How to Help Kids Remember Travel

Occasionally I'll read articles by or about naysayers when it comes to family travel. One of their biggest arguments against traveling with young kids is that these children will never remember the experience, thus making it not worth the effort or the cost. I find this logic really faulty for a few reasons:

• Remembering a trip isn't the point. I love traveling with young kids in part because it teaches them flexibility, patience, diversity, proper behavior on airplanes, in restaurants, how to sleep away from home, etc. They may not remember the specifics, but these lessons become ingrained in them at a young age via travel. And hopefully, we'll reap the rewards as they get a bit older. 
• Important time together as a family. When my husband has time off and we decide to stay home, we inevitably get caught up in projects or chores around the house. When we travel, we simply spend time together away from those distractions, enjoying one another and our surroundings.

• YOU will remember it. Someday the Arrows will grow up and leave our nest. I hope that in 20 years I'll be sitting on a beach with my husband, enjoying retirement, and reminiscing about watching our boys splashing in the water as babies.
• My experience shows that young kids often DO remember trips!

With the exception of trips we took before he turned 2, Big Arrow (now 3 1/2) remembers and frequently talks about all of our vacations and many outings we take. Sometimes he'll comment on something that to me was completely insignificant, months and months after we return home, like what color train we took in Boston or that time we let him take his shoes off at a restaurant.

I'm sure he doesn't remember everything, and he may end up recalling very little by the time he's older, but seriously, who cares?

But if you DO care, here are a few ways we keep the memory of vacations and adventures alive in our boys:

1. Read books. This doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money on a book about every destination (although they'd make great gifts or souvenirs). We check out books from the library, or we read general books that have an element related to where we're going or where we've been.

A few recommendations:

• 1001 Things to Spot on Vacation: We've gotten a lot of mileage out of this book because it covers so many different types of trips. Plus, it's a great one for planes or car rides because there is an interaction component to it. It's like the Where's Waldo of travel.
• A series of board books called Good Night Our World. These location-specific books cover everything from Martha's Vineyard to San Francisco.* (Kudos to a loyal ASF reader for starting us on these with the San Francisco book!)
• Jessica at Suitcases and Sippy Cups recommends the Toot and Puddle* stories. I've seen the show a few times and it is really cute.
• Colleen from Travel Mamas suggested the Madeline books, the Curious George books* (I second that!), and also recommends Barefoot Books for a good selection of multicultural books.
• Crystal from Naked Salsa said her 3-year-old daughter loves Biscuit's First Trip.* Big Arrow really enjoys the Biscuit books he has.
• A fellow travel mama and ASF Facebook fan suggests Angela's Airplane.*

2. Play pretend. I'm always catching Big Arrow deep in an imaginary storyline with a plot that I can barely follow. Often his imagination takes him somewhere we've been before or recalls a particular event we went to. When I caught him "playing zoo" with Little Arrow a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist capturing it on video. He got a little silly when he realized I was filming, naturally. But bonus points for the creative use of a baby gate!



If your kids need a little encouragement when it comes to make-believe, you could think about where you've traveled lately. Perhaps a pretend trip to the museum or an imaginary airplane ride!

3. Pictures and video. Maybe it's just my kid, but Big Arrow is obsessed with seeing himself, whether it is in pictures or video. (In fact, he's asked to watch that zoo video about 30 times.) This is a great way to keep those memories fresh. You could even make small photo books for them to flip through after a big trip and display photos in their bedroom.

4. Just talk about it. Sometimes when we have time to kill (often in the car), I'll ask Big Arrow what he remembers about a vacation. Or what his favorite part was. Or what he didn't like. (This is often pretty funny, actually.)


I don't do these things with my kids because I'm desperate for them to remember our travels or because I'm super mom. Like I said, I don't really care. I see enough benefits to traveling when they're young to do it anyway. I just happen to love travel, so reading vacation books instead of another Elmo one or talking about our favorite museums while driving home from preschool is just fun for me (and hopefully them).


This post is a part of Travel Tips Tuesday at Suitcases and Sippy Cups and Walking on Travels.


*Affiliate links.

Career Exploration Via Family Travel

Last Labor Day, I put together a little photo compilation of some fun and important people who work hard to make vacations and outings more fun. This year, I thought I'd show off some occupations Big Arrow has been able to try out because of our adventures.

Like a firefighter (via the Chicago Children's Museum).

Or a paleontologist (via the Children's Museum of Indianapolis).

Gas station attendant (via the Boston Children's Museum).

We even trusted him to be our boat captain during our week on Saginaw Bay in Pinconning, Michigan this summer.

As for Little Arrow, the world got a lot bigger for him this week... he started crawling. If you're wondering why I'm not blogging much, it involves vacuuming and keeping small particles out of his mouth.

