Got your Spring Break Family Vacation all planned? If so, what are you doing to build excitement BEFORE you go? My favorite part of a family vacation is building up the excitement about our trip with the kids. I know, as parents we’re busy before a big trip. We get so wrapped up in planning, packing, and last minute preparations that we forget that the fun can start now. Remember, enthusiasm is contagious. If you aren’t excited about an adventure, you can’t expect a child to be, so set aside a little time to make your vacation even more special this year.

Here are some easy ideas on how to have fun with the family before you even leave the house on your adventure.

Build Excitement:

1. Get the kids excited about the destination by reading books about where you are going or what you’ll see. Take the kids to the library and see what’s available. On our family trip to Boston, we knew we would see Paul Revere’s house so we wanted the kids to know about Paul before we got there, so we read John, Paul, George and Ben.

2. Watch a movie about your destination. Going skiing? Watch a Warren Miller ski film or Snowball Express with Dean Jones. Going to the beach? Watch an old Beach Blanket Bingo movie or Surf’s Up. Going to Washington DC? Watch Night at the Museum 2.

3. Visit the website of your resort or destination city. A lot of ski resorts have a kids section to their site with games and activities for kids. If you have teens, let them do some online research for the best places to eat and visit to get them more involved.

4. As a family, create a list of places or things you absoultely MUST do on the trip, WANT to do, and extra ideas if there’s time. That way you won’t miss anything.

5. Going someplace exotic? Cook a special meal that’s typical of where you are traveling.

6. Create a countdown calendar. X off the days or “sleeps” before the trip to build anticipation. The TomKatStudio.com has some very nice free printable calendar pages. Going to Disney? Create a Disney Character calendar.

6. Draw your route on a road map and let the kids color in the route.

What do you do to get the kids excited about a trip?

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Tags: Family Fun Ideas · Traveling with the Family

Heading someplace fun for Spring Break this year? Whether you are driving to a sunny state or visiting Grandma and Grandpa, here are a few tips that my family relies on to make the car trip a little smoother.

Family Road Trip Car Essentials:

1. Snacks - No messy or crumbly snacks. I mean it! I don’t care how tasty they are, unless you want to start an all-you-can-eat snack bar under the back seats, learn to say NO. Little, individual size snack bags are perfect travel companions. Grapes are good, easy to eat and no peel to worry about. No juice boxes. Put drinks in drip-proof sippy cups or sports bottles so they don’t leak or get squirted everywhere.

2. Water Bottles – Always have a bottle of water in the car. Even if the rest of the family behaves like camels, refusing to drink water, it’s nice to be able to rinse off your hands or that binky that fell in the back seat and is now furry.

3. Garbage Bag – Always have a bag in the car to throw out trash. Trust me, you don’t want to hold a snotty Kleenex or ketchup covered wrapper or banana peel for 4 hours. (Been there. Done that. Not fun.)

4. Pillows, Snuggle Buddies, or Neck Wraps – If the stars are aligned and Holiday fortune is smiling on you, your young kids will fall asleep for awhile. (When they are older, they put their iPod headphones on and they may as well be asleep.) While most kids are resilient and flexible, they shouldn’t have to kiss their navel while they are napping. Give them some support.

5. Antibacterial Wipes/Hand Sanitizer – You have kids. Need I say more? Buy it in bulk.

6. Boredom Bag – You’ll need plenty of entertainment to keep the kids (and adults) amused during the long car trip. Read my post on Age Appropriate Kids Entertainment for Car Trips and Family Roadtrip Sanity-Saving Planning Tips.

What items do you take on your Family Road Trips that you can’t live without?

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

You’ve been in the car for five minutes and already the kids are bored. You cringe. Or, you are sitting in the airport when they announce another 30 minute delay. You almost sob at the prospect of having to amuse the kids so they don’t declare mutiny and take over the news stand. Never fear! Just have your kids grab their Boredom Bags and your travel adventures won’t go south on you.

What is a Boredom Bag, you ask? Each child (and even adults) should have a bag that they bring in the car or plane filled with fun activities to keep them amused while traveling. It is a lifesaver for all of the delays and unpredictable events that are bound to occur when you are on the go.

Here are some ideas for your kids’ boredom bags. Shameless plug: We sell many of these items at our sister site www.ChocolateCakeClub.com. We sell them because we have used them and love them.

BABIES:

Babies don’t need much in terms of toys in their bags. Pacifiers, snacks, and bottles seem to do the trick for most babies while traveling. However, you can certainly bring some teething toys or crinkly sensory toys like this soft book.

TODDLERS:

• Art-to-Go Folios – crayon and paper sets that are easy for little hands to carry



• Board books
• Lovey or stuffed animal, like a Zoobie Pet - these 3 in 1 Travel Companions are a pillow, blanket and toy all in one. They come in fun characters like Olivia and the Goodnight Moon Bunny.

LITTLE TYKES:

• DVDs to play on your laptop or DVD player
• Small toys like Animals, Elves, Knights, Army Men, Playmobil guys, or Sports Action Figures
• Sticker Play Scenes – Remember the old Colorforms we used to play with? Well, they are back with some fabulous scenes that will keep kids amused. You can find these at most book or toy stores.
• Fun Kids Music
• Lacing Cards
• Travel Bingo – a classic!
• Pipe Cleaners or Wiki Sticks – no mess and kids can spend hours making shapes and objects

BIG KIDS/ TWEENS:

• Magnetic Tin Dress Up Sets -Dress up Robots, Fairies, World Travelers, Monsters, and Princesses. Perfect for travel since the pieces stick to the magnetic box.
• Activity Backpacks
• Comic Books
• If your kids can read in the car, get them some fun adventure books like 39 Clues, The Sisters Grimm, Harry Potter, Lightening Thief, or Skulduggery Pleasant . If they get sick reading in the car, get them on audio tape. Even Mom and Dad will enjoy listening to the fun stories.
• DVDs or computer games (Leapster, Gameboy, etc.)
• Pipe Cleaners or Wiki Sticks – no mess and kids can spend hours making shapes and objects
• Travel Journals



• Craft kits like sewing kits, knitting, or counted cross stitch

What’s in your Boredom Bags?

