A family vacation to New York is rife with possibilities. Not everything about New York City is kid friendly, but if you know where to look, a visit to NYC can be a rich experience for visitors of any age.

DECIDING WHAT TO SEE

My kids are very much into museums, mostly because they love Indiana Jones. I recommend a New York Sightseeing Pass which allows you to pay a flat daily rate to gain admission into over 40 NYC attractions, including the American Natural History Museum, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, Paley Museum of Television and Radio, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many many more attractions!

You can totally sightsee until you drop with the New York Sightseeing Pass, hitting as many attractions as you can manage before the pass expires at midnight.

If you need inspiration, MommyPoppins.com has a list of 100 Things to Do in NYC with Kids Before They Grow Up that might be a good starting point. MommyPoppins.com also has heaps of recommendations for current events and year-round kid friendly New York.

Macaroni Kid also has the skinny on kid-centric events each week. Check the Mac Kid closest to your NYC base and see what you can find in Downtown, East Bronx, Manhattan- East Side, and Upper West Side.

Do your children have energy to burn after a few hours of sightseeing? Locate a playground near you at http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/playgrounds/ . Park your bum on a bench, sip a coffee drink, and let your kids run themselves ragged.

Playground listings are organized by area, and handicap accessibility is noted.

EATING

New York City has a restaurant in every kid of culinary genre imaginable. Personally, with my two active youngsters, I try to avoid mid to high-end restaurants. I don’t want to nag them silly reminding them to be still and quiet, all while receiving the stink-eye from childless patrons.

The good news is there are plenty of take away options, food trucks you can hit up for a picnic options, and even some kid-friendly restaurants.

New York Magazine has a comprehensive listing of kid friendly dining options in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.

WHERE TO STAY

Hotels in NYC are notoriously small and pricey. Opting for a home rental instead of a traditional hotel will give you the benefit of a kitchen, laundry facilities, and more room for your family to spread out and recharge after an active day in the city.

Search HomeAway.com to find a home rental for your New York vacation.

TRANSPORTATION

Are your kids under 44 inches tall? If so, up to 3 of them can ride the NYC subway for free with one paying adult. Huzzah!

Word to the wise: if you have an infant, opt for a carrier rather than a stroller. Not all subways are stroller-friendly.

HomeAway offers the world’s largest selection of vacation home rentals that provide travelers with memorable vacation experiences and benefits, including more room to relax and added privacy, for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations. Make memories where you stay, not just where you go. HomeAway.com - let’s stay together.

To enter, ‘like’ Ronco at facebook.com/roncopasta and submit your favorite photo with pasta, including a caption that fills in the blank, “Somewhere in America, home is…”

You’ll be entered to win weekly prizes, and one grand prize winner gets a Kindle Fire!

More information and official rules can be found at Facebook page.

I grew up eating pasta several times a week, so pasta does feel like a “home” meal to me.

Now, as an adult with a dairy allergy, I am getting creative so that I can still enjoy Italian style indulgencies without dairy.

Tofutti has a wealth of milk free “dairy” products from ice cream, to cream cheese, and now new Better Ricotta Cheese, all made from tofu instead of milk.

Tofutti products are vegan and gluten free. You go, Tofutti!

Thank you for making the lives of vegans and dairy allergy sufferers WAY more delicious.

This is how I plan to enjoy my Better Ricotta Cheese:

The Popcorn Factory wants to give three MomMostTraveled readers a very special, limited edition, Love Ya gift!

It is a heart shaped popcorn ball and a discount code for 20% off your order. I dunno if the chocolates are part of the deal.

Visit the Popcorn Factory on Facebook and check out this perfectly “corny” video!

First three comments each get the gift! U.S.A shipping addresses only! Comments might go to moderation. The first 3 comments win. DO IT!

It didn’t matter what I was or wasn’t doing. People want to know: what do white people eat? What does the foreigner buy at the store?

What does a white person’s nipple look like (long story…)?

But in America, TheMerica, The Land of the Free….we don’t stare at people.

It isn’t cool. You just don’t do it.

At the very least, you don’t get CAUGHT doing it.

So when I ride the crowded subway, I make it a point to stare intently at no one. I pick a nice generic spot somewhere, maybe on an advert or on the floor, or out of the window to view the scenic interior of the subway tunnel.

But I notice that others do not adhere to the No Staring Even When There Is Nothing Else To Do protocol.

Almost every time I am on the subway, I can feel not one, but TWO people staring at me.

I try so hard to Go Invisible. I am one with the pole.

Their gazes create a triangle of awkwardness that encompasses my being and sucks the zen out of the subway car.

Because otherwise, subway cars are very zen. Generally speaking.

I don’t understand their leering ways.

Cheerios comes in a plethora of flavor options these days!

New to the Cheerios fam is Dulce de Leche Cheerios. with a hint of caramel flavor.

Dulce de Leche Cheerios is made with whole grain and 6 grams of sugar per serving.

I gave them a try with coconut milk, since I have a dairy allergy, but I think I prefer them dry. I use cereal mostly for snacking purposes.