Happy Labor Day! Enjoy this last blast of summer. Speaking of our trip to Pinconning, next week I'm going to write a bit about some tasty food from that area of Michigan. Check back if you love cheese!

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom?

Tips for Finding Nature While on Vacation

This is my third in a series of posts for Nature Rocks, a wonderful movement that encourages families to spend more time outdoors connecting with nature. It's an idea that my family tries to live out each and every day. Next week, I'm their featured ambassador, so Nature Rocks will be posting some of my tips for enjoying time outside with kids, and I'll be posting more detailed posts that correspond with each tip.
Read posts from earlier this week here:

• Tips for Making Backyard Play More Fun
• Tips for Connecting with Nature in your Neighborhood

Today's tip is to include nature in your family vacations.

There are some destinations that lend themselves to spending a bulk of your time outside. Hawaii, for instance. But even urban getaways or cold climates offer plenty of outdoor exploration opportunities.

Here are a few reasons we love to spend time outdoors while traveling:

• It's cheap. You've already spent an arm and a leg to get your family to a particular destination. Add up lodging, dining or other entertainment expenses, and your budget can go up in vacation smoke pretty quickly. But parks, beaches, gardens, etc., are often free or very low cost. And you can usually spend hours enjoying them. Pack a picnic and save on lunch or dinner!
• It's exciting. You have an opportunity to see animals, plants and landscapes that are unique to the part of the world where you're traveling. I can't take my eyes off the water whenever we visit the ocean or Lake Michigan. Probably because it's not something I get to look at everyday around home.
• It gets kids moving. We all know that kids, especially young ones, like to be on the move. And it can be exhausting chasing after them and trying to keep them on their best behavior when you're out and about on vacation. The beauty of the great outdoors is that they're free to roam and explore (within reason, of course).

Connecting with nature in Boston: Harbor Islands

Need a few ideas to get you going?

• Nearby local or state parks. When we visit St. Petersburg, Florida, for example, we naturally spend some time at the beach near our rental property. But we also always plan a visit to Fort DeSoto Park, one of the world's most beautiful and natural beaches. It's fun to show our kids the beach as nature intended it, not populated with high rises and jet skis.
• Try something new. Visiting a winter climate? Maybe you could try snow shoeing or skiing. Heading to a tropical destination? Snorkeling would be a fun and easy way to more thoroughly explore the ocean. In just about any location, you could go bird watching, geocaching, or hiking.
• Do a little research. If you're visiting a city, connecting with nature might require a little more homework. But you can almost always find an aboretum, botanical garden, zoo or urban park to put on your list of attractions. And breathing in some fresh air in the middle of a city will do everyone some good. Ask for recommendations, look at blogs, or connect with the tourism bureau.
• Dine al fresco. My kids are always much happier when they're outside. So whenever possible, we choose restaurants with outdoor patios or seating areas. This typically means less entertaining that the adults have to do. And if our baby does get fussy, one of us can just take him on quick little walk around the block.
• Camp! I'll be writing more about camping later this week, so check back!

Connecting with nature in Tampa: Lowry Park Zoo

Other Resources:
If you're interested in more ideas about finding nature while on vacation, you might enjoy this article by Colleen of Travel Mamas: Vacation that connect kids with nature

And I wrote this post about Nature on Vacation last year.

How do you include nature in your vacation plans? Please leave a comment!

Next up: Tomorrow I'll be posting about baby and toddler carriers. You might need one for your nature-filled travels!

Bella Luna in Jamaica Plain

Last weekend we had some amazing deep dish pizza in Chicago and I got to thinking about the many pizzas I've enjoyed around the world. It seems anytime I'm in a place for more than just a few days I end up eating pizza. Normally you think of cities like Chicago, New York and even Rome for some great, signature pizza, but one of my favorites was in Boston. I love when I can associate a great food experience with a great vacation memory, and this is one of those.

On our first night in the city, we were all pretty tired from our travels to get there. We wanted dinner someplace casual, comfortable and not far from our HomeAway rental property in Jamaica Plain. The homeowners we rented from recommended Bella Luna, a restaurant near the Sam Adams Brewery.

This is a place where you'll find what I call "fancy" pizzas. Not the greasy, cheesy slices you might normally order (but make no mistake, I'm a huge fan of those as well). Interesting toppings and unique flavor combinations are the rule at Bella Luna. We did a mix of light and heavy.

The Lover's Lane was sort of like a delicious salad on top of your pizza. Arugula, red onion, tomatoes, and my personal favorite, goat cheese. Very flavorful.

And I can't remember what this bad boy was called, since I no longer see it on the menu (note to self: maybe you should write about restaurants within six months of eating there). But it had ricotta cheese and bacon. Needless to say, it was our "heavy" pizza, emphasis on delicious.

