The Comprehensive Campsite: Courtesy of Fix.com

It's summer and, for many families, that means camping time!!! Whether you're a veteran camper or planning your first family adventure, preparation is key and we have just the resource for you! The article below is reprinted with permission from Fix.com and was written by Amy Whitley - we simply love the thoroughness of the lists and the fantastic infographic featured at the end! So get camping and make some magical memories!

Camping Packing Lists and Tips

Everything You Need to Bring to the Campsite

Family camping trips are an excellent way to spend time together in the outdoors and enjoy a vacation on a budget, provided you have some camping tips and hacks up your sleeve. Otherwise, it can take as long to prepare and pack for a camping trip as the trip itself! To ensure that you’re ready for that next weekend trip to the woods, use the following camping packing lists and tips.

The Camp Kitchen

Organizing and packing your camp kitchen is often the most complicated part of preparing for a camping trip. The workaround is having dedicated camping pots and pans, utensils, and kitchen gadgets stored apart from your home kitchen, which will save you time and effort in packing and unpacking daily supplies. Here’s what you need:

Kitchen Packing List:

• Camp stove: Opt for a lightweight backpacking stove or traditional car camping stove.
• Fuel: Make sure you have the correct propane fuel for your stove.
• Plates, cups, and eating utensils (1 per family member): Use paper products or opt for reusable mess kits, which are available in outdoor stores.
• Tablecloth: Buy a cheap one at a dollar store.
• Dishwashing tub: Opt for a plastic tub or nylon, sealed, collapsible tub.
• Dishwashing supplies: Paper or cloth towels or dishrags; dish soap; and sponge.
• Matches
• Fire starter
• Ice
• Cooler
• Tarp
• Grill (optional): Most campsites provide a grill over the fire pit.
• Camp table (optional): Helpful for organization, but not necessary.
• Kitchen tools/utensils: Spatula, all-purpose knife, potholders, serving ladle, butter knife, tongs, long skewers for s'mores or meat-on-a-stick, and tin foil.

Try this kitchen packing hack: Store your kitchen tools and utensils in a toiletry bag or other small bag to keep them organized and clean between uses at a dusty campground. It will be easy to hang them from a tree branch for easy use when you’re at your site.

The Camp Sleeping Quarters

Everyone wants to be warm and cozy at night! Whether you’re camping in warm or colder climates, everyone in your family will need the essentials to ensure that they’re safe at night. Store tents and sleeping pads in a second large tote, making it easy to pack up the car and head to the campsite at any time.

Sleeping Packing List:

• Tent(s): Opt for one large family tent or 2–3 smaller tents. Larger tents have the advantage of space, but small tents fit in cozier campsites.
• Sleeping bags: Buy sleeping bags rated at 20 degrees F, unless you know you’ll be camping in colder climates. A 20–40 degrees F bag works for most camping experiences. Down or down-alternative bags pack down smaller and are lighter and warmer than cotton or nylon/polyester bags.
• Sleeping pads: Opt for thick blow-up mattresses for car camping, or save space with backpacking pads that inflate with just a few breaths of air.
• Ground tarp: Don’t skip the ground tarps. They protect your tent floor and keep the dew and cold at bay.
• Towels and personal hygiene items: One per family member!
• Flashlights or headlamps: One per family member. Everyone should have their own light source for safety and convenience.
• Lantern: One per family will do. Ideally, your lantern can transition from kitchen area to tent and back.

Try this sleeping quarters hack: Buy a ground tarp one size larger than your tent, and use the overhanging space as a place to take off shoes and wipe off feet before entering the tent.

The Campfire Area

Camping just isn’t camping without a comforting campfire, right? The campfire area is important, but there’s good news: it’s easy to pack for!

Campfire area packing list:

• Firewood: Buy on-site, or save money by buying it at a local grocery store.
• Matches and fire starter: You’ll already have these in your camp kitchen supplies. The type of fire starter you use is up to you; we like fire disks or fire cubes.
• Axe or hatchet: Useful for breaking down firewood. Store away from children.
• Camp chairs: Some campsites include a bench around the fire ring, but for most, you’ll want collapsible camp chairs. To save space in the car, opt for the smaller, lighter versions sold in backpacking stores.
• S’mores: Be sure to bring the ingredients for this tasty campfire treat!
• Deck of cards or board game: Everyone enjoys playing a game around the fire.
• Lantern: This item is already with your sleeping supplies!

Try this campfire area hack: Never bring firewood all the way from home. It takes up lots of room in your car or truck, which could otherwise be used for other items, and it could be banned from your campground if you’re driving any distance. Campgrounds often require local wood to be burned in an effort to reduce foreign insect species from invading new areas.

Miscellaneous Items Campers Love

Think you have everything you need? Probably not! Read the list of extras below and decide what you can’t live without!

