Sites We Love: Safe Kids Worldwide!

In light of the increasing incidences of car seat recalls, it is becoming more and more important to register your car seat so that you can be contacted in the event of a recall.  Safe Kids Worldwide has everything you need to locate lists of recalls, help register your car seat and research other valuable car seat safety topics!

Tactics for Discussing Childproofing with Grandparents!

image courtesy of imagerymajestic/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sadly,  often times, new parents are uneasy bringing their children to stay at grandparents' homes because the space lacks childproofing measures and may present numerous potential hazards.  So how do you tell your parents (or in-laws) that you hesitate to visit because you fear for your child(ren)'s safety?  Delicately, but firmly.

As kids, we all cringed when our parents delivered the "there comes a time..." talk to us.  No matter the topic (money, driving, sex, friends, etc.) it all came down to one simple lesson: accept personal responsibility for keeping yourself and those around you safe.  As parents, they had the benefit of the most up-to-date information on how to prevent the tragedies that could happen, so it truly was in our best interest to heed their advice (even if only grudgingly).

The same principle will apply when you have "The Talk" with your own parents (and in-laws) as a parent yourself.  In years past, young parents relied upon their own parents' experience almost exclusively to determine their parenting practices; however, the dawn of the information age has expanded the available knowledge base for new parents and has helped raise awareness of methods for keeping infants and young children safe (not to mention the medical and technological advances that have been made over the last 30 years!).

Heartbreaking statistics show that accidents remain the leading cause of serious and fatal injury to young children; changing everything from the way we select car seats to how we childproof our homes.  Sharing this information, along with your concerns for maximizing the enjoyment of visits by minimizing the stressors, can help ease the discussion's tension.  Below are two common scenarios you may encounter and suggestions for diplomatic responses.

Scenario:

• The "we raised you without all that stuff and you lived" mentality.  It's true, anyone reading this survived childhood, perhaps with just a few bumps and bruises, or perhaps with more serious injury; but why gamble with any child's safety? 

Tactics:

• Assure your parents that you are not attacking their parenting style or ability; share with them that by taking a few simple steps to childproof their home they would have more fun with their grandchildren because they would spend less time saying "no" and more time enjoying the visit.  Also (but only if its true!) let them know that childproofing would increase your comfort level during visits and may result in more frequent visits!
• For resistant parents, offer to bring your own childproofing supplies and take them with you when you go; it may be cumbersome, but it's worth it if it helps smooth familial tension. 
• If they are truly resistant, suggest visiting at a park or in your own home instead; not ideal, but you have to stand up for your child(ren)'s safety - you would never be able to forgive yourself if your child(ren) suffered injury or death because you acquiesced to save someone hurt feelings.

Scenario:

• Your parents or in-laws don't understand, don't have space for, or cannot afford "all those fancy gizmos."

Tactics:

• As mentioned above, you can transport and install your own safety items each time; or, consider offering to buy a childproofing kit, like the compact one developed by Travel-Tot, featuring an assortment of outlet covers, corner guards, pinch guards, and cabinet/door securing devices to be stored at grandma and grandpa's house for visits (minimizing what you need to carry along)! One of the nicest features of Travel-Tot's Travel Childproofing Kit is that the adhesive is temporary, so it goes on strong, but comes off clean without damage to finishes or furniture!

When you confront your parents or in-laws, firmly, but politely make it clear that while you do want to be able to share the joy of their grandchildren with them, your child(ren)'s safety is your priority.  Precious few bonds are as important as those between children and grandparents; and those bonds will only be strengthened by having open and honest lines of communication about important issues like safety.

Safe and happy travels.

-Destination Mom

September: Child Safety Month!

Until you have an infant or toddler, it is hard to understand how many facets there are to keeping your littlest family members safe; car seats, childproofing (at home and on the go!), infant/child CPR classes, baby monitors, identification tags, cribs, toys, strollers - and the list goes on and on!

image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

However, one of the most basic things you can do to keep your children safe is to create a comprehensive listing of all medical and emergency contact  information.  Print multiple copies so that you can post one on your refrigerator at home, pack one in your wallet for whenever you go out, and provide a copy to each of your children's caregivers (i.e. pre-school, after care, relatives, etc.).  Be sure to include:

Emergency Numbers:

• Parent's cell phone numbers;
• Parent's work phone numbers;
• 911;
• Non-emergency Police Department phone number;
• Poison control phone number;
• Fire department phone number;
• Child's doctor's practice, name, and phone number;
• Off-hours doctor's phone number;
• Child's chart number;
• Child's dentist's practice, name, and phone number;
• Address, phone number, and directions to preferred hospital;
• Emergency contact information for two people other than parents, including:
• Name;
• Phone number(s);
• Relation.