But my favorite part of dining at Bella Luna was the company and the atmosphere. Some of my favorite people on a warm summer evening, kick starting a great vacation. So while I may forget what we ordered, I won't soon forget the memory of eating there. Don't you just want to pull up a chair, order a cold beer, and join us? Big Arrow would probably color you a picture.

If You Visit:
Bella Luna Restaurant
284 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA
Opens at 5 p.m. Sunday-Friday, 11 a.m. on Saturday
Insider Tip: If, like mine, your kids don't like pizza, there are other options on the kid's menu. (Big Arrow better warm up to pizza soon or he's really going to miss out on one of the world's greatest foods!)

Read our Boston Trip Report for more information on our time in this great city.

Next week, I'm sharing another great pizza memory from a recent road trip through the Midwest. This one is much more of the big, greasy slice variety... mmmmm...

Check out what other food-loving travelers are dishing up at Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust & Lipstick.

Look down.

About a year ago, I did a Photo Friday post with pictures I took while looking up. This time around, I thought I'd share a few snapshots from times I've looked down. (Well... sort of. No one wants to see a bunch of pictures of my feet, right?) Enjoy!

Looking down at the red bricks that mark the path of the Freedom Trail during our trip to Boston last summer.

Big Arrow spinning down a slide at a playground in Redington Beach, Florida, during our trip to St. Pete last February.

Taking in a holiday performance by a local school group when we visited the Indiana State Museum in December.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Redington Beach on Dwellable

Support Passports with Purpose

A while back, when I was a full-time working gal at a startup nonprofit, my boss encouraged me to read a book that he loved: Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood.* It is the true story of a former Microsoft executive who left the corporate world behind to change the world, one library and donated book at a time. Inspired by his travels to third world countries and burnt out from the 9 to 5 grind, he started a nonprofit called Room to Read that does just that: builds libraries from the ground up in some of the world's poorest communities. The experience, cooperation, and resulting educational resource changes these villages forever.

So what does this have to do with Arrows Sent Forth? I'm one of the many travel blogs supporting a program called Passports with Purpose, where we encourage donations with the ultimate goal of building two Room to Read libraries in Zambia. I participated in Passports with Purpose in 2010 also, and well over $50,000 was raised to build a village in India.

What's really fun about this fundraiser is that with each $10 donation, you can choose a particular prize to be entered to win. There are more than 88 prizes to choose from, ranging in worth from $100 to $4,200. Here are a few of my favorites:

• A $1,000 voucher to HomeAway: I'm a lover of rental properties when traveling, and I've used HomeAway many times. I also won a trip to Boston through a blogging contest they sponsored. It's a very reputable company with properties in just about every vacation spot you can imagine.
• Buckeye Lodging Package for Two: a 2-night stay at any Ohio State Park Lodge, including breakfast, dinner and gift shop credit. I've stayed at several Indiana State Park Inns and have always enjoyed that experience. I'd love to explore my neighbor to the east just a bit more with this prize.
• 2-Night Stay at the Affinia Hotel Manhattan: I really want to take my kids to New York, it's my favorite American city. But the cost of overnight lodging has kept us from booking a trip. Problem solved if we were to win this!
• 3-Night Stay for a Family of 4 at Beaches in Jamaica: I went to Jamaica on my honeymoon and would love to return with the whole family.

Click here to see the full list of Passports with Purpose prizes.

A much younger Big Arrow plays at our local library.

I'm a lover of libraries. Big Arrow and I visit our local library just about every week. He loves story hour and devours the books we bring home with us. I can't wait to introduce Little Arrow to such an amazing place. I can't imagine a world without libraries and books, but for so many people around the world, something as simple as a shelf of books is an inaccessible luxury. By supporting Passports with Purpose, you can do your part to change that for two communities in Zambia.

You must donate by December 16 in order to be entered into the prize drawings!

 
*Links to my Amazon Affiliate account. A small portion of any sales made through this link will come back to support this blog, but this does not in any way increase the cost of purchase for you.

Hood Milk Bottle at the Boston Children's Museum

Can you imagine leaving this enormous bottle of milk out for Santa in a few weeks?

Since it could hold more than 60,000 gallons of milk, you'd have to make quite a few batches of cookies to go with it!


The Hood Milk Bottle serves lunch and ice cream outside of the Boston Children's Museum during warm months only. Read more about our visit to the Boston Children's Museum and our five days in Boston.

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick.

Running around Harvard

I love visiting a beautiful college campus. We've taken The Arrow to Notre Dame, my husband's alma mater, and Butler, my alma mater. So while in Boston, we couldn't resist taking him to Harvard. We didn't have anything particular planned for a visit here, and it started to rain a little.

But The Arrow didn't let that slow him down one bit.