• Insect repellent or wristbands
• Sunscreen
• Toilet paper and shovel (if you don’t have a campground restroom)
• Inflatable wading pool for small children to play in
• Playpen for babies to stay off the dirt (sometimes)
• Clothespins and a clothesline to hang wet clothing
• Extra sheet or towel to hang in the tent to create “rooms”
• Hammock
• Baby wipes to clean hands and faces
• Camera
• Water/wading shoes
• Small net and bucket to use in streams
• Small toys for kids to use in camp
• Bikes or scooters for larger campgrounds

When you get settled in at the campsite, don't forget to pack a list of camp rules and games for kids. Kids and campgrounds go together perfectly, as long as a few safety rules are in place. Make sure kids know the following in the camp kitchen, sleeping, and campfire areas:

1. Never run around the campfire.
2. Ask before using any kitchen knives or hatchets.
3. Turn off flashlights and headlamps after using to save batteries.
4. Ask a parent before exploring a campground.

Once you’re set up at your campground, entertain kids at the campsite by encouraging them to collect natural objects like sticks, moss, leaves, or bark to make into art pieces. Kids also love having scavenger hunts around the campground (bring a list of items to collect) or riding bikes or scooters around the camp loops. If you have a cell phone with you, encourage kids to look for geocache treasures. There are caches at almost every campground across the United States.

Source: Fix.com

Blogs We Love: Safe Sound Family!

Per their website: "Safe Sound Family is a premier publishing resource focused on providing high quality, trustworthy information about family safety. They feature free, in-depth articles and guides on everything from buying outdoor security cameras to keeping your kids safe online to the finding the best home automation systems for your family home."

But Safe Sound Family's Blog doesn't just cover home safety; if you're a family that loves to travel, you won't want to miss their piece on the "Best Travel Safety Products for Families."

So whether you're planning to purchase a new trampoline, researching the safest appliances, or trying to figure out the best way to create a relaxing environment away from home, Safe Sound Family is an invaluable resource! Safe and happy searching!

Sites We Love: Precious Hearts by Grace - Super Simple CPR!

It may seem intimidating, but put simply, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is an emergency response measure combining mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with chest compressions. CPR can be a lifesaving technique during many different emergencies, including: accidents, near-drowning, smoke inhalation, suffocation, poisoning, overdose, electrocution, and suspected heart attack or even sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Often, however, CPR training can seem overwhelming; that's why we are so excited to share the wisdom of Grace Ghazarian of Precious Hearts by Grace.  Her amazing website and free e-book, Super Simple CPR, help demystify the principles of CPR!

All parents should know how and when to administer CPR, and Grace's site provides invaluable instruction and information to help parents feel more comfortable about getting trained. Performed correctly, CPR can save a child's life by restoring breathing and blood flow until advanced life support can be given by medical professionals.  Anyone responsible for the care of others should take a course to gain hands-on experience and a comprehensive understanding of the technique. If CPR is needed, performing the technique with proper form will give someone the best chance of recovery.

If you're lucky enough to reside near Nashville, TN, Grace offers "CPR Parties" where she shares her knowledge of CPR in an environment that lends itself to greater personal comfort and comprehension. For those of our readers in other parts of the country, nearby hospitals, fire departments, and your local chapters of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Red Cross are good sources for finding a CPR course in your area. Qualified instructors (like Grace!) demonstrate proper technique using a combination of videos, printed materials, and infant-, child-, and adult-sized practice mannequins. Bottom line: being CPR-trained could help you save your child's - or someone else's - life, so find a course in your area and get certified.

Side note: In addition to providing CPR information, Precious Hearts by Grace also offers tips for preparing your babysitter, as well as how to handle an emergency. Grace is a dedicated health care professional who has created a truly amazing site dedicated to helping others feel more confident in the face of an emergency; Precious Hearts is fun, interactive, and packed with valuable insight and information - so check it out today!

- Destination Mom

Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls

Did you know that falls are the second-leading cause of unintentional death? Not many people do. Since Family Safety is a major focus in November, the amazing team at American Recall Center has made it their mission to educate and encourage safe behavior in order to help prevent slips, trips, and falls. To that end, they’ve created the helpful graphic below that outlines how to prevent falls that may cause traumatic injuries. For even more information, visit American Recall Center's webpage at http://www.recallcenter.com/prevent-slips-trips-falls/.

image courtesy of American Recall Center

Blogs We Love: Life's Helmet - The McFarlane's Euro Bucket List!

courtesy of Life's Helmet/Mackenzie McFarlane

We just love this amazing pictorial memoir of one family's adventure abroad! Featured on Life's Helmet, a fantastic blog site run by Mackenzie McFarlane, this collection of captioned photos highlights the adventures of a family living abroad! A year ago, the McFarlane family relocated to Ireland for a temporary work assignment with Intel. In their first year in Ireland they traveled to 11 different countries, stayed in 40+ hotels, and saw some of the world's most amazing places... all with their 3 kids in tow! They made it a goal to not just see the traditional tourist attractions but to venture off the beaten path and create truly unique travel experiences for their children. 

