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Shelly Rivoli's
Archived tips from Shelly's syndicated blog. To comment or subscribe visit www.travelswithbaby.blogspot.com. See Tips 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-35 36...
Tip #20: Get Liberated from LATCH Monday, January 28, 2008
Safe journey,
Tip #19: Electronic Tickets and Infants Flying Overseas Friday, January 18, 2008
Safe journey,
Tip #18: Pack "Glow Sticks" Monday, January 7, 2008
Having the power knocked out here at
home for 17 straight hours was a great reminder of one
very good item to have tucked into your suitcase while
you’re away. In Travels with Baby, I recommend
packing emergency “glow sticks
Safe journey,
Tip #17: Travel
with Playdough
Thursday,
December 27, 2007
In Travels with Baby, I recommend
playdough as a great help when traveling with highly
active children who need a physical outlet for their
energy while trapped in transit. But playdough can also
be a great "travel toy" for many toddlers and
preschoolers, regardless of their temperaments. Just
keep one small ball of playdough in a Ziploc sandwich
bag handy in your diaper bag or day pack, and it's ready
to entertain at restaurants while waiting for a meal, as well
as in hotel rooms and cruise ship cabins. While strapped into car seats or
safety boosters, a travel tray may provide the perfect
surface for working with playdough (especially one with
a wipe-clean surface like the
Taby Tray
Recipe for Playdough
Combine and bring to a boil:
2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Salt
Add to hot, salty water and mix well:
1 Tbsp. Oil
2 Tbsp. Alum
Divide and color with food coloring
as you wish.
As far as traveling with playdough through the airport
security is concerned, your results may vary. Playdough
is not presently listed in the TSA's allowed or not
allowed list for carry-on items, and it's not exactly a
liquid or a gel, though it can be argued that it
resembles a plastic explosive (yikes). You might prefer
not to chance it.
Safe journey,
Tip #16: Bring
Garden Training Wire for Childproofing
Friday, December 14, 2007
Of the many unexpected tips I
included in Travels with Baby, some of my favorite reactions have been in
response to my suggestion to pack garden training wire.
If you're scratching your head, I'll explain: It's
a fine, flexible wire that's coated with plastic
(usually green). Sure, training wire is great for
supporting tender vines in the garden, but it also comes in very handy
when you can't be sure of the furniture at your
destination. While there are adjustable and temporary
childproofing cabinet locks, you can't always be sure
they'll work on Grandma's china cabinet, Uncle Bo's
liquor cabinet, Cousin Fred's filing cabinet--or any
other cabinet, drawer, or cupboard your child might
become obsessed with during your vacation. Garden
training wire, however, can help with just about any
configuration of cabinet latches, drawer pulls, and
closet knobs, if need be. The plastic coating keeps it
from scratching surfaces, and you can cut it to the desired
length with baby toenail clippers (in case you don't
have scissors along). It's inexpensive and takes up very
little space in the suitcase,
so you can loop the loop for maximum protection. Here's
a link to a picture of the stuff and a
50
foot roll of garden training wire
Safe journey,
Tip #15: Use Car
Service in New York City
Friday,
December 7, 2007
One of the nice things about arriving at New York's JFK
airport is knowing that your taxi ride into Manhattan
will cost you a well-regulated flat fare of $45 (plus
tolls + tax), regardless of the route your driver may
choose. But as your family grows, and your numbers of
people and suitcases and strollers multiply, and your
tolerance for standing in lines diminishes -- especially
at the end of your journey, especially during peak
travel, especially in unpleasant weather, especially
with a baby or with very young children, you will be
happy to discover there is a better way: The Carmel Way
("car Mel"). For $40 (5 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or $45 (8 p.m.
to 5 a.m.) plus toll + tax, you can bypass the taxi line
and have your own private car and driver greet you at
the curb outside of JFK and drive you to your Manhattan
destination ($5 more for stops above 125th St.). Need
more seats and storage than a full-size sedan affords?
No problem. For $60 (+$9 toll + tip) a Carmel driver
will greet you in a minivan and take you to your
Manhattan destination. Carmel Car and Limousine Service
also offers transportation to and from La Guardia and
Newark airports, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten
Island, New York state, Long Island, New Jersey
state, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut (call or see
website for rates). Carmel does not provide car seats
for the journey, but in my experience, they are very
kind and patient in waiting as you install your
own--even offering to help or do it for me. You can find
Carmel Car and Limousine Service and their best rates
online at
www.carmellimo.com or call toll-free 1-800-9-carmel.
For local/live agent calls: 1-212-666-6666. (I should
add that this tip is given freely and quite happily, and
no kick-backs, discounts, or other favors were exchanged
for this recommendation.)
Safe journey,
Tip #14: Sleep in.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sure, you probably gave
up on the idea somewhere between months 3 and 4 of
parenthood, or possibly months 8 and 9, or years 2 and
3? And now, it's hard to imagine a family vacation as
being anything less hectic than family life at home.
