Category: Mom’s Travel Tales
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12 Things I’ve learned about travel with kids
1. What you carry on a flight with small children makes a difference. Pack backpacks with the right stuff, and flying is a snap. 2. Using a one-week packing list helps me to be sure I don’t over pack or leave anything behind. 3. And on that note about packing, pack to make unpacking easy.…
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11 Tried and true ways to beat boredom while waiting
No one likes waiting, but, when you travel, waiting is definitely part of the experience. Of course all that waiting time can also yield some of the best parts of a trip as you meet new people, see new things and get to really talk and listen to your kids uninterrupted and undistracted. That brings…
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10 Tips for a better flight with kids
Flying with your kids anytime soon? I’ve got a few tips to make your flight a better experience: 1. Bring a small trash bag to collect trash during the flight. 2. Book seats near the bathroom to make it easier (and quicker) to send them to the bathroom on their own (or easier for you…
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9 Tips for a great hotel stay with kids
1. Check the clock’s time in your room when you first arrive and also check to see if the alarm clock has been set. (Unless you like an early alarm that you weren’t expecting…) 2. Use the top door lock at bedtime to prevent accidental nighttime exploration. (You don’t want your child to assume he’s…
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8 Tips for International Travel with Kids
We took our first international trip with our first child back in 2002. It was definitely an adventure with awesome times and, um, learning times. Since then our family has grown to five (although it has been six a few times if you include our foreign exchange daughters) and all three of the kids have…
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12 Days of Travel Tips for Families
Are you planning on traveling this holiday season? Over on MomsTravelTales, my family travel site, I’m sharing all sorts of travel tips for families as a part of the 12 Days of Christmas. Here’s a list of what I’ve already covered, as well as what is to to come: Day 1: One pep talk about…
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7 People to tip when traveling (and how much)
Wondering who to tip as you travel this holiday season? I’ve got you covered, from checking your luggage at the curb to having dinner reservations made by the concierge to giving something back to those who clean up after you. Get your wallet ready… 1. Skycap: $1-2 per bag These are the guys who check…
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6 Simple Ways to Pamper Overnight Guests
Planning on hosting any overnight guests this holiday season or anytime? I’m continuing my 12 Days of Travel Tips for Christmas today by sharing 6 simple ways to pamper your overnight guests. Of course the most important thing you can do to welcome guests is open your home to them and greet them warmly. If…
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12 Days of Family Travel Tips: 5 Ways to be a gracious overnight guest
We have been fortunate to have friends in many of the cities we have visited throughout the world. Staying with friends makes any trip more meaningful. Tomorrow I’ll talk about ways to pamper overnight guests, but, for today, here are a few reminders on how you can be a gracious houseguest. 1. Coordinate with your…
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12 Days of Family Travel Tips: 4 ways to minimize stress on travel days
Okay, I admit it, as much as I loooove to travel with my family, I will confess that travel days still can be stressful. What I do, though, is get my game face on and take some action to minimize the potential for stress. Here are my four travel tips to minimize stress on travel…
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12 Days of Travel Tips: Three reasons to consider a hotel staycation in December
Have you ever thought about booking a hotel for a night or two in your own hometown? We love a hotel staycation any time of year… This summer we splashed away and were pampered in The Woodlands, this fall we kicked back, ate some delicious food, took in a movie and watched our kids play…
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12 Days of Travel Tips: The two best ways I’ve found to manage a time change
So now that you are ready to travel after yesterday’s pep talk, today we are going to talk about avoiding jet lag. These are my two best ways to manage a time change (and avoid jet lag): 1. Set your watch to the new time zone as soon as possible. The quicker you can get…
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12 Days of Travel Tips for Families
Christmas is right around the corner, peeps, and I’m pumped to be teaming up with seven other bloggers to bring you the 12 days of Christmas blog-style. Each of us is taking on a topic that we know and love to share our best tips and tricks. And guess what? I get to talk travel…
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Trip Journal: Finger Lakes- JELL-O & more from Buffalo to Watkins Glen
Yesterday we drove from Buffalo to Watkins Glen to begin our vacation in the Finger Lakes region of New York. What was supposed to be a straight drive of about 2 and a half hours changed a bit when we saw a billboard along the highway. It advertised a JELL-O museum in LeRoy, the birthplace…
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Trip Journal: New York’s Finger Lakes Travel Day
It is early in the morning and I’m in the hotel bathroom with the light on, trying not to stir anyone. We got in after midnight, so everyone should be pretty tired and sleep for a bit, but you just never know. For now, though, the kids are asleep. My husband has gone to get…