Parents senior editor David Sparrow was on WNBC in New York today to share our picks for the best family resorts. Check it out if you want to plan an awesome family vacay without breaking the bank! Just click this link to watch.
On Earth Day, it's totally appropriate to focus on environmentally friendly products, habits, and the like. I love new gadgets and energy-saving technology as much as the next geek. But I'd rather skip all that and go right to the pith of the day: Enjoying and exploring nature. Without experiencing the world as it is, with all its wonder and color, the message of Earth Day seems severely lacking at best.
And, in my opinion, the best way to do this is to take a hike. A good hike is the perfect weekend day trip, especially as the weather gets warmer. The trail is not just a destination, it's a classroom, an art museum, a workshop, and a playground. Showing your kids the splendor of the out-of-doors is easy when you're surrounded by it.
Most likely, there's hiking closer than you think. For example, there's excellent hiking only about 20-30 minutes northwest of New York at the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey. Considering the stereotypes both NYC and Jersey have, if we can find beautiful hiking, so can you.
Online, there are plenty of resources available. The National Park Service and your state park's web site has plenty of information and ideas on where to go. In addition, most states have hiking or trail clubs. These are excellent resources to tap into. Not only do they offer maps, books, and other information, they offer opportunities for group hiking, volunteer projects, activism, and more.
So this Earth Day, plant a tree, recycle, and consider planning a hiking trip with your family.
A new picture book helps kids understand why mommy is getting plastic surgery. Newsweek
A chemical in certain plastics may pose a risk to babies, children, and fetuses, a government report states. LA Times
Canceled flight? How to deal. Yahoo! News
Is it a good idea to be BFF with your daughter? Reuters
The rising cost of ingredients is causing some school systems to scale back on lunch options and consider price increases. Washington Post
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I've lived in New York City for 15 years and have never taken a double-decker bus tour, but I did it this weekend with my niece and nephew, who were visiting from Chicago, and it was such a blast! They were excited to sit on the upper level and check out all the stuff they know from movies and TV, like Macy's, the Empire State Building and Times Square. This is a great way to cover a lot of ground with kids, since no one gets tired. If you are coming to New York any time soon with your family, I highly recommend the two-hour downtown loop tour from Gray Line. Buy tickets online ahead of time and you get them for half price. (And wear warm clothes if you do it in winter....it's chilly up there!)
There's a new temporary tattoo in town and this one means business! SafetyTats were invented by a mom of three as a way to keep kids connected to parents when they're visiting large, crowded places like amusement parks and airports. A whopping 9 out of 10 parents will experience losing a child in a public space, so why not plan ahead just in case, right? Personalized with your phone number, SafetyTats give kids a way to get a hold of their parents in the event that they're lost. And just like other temporary tattoos, they go on with warm water and can easily removed with baby oil. A set of 30 is $19.95. (A small price to pay for some peace of mind on your next family trip, no?)
Anyone have other suggestions on how to make sure kids have what they need to contact their parents in case they get lost? Please share in the comments!
Traveling by plane this holiday season? Make sure you don't end up having to throw out your fav lotion or can't-live-without-it conditioner at the airport because it's not airline security-friendly. Check out these great ways to ensure all of your beauty product containers are clear for take-off.
The Clear Bag System comes with a zip-top bag and refillable pumps that meet all carry-on regulations, so you never have to part from your miracle creams. 
Or pamper yourself with the LaLicous travel sets, which come with a scrub, body butter, body wash and body oil in delectable scents such as brown sugar/vanilla, peppermint and island guava. Mmmm.
Get squeaky clean and moisturized from head to toe with the super hydrating products for hair, body and face in the Philosophy All Stars kit.
Traveling with baby? Don't forget to miniaturize her products, too! We love that Skin By Monica's Travel Kit for Baby and Baby Silk...to go! products are both totally safe for your traveling tot. Skin By Monica is all-natural and organic for moms who want to be green on the go, and Baby Silk was developed by two mom pediatricians, so you know you can trust it.
Have you ever had to sacrifice your coveted face cream that you mistakenly threw in your carryon luggage to get on a flight? Spill!
If you're a busy parent who spends afternoons and weekends trekking your kids all around town, check out Divide the Ride - a helpful online organizational tool that'll help free up some of that time you spend behind the wheel. Simply log on to the website and invite some of the families you know and trust in your neighborhood or on your child's sports team to join a kids' carpool. Each participating parent enters their driving availability, which Divide the Ride evaluates to create evenly distributed ride sharing assignments. Sounds great, no? It gets even better... for super swamped parents (or the forgetful - you know who you are!) Divide the Ride will not only send you a reminder when it's your turn to drive, they'll also send an email and text message if and when there's a change so you're always in the loop. So start up a carpool today and save on time, gas, and energy!
For my niece's Sweet 16 this weekend, I got us tickets to see Hairspray on Broadway. The problem is the strike is still going on. Hopefully, they'll be able to resolve it soon for everyone's sake. Unfortunately, it's looking like it won't be soon enough to salvage my niece's b-day surprise. But the good news is not all of the theaters have gone dark. There's still some great shows in NYC, especially for families with young kids. Mary Poppins and How the Grinch Stole Christmas are playing. And then there's my little 42nd Street secret: The New Victory Theater. This local favorite does family-friendly better than anyone: You can see everything from plays to concerts to circus acts—all designed with kids in mind. The theater's recent production of Neil Gaiman's children's book, The Wolves in the Walls, was fantastic, and they even had a wolf-mask-making craft for little ones beforehand. On Friday, they're kicking off the New Shanghai Circus through the New Year, and then the hilarious John Lithgow will bring his children's act to the stage. And to top it all off, tickets to New Victory shows are cheap by Broadway standards.
UPDATE: The strike is now over. Woo hoo!
A new report finds that as kids read less for fun, their test scores drop—even in math and science. New York Times
The Chicago Tribune tested 800 toys on the market for lead and found alarming levels in some products. Chicago Tribune
Forget French, or even Spanish—more and more kids are learning Mandarin in school. USA Today
Another reason to make your partner pitch in at night: Not getting enough sleep might be sabotaging your efforts to lose the baby weight. Yahoo! News
Get ready to settle in at the airport if you’re traveling this Thanksgiving. CNN
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I'm going to be flying with my toddler to visit relatives soon and have been remembering the nightmare experience we had in the airport last Thanksgiving when our flight was delayed and ultimately canceled. I was totally thrilled to discover littlejetset.com, a totally cool website devoted to products to make travel more fun for kids (and less stressful for parents). How cute is this Trunki ride-on suitcase?! It also comes in blue.
Hours in the terminal won't seem nearly as endless.
This adorable Cow Print Art Folio contains a drawing pad and crayons for your little artist.
And check out Kojo the Croc 3-in-1 Travel Pet by Zoobie Pets. It's a cuddly stuffed animal that turns into a pillow and blanket when it's time to snooze. The site has tons more cute stuff.
Link via Executive Moms.