Luckily Dad caught up with him.

And gave him a bird's eye view of campus.

Maybe The Arrow will be accepted to Harvard on his own merits somday. If not, he looked for ways to sneak his way in.

Before running wild through campus, we started our Harvard visit with dinner at The Border Cafe and ended with ice cream in Harvard Square. If you'd like to read more about visiting Boston with a 2-year-old, you can read my full trip report.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Memories from Boston: Riding the T

Last week a big military plane flew overhead as The Arrow and I were stopped at a stoplight. I asked him where he thought the plane was going, and he immediately yelled "Boston!" from the backseat. I love that he's finally reaching the age where he remembers big events like our trip to Boston this summer.

If you ask him what he remembers about Boston, the first thing The Arrow will give you a full report on is the "orange train." Our rental house in Jamaica Plain was a few blocks from the orange line of the MBTA, Boston's main public transportation system. For a suburban kid, riding a subway was a pretty grand experience.

I've already written about why I think train travel is so great for getting from one city to another with a toddler. But getting around one city is pretty awesome, too. We actually had time to talk to each other, spend time as a family, tell The Arrow about the things he'd be seeing when we reached our stop, etc. Plus, we didn't worry about traffic, navigation or parking in a particularly un-car-friendly city, nor did we have to drag a car seat on the plane or rent one.

I was glad he got to add another train to his list of transportation memories, much like the TECO streetcars in Tampa. There are many other modes of transportation that I hope we get to take The Arrow on in the coming years: Chicago's "L," New York City's subway, Paris' Metro, London's Tube and double decker buses, San Francisco's trolleys...

(Perhaps my sister will leave a comment sharing with all of you the time she and I got separated on the Paris Metro during a high school trip to France... fortunately I've become a little more savvy about these things in the last 15 years!)

Insider Tip:
If you're taking public transportation directly from Logan Airport in Boston, I recommend buying your T tickets at one of the kiosks near baggage claim at the airport (pictured below). There were long lines to get tickets at the T station itself and we got to walk right by since I had already bought tickets while we were waiting around for our bags.

My husband describes this picture as "that time you abandoned our kid in a busy airport just to get a photo for your blog."

This post is a part of Mondays are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips.

Playgrounds Put the Play in Vacation

If you're the parent of a two-year-old, then spending time at your neighborhood playground is practically a weekly, if not daily, outing. It's not always my favorite way to spend time... sometimes it is downright boring to push a swing over and over again, it can be brutally hot in the summer, and I certainly don't enjoy the "it is time to go home now" battles. But even I will admit that it can be a great time-killer and energy-burner.

But when we're on vacation? I always love finding a good playground. There's a certain element of discovery (not just in tracking down the location itself, but The Arrow loves exploring some new equipment).

Playgrounds with palm trees in Florida

Sometimes the scenery itself is gorgeous, like this playground that bordered the ocean in North Redington Beach, Florida. Being from Indaina, we don't often play under the shade of palm trees afterall. It was a perfect place to let The Arrow get the wiggles out before we sat down to a nice dinner during our trip to Tampa/St. Petersburg.

Pitstop playground in Peoria

A roadside playground can be a lifesaver on a long road trip. Some fresh air and lots of body movement opportunities! This playground in Peoria, Illinois was attached to a Joe's Crab Shack right on the riverfront area. At the halfway point on our drive from Indiana to Iowa City, we all needed a little break.

Playtime Boston-style

Our Boston trip was jam-packed with sightseeing, which often meant The Arrow was confined to a stroller or sitting still on the T. The playground in Southwest Corridor Park just outside our Jamaica Plain rental house was such a great way for him to burn off steam.

Swinging in South Haven

We've even celebrated some "firsts" while checking out playgrounds on vacation. When we ran out of baby toys to entertain then six-month old Arrow during our first family vacation in South Haven, Michigan, we ventured to the park and he got to experience the thrill of his first time on the swings. He may have been wee bit too small for it, but it was love at first sight, as he's still swinging to this day!

Sometimes unique playgrounds can be destinations themselves, especially combined with a short day trip somewhere close to home. I've profiled a couple of favorites at Visit Indiana:

• Playscape Playground at Danville's Ellis Park (Danville, Indiana)
• Freedom Field: Where Everyone Can Play (Columbus, Indiana)

Resources for finding playgrounds while traveling:

• KaBOOM!'s Playground Finder
• Delicious Baby's Tips for Finding Playgrounds While Traveling

So if you find your kids are getting a little cranky on a trip, ask yourself if you've incorporated enough play. And then hit the local park or recreation area and let them loose for an hour or two! You may even get a feel for what it's truly like to live in the area you're visiting by talking with some local moms and dads.

Any favorite playground memories from your travels? Please share them in the comments!