As they have traveled, they compiled what they affectionately refer to as "McFs Euro Bucket List" (which can also be seen on Instagram under the hashtag #TheMcFsEuroBucketList). While they have seen much more than just the items included, the list highlights some of their most memorable moments; and with the whole world at their feet, the list will (doubtless!) continue to grow.

So whether you're thinking of moving overseas, planning a European vacation, or just want to dream about what your own family could do on such a  life-changing journey, check out the McFarlane's remarkable snapshots of their family's memory-making in Germany, Austria, Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, and Scotland (among others!)!

Sites We Love: Bright Lights, Big City!

This week we are proud to introduce one of our favorite resources for our urban readers: Red Tricycle!   Red Tricycle is a free website and e-mail newsletter that strives to serve its readership by providing tons of ideas for cool things to see, eat, make, and do with their children locally; Red Tricycle is truly an invaluable tool for those who live in or visit your local metro area!

Blogs We Love: Traveling Families!

image courtesy of vongvanvi/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The internet can bring the world to your fingertips... literally! The web is heavily saturated with amazing travel sites, many geared specifically toward family travel.  But family travel blogs are as unique as the families whose adventures they record; so it can be hard to figure out which sites offer the best content for your needs. After all, some sites offer  valuable expertise, some motivation to start your family's trip, and some, simply heart-warming tales of the lives of those who have chosen to explore the world as a family!  This week, I've chosen four of my personal favorites to share; check out these inspiring sites created by families who have generously chosen to share their experiences exploring our amazing world:

1. Travel Mamas - With a beautiful, clean, fun layout and articles on topics from family travel to great grown-up getaways, Travel Mamas delivers a ton of invaluable information!  Don't miss the comprehensive packing lists and helpful travel tips.
2. 100 Routes Across America - Another outstanding resource; with amazing road trip itineraries for all parts of the US and phenomenal tips, reviews and pointers for great food along the way!
3. Two Kids and a Map - A riotous account of one family’s travels through the good, the bad, and the ugly; whether down the street, across the country, or even around the world, this site will leave you entertained and informed.
4. Pit Stops for Kids - A place to share reviews of the places you’ve stopped during road trips, and to benefit from the experience and information other parents have to offer!  This community of parents shares a goal as well as a philosophy; find great stopovers and destinations for kids, after all, it’s as much about the journey as the destination!

Each of these fantastic blogs offers invaluable information, inspiration, and perspective; so if you aspire to a life less ordinary, take advantage of the wit and wisdom of these bloggers and get inspired to set your family travel plans into action!  Wherever the road may take you, may you always enjoy safe and happy travels!

- Destination Mom

Sites We Love: 4 Fantastic Safety Resources!



image courtesy of Jomphong/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net



As parents we know that we don't have all the answers (shhh... don't tell your kids), and that's why the internet is an invaluable resource.  The world-wide web is truly a gamechanger, providing information and a chance to interact with people anonymously (or in your jammies!) about topics you might otherwise be shy to ask about.  But how can you be certain that you are getting trustworthy information online?   This week we are thrilled to share four outstanding websites (other than ours!), that were brought to our attention by Katie Cook of Safe Sound Family!  Each of these sites provides invaluable, authoritative information from accredited sources on topics such as: age-appropriateness of toys and food, health, and safety for families with infants and young children.

National Association for the Education of the Young (http://www.naeyc.org/toys)

This is a phenomenal site not only for toy safety, but also for providing information on age-appropriateness; to maximize your child's learning experience through play, toys for young children should correspond with the child's developmental stage and ability.

Medline Plus (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002455.htm)

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus features numerous helpful articles on a wide range of health topics, including this fantastic piece regarding age- and stage-appropriate foods for your child.

ZocDoc (https://www.zocdoc.com/answers)

This site provides a searchable database of doctors that can be used to locate and book an appointment with a physician in your area, as well as a searchable database of medical questions and answers on everything from health concerns for infants to diabetes, heart health, and cancer.  All inquiries are answered by licensed physicians from such renown medical institutions as Boston Hospital, Johns Hopkins, and Beth Israel (among others!).

Safe Sound Family (http://safesoundfamily.com/category/family-safety-2/)

This amazing site provides a  well-organized collection of high quality, trustworthy articles highlighting information about home security systems and family safety.  This comprehensive information library covers topics ranging from internet safety to family living and crime prevention, and articles are well-written, accessible, and informative.  Safe Sound Family is a true "don't miss" for any parent!

Safe and happy virtual spelunking!

-Destination Mom

Traveling With Children With Autism: Practice Vacation!

It doesn't feel like it here in the northeast, but Spring and Summer are not far off, and with them, the chance to get away from it all with a fantastic family vacation!  The idea of taking a vacation can be a tempting fantasy, but for families with children with special needs, it can also induce feelings of panic or fear.  If new places, sights, experiences, or sounds are a potential issue for soemone you love, then a getaway to a strange place could seem overwhelming. 

