Travel Tips: Saving During Family Vacations

We still have a couple of weeks  in August for weekend trips here and there if you can.  Here are some easy to do smart travel tips for your next family vacation (hopefully coming up soon!) before back-to-school fever starts:

Three Quick Tips on How to Survive Air Travel

These three quick tips on how to survive air travel are very appropriate when traveling with children and don't forget those packing tips for family travel from a previous post last month at The Moms Buzz.

Packing Tips for Family Travel

It is vacation season and many of us take off to a nice destination. Traveling with kids makes things a bit more complicated  and packing is not something mothers look forward to when traveling.  We are in charge of everyone's packing and sometimes even our partner's too!  Organization is key when packing.  Here is are some good packing tips for family travel: 

Travel Tips When Going Abroad

This is the time of the year when many U.S. families choose to travel abroad for their summer vacations.  In today's world, security information changes quickly, and it may be a good idea to always check with the State Department on important updates about the country you are about to visit before you leave home and also during your trip.  You will be amazed the wealth of travel tips when going abroad that the State Department has to offer for those traveling families.

Featured Site: JustSettling.com

Imagine, moving three times in five years, each time to a new country with a different language, and at the same time having a baby in each of these locations!  This is what the founders of JustSettling.com have done over the last 5 years…they were never sure how long they would stay in each place!  So, when they settled in Fairfax, VA, they decided to create a website that would help moving families to the area.  Read more about JustSettling.com that is an amazing source of information and tips not only to the moving families, but to those who already live in Fairfax County, VA:

What to Tip When Traveling - Do You Know?

Spring is not only the time to do some Spring cleaning, but some Summer vacation planning as well.  If you plan to travel for your family Summer vacation, and flying, staying at a hotel or renting a place with housekeeping service, you will appreciate these traveling tips on what to tips when traveling:

Mammoth Mountain Special Offer for Ski Lovers!

Those of you who live in Southern California and love skiing will absolutely like this special offer. Mammoth Mountain is offering a Value Pass in honor of their 10th year anniversary.  Here is the offer in detail:

Don't Forget Your Travel Checklist - Tips

It is so typical that even though we put together quickly travel checklists to plan and prepare for traveling something always gets left behind.  As Spring Break approaches within a few weeks, and with the tons of things to do in our busy agendas, how about a site that helps busy moms to put together a travel checklist that you can always refer to customized according to the place and occasion of your travel/vacation?

Tips on Traveling with Children

Halloween is just around the corner, and once it is over, the holidays will be knocking at our doors fervently very soon.  Traditionally, many of us travel for the holidays, and good planning will make those trips much easier and less stressful.  Here are some good tips on traveling with children suggested by Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

TIPS Before you reach the airport

• Please allow yourself and your family extra time to get through security - especially when traveling with younger children.
• Call your airline or travel agent for their recommended check-in times for your departure airport.
• Talk to your children before you come to the airport and let them know that it's against the law to make threats such as, "I have a bomb in my bag."  Threats made jokingly (even by a child) can delay the entire family and could result in fines.

TIPS at the airport

• Speak to your children again about the screening process so that they will not be frightened or surprised. Remind them not to joke about threats such as bombs or explosives.
• Tell your children that their bags (backpack, dolls, etc.) will be put in the X-ray machine and will come out at the other end and be returned to them.
• Let your children know that a Security Officer may ask to see their shoes, but that they will get these back as well.
• You may want to consider asking for a private screening if you are traveling with more than one child.

Happy planning!

- The Moms Buzz

source: www.tsa.gov

FlyClear Through Security This Summer

Everyone knows that after 9/11, airport time and flying has not been enjoyable at all. This is mainly because it now requires more time at the airport due to thorough security checks at different points on your way to boarding the aircraft.  That extra time at the airport, although necessary for our own sake, for moms means less time to prepare things, get kids ready and leave the house in order before heading to the airport.

But from now on you can leave all those controls behind thanks to the new FlyClear card. It is called the FlyClear Card! This card entitles its holder to bypass security in the airport and not be gang-tackled by homeland security. Nice!