Emergency Information:

• Home address;
• Mom's full name;
• Dad's full name;
• Child's full name;
• Child's date of birth;
• Any allergies, medications, or special conditions;
• Insurance provider;
• Insurance provider phone;
• Insured name and ID;
• Group ID;
• Policy ID.

Travel-Tot is pleased to provide an easy-to-use Emergency Information Form here for our readers!  Having such information available all in one place in an easy-to-distribute format could be the difference between life and death, particularly when your child is under the care of someone who may not have all that information committed to memory!

Safe and happy September!

-Destination Mom

Travel-Tot: Stay Safe As Home, Wherever You Roam!

image courtesy of stock images/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Traveling is one of life’s greatest joys; and, while sharing the traveling experience with your child can certainly add to the thrill of the journey, it can also be stressful. Investing just a bit of time to make certain that your accommodations will be safe for your child helps ensure as relaxing and enjoyable a trip as possible for everyone.

It can be a real challenge to be removed from the controlled environment of a home living space. Hotel rooms, cruise ship cabins, rental properties, and even family member’s homes often lack the basic child-proofing measures to which parents have become accustomed in their own homes. Moreover, because cleaning standards vary from place to place, there is no guarantee that objects or surfaces that the guests preceding you may have handled were properly disinfected, which could result in you or your children catching someone else’s cold, or worse.  So what can you bring along to help make your room more child-friendly?

You can easily provide a basic level of protection from many of these hazards in just minutes' time with a few simple items (like those conveniently provided in the Travel-Tot Childproofing Kit!) including; outlet covers, doorknob protectors, cord guards, door pinch guards, and safety latches.  If you don't mind investing a bit more time, tools such as sanitizing wipes, a bath thermometer, and portable gates or guard rails can help provide additional protection from common hazards.

The bottom line is that when you are traveling with a toddler, a little planning goes a long way; it could be the difference between an enjoyable vacation and a travel nightmare.

10 Simple Child-Proofing Measures For On-The-Go!

   

Here are some simple steps you can take to make your home-away-from-home safe and relaxing:

1. Get down on your hands and knees and explore the room from your toddler’s perspective; be sure to thoroughly check under beds and furniture for stray pills, buttons, pins, or other items that could pose a poisoning or choking hazard.
2. Arrange furniture away from windows or doors to prevent accidental escapes or falls.
3. Use guards to tie up electrical and blind cords which can pose a choking hazard to your little explorer.
4. Secure low cabinet doors shut with pinch guards to reduce risk of injury.
5. Ensure that all locks and latches on exterior doors are in working order and secure them to prevent unsupervised access to stairs, balconies, and terraces.
6. If your little traveler is curious about the toilet, be sure to place a doorknob protector on the handle to prevent unsupervised access.
7. Sanitize surfaces, door handles, faucets, remotes, phone handsets, light switches, and any other object from which your toddler could potentially contract germs with disinfecting wipes.
8. Check water temperatures before you give your child a bath; the water may be hotter than what you are accustomed to at home and could pose a burn hazard.
9. If your toddler is a restless sleeper or is new to sleeping in a “big bed,” you may want to pack a portable guard-rail, or move the bed against a wall and use a chair along the open side to prevent a fall.
10. Finally, be sure to arrange the furniture in a way that allows for some play space; a room full of “no-nos” will result in a bored and irritated toddler, which will lead to a stressed and anxious parent!

- Destination Mom

The "Plane" Truth About Germs!

These fantastic tips come to you courtesy of our friends at Clorox®:

Researchers from Auburn University recently confirmed what we suspected all along – airplanes are crawling with nasty germs. In addition to common bacteria and viruses, airplanes can also harbor pathogens like E. coli, which can survive for hours, even days, on various parts of an airplane cabin.