You could also get creative and try these recipe ideas:

• Dulce de Leche Cheerios Snack Mix- combine pretzels, nuts, and other sweet treats with Dulce de Leche Cheerios for a sweet and salty munching mix with a crunch
• Dulce de Leche Popcorn Balls- Gooey popcorn balls that melt in your mouth as you bite into the caramel flavors
• Dulce de Leche No Bake Snack Bars- Hearty bars with bits of fruit and nut for on-the-go snacking
• Dulce de Leche Apple Bread- A hint of caramel paired with refreshing apple flavors that is perfect for any time of day
• Dulce de Leche Cheerios Parfait- Jazz up your yogurt with Dulce de Leche Cheerios and fresh fruit
• Dulce de Leche No Bake Cheesecake- Make your own crust for this rich cheese cake using Dulce de Leche Cheerios

I got a Dulce de Leche Cheerios prize pack that I totally love! It contained a Box of Dulce de Leche Cheerios, an Orange polka dot cereal bowl, a cereal spoon, and a Dulce de leche scented candle.

I have a prize pack to give away, too!

Keep an eye on the Mom Most Traveled facebook fan page for your chance to win!

Also visit Cheerios on Facebook!

“Disclosure: The new Dulce de Leche Cheerios information, product, and prize pack have been provided free of charge by Cheerios and General Mills, through MyBlogSpark.”

So imagine my delight when I learned that Tide Coldwater existed! It is detergent specially formulated for use in cold water!

WhaPOW!

You can use Tide Coldwater on all your laundry - stains, bright colors, and whites.

Through SheSpeaks review program, I was given a full sized bottle of Tide Coldwater to try.

Since I am pro-cold-water-washing in the first place, I feel super special to use Tide Coldwater. I don’t have to worry about it not dissolving or being activated properly, and it smells magically delicious.

I am happy that Tide Coldwater came into my life.

Tide Coldwater is part of Proctor & Gamble’s family of “Future Friendly” products. By using cold water on your laundry you can save energy, and save money, too.

I like that SunRidge Farms products are available in bulk, which means less cost and less waste in packaging.

SunRidge Farms has a commitment to natural ingredient sourcing, and provides nutritious products that are free of unhealthy refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, artificial colorings and preservatives.

All SunRidge Farms’ products are manufactured in a facility that is powered by 70 percent solar energy at peak usage, making these products eco-friendly AND magically delicious.

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Wacky Apple features an array of certified organic apple juices and sauces that stretch from straight-ahead apple to versions blended with organic cinnamon, apricot, cherry, berry and mango fruits.

Wacky Apple also makes a line of organic pocket-ready “flat fruits.”

The Wacky Apple Line is a unique entry into the rapidly growing organic foods trade.

In addition to being certified organic, kosher and free from pesticides, Wacky Apple items are naturally higher in fiber and vitamin C. Why? They include the healthy apple peel typically removed in products made with non-organic apples. Wacky apples are also naturally sweeter thanks to the chilled air that floods down from the Rocky Mountains each night.

Yums.

The Simple Diet: A Doctor’s Science-Based Plan has been clinically proven to be more effective than the Zone diet, the Ornish diet, and the Atkins diet.

Dr. James W. Anderson is a Professor of Medicine and Clinical Nutritionist at the University of Kentucky, and his science based method is simple, effective, and inexpensive.

By taking advantage of easily found meal replacements to supplement daily fresh fruits and vegetables, he has created a total meal plan that can be bought at the supermarket for an average cost of $61 per week!

The Simple Diet: A Doctor’s Science-Based Plan includes comprehensive recommendations for frozen meals and snacks from brands like Lean Cuisine, Slim-Fast and Banquet, recipes for fresh homemade shakes and smoothies, guidelines for a healthy mix of meal replacements and whole foods, suggestions for eating out at restaurants without derailing progress, and worksheets to chart your progress.

Stay on a budget even cheaper than fast food!

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Phil and Amy Parham, contestants from NBC’s The Biggest Loser: Families, season six, offer a solution for parents in their new book, The Amazing Fitness Adventure for Your Kids: 90 Days to Raising Healthy Children.

Using principles and practices they’ve used successfully in their own family, Phil and Amy equip parents with the tools they need to help their children become healthier and happier.

The Amazing Fitness Adventure for Your Kids: 90 Days to Raising Healthy Children is about raising fit kids and sharing a healthy lifestyle together for a more closely knit family.

The guide is both inspirational and easy-to-follow.

So I’m sharing this with you, in case you know nothing about soccer, you can have something to get excited about. Eye candy.

Obviously the sexiest:

1). Barcelona.

These uniforms are like Chuck Norris. Each one is made from like 15 recycled bottles, so when they make a jersey, the earth rejoices.

Black (away), Red/Blue (home), Yellow (practice)

2.) Sevilla

What can I say, I’m a purist.

Clean and not spammy. I also dig a v-neck.

3.) Juventus. I wanna take your pic-cha!

Dishonorable mention:

1) Getafe: Um. Your athletic shirt says “Burger King” quite giantly in the center. Gross!

Not even in an ironic or hipster sense.

2) Real Betis: NO ALIBI!

Kit so ugly, they mama slapped theySELF.

3) Marseille, say what!?