Alan Day of ASD Vacations

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to decrease the anxiety associated with putting together a vacation.  One of the best resources for families planning to travel with a family member with special needs is the blog at ASD Vacations.  Written by Alan Day, this blog features a world of advice on everything from picky eaters to traveling with your own "village." In particular, this post on taking a Practice Vacation provides invaluable advice, suggestions, and special offers for families seeking ideas for how best to prepare for their family getaway.  We love this blog for its wealth of information on special needs travel, and we know you will too!

Safe and happy travels!

-Destination Mom

Which Flight? Which Seat?

This week we are thrilled to feature a guest post by Alan Day, Special Needs Family Vacation Expert, of ASD Vacations.  ASD Vacations specializes in helping families with planning trips to autism-friendly-resorts or  autism-friendly-cruises and will customize vacations around sensory issues, special interests, special dietary needs, and the dynamics of families traveling with individuals with autism.  His experts tips and advice are truly invaluable and we at Travel-Tot thank him for sharing the fantastic information below!

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I recently posted some comments, for families traveling with autism, with some pointers about selecting flights and seating arrangements. That posting can be found at: http://www.asdvacations.com/2013/07/12/which-flight-which-seat/

While those thoughts were for that specific audience, many of the thoughts hold true for anybody traveling with children, with or without disability. So here are some things to consider.

In praise of small airports. Local, small airports have some advantages. They are less crowded which makes for faster check-in and security.  Also, the low-cost airlines tend to use these smaller airports which may save you some money. This downside to the small airports is the limited number of places that you can fly non-stop from them.

In praise of non-stop flights.  When looking for the least expensive flights, check two ways. Check the regular search and then check again having selected “non-stop flights only” (most sites have this option but you may need to look under “advanced options” or “more options” or similar).

The non-stop flights are probably more expensive but the cheaper connecting flights may create a nightmare when traveling with children. If the first flight is delayed you may face (a) missing the second flight or (b) having to make a mad dash between the two gates with children and carry-on baggage or, worst of all, (c) you make the mad dash only to miss the second flight after all. You might end up spending hours and hours at the intermediate airport.

It’s even worth foregoing the advantages of the smaller airport if you can only find non-stop flights to your destination from a bigger one. There are only two reasons to take connecting flights.

Firstly, if you live so far from a big airport that driving to one is actually more inconvenient than taking connecting flights from a local airport. Secondly, as a means of breaking a very long flights into two more reasonable ones (e.g. Intercontinental flights).

In praise of the first flight of the day. If you can, take the first flight of the day. Your plane will have arrived the night before and already be at the airport. Later flights depend upon planes that have yet to arrive. If there is a delay to the inbound flight, your flight is automatically delayed.  Of course, if there is only one non-stop daily between your departure point and your destination, the choice is already made for you.

In praise of an app. When it comes to choice of seats, use Seat Guru as your best resource. It’s available online or as an app. You enter your flight # and date of flight and it comes back with a full seating map. There is more information than just window, middle or aisle. It will tell you which seats are “undesirable”, for instance too close to the bathrooms.

If you need to do so, call your airline, tour operator or travel agent to be sure about seating. Airlines are, generally, very helpful when you are trying to get children seated together with parents.

Once you’ve found the perfect seats on the perfectly timed non-stop flight, be sure to arrive at the airport in plenty of time. The airline has the right to reassign those seats if you check-in too late. This can and does happen on flights that are fully booked.

Plan well and enjoy your flight!

Alan Day is an experienced and accomplished travel agent. He began his agency career with Liberty Travel in 1999. He graduated top of his intake class with them. Even prior to becoming an agent he had travelled the world extensively both for business and leisure.  Upon moving to Connecticut in 2005, he formed his own travel agency. Although his principal markets were Domestic US, Mexico, Caribbean and Europe, he also arranged trips to many more exotic destinations.

Alan’s son has Autism Spectrum Disorder. When considering the impact that his son’s Autism had on their own family vacations, Alan decided to refocus his agency and to specialize in providing assistance and support for families impacted by Autism.  For this purpose, he founded ASD Vacations as a unique agency serving such families. By providing specialized, experienced aides to support the spectrum child, he creates abundant opportunity for the rest of the family to enjoy some real relaxation and respite.

Alan writes a once-weekly blog at www.ASDVacations.com/blog with tips and resources for families traveling with Autism.

Great Camping Tips from 4Nannies.com!

With summer vacation only a few weeks away, its time to start thinking about how to spend some of that precious family togetherness time.  A family camp out (whether in your backyard or halfway across the world!) can be a frugal way to make fantastic family memories.  Before you go though, its important to be prepared; that's why we love this article by Erin of 4Nannies.com on How to Survive Your First Camping Trip With Kids!  Don't miss her great tips on everything from packing and managing expectations to safety!