Now before you panic and swear off air travel altogether, take a deep breath and remember there are ways to limit your exposure to bacteria and viruses on airplanes:

1. Wash your hands. Often forgotten in the hustle and bustle of travel, washing your hands is one of the easiest things you can do to minimize exposure to pathogens.
2. Pack Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes On the Go. They are the perfect size to bring in your purse or carry-on bag. Use them on your armrests, tray table and in the lavatory. Oh, and don’t forget to wipe down that window shade, you don’t know whose face was leaning up against it on the flight before yours!
3. Don’t forget about the travel pillow. When you arrive home from vacation, be sure to spray your travel pillow with some Clorox® 4 in One Disinfecting Spray, which effectively sanitizes soft surfaces and reduces allergens such as dust mites (ew!).

Products We Love: Tiny Love Fan Favorites For On-The-Go!

As any parent can attest, making a journey enjoyable with a young child or infant in tow can be challenging, that's why we are thrilled to feature a "not-to-be-missed" deal on some of our favorite distractions from one of our favorite companies, Tiny Love, below! 

Summer is peak travel time for families and it’s not always easy to carry all of baby’s gear and toys to make them feel at home while on the go. Now through August 3rd, Tiny Love, the leading developmental toy brand, is offering fans 20% off on-the-go products from mobiles to toys at Diapers.com. 

A sampling of available products on offer include:

• Tiny Love’s Sunny Stroll attaches to baby’s car seat and stroller while providing 6 different baby-activated toys for fun on-the-go. The flexible arch bends forwards, backwards, up and down leaving baby with a sunny smile.
• Tiny Love’s easy to attach Jittering Giraffe clips right onto baby’s stroller or car seat and encourages hand eye coordination.
• Tiny Love’s Woodland Take Along Arch amuses and engages baby while on-the-go.

So head on over to Tiny Love and take advantage of these amazing deals - but remember, you only have until August 3rd, so hurry!!!!

Safe and happy travels!

-Destination Mom

Feeding Little Travelers On-The-Go!

Feeding your little traveller on the go can be challenging at times! Depending on your child's age, there are a myriad of considerations to take into account for your young traveller, from allergies to maintaining your regular feeding schedule. Below are a few quick tips for keeping your little explorer satisfied and safe!

Allergies:

Your child is never too young to suffer an allergic reaction, so before you embark on any trip you should be aware of any possible food allergies your child may have and pack any possible medication he or she may require if an allergen is encountered. Stow the appropriate medicines, prescriptions and portable epinephrine injector (“epi pens”) in your carry-on luggage, where you can access them easily in case of an emergency. If you are travelling by air, it’s a good idea to carry a note from your doctor authorizing the possession of an epi pen.

Infants: 

• For train or air travel, pack a few extra bottles of formula in case of delays. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the TSA's limitations on carry-on liquids.
• If your infant has started on jar foods or cereals, be sure to pack items he or she has already tried and has not had an adverse reaction to - vacation is no time to discover a new allergy.
• Never attempt to bottlefeed or breastfeed an infant in a moving vehicle. Infants should always be strapped into an age-, weight-, and size-appropriate carseat when a vehicle is in operation.
• When bottle feeding, hold the bottle at all times and control the angle to moderate the flow to suit your baby.
• If baby is with you at the table, be sure to keep sharp or pointy items, hot liquids or dishes, and pills and other small items out of the his or her reach.
• Also, avoid drinking hot drinks when breastfeeding.

Toddlers:

• Young children should always be closely supervised during feedings, and that can present some difficulty depending on your mode of transportation. Consider packing a portable feeding seat to stabilize and immobilize him or her during mealtimes.
• To reduce the risk of choking, keep hard round foods, such as nuts and hard candy, out of very young children’s reach.  Cut your toddler’s food into very small bites.
• Always make sure children eat while sitting down.
• Keep all pills and medications separate from food items to avoid accidental ingestion by children. Also, watch carefully for loose magnets. If more than one is swallowed, they can attract each other in the body and cause serious injury or even death.
• Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if you suspect that medication or poison may have been accidentally ingested by your child. This number will connect you to emergency help in your area. Keep the number in your cell phone.
• Packing familiar items such as sippy cups, small spoons, straws, and bottles will help your child eat the way they have become accustomed to and can help prevent little mouths from overstuffing. 
• Also, following your child's normal feeding schedule will help keep you child from experiencing the discomfort of extreme hunger which can lead to crankiness and tantrums.

