Resort
Another preschooler favorite was the zero entry (also called beach entry) area of the pool. It's ideal for very young babies, and works great even for kids who are sitting, but not yet crawling. Older kids, like Darya, loved having a wide open area where they could stand up and play with water toys or experiment with blowing bubbles without actually getting in over their heads.
Many of the loungechairs had sunshades, a thoughtful detail in the bright sun, and I saw several parents laying a young baby down to nap under their protection while they watched an older child in the pool. When Darya and I curled up together to read a book by the pool, we appreciated that shade too.
Pool Cabanas
If you're traveling with extended family, one of the Sandpearl Resort's poolside cabanas would be a great option to keep everyone together. Set back from the pool a bit, they provide both shade and plenty of seating. There's even a curtain so that a sleeping baby could rest or older kids can change clothes right in the cabana. I'm not one to watch TV when there's sun and a pool to enjoy, but if a football game by the pool is what brings your family together, the cabanas have a TV too. There's even a small safe and a refrigerator. Cabanas are rented by the day, and rates vary seasonally.
Poolside Cabanas at the Sandpearl resort include both covered an sunny seating
Our hosts generously included a cabana stocked with snacks and drinks, and we loved being able to meet up with our group here, take a break from the sun, and order meals to the cabana. Poor Darya loved it so much, that she will be miffed that we don't get a cabana on *every* holiday from now on. Sometimes it can be harder when you know what you're missing.
Darya cuddles up with a friend in our cabana at the Sandpearl Resort
Rooms
One of two queen beds in our room at the Sandpearl Resort
Our double queen room had a large bathroom, a comfortable reading chair and extra-cozy beds. I loved the relaxed, sunny feel of the rooms. There was a desk (and free wifi) but no dining table.
Darya gets some work done in a cozy chair - Queen Room Sandpearl Resort, Florida
High counters in bathroom were tricky for Darya & I had to lift her up each time.
Bathroom in our double queen room at the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach Florida
Dining
The Sandpearl Resort's lobby coffee shop stocks takeaway and grocery items too
The in-hotel coffeeshop is my favorite recent hotel trend for families with young kids, and the Sandpearl really went all out with theirs. In addition to Starbucks coffee and a selection of pastries, there were a few grocery items like milk cartons and fresh fruit.
Pulled Pork Sandwich delivered poolside at the Sandpearl. The pork is roasted on the premises.
We ordered poolside lunches almost every day. There was plenty of staff to notice when we needed something, a great menu packed with fresh sandwiches, local seafood, and salads from the Tate Island Grill, and best of all we could swim while we waited for our meal. Ask careful questions before ordering kids menu items though. Some are fresh, but Darya's peanut butter and jelly sandwich was a pre-made Smucker's Uncrustable.
Darya digs into mini-hamburgers at the Tate Grill
At dinnertime, we sat in the Tate Grill itself instead of ordering poolside. The restaurant is casual, with a TV over the bar, and the best thing here was that after the kids ate, we lifted them over a glass divider right onto the beach. They played happily while the grownups finished their meals and enjoyed a relaxed conversation.
The kids play in the sand while we finish up dinner at the Tate Grill
For a formal dinner without kids, the Caretta on the Gulf would be a nice choice and patio tables could make this more formal restaurant work well even with kids in tow. We chose to dine here for breakfast instead. There's a full buffet including eggs cooked to order, fresh fruit, and everything else you might expect.
Darya never met a breakfast buffet she didn't like
Room service was provided from a limited version of the Caretta on the Gulf menu, and our food was great every time. The staff was super-friendly, but we did have a few mixups with late delivery on breakfast or items missing, and I heard from other guests that they sometimes had trouble too.
Darya strikes a pose with her roomservice french toast
Location and Local Area The Sandpearl resort is walking distance some of the area's most popular restaurants, a drugstore, and a sleepy main drag populated with beach-gear shops, gelato, and real-estate offices. There's an open air trolly that runs about every 30 minutes to destinations that are further afield, like the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Beach
The Sandpearl Resort is right on the beach. The sand is so white that it's actually a bit to glarey at midday, but it's just lovely in the evening.
Running in the waves at sunset.