Night waking, early risers, picky eaters, and fearless
explorers give the family vacation a shape and color you
couldn't have imagined before parenthood. You need a
vacation--but you worry that if you go you'll only end
up needing a vacation from your vacation. So how do you
and your mate manage to each get what you need most from
your precious time off? Take turns. Give each other at
least one morning of your vacation to simply STAY IN
BED. Draw straws to see who gets their turn first, and
agree on the hour of late-waking ahead of time. And when
it's your turn to rise and shine, strap on the baby or
pop the tot in the stroller and roll on out of there to
chase seagulls on the boardwalk, eat donuts in the
diner, or stretch your legs on a good walk around the
hotel. The time you spend one-on-one with your child
away from the hubbub of home could be precious, and you
can bet the time you spend sawing logs will be, too.
Safe journey,
Tip #13: Rent Baby
Gear
Thursday, November 23, 2007
If
having a crib, baby swing, child safety gate, or an
exersaucer at your destination could make the difference
between a happy holiday or a ho-ho-horrible one, don’t
chance it. Reserve the gear you need in advance with a
local rental agency. While some agencies carry just the
basics: portacribs or play yards, strollers, car seats;
others provide just about any and everything you can
imagine you might need for your stay: breast pumps, baby
bath tubs, books and toys, DVD players and movies,
bouncers, bassinets, high chairs, childproofing
products, and then some. A few companies will even meet
you at the airport with a car seat. For help finding a
baby gear rental agency at your destination, check out
my online directory.
And for more (sanity saving) holiday travel tips, check
out my feature just up at
Babble.com.
Safe journey,
Tip #12: Remember
to 3-1-1 Your Diaper Bag
Thursday, November 15, 2007
As with all liquids and gels in
carry-on bags, be sure to follow the TSA’s guidelines
for any diapering and medicinal goodies you’ll want for
your child onboard the aircraft: 3 ounces or less of
each product, all stowed in a one-quart zip-top bag. The
allowance is per passenger, so you can keep your own
items in your own zip-top bag as well, or combine for
simplicity if it all fits in one. Here is a sample
modified “travel kit” for your child’s carry-on, with
some items you may like to have onboard, especially for
longer flights:
Tip #11: Check Car
Seats at the Gate
Thursday, November 7, 2007
Consider for a moment the signs of
wear and tear on your well-traveled suitcase, which was
built for airport baggage systems. Then take a good look
at your child’s car seat. Better yet, turn the car seat
over and see where the harness straps feed through the
back. That thin plastic shell was only tested to
withstand the forces of a suburban-speed crash — one
time only. And your car seat manual undoubtedly
instructs you to stop using the seat after an accident
because, as Graco warns in the ComfortSport manual, “A
crash can cause unseen damage and using it again could
result in serious injury or death.” If that doesn’t
boost your confidence in car seats, keep in mind that
the same plastic shell also “expires” after a certain
number of years (see the date stamped on the back). Now
do you really want to risk having 50 lb. and possibly 70
lb. suitcases dropped on your car seat in the baggage
system? Not to mention, it can be hard enough to make
due when one of your checked bags doesn’t make the
connecting flight, but your child’s car seat? With rare
exception, you should be allowed to check your car seat
at the gate. While it may be one extra thing to get
through the airport, it’s also possibly the most
important thing you will use at your destination.
Whether it attaches to your stroller, converts into a
stroller, is worn against your back, or rides on your
carry-on, there are plenty of ways to help streamline
travel with your child’s car seat. If you’d like to see
some suggestions, check out my
car seat pages.
Safe journey,
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Of the many concerns I hear from new
parents preparing for their first big trip with the car
seat, one topping the list is a fear of having to
install their car seat without the LATCH attachments
they've grown accustomed to in their own cars. It's an
understandable fear--especially considering the
multitude of seatbelt types you might encounter in
vehicles without LATCH (which are covered in detail in
Travels with Baby in Chapter 11: Before You Go By
Car). However, I think it's helpful, and even reassuring
to understand a couple of points about LATCH as you
prepare to travel with your child's car seat. First,
there is a common misconception that your car seat
functions more safely somehow if it is installed with
LATCH rather than your car's seatbelt. However, as long
as you
car seat is properly installed with a seatbelt,
it is equally safe--some people might even argue that
it's more safe with a seatbelt installation, which
brings me to my next point. Many parents don't realize
that LATCH anchors are only rated
for use with children weighing 48 lbs or less, or more
importantly for a maximum combined child + car seat
weight of 65 lbs. If you use a car seat with a higher
upper weight limit, such as the
that is
approved for children up to 65 lbs., you will see the
note in your car seat's manual to "Use vehicle belt (not
LATCH connectors) for installations with children
weighing more than 48 pounds (21 kg)." The bottom line is, if you aren't already
accustomed to installing your child's car seat with a
seatbelt, practice before you travel. It can save you a
lot of time and stress as you try to get the car seat in
place on aircraft, in taxis, in shuttle vans, and in the
cars of friends and extended family. For help, take a
look at your car seat's manual (
If you'll be flying overseas
or across international borders with your baby on your
lap, be aware that your "lap child" must have a
physical, paper ticket for the flight--even if your
own airline ticket is an electronic (paperless) ticket.
This means that if you are buying e-tickets online, you
will likely see an extra shipping fee to have your
child's ticket sent to you by mail. If you are working
with an agent, make certain he or she knows your lap
child's ticket must be issued in paper. We almost missed
this lovely flight to France learning this important
lesson, although we had paid the 10% fare for our
daughter's international airline ticket as a lap child
and she was included in our reservation. 
to get you started.
Infant’s
Tylenol, 1 fl. oz.