101 Travel Tips - Free E-book

101 Travel Tips is a great  ebook, best of all it's FREE. It's a quick read and it's packed full of fantastic ideas. I travel all the time and had never heard half the tips in here. One tip is even from me! Find out why I always travel with a bag of rice.

UV Tips for Travelers #UVTips4Travelers

I got to attend a travel blogger briefing about UV eye safety a few weeks ago by the Vision Council and I'm excited to pass on what I learned. 

If you've read this blog for very long you know that my daughter suffers from an eye condition caused by allergies that is difficult to control. When it's at it's worst she becomes extremely sensitive to light. So, our family knows first hand how crucial it is to protect your eyes no matter what your age is. If your child is overly sensitive to sunlight take them to see an eye doctor immediately, not the pediatrician. This is a sign that something is wrong.

As you can see, I'm not kidding, we have everyone covered!

Now back to the UV eye safety briefing I got to attend. Here's some of the great stuff I learned.

• By the time a child turns 18, they will have acquired nearly 80% of lifetime exposure to UV. Kids need to wear sunglasses.
• Always carry/pack sunglasses with you that way you have them when you need them, because your eyes can get SUNBURNED!
• Some cities have more intense UV Rays then others: Rome, Italy, Orlando, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Atlanta. Here's a chart for you to check.
  

• If your wearing sunscreen you should also be wearing sunglasses.
• When skiing you should were at least sunglasses, goggles would be even better because snow reflects 85% of UV light!

Kids ski goggles are very affordable. We got our kids ski goggles at Big 5 on Black Friday for $10 a pair.






Wondering what the UV levels are near you? 
In case your unsure what type of protection to get or unsure which is the best to purchase check out this great guide.

As you plan your future travel heading into fall – please remember to pack your UV-protective eyewear – and take lots of pictures! The Vision Council would love to see your UV safety practices in action and hope that you will share them on The Vision Council’s Facebook page (facebook.com/thevisioncouncil). Or, tweet travel pictures with their designated hashtag #UVTips4Travelers.

Related articles

• Protect Your Kids' Eyes from the Sun When You Travel 

Zeepo Sleeping Mask

Zeepo sent me their new strapless sleeping mask to try out and I like it enough to actually recommend it.

I like the fact that the sleeping mask is black. I think that alone makes it stand out from many others on the market. However, that is not what makes Zeepo so unique.

Zeepo is a strapless sleeping mask that stays on your face until you take it off. Instead of having a strap it uses double sided tape. What this means is you will no longer go to sleep wearing a sleeping mask, only to wake up without it still on.

•  I can actually sleep until my alarm goes off, because it does a great job blocking out light.
• I've used my mask in the middle of the day when I was wearing makeup and was pleasantly surprised to see when I took it off that the tape did not mess up my makeup.

On our most recent trip to Disney I found an interesting use for Zeepo. I knew if would be good for sleeping on the plane, so I had brought it with me. On our flights my daughter's eyes got irritated. This is not uncommon for the eye condition she has. I thought wouldn't it be nice if I could put something over her eyes to protect them from the air on the airplane. Then it occurred to me with a little more tape I could seal off her eyes with Zeepo. This may sounds crazy, but if you have a kiddo that suffers from vernal conjunctivitis, then you know this is reasonable!

Zeepo Sleep Mask Starter Kit

Packing List for Hawaii

Packing for Hawaii is always a little different than packing for other trips. This could be also be a packing list for any beach vacation.










Packing list for Hawaii.

Medicine
Sunscreen
Bronzing lotion
Sunglasses
Towel (optional)
Snorkel set
Goggles
Waterproof Camera

Bathing suits
Bathing suit cover up
Sunshirt with built in SPF
Flip flops
Water shoes
Tennis shoes
light jacket

For Kids
Inflatable lifejacket
Sunshade
detangler

For Ladies
Dress
Hair pick
light cardigan
hair dryer
straightener
curling iron
headband

Inflatable Life Vest for Kids

One of my must have travel items is probably also one of the strangest things I travel with. It's an inflatable life jacket for kids. You never know where you might end up that doesn't provide a life vest. This was the case everywhere we went in Honduras. No one had a life jacket at any of the places we went, but it didn't matter because we had our own.
This is the exact inflatable life jacket we travel with for our kids. It takes up almost no space at all in your suitcase. It's easy to blow up and it's held up well. I initially thought because it's plastic that it would last long, but it is very durable. It also dries easily, because it's plastic you can simply wipe it down with a towel.

