I want to thank everyone who entered to win a
ERGObaby Hands Free Baby Carrier. I was absolutely blown away by all the thoughtful and fun family travel ideas, and I want to give special thanks to everyone who took the time to share their recommendations with other parents by adding them to our City Guides.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Sarah Gimbel-Sherr
suggested Swimming With the Penguins just outside of CapeTown in South Africa. What an amazing experience for a child of any age!
minnemom
suggested the Firefighter's Hall and Museum in Minneapolis-St. Paul I wish we had something like this in Seattle. My kids would love it.
Christy Broyles suggested the Norsk Folk Museum in Oslo, Norway. This sounds like a great way for kids and adults to get a better appreciation of local culture and history.
The winner was Amanda who said
We love to visit Cape Cod (my parents lived there for a few years), and Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth is a great place to visit with kids. It's an awesome reproduction village populated by actors playing colonists. They have lovely demonstrations and are happy to discuss (in character) whatever topic strikes your fancy. Our children (5 and 3) enjoyed it, and older kids would certainly get more out of it.
here in Denver there's a great park with a wading stream, small train ($1), and petting zoo ($1). Belleview Park is about 10 minutes south of downtown, and a great place for some low-key downtime and a picnic. With (now) three children, 5, 3, and the baby it really accommodates all of their interests.
Amanda, please email me your mailing address and I will send you your prize!
Many thanks to ERGObaby for generously sponsoring this giveaway.
Related Links:
ERGObaby Hands Free Baby Carrier
What Stroller (and Sling) do I take to Europe
Reader Questions: Stroller vs. Backpack for a European Vacation
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Posted on July 15, 2008 |
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If you haven't had a chance to enter our free giveaway of a three piece ErgoBaby "Hands Free System," today is your last chance. If you have already entered, but want to add your recommendations to DeliciousBaby for more chances to win, now is the time!
The Hands Free System in our giveaway includes the ERGObaby Carrier
, a Front Pouch and a Backpack. All three pieces together retail for $163 on the ERGObaby Website.
Just visit this article: ERGObaby Hands Free Baby Carrier Giveaway and follow the instructions.
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Posted on July 14, 2008 |
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Later this week, I'll be at the BlogHer conference in San Francisco. I am looking forward to meeting 1,000 other powerful, interesting women who express themselves through their blogs. The kids will stay home with dad this time, but we have made lots of trips to San Francisco to visit "granny and papa", so I'm confident that you'll love our kid-friendly guide to San Francisco. Our ½-day trips are perfect for printing out and taking with you. Each day trip gives you a single piece of paper to carry, complete with a map, things to do, and places to eat.
½ day trips near the Westin St. Francis:
½ day trip: Union Square and SOMA With Kids
½ day trip: San Francisco's Waterfront With Kids
The Rest of San Francisco
San Francisco With Kids Guide
Restaurants that Grownups and Kids will Both Love
Favorite San Francisco Activities for Kids
Worried About The Flight? Check Out our Travel TIps
Packing Lists for Travel With Kids
Preparing Your Kids for the Trip
Ten Tips for Keeping a Toddler Busy on a Plane
Flying With Babies, Toddlers and Kids
Find Me at BlogHer
I am always excited about talking to other moms who are interested in travel and I have some truly useful swag to give away, so catch me between sessions! Wondering what I look like? That's a picture of me with little D on the Carousel at San Francisco's Pier 39.
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Posted on July 13, 2008 |
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One of our tricks for getting good restaurant behavior from the kids is to avoid bringing them to too many restaurants in a single day. Hoping to have both kids still in a good mood by dinnertime, we started the day with bagels and cream cheese in the stroller instead of french toast and hot chocolate at a restaraunt.
Next stop, the streetcar. One of the things we love about visiting Portland is that we can park our car once we arrive at the hotel and never drive it again until we leave town. The kids think the streetcar is a tourist attraction in itself, and the longer the ride, the better.
We took the streetcar to the Hawthorne bridge and then walked across the bridge and to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). With one child in a stroller and the other in the Ergo, the walk was real work for us. The kids, on the other hand, had never "walked" across a big bridge before and were fascinated with the boats and geese down below. E loved seeing the breaks for the drawbridge up close and had tons of questions to ask. D, who has been obsessed with flags lately, screeched every time she saw a new one on a passing boat. She couldn't get enough of the geese either, asking me over and over where they were all going.
