Is there anything prettier than fresh Dim Sum?
P.S. We're building the first crowd-sourced guide to Vancouver for the iPhone (just in time for the TBEX Travel Bloggers Conference). There are special incentives for bloggers to participate, and we hope you'll join us! get more info here
Related Links
First Blog-Sourced Guide to Vancouver - Be a Part of it!
Vancouver, Canada With Kids
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
We're building the first crowd-sourced iPhone guide to Vancouver, Canada and we hope you'll help! The guide will have all the features of our popular TripDoc app, but it will come pre-loaded with recommendations for things to do in the Vancouver area and will be available for free in the Apple App Store! This is a great way to share your expertise and, if you have a blog or website, it's also a great way to bring new visitors to your site.
Bloggers - Why You Should Participate
- Each of your recommendations will include your blog name and a link back to your full blog post so that anyone who uses the the TripDoc Vancouver iPhone app can visit your blog to read more.
- Link love from TripDoc.com and DeliciousBaby.com websites (links are “do follow”)
- We'll be releasing TripDoc in time for TBEX, so this is a great way to show off your best stuff for your fellow bloggers as they navigate the Vancouver using TripDoc Vancouver
- Participate in the first travel-blogger-sourced travel guide for the iPhone
- If you're attending TBEX, you'll have a useful app that helps you find your way around Vancouver!
- You can get started by entering your recommendations here. It should take less than 5 minutes.
More about TripDoc Vancouver
This free iPhone app will let users:
- See a list of recommended Vancouver attractions, restaurants, hotels, bars, etc., all on one map,
- Add their own listings in Vancouver (like their hotel, suggestions from friends, etc.),
- Get directions, either walking, driving, or via public transit,
- Jot down notes for each place and flag places they don’t want to miss, and
- Email places to friends and family.
What We're Looking For
Hotels, Attractions and Restaurants that feel special. We're looking for the place you'd recommend to a close friend (or a fellow travel blogger)
Deadline and Fine Print
All recommendations must be submitted here by Friday May 20. 2011
- We need your permission to use any text and images that you submit (which means that you need to own them yourself) but it's ok for them to be copies of content already available on your site
- We'll always link back to your website when we use your recommendation
- We'll never use your recommendations as part of a paid app
- We may edit your submission for clarity or accuracy and may not use all submissions.
- When more than one person submits a recommendation for the same place, we'll choose just one to include.
What’s in it for TripDoc
- We hope that you love using the app during the conference, and that you’ll want to tell your friends and blog audiences about it.
- Over time, we hope to find more ways to help bloggers share their stories and recommendations with readers via TripDoc. Your feedback on this first version will help us get there.
- The TripDoc Vancouver Guide, will be a free app in Apple’s AppStore. There is also a “full version” TripDoc app in the AppStore for $4.99 that lets users keep track of all the places they want to visit anywhere in the world. If you users want, they can add your Vancouver recommendations to the full version for free.
How do I participate?
- Recommend one or more places by filling out this form. You need the name, address and link to the place you are recommending, along with a link to your blog post on your blog and an (optional) picture. It should take less than 5 minutes to write.
- Give us permission to use your text and image in the app and on the web -- we’ll always include attribution and a link back.
Get Started Here: TripDoc Vancouver Submission Form
Filed Under:
blogging
tripdoc
2 comments |
Posted on May 9, 2011 |
Save to del.icio.us
I'm a sucker for architectural design, and I just loved this lantern at Vij's in Vancouver. PS besides great lighting, the restaurant is easily my favorite Indian restaurant anywhere.
Related Links
Vancouver, Canada With Kids
Vij's Rangoli Review
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
I'm not sure I've written on DelicousBaby about my deep love for my Kindle. My husband gave it to me when I was pregnant with Eilan, and it's been in pretty much continuous use ever since, both when we travel and when we are at home. Today Amazon is running a special deal where you can buy the latest version of the reader for $189.99 and receive a free $25 gift card. Here's the link to buy it (or forward as a hint for mother's day!) Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device
Here's why I love my Kindle:
- Most books are cheaper on the Kindle than in Paperback. Many older books are free.
- The Kindle fits easily in my purse (not an easy feat with three kids) and with this neoprene cover
, it's protected from the other childhood odds and ends I carry in there. It's so easy to bring along, that I often end up reading to the kids while we're waiting for our meals in a restaurant.
