Travelling with Kids: Keeping them Occupied

While it may not be a typical choice of holiday to book when you have children to think of, a cruise holiday aboard the P&O Oceana or similar could be just what the doctor ordered. What better way to explore several destinations all in one trip, giving you plenty of opportunity to enjoy shore excursions and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

While stereotypes suggest that cruises aren’t child-friendly, the reality couldn’t be more different. With cruise deals available throughout the year, appealing to families of all ages, there are many cruises nowadays that don’t just tolerate kids, but actively welcome them.

From clubs to family-orientated amenities, kids on cruise ships will be well taken care of, but there’s always a need to keep them entertained during the down time. There’s nothing worse than being the parent of the unruly child that is running amok in the ship’s corridors – avoid this by making sure that they are happy and content at all times.

There are plenty of things that you can consider to make sure that your children aren’t bored, reducing the chance of tears and tantrums and contributing to a stress-free holiday. Pack a multitude of items in their suitcase and their carryon bags, so that, whilst at the airport and beyond, your kids have plenty to do.

If you’ve organized a flight to take you to your embarkation port, pack a carry on bag full of things to keep the children entertained, such as coloring books, story books, crayons and handheld games consoles. Take necessary chargers with you so that, on a quiet day at sea, they can use them again.

Pack some of their favorite toys in their suitcase so that they feel more comfortable and at ease. The smallest things, such as a favorite bedtime teddy bear, will help to maintain their routine and keep them happy.

Once on the ship, ensure that you organize plenty of activities your children will love to keep them occupied, and, most of all, enjoy the quality time with them. Take a look at the various cruise deals online, today.

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This month has been very difficult.  I have had many family gatherings and the hardest part is being around all of the great food.  For someone like me who is an emotional eater, it is hard to stay motivated when in this type of environment. I eat when I’m sad. I eat when I’m happy. I eat when I’m bored. I LOVE food, and not necessarily the best kinds of food.  So staying motivated is HARD!

On top of that I am a new mom, I own my own business, and I am a wife.  My day starts at 6am and doesn’t stop until 1am the next morning.  It is hard to stay on the straight and narrow all of the time.

I have recommitted myself, so to speak, to the Shaklee program.  I started this with a purpose and I have to stick with it. I am back on track thus far and hope to stay this way by making good choice, eating smaller food portions and exercising as much as I can.  Watch for new weight loss results next month!

Dis­clo­sure: This is a spon­sored post as part of the Shak­lee Cor­po­ra­tion blog­ger pro­gram. I will be receiv­ing free prod­ucts, online sup­port and incen­tives for par­tic­i­pat­ing. My opin­ions are my own. Peo­ple fol­low­ing the weight-loss por­tion of the Shak­lee 180™ Pro­gram can expect to lose 1–2 pounds per week.

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• Forward your mail or have the post office hold it until you return.  You don’t want your important mail sitting in the mailbox or boxes delivered to your door where someone can tamper with them.  This also ensures that you receive all of your mail at once when you get home.  Stop services.  If you have cable and internet call your service providers to disconnect these until you return.
• Enlist the help of others.  Have a neighbor park their car in your driveway if you have to take yours to make it look like your house is occupied.  Your neighbor can also pick up newspapers, flyers and any stray garbage or fallen branches in your yard.
• Prepare an emotional will.  This is not something people usually think about when leaving home for any period of time, but it is rather important.  I was able to try a new free service called PassedOn.  It is a free, web-based global initiative that lets you create an emotional (multimedia) will for your loved ones.  You can leave messages of thanks, love, apology or a last wish if you choose.  You simply sign up for the service, add your family, friends, and loved ones, and save files, videos, music and thoughts for them.  These are memories of you they can keep and cherish forever should something happen. (This applies to those of us who are military families as well with deployed loved ones.)
• Turn off the ringers on your home phone.  You don’t want a thief to hear if no one is answering the phone.
• Don’t check in to social media such as FourSquare and Facebook letting everyone know your whereabouts.  This decreases the chances of anyone knowing that you are not at home.

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post on behalf of PassedOn.  All opinions are my own.

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We arrived in Hilton Head and headed straight to the license to spill truck.

Rachel Withers, PR pro, met us with open arms and a smile!

She explained how the SmartStrand carpet has permanent stain and soil resistance that will never wear off.  Compared to other carpets that have treatments applied topically to the fiber that will wear off over time, SmartStrand carpet has stain protection built into the carpet itself.

There is no need for harsh cleaners or chemicals.  You just need warm water, mild detergent like dish soap, a dish cloth.  I wish I knew about this before I bought my carpet cleaner last month!

I soaked this piece of carpet with red wine.  I must add that it was the first time I enjoyed getting my carpet dirty!

This is the same piece of carpet after I squirted water on it a few times.  I didn’t even scrub it!

We also met Lesley Nagy, co-host of the nationally syndicated  Better Show, who shared why she loves Mohawk Flooring.  She is the sweetest person ever!

What is a Seafood Festival without some seafood?! We enjoyed some fried shrimp from Hudsons Seafood Restaurant.  They have been around since 1967.  The food was so good we almost forgot to take a picture!