Great Sources: 36 Sites on Keeping Healthy When Traveling!

image courtesy of Summernanny

This week's health and safety tips come from our fantastic friends at Summernanny.com! Featuring tips on everything from pre-travel preparation to avoiding food and beverage borne sickness and other common travel illnesses, this article by Summernanny provides a comprehensive compendium of information that can help keep any traveler safe and healthy! 

Shout Out of the Week: Become A Nanny!

image courtesy of Become a Nanny

We are super excited to share this article from Become a Nanny!  It provides some real insight on the difference between engaging and entertaining children; beyond just an eye-opener, this article provides helpful suggestions and ideas for engaging your child! Happy reading!

Shout-out of the Week!

This week we are excited to share a great link!  Our blogging friends at Aupaircare.net have put together a fantastic article that highlights 30 Blogs With Ideas For Making Travel With Kids Fun! It's a don't-miss!

10 Sledding Safety Tips!

This week we are thrilled to feature a guest post featuring 10 excellent sledding safety tips you won't want to miss.  The article originally appeared on 4Nannies and was authored by Erin McNeill.  Well worth a quick read (and even a share!), these ten tips could help prevent serious injury and will help keep sledding safe and fun for everyone!

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image courtesy of Ventrilock/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Nothing says winter quite like a pile of snow, a child all bundled up, and a sled. Unfortunately, the Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that there are about 46,000 sledding injuries that are seen in emergency rooms each year, most of which include children under the age of 15 who suffer a head injury. Thankfully, there are some simple tips that can follow to help avoid an emergency room visit this winter.

1. Wear a helmet – We have kids wear helmets while biking and skiing, so it makes sense to also have them wear one while sledding. Wearing a helmet will help prevent head injuries in the unfortunate event of an accident while sledding.
2. Always sled sitting up – Adults should instruct children to sled sitting up and with their feet facing forward. This will allow the child to see where they are going and be more in control of the sled while going downhill.
3. Choose a safe location – Choose a hill that is appropriate for the children who are doing the sledding. It should be free of obstacles such as trees, open water, and roads. Make sure that the hill isn’t too steep or large for the children who are participating.
4. Make sure the sled is safe to use – The sled should have no cracks or other signs of wear and should have handles that children can hold.
5. Never ride on a sled pulled by a car or snowmobile – Teach children to never ride on a sled that is being pulled by a car or snowmobile, as the injuries that can be sustained by doing so can be severe and even fatal.
6. Dress in layers – It’s important to dress for the weather. Staying warm is an essential part of participating in outdoor winter activities, and you should have your child dress in layers so that they may be taken off and added back on as necessary. If you are sledding in a highly populated area, it is wise to also dress children in bright colors so that they are visible at all times.
7. Know the signs of hypothermia and frostbite – Be vigilant about checking on kids for weather related illnesses. Children don’t always recognize that they are getting too cold or that their skin is too exposed for the conditions outside, so it’s your job to make sure that they are well protected.
8. Be aware of the weather – Be aware of the air temperature outside, as well as the wind-chill factor, and set time limits based on this information.
9. Make sure an adult is present when sledding – Always have an adult present while sledding. They can help children make good decisions about sledding and be there (with a cell phone) in case of an emergency.
10. Instruct children how to safely sled – If they fall off the sled while sledding, instruct them to roll to the side and get out of the way of the sled. If they find themselves on an out-of-control sled, they should roll off to the side to safety. Children should observe the hill before beginning their descent to make sure that the path is free of any obstacles, including other children who are sledding.

Sledding is often part of fond memories of childhood and winter days. Safe sledding will ensure that those days are filled with hours of fun and not hours spent in the local hospital emergency room.

10 iPhone Apps That Can Help When You’re Lost

This week we are pleased to feature a guest submission from SummerNanny.  Check out Summer Nanny's blog page for more fantastic blog posts on a variety of family and parenting topics! 

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Few things are as nerve-wracking as realizing that you’re lost, whether you’re in a completely unfamiliar city or simply a neighborhood in your hometown that you don’t know very well. It wasn’t so long ago that you’d be left to fend for yourself, asking strangers for directions until you found your way back to a place that you knew. These days, however, the popular iPhone coupled with the staggering selection of applications available in the App Store make it possible to find your way back home safely, without ever being forced to speak to someone you don’t know.