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and you know what that means … get out the fat pants! No, I mean ROADTRIP! It is that time of year when we all pile in the car with our suitcases, non-perishable Thanksgiving dinner contributions, and the dog and head out to Grandma’s House for Thanksgiving dinner. Since we’ve made the Thanksgiving Roadtrip to Iowa every year for 10 years, I thought I would pass along a few tips that my family relies on to make the trip go a little easier.

Roadtrip Car Essentials:

Snacks - No messy or crumbly snacks. Unless you want to start an all-you-can-eat snack bar under the back seats. Little, individual size snack bags work perfect. Grapes are good, easy to eat and no peel to worry about. No juice boxes. Put drinks in drip-proof sippy cups or sports bottles so they don’t leak or get squirted everywhere. Tip: If you end up eating breakfast in the car as you head out, make sure you don’t order anything with biscuits. They crumble everywhere! I’m talking to you Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit.

Water Bottles – Always have a bottle of water in the car. Even if you don’t drink it, it’s nice to be able to rinse off your hands or that binky that fell in the back seat and is now wearing a dog hair fur coat.

Garbage Bag – Always have a bag in the car to throw out trash. Trust us, you don’t want to hold a snotty Kleenex or ketchup covered wrapper or banana peel for 4 hours. (Been there. Done that. Not fun.)

Pillows, Snuggle Buddies, or Neck Wraps – If the stars are aligned and Holiday fortune is smiling on you, your young kids will fall asleep for awhile. (When they are older, they put their iPod headphones on and they may as well be asleep.) While most kids are resilient and flexible, they shouldn’t have to kiss their navel while they are napping. Give them some support.

Antibacterial Wipes/Hand Sanitizer – You have kids. Need I say more?

Boredom Bag – You’ll need plenty of entertainment to keep the kids (and adults) amused during the long car trip. In my next post, I’ll share some ideas on how to fill that Boredom Bag for younger and older kids.

What items do you take on your Holiday Road Trips that you can’t live without?

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Tags: Fall Season Family Fun Activities · Traveling with the Family

Happy Monday! It’s Day #17 of our 30 Day Summer Fun Challenge and our idea today is to learn something new as a family.

Is there anything you’ve always wanted to learn how to do? Speak Spanish, play guitar, play golf, tennis, take better photos, dance the tango, or cook a perfect souffle? Why not get the whole family involved and take a group lesson or start a new family hobby? (I suggested we all learn how to balance the checkbook but they “booed” my idea.)

Families that play together, stay together. Learning a new skill, hobby or sport is a fun way to spend time together and expand your mind. You’ll all be starting at the same level – newbie – and it will be interesting to see who in the family really takes to the lessons.

Find a class
Contact your local park district or community college to see the continuning education courses that they offer. If some of the classes look interesting for the whole family, sign everyone up. Look online for some local language classes or check your local health clubs, park district or YMCA for swimming, tennis, golf or even scuba diving lessons. Since you will have 3 or more “students” in the class, it might be worthwhile to find an instructor and see if you could arrange for private lessons in your home.

Now, show off your new skills
Once you’ve discovered your new skill and if everyone likes it, plan your next family vacation so you can apply this new knowledge or start a new family tradition.

• Take Spanish lessons then vacation in Mexico or Spain
• Take Cajun cooking lessons and then plan a trip to New Orleans
• Take golf lessons and then swing away in California
• Learn to scuba dive and head to the Caribbean
• Take some wildlife photography lessons and then head to Yellowstone National Park

If no one really takes to the new skill, there’s always next summer to try something else. My husband loves to golf and my kids have been taking lessons for the past two summers. I always swore I would never golf (after having waitressed in a snobby golf club in high school and swearing I would “NEVER” be like those people) however, I’m rethinking taking lessons because it would be a fun thing to do as a family or with another family. (If I’m no good, I could always lay on top of the golf cart and just get a tan. That’s quality time together, right?)

Extra Practice
Ask around and see if another family you know loves the same skill or hobby. Invite them over to practice together. The more the merrier.

If you are going to tackle learning Spanish, we have some fun products to help practice with kids.

Spanish Bingo

Spanish Flash Cards

Or if you are going to take cooking lessons, get the kids excited about the lessons with their own apron and cooking utensils, like our best selling Playful Chef Kids Cooking Kit.

Is your family taking lessons to learn something new? If not, what do you think would interest them?

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Tags: Cooking with the Kids · Family Fun Ideas · Holiday Traditions · Ideas for family projects · Summer Family Activities · Traveling with the Family

It’s Day #10 of our 30 Day Summer Fun Challenge, where we’re giving you 30 days of simple, creative & most importantly memorable ideas to make this the most fun summer EVER for your family. Who’s up for a road trip?

Whether you are planning to drive on your summer vacation or contemplating a small weekend road trip, you’ll need to keep the kids (and adults) entertained in the car. There are all kinds of travel games like travel bingo, but we love the simplicity of conversation games. They are easy to play in the car, on the plane or in a restaurant while waiting for your dinner to arrive. The games are small so they’re easy to throw in Mom’s purse or a backpack.

Here are some of our family’s favorites (that’s why we sell them at the Chocolate Cake Club):

Family Road Trip Box of Questions
We love this conversation starter game from the Box Girls because it has more than just questions. Inside the box your family will find games like I Spy, License Plate ID, Travel Scavenger Hunt, Who Am I?, and more. A lot of the conversation questions are travel related which is fun and gives you some insight into where you should plan your next family vacation.

Chat Pack for Kids
This incredibly small and compact game is so easy to carry in your purse ALWAYS for those emergency times when you need to amuse the kids. (Heck, I’ve pulled them out while we waited in line for an hour at Six Flags.) There are 156 question cards so you won’t get bored anytime soon. With questions like “If you could be guaranteed that one item you currently own would never break, wear out, or get lost, which item would you choose?” or I like “If you could create the ultimate vacation resort, what would it be like?” (I don’t know how my son is going to pull off the exploding volcano in the lobby of his dream resort, but it sounds cool.)

