review Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Mom's Guide To Travel

Nov 22 2011

Kids as Family Vacation Planners: Planet Explorers Guidebook Review

Once your children reach elementary age, it’s a good time to involve them in the trip planning process. It makes them more cooperative, attentive and vested when it comes time to travel. One of the ways you can do this is by allowing your child(ren) to choose activities and points of interest (POIs) for the family to enjoy together. Tools that they can use for research and planning include both the internet and guide books. However, a word of caution: too much information may be more detrimental than helpful. The internet is massive and average guide books can be intimidating.

Luckily, there’s a company in cyber space called Planet Explorers – they’ve taken the time to create informative guide books with the young traveler in mind. Luv them! I recently had a chance to review a couple of their guidebooks, Planet Explorers NYC and Planet Explorers Walt Disney World and there were several things about them that I loved.

Just about every page in the 60+ page guide books has at least one to two pictures on it, bolded facts, tons of bullet points and other visual elements to make the reading fun and fast.

History/Timeline of New York City; Walt Disney World.

Suggestions on places to eat near the recommended POIs.

At least 3 Fun Facts about a POI.

The author ties pop culture into some of the mentioned sites (e.g. “the American Museum of Natural History, where Ben Stiller had some crazy adventures in the movie Night at the Museum, is super famous and incredibly huge.”)

A shout-out to the Boroughs (in the NYC guide book), including things to do there, which, a lot of writers miss and prior to the gentrification of places like Brooklyn, probably would’ve never bothered to mention.

Travel tips for NYC exploration; locating characters in Magic Kingdom/Epcot.

Movies about or filmed in NYC

Famous New Yorkers

Disney attractions Legend

Subway/Monorail maps

WDW hotel/resort listings

Active Links within the guides

As an adult traveler, I really enjoyed reading these guide books. Keeping my own children in mind, I felt that the guidebooks were an easy read and captured language that kids could readily identify with (“What’s cool about it?”). These guide books contain lots of history and fun facts to get the younger reader interested, excited, and involved with travel. They’re quite comprehensive and they make excellent tools for parents looking to get their kids more involved in the family travel planning process.

Disclaimer: Planet Explorers provided me with the NYC and WDW guidebooks for the purpose of review. This is not a paid post; all opinions expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Nov 12 2011

Holiday Product Review: Toweligator, My Little Pony, & Biscoff Spread

Black Friday is just two weeks away and retailers are dropping hints of deals, discounts, and holiday sales. However, if you’re not a fan of early mornings and long lines, you might be interested in some of these finds that would make great gifts for the traveler in your life.

My Little Pony App

Apps that keep little travelers occupied and entertained would make any parent grateful. From the creative people over at Ruckus Media Group comes yet another beautiful app for the iPad or iPhone, My Little Pony. This app took me back to my days as a little girl when I used to watch My Little Pony after school. The animation is bright and crisp and the story focuses on the power of friendship.

The My Little Pony app is an interactive pre-narrated storybook that also has an option for read along and read-record. It’s a good app to help kids learn how to read. Other activities include a maze where little hands have to tilt the device to get Twilight Sparkle to the end as well as a matching activity where words are given as rewards for completion. These words are used at the end of the story to fill in the blanks of Twilight Sparkle’s diary, a great exercise in story review and comprehension.

Biscoff Cookie Spread

For years, the highlight of any Delta flight I took were those delicious Biscoff gourmet cookies. I could never get enough of them and I’d often hoard them from the flight attendants. So when I learned that the company had created a spread from them, I had to try it. Talk about sin in a jar! The spread, which was invented in Belgium during a reality TV show, is just as smooth as any jar of creamy peanut butter, and made with 57% crushed up Biscoff cookies. After that first spoonful, I found myself imagining fifteen different ways to enjoy the spread with apple slices being one of my favorite. I’ve seen Biscoff spread creations ranging from icecream to cupcakes to fudge to pudding to…you name it! However, this spread is so good that, at first, you may not get any further than just eating it straight out of the jar.

The Biscoff spread comes in both smooth and crunchy and would make a great gift for any cookie-lover that you know. (I know my husband would be exceedingly grateful to receive it as a present.) The Biscoff website has a long list of recipes that you can use the spread in, just in time for those holiday potlucks and cookie exchanges. Note to reader: This is not something you want to give to anyone who’s on a diet – they will not be your friend, seriously…it’s that good. An even sweeter present would be to send them to Pier 39 in San Francisco to the Biscoff Coffee Corner where they can be surrounded by all things Biscoff and dislike you even more.

The Toweligator

The Toweligator is a bendable beach clamp in the shape of an alligator that can be used in several different ways to alleviate beach towel frustrations. You know, when your towel keeps slipping down your lounge chair or when the corners fly up from the sand? These pliable plastic tools can act like either a clamp or a stake and make your beach-going experience less annoying. I’d suggest just storing them in your beach bag because they’re not an item that you’d necessarily remember to grab when you’re packing for travel. Another option for them, when you’re not traveling, is to use them in an everyday way – as clothes clips for hand-washed or other wet items…pretty useful.

Familiar with any of the products in this review? What do you think?

Disclosure: I was provided with the products in this post to conduct my review. This is not a paid post, all opinions are my own.

Oct 14 2011

The spoils of Jamaica: Appleton Rum Review

I should be ashamed of myself. It’s 1 am and I’m downstairs in my kitchen writing and “taste-testing” the bottle of Appleton Estate Reserve rum gifted to myself and 8 other bloggers on our tour of Jamaica last weekend with the Jamaica Tourist Board. I had no intentions of pouring a drink tonight – I was actually coming downstairs to shut everything down. Yet here I am.

I marvel at the fact that I can drink and type. (Actually I’m already done with my drink but who’s counting). I’m not normally a rum drinker unless it’s tucked neatly away in a cold well-blended Pina Colada, a drink I try to stay away from because it is so incredibly delicious, addictive, and fattening when done right. (But again, who’s counting). A-NY-WAY, that’s the only way I’ve ever drank rum…until now. (Drum roll please)

Appleton Estate’s Reserve Rum is wonderful. Don’t quote me, I’m not a rum connoisseur but their reserve rum is smooth. I mixed it with an orange-mango juice blend, 2 parts to 1, and voil`a, I was transported to the sandy beaches of Montego Bay for a few minutes.

The folks over at Appleton Estates even thought enough about us to include a deck of recipe cards so that we can explore more drink combinations. Even as a former bartender, I can’t begin to recall all the ways to enjoy rum other than in a Colada or a cake. However, what I made tonight sufficed and hit the spot. Now all I have to do is suck on my ice and head to bed feeling irie.

Disclosure: Appleton Estates gifted me with a bag of their Reserve rum and some other items. I have not been compensated for this post. As a matter of fact, I don’t think they even expect me to write about their Rum but I am because I love it! All opinions expressed within are my own.

Aug 01 2011

Toys and Activities for Kids on Planes: Spot the Dot app and other ideas

Flying on the plane with my boys, ages 3 and 7 has gotten easier over the years but I’m still anxious with my 3 year old. It’s hard to keep him entertained for long periods of time and Lord knows he can’t be bothered to sit still on a cramped flight. On this trip he did amazingly well – even with connecting flights. I’m talking about no fighting, no screaming, no crying, no kicking the seats, and no repeating myself three and four times. I was so proud of him and his older brother, I couldn’t help but beam at their exceptional behavior.

So what made the trip so peaceful and manageable? I believe it was a combination of a few things which included ample snacks, individual dvd players (a movie can eat up at least 30 -65 minutes of devoted attention span), and the following toys and activities:

A fully charged and accessorized Nintendo DS for the 7 y.o.
The iPad complete with lots of children’s apps including this new one from Ruckus Media Group, Spot the Dot – a fun, entertaining and challenging application that teaches shapes and color recognition. It is wonderfully interactive and the last level was even a small challenge for mommy in finding the designated shape. My 7 year old really enjoyed this app (as he got everything correct) and turned it into a timed-challenge between he and I, to see who could spot the shapes the fastest. My 3 year old is still warming up to it – he’s still in love with A Present for Milo.

Spot the Dot app

A few action figures (primarily Captain America – the new “it” toy) and cars.
My home-made Gluten Free Putty (i.e. play doh) for the 3 y.o. I’ll post a video of how to make your own putty, hopefully this week.
A prickly rubber toy (I have no idea what the formal name for this would be, my 3 y.o. loves it and it makes a great tactile toy for kids on the autism spectrum). Check him out with it here – he was humming, it made him so relaxed:

A good old fashioned coloring book with crayons.

What are some toys and activities that have worked well for your kids when you fly with them?

* Photo courtesy of Ruckus Media Group

Jun 03 2011

Wilson Capris – A Fitness Addict’s Review

As someone who works out 6-7 days a week, I’m pretty picky about my workout gear, specifically capris. As a traveling mom, who likes to workout even while on the road -besides form and function, I’m looking for style and packability in my fitness clothing. The Wilson tennis capris fit the bill for me in all respects. They not only make my lower half look good (totally narcissistic comment there) but they also provide great support, whether I’m riding 15 miles; doing interval training; or running a 5k. The black and teal are ultra cute and are for more than just tennis, which I had naively limited them to.

The design is clean and simple. The wicking action is extremely effective and the fabric is incredibly light and breathable. Out of the 5 brands that I use for capris, I honestly rank this pair as my favorite – hands down.

It’s great to see Wilson enter the market and offer functional fitness apparel that can be used across many sports disciplines. Maybe they always had and I never knew. When I think of the Wilson brand, my mind immediately goes to tennis – from balls and tennis skirts to sneaker and rackets. That’s what I’ve known and respected them for. And now they’ve got my respect for making awesome capris that don’t ride down; or cut off blood circulation at the calf; or harbor unflattering seams that would make any exercise enthusiast hang up her sports bra and call it a day. Because if you know like I know, most women want to look good, whether they’re fresh from the salon or sweaty from the exercise mat or bike trail or tennis court.

Wilson has done their math on these capris and I can honestly say that I am a new fan.

Disclosure: I did not receive monetary compensation for this review – Wilson did send me a pair of their ultra cute capris in order to write this review and I’ve chosen to keep them.

Official information about the Tennis Capris:

The Wilson La Davine Capri Pant is a compression fit Capri that is lightweight, breathable, and flattering. The premium technical fabric and design allow for maximum moisture wicking and comfort. The Capri has versatile functionality whether training in the gym, playing on the tennis court, or just out and about running errands.

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