- When we travel, I used to have to guess how many books I needed, or buy new books on the road. Now I just bring along the Kindle and I can always purchase new books off of my wishlist wherever we are. I've been able to cut way back on the bulk in my carry on bag and my checked baggage.
- Now that Everest is reading chapter books, we can download new books for him on the go too!
- You can use Lendle to share books with friends and family
- Even when I leave the Kindle at home, my book is synced with my iPhone, meaning that I can read a few pages if I'm early for school pickup or waiting at the Doctor's office.
How To Get this Deal
To get this deal, click on this link: Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device and choose to add both the Kindle and the $25 gift card (listed under accessories) to your cart.
6 comments |
Posted on May 2, 2011 |
Save to del.icio.us
Local Markets are always among my favorite places to visit when we travel. Still, the fresh fowl displays are usually a bit gruesome for me. Wouldn't you know, though, that in a Parisian market those birds would look as fashionable as a new pair of shoes?
Related Links
Paris With Kids
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
Mama Panya's Pancakes
was given to me by the publisher, Barefoot Books to review. Because the total value of the books given to me for review exceeded $40 I have donated them to my childrens' school library. If you buy the book using the Amazon link at the end of the post, I earn a small commission, and that income helps me keep the site going.
In this story, a mother and son walk from their village to the market to buy flour for pancakes. On the way, the son excitedly invites each of his many friends to join them for dinner. His poor mom, worried about how far she can stretch their limited flour clucks and worries about each new guest. At the end of the story, each guest arrives with a gift of food, and their feast is doubled many times over by their generosity.
This is a straightforward story, but what makes this book special is the illustrations that show what everyday life would be like for a child growing up in Kenya. The kids pored over the images of children herding cattle, market stalls, and women walking with baskets on their heads. This book also gave me a chance to talk with Everest and Darya about the idea that not everyone has all the food they might need or want without being melodramatic.
At the end of the story, several illustrated pages cover topics like Village life, local animals and plants, speaking Kiswahili, and other facts about Kenya (including a map). The kids were so drawn in by the story itself, that they wanted to learn more, and we spent just as much time reading those details as we had the story!
Reader Question: What are your favorite children's books about Africa?
Related Links:
Buy on Amazon:
Mama Panya's Pancakes
Favorite Travel Books
More children's books about Africa
Filed Under:
book-review
0 comments |
Posted on April 27, 2011 |
Save to del.icio.us
I loved this art car at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler. It's covered in mats woven out of Cedar using traditional native techniques.
Related Links
Whistler, Canada With Kids
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
Is there anything more luxurious than a hot tub in the snow?
Related Links
Whistler, Canada With Kids
About Photo Friday:
You are invited to join us for Photo Friday! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to help them get to know you. Just post a "Photo Friday" picture on your own blog, and link directly to your post from the linky below (If your url is longer than 100 characters, you will need to use a url shortening service, like bit.ly)
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
I have no affiliation with British Airways or Chase and did not receive any compensation for this post. Whenever I do receive a free product or service for evaluation, I will always let you know.
I'm usually immune to offers for new credit cards. Afterall, with three kids age 6 and under I have plenty to manage already! Still, every once in a while, an offer comes along that is worth the bother of setting up a new account and canceling an old card that isn't being used. This week, we signed up for a new British Airways Chase card, and it's such a good deal that I wanted to pass it along.
Here's why I think it's great
- Enroll by May 6 and you'll receive 100,000 bonus miles (50k to start, and 50k when you spend $2,500 in the first three months). That's enough for two round-trip transatlantic flights (you'll still need to pay fuel surcharges). If you and your spouse apply for separate accounts, you would earn enough miles to take a family of four to Europe!
- No Foreign Transaction Fees! Most cards carry a foreign transaction fee of 2% or 3%. Over the course of a two week vacation, especially when you include hotel rooms and local transportation, those fees really add up.
- Earn Miles 2.5 BA Miles for each $1 of British Airways purchases and 1.25 BA Miles for each $1 of all other purchases.
- Earn Travel Together Tickets When you spend $30,000 on your card in a single year, you earn a ticket that lets you bring a companion along for free on your reward flight. You could use one of these certificates along with your 100k bonus miles to bring along more of the family for free!