This post is a part of Things I Love Thursday at Diaper Diaries.

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Swan Boat Rides in Boston

Prior to heading to Boston this summer, I checked out the famous children's book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey* from our library. I was hoping it would be a simple way to introduce the city and some of the sites to The Arrow before arriving. (If you're not familiar with the story, it's about a family of ducks who settle in the Boston Commons.) Alas, while he is a voracious reader, he never really took to the book and hardly glanced at it in the weeks preceding our trip. Not a total loss, though. I loved it and flipped through it several times before I returned it.

That book, in combination with several blog friends' recommendations, put a swan boat ride in the Boston Public Garden at the top of my list of things I wanted to do while visiting the city. So on our first morning there, we made that our first stop.

We arrived right as it opened at 10 a.m. and only had to stand in line briefly. It gave us a chance to watch the first few boats depart.

Insider Tip: If you find yourself waiting in a long line for the boats, I'd tag-team the parenting. Have someone wait in line until you get close to the boat house, while the other runs around in the park with the kids.

The ride itself was a pleasurable 15 minutes or so. Just long enough to hold a toddler's attention without getting too wiggly.

The Gardens itself are a beautiful spot in the city and you get a pretty good glimpse of them throughout the boat ride. Even if you don't have kids, it's a pleasurable experience. At least, that's what I hope these two travel companions would say. (My poor brother and sister-in-law got dragged on all kinds of toddler adventures while we were in Boston.)

After taking a boat ride, you're only steps away from a carousel, playground and the Boston Common Frog Pond. We walked by these fun attractions, but they weren't open for the day yet. If you time your visit right, you could easily fill a morning or afternoon in this part of the city.

If You Visit:
Swan Boats
The Boston Public Garden is bound by Arlington, Boylston, Charles and Beacon Streets. The Green Line Arlington Station is the closest T stop.
$2.75 for adults, $1.50 for children 2-15.
The 2011 season has concluded. The swan boats will begin running again sometime in April of 2012.
Insider Tip: There's not really a good place to park a stroller. We had a cheap one with us, so we felt comfortable just folding it up and parking it near a bench while we rode the boat. If you're traveling with an expensive stroller, consider bringing a lock of some sort to protect it from theft.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Like what you see? Then "like" Arrows Sent Forth on Facebook! You might also enjoy my Boston Trip Report, chronicling our 5 days in the city.

*Links to my Amazon Affiliate account. A small portion of any sales made through these links will come back to support this blog, but this does not in any way increase the cost of purchase for you.

My Tips for Traveling While Pregnant

Whew... it's been a busy summer! I'm still unpacking from our last trip but thought I better write a post about traveling while pregnant while it's all still fresh in my mind. Because if there's one symptom of pregnancy that I suffer from thoroughly, it's forgetfulness!

1.) Timing. The bulk of our travels during this pregnancy have occurred during the blissful second trimester. When my energy was at its peak and sickness and discomfort were at a minimum. This means I haven't done a darn thing to get ready for Baby Arrow to arrive, but at least I have lots of fun memories!

2.) Snacks. I didn't experience this nearly as much with my first pregnancy, but this time around, I feel really lousy if I haven't had something to eat just about every two hours. Since that doesn't always correspond with a meal time, I have tried to plan accordingly by always carrying a small snack with me. A few of my favorites are Clif Bar Energy Bars,* Emerald Breakfast On The Go snack packs,* or just some crackers, an apple or banana. I even keep a few granola bars in my car for unexpected hunger attacks or traffic delays.

3.) Water. I'm so sick of drinking water, but I try to keep some with me at all times while I'm traveling. If you already have a small child, I definitely recommend investing in a cup holder for your stroller. This makes hydrating on the go much easier. I really like this Munchkin Stroller Insulated Cup Holder* because it fits on all our strollers. (Note: Unsnap it from the stroller before you gate check it if you're flying. Our holder snapped off in transit.)

Flying with a bump and a toddler

4.) Daily rest time. Fortunately (for so many reasons), The Arrow still takes an afternoon nap, even when we travel. While in the past, we've been content to let him do that in the car or stroller, during our travels this summer we made it a point to head back to our rental home or hotel so that I could have some R and R also. This really helped me to enjoy the evenings instead of feeling like I might collapse.

5.) Be active at home, too. I've been trying to either walk or bike daily when we're at home, in addition to my normal caring-for-a-2-year-old activity. It has helped me to keep up with my family on our adventures when we're away from home without my body going into total shock. I've been a lot more active this pregnancy than I was during my first, and I feel so much better for it. If the weather doesn't allow you to get out, then perhaps you can do a pregnancy workout from home. I recommend Prenatal Yoga by Shiva Rea* as a good, relaxing yet strength-building workout.