This life jacket has been to Hawaii, Honduras, Florida, and so many more places with us.

Do you have a strange item you always travel with?

Get a Luggage Scale

Until recently I never needed a luggage scale and I think most people probably did not either. Unfortunately the airliners are getting stricter about luggage all the time. Now days it seems like the airlines always weight your bag and if your bag goes over weight it can cost you a lot. My mom was recently charged $50 and her bag was only 2 pounds over the limit! 

Now I recommend getting one. The cost of a luggage scale is minimal and can save you lots of money when traveling. As you can see they are pretty small and come in lots of variations. They cheapest I found was at Sam's Club the Manual Luggage Scale only $5. The most expensive I found was $30 which is still cheaper than paying the extra baggage fees.

Save Money on Vacation with an International Cell Phone Sim Card

Vacations can get expensive. By the time you've booked your hotel or resort, flights, paid your baggage fees and secured transportation to and from the airport, you've already paid a pretty penny. So what if you need to communicate by phone once you get there? Sure, there are phone cards, but in order to use them you'll need to always be near a landline, many of which won't give you access to voicemail should you miss a call. Many resorts have begun blocking phone cards to force callers to use their credit card information instead.

To circumvent these high costs and headaches there is the international cell phone SIM card. Think of the international cell phone SIM card as a passport to the world. Once you pop it into your cell phone, you're able to freely send and receive phone calls from people all over the world.

Image Courtesy of Blogspot

No Need to Alter Your Current Plan
In order to talk by cell phone when traveling, you'll typically have to switch to an international plan, which has a baseline price in addition to by the minute and roaming charges that can creep up to as much as $5 per minute. An international cell phone SIM card is a way around this.

These SIM cards circumvent the need to pay roaming charges and fees that tend to make your bill higher than it should be. A popular option is the T-Mobile prepaid SIM card, available to T-Mobile customers that are about to travel. By paying for minutes on your phone ahead of time, you receive the peace of mind of knowing exactly what you're paying when traveling. There's no worst damper on a vacation than coming home to suspiciously outrageous fees on your cell phone bill that you didn't intend to pay. With the T-Mobile prepaid SIM card, if you haven't funded it enough, you simply won't be able to talk anymore. This may inconvenience you temporarily, but it provides a safeguard that saves a ton of money.
Open Communication with No Contract
Many international SIM cards allow users to send text messages, place calls and receive calls, all without having to be locked into a contract. This SIM card works in numerous countries, so you won't have to worry about roaming based on country code or location. Many companies have gotten in on this convenience, as international SIM cards are now a popular option for people when doing their travel. It allows them a line of communication back home whether they're on business or catching some sunshine at a resort or on a cruise ship.

The upfront nature of international SIM cards allow callers to worry about one less thing when traveling, while saving loads of money in the process.

Water Proof Camera: A Must when Traveling

Have you ever had a camera that you just adore? I do, the Kodak PlaySport (Zx5) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera - Red (2nd Generation).

Last year I found my self in Honduras climbing waterfalls and snorkeling in amazing reefs and I didn't have a water proof camera. Trust me, you do not want this to be you. I only wish I had this camera then. After doing some research I decided to get the Kodak PlaySport.

I could go on and on about why I love this camera, but I will give you the short list.

• Water proof: You can actually swim under water with this camera.
• Durable: It's made well and it's got a great shape. It's like holding your phone.
• Picture quality: The pictures I have taken with this camera have come out bright and clear.
• Video: Yes, that's right it even takes video!
• Social sharing: You can assign pictures to automatically go to Facebook, Twitter, emailed to your friend, YouTube,and more.
• Built in rechargeable battery

After using this camera the last few months I now consider it one of my must have items while traveling.

Here are some other waterproof cameras, but I don't have experience with them.

7 Money Saving Travel Websites

There are loads of money saving travel websites to choose from. I utilized an assortment of websites to get the best travel deals I can find.  Here is a list of my 7 favorite travel discount sites right now.

 CheapOair is one a use a lot to find the cheapest airfare.  Through this site I was able to get 4 round trip tickets from Vegas to Honduras last minute under $2200.  I think that is pretty good!