A little knowledge and planning go a long way toward making on-the-go feeding safe, comfortable, and hassle-free; so spend a few extra minutes on packing and planning, because enjoying the journey is as important as enjoying the destination!

- Destination Mom

2 Great, Cheap Travel Apps!

If there is one thing that can make travel more fun and simple, it's a great app! But with the whole, wide world of apps, how can you find the best ones without spending a fortune? We've got two (for under two dollars!) that just can't miss; so if you're heading out this summer, download one of these fantastic apps - you'll be glad you did!

• Tripit - This fantastic travel organizer links with your email and makes it seamless for you to keep all of your information in one place. Flights, hotels, dinner reservations, tours,car service, etc.  Cost: FREE!
• Allsubway - Boasts subway maps for 137 of the world’s most visited cities, the essential tourist's guide to public transportation. Cost: a mere $1.29!

Kidecals: The Verdict Is In!

Image modified to protect privacy

Last week, we featured a great little company called Kidecals, and I mentioned that I had placed an order and would report back once I'd had a chance to use the product first-hand.  Well, I am very excited to report that my order arrived early yesterday morning, so I've had two days to play with them! 

To start with, the labels were even more beautiful than I had anticipated! I chose a simple round design with our family's initial in the center and then our contact information around the outer edge (see image at right - I put the white ring over my family's contact info for privacy purposes). I had spent some time customizing the color for the labels and was curious to see how "true to screen" my selection would be.  It was truly spot-on; now I know that monitor settings vary from user to user, so your mileage may vary, but the labels I received were exactly the color I chose!

I wanted to run the labels through the gamut of abuses they were designed to withstand, so I applied one to a travel mug (which I microwaved hot tea in and then ran through the dishwasher -  top shelf, heated dry cycle), one on my daughter's backpack (which is really being pushed to the limit as she is clearing her desk out for the year), one on a sweatshirt jacket (I placed it on the tag and ran it through the washing machine and dryer, using hot water to wash and high heat to dry), and one on my cell phone case (because I loved how it looked!). I am thrilled to report that all the labels remained in place, did not fade, crack, melt, or peel off - not even in the dishwasher! I was staggered! I have melted plastic storage containers in my dishwasher, so I was sure the hot-cup label would melt or peel, but it looked as good coming out as it did going in!

I can now say without reservation that Kidecals are truly excellent; the quality is top notch, the ordering process is easy and fun, the shipping was free and fast, and the wide variety of decals and labels guarantees there's something for everyone! So if you are in the market for a personalized, attractive, high-quality organizational tool, I highly recommend Kidecals!

Products We Love: Kidecals!

Today I'm giving a shout-out to Kidecals Waterproof Labels; an awesome product that I think would be worthy of the "Parents' Little Helpers Award" - that is, if such an award existed! Kidecals are basically personalized printed labels for your kid’s stuff that adhere like a sticker! Brilliantly simple, beautifully customizable, easy to order, and FREE to ship (in the US), Kidecals are THE solution to how to label your child's belongings so that they can be returned if lost!

Anyone who has ever sent a child off to daycare, school, camp, or even a sleepover can vouch for the fact that you need to label EVERY item they own, because without fail, six other kids will have the same water bottle, cup, lunch box, sleeping bag, jacket, or backpack. When my daughter first went to preschool, all I had for labeling was a black fine-tip Sharpie, and while it did the job, it was unattractive and not  truly permanent on dishwasher-cleaned items. With my pitiful handwriting and items where writing space was at a premium (garments with small labels, etc.), I frequently took the lazy road and just scrawled her initials on everything, only to find out that her initials were fairly common. We lost a lot of stuff those first few years. It was a system with enormous room for improvement - and a niche I think Kidecals fills perfectly!

I just place an order for my very own set of Kidecals, and in addition to being beguiled by the wide variety of beautiful labels and decals available on their website, I was excited and impressed to discover that Kidecals is a woman-owned business, and that they strive to use the greenest and most local materials possible to create their labels and decals. Also, they create all their own personalizable labels and art, and will even work with customers to design unique, custom pieces suited to their particular needs. My only complaint is that their "Keycals" (beautiful mosaic-like stickers for your keyboard) only work on Apple products - I totally would have ordered a set of the Daisy ones if they were compatible with my ancient Gateway!