To get one, you have to go to a "Clear Center" and present two official identification cards. Then you have to take a photo and give them your biometric information (your fingerprint and iris image). Bring your US passport as one of your official identification card, just in case, and if you are not a US Citizen, no worries, foreign people are welcomed into this program too. The major airports already have this technology implemented.  To see if your local airport has it, click here.

The only BUT with this program is that this luxury will cost you $128 in fees per person per year, and a few minutes of hassle. It's a great program for those frequent travelers, but not so much for the average family.

If you can afford it, go for it, it will save moms lots of time and headaches!

- The Moms Buzz

The Best Sites for Planning a Summer Vacation

Just in case you have not planned your summer vacation with the family, here are some great sites that can help you do that. According to Shop Smart, these three sites are the best sites for planning a trip. 

Travelzoo.com finds the best “prices for airfares, resorts, vacation packages, and cruises” and delivers them to your in-box. Its top-20 “last-minute deals” are posted online every Wednesday and e-mailed to subscribers. Packages get snapped up quickly, so you have to be “quick at the trigger.”

Farecast.com helps travelers time when to take that trip—and even when to buy tickets. The site provides “historical lows and highs of airline tickets from 75 cities” so you can decide whether to book now or wait until prices drop. One recently added feature is a “hotel search tool for 30 cities.”

Johnnyjet.com is an easy-to-use “encyclopedia” that collates and organizes “hundreds of travel website links” covering everything from which vaccines you’ll need for Botswana to the best hotels near Denver International Airport.

Moms Buzz did the homework and visited all three. Our favorite is TravelZoo.com.  We loved Its top-20 “last-minute deals” and considered it is the cleanest to navigate.

Anyway, check for yourself these sites for help and tons of info to help you plan your summer vacation if you have not done so yet.

Have a great weekend!

- The Moms Buzz

Source: Shop Smart and The Week

Meet Me in Mexico Sweepstake - Final

Keep on playing "Meet Me in Mexico!"  Guess which city in Mexico is the one in the picture below. Play and win a trip for two to Mexico?  What a dream, isn't? Read on to participate in this exciting contest. 

Guess historic city is this one in Mexico?

To play the Meet Me in Mexico contest, head on over to Glam.com and guess the destination in Mexico shown by the photo above for your chance to win.  Then return each week where a new photo will be posted for additional chances to win.  Each correct answer every week will enter you in a pool where a winner will be chosen at random at the end of the promotion. 

The promotion runs until today, June 19, 2008.  Remember, each week, the destination will change and you need to guess it. Your clue will be the photo image provided in the post or you can go directly to http://contests.glam.com/meetmeinmexico.

Play and win, good luck!

- The Moms Buzz

Meet Me in Mexico Sweepstake - Part III

Keep on playing "Meet Me in Mexico!"  Guess which city in Mexico is the one in the picture below. Play and win a trip for two to Mexico?  What a dream, isn't? Read on to participate in this exciting contest. 

Guess which beach city is this one in Mexico?

To play the Meet Me in Mexico contest, head on over to Glam.com and guess the destination in Mexico shown by the photo above for your chance to win.  Then return each week where a new photo will be posted for additional chances to win.  Each correct answer every week will enter you in a pool where a winner will be chosen at random at the end of the promotion. 

The promotion runs until June 19, 2008.  Remember, each week, the destination will change and you need to guess it. Your clue will be the photo image provided in the post or you can go directly to http://contests.glam.com/meetmeinmexico.

Play and win, good luck!

- The Moms Buzz

Meet Me in Mexico Sweepstake - Part II

Keep on playing "Meet Me in Mexico!"  Guess which city in Mexico is the one in the picture below. Play and win a trip for two to Mexico?  What a dream, isn't? Read on to participate in this exciting contest. 

Guess which city in Mexico is this one?

To play the Meet Me in Mexico contest, head on over to Glam.com and guess the destination in Mexico shown by the photo above for your chance to win.  Then return each week where a new photo will be posted for additional chances to win.  Each correct answer every week will enter you in a pool where a winner will be chosen at random at the end of the promotion. 