I have resisted going to OMSI until now because I thought the kids were too young, and because I was worried that it would be yet another high budget science museum where more money than thought (or science) went into the exhibits. I shouldn't have worried. We were absolutely blown away by the number and quality of the exhibits.
What I love about a really good science museum is that it can be as much fun for the grown ups as it is for the kids. When an exhibit is hands-on, open-ended and engaging, everyone from a nine-month old to an adult can enjoy the the same experiment and learn something new. Trying to explain it all to an inquisitive three-year-old in language he can understand only adds to the fun, especialy for tech-geeks like my husband and I.
Instead of sitting and watching the kids play (like we might at an amusement park), we were as engaged and interested as they were. We helped them cut paper cups and put them over an updraft to see which shapes would float in the wind best. We controlled robot arms by remote control. We built lego towers and put them through simulated earthquakes to see how they would hold up. Just like our experience at the Exporatorium in San Francisco, the kids were overjoyed to find so many interesting things to play with and touch (and to realize that nothing was off limits). We were thrilled to help them learn a bit more about how our world works.
After a quick lunch in the cafeteria (wow, they had healthy food choices, not just junk!) we headed upstairs to an enclosed tot playground. The huge room was divided into separate areas, each separated by low walls, and each with a different activity. There were bugs to see, sand to play in, water to splash in, building blocks, crafts and more. Everything was at a lower height than in the main museum and the kids were delighted to be able to play with a little less help and supervision. By then, we were ready to take a break and just watch while they played. I was impressed with how well the space was set up, with a separate snack area, a breast-feeding room, and family restrooms.
After a long, fun day we started the drive back to Seattle. The kids, wound up and excited from so much fun, had a difficult time falling asleep in the car, but eventually sleep overtook them. I always enjoy driving with both kids asleep, with no laptop to use, no dishes to do, and no work to finish, my husband and I talked quietly and soaked in the peaceful quiet of the car.
After being away for a few days, the kids are always thrilled to be home and play with their own toys again. Throughout the next day I watched and listened as the kids played "Going to Portland." E and D wore my shoes and pushed toy strollers and shopping carts between spots that E told us were, the "hotel," the "wading pool," "fireworks," and "OMSI." What a sweet way to ease back into the structure and routines of home.
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Posted on July 13, 2008 |
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After staying up later than they ever have before, you would think that our kids would sleep in on July 5th. Not so much. I got up and dressed with them, and we headed out to, as E put it, "have an adventure."
Both kids were thrilled to see the city, and wanted nothing to do with breakfast until it finally started sprinkling. Luckily we were across the street from the Pearl Street Bakery, and we ducked in. The Pearl Street Bakery makes bread for local markets and restaurants across the city. While you wait in line for your morning pastry or loaf of bread, you can watch the bakers load, unload and sweep the industrial sized ovens in back. I don't have to tell you how fascinated both kids were, or how the only thing that finally distracted them was their first ever chocolate bread. I will tell you that we end up at Pearl Street, either for a pastry, or for one of their excellent sandwiches at some point during every trip.
Our next stop was the weekly farmer's market. It's always fun to wander through a farmer's market with the kids, pointing out the wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that we don't see in our local market. D was fascinated with all the different types of mushrooms, but E was captivated with a man making balloon animals. While I walked D in the sling to get her to sleep, E waited in line with his dad for a balloon. We returned just as he got to the front of the line, and chose an airplane for himself and a bunny for his sister. That airplane came with us everywhere for the rest of the trip, and both kids loved throwing it in the air and watching it fall back to earth. The rabbit, not surprisingly, popped after a few hours of slightly-too-rough love from D.
We spent the afternoon splashing in the wading pool at Jamison Square Park and playing with toys at Sip and Kranz. I have written so many nice things about that park in the past, that I won't bore you with with more here.