Family Dinner Box of Questions
This isn’t travel specific but if you are traveling to visit family, pull this box out at the dinner table or the family reunion. You’ll be amazed at what you learn from relatives you thought you knew well. Here’s what some of our customers said about the fun they had playing the game:

Just wanted to share with you that these cards worked very well for us to learn more about my son’s girlfriend over the weekend….very fun. As we were gathered around the table chatting there came a lull in the conversation so I turned around grabbed the box of questions and let her rip…… Cathie

First I have to tell you how much we enjoyed that game I got from you about the dinner questions!! We stayed at the table for almost 3 hrs!!! Marina

Here’s a treat for you, take 25% off of these conversation starter/ travel games today only. Check out all of our travel games and activities before you head out for your next family adventure.

If you want to save even more money, come up with your own questions. Write them on small pieces of paper and throw them all into a bag. Once you are in the car, have the kids reach into the bag and pull out a new topic for conversation.

What are some questions you’d like to discuss with your family? One of our favorites to pull out on a day that we just aren’t getting along, is to have everyone at the dinner table say 1 thing that they really like about everyone in the family. It’s a great mood booster and you might be surprised what your kids say.

Read More:
Fun Road Trip Ideas for Your Family
Family Travel Tips: Maximize the Fun
How to Have Fun in an Airport

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Tags: Family Fun Ideas · Summer Family Activities · Traveling with the Family

Family vacations with teenagers can be the best of times or the worst of times, depending upon their mood, from what I have heard from my friends with teens. Or the worst of times for fashion, based on my teenage vacation photos skiing and at the beach. What’s up with my teenage hair?

Although your teen may not want to be seen with you anymore at the local mall … or the pizza place … or outside the middle or high school, there are still ways to promote family bonding through travel. I’m taking notes from my friends because we are going to be in this situation in a few years and I feel like I need all of that time to prepare.

My friend Marcia did a little research on traveling with teens and here’s what she found out and added from her own experience: Just keep in mind the 4T’s: Talk, Time, Temperament and Team Up.

Talk

First, talk to your teen about what is important to them on a vacation. Do they want a place with constant activities or nothing planned at all? Do they want access to a teen room with video games or do they want to go horseback riding on the beach? Most teens will be happy in a place that has options for them and provides them with some freedom to do things on their own. Many resorts and any family cruise ship will have a teen lounge area which provides them with a cool place to hang out away from the family. It provides you with a little downtime and you know they are in a safe environment.

This talk is a great way to bond during family mealtime and let your kids know that their opinion matters. Hopefully, they’ll reciprocate the feeling and on top of that, clear the table. We can dream, can’t we?

Time

Time your travel, if possible, to include a few extra days for unexpected journeys. If you go to Florida , for example, and discover that your teenage daughter absolutely loves snorkeling, be flexible and add another stop. Once you find what they like to do or what keeps them engaged, try to fit in more of it. Not to say the whole trip should revolved around your teen. It just makes it a lot easier for everyone to be happy if they are. Although I still say that it’s important to keep Mama happy … always.

You also want to plan on some downtime for them. What do we mean by downtime on a vacation? For a teen, downtime may be a break from family time. Relax on the rules about texting or calling friends. Maybe set some boundaries, such as no texting while at restaurants or while doing family activities but allow it while on the beach for a limited time. Teens may want to do even more texting on vacation (is that possible?) as their friends are not right beside them. So be prepared for it, and try to deal with it casually. Getting into a fight about the cell phone isn’t going to make anyone’s vacation any better. Limit the usage, but give some freedom as well.

Let them explore something on their own, if they want to, or go off with a new friend they made on the trip. Or let them sign up for an activity that only they want to do. As long as you feel it is a safe environment, let them get some of their own experiences and then enjoy hearing about it at dinner when you get back together.

Temperament

Keep in mind your teen’s style, interests and hobbies when planning your trip. If your son has to be pulled out of bed anytime before 11 a.m., don’t pick a vacation where everyone is up and moving at 6 a.m. If your daughter loves horses, try a dude ranch. If you select activities and locations that suit your child’s temperament, you have already halved the number of battles.

If you are feeling very generous, bend the rules a little. Let your teen stay up late or sleep in until 2 p.m. for a few days. Your “Cool Mom” points go up fast after that. (At least for a few days.)

Team Up
You may want to plan your vacation to go with some of your extended family. If you have sisters and brothers with kids about the same age, it might be fun to plan your vacations together so the teen cousins can hang out, have fun, and bond more with their extended family. While a “group” vacation can be a little harder to organize, once you are on the trip it’s fun to share the adventure with people you love, and share the work – cooking in the condo, taking the kids on activities, or taking the family photos.

I got mixed reviews on the idea of letting one of your teen’s friends come along on a family vacation. I remember when I was a teen and my parents let me bring a friend on vacation and I loved it! However, it does take the focus away from bonding just with the family.

From both a family time and expense standpoint, my view would be to allow a friend to come on a weekend trip but for a longer family vacation, that time should be family only.

What do you think? Any other advice for our readers (and me) on traveling with teens?

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

Traveling with the family is all about fun – having adventures and creating memories. Our favorite part of vacations were the excitement building up to the trip and then remembering the good times afterwards. So, don’t forget to get your kids excited about the adventure. Family vacations can provide fun before, during and after the trip itself. With a little planning, turn your family vacation into a lifelong memory.

Here are some ideas on how to “amp up” the fun.

Build Excitement:

• Get the kids excited about the destination: read books about where you are going or what you’ll see, cook a special meal that’s typical of where you are traveling.
• Create a countdown calendar. X off the days or “sleeps” before the trip to build anticipation.
• Draw your route on a road map and let the kids color in the route.

Road Trip Games:

• Take advantage of the time you have together to talk and learn more about each other with conversation games like the Box Girl’s Road Trip Box of Questions.
• Print a black and white map of the United States. Play license plate bingo and have the kids color in the states as they see them.
• Collect quarters from all 50 states. Play license plate bingo and give your child the quarter from that state when they see the license plate.
• Looking for more travel Games? We sell quite a few Travel Activity Books and Games at the Chocolate Cake Club.