As soon as my order arrives I will be writing a more comprehensive product review, but I have to say that so far, my experience has been excellent. The website was easy to navigate, boasted an enormous variety of designs and products, and was intuitive to play around with when customizing your chosen product.  Moreover, ordering was straightforward, and shipping was FREE (in the US)! Stay tuned for my review, and head on over to Kidecals to check out their product line for yourself - I know you'll be impressed!

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!

It's All In The Cards!

image courtesy of imagerymajestic/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Spring has arrived and families are spending more and more time outdoors!  I remember when my daughter was young, we spent almost every sunny day visiting a playground or other outdoor venue; in fact, we met a number of people who have since become dear friends at just such outings! In those early days, I can remember scrambling for something to write on so that I could exchange names and numbers with another eager parent so that we could set up a future playdate (this was pre-smartphones - at least for me!).  But now, some brilliant person has come up with a fantastic idea: Mommy Cards!  These little wonders can be tailored to feature just about anything from simple names and contact information, to your pediatrician's number and a list of your child's allergies. Ideal for everything from casual meetings in a playground to providing caregivers with all the information they'll need in case of emergency, Mommy Cards are a great tool!

The 411 for a 911!

image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Until you have a toddler, it is hard to understand how many facets there are to keeping your littlest family members safe; car seats, childproofing (at home and on the go!), infant/child CPR classes, baby monitors, identification tags, cribs, toys, strollers - and the list goes on and on!


However, one of the most basic things you can do to keep your children safe is to create a comprehensive listing of all medical and emergency contact  information.  Print multiple copies so that you can post one on your refrigerator at home, pack one in your wallet for whenever you go out, and provide a copy to each of your children's caregivers (i.e. pre-school, after care, relatives, etc.).  Be sure to include:

Emergency Numbers:

• Parent's cell phone numbers;
• Parent's work phone numbers;
• 911;
• Non-emergency Police Department phone number;
• Poison control phone number;
• Fire department phone number;
• Child's doctor's practice, name, and phone number;
• Off-hours doctor's phone number;
• Child's chart number;
• Child's dentist's practice, name, and phone number;
• Address, phone number, and directions to preferred hospital;
• Emergency contact information for two people other than parents, including:
• Name;
• Phone number(s);
• Relation.

Emergency Information:

• Home address;
• Mom's full name;
• Dad's full name;
• Child's full name;
• Child's date of birth;
• Any allergies, medications, or special conditions;
• Insurance provider;
• Insurance provider phone;
• Insured name and ID;
• Group ID;
• Policy ID.

Travel-Tot is pleased to provide an easy-to-use Emergency Information Form here for our readers!  Having such information available all in one place in an easy-to-distribute format could be the difference between life and death, particularly when your child is under the care of someone who may not have all that information committed to memory!

Safe and happy travels!

-Destination Mom

Apps We Love: Spot!

Spot App Icon

Looking for an app you can feel good about letting your child use?  How about one that encourages storytelling through imaginary travel between abstract, interconnected worlds; where a visual adventure unfolds as you venture into spaces that transition into one another, encountering robots, frolicking insects, the underbelly of a lounge chair, an eerie underwater world and more! This is the idea behind Spot, a mesmerizing new app from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Caldecott Medal-winning author David Wiesner. A virtual riot of creative landscapes and characters reveals itself via the pinch-and-zoom feature of your iPad. Simply zoom and scroll to move through dazzling scenes, delving into worlds within worlds realized in Wiesner’s gorgeous original artwork.

screenshot from Spot

I honestly cannot recommend this app highly enough - it's a solid five stars! It is intricately designed, artfully-rendered, and packed with stories simply waiting to be told! While visiting each of the the various worlds, children can select a cast of characters, and spin stories crafted in their own imaginations. The possibilities are virtually endless, and the artwork inspires creative thinking and lots of giggles; each visit truly guarantees a unique experience!