Does the day sound a little too perfect? By evening, E was so exhausted that when we were seated at a table he didn't like at Clyde Common he had a complete meltdown. We probably could have had the table changed, but we pretty quickly realized that he was in no condition to have dinner at a nice restaurant, so my husband took him back to the hotel while D and I ate together. I felt bad for my husband, we've been looking forward to eating at Clyde Common since our last trip, but not bad enough to miss the meal myself. D and I had a giggly, fun time together, and I realized that I don't often get to eat a meal out with just her. She was thrilled with all the attention and we both devoured food from the surprisingly toddler friendly menu (what kid wouldn't like a menu that includes popcorn!). We shared some homemade ice cream and cookies for dessert before heading back to the hotel with takeout for the boys.
Related Links:
Portland With Kids
Jamison Square Park
Clyde Common
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Posted on July 12, 2008 |
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Last week, I was interviewed for an article about last minute getaways with kids for TravelMuse. The article isn't published yet, but just talking about a getaway made me antsy to get out of town for the long Fourth of July weekend!
Friday morning breakfast was a little disorganized as I called around for last minute deals at Portland hotels. I eventually ended up at the Hotel deLuxe. If you are a money-saving junkie when it comes to travel, you'll be interested to know that while my rate was the same as the rate quoted online (sometimes it is possible to arrange a lower rate) I was able to negotiate a bigger room and free parking!
The deLuxe hotel is located at the edge of downtown, about three or four blocks more removed from the "action" than I would have liked, but everything else about the hotel was a "love." The deLuxe is in an older building that was renovated in 2006. The designers chose an "old world hollywood" theme. I'm not usually a big fan of themes, but I have to say that the rooms and the entrance were all very pretty and comfortable.
Parents of stroller age kids (like me) should know that their is a long stairway between the front entrance of the hotel and the lobby. Each time we arrived, whoever was sitting in the stroller got out and walked up. When I arrived one evening with E asleep, we used the handicapped elevator. That was a bit of a hassle, but here's what I loved... the staff was extra helpful each time I arrived. We normally think of our kids and their gear as our responsibility, but there always seemed to be someone right there asking to help with the stroller or our bags. That level of service extended to everything else we needed for the kids... milk late at night, information about where to see the fireworks, a child-friendly restaurant reservation, plates and silverware for a takeout-dinner, etc. We have stayed at some very fancy places and some very inexpensive places in our travels, but the staff at the deLuxe was among the best we've experienced when it came to simple, honestly helpful service.
I'll also add that because this is an older building, the rooms vary a lot in size. Our double-queen room was quite large, but had a small bathroom. Some of the other rooms were much smaller. Having enough space with kids can be important, so call the hotel directly to make sure you get a room that will work for you.
Our best roadtrip tactic is to drive when the kids are sleepy, so my husband and I made a rough plan to head to Portland around bedtime. Late in the afternoon, before I was fully packed, I realized that the kids were tired enough to take afternoon naps, and we made a quick adjustment, throwing things in suitcases and heading out the door. We were right! The kids napped all the way to Portland, waking up at around 7pm as we pulled up to the hotel!
I couldn't have picked a better day to have the kids so badly off of their normal schedule (dinner is usually at 6 and bedtime around 7:30 or 8). Fireworks in the Pacific Northwest start after 10pm, and I had accepted that my kids would go another year without seeing them, so I was super excited to realize that they would probably make it to show-time!
With all my restaurant ideas closed for the 4th of July, we had the hotel book us a table at
Andina Restaraunt. The restaurant was a bit fancier than we would have normally attempted with the kids up so late at night, but with few other options, we decided to go for it. It was at that moment, the my husband and I realized something that has been true for a long time. We would rather try to have a really great meal and risk having to take our food to-go than to eat mediocre food every night Once we were seated, I realized something that made my heart drop... hurrying to get out of the house, I had forgotten the bag of travel toys we keep packed and ready to go. We were lucky that the kids were so delighted to be on a trip that they occupied themselves quietly with some ballpoint pens and a stack of bandaids I had in my purse! Towards the end of the meal, I took D to the bar where a live band was playing, and she loved watching the musicians in action.
Dinner ended none too soon though, and we rushed back to the hotel as the first fireworks started exploding The kids were thrilled, and we stopped on the way to watch the beginning of the show before continuing to the hotel. E couldn't resist telling everyone we passed on the way "It's a special day for fireworks." We spent the rest of the evening cuddled up on one of the hotel room beds, watching the fireworks and drinking room-service milk. The kids have chattered on about the fireworks every day since the 4th, and I'm glad that we got to experience that "first" together this year instead of next.