 Travelocity makes it easy to compare airfares. You can also set up fare watchers.

Priceline has been one of my favorite sites for a long time.  I have been successful bidding on several occasions and felt like I saved a lot of money.

 Flight Network runs some pretty good deals at times.  So, they are always worth checking out. You never know when their deal might be to your city.

HipMunk is a newer website that I've been using a lot to check airfare prices. I love the way they display the choices.

Travelzoo has deals on everything involving a vacation: lodging, airfare, activities, and more. I'm always booking something through them.

Hotel Tonight is a new travel app that can save you a load on hotels.  They release a list of available hotels at noon each day. If you can tolerate not booking a hotel until the last minute, then this site will save you large amounts of money.

How to get a Passport

An easier way to get a passport.

Getting a passport can be a time consuming task.  When I took my kids in to get theirs it took three hours. I printed all the paperwork at home, took them to Sam's Club to get their pictures made, got their packets together, and then waited it out at the nearest post office offering passport service.  Not the easy route for sure.

A few months ago at the Luxury Travel Expo I learned about this website PassportsandVisas.com, that helps people with getting a passport. I'm a fan of anything that can help make this process smoother.  They can answer any questions you have about getting a passport and the requirements of each country. They have all the forms you will need and can help you fill out all of the questions correctly.  Their process is simple and broken down in to step by step instructions.  They even offer options to get your passport with in 24-48 hours!

One way to Save Money on Hotels

     I just found out about a strange new way to potentially save on hotel travel.  It's a newish (Feb. 2011) travel website that is set up kind of like a reverse penny auction.  You can register for free on their website http://www.baiduhotel.com/, but to bid on hotel gift certificates costs .50 cents per bid.  Each hotel gift certificate auction starts at a high price; the "retail price" of a one night stay at the hotel.  Each time someone places a .50 cent bid the price of the hotel gift certificate goes down by .10 cents.  If other people are bidding then they can potentially push the price down.  If this happens and the price drops the first bidder to hit the "Buy" button wins the hotel gift certificate.  (Did you follow that, because I thought it was very confusing myself.)  If during the auction the price has been pushed down with bidding, then the person who ultimately purchases/wins the certificate has saved some money.  The winner could possibly save a lot of money on that hotel stay. 
     Where I see the money savings is by being the winner, not the bidder.  It's an interesting concept and if I was the person that had just won a night's stay in Time's Square for $38 I would be thrilled.  If I was the person that spent $10 bucks trying to get a good deal and didn't, I would feel ripped off.  If you helped bid down the price and didn't win you are still out your .50 cents per bid.
     I also see savings in expensive travel destinations like New York City and Washington D.C.  You know you are going to spend a lot on a hotel stay in one of these cities.  So, even bidding it down a little might save you money.  Last time I went to NYC it was well over $200 a night, which is the starting price on the hotels I see for NYC on their website. 
     Before you bid on any of the hotels make sure to read the description of what your bidding on.  I looked at several and one said it expired in 3 years, one said 1 year and another stated that it never expired.   Take time to look at the hotel's website and make sure you know what a room sells for during the season you will be going.  In the summer that hotel room could be $250 and you would automatically save, but in the winter it could be $150 and you could over pay.  Also, make sure that the hotel has availability when you want to go. 
     I would love to hear from any of you that have tried this.  I think I will try this the next time I am going to NYC.  Have you won a good hotel deal using this website? 

Enjoy a 10% discount on a City Sights NY Uptown, Downtown, Night or Brooklyn Tour! Use code: 10OFFCS

How to find a babysitter on Vacation

Need a babysitter? Find the most qualified sitters in your area.

I know first hand how frustrating it can be to find a sitter when you are on a family vacation.  We are stationed far away from family, so when we vacation the kids go with us.  Rarely will a hotel recommend a sitter, because of liability issues, and it can be very time consuming to find one yourself.  Luckily there are a few businesses that help with this.
Care.com has Local Nanny Listings in every city imaginable.  We used a nanny listed on this site while we were in Panama City Beach and were very happy with her.

SitterCity offers free memberships to military personnel. Need a babysitter? Find the most qualified sitters at Sittercity.com.

Nannies4hire.com lets you search free for a nanny in the United States or Canada.