Perfect for home or on the go, the app retails for only $3.99 and, while it is geared primarily for children ages 6-8, younger children could easily enjoy it with parental assistance and my almost-10-year-old daughter enjoys it immensely. It is also an ideal tool for the classroom. There is also a free companion eBook for this app called David Wiesner’s Spot: A Parent and Educator Guide, which contains prompts and questions to enhance your child’s experience with the app, as well as unique writing and classroom activities for teachers.

screenshot from Spot

My final word: there are few better ways to spend four dollars! Spot is a brilliantly executed app that disguises education as fun.  It not only encourages creative thinking and storytelling, but exposes children to art and three-dimensional spatial thinking.  My only criticism is that Spot is currently only available for iOS-compatible devices (a bitter pill to swallow for this loyal Android fan!); a critique I only mention because I would love to see this app available on multiple platforms to maximize its potential user reach.  To all our readers with young children, I say: go get your copy of Spot today!

Safe, happy, and exciting travels!

-Destination Mom

*In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a complimentary copy of this app to review.

Child-Proofing On the Go: Top 10 Tips!

image courtesy of FrameAngel/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Traveling is one of life’s greatest joys; and, while sharing the traveling experience with your child can certainly add to the thrill of the journey, it can also be stressful. Investing just a bit of time to make certain that your accommodations will be safe for your child helps ensure as relaxing and enjoyable a trip as possible.

You can easily provide a basic level of protection from many common hazards in just minute’s time with a few simple items (like many of those conveniently provided in the Travel-Tot Childproofing Kit!) including; outlet covers, doorknob protectors, cord guards, door pinch guards, a bath thermometer, and safety latches.

10 Quick and Easy Child-Proofing Measures For On-The-Go!

   

Here are some simple steps you can take to make your home-away-from-home safe and relaxing:

1. Get down on your hands and knees and explore the room from your toddler’s perspective; be sure to thoroughly check under beds and furniture for stray pills, buttons, pins, or other items that could pose a poisoning or choking hazard.
2. Arrange furniture away from windows or doors to prevent accidental escapes or falls.
3. Use guards to tie up electrical and blind cords which can pose a choking hazard to your little explorer.
4. Secure low cabinet doors shut with pinch guards to reduce risk of injury.
5. Ensure that all locks and latches on exterior doors are in working order and secure them to prevent unsupervised access to stairs, balconies, and terraces.
6. If your little traveler is curious about the toilet, be sure to place a doorknob protector on the handle to prevent unsupervised access.
7. Sanitize surfaces, door handles, faucets, remotes, phone handsets, light switches, and any other object from which your toddler could potentially contract germs with disinfecting wipes.
8. Check water temperatures before you give your child a bath; the water may be hotter than what you are accustomed to at home and could pose a burn hazard.
9. If your toddler is a restless sleeper or is new to sleeping in a “big bed,” you may want to pack a portable guard-rail, or move the bed against a wall and use a chair along the open side to prevent a fall.
10. Finally, be sure to arrange the furniture in a way that allows for some play space; a room full of “no-nos” will result in a bored and irritated toddler, which will lead to a stressed and anxious parent!

Bottom line: when you are traveling with a toddler, a little planning goes a long way - it could be the difference between an enjoyable vacation and a travel nightmare.  Safe and happy travels!

- Destination Mom

Products We Love: Piddle Pouch!

How many times have you taken your son to the park or playground and within mere moments of arriving, had him mutter the dreaded phrase: "Mommy, I need to go potty!"?  And how many times have you tracked down a restroom only to discover that it is filthy, occupied, or inaccessible?  If you are like us, it's too many to count!  That's why we are so excited to share a fantastic new product we recently learned of: the Piddle Pouch™! 

Developed by proud moms Lynn Gutner and Julie Rosenberg, Piddle Pouch is a portable, biodegradable, disposable, no mess, easy to use pee pee bag for young boys. Inspired one day at a playground in New York City, where both live, the Piddle Pouch was the culmination of brainstorming to find a solution to an ongoing challenge: how to alleviate the problem of their boys having to pee when there were no toilets around.

This brilliant little pouch gives parents and caregivers an easy, discreet, germ-free solution when there is no potty available or close by. Perfect for everything from city parks/playgrounds/other venues, to parked cars, potty training, dirty restrooms, camping/hunting trips, boats, and even beaches.  Best of all, if you order through the Piddle Pouch website, an 8-pack of Piddle Pouches is only $9.99 and if you hurry, they are offering free shipping through the end of February! 

As avid fans of all things "family travel," we love this this company and their product!  For more information on Piddle Pouch, LLC, check out their website, Facebook page, and Twitter feeds.  Piddle Pouch; for life's little emergenpees!

