We recently returned home from a beach vacation which was fabulous. Our friend used the rental delivery service called Baby’s Away and now I can talk from first-hand experience about the experience.

What an awesome service and great idea.  Baby’s Away provides rental baby items for your destination, so you don’t have to haul all of the gear that it takes to maintain your sanity on vacation.  For the beach house we stayed in for the week, she rented at least 2 baby gates, a pack ‘n’ play, crib, 2 blow up  air beds, a double jogging stroller, and 2 boxes of toys - one for boys and one for girls.

All of the items were set up prior to arrival and ready to use when we got settled.  All of the items, including toys seemed rather new, if not completely new.  The representative was friendly and easy to reach when needing to request more items (read: more baby gates for a busy, exploring baby).

It is not available in all cities, so check their web site to see if there is an individual franchise set up in your next destination city.

To learn more or arrange for your next trip:  Baby’s Away

This is a new book I came across recently - How to Fit a Car Seat on a Camel. Filled with misadventures of travels with kids, it’s sure to be a comfort when reflecting upon your most recent traveling experience. With a title like this, how couldn’t it be funny?  Maybe it will give you a idea for your next destination (or where to avoid).

Amazon is nearly sold out, with more on the way.

Zippy Tags, a new invention by Tim and Megan Cassidy, attach to your luggage making it easier to identify your luggage in the sea of black bags on the baggage carousel.

This would have come in handy the time when someone else walked off with our silver suitcase in Mexico and we had his! We ended up having to race outside to catch him and then back in through the exits to get ours. Enter Zippy Tags…

They are heavy duty appliques that iron to your luggage. They can be used on luggage, beach bags, or carries and most fabrics. Not recommended for hard-sided luggage.

Custom designs are also an option for an additional cost.

Visit Zippy Tags to learn more

I recently wrote about listening to musicals on the road. Similarly, I just came across this new form of audio book via Cool Mom Picks, a blog about new finds for kids. No need to direct your child to “flip the page” from the front seat while on the road, as there is no book involved.

Giddio introduces “audio adventures for your kids”, geared for ages 3-7. They deliver a story in a dramatic theater fashion with different voices and effective sound effects.

As Cool Mom Picks writes, the stories “hearken back to the radio program days”. A strong, friendly bear named Billy Brown, the main character is full of escapades to keep your toddler entertained.

No pages to tear and no page-flipping to cue, simply pop the CD in, and have 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted mom-time or peaceful driving time. Has anyone tried these out? I loved the audio download samples on-line and plan on getting my mom to ask our local toy store if they carry them.

via: Cool Mom Picks blog

To purchase: Giddio

(photo courtesy of Guardian Unlimited)

Another idea for your next road trip…

To supplement your books-on-tape collection, take along some musical soundtracks. It’s a story, set to a beat! Try Fiddler on the Roof to start. Then migrate to more challenging story-lines such as Phantom of the Opera. Eventually you’ll be listening to the full Les Miserables while driving down the road.

It’s a great way to instill more culture while on the go. Of course, you’ll want to take a break from driving to let your children get their dance out from all that good music!

With Easter upon us, I thought many of you might be interested in some tips on staying healthy on the road. Budget Travel compiled a nice list of ideas for meeting just this goal.

My favorite: Instead of fast food, stop into a supermarket and buy some meats, cheeses, and bread. Have a picnic in a park. A lovely idea.

Happy Easter everyone!

To view the complete article, visit >> Budget Travel

I’ve given you tips for activities at some airports, including most recently the San Francisco Airport, and now here is a more comprehensive outline. Cheapflights.com has put together a Kids’ Airport Diversion Guide that details activities in specific airports to keep kids occupied and burn off a bit of that energy before taking flight. Where was this when we most needed it - laid over for hours in Cincinnati?

Of course, they fail to mention, PDX’s (Portland) wonderful indoor play area conveniently located right outside security while waiting to greet loved ones.

Check it out here before your next cross-country trip (Scroll down on page and download in PDF form or as a podcast): Kids Airport Diversion Guide

On one of our trips within the past year out west, we flew through San Francisco airport.  And we had a long layover.  If it happens to you, never fear.  There are many ways to pass your time while you wait.  If we had to be stranded in an airport, this is one we would choose.  Here are some of the activities I suggest:

- Air train.  We rode this for nearly an hour.  Just getting off where we liked and getting on another.  It didn’t matter which way we were going since we were just passing time.   I led my Mom onto which train I wanted next and we rode around watching all the people, excited for their upcoming trips or excited to be home.

-  Lori’s Diner.  This eatery with a 50s theme seemed very suitable for kids with their cadillac inside and pink and white and black-checkered interior.  Located outside security at entrance to Gates 20-36.

-  Aquarium.  “Really? An aquarium inside the airport?” my mom asked Information.  They had no idea.  We wandered toward where we had heard it was, and it was not quite an aquarium by aquarium standards.  But nevertheless little fish tanks lined the small seating area.  A nice break from the airport bussle.  This was somewhere near Lori’s Diner off the main walkway outside security.

- Nursery. Located at entrance to Gates 20-36 inside security, this is a nursery for the younger crowd.  You must pass security to enter but it looked like a nice retreat and a great twist on typical airport amenities.

Care to add anything?  Anything fun in other airports that shouldn’t be missed?

Thanks to Kimberly for finding this gem of a product, and being our personal consumer reports.

I am in love with my new car seat. It actually folds up into itself which makes it perfect for travel, yet I use it full time. I’ve never seen anything like it. It is for newborn to 80 lbs, and it doesn’t tip as I go around corners.

You can fold it up and wear it like a backpack yet it is a full and very safe car seat, according to the safety testing they have done. My mom just bought one last week and now it seems like everyone we talk to is hearing the buzz or has already purchased on.

The surprising thing is I had never heard of the brand. It is by Sunshine Kids Juvenile Product. Apparently marketing is not their strong suit. They would rather pay money for engineering, design, and safety testing, which is just swell to us.

My mom thinks it will be great for airplane travel since the bottom of the seat is smaller, so my feet are not extending further out and therefore kicking the seat in front of me the whole flight (no guarantees mom).

They have two seats. The Radian 80 or Radian 65. Just like it sounds - one goes up to 80 lbs. and the other 65 lbs. To use as an infant seat, you can turn it to face backwards.

Oh, and it’s FAA Approved. I made sure to check this as I have had flight attendants actually scour the stickers on our old car seat to make sure it was okay to use on board.

This could quite possibly be my pick for the best children’s travel product of the year.

To purchase

With the airlines tightening down on their baggage requirements, and trying to squeeze every penny out of customers, I just received an email from United Airlines about their new baggage requirements:

“As of February 4, 2008, United has a new checked baggage policy. Non-elite Mileage Plus^® members and non-members traveling on non-refundable Economy tickets within the United States, Canada and U.S. territories, may check one bag for free and a second for a $25 fee. The new policy applies to tickets purchased beginning February 4, 2008 for travel on or after May 5, 2008.”

Looks like another reason to carry on as many things as possible!