Related Links
Hotel deLuxe
Andina Restaraunt
Portland With Kids
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Posted on July 10, 2008 |
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For the long holiday weekend, we took a last minute trip down to Portland with the kids (about three hours south of Seattle by car). I'll write more about the trip tomorrow, but I thought I would share this picture of D enjoying the wading pool at Jamison Square Park
We think Jamison Square is one of the main reasons we take so many weekend breaks in Portland. The shallow water (which is continually cycled and filtered) is safe enough that we can sit by the sidelines and have grownup time while the kids play. The blocks around the square are dotted with kid friendly shops and restaurants.
Jamison Square Park is in the heart of the Pearl District
(Portland's hip shopping district), and easy to get to from the downtown core. We usually take MET light-rail. It's a free ride from downtown, and our kids look forward to the ride almost as much as the wading pool. If you love to shop, though, Jamison Square would be a fun walk from downtown past hip shoe and clothing shops for mom and fun kids stores (many with play areas).
Related Links
Portland With Kids
Jamison Square Park
Portland's Pearl District With Kids
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Posted on July 9, 2008 |
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I'm excited to announce our biggest giveaway yet. I get so many questions about this product from parents who are considering buying one, that I knew my readers would be delighted if I had one to give away!
ERGObaby was kind enough to send me a three piece "Hands Free System" that includes their ERGObaby Carrier, a Front Pouch and a Backpack. All three pieces together retail for $163 on the ERGObaby Website.
This Giveaway is now closed. To learn about new giveaways as they become available, please 
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The Backpack and the Front Pack are two products that I was not familiar with before Ergo sent them to me. The Backpack is designed to be used separately or snapped around the straps of the carrier for an all-in-one system. Though I haven't been able to give it a trial run, it seems like a good way to add some storage to the Ergo so that you are not carrying two bags. The front pouch is a small "fanny pack" that can be attached to the ERGO or used separately as a purse.
How To Enter
I will be giving the ERGObaby Carrier, Backpack, and Front Pouch away to one lucky reader. If you'd like a chance to win, leave us a comment before Midnight PST on Monday July 14 and tell us the name of a city you have been to with kids and your favorite kids activity there. Haven't been anywhere? Tell us about a fun activity for kids in your home town, possibly a hidden gem that most tourists won't know about.
If you win and wish to be contacted by email, please include your email address in the comment form (your email isn't shared with anyone). Otherwise, you must check back here to see if you've won.
How to Get More Chances to Win
For each complete recommendation you add to our city guides, you will be given one additional entry. It takes only a few minutes, and it is a great way to share your favorite kids activities, restaurants, and hotels with other parents.
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Click Add Your Favorite on the bottom of any restaurant, hotel or activity section of a city guide. (or just Click Here)
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Fill in a short form asking for information about your recommendation (e.g. name, address, web url, and why you like it)
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Click "Save"
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Next you will see a short form that asks you to register for an account. You need to register so that we know who you are and can give you an additional contest entry.
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Registration is fast and simple, and asks few questions. We promise that we will not publish, sell, or spam your email address.
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Click on "Your Account" in the upper right hand corner of the page
to add a picture and other profile information
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You can continue to add more recommendations, and you will be given one additional contest entry for each complete recommendation.
You can even add cities that we don't currently cover, just type in a new city name when you add a listing.
It takes just a few minutes to add a recommendation to our City Guides. I hope you'll give it a try!
Winners
We will choose a winner randomly and announce the results here on Tuesday July 15. Many thanks to ERGObaby Carriers for generously sponsoring this giveaway.
Share This Contest
If you have family or friends who you know will love this giveaway, just click the "share this" link at the bottom of this (or any) post to email it to a friend.
Rules
Please, only one comment per person per giveaway post. Duplicate comments and Anonymous comments will be discarded. Please make sure that the email address in your comment 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 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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Posted on July 7, 2008 |
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You can hear me talk about Traveling With Children on this week's Amateur Traveler podcast. The show came out great, and I hope you will download it and listen to me give some of my favorite advice and tips!