Not only does the sand cool down at night, but the Sandpearl Resort staff lights a fire pit, making a great gathering place for parents while kids play in the sand. Smores kits, available at the activities desk (extra charge) were icing on the cake as far as Darya was concerned.
Caretta on the Gulf Buffet Breakfast
Camp Ridley
Camp Ridley, the Sandpearl Resort's kids club is in a gated area and has big picture windows
Camp Ridley, the Sandpearl Resort's Kids Camp, is located near the pool, but in a separately gated area. The room has big windows to let in light, and there are a variety of crafts and activities for kids. Darya just loved it, and since it was nice to have other kids to play with, she asked to go back!
Camp Ridley at the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach Florida
The staff was endlessly patient about doing activities and though there is a TV, it doesn't seem to be overused. Half day or evening options are available, and a meal is provided. The Camp Ridley staff even took the kids out to the beach to build a sandcastle.
A shady spot on the beach and a sandcastle. What a great combination.
Spa
Spa Room at the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach Florida
Sometimes hotel spas can feel like they were added on as an afterthought in an unused space. In contrast, the Sandpearl Spa has an entrance overlooking the pool and the gulf and a beautifully designed waiting area and changing room. Spa guests are not allowed to use the hotel pool, however there is a co-ed Jacuzzi available to all spa guests (bring a swimsuit!).
Spa staff were well trained and friendly. When my treatment room felt too cold for my tastes, my massage therapist was quick to break out warm stones, giving my my first warm stone massage - just the therapy I needed after a too-cold Seattle summer!
We were invited guests of the Sandpearl Resort at Clearwater Beach on this trip. The resort paid for our airfare, hotel stay, activities and many of our meals. The hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view, and I always strive to present a fair and balanced review regardless of who is paying the bill.
Amazon is running some great Labor Day deals on products I recommend for family travel. If you're taking advantage of lower fall fares or planning to to travel for Thanksgiving, this might be the time to purchase what you need for the journey! Here's a list of some great deals.
CARES Child Aviation Restraint System is on sale for $65, a $10 savings over the regular price. This is a product we purchased ourselves and have used for years to keep the kids safe on flights.
More DealsAmazon is running a special September sale on Baby Gear and there are tons of deals on everything from strollers to clothes and baby gear.
I do receive a small commission when you buy something after clicking an Amazon link on my site. Buying something through my site doesn't cost you more, and the income from Amazon helps me keep the site going.
Darya and I have been missing Everest and Eilan since we left Seattle, but Everest was most in our thoughts when we visited the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. You see, Everest has a dolphin obsession. He has dolphin stuffies, dolphin research books, and he'll probably be a dolphin for halloween this year. So I think we both felt a little guilty about going to visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium without him.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a little different than most of the Aquariums we've visited. It's mission is marine life rescue and rehabilitation, not entertainment. That means that all of the animals you see here are rescued and are recovering, with the hope that they will be released back into the wild.
As you visit, you'll want to talk sensitively with your kids about the injuries they might see, and emphasize that this is why we have a responsibility to interact carefully with nature. It's inspiring to see a dolphin like Nicholas, in this shot, make a high jump. He was rescued as an infant.
Darya is not liking being splashed by a Dolphin at the Clearwater Beach Aquarium
And here's baby hope. Darya just loved watching her drink from a (huge) bottle!
Baby Hope at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
But the hilight of our visit was the opportunity to meet Winter. Winter is the real-life star of the movie "Dolphin Tale." When she was three months old, she got caught in a crab trap line. A young boy discovered her and she was rushed to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for rehabilitation. Sadly she lost her tail, which had been tightly wrapped in the line. Rather than allowing her to die (or live without swimming), the researchers at Clearwater Marine Aquarium made her a prosthetic tail and taught her how to swim again! She continues to receive physical therapy and will spend the rest of her life at the aquarium. Winter has become a source of inspiration for kids and adults around the country who struggle with their own injuries or prosthetic limbs.
Darya holds Winter's Prosthetic Tail at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Darya wasn't so sure she understood what happened to winter, but she enjoyed watching her swim, and felt super privileged to hold that prosthetic tail. We'll be looking forward to the movie release on September 23rd, and I'll be fascinated to see how Darya reacts to seeing the story of Winter, the dolphin she met in real life, up on the big screen!