6.) Avoid the stairs. While ordinarily, I would never waste time seeking out an elevator just to avoid going up a couple of flights of stairs, I have done so lately. (I used The Arrow's stroller as an excuse, but I did this a lot when coming up from the T stations in Boston.) So many places are handicap accessible now, so I just keep an eye out for the wheelchair symbols or elevator signs. I think it saves me some physical exertion and helps me stay energetic for longer periods of time. (Or maybe I'm just lazy!)

7.) Build in a day of rest. It's not always possible, but we've tried to return home a day prior to my husband going back to work. This gives me a chance to rest when we get back, which I have found I really need. When my husband has returned to work the day after we get home, then I try to make sure The Arrow and I don't have much planned so that we can just chill out and rest. I find he needs this too, and we're all happier for it.

8.) Flip flops. This is not normally the footwear I recommend for traveling, especially if you're doing a lot of walking. But my feet tend to expand, swell, and just change rapidly throughout the day when it's hot, and quality flip flops have allowed that to happen in relative comfort. I really like the Teva Women's Olawahu* style.

9.) Invest in a few maternity dresses. Nothing fancy, I'm talking about cotton, summery sundresses (if you're traveling in the summer). I own a few, and they were great to take on trips. They took up less room in the suitcase and were much cooler because it was only one layer to deal with, instead of maternity top, shorts, camisole, etc.

10.) Baby Powder. I don't leave home without my Johnson's Baby Powder* (preferably in a travel size). I don't normally sweat much, but I do when I'm pregnant. My sister suggested baby powder and by applying it each morning in trouble spots before we head out to sightsee, hike, or whatever we have planned, I'm much more comfortable throughout the day. My apologies if this is a bit TMI.

Speaking of TMI, who has a suggestion for avoiding restroom breaks every 45 minutes on road trips? I became quite familiar with far too many exits on I-74 between Indiana and Iowa this weekend.

*Links to my Amazon Affiliate account. A small portion of any sales made through these links will come back to support this blog, but this does not in any way increase the cost of purchase for you.


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This post is a part of Top 10 Tuesday at Oh Amanda.

They Work Hard for the Money

In honor of the Labor Day holiday weekend, I thought I'd share some fun and interesting photos from unique jobs we've spotted while traveling.

Can you imagine cleaning this tank at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa?

I bet this dinosaur has both delighted and petrified many tiny visitors to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. (The Arrow had trouble deciding which emotion to go with.)

During our trip to Boston, this young man maneuvered our Swan Boat around the pond by pedaling. He claimed it's only a little harder than riding a bike, but with about 20 people on the boat, I'm not so sure I believe him.

And this grist mill operator at Spring Mill State Park knew so much about the fascinating history of the mill. I can't imagine giving a 20 minute speech while operating a 100+ year-old piece of equipment.

While my family is all play and no work during our travels, we sure do appreciate all the hard working folks who make our trips so much fun! Happy Labor Day!

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Countdown to Kindergarten at the Boston Children's Museum

The Arrow starts preschool next week and last night we went to his orientation. It's hard to believe that the beautiful newborn I brought home 2 1/2 years ago is ready for school (even if it is just one morning a week)! While I'm feeling nostalgic, I'm truly looking forward to a little time to myself, hopefully catching up on writing, errands, etc. And later this year it will give me some one-on-one time with Baby Arrow.

It also helps that, for many reasons, I'm confident he's going to love every minute of it.

One of those reasons? The fact that we had to tear him away from the Countdown to Kindergarten exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum. I can't blame him, look at all the fun he had.

A whole classroom to explore!

Puzzles we don't have at home!

Practicing my doodling skills!

In three years, I'll be sending him off on one of these:

You can read a complete review of our time at the Boston Children's Museum here. And our Boston Trip Report is here.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.
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Staying in Jamaica Plain While Visiting Boston

When I learned I had won the HomeAway Blog Away contest and we would be heading to Boston for the 4th of July, the trip was already less than two months away. Needless to say, many of the HomeAway properties in the city were already booked for that time period.

I soon narrowed our search down to ArtHouse in Jamaica Plain. I knew nothing about Jamaica Plain, but the house itself met our needs perfectly, so I took a chance and booked it.

Jamaica Plain

Jamaica Plain, photo courtesy of Wikipedia

The minute we arrived in Jamaica Plain I knew it was a perfect fit. It reminded us so much of our old neighborhood in downtown Indianapolis--lots of one and two family homes just a few inches apart from each other. It also had a diverse mix of people that we love.

Plus, we were just steps away from the Stony Brook T station, meaning we could be in downtown Boston in about 10-15 minutes. While my initial preference was to stay in the heart of the city, it was actually nice to escape it throughout the day, give The Arrow a little more room to play, and just relax a bit more than we might have otherwise.