What Happens When your property gets stolen in Vegas

Recently, my wedding ring was stolen from my purse, in my parent's hotel room at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.  Here's what happened.  I decided to take the kids swimming that day, so we headed down to Caesar's Palace where my parents were staying.  When I got there the room had already been made up.  Seeing this gave me the false belief that no one else would come into the room.  I hung all my jewelry on a bracelet and placed it in my purse.  We then headed to the pool.  3 hours later I came back to the room to change and go eat.  I immediately noticed my jewelry was no longer on my bracelet and my wedding ring was gone.  I called security. 

Here are some of the things I've learned (these are also helpful other cities):

Hotel Security
1. They will not call the police!  You must do this yourself.
2.  They will not investigate.
3.  You need to insist they run a check of who keyed into your room that day.
4.  You have to fill out the report yourself.
5.  Once they have left your room with the report they will refuse to speak to you again and give you
     no further information. 
6.  They then turn the incident over to a 3rd party - Their insurance company.
7.  They do not have the property covered in cameras. 

3rd Party Insurance Company
1.  They send out a standard form that says the hotel has determined it has done nothing wrong. 
2.  You only have a certain amount of days to call and protest. 
3.  They do not investigate until you call and protest. 
4.  They are not investigating who did what.  They are investigating if the hotel should compensate you for your lose.

Police
1. You must call the police yourself.  The hotel will not do it. 
2.  They will fill out some sort of report after asking you questions.  You will not be given a copy. 
3.  They will give you a generic form with an event number on it. 
4.  The police officer files this and puts in a description with pawn detail.
5.  A week later they will assign a detective to your case.

Pawn Detail
1.  Pawn detail is some sort of part of the Vegas police system.
2.  When your item is stolen and reported it is put on to the pawn detail list.
3.  You need to call and confirm the description the police officer gives to pawn detail.  (in my case    
     the description was generic, despite showing the officer a picture)
4.  Give them the most specific description possible, they will refuse to look at a picture.
5.  Each time a pawn shop takes in an item they must hold it for a certain amount of days and list it in
     the pawn detail registry.
6.  The workers in pawn detail search through these items looking for items that have matching      
     descriptions. 

Detective
1.  About a week after filing a report you can expect your case to be assigned to a detective.
2.  You must follow up and find out who this person is.  If you don't, they are not legally obligated to  
     follow up. 
3.  The detective knows what he/she is doing and a much better source than the previously mentioned
     groups.     
     (The detective blew me away by locating my ring and arresting the person who took it with in two 
     days of being assigned my case.)

Best Back pack for Traveling around Europe

The High Sierra 23" Transport Travel Pack (Navy/Graphite) is the one my husband and I both have.  I like these travel backpacks for multiple reasons. 

1. It has different sections and can actually make into two backpacks.  I find this feature convenient.  When we get to a destination we can leave our stuff in the room and use our little pack backs during the day. 

They do not weigh much.  This lets us maximize what we can put in them without going over weight.  This is important if you plan on traveling on a cheap European airline, because you can carry them on for free. 

It does not have wheels.  Having that feature would add weight.  It is also difficult to roll anything around on cobblestone and up and down stairs. 

The large pack has straps to cinch down your clothes and the small pack has multiple pockets making it easy to organize your pack. 

At the very top of the large pack is a small area where you can put your cell phone, camera, sunglasses or what ever you want to keep handy. 

The Truth behind Hotel Security

Until recently, I never thought much about hotel security.  It was only once I needed them that I interacted with them.  I found that many of the assumptions I had about hotel security were completely off based.

False Belief - No one comes in the room except the house keeper.
Truth - At any time, in a hotel were a card key system is used, there are many people that can gain access to your room.  Housekeepers, mini bar attendants, room inspectors, managers, maintenance, and more.

False Belief - There are cameras all over the hotel. 
Truth - They have cameras in the elevators, but beyond that not many.

False Belief - The room has already been clean, therefor, no one else will enter the room.
Truth - Workers come in your room for many other reasons besides cleaning. For example: the head housekeeper may come in your room to inspect the work the housekeeper did.

False Belief - When the privacy light is on no one can enter your room.
Truth - These lights mean nothing to the staff.  One security officer at Caesar's Palace told me that meant: Knock instead of using the doorbell.  A