We were the hosted guests of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium who gave us complimentary admission and a tour of the facility. As always, my opinions are my own.
Darya tentatively tries out the zero-depth entry pool at the Sandpearl Resort
There's something funny about the way a four year old understands "getting wet." Everest's Pre-K teacher used to tell me that the kids would splash in huge deep puddles if they had their rainboots on - as if the rainboots would protect them all the way up to their foreheads. And here's little Darya, cautiously sticking her toes in the pool at the Sandpearl Resort. She's desperate to check it out, and I've told her it's ok, but she's terrified of getting her favorite dress wet.
I've been promising Darya a "girls trip" ever since Everest and I checked out
San Juan Puerto Rico for kids last summer. And while I recognize that not getting to come along on a solo getaway with mom is hardly a sign of deprivation, I've felt guilty that it took so long to pull something together. As the middle child, Darya is the glue that holds the kids-section of our family together, but she's also the child who sometimes doesn't get as much attention as she deserves. It's the classic setup - she's too capable to need help dressing in the morning, and young enough that we don't celebrate every milestone the way we do for our firstborn.
This is a girl who really needs to feel the sand between her toes
More than my other kids, Darya loves the outdoors, and she loves to move her body (Everest is happy to curl up with a notebook or a game). She's been itching for warm weather so that she can replace her cumbersome long pants and long sleeve shirts with shorts and a bathing suit. And this summer has been a dissapointment for her - while the rest of the country suffers from a heatwave, Seattle has been unseasonably cold. In fact, we've had just two days in the past month where the temperature went over 80 degrees, and no days where the temperature was over 85. If you live in Texas, that probably sounds like Nirvana, but on the heels of the longest, coldest winter in recent memory it was a little tough to take.
Just as summer was beginning to seem doomed to failure, I was invited to check out the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The prospect of being warm for three days in a row made me almost giddy. I'll write a full review of the resort in another post, but first I wanted to post a few pics of the most memorable moments from our trip to Clearwater Beach.
The Jolly Trolly is an easy and expensive way to get around Clearwater Beach with Kids
When I travel with the kids, things rarely go as I expect, and sometimes I even learn a bit more about who my kids are. I thought the Jolly Trolly, an inexpensive trolly system that makes it easy to get around Clearwater beach without a car, would be a slam dunk attraction. Usually when I'm with all three kids, I only notice how much chaos there is. What I hadn't noticed is that Everest's enthusiasm for any type of transportation usually carries us through this sort of outing.
Darya's not as Jolly as I would expect
Perhaps Darya was missing her brother, or perhaps it's the combination of the early hour and the time change, but poor Darya was positively grumpy on the trolly ride. Even an early-morning cliff bar didn't cheer her up. Note to mom: Darya does not actually care about public transportation - that's her brother.
I had tons of plans for all the things Darya and I were going to do together on this trip. Perhaps she's be reading by the time we returned home? Or maybe she'd be a master chess player? With my complete attention, there were no bounds to what she might learn. With a little focused attention, my mommy guilt might take a holiday of it's own. Darya had her own ideas. With no baby weighing us down, we spent hours and hours in the Sandpearl Hotel Pool.
Now *that's* a happy face
And and lounging in the sun
Darya rests on chaise in our poolside cabana at the Sandpearl Resort
Darya loved that pool so much that it was the first thing she wanted to look at in the morning.
Darya can't wait to get in that pool
And my mommy guilt? It's assuaged a little bit by the fact that after this trip, Darya felt comfortable enough putting her head under water that she was able to come home and learn how to swim for real!
And perhaps we did squeeze in a little chess... but it was according to Darya's crazy mixed up rules. In this game, everyone wants to be on Darya's team since mom is not allowed to win.
Darya's crazy mixed up chess game
But what really made this trip great was the chance to hang out with other girls her age. Afterall, a mom can never be as playful as another kid.
Headed home from Sunsets at Pier 60
A shady spot on the beach and a sandcastle. What a great combination.
Running in the waves at sunset.
