by leeroseemery on August 29, 2010
Shoe shopping is one of my least favorite shopping trips for the kids, and their shoes, that is. I’m no Carrie Bradshaw, but for me shopping for shoes is great fun, but I digress…My kids need good old-fashioned sneakers; nothing with an open toe, nothing with an open back. After a summer of being bare footed or running around in crocs, shoe shopping can be…well, let’s just say, a “challenge.” So this year, I opted for sheer convenience and bypassed even my favorite LA shoe stores. (I love Wee Soles in Silver Lake, and Nordstrom’s at the Grove.) This year I just clicked on to Zappos.com. Now if you haven’t heard of Zappos well, frankly I feel sad for you. Yet, I also am sure that you will be so thrilled once you try Zappos, you will be forever grateful to me, and LACityMom for enlightening you. Zappos is the best on line shoe store there is. Here’s why, “On line shoe store, you think, no thanks, I want to try on my shoes.” Well, here’s the thing: at Zappos they have FREE SHIPPING and FREE RETURNS! Also they have a nifty VIP program where, after you have bought one pair of shoes from them, which, believe me, is very easy to do, you get FREE OVERNIGHT SHIPPING as well as FREE RETURNS. So if I am not sure weather my son is a 9 or a 10, or if he wants the light up shoes or the orange stripped ones, I buy both colors and both sizes. The shoes arrive the next day. My son tries them on, and I send back the pairs that don’t fit. Easy. No driving to the shoe store, no melt down at the Grove, and everyone is happy. Zappos.com also has a terrific selection of shoes for you, because, after all, it shouldn’t always be all about the kids looking good.
by leeroseemery on August 17, 2010
We all know that traveling with kids is no picnic, but it is also expensive! After the kids are two years old they pay full fare on most all airlines. Even when our kids were babies we often would purchase them a seat if we were flying a great distance in order to have a little space. This is why I am so excited to tell you about the Capital One No Hassle Rewards Card that I am using. They give 2 miles for every dollar spent, and the most amazing thing is that there are NO BLACKOUT dates, and you can fly in ANY AIRLINE. We used another mileage credit card in the past, as we have so much family back east, but we could never seem to use our miles. Or their company would let us book a flight using twice the miles normally required due to lack of availability of seats.
Now that summer is winding down it is a good time to switch cards. If you and your significant other both use your new Capital One Card for everything in the next year, I promise you and your family will have free air fare next summer. Capital One also makes it super easy to redeem miles. You just buy your tickets as usual on ANY AIRLINE. I bought three tickets back East on Jet Blue and charged them to my card. Then I called up the Capital One Mileage Redemption Center and they credited my card for the amount of the purchase. My Jet Blue tickets cost around $800.00 total, so Capital One multiplied the $800 by 10, and then they took out 80,000 miles from my rewards balance. Then when my husband needed to book a ticket I could also transfer some of my miles into his account, as let’s face it, moms tend to rack up more charges on their cards due to all the family purchases. My old card made it very difficult to transfer miles and one company even made me pay for the transfer. As you can see, I can’t say enough great things about this credit card, and no, I don’t work for them. Try the Capital One No Hassle Rewards Card and fly on any airline, with no blackout dates. They really do live up to their name.
For more info click on Capital One No Hassle Rewards Card.
by leeroseemery on August 15, 2010
If you are winding up some summer travel with your kids here are some great travel games that might pass the time in the car, on planes, or waiting in airports. Airline traveling is so unfriendly these days. And traveling with kids, especially on planes, is an even more a daunting proposition. Security lines are grueling for adults, and for the kids can be torture. We once waited an hour in the security line for a short flight to Arizona. Then we got to the gate, waited another hour and the flight was cancelled. Fun times.
There seems to be no sympathy for families, no pre-boarding for people traveling with kids on many airlines, which is so ridiculous. Do they not see how long it takes us to wrangle our screaming children? (Not yours, of course, I am sure yours are angelic in endlessly long lines, especially waiting for a red eye.)But do they not notice that carrying a Britax car-seat, a small child, a diaper bag, and the folded stroller (all in one hand) while trying to convince one’s older toddler – who may or may not be chasing marbles under the chairs in the waiting room might take us just a few more minutes than the sleek solo business travelers? Apparently not. Then on the plane, they seldom let you walk up and down the isle as a toddler longs to do.
So all I have to say is be BRAVE. And have some things in your bag for your kids to do when you do eventually get on board the plane, so you can read a People magazine at least for a minute or two. I actually suggest the red eye for flying back East. You will be exhausted when you get there, but let’s face it, after traveling with kids, that’s a given. My kids often sleep on the red eye, even if I can’t. Jet Blue and Virgin Atlantic Airlines also have some nifty TVs in the back of everyone’s seats, which is great. And no matter what your thoughts are about media and limits, here’s the time to cave in and let them zone out. If you are not fortunate enough to be on one of those airlines, I have pictured here some great travel items that may come in handy. I also recommend lollipops. You can buy the sugar free ones, but it is handy to have a treat (okay BRIBE) should you need one. I link to these products on Amazon, but if you find them at your local toy store, even better. I love Landis Labyrinth in Larchmont.
Travel Bingo is great for long car rides.
The Woodkins Fairy kits have different pieces of fabric that your daughter can “dress her fairy in.”
Silly Faces are a magnetic toy that is hours of fun. Your kids arrange all the parts of a face, eyes, noses, ears, lips on silly characters.
Mad Libs are great for older kids and always silly.
And really who doesn’t love Go Fish?
TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH SMALL CHILDREN:
1) Be early – as I mentioned no sympathy or holding planes for slow pokes, even toddlers.
2) Bring snacks – lots of them, and candy for desperate measures.
3) Bring extra everything:
Diapers, wipes, clothes, formula, you never know when you will be stuck in a strange city overnight with your one last diaper.
4) Bring an extra t-shirt for you if one of your little angels spills their apple juice on you, or even worse throws up on you before a transatlantic flight. (Gross, I know, but it has happened at Dullus airport to one poor, unsuspecting Dad in a business suit. Bless him.)
5) A portable DVD player is a God send. And spring for the extra battery pack.
6) Remember they will only be little for a short time. Before you know it they’ll be fling places without you.
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