1. MapQuest – A recognizable name in navigation since the days of printing directions gleaned from the Internet onto actual paper, MapQuest’s service is simple, straight-forward and easy to use. As the number one provider of voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation that does not charge for its services, the free MapQuest app also checks live traffic as you travel and automatically redirects you in the event of a wrong turn.
2. iCarPark – Getting lost in an unfamiliar city is one thing. Being completely disoriented in a parking lot and incapable of finding your car is another matter altogether, and a very embarrassing one at that. This $0.99 app will help you navigate back to the parking spot that you saved upon exiting the vehicle, eliminating the wasted time and humiliation of wandering aimlessly through a parking lot.
3. Spyglass – If you happen to be lost in the great outdoors with a full battery, this $3.99 app is one of the best to have in your pocket. Viewfinders, compasses, maps, a GPS tracker and a gyroscope are among the many survival and navigation features offered, helping you find your way back to civilization without calling in a rescue team.
4. Localscope – When you’re not sure about where you are, familiarizing yourself with the neighborhood is the best course of action. With this $1.99 app, you can learn more about the things around you than you would from any guidebook, finding pointers and trivia from search engines, social networking and geo-tagged information.
5. Where Am I At? – Opening this free app at the first sign of unfamiliar surroundings can help you determine exactly where you are, in terms of both GPS coordinates and approximate street address. You’ll never have to fumble to figure out where you are, and you’ll be able to begin making your way back to more familiar territory again in no time at all.
6. City Maps 2Go – Deemed “essential for travelers” by TIME Magazine and “one of the best offline maps apps” by the Wall Street Journal, the $1.99 City Maps to Go app is a resource you can turn to, even when there are no networks available to allow use of GPS services. The first paragraphs of more than 500,000 Wikipedia articles are also included at certain points of interest, landmarks and attractions.
7. Galileo Offline Maps – A powerful offline map application offered for free in the App Store, Galileo Offline Maps can help you find your way when you aren’t sure of where you are, discover new things along the way, and even plan a travel itinerary. The wide range of features that are available on the app make it a popular one to use when you’re lost, as well as one that can be used in everyday life.
8. Trimble Outdoors Navigator – Outdoorsy types that tend to take a wrong turn or two simply can’t be without this $4.99 app, which is designed to allow adventurous users the freedom to wander as they please, with the security of knowing that they will be able to find their way back.
9. You Need A Map – A free app billed as an aid for emergencies, You Need a Map will help you when you’re lost, even if you’re in an area with no cell signals. Boasting coverage of all 50 American states, You Need a Map is a very large app, but it’s also one that you’ll certainly wish you had if you find yourself unsure of your location in a remote area.
10. Take Me Home, I’m Lost! – This free application does exactly what it says: it takes you home when you are lost. If you’re across town from your regular stomping grounds and not as familiar with the neighborhood you’re in as you are your own, Take Me Home will direct you back home the moment you’re ready to go. You can even enjoy music out of your own iTunes library as you make your way back home!

While these apps can be real lifesavers when you’re lost, it’s important to keep in mind how quickly they can become dangerous if you choose to use them while you’re sharing the road with other drivers. Pulling over to determine your location and set a GPS route is much safer than fumbling to do so while you’re operating a vehicle.

8 Awesome Family Travel Blogs!

Family travel blogs are as unique as the families whose adventures they chronicle. Some offer  valuable expertise, some, motivation to start your family's trip, and some, heart-warming (and sometimes heart-breaking) tales of the lives of those who have chosen to explore the world as a family!  This week, I've chosen eight of my personal favorites to share; check out these inspiring sites created by families who have generously chosen to share their experiences in globe-trotting:

1. Traveling with Bender - Fantastic blog about an Australian family (two parents, two children under age 4) who have embarked on an adventure to see the world... starting in Asia!
2. Pint Sized Pilot - An easy-to-navigate wealth of knowledge on everything from packing and prep to great family destinations!
3. One Year Sabbatical - Join this fun-loving family of four (two parents, two sons) as they spend a year together in Indonesia and Southeast Asia!
4. Snaps and Blabs - Amazing blog about "two vagabonds and their three children" who are seeing the world, on a shoe-string budget! 
5. Escape Artists - A single Mom tackles the world with her (now 11-year-old) son; recording their adventures in this brilliant collection of posts about "the apparent mundanity of leading a life less ordinary."
6. Soul Travelers 3 - The soul-searching chronicle of a family of three (two parents, one child) living a nomadic lifestyle and exploring the global community!
7. The Great Family Escape - The ponderings and wanderings of a family of four (two parents, two children) who has chosen to explore the world to get a little slice of everything and give their children the opportunity to choose for themselves who it is that they want to be!
8. It's a Creekmore World - A heart-wrenchingly real blog about a family of four (two parents, two children) from the Washington, D.C. area chronicling their travels abroad together, as well as the mother's struggle with cancer.  A real reminder to live every day as though it were your last and to take nothing for granted.

Each of these amazing blogs offers invaluable information, inspiration, and perspective; so if you are dreaming of a life less ordinary, take advantage of the wit and wisdom of these bloggers and get inspired to set your family travel plans into action!  Wherever the road may take you, may you always enjoy safe and happy travels!

- Destination Mom

Fire Safety: Guest Post from Housesittingjobs.com

October is Fire Safety Month and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to share the following post, which was originally featured in September of this year on Housesittingjobs.com's blog.  The highly informative article underscores the importance of making sure your home is prepared and having a well-rehearsed evacuation plan in the event of a fire or other emergency; the five minutes you spend reading it could just save a life.  Our thanks to Housesittingjobs.com for sharing their excellent article!