Audio Books/ CDs:

• Go to the library and get some of your kids’ favorite books in audio tape version.

Some of our favorites for older kids are:
o The Invention of Hugo Cabret – Brian Selznick
o Chet Gecko Private Eye – Bruce Hale
o Judy Moody – Megan McDonald
o Any Bill Harley story CD

For younger kids, we recommend trying www.storynory.com to download stories.

Finally, don’t forget to help the kids create a Scrapbook or Travel Journal to remember the fun times on your trip. Work on it together for some quality time spent remembering the highlights.

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

Packing for a family vacation is a pain. There, I said it. Not only do you need to think about what outfits and gear you need, you also have to do it for your children. Despite my desire to be super organized, I usually end up forgetting some essential item for myself or the kids. “Mom, where’s my underwear?” My worst packing experience was the time we left to visit family in Iowa and realized that we left my daughter’s bag with her clothes sitting at the top of the stairs. I had to drive to Wal-Mart in the next town and buy her some of the ugliest clothes ever. Oh well. At least I could drive and get something.

However, packing lists have helped me get my act together. (Lists in general tend to be a Mom’s best friend. You know, the whole Baby Brain Drain does some real damage to your memory.) Even if some lists don’t include everything that we need for our family, it’s a good place to start and helps so that we don’t forget the essentials. “Honey, why did you bring the nose hair clippers and not any toothpaste?” Anyway, download our Chocolate Cake Moments Family Vacation Packing List here to help you stay in control and smiling. If I’ve missed anything important, let me know.

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Tags: Parenting Tips · Traveling with the Family

Continuing our series of Spring Break Travel Tips for Families, today we focus on how to get through the airport with less stress and maybe even some fun. While you may live in a town that has a nice easy in/easy out airport, we live outside Chicago so we know the beast that is O’Hare Airport intimately. Whether your airport is small, nice and accessible or you have to traverse the crowds in Chicago or Atlanta or travel a thousand miles within the airport like in Dallas or Denver, or deal with the hordes of humanity in Boston, hopefully these tips will help you easily deal with your time in the airport with kids in tow.

Get there plenty early

You never know how busy the airport is going to be, so reduce your stress level and give yourself plenty of time to get to the gate with kids in tow. Don’t try and cut it close thinking that less time in the airport with kids is good. Trust me, you don’t want to be running to your gate with diaper bags, kids luggage or toddlers on your back before a fun family vacation. It takes years off of your life and turns your hair prematurely gray.

Take a Stroll

Chicago O’Hare is large. The DFW is monstrous. Denver is a hike. Assume that you are going to have to walk and walk and walk. So, if you have babies or toddlers with you, make it easier on your back by using a small, inexpensive umbrella stroller to push the kids to the gate. You can check the stroller right at the gate and use it while traveling.

The airport is full of fun stuff

Think of the airport as part of the adventure of your trip. While watching planes take off and land has lost some of its glamour for me, my kids love it. Go sit by a window and enjoy. If you do have extra time to kill at an airport, find an information desk or ask one of the gate attendants what you can do with kids. Most airports have some fun stuff. You can even check online on the airport’s website before you travel.

At O’Hare, kids love the full size dinosaur skeleton in Terminal. Toddlers love the flashing lights and the moving walkway between B and C gates in the United Terminal. Take them for a walk in the tunnel, if you have the time. If you really have a lot of time to kill, our kids always love riding the People Mover or tram between the Terminals. Sit in the front car and they can pretend to be driving a space-age vehicle.

Munchies make a party

While there are plenty of places to grab food in airports, it can get expensive and if you are late or in a rush you might not have time to stop and wait in line. Always have a Ziploc baggie of goldfish crackers or Cheerios for toddlers or pretzels, raisins, or baby carrots to munch on while traveling. Do take time to buy a bottle of water before getting on a plane. You never know when the drink cart will make it around and you can always use the water for drinking, making baby formula, or even dabbing at spills on your clothes.

Here we are now, entertain us …
Traveling takes time and you’ll need to keep kids (and maybe some of the adults) in your group amused. Every traveler should have their own Boredom Bag, you know a bag or backpack that is full of toys, books, crayons, stuffed animals, or games to keep them occupied. To keep kids amused during the flight or in case of delays, check out my age-appropriate ideas for a Boredom Bags.

If you have a great airport travel tip, please share it with us.

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

As we continue our series of Spring Break Family Travel Tips, we are going to focus on planning road trips today. (Surviving the trip itself will be the subject of another post, never fear.) But as one friend told me today, planning a road trip vacation is a nightmare. Well, I hope these tips help to make the planning process less stressful for you, so you can enjoy this adventure more.

Tip: Plan the route ahead of time.
By taking a little time up front to plan the route including places to stop for bathroom breaks or energy stops, you might feel a little more in control before you ever set foot in the car.

Stop in the Name of Adventure
You’ll need some help planning your route and where to stop to reenergize the bored family. Check out RoadsideAmerica.com, a site dedicated to helping you find those amusing road side attractions. You know, like the World’s Largest Ball of Twine or Flipper’s Grave. I’m not making that one up, you can stop in and see Flipper, the beloved dolphin’s grave in Grassy Key, FL, outside of the Florida Keys.

Timing is Everything
You can also check out RoadtripAmerica.com to plan which cities you might hit within a specific period of drive time. So if you want to stop every 4 hours to give the kids a break, type in your zip code, your desired drive time, and which direction you are headed. The handy trip tool will tell you which cities you can stop in. Then pick a restaurant, hotel or head back to roadsideattractions.com and see if you can find a fun place to stop.

Brake for Potty Breaks
Looking to find the cleanest bathrooms en route for a potty break? (Sorry, that’s a silly question. Like someone is on the hunt for a dirty, stinky restroom.) Gas stations don’t have to be your first choice. While it’s convenient to get gas and take care of those natural needs at the same time, sometimes the best bathrooms are at fast food restaurants or even stores. Especially if you are stopping for a diaper change, you want a restroom that is clean and spacious. Stop at the fast food restaurants or if there is a strip mall off of the highway, don’t forget that some of the larger stores have nice bathrooms. We like Target’s restrooms. Buy some snacks while you are there and you’re good to go. You can also check out The Bathroom Diaries for the top restrooms in a variety of cities. Voted on by fellow travelers, enter your city and see where you should stop. Did you know that the best bathrooms in Orlando, FL are at Old Navy? Now you do.