We didn't rent a car, and we certainly didn't need one while staying in Jamaica Plain. We were just a few blocks from several grocery stores, restaurants, and other life necessities. Our favorite restaurant in Jamaica Plain was Bella Luna, which I'm sure I'll be writing about soon. Great spot for gourmet pizza, with a beautiful outdoor patio.

So Much To Do

We soon learned that Jamaica Plain is a destination in and of itself. The Sam Adams Brewery was just around the corner from ArtHouse. We tried to take the tour, but the last tour of the day on our last day of the trip was already sold out when we arrived (so book in advance or arrive early if it's on your list of things to see).

There's also Jamaica Pond, which is another attraction we didn't get around to visiting. The Franklin Park Zoo and Arnold Arboretum are both just short T rides (or long walks) away. In fact, if we would have had another day in Boston, I think we would have just spent it exploring this vibrant area.

Southwest Corridor Park near the Stony Brook T station

As it turns out, our favorite feature of Jamaica Plain was Southwest Corridor Park. It basically stretches from Back Bay to Forest Hills along the orange T line. A portion of the park was directly across the street from ArtHouse, making it incredibly convenient for our family. This section of the park featured a large, grassy space crying out for a picnic, a basketball court, a large playground and a small splash pad for cooling off. Needless to say, The Arrow insisted we make a lot of stops here as we walked to and from the T.

ArtHouse

The HomeAway rental property that we selected is called ArtHouse. It was a great two-bedroom, one-bath two-family home. We rented the first floor, while the owners live on the 2nd floor. This meant they were accessible and helpful to us if we needed anything, but yet we all had our own space and privacy.

It was decorated very nicely, was very bright and cheery, and overall, just a really comfortable and clean place to relax and rest our heads at night. Perhaps our favorite feature, although we didn't use it as much as we would have liked, was the backyard patio area. Very shady and serene, a perfect place to crack open a beer or have a glass of wine after a day of sightseeing.

Backyard patio at ArtHouse in Jamaica Plain

ArtHouse was ideal for staying in Boston with a toddler. The owners also have a young child, and we were greeted with several baskets of toys and books to entertain The Arrow during our stay. The small yard meant we had some extra space, and the proximity to the park just can't be beat.

There are many, many reasons I prefer rental properties over hotels when traveling, and ArtHouse was no exception.

Disclosure

One of the requirements of winning the HomeAway contest was that we would spend a portion of the prize money on a HomeAway rental property. HomeAway covered all of the expenses associated with renting ArtHouse. I was not required to write about our experience staying there, and all opinions are my own. If I were traveling to Boston on my own dime, I would definitely consider renting this property.

For more information on our time in Boston, read my Boston Trip Report.

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Kid-Friendly Restaurant in Cambridge: The Border Cafe

On our first full day in Boston, we ventured out to Cambridge in the evening. I love this area, mostly because I'm a sucker for cool college towns (and it really doesn't get "cooler" than the home of MIT and Harvard, does it?). But I hadn't really thought much about how I'd spend time there with a toddler until we stepped off the T into the heart of Harvard Square.

Luckily, the Around Boston with Kids book had suggested The Border Cafe as a good restaurant when visiting Cambridge with kids. So we headed straight there. I knew the minute we walked in it would be perfect for The Arrow. Why?

It was loud.

Nothing like a boisterous, busy restaurant to save parents from any embarassment caused by a fussy toddler. I never would have guessed in my kid-free days that loud restaurants would become a safe haven, but they are.

Fortunately, this wasn't the only thing The Border Cafe had going for it. The food was great too. Mostly Mexican fare, with a pinch of Cajun. Our group ordered an assortment of tacos, salads, and enchiladas and we were all pretty happy with our choices. The highlight, though, was the guacamole. Kudos to my brother in law for ordering some. I think it was the best guacamole I've ever had. (But be warned that I fall on the side of you-can-never-have-enough-cilantro.)

The Border Cafe doesn't have a designated kids menu at their Cambridge restaurant, but they were happy to make The Arrow a cheese quesadilla. Other benefits of eating here was the speedy service and a great, central location.

After a fun dinner at The Border Cafe, we walked over to Harvard's campus and let The Arrow run wild to burn off some steam. Who knows, maybe he'll end up here as a student some day. Every parent can dream!

Romping through Haaaaarvard, burning off that quesadilla.

If You Visit:
The Border Cafe
32 Church Street (Take the red line to Harvard Square.)
Cambridge, MA
Opens at 11 a.m. Monday-Saturday, noon on Sunday.
Most entrees are less than $10.
Insider Tip: I found my shrimp and crawfish caesar salad to be really spicy. If you're a wuss like me, I would ask them to tone it down a bit.

The Border Cafe has a few other locations in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Those locations appear to have children's menus.