Planning a Fire Evacuation Route for Your Home

According to the United States Fire Administration, more than 3,500 Americans die in fires each year, with another 18,300 sustaining injuries as the result of a fire. Because the majority of these fires occur in the home, it’s of vital importance that every family has a fire evacuation plan in place. While no homeowner wants to consider the possibility of losing everything they’ve worked so hard to acquire, ensuring that you and your children are armed with the information you need to survive a house fire could mean the difference between an unfortunate event and a truly tragic one.

Prepare

Making sure that you have taken the proper precautionary measures as a matter of routine maintenance can make a huge difference in situations where every moment matters. Making sure that your home is stocked with the proper equipment is the first step to planning your evacuation route and fire safety plan.

• Smoke Alarms –Your home should be equipped with smoke alarms on every floor and outside of every bedroom to ensure that each member of the family can hear the alarm clearly enough to awaken from a sound sleep, should it go off. The batteries in your smoke alarms should be changed when you reset your clocks for daylight savings time, or more frequently if they begin to emit the chirping noise that indicates low battery power.
• Fire Extinguishers – You should place a fire extinguisher on every floor, including one in the kitchen where cooking fires can quickly get out of control. Upstairs extinguishers should be kept in central locations for ease of access. As an extra precaution, keeping a fire extinguisher near any sources of heat, such as a fireplace or an outdoor fire pit, is wise.
• Emergency Escape Ladders – Houses with more than one level and bedrooms on upper floors should be equipped with an emergency escape ladder in each of those bedrooms. Children should be instructed on the proper use of such ladders when they’re old enough to manage them without assistance.

Plan

Making a plan of action for your family to adhere to in the event of a fire can be a difficult task for many reasons, not least of which is a simple reluctance to consider the possibility of losing everything you own in a blaze. Making that plan, however, could very well mean the difference between your family making it out of a burning home intact, or suffering a devastating loss.

• Pick a Meeting Point – For any disaster, natural or otherwise, your family should have a designated meeting point for everyone to converge, should you become separated. Make sure that your children know where to go after they escape from a house fire or other catastrophe, and how to reach that point on their own.
• Choose an Emergency Contact – Choosing an emergency contact, such as a close friend or a member of your extended family, for your children and spouse to call in the event of a fire that leaves you separated can help each member of your family determine that everyone made a successful escape if you’re unable to reach the designated meeting point.
• Determine the Quickest Exit from Each Bedroom – Because older members of the family will almost certainly attempt to assist the younger ones, it’s important that everyone in your family knows the quickest and safest exit from each bedroom in the house.
• Teach Kids More Than One Route – Ideally, your children will be accompanied by an adult as they escape a burning house. Unforeseen events, however, can leave them to make the trek alone. Because of this, it’s imperative that you teach your children how to safely evacuate your home by themselves, and how to choose the best route to do so.

Practice 

After your evacuation route is decided upon and memorized by everyone in the family, it’s wise to periodically practice your fire evacuation plan by staging regular drills. During these drills, covering the basics of concepts such as “Stop, Drop, and Roll” is advised. Kids should learn how to stay low on the ground to avoid excessive smoke inhalation, to test doorknobs for blistering heat before grasping them, and to close doors behind them as they move from room to room to slow the spread of fire.

Water Safety and The Gift of Parental Presence

Summer is a great time to hit beaches, lakes, and pools; they're great places for kids to play, cool off, and make fun summer memories! But they are also places where children die. That may sound dramatic, it may even smack of hyperbole; but I hope it caught your attention, because it is tragically true.  Countless children drown or nearly drown every summer; often simply because their parents were distracted for a moment. 

If you haven't already, please take a moment to read the heart-wrenching tale of Jordan Page. Her account of almost losing her son because she was busy on her cell phone is a humbling and terrifying reminder that it only takes a moment for a young child to slip unnoticed beneath the surface of the water where death lays silently in wait. 

Her article is an unapologetic wake-up call to remind parents, not only that they need to make the safety and well-being of their children a priority, but that being truly present for your child can not only save them from potentially fatal accidents, but can help them know how loved, valued, and special they are.  Who among us thinks their child is any less than the most precious treasure with which they have ever been entrusted?  But how often do we convey that to them through our actions and words?  Read Jordan's story - you'll be glad you did (once you've stopped crying).

Below are water safety tips; and while they are all valuable, life-saving suggestions, none of them are as important as the first:

• Practice vigilant parental supervision - Whenever your child is near water, be there with them, if possible.  If you cannot be in the water with them, keep them constantly in your line of sight (as unlikely as it may seem, even a  large bucket of water can pose a drowning hazard to a toddler).

• Have your child take child swim lessons - Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest returns on investment there is.  Children gain familiarity with the water and learn basics such as treading water and floating.  Lessons can save lives.