If none of this helps you out, watch the National Lampoon’s Vacation movie and laugh away your stress.

If anyone knows where to go to find the World’s Largest Cheese Curd, let me know.

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

There is nothing more exciting than embarking on a travel adventure with your family. Whether you have someplace exciting planned for Spring Break or are going to take a road trip to visit Grandma, we wanted to share some tips to make it all easier so you can enjoy. We’ll be adding more tips daily so check back often.

Planning the Trip
Planning ahead can ease some of the stress of traveling with your kids, especially when they are little and you need to bring a lot of extra gear. Don’t be daunted or get discouraged. Follow these tips and add your own creativity to make Family Trips a blast.

Tip 1: Two weeks before the trip, conduct a mock packing session with each member of the family. Mom, when you know what everyone wants to bring, you’ll have time to wash favorite things or shop for extra necessities. No more “Honey, have you seen my favorite shorts?” the night before you’re leaving or “Why don’t Johnny’s ski pants fit anymore? Is Target open this late?”

Tip 2: Take a look at all of the gear you need to bring then decide whether it is easier to carry it with you, ship it to your destination, or rent it on site. With all of the new luggage fees on most airlines, it might be easiest to just ship your stuff ahead of time or see if you can rent or borrow on site. You’re going to have to pay anyway so have someone else lug it for you.

If going to see Grandma, tap into the Grandma Network. What’s the Grandma Network you ask? Have Grandma ask her friends if they have any baby gear you can borrow. Especially if Grandma and Grandpa live in a sunny locale, there are bound to be other grandparents who have their kids fly in for visits. One friend may have a stroller and one may have a high chair. By sharing and trading, it makes life easier for the grandparents and the traveling families.

Renting is an option and there are a lot of services popping up to help make this process easier. Your rental car company can usually rent you a car seat. Many hotels have cribs for rent now too. Or look into these incredibly handy services:

- For larger baby gear like strollers, cribs or car seats, rent from
www.babysaway.com

- For baby essentials like diapers, formula, etc. look at www.babystravellite.com

Don’t feel like you have to carry everything with you. Ship it or rent it and travel a little lighter. Remember you’re an adventurer, not a sherpa.

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

Spring Break is almost upon us and the Chocolate Cake Club and Chocolate Cake Moments Blog want to make one traveling family’s life easier with a chance to win $120 worth of Kids Travel Products. The lucky contest winner will receive a Four Peas Rolling Kids Suitcase with matching Travel/Supply Bag. To keep kids occupied in the car or plane, the winner will be able to fill their kids’ boredom bags with a Piggy Story Chalk ‘N Doodle Set, a Magnetic Figure Travel Toy Activity Set, and a Chat Pack Game with fun conversation starter questions.

It’s a prize package worth $120.00!

But wait, there’s more. We’ll also choose an additional 3 people to win one of our hugely popular Kids Animal Toiletry Bags.

But hurry, contest ends March 10th, 2009!

Click here for more details and to enter! Good Luck!

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Tags: Contests · Traveling with the Family

Looking for tips on how to make Spring Break Travel with your family easier? Check out this article I was quoted in for Examiner.com. There’s a link to some general travel tips and then I offer ideas on the Chicago area specifically.

We’re kicking off our Spring Break Traveling with Kids Made Easier series today. We’ll also be announcing a Traveling with Kids Giveaway Contest later today, so check back. We’re giving some lucky winners $120 worth of cool Kids Travel Gear. Every day we’ll be posting tips and ideas on planning for the trip, packing for the whole family, and entertaining your kids while on the road or in the air. So come visit us every day and let the countdown to Spring Break begin …

Enjoy!

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

If you are in the Chicagoland area, I would like to invite you to a free workshop next Wednesday night on Traveling with the Family Made Easy at the Ela Public Library. Spring Break is coming up soon and with all of the new travel regulations and restrictions, I will be sharing tips and ideas on planning your trip to minimize travel stress, what to pack for everyone in the family, and keeping your kids amused during those long car rides or hours in the airport. We’ll also be raffling off one of our top selling Kids Toiletry Bags.

All attendees will receive a Traveling with Kids Made Easy Guide that includes:

• Incredibly helpful tips and resources for planning your trip
• A family packing list for general, summer and winter vacations with suggestions for all ages
• Ideas for packing a boredom bag for babies on up to tweens
• Turning your trip into an Adventure by getting your kids excited about the big trip
• A 20% off coupon for the Chocolate Cake Club and all of our fantastic kids travel gear.

Details: I will be speaking at the Ela Public Library in Lake Zurich next Wednesday, February 24th from 7 – 8 p.m. Click here to register for this event. Register today, before all of the spots fill up.

Traveling is one of the best ways to have an adventure with your family and create those Chocolate Cake Moments that your kids will remember forever. Invite your friends, family, and neighbors and make your next trip with the family EASY and MEMORABLE!

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

You’ve been in the car for five minutes and already the kids are bored. You cringe. You are sitting in the airport when they announce another 30 minute delay. You almost sob at the prospect of having to amuse the kids so they don’t declare mutiny and take over the concession stand. Never fear. Just have your kids grab their Boredom Bags and your travel adventures won’t go south on you.

What is a Boredom Bag, you ask? Each child (or adults) should have a bag that they bring in the car or plane filled with fun activities to keep them amused while traveling. It is a lifesaver for all of the delays and unpredictable events that are bound to occur while traveling. Here are some ideas for your kids’ boredom bags. Shameless plug: We sell many of these items at our sister site www.ChocolateCakeClub.com. We sell them because we have used them and love them.

Babies:
Babies don’t need much in terms of toys in their bags. Pacifiers, snacks, and bottles seem to do the trick for most babies while traveling. However, you can certainly bring some teething toys or crinkly sensory toys like the Whoozit or a some soft book.