The AmateurTraveler is a great podcast for people who love to travel. It focuses on travel stories with a dash of travel news, travel tips and travel resources. It is produced by Chris, someone I worked with back when I just starting my career and just rediscovered on Twitter.
About DeliciousBaby
If you are joining us from the Amateur Traveler, here are links to some more resources on DeliciousBaby.
DeliciousBaby is about
Traveling with Young Kids. We have lots of tips and helpful advice to make your family vacation easier and more enjoyable. Our
family friendly city guides are packed with kid friendly activities, restaurants, and hotels that grown ups will enjoy too. If you are new to DeliciousBaby, you might want to check out some of our other useful links and resources:
Subscribe to DeliciousBaby for Free
We have some great articles, giveaways and announcements coming up in the next few weeks. I'd like to invite you to subscribe to this blog so that you don't miss a thing.
To subscribe by RSS or Email, click the "RSS" button at the bottom of this post or in the right hand column on our home page.
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Posted on July 5, 2008 |
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When I was in college in Orange County, California, my husband (then my boyfriend) and I often visited the secluded Crystal Cove beach. Visitors hiked through dry California landscape to reach the hidden cove, which meant that it was not as packed with beachgoers as nearby Laguna Beach. Until recently, the 3.5 mile long beach offered no amenities once you arrived. We packed in a picnic to enjoy along with the sand, calm water and occasional tidepools.
The Crystal Cove shoreline is dotted with beach cottages first built in the 1930's to 1950's. For years they became increasingly dilapidated as their lease from the state ended. Those cottages made me feel like I was taking a step back in time, and I dreaded the day they would finally be torn down to make way for the exclusive luxury resort that seemed destined for such a beautiful spot.
We took time out from a family visit last week to return to Cryatal Cove with the kids. Not suprisingly, a lot has changed since I was in college...
The land has recently been reclaimed by the state, and there is now a shuttle bus from the parking lot down to the beach. The beach is still hidden, and relatively uncrowded, even on our warm weekday afternoon visit. Our kids played happily in the sand and water, watched the gulls, and generally delighted in the warm weather and sunshine.
The biggest change is those cottages. Locals were successful in convincing the state to restore them instead of tearing them down. Today many of the 46 cottages have been painstakingly restored as guest houses for visitors. Most are rented as individual cottages to families visiting the area, but a few have been converted into dorm style accommodations. The restored Crystal Cove Beach Cottages are simple, clean, and tastefully finished. They don't have the fine linens or pampering service (in fact there is no daily housekeeping) that a luxury resort would have, but visiting families get to enjoy the true luxuries of an unspoiled beach, bedrooms for everyone, a refrigerator & microwave, and an affordable price tag. Best of all, the money is returned to the non-profit organization that runs the cottages to help restore more of the original cottages.
As dinner time neared, we headed to the cove's new restaurant, the Beachcomber Cafe. The Beachcomber is right on the beach, and has both indoor seating and covered, heated outdoor seating. The views are unbeatable. Unfortunately, it wasn't cheap (there is also an inexpnsive "Shake Shack"), and I was expecting the terrible quality, overpriced meal that usually accompanies an exclusive concession in a beautiful spot. I was delighted to be wrong. My salad and main course were both very good (though not exceptional) and I was particularly happy with the carefully thought out children's meals. D enjoyed homemade mac & cheese while E had a Nimen Ranch hot dog. Both dishes were served with cut apples and a frozen bannana dipped in chocolate for dessert. Two thumbs up to the Beachcomber for serving kids meals made out of real food instead of something out of a package.
Does all this appeal to you as much as it does to me? Crystal Cove is about 20 miles from Disneyland and would make a great day trip after a visit to the busy amusement park. Parking at the lot is $10 (wow) but the fee is waived if you eat at the Beachcomber.
If you want to stay in the cottages, plan ahead. On the first of each month, reservations open up for an entire month of available start dates, up to 7 months in advance. The cottages sell out within hours (or faster), so plan ahead. Cottages do occasionally open up due to cancellations, and it is worth calling to find out if anything is available during your stay.
Related Links
Crystal Cove Beach Cottages
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Posted on July 5, 2008 |
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