The promotion runs until June 19, 2008.  Remember, each week, the destination will change and you need to guess it. Your clue will be the photo image provided in the post or you can go directly to http://contests.glam.com/meetmeinmexico.

Play and win, good luck!

- The Moms Buzz

B.O.W. The Best of the Web Weekly Round-Up

Today, Tuesday, Moms Buzz is happy to bring you B.O.W. - the Best Of the Web in a weekly roundup of posts from fine blogs and sites featuring fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting and much more.  We also want to welcome our new member of BOW, Shopalicious, a shopping, fashion and accessories blog!

Style, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Health

Shopalicious: Bloggers Play Dress-up at the Diane von Furstenberg Store. Shopalicious was one of ten lucky bloggers to take part in this event... see the photo shoot here!

Couture in the City: Exclusive ELLIOTT LUCCA Handbags Giveaway! Starts June 6th! Our exclusive giveaway this month is the ELLIOTT LUCCA handbag collection! Couture in the City with ELLIOTT LUCCA are joining to give away five handbags for the month of June! This extravaganza begins Friday June 6th.

Glam Spirit: Pretty Isn't (Always) Sexy. Discover your sexiest qualities (hint: they probably aren't what you think!)

Stylenotes: Stylenotes Reviews Alexander Wang for Uniqlo. Stylenotes stopped by Japanese mega-retailer Uniqlo in Soho, NYC this weekend to report on the latest designer capsule collection: Alexander Wang for Uniqlo.

Parenting, Family, Kids, Moms & Little Couture

Boston Mamas: Magnetic Appeal. Perfect for summer travel are Mudpuppy's compact vinyl sticker play scenes and magnetic play tins, in beautifully illustrated themes for boys and girls.

Classy Mommy Giveaway: Playskool Rose Petal Cottage. We're giving away a Playskool Rose Petal Cottage with lots of goodies included too! 
   
Clever Parents: Helping Children with Separation and Divorce. Many families face the challenge of divorce or separation. Whatever the causes of the separation, and whatever the circumstances, it’s hard on everyone involved. Parents want the best for their children. They want stable, loving relationships in their lives. And they want their children to thrive. Yet big changes must be made.
   
MomFinds: Win a Pair of Kids' Cobian Sandals. Three lucky winners will win a pair of these adorable sandals. Choose from shark, lion and zebra design.

Moms Buzz: Monthly Rewind for April and May 2008. Moms Buzz is happy to bring you a monthly rewind of over 50 posts published in the months of April and May in case you missed any of them. You will be able to see all the posts titles at a glance in this single post
   
One Chic Mama: Moms Rock. Tell us why moms rock (how do they not?) and you can win one of 3 "Moms Rock" tee shirts!
   
The Nest Baby: Dad's Day Gift Guide & Giveaway. From the Flip video camera to the manliest diaper bags and baby carriers, we've got all the coolest daddy gifts... and are giving them away! Enter now to win a gift he'll go crazy for.

TotSnob: TotSnob found the ultimate toddler travel solution...Phil and Teds Full-Size Travel Bed is perfect when you have a little one on vacation!
   
We Covet: Pin Up Girl Bracelet We Covet. This handmade clear resin bracelet beats getting a pin-up girl tattoo any day. Avoid needless tattoo removal expenses, buy stylish accessories instead!
 

Meet Me in Mexico Sweepstake

Moms, when was the last time you had a nice trip with your significant other this past year all by yourselves and no kids? How about winning a trip for two to Mexico?  What a dream, isn't? Don't you and your husband need a nice break at a beautiful beach?  Of course!   

What beach city in Mexico is this? Cancun or Acapulco? Guess to play!

Well, here is the deal.  To play the Meet Me in Mexico contest, head on over to Glam.com and guess the destination in Mexico shown by the photo above for your chance to win.  Then return each week where a new photo will be posted for additional chances to win.  Each correct answer every week will enter you in a pool where a winner will be chosen at random at the end of the promotion. 

The promotion runs from today, May, 29 until June 19, 2008.  Remember, each week, the destination will change and you need to guess it. Your clue will be the photo image provided in the post or you can go directly to http://contests.glam.com/meetmeinmexico.