Toddlers:

Little Tykes:

Big Kids:

-Dress up Robots, Fairies, World Travelers, Monsters, and Princesses. Perfect for travel since the pieces stick to the magnetic box.

-Pratice their writing skills while having fun creating stories to share

Tweens

I’m sure there are a lot of ideas that I missed so feel free to add to this list with a comment. Happy Travels!

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and you know what that means … ROADTRIP! Yes, it is that time of year when we all pile in the car with our duffle bags, non-perishable Thanksgiving dinner contributions, and the dog and head out to Grandma’s House for Thanksgiving dinner. We’re getting ready for our Roadtrip to Iowa so I thought I would pass along a few tips that we rely on to make the trip go a little easier.

Car essentials:

Snacks - Make sure they’re not too messy or crumbly. Little, individual size snack bags work perfect. Grapes are good, easy to eat and no peel to worry about. Put drinks in drip-proof sippy cups or sports bottles. Juice boxes are great but no matter how neat your kids are, the juice squirts everywhere. Tip: If you end up eating breakfast in the car as you head out, make sure you don’t order anything with biscuits. They crumble everywhere!

Garbage Bag – Always have a bag in the car to throw out trash. Trust us, you don’t want to hold a snotty Kleenex or ketchup covered wrapper or banana peel for 4 hours. (Trust me on this. I’m speaking from experience.)

Pillows, Snuggle Buddies, or Neck Wraps – If the stars are aligned and Holiday fortune is smiling on you, the kids will fall asleep for awhile. While most kids are resilient and flexible, they shouldn’t have to kiss their navel while they are napping. Give them some support.

Antibacterial Wipes/Hand Sanitizer – You have kids. Need I say more?

Boredom Bag – You’ll need plenty of entertainment to keep the kids (and adults) amused during the long car trip. In my next post, I’ll give you some ideas on how to fill that Boredom Bag for younger and older kids.

What items do you take on your Holiday Road Trips?

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Tags: Help Mom Stay Organized · Holiday Fun · Parenting Tips · Traveling with the Family

My daughter is a prolific artist and it occured to me the other day that the true artiste needs to create when and where the mood strikes her. So, Art-to-Go is a big issue at our house. She creates art by the pound and I always need to have a notebook and pencil with me at all times, just in case. If you have a child like this, let me tell you about some things that have really helped make my life easier.

We went to a restaurant recently and I had to carry loose white copy paper, a ziploc bag of crayons, two coloring books, and some markers. (Why? Because that’s Mommy’s job, you know, to carry stuff.) My daughter insisted she needed these and she doesn’t like the restaurant supplied coloring pages because they restrict her creativity. That’s what she told me … really. Regardless of the reason, having some art supplies at hand for when you are out of the house is a great way to capture spontaneous creativity and keep kids amused at restaurants, on a plane, at the dentist office, or just at Grandmas.

While I could have found her a backpack and let her carry her supplies by herself, I gave her one of our new products instead and she loves it. The Art-to-Go Folio Paper and Crayon Sets are one of the cutest kids items you’ll ever see. It is also one of our top selling birthday gifts because kids love them.

Made by a fellow Mom-run business, the Piggy Story, these Art-to-Go Folios contain everything you need to keep your little artist happy when you are out and about or going over to Aunt Nancy’s house. Inside the folios, your child will find 12 crayons and a pad of white paper to create to their hearts content. This solves the “Mommy, why do restaurants only give you 3 colors?” issue. It even folds up like a briefcase, perfectly sized for little hands. Ta Da! Mommy doesn’t have to carry it.

Older kids may like the Kids Activity BackPacks which are made by the same company, with the same fun designs. These however, include a sturdy backpack so you can add toys to the mix, double-tipped markers, and an activity book with stickers.

If you want more ideas on ways to keep kids amused while out of the house, check out our Table for Fun post.

Tell us about your little artist.

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Tags: Cool Finds · Parenting Tips · Traveling with the Family

I recently wrote an article for the MotherhoodLater.com newsletter and I wanted to share it all with you. The topic was very timely for me since I had to take a business trip recently and I was thinking of how I could make my absence more fun for the kids. MotherhoodLater.com is a great site for Mom’s who started a family later in life and want to connect with other Moms like themselves. Go to their site and sign up for their newsletter because there are some great articles … for Mom’s of any age, really.

Staying Connected:Tips for Staying in Touch with the Kids When You’re On the Road
Sue Kirchner, Contributing Mom and Business Woman

With teleconferencing and a bad economy, traveling for work has decreased in the last few years, but the occasional trip does come up. While quite a few moms relish the nights away from home – ordering room service, indulging in a bubble bath, or watching TV uninterrupted – it’s still hard to be away from your family. There are some fun ways to stay connected to your kids even if you have to travel, so when the room service trolley has been pushed to the corner, the movie is over, and the tub is drained, try some of these tips to stay close to home:

Write some notes: Before you leave, write a few love notes or jokes for your kids and hide them. Tuck them under their pillows, lunch boxes, backpacks, sock drawers, or toy chests. Your kids will feel connected to you as they find these little surprises.

Bring a bedtime story: If your kids have a favorite bedtime story, get an extra copy at the library and bring it with you. When you call home to say goodnight, you can read your kids their bedtime story while they follow along at home. It’s a nice way to keep the bedtime ritual going even if you aren’t there.

Take a friend: Ask your kids if you can take one of their favorite toys or stuffed animals with you to remind you of them while you travel. Your kids will love to help YOU not be lonely. While traveling, you can take pictures of their friend in cool places to share later. Try taking some funny pictures too: Have the stuffed animal or doll sit with you in a restaurant like you’re out to dinner together; or how about a photo of the toy in the bathtub, or sitting on the toilet. Bring that digital camera or cell phone with you so you can email the pictures home and have something to giggle about over the phone later.

Send a postcard: I always send a postcard to my kids. Even if you’re home before the postcard arrives, kids just love knowing that you were thinking of them. They also want to see where you’ve been (try sending the postcard from your child’s stuffed animal. More giggles. They’ll love it).