Safe, happy, and stress-free travels!

-Destination Mom

Travel Apps We Love: Waze!

image is the property of Waze Mobile

Ever dreamt of being able to have a sixth sense that could help you steer clear of traffic?  Avoid accidents and speed traps? Find the cheapest gas in the immediate area?  Well, now you can!  Check out Waze, the amazing travel app you won't want to leave home without.  In addition to being able to provide you with real-time traffic and road information, Waze offers users the ability to coordinate and track arrival times with friends through Facebook.  Available for Android and Apple devices, and absolutely FREE!  Download your copy today and check out their Facebook and Twitter feeds!

Safe Sleep: Important Reminder and Brilliant Solution!

image property of Vusee

Sometimes preventing a tragedy is impossible; so many dangers are unpredictable and fundamentally unavoidable.  But often, simply knowing about a hazard and making an easy modification can, quite literally, be lifesaving.  One of the leading causes of injury in crib-bound children is strangulation from cords and wires pulled in by curious little hands and unwittingly coiled around the neck, and the items most commonly located within reach are baby monitors.  Preventing this kind of tragedy is as easy as relocating these items to areas in the room where they are safely out of reach - and one of our favorite products, the Vusee, does just that by providing a shelf mount, which offers greater visibility into the crib and safer out-of-reach location!  At only $15.00, it makes a great stocking stuffer for your favorite family!

Safe and Happy Holidays!

-Destination Mom

Books We Love: PJ's Backyard Adventures!

image courtesy of Rebecca P. Cohen

This week, I am privileged to have the opportunity to share with you my review of the new children's book, "PJ’s Backyard Adventures - Who is PJ?."  This book is the first in a series from Rebecca P. Cohen, the author of "15 Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids". "Who is PJ?" is an interactive adventure book for ages 2-8 that engages children’s imaginations and joy of learning through coloring, reading, hidden sight words, creative play, and geography. It even features a "cut-out PJ" on the back for children to remove and take on their own adventures!

I am thrilled to report that the children I shared this story with enjoyed it as much as I did!  This adorable, accessible tale instantly captivated my "test subjects" (two 5-year old children, one boy and one girl).  They not only enjoyed reading the story, but on each page they raced to see who would be first to find the hidden word, then had a blast coloring in the pages!  But, perhaps most exciting of all, they both asked several questions about the spots PJ visited; guessing what a desert was, and trying to figure out what continent we lived on! 

This story, while simple, leaves an enormous amount of room for children to use their imaginations, and encourages active outdoor play by stirring curiosity about the world outside their own backyards.  I would absolutely recommend this book for pre-readers and beginning readers. Parents will love how it spurs their children's love of the great outdoors, and helps them explore their own creativity; not to mention how it fosters basic reading skills through word recognition, vocabulary building, and writing!  A fun twist on traditional first-readers, "Who is PJ?" will open up a whole world of exciting adventures for your little explorer!  Get your copy today on Amazon!

For more information about worldwide distribution of PJ's Backyard Adventures, visit http://www.BeOutsideAndGrow.com.  In the interest of full disclosure, I was compensated for my review with a free copy of this book. 

Safe and happy travels!

-Destination Mom

Products We Love: Technological Treats for Traveling Families!

The holidays are just about to swing into full-gear, and gift-giving season is fast approaching! If your gift list includes any traveling families, or family members who love to travel, you'll want to check out these two awesome products:

Kinivo's Mini Portable Speaker: Take your music with you, wherever you go! 

Perfect for everyone from teens to families with young kids! The ideal product for picnics, hotel stays, camping, etc. This speaker has some seriously full-bodied sound, is rechargeable, fits in the palm of your hand, comes in s myriad of colors, and is compatible with just about anything that plays music and has an earphone port. Best of all, it's under $20 and ships for free with amazon prime. Makes the perfect stocking stuffer!  

iStabilizer Flex: Don't just capture the moment - be a part of it!

A brilliant little device that combines the iStabilizer Mount, a universal clamp that holds a wide variety of smartphones (up to 2.75 inches wide; and an XL version is available for larger devices) and a lightweight tripod with foam-covered bendable legs. We love that the mount has standard 1/4-inch tripod threads, so if you have a bigger tripod or monopod, you can use it with that, too!  Another score at just under $20 on Amazon!