Play and win, good luck!

- The Moms Buzz

Travel Deals: Kids Travel Free on Norwegian Cruise Line

 

If you are still looking what, where and when about this summer family vacation. Here is a last minute travel deal from Norwegian Cruise Line.  Between July 14 and Sept. 26, kids sail free for three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sky. Prices vary according to cruise dates and length: A three-night cruise in early September starts at $760 for a family of four.

For more information, contact: www.Ncl.com or here.

Happy cruising!

- The Moms Buzz

>>The next time you decide to travel locate the best RV camping on the internet. Whether you want to find info about RV sales or you are looking for a place to park for the night... park at Wal-mart, the internet can help!

B.O.W. The Best of the Web Weekly Round-Up

Today, Tuesday, Moms Buzz is happy to bring you B.O.W. - the Best Of the Web in a weekly roundup of posts from fine blogs and sites featuring fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting and much more.

Style, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Health

Glam Spirit: Au Natural: Laughter Is the Best Medicine . Click here for a quick and fun pick-me-up.
   
A Girl's Gotta Spa! wonders if you are in need of some beauty sleep. 5 essential products for a more restful sleep
   
Makeup Minute found a must-have product for her summer makeup bag. Check out this smudgeproof eyeliner to start your summer right!

Stylenotes: Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, & Jimmy Choo. We've got the skinny on the 3 chic-est shoe designers around -- Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo.



Parenting, Family, Kids, Moms & Little Couture

Moms Buzz: What to Pack for a Road Trip.  Many may have decided to travel by car rather by air due to the rise of airfares as a result the increasing fuel prices. Here are some travel tips for the busy mom on what to pack for a road trip, especially since we pack for almost the whole family, read about what the travel essentials are.

What to Pack for a Road Trip

This Memorial Day Weekend, many may have decided to travel by car rather by air due to the rise of airfares as a result the increasing fuel prices.  Here are some travel tips for the busy mom on what to pack for a road trip, especially since we pack for almost the whole family, below are the travel essentials for yourself to keep it simple, practical and quick:

1. Great walking shoes
2. Multi-purpose tops
3. A flirty swimsuit
4. A fabulous hat
5. A roomy tote
6. An all-in-one beauty kit
7. Hot shades
8. A dress for all occasions
9. Comfy flats
10. A pair of high heels

While choosing your selections in your closet when you pack, remember 3 keys things:

1. pack light
2. be comfortable
3. look fabulous (no matter what).

Happy a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

- The Moms Buzz

source: www.ivillage.com

>>Taking a road trip and want to learn where you can find the greatest RV parks? If you want to get info about RV sales, all you need to do is sign online. Wanna stash your RV for the night? Park at Wal-mart.

Dos and Don'ts When Handling Carsick Kids

With only one month left of school, we are looking forward to our vacation. If you are driving out of town, you may want to know that 58% of children get carsick, luckily many outgrow it by adolescence. But, while they still get carsick or nauseous, here are some dos and don'ts to help minimize your travel troubles in the car.

How to Handle Carsick Kids: Dos and Don'ts

DON'T let carsickness-prone kids read, color, play handheld games or even watch videos. Have them listen to music or audiobooks and play games such as "I Spy" that involve looking out the window.

DO plan frequent stops for fresh air.Wear kids out at a park or fast-food play area. Sleeping children do not get carsick.

DO be prepared with a waterproof bag and a cleanup kit.  Include a change of clothes, paper towels, an enzyme-based pet-spot remover (good for cleaning and deodorizing after human accidents too), and a towel to cover the cleaned seat.

DON'T give susceptible kids an untried OTC antihistamine. Try a test does at home. These drugs make most people drowsy, but some kids have the opposite reaction. And you don't want to be stuck in a moving vehicle with  hyper kid.

FYI. What is motion sickness?

Basically, motion sickness results from a conflict between the eye and ear: the inner ears detect that the car is moving, but the eyes-- focused within the car-- do not. The brain gets conflicting signals, and nausea results.

- The Moms Buzz

source: Shopsmart magazine June 2008