Map it: If you have a large map at home, get it out and show the kids where you are going. My kids always want to know where, and how far away, I will be. Looking at the map with them and showing them your travel destination helps them feel connected. No matter what age your kids are, they miss you when you are gone. Just take that little extra time and make it an adventure for the whole family.

Skype it: If you haven’t used Skype yet, this is the perfect opportunity. If you travel with a laptop, make sure it comes equipped with a webcam (if not, they are not very expensive). Make sure you have 2 web cams: hook up one to your home computer and take the other on the road with you. Download Skype onto both computers (it’s free). Skype allows you to make a video “phone call” over the Internet so you can talk to your kids “face to face” whenever you want. You will have to set up a time in advance so the kids know to be online for your call. Technology makes staying connected a lot easier!

Sue Kirchner is the founder of www.ChocolateCakeClub.com, an e-boutique that offers busy moms products to help them get organized, encourage kids to be more self-sufficient, and distinguish them as Moms-who’ve-got-it-together with must-have gifts and parenting tools. She writes the blog, www.ChocolateCakeMoments.com. When not working, she’s home having fun with her husband and two children.

Tell us, how do you stay connected with your kids while on a business trip?

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Tags: Mom's Corner · Parenting Tips · Traveling with the Family

We just came across a great article on the WeJustGotBack.com website about how to save time, money and hassle on family road trips. We love the tips on games kids can play in the car, turning your vacation photos into postcards, and how to find free wi-fi hotspots on the road. The article is basically a conglomeration of tips sent in by readers and who best to learn from than other parents?

Have any other ideas on how your family survives Road Trips? Please share!

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Tags: Traveling with the Family

We recently took a road trip to visit family and found some great audio books and recordings to amuse the kids while we were driving … always important. (City kids can only look at cows for so long before they are bored.) We went to the library and got some audio books and a Bill Harley CD. Our criteria for road trip entertainment is that it has to amuse Mom and Dad too or it’s off. When the kids watch their DVDs in the back they use headphones, so us adults can listen to something else up front. I’d like to say it’s because we like more high-brow entertainment but really it’s because we get frustrated that we can hear the movie and not see it. “Ooh, is this where Alex the Lion starts dance fighting?” It’s better for everyone if we aren’t constantly looking behind us while we drive.

So, when we listen to an audio book or CD, everyone in the car hears it and must be amused. Here are some picks that we loved from our recent trip.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
This story is magical! Both the adults and kids in the car were captivated and the narration is fantastic. The book had been recommended to us because the author, Brian Selznick, had created such magical illustrations. So we thought we might lose something by listening to it as opposed to reading it. However, having listened to the audio book and then seen the book after our car trip, I think it was better for us to imagine the story for a more personal experience. It is the story of an orphaned boy who lives a secret life in a Train Station Clock Tower and how he discovers the secrets of his father’s inventions. Cool!
For ages: 5 – 99 years old

Chet Gecko, Private Eye by Bruce Hale
I admit, I love a good mystery and I am a huge fan of the Film Noir and Hard-Boiled Detective movies and stories. Who doesn’t love the witty banter from Dashiell Hammett (Thin Man, Sam Spade) or Raymond Chandler (Phillip Marlowe)? Fortunately, we can now introduce this genre to our kids with Chet Gecko. We love the Chet Gecko books about a kid detective, a lizard in the fourth-grade, who solves crimes at his wacky school. While the books are great and we like to read them at bedtime, the audiobooks are awesome because they are read by Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), who can do so many distinct voices and act the parts so well. While younger kids may have a hard time with the metaphors and witty banter, they will enjoy the main story, voices and silly slapstick in the books.
For ages: 5 – 99 years old

Yes to Running: Bill Harley Live
We recently discovered Bill Harley while listening to NPR one day. We were laughing so hard we almost peed our pants. Immediately, my husband and I asked “Why haven’t we heard of this guy?” When you have kids, you become very familiar with Laurie Berkner, Dan Zanes, Ralph’s World, and Justin Roberts. But Bill Harley, who? The only reasons I can think of are that his material is for children over 5 years old and I guess the “famous” kid musicians are for the pre-school set. And, although he has songs and plays the guitar, he is more of a storyteller than a musician. However, Bill Harley deserves more fame! (Now, you may be at home saying, “I’ve known about Bill Harley for years. What rock have you been living under?” If that is the case, I’m glad for Bill Harley but don’t burst my bubble.)

Go buy the Yes to Running: Bill Harley Live Double CD! My kids have now played it for everyone they come into contact with. (The mailman won’t come near the house anymore.) Bill Harley totally understands kids and how adults like to fondly remember their childhood. The Great Sled Race is a hilarious story. The Ballad of Dirty Joe the pirate is definitely written for kids.

These types of storytelling CDs are great for car trips because some of the stories are 20 minutes long and you need the uninterrupted time to listen.

For ages: 5 – 99 years old. Caution: He does say words like “Stupid” and “Idiot” (only in reference to himself) but if that bothers you, don’t let the younger kids listen.

© 2009 Sue Kirchner

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Tags: Reading with the Kids · Traveling with the Family

After visiting family in New Hampshire for the Holidays, we took the kids to Boston for a family vacation and we wanted to share some of the highlights of the trip. Boston is a much better trip in spring, summer, or fall but we know how to have fun in the snow and thought we’d share our winter travel ideas.

We knew that we were going to do a lot of history-related sightseeing in Boston so to get the kids warmed up and interested before we left, our bedtime reading was John, Paul, George and Ben. This book is one of the kids favorites since it is a pretty funny and irreverent look at our country’s founders. What’s not to like?

We planned for 3 days in Boston and we arrived on New Years Eve and it was freezing and snowing. Boston offers some New Years Eve fun with an event called First Night. For kids, they offer all kinds of entertainment for families during the day with a Mardi Gras style parade in the evening. We enjoyed seeing some of the magic and puppet acts. The parade was pretty weak but then again it was snowing and about 10 degrees out so I think it was really toned down a notch. The kids were too cold to enjoy.

The next day, after watching the Iowa Hawkeyes football bowl game in the hotel room (which the kids loved), we ventured out into the cold to see the Boston Commons and Garden.