On this trip, for me, Darya came into focus just a little more clearly. It was super wonderful to have the time and mental energy to get a read on who she really is and what she enjoys separate from her brothers. And Darya? It's hard to get much insight on her perspective... she loved the snuggling, and she loved the time with me in the pool, but when we got home she ran into her brothers' arms.
We were invited guests of the Sandpearl Resort at Clearwater Beach on this trip. The resort paid for our airfare, hotel stay, activities and many of our meals. The hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view, and I always strive to present a fair and balanced review regardless of who is paying the bill.
Whenever we head to California, we make a stop at In-N-Out. For the kids, that u-turn logo has become an iconic part of our visit. They also love the sticker puzzles that are free for young kids so much that when my parents visit, they beg for stickers from "turnabout restaraunt."
Most visitors to Vancouver stay downtown. Afterall, that's where the action is in most major cities, right? But somehow, I find downtown Vancouver exhausting instead of invigorating. The kids aren't interested in the shopping, traffic bogs us down getting to and from the hotel each day, and most of the attractions we want to see are outside of the downtown corridor. Even more annoying, many of the restaurants and coffee shops in the downtown area have limited hours on weekends. Vancouver's downtown is very much a business focused downtown.
View of Vancouver from the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier in North Vancouver
On this trip, we thought we'd try staying in North Vancouver. On past trips, we've always made at least one journey over the Lion's Gate bridge to sample the Persian Restaraunts, but we've never really explored the area beyond those restaurants.
The Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier is a new hotel, and I was drawn in by the promise of both an indoor swimming pool and a walkable location next to the Lonsdale Quay Market. A SeaBus (i.e. passenger ferry) connects the market with Downtown Vancouver with a 12 minute ride.
The hotel hosted us in a "Studio" room - a good fit for our family of five. There's a king sized bed for mom and dad, plus a little alcove with a sofa bed. There's also plenty of space for a crib for Eilan. At night, there was enough separation between the two sleeping areas that I could turn on a reading light and cuddle up in a chair to work while the kids slept.
Studio room king bed at the Pinnacle Hotel in North Vancouver
Doesn't this look cozy for the kids?
Sofabed at the Pinnacle Hotel on the Pier in North Vancouver (Studio Room)
Everest has gotten really into reading before bed. At home, we don't mind if he keeps his light on for a while, but here we had to be a little resourceful since he was sharing a bed with Darya. We set up a cozy little reading nook for him in the HUGE walk in closet. Those pillows? We took them from the sofabed.
Everest's reading nook in our walk in closet at the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier
The bathroom was huge, but a too-small vanity made it tricky to keep all my fancy face lotion away from the kids.
Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier Bathroom
This refrigerator and microwave (standard in every room) plus the huge countertop made an ideal place to store and prep snacks for an afternoon break or even dinner in the room.
Refrigerator and microwave at the Pinnacle Hotel in North Vancouver
And we pretty quickly fell into the habit of dining in the hotel's lobby restaurant and then going for a morning swim before exploring North Vancouver.
Darya just loves pancakes with chocolate syrup
Those big windows brought in some much needed sunlight even on a gray morning.
Indoor pool at the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier in North Vancouver
This was a nice spot to stay if you want to enjoy Vancouver in a little more relaxed setting. There's lots to do in North Vancouver, and it's easy to reach Downtown via the SeaBus.
We were invited guests of the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier on this trip. The hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view, and I always strive to present a fair and balanced review regardless of who is paying the bill.
Working waterfront doesn't sound as idyllic as an isolated beach, but with kids in tow, an active shipping corridor is a view that everyone can sit still and enjoy. Here's a shot I just love from Alki Beach in Seattle
View of the shipping corridor from Alki Beach in Seattle
About Me I'm Debbie, mother of three delicious kids and I write about traveling with little kids. That's my daughter in the backpack and my son in Paris on Halloween.
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is on sale for $190, a whopping $90 savings off of the regular price. Here's my full 
is on sale for $203, a $66 savings off the regular price. This is the car seat I use for my kids, and I'm convinced that it 
is on sale for $65, a $10 savings over the regular price. This is a product we purchased ourselves and have used for years to keep the kids safe on flights.
