been around the world?

i love all things travel related... mini suitcases, vintage luggage labels, old travel postcards & posters. (i think you get the idea.) but most of all, i love maps. big or small, flat or round, i love them all. so it's no surprise to me, that while watching one of my favorite guilty pleasures, the wall map totally caught my eye. (click on the picture to enlarge it.) i've always loved the idea of having a huge wall map... either in the kid's room or perhaps in a game room or office. i've toyed with the idea of "sticking pins" in the places we've visited, but this idea is so much better. instead of your basic push pin, they've used postcards & pictures to signify special locations. i loved it when the little boy was asked "do you remember where england is?" & he replied "it's the one with the big clock". i seriously LOVE this idea, it goes way behind your basic geography lesson. i found a similar map HERE, unfortunately they are all sold out, although i did spy a few on ebay. obviously there are probably hundreds of map options out there, but i kinda like THIS one, or THIS one. oh, & THIS one too.

xoxo, K

oilily.

I couldn't pass a "tour" of the Netherlands without paying a little respect to Oilily, my all time favorite children's clothing brand... even a Dutch one. It's an overdose of design and color, perfect for a creative wardrobe. Actually, our first big baby purchase was an Oilily bag, meant to be used as our Diaper bag, bought during Boston's Newbury Street post-Christmas sale. I still love it. {It's a good brand to buy on sale.}

Pictured above: the Oilily Red V-Rolly Suitcase, new from the Spring/Summer 2008 collection. Makes me want to have a little girl and book a vacation.

toiletry bag.

Travel in style with this simple hold everything toiletry bag. We're sure the vintage ticket-stub print will inspire and motivate you to see something new and explore the unknowns of the cities and towns you travel.

"Made durable and sturdy with thick interfacing and tight, double reinforced seams." Available HERE.

embrace.

Embrace, a forward thinking company based in Vancouver, BC, has started to avoid problems and offers fantastic solutions. My favorite of their two seemingly cheeky but proven brilliant answers is A Fresh Pair: a gentle leaf soap infused with fresh pear undertones. Simply created for handwashing your delicates when traveling. Use it whenever you need a fresh pair.

Their logo is laugh-out-loud brilliant, but their concept is equally perfect. Think long-distance traveling, backpacking or loosing your luggage. Little proves worse than washing your undies {I refuse to compromise when it comes to clean delicates} with shampoo or hotel soap.

"A gentle (non-toxic, biodegradable), quick dissolving and easy-rinsing pear-scented leaf soap created for handwashing delicates, Embrace a Fresh Pair is perfect for those times when you can't get to a washing machine and laundry detergent, but need clean undies, bra or hosiery."

The best part? Only $7.50 (CAD) for 20 soap leaves, packaged in a discreet matchbook-- airplane approved. Buy here.

Schlep Luggage Tag Set.

With so many look-alike bags floating through the airports these days, why not attach these bright luggage tags to your suitcase?

At only $12 for a set of six, your mind can rest at ease knowing your luggage will be waiting for you when you get to the baggage claim, instead of being thrown in the trunk of a taxi cab.

flight 001.

As a continuation of Missy's luggage post...

Flight 001 is an incredible resource for any travel need. It's been such a fun find.

There is everything from Deiter Graf Verlag’s Point It picture dictionary {"1,200 items photographed in logical groupings and categorized for quick and easy reference. When you don't know how to say it, point it!"}:


to really great laptop bags {Flight 001's exclusive F1 Safety laptop case} made to replicate cartoon-strip-like safety cards:

Of course I love this Cars Wheelie Bag:

and this Bree Toiletry case:

My favorites aside, it's nice to have a go to for the details like travel clocks and pocket-sized board games.

luggage.

My friend Lynne wrote me an email asking if I had any tips on good luggage. While I don't carry the most stylish luggage around, I did some research and decided to post what I found for you.

For the Style-Minded
You've got to admit that if you're looking for stylish luggage, Orla Kiely is your first stop. Of course there is a pricetag attached, but I read reviews and expect quality with that dollar sign. From what I read, people are passionate about their Orla Kiely luggage-wear. And you probably wouldn't get it mixed up with others as it came out at baggage claim.