1992 nightmare.

I’m don’t eat meat, and I developed a dairy allergy after my second pregnancy. I think A LOT about what nutrients I might be lacking in my daily diet.

Centrum is part of a new website called NutritionPossible.com that offers trusted information from health sources, nutrition experts AND guided information through a unique self-assessment tool – for free!

The new ProNutrients line includes different products, including Omega-3, Probiotic and Fruit & Veggie supplements, each offering a different health benefit.

• ProNutrients™ Omega-3 goes beyond heart health to also support your brain and eyes.* It comes in an ultra-concentrated MiniGel, which is smaller than most other brands, so it’s easy to swallow.
• ProNutrients™ Probiotic goes beyond digestive balance to also support healthy immune function.* It’s designed in a powder form with probiotics that arrive active and ready to work. The flavorless powder easily dissolves into any cool food or beverage like smoothies, yogurt or cereal.
• ProNutrients™ Fruit & Veggie MiniTabs harness the power equal to a serving of a blend of fruits and vegetables and is 100 percent naturally sourced from grapes, blueberries, raspberries, plums, carrots and tomatoes.
  

I was sent a package of ProNutrients™ Omega-3, ProNutrients™ Fruit & Veggie, and ProNutrients™ Probiotic.

I was also sent a Centrum Specialist™ product! I got Centrum Specialist™ Energy. Centrum Specialist is a new line of enhanced multivitamins that is aimed at specific health priorities adults want to target.

These supplements are easy to add to your daily routine. Personally I make smoothies quite often, so its no problem to add a little tasteless powder to the mix for an extra boost of nutrients.

POP QUIZ!

Which gives you the same amount of omega-3 fatty acids as one serving of ProNutrients Omega-3 supplement? 
A.                  34 ½ cooked shrimp
B.                  1 palm size portion of fish
C.                  A can of tuna
D.                  5 oysters

How many active probiotic cultures does ProNutrients Probiotic have per serving?
A.                  100 thousand
B.                  2 billion
C.                  1 trillion
D.                  1 million

Which fruit or vegetable is not a part of the ProNutrients Fruit & Veggie formula?
A.                  Banana
B.                  Tomato
C.                  Blueberry
D.                  Plum

I took the assessment on NutritionPossible.com and learned that I need to eat more beans and dairy. It also recommended some supplements for me to take, and gave me a $10 off coupon!

Take the assessment on NutritionPossible.com, and share something you didn’t know you were lacking.

I am participating in a Centrum ProNutrients campaign hosted by One2One Network. I received nutritional product and compensation. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims about Centrum ProNutrients as a product or it’s effectiveness.

Ford flew myself and many, many (147) other bloggers out for their media preview event before the North American International Auto Show.

There were many different flavors of bloggers - auto bloggers (@tunedtech); urbanism and design bloggers (@inhabitat; @underworldmagz); and social media professionals (@fatih_gunar) from all over the world - the US, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Turkey, and other nations were represented.

The big news from Ford was their unveiling of the newest iteration of the Ford Fusion.

It’s a mid-size Sedan, and it’s success is very important because it’s the largest automobile market.

Unlike the 1970’s and 80’s when US automakers continually produced putrid watertrash and were getting creamed by Japanese manufacturers, today American cars are totally competitive with the imports like the venerable Civic, Accord, Camry, et al.

The Fusion was introduced in 2005 and essentially replaced the Ford Taurus - a vehicle which we were told by various Ford exec’s “saved the company” with it’s success in the late 1980’s.

The 2013 edition of the Fusion represents the “2nd generation” of the model and is more than just a year-to-year tweaking of style and engine specs. Ford has begun to make many of its cars on a identical “platforms”, which the Fusion shares with the Ford Fiesta, Focus, and Mondeo; it’s related to Ford’s “One Ford” concept where they are trying to unify their various units across the corporation.

Some of the main features are Ford MyTouch (fascist child-rearing techniques whereby parents can limit the car to whatever speed they like when the kid is driving), Lane Assist (so you can fall asleep at the wheel safely), and a voice system where you can blather like an idiot and the system will tell you where the nearest starbucks is. It can bluetooth with your phone and stuff, I guess that’s nice.

More interesting to me were the engine options. They’re offering both a traditional gas/combustion option; a battery-hybrid, and plug-in electric hybrid engine option.

With their EcoBoost on the gas engine, they get a pretty good 37 mpg on the highway. The regular hybrid is a bit better and gets 47 mpg; but the plug-in electric version gets an excellent 100 mpg “equivalent”.

Traditional hybrids recharge batteries using excess energy from a gasoline engine and during braking, so that all electric energy is ultimately gas-powered.

Plug-in hybrids recharge their batteries from the electricity grid which is why the are so much more gas efficient. Personally, I think 100mpge (miles-per-gallon equivalent) is transformative and given time to permeate the market, will drastically reduce auto-based emissions over the next 20 or 30 years.

The 2013 Focus is the first production vehicle to offer all 3 engine options standard and except for a small exterior badge, the vehicles are identical in trim, options, and appearance. This should be common for all 2014 models in my opinion.

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This is a guest post by Manzell Blakeley.

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