Interested:
Here's the link to apply
Related Links
Money Saving Tips the Travel Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
Easy Ways to Keep Track of Travel Expenses and Stick to Your Budget
Filed Under:
budget
9 comments |
Posted on April 13, 2011 |
Save to del.icio.us
This trip was sponsored by the Tourism Whistler who generously covered our lift tickets, some ski lessons and childcare, ski rentals, tube park passes and breakfast, and by the Four Seasons Resort Whistler who provided us with three nights hotel accommodations, dinner, breakfast, and a spa visit. Neither organization requested that I express a particular point of view, and my writing always reflects my own opinion and experiences.
We've hemmed and hawed about ski lessons for the kids for a year now. Weekly lessons seem like a good way to go, but we've been afraid to commit. What if the kids hate the cold? What if they hate skiing? Is once a week enough time to get "over the hump" with the tricky parts of skiing and start to enjoy yourself? Finally we decided to take a family ski vacation, enroll the kids in lessons at our destination, and play it by ear. Frankly, I thought, I'd be thrilled if they make it through a day with a positive attitude. Liberal doses of hot chocolate would soothe away bruises or bruised egos.
The fact that we made the trip so late in the season (luckily the Whistler ski season lasts until the end of April, and Glacier skiing is available into July) is a sign of our own confusion. Both my husband and I had muddled our way through the process of learning how to ski. Neither of us has the first clue how to teach the kids the skills they'd need to ski safely. Even more intimidating is that we don't have a mental model for what a ski vacation would look like - what is the flow of the days? How do we schlep all the stuff and the kids to the slope, how long should we expect it to take before the kids get their ski-legs? It was all one big mystery.
And then we just dove in. Like everyone else I had watched the 2010 Olympics at Whistler, and oohed and awwwed at the images of those huge dual mountains (Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb mountain sit side by side) It seemed silly to go anywhere else when we live so close to a world class ski resort. (Whistler is approximately a 4 1/2 hours drive from Seattle). Friends had recommended the resort's ski school, "Whistler Kids," for years.
I wasn't quite sure how to prepare the kids for the trip, they wanted nothing to do with YouTube videos of skiing, so in the end it was a shopping excursion to buy helmets and warm clothes that made the trip seem real to them. They were strangely excited about their gear - Everest was just positive that the "K2" on his helmet referred to the fact that he is in the second Kindergarten classroom at his school.
Everest and Darya, who are usually reticent to try anything new - especially if it is a "drop off" were surprisingly calm about walking into ski camp at Whistler Kids on that first day.
My husband, in contrast, was surprisingly emotional about sending the kids off for their first day at Ski School. After his first run, he realized that he was just too drained emotionally to ski. Instead, we met up for hot chocolate at the Mallard Lounge, a cozy sofa filled lounge just at the base of Blackcomb mountain. We cuddled up on a couch and sat chatting for over an hour about how big the kids are getting, our hopes and aspirations for them, and about our life in general.
There's something strange about dropping your kids off to learn to do something that you cannot teach them yourself. Talking with Peyman made me realize how much was wrapped up in our decision to start the kids skiing. This was the first time we had asked them to do something we weren't sure they were ready for without being there to provide comfort if they needed it. Our decision, it turns out, was all tangled up with our aspirations for raising kids who are physically active, for empowering them to join the ski trips in College, and in wanting them to have the confidence in their bodies that you learn from hurtling yourself down a mountain just a little faster than absolutely necessary. That's a lot of pressure to put on two kids for one activity! In retrospect it's a good thing we weren't there to watch the lessons.
Still was a rare treat to have time and energy to talk with one another in the middle of the day, and when we did go pick the kids up at the end of the day seeing them cruise down the mountain seemed absolutely magical. By the end of the second day, Darya was skiing well enough to ride a lift and ski green runs. Everest was coming downhill and making turns too! Wow were we impressed.
And the kids? They've taken to skiing around my kitchen in their socks after school. They have wonderful memories of our trip (Everest says we're going for two weeks next winter), and they've got a great basis for weekly ski lessons and more ski vacations next winter!
Related Links
What to do in Whistler with Kids - City Guide
How I skied my troubles away at the Four Seasons Resort, Whistler
Filed Under:
travel-stories
5 comments |
Posted on April 11, 2011 |
Save to del.icio.us