All Black and Business
So, it doesn't have to be all black. Tumi has some really great colors right now, especially in the Women's line. My dad works in international business - he has more frequent flyer miles than anyone could dream up. My older brother is following in his footsteps and both of them use Tumi luggage. It's quality, it's reliable, and it holds everything you can think up (and more) without bulk. To be quite honest, if I were seriously shopping for luggage I would choose Tumi. Granted, it might be boring in black, but maybe you could choose a fun luggage tag (and carry on)?

Carry-On
Personally, I'd go for anything from Hobo Bags right now, but sometimes a cute laptop case and a lightweight backpack work well allowing you to keep your hands + arms free.

Any other favorites?

san diego.

One of our readers, Zobars, wrote in asking about vacationing in San Diego. I've included some tips below, but surely forgot to include others so please chime in other San Diego residents!

San Diego can essentially be broken up into two parts. North County and then Downtown/city. The Zoo and Sea World are downtown. The Wild Animal Park and Legoland are North County. Depending on what time of day your travel, it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours to go from one end to the other. Point being, plan your trip accordingly and find a hotel somewhere in the middle, say the Del Mar-ish area {if you plan on visiting all four theme parks}. Or reserve a hotel in the city and make the drive north for a day of North County fun {miss the traffic and leave your hotel around 10ish}.

Other things to do besides theme parks?

The Beach {what else? La Jolla Cove is our personal favorite - large bermuda grass area and usually calm waters perfect for children - also the La Jolla Cove seals are always fun to watch
Balboa Park {located right next to the Zoo so when you get tired of animal, walk across the street and relax - take a snooze in the shade even, also filled with tons of museums including Natural History, Automotive, Space, Sports Hall of Fame etc - very cool place}
Padres {the Petco stadium is awesome, super kid friendly and they serve tons of great food including classic ballpark hotdogs, Rubios, sushi, and more}
Gaslamp Quarters {get the true San Diego city experience here}
Coronado {take the ferry across to Coronado island, rent bikes and cruise the quaint beach town}

There is tons to do here. I could go on and on. There's no wonder it's been labeled America's Finest City.

Baby Friendly Travelling

I posted about my trip to Yosemite along with some recommendations below. But, travelling with a baby opened my eyes to a whole different world of travel: comfort. Before baby, I didn't hesitate before pitching our tent and bundling in our -30 REI sleeping bag. But, now, I'm all about paying the extra money for a place that is both comfortable and baby friendly. I was pleased with where we stayed.

We travelled with our portable crib. We were roadtripping so it was easy enough to throw in the back of the truck and set up once we arrived. But, if this is not available to you, please call before hand and ask questions. First, do they provide cribs? Second, what kind of crib are they? Metal or wood or a portable crib like such? Do they have fitted sheets for the crib or should you bring one?

Are the restaurants inside the hotel baby/kid friendly? There were two restaurants at our hotel in Yosemite. One was reservation, nice attire only while the other was more family friendly {don't mind if food everywhere after you leave kind}.

If you can manage, I imagine having a suite or a two-room hotel accomadation would be even better so you and your partner can watch movies without worrying about the sound/light of the monitor waking the baby. We brought our laptop so we watched movies without worrying, but still...

Avery did really well on our trip. Her schedule was tossed and she adapted much better than I expected. She slept through the night just fine. Some tips: establish a bedtime routine before you travel. Bring some familiar bath toys so they realize it is time to get ready for bed. The familiar toys help them feel like they know {slightly} what comes next. Remember that they aren't sure of the "vacation plans" like you. They are adjusting and {possibly} thinking that this is life from here on out. Don't stress about the baby being "off schedule." They will be fine and though a little exhausted by the end of the day, they will catch up on their sleep!

I will admit that Avery was very happy to be home. She crawled around her toys the next morning and couldn't stop smiling, pointing and showing me things that she knew was familiar. But, she did great. We enjoyed it, experienced our second family vacation and have tons of pictures to prove it.

