Save Money and Your Sanity

In an effort to save money on airfare, I once waited until the eleventh hour to book our family’s annual flight to Hawaii. My intent was to score a last-minute deal that could potentially save me hundreds of dollars. It turned out to be one of the worst travel-related mistakes of my life. Not only did I not get a rock-bottom price on the tickets, but because I waited so long to book, I got stuck with an antsy toddler smack in the middle of a five-seat row surrounded by perturbed passengers who suggested my daughter and I would be … Continue reading

Planning For A Vacation With Your Toddler

In about a month, my husband and I will be taking our sons on our annual vacation to Cape Cod. My dad has a time – share week there, and we go there to stay with him. Last year and the year before that, we had a great time vacationing with Dylan. This year will be the first time that Blake goes to Cape Cod. While I am not worried about our vacation, I do want to prepare myself (and my husband) for our first lengthy excursion with a two and a half year old and a baby who will … Continue reading

Holiday Travel Lessons

I’ve flown nearly 250,000 miles in my 30 plus years on Earth, many with an infant, toddler, preschooler or elementary-aged child in tow. In that time I’ve had far more challenging moments than pleasurable ones, but I am still alive, so I suppose I should be grateful for that. Most of the commercial flights I’ve taken have occurred during the holidays when the last place on the planet you want to be is an airport. Still, the experiences have provided me with some important lessons, such as: Seating: If you or your child is prone to motion sickness, reserve a … Continue reading

Traveling for the Holidays

Are you planning a road trip this Christmas? Visiting family is important during the holidays, but traveling can be a little intimidating if you are a single parent. Just loading the kids up to go to the grocery store can be a challenge. You may be feeling a little discouraged about the long drive, but here are some tips and tricks we’ve learned from our own road trips to make the journey just a little less stressful. Bring plenty of things to keep the kids entertained. Long car rides are boring, especially for children who seem to have the attention … Continue reading

Bedtime Story Now Airing at Disney World Hotels

If you stay in a Walt Disney World resort, you won’t have to do anything for yourself. Well, that isn’t exactly true, but Disney prides itself on offering special luxuries and letting you just sit back and relax for your vacations. They’re constantly adding new amenities to their resorts, and the latest is certainly unique. Every night from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. channel 38 on the televisions in Disney World resort hotels play a read-along clip from the new children’s book “Duffy the Disney Bear: Mickey’s New Friend.” That’s right: Disney World resorts are now offering to read your children their … Continue reading

Grandpa’s Visit

We have been overrun with family lately. I love it. I love Texas, but I miss our families. We were so close to mine in California and we drove to Nevada to visit Chris’s often. Now we have to wait for them to visit us every few months or so. Chris’s parents were here for about a week. We had a few days to ourselves before my mom arrived from California. We all got to spend a few days with Grandma and then we went to the airport to pick up Grandpa. We were at the airport early. We watched … Continue reading

Travel Tip: Know Before You Go

When I go through security checkpoints at the airport I am fully aware that I may not be reunited with my carry-on post pat down. Frankly, I am a bit surprised that I have fared as well as I have given that I am typically too busy trying to get my young child through the metal detectors and past wand-swinging TSA agents to keep an eye on our bags. Needless to say, my concern about losing my material possessions while flying only intensified after learning about the recent TSA employee-run robbery ring that was uncovered a few weeks ago. Am … Continue reading

Grandma’s Coming

My mom arrives in Dallas from L.A. today. I am beyond excited. I love living in Texas and the life my husband and I have created. Our toddler daughter is ours because we’re in Texas. Nevertheless, I miss living in Southern California with my large family. I wish that Jessie could spend as much time with her cousins and grandparents as my nieces and nephews do. Jessie knows that Grandma is coming. She’s been walking around the house saying, “Grandma,” for days. What an enjoyable time we will have too. According to the text alert, her plane lands in two-and-a-half … Continue reading

Screaming Kid Makes for Travel Nightmare

In more ways than one… Talk about a flight from hell: Not only did Pamela Root’s nightmare of flying solo with her 2-year-old son come true, but so did her fear that her toddler would not behave in the airplane. In fact, the boy’s behavior was so distracting it led to the mother and son getting booted from their Southwest Airlines flight last week. According to airline officials, the Roots were sitting onboard a flight departing Amarillo, Texas, bound for San Jose, California, when young Adam got hit with a major bout of the crankies. The boy reportedly spent the … Continue reading

Disney by the Bay and Other Family-Friendly Travel Attractions

Disney in San Francisco? It’s no joke. Beginning October 1st, you’ll be able to get a taste of Disney by the bay… San Francisco Bay. That’s where The Walt Disney Family Museum will be opening. The new structure, dedicated to all things Disney, will feature 10 galleries focusing on different chapters in the life of founding father Walt Disney, from his early years in Kansas City to his arrival in Hollywood in the 1920s. The museum also spotlights Mickey Mouse’s dad’s technological genius, like synchronizing sound to a cartoon. Other displays include the one-of-a-kind Oscar statuettes awarded to Snow White … Continue reading