• Use approved floatation devices - No matter how strong a swimmer your child may be, if your attention is divided or your child will be swimming more than an arm's length away from you, a floatation device is a good idea.  For children who are not strong swimmers or any young person going out in a boat, a Coast Guard approved floatation device should be mandatory.

• Use caution around open water - Rivers, lakes, oceans and other open bodies of water can have dangerous currents or sudden drop-offs; swim only in areas with lifeguards where conditions have been determined to be reasonably safe.  Discourage diving in any body of water unless the area is designated as safe for diving. Swim only in posted areas and obey all posted signage.

• Practice pool safety - Never allow children to swim unsupervised. Discourage diving. Keep all pools enclosed by a locked fence that cannot be climbed to prevent accidental access (hot-tubs should be covered and locked when not in use). Be sure there is a perimeter alarm to alert you if a child wanders into the pool area unsupervised.

• Be prepared - Learn infant and child CPR and keep a phone nearby in case of an emergency.

If you take only one thing away from this blog post, I hope it is this: that the opportunity to provide parental supervision is a precious gift, a gift that can be stolen from you forever in mere moments.  Choose to be, as Jordan puts it, truly present, not just "there;" it can make all the difference in the world.

Safe and happy travels.

- Destination Mom

Tips to Help Your Baby to Sleep Well on Vacation!

image courtesy of Pint Size Pilot

This week we are thrilled to feature a fantastic guest post by Tara Cannon of Pint Size Pilot; Tara is a mother of two and avid family traveler.  Her amazing website includes helpful tips and advice, destination recommendations, product reviews, and even a baby gear rental directory, allowing parents to not only survive, but actually enjoy travel with babies, toddlers, and kids!

Tara's 10 Tips for Getting Your Baby to Sleep Well on Vacation

 I’ll fully admit that when my youngest was a baby and we took him on vacation, we did everything wrong.  My husband and I said foolish things to each other such as:

“He can just sleep on the go.”
“Why spend the extra for the 1 bedroom? Let’s just get the studio.”
“9pm is the only reservation left for dinner?  Let’s wing it. He’ll be fine.”
“Maybe we could just bring him to the concert.”

All this was just plain wrong and many of our nights were terrible. Although I would still begin each day as an optimist, by sundown I would be reduced to pathetically muttering into my cocktail “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”.

A few years, many sleepless nights, and another child later, we have made some adjustments to maintain our sanity.  That said, I would like to share with you some suggestions on how to get your baby or toddler to sleep better on vacation.

1. Consider alternatives to the traditional hotel room experience.  Spend the extra money on a suite with a separate bedroom where you can put your child to bed and not have to hide under the covers with your iPad or Kindle.   Alternatively, consider a vacation home rental.  Companies such as Airbnb.com offer roomier choices and have easy to use filters, allowing you to find something that will specifically meet your family’s needs.

2. Do not be shy about asking a reservation agent for the room that is most often requested by families.  All rooms/suites/apartments are not made equal.  Hotel review sites such as Tripadvisor can also be of some help (see the link on each review titled "see which rooms travelers prefer").

3. Go with a crib for your baby not a playpen whenever possible.  Imagine if you walked into a hotel room and found out that you would be sleeping on a double size futon.  I’m sure that is how a baby feels about sleeping in a playpen if they are not used to it.  Most full service hotels provide full cribs but if you are doing a vacation rental, you can always use a baby gear rental company.  Some will even arrange to have things set up before you arrive (see our North American Baby Gear Rental Directory).

4. Do what you can to create a comfortable sleeping environment for your baby by bringing along their favorite blanket or stuffy. If either of these is critically important to your child, bring a back up in case it gets lost. (Although I am very careful with our things on vacation “Mr. Seal” was picked up with the bed linens in Mexico recently and sadly,  never resurfaced.)

5. Bring along a few clothes pegs or some duct tape to allow you to create blackout blinds in a pinch with a spare blanket. This can be especially important if you are dealing with jet lag.

6. Bring a night light.  Not only may it comfort your child, but it will also help you navigate a strange room more easily.  If you are traveling abroad you may prefer one that uses batteries like the Mobi Glomate, rather than one that plugs in so you do not need to worry about a power adapter.

7. If your baby likes to soothe itself to sleep with a pacifier you can never bring too many! Stuff them in every pocket and bag.

8. If it will make you feel more at ease, bring a baby monitor.  Once again, if you are traveling abroad you may prefer to have one that is dual voltage such as the Philips Avent Monitor with DECT technology. (I blew a monitor up once because I incorrectly assumed it was dual voltage.)

9. If you are traveling to anywhere there may be mosquitoes, consider buying a crib mosquito net.  Put in on only after you child has fallen asleep or else the net will likely become part of a fun little game.

10.  If your child is noise sensitive you may want to consider a little background music (iPhone, CD etc.)  Also great is this cute little sleep sheep from Cloud B  that will lull your baby (or you) to sleep with 4 soothing sounds.

Sweet dreams!