We saw the ultra brave people ice skating on frog pond and the obligatory sculpture dedicated to the popular children’s book Make Way for Ducklings.

We looked at some of the beautiful old houses on Beacon and Charles Street before deciding it was too gosh darn cold and headed for the Children’s Museum. While our kids are getting a little too old for these children’s museums, they really enjoyed the Blue Man Group, Bubble, and Make Your Own Sailboat exhibits. If your kids are under the age of 5 you could probably spend the day here. With older kids (9 and 6 years old) we were done in under two hours.

We then headed over to the North End and Pizza Regina, which rocked. This restaurant is hilarious. It is small, so you will end up standing outside. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait more than 15 minues in the cold. You had better know what you want to order by the time you get close to the door or you will get kicked out of line. However, this restaurant is everything a typical family Italian place should be, with wacky waitresses. The pizza was very good and for Boston, the price is perfect. Mangia!

We watched a movie in the hotel room to finish the day, which the kids thought was too cool.

The next day we hit the Freedom Trail. The kids loved this slice of history. I was so proud that they walked almost the whole trail in the cold without complaining. Of course, a few trips to some gift shops along the way helped to motivate them. We also added our typical family wackiness by since my husband and son were dancing down the street singing “Freedom” by George Michael. The Freedom Trail is marked with a red line down the sidewalk so you can easily follow. To add even more silliness to the proceedings, we started to mimic Monty Python’s “Minister of Silly Walks” skit. You know where you walk in a line and do the funniest walks you can think up. Sure, people stared at us. Did we care? NO! We’ll never see them again. (I hope.)

According to the kids, the highlights of the Freedom Trail were Paul Revere’s House, the graveyard with Ben Franklin, Mother Goose, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams graves, and the Old North Church. They were totally fascinated by the whole “One if by Land, Two if by Sea” thing. They also thought it was hilarious that John Hancock has the largest tombstone in the cemetery, just like his signature. (Was he compensating for something?) Definitely hit the bakeries in the North End for a great snack and warm-up break. You can’t go wrong ordering any of the pastries.

There’s a lot more you can do in Boston in the summer but we had a great time in the cold and snow. Have you taken a family vacation in Boston? If so, what were some of your highlights? Please share.

© 2009 Sue Kirchner

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Tags: Reading with the Kids · Traveling with the Family

We eat out a lot. What can I say? My husband and I love food. And, after working a full day and getting the kids through their homework, I’m pooped. I’m just too tired to cook. My husband heard a comedian tell this joke about how when Mom yells “Time for Dinner!” the kids run to the car. He thinks it’s hilaaaaarious. However, I’m too tired to feel guilty that my son once asked me if I knew how to cook. (BTW, I’m a great cook … on the weekend.) During the week, I want and deserve a good meal. But, when you go out to eat you want to make sure that the evening doesn’t deteriorate or add more stress to your life because the kids are bored and unruly.

So, here are some tips to not only survive but thrive eating out at restaurants with your kids, from the Kirchners, Masters of Eating Out. (It’s an official title. I looked it up.)

1. Choose Wisely. Don’t go to a restaurant where you will have to wait a long time. I don’t care if you are hankering for that special steak at Bistro X. When you have kids with you, no food is worth an extra hour of wait. You also don’t want them falling off of the stools in the bar, while you wait an hour for a table. Even if your son thinks that’s fun. Don’t. If you live in Chicago, don’t go out for deep dish pizza. It’s not worth the wait. That is Take-Out Food!

Pick a restaurant that you know has a kids menu. Call ahead. Play it safe. Especially if you are out of town on vacation and dining out. If you don’t do your homework, then I hope you have read “How to Con Your Kid” by David Borgenicht and James Grace. Tell them that the calamari are really fried rubber bands. They might go for that.

2. Bring Your Own Entertainment. Don’t count on the three crayons and preprinted coloring pages keeping anyone amused. My son thinks the games are lame. My daughter, the artist, is infuriated that they don’t give her white space to create. “Don’t they understand that I need room to draw a proper unicorn?” Our family does so much better with plain paper and some type of writing device – pen, colored pencils, crayons, eyeliner. Choose your weapon of creativity wisely. Bring plain typing paper and colored pencils. Or one of our best selling items at the Chocolate Cake Club are the Kids Art-to-Go Folios Paper & Crayon Sets. These cute little sets include a pad of blank paper, crayons, a handle perfect for small hands, and a fun fabric print to kick start creativity.

These fun kids travel art sets were featured in Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine’s May 2008 issue. We like it because the kids can draw, play hangman or write a letter to the dog about how they wish he were there.

3. Time it right. If you have a baby, give the baby his or her bottle right before you eat. That way the baby can slip into a food coma and the rest of the table can then enjoy their food. If the baby doesn’t slip into a food coma, you’ll need to take turns eating. If you think that is going to happen, then order a salad. It won’t go cold. With toddlers, make sure you eat at a time when they won’t get too cranky or be forced to stay out too late. If friends who don’t have kids want to eat out with you, don’t feel bad setting an earlier time for dinner.

4. Be Creative. Use the items on the table to make a fort for your son’s toys. You will need to pick this up before the food arrives, but my kids love to have their toys play in the sugar packet holder, coffee cups, jelly holder, or butter bowls on the table. We love to build a train out of the little jelly packets when we go out for breakfast. The creamer containers make a great smoke stack. Feel free to use the materials at hand to build and imagine.

5. When in doubt, read. I don’t mind reading to the kids while we are sitting at the table. It keeps them quiet and sometimes the people at the table next to us pull up a chair to find out if Bear will indeed Snore On.

6. Invite friends. While you might think that the last thing you want is to have your friends observe how your kids behave in public, we say the more the merrier. The kids will amuse each other, the adults can take turns keeping control, and you feel less guilt about the mess you made at the table when the blame is spread out over more than one family. It’s good for everyone except the waiter or waitress. But tip big and they’ll forgive you.

Have fun eating out tonight! Don’t forget to order Chocolate Cake. Tell us what works for you when going out to eat.

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Tags: Friday Night Fun · Traveling with the Family