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust & Lipstick.

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The Boston Children's Museum

Before our trip to Boston, I'm not sure that visiting a children's museum would rank very high on my list of things to do while on vacation. Don't get me wrong--I love a good children's museum. Visiting the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is one of my favorite day trips with the arrow. And we adore Kidscommons here in Columbus, Indiana as a great mid-week or bad weather boredom buster. But when I'm traveling, I prefer to see and do something completely unique to that locale, something we can't do where we live.

Boston Children's Museum

But after three busy days seeing some of the sights in Boston, most of which were probably more appealing to 30-somethings than 2-year-olds, we wanted to spend our last day doing something that the arrow would really enjoy. By now the high temps had me ruling out anything outdoors, and so we retreated to the cool and kid-focused Boston Children's Museum.

Here are some of my favorite aspects of the Boston Children's Museum:

• There was a real focus on everyday life in many of the exhibits. Sounds boring, right? Not to a toddler who has often watched his mom brush her hair but never had the chance to do it himself. (That's a mannequin, not me. Do you really think I'd let him come at me with a hair dryer?)



Boston Black exhibit at Boston Children's Museum

• It was actually pretty relaxing. The first area we visited was called PlaySpace, and it was ideal for families with babies and toddlers. There were plenty of benches and seating for adults to sit and watch their little ones play, as well as an entire padded area just for little crawlers. Because many of the exhibits throughout the museum are nearly completely enclosed, we didn't have to do much chasing or hand-holding: something we had done A LOT of in the days prior. We also parked our stroller in the museum lobby, and didn't find a need for it for the entire visit. We were ALL happy to get a break from the stroller!



PlaySpace at the Boston Children's Museum

• Since I now have traveling with two on the brain, I was particularly pleased to see an enclosed kitchen/relaxation area for those families with babies (also in the PlaySpace area). There were rocking chairs perfect for nursing, a microwave to heat up food, a high chair, etc. I can imagine more than one mom has breathed a sigh of relief when she saw this amenity.



Kitchen in the PlaySpace exhibit

• The arrow had a chance to explore interests. He has been really into musical instruments lately, something that as parents we want to encourage. Yet we don't have room in our budget (or in our house) to purchase gobs and gobs of new toys. At the Boston Children's Museum, he could bang on things like this amazing steel drum and test out other unique musical sounds throughout the museum. There were also exhibits focused on water, sand, construction equipment, etc. (In other words, pick any of the typical toddler/preschooler delights, and you'll likely find an area perfect for that child.)



Boston Black exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum

• There was a strong educational focus. The arrow starts preschool this fall (more on that to come), so we made sure to stop by the Countdown to Kindergarten exhibit so he could get a sense of what a classroom looks like. To our surprise, this was by far his favorite exhibit in the museum. He loved going to the different stations and seeing what he could try.

Countdown to Kindergarten exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum

The Boston Children's Museum probably isn't for everyone. It's geared toward younger kids. I would guess children 7 or older might not find much here to hold their attention for very long. (Trust me, as a mom of a 2-year-old, I'm not complaining about this. There are many other attractions in Boston that would be perfect for older kids, so I was thankful for a toddler/preschooler paradise.) I was also hoping to pick up a unique toy or souvenir for the arrow in the gift shop as a memento from Boston (we had managed to avoid any such purchase thus far into the trip), but I found the offerings disappointing.

I did appreciate the food choices for lunch, though. The museum has an area for brown-baggers, an attached Au Bon Pain, and the famous giant Hood milk bottle just outside the front door in the warmer months. After many meals on this trip that consisted of french fries and a few bites of hot dog, it was great to visit the Au Bon Pain and get the arrow something healthy to fuel him until dinner.

All in all, we found the Boston Children's Museum to be a great spot for a few hours of arrow-focused fun. I learned on this trip that visiting a big city can be taxing on a young traveler--in and out of a stroller, waiting in lines, lots of commotion, etc. I think I'll incorporate children's museum visits into future travel plans as a good option for when energy and patience (parents and toddlers') begins to wane.

If You Visit:
The Boston Children's Museum
308 Congress Street, Boston (Nearest T stops are South Station and Courthouse Station)
Cost is $12 for all visitors over the age of 1. (Babies are free.)
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and closes at 9 p.m. on Fridays.

This post is a part of Mondays are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips. We're dreaming of more children's museum fun in the future: in Boston, near home, and around the world! What are your favorite children's museums?

PS: If you want to know more about how we filled five days in Boston with a toddler, see my Boston Trip Report. Or you might be interested in my tips for visiting a children's museum.

Disclosure: While HomeAway covered many of our travel expenses for our trip to Boston, we paid for our admission to the Boston Children's Museum and all opinions are my own.