Vacation: Yosemite

My little family of three just got back from a trip to Yosemite. I thought a review of the area would be nice since it is one of the top three National Parks to visit in the United States. Good reason too...it was unbelievable. If you ever have a chance to get over there, do! Please do. You will most definitely not be disappointed.

Here are some tips:

Lodging. We stayed at the Tenaya Lodge, which I highly recommend. It was very comfortable, the service was excellent and the restaurant and grill provided convenience to any visiting guest. They offered boxed lunches {and actually packed the lettuce and tomatoe separately so you didn't find a soggy sandwich hours later} for day trip hikes and vegetarian chile that ranks among my favorites. The rooms were spacious, the housekeeping timely and again the service extremely helpful for out-of-towners. The only downfall we experienced with the Tenaya Lodge was the distance from the Yosemite Valley. The Tenaya was only one mile from the actual park, but from the valley {where Half Dome, El Capitan and the Falls lay} it was about a 25 minute drive. It didn't prove to be too big of deal, except that the road was filled with twists and turns so if you get carsick, bring your anti-nausea patches. If you plan on camping, there are some excellent camp grounds right along the river flowing throughout the entire park. Camp 4 is where the hardcore climbers are {some that free climb El Capitan!}, Wawona campground is a great one to pitch tent if you are looking for seclusion, anywhere in the valley and you are surrounded by people with lots of things to do. They have continuous arts and crafts, kids group hikes and bike rentals. If you are looking for a nice hotel in the valley, I recommend Ahwahnee hotel. I think we'll stay there next time simply for the ease of staying down in the center of the action.





Gear. You'll need some hiking/outdoor specific gear if you plan a trip to Yosemite. And all of that depends on which season of the year you visit in. The waterfalls go crazy in the spring {when we went}, they are dry during fall and summer and iced over in the winter. If seeing Vernal, Bridevale, Yosemite and Chiluanga Falls is your reason for going, plan on a spring trip. You won't be disappointed. But, know that the weather can change in an instant as well. The first two days we were there, it was a beautiful sixty degrees. The last day? 30 degrees and snowing. Be prepared. Keen shoes are excellent. Patagonia fleeces are great layering pieces. Prana capris are worth the money and Nalgene bottles are a must. If towing a baby along, please purchase a Kelty Kids backpack. So worth the dollars spent {although we were gifted it}.



Hikes. We hiked all three days {only a short one to Lower Falls on the snowy day} and were never disappointed. The one great thing about staying at Tenaya is that you are close to the Mariposa grounds which house the nations largest sequoias. We did a 5.5 mile hike that day and I think it was my favorite, even over Vernal Falls. We saw some gigantic trees and it was slightly less "crowded" than the valley. When faced with a tree ten times your height you have to look up speechless, amazed at the creation before you. It's amazing to say the least.



Overall, highly recommended. Please, if you go, let me know!

Picnic Tips

Picnics are one of my favorite activities during the summer. Nothing beats being outside on a warm day eating good food, in my opinion. I grew up eating dinner at our community pool or the beach on summer evenings. I expect to instill the same tradition in my little family.
Here are some tips that make picnicking a little easier:

Plan the venue Will you be picnicking at the pool, beach, the backyard or a nearby park/meadow?

Prepare simple food Pack and serve tasty finger foods or pasta dishes {nothing like a summer pasta salad} that do not require a lot of fixing once upon arrival. You, as the chef, want to enjoy being with family and enjoying the outdoors just as much as your little ones. Glad or Ziploc bowls such as these make picnicking that much easier.

Pack and go Before leaving pack everything in a picnic basket or backpack. Don't forget a tablecloth, utensils, sunscreen, frisbee, bocce ball or other games that you'll want to enjoy together.

Have a backup plan If a summer thunderstorm threatens your plan, don't let it damper your spirits. Head indoors and create a festive atmosphere in your own family room. Draw open the blinds and pretend you are enjoying the outdoors from the floor of your home

*Obviously I am in the mood for summer!