 We enjoyed the festival and the people from Mohawk Flooring were so nice and genuine.  They are giving readers a chance to win your own 6 X 9 SmartStrand silk bound carpet rug! Head over to Mohawk Flooring for your chance to win, and receive a special offer of up to $400 in savings!  You can follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: “I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® andMohawk Flooring #cbias #SocialFabric #licensetospill”

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• 3 different smoothie flavors (vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate)
• Meal bars (Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip and Blueberry & Almond Crisp)
• Snack bars (peanut butter, lemon & cranberry, and chocolate)
• 28 sticks of Pomegranate Tea
• Metabolic Boost Dietary Supplement tablets

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A lot of you will be going on spring break and summer vacations soon.  One thing you probably will not think about is bed bugs.  My family went on a short weekend getaway at a hotel that offers a military discount,  but never expected that we would have to deal with this issue.  I won’t get into all of the gory…yes gory details, but here are some tips to protect yourself as much as you can from these little critters while at home or away.

1.  Luggage - Use luggage liners when away on trips to ensure bed bugs cannot hitch a ride back home with you at the end of the trip.    Inspect your hotel room or home away from home while leaving your belongings outside. This way if you do find something your items are bug free.  If you suspect that your luggage is carrying more than just your clothes and belongings, keep your suitcase and bags isolated and away from your bedroom on your return home, and have it checked by a professional immediately!

2. Second hand furniture - Check the location it has come from for bed bugs before accepting it and ensure that the items are thoroughly inspected by an appropriate expert before being placed in your home or business.  Bed bugs love to hide in boxsprings, headboard and baseboard areas, couches and chairs, nightstands, walls and ceilings, and even in curtain rods.

3.  Be vigilant at home - Even if you are not travelling, it is best to ensure that all areas at high risk from bed bugs are checked on a regular basis (mattresses, sofas, luggage, etc.).There are plenty of products on the market to assist you in getting rid of these pests so that you do not have to constantly check for them.

4.  Hygiene - Regular cleaning and vacuuming with a vacuum with a bag – so the contents can be disposed of safely – should be undertaken.

5. Mattress and Linen-Use a mattress with an encasement product so that bugs cannot penetrate the seams.  Store linen in a bed bug unfriendly area. Use a bed bug proof linen bag within or instead of your laundry bin.  Ensure used linen is stored away from the clean linen.  Hot wash and dry linen that you suspect may contain bed bugs (bear in mind your washing instructions though!)

Happy cleaning and happy travels!

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Roomy and fully loaded with features…I fell IN LOVE with this vehicle.

Three rows of seating made for the most comfortable driving experience EVER!  This was the one time I fought with my husband over who was going to drive.

Bluetooth connectivity and touch screen radio made the experience all the more enjoyable!

The overhead entertainment system kept my children busy and quiet.

The trunk space made my grocery-run easier.

I have owned two SUVs, and none of them have the head room and space of the Buick Enclave, especially in the front seats.  Having three small children, two of which are in car seats, gave them all the space they needed and more.  Needless to say we were all a little (okay a lot) upset when this beauty had to leave us.  I have been talking about this Buick ever since and am considering it for our next vehicle.  Our family has gotten larger, and we need a roomier ride.

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In European waters there’s a superb range of holidays, and this is where you’ll find some of the best value family breaks on the market. Locations that are close to home such as Spain and Portugal often represent great prices, but it’s not all about distance. You can find fantastic deals in locations that are further afield such as Tunisia and Egypt, and if you can spare a little time to compare prices, you can often snap up a cheeky bargain.

Let’s say you’re after cheap Malta holidays. This is a traditional holiday favourite and while it’s not typically an expensive destination, you can help to bring the prices down by searching for tour operators’ deals and discounts. Sometimes, holiday companies advertise special offers on specific destinations or seasons, such as early bird deals on next year’s holidays.

You can also bag a bargain by searching for last minute departures, and this usually applies to package holidays all over the world. If you’re hoping to venture further afield, this can be a great way of keeping the costs down. Whether you’re after cheap holidays to Florida or cut-price breaks in the Caribbean, it’s well worth checking out the holidays departing within the next few weeks to see how the prices compare.

Then all that’s left to do is pack your bags, dig out the passports and jet off to find a new family holiday favorite…

Sponsored post by Catherine Lavinia

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1. Sanitize everything!  One of the first ways to ruin a vacation together is catching a cold on the plane.  Carry antibacterial wipes and wipe down every surface you may touch on the plane.  Wipe the belt buckle, food tray and latch, volume control, and armrests.  The airline crew cannot clean all these surfaces between flights which can harbor contagious viruses and bacteria.

2.  Wash your hands- especially before touching your own or a loved one’s eyes, nose or mouth.  When travelling, it is impossible to avoid contact with surfaces that many others may have touched.  To avoid those bugs contaminating your family, wash your hands.

3.  Be proactive-  On family vacations with everyone close together, take Cold-EEZE at the first sign of a cold to shorten the duration, minimizing the amount of time you are sick to better enjoy your vacation.  Cold-EEZE zinc lozenges have been found to decrease the duration of colds by nearly half in studies by Dartmouth Medical Centerand the Cleveland Clinic.  Also, by shortening your cold, it minimizes the chances of spreading the cold onto your family members.

4.  Be prepared- Carry medications with you to minimize the impact of a cold or illness so you can all still enjoy your trip.  Useful medications include analgesia like Tylenol or allergy medications for adults and children.  Adults may also want to have some decongestants handy just in case.

5.  Be healthy-  Good hydration, good nutrition and exercise go a long way to giving the body the support it needs to stay strong.

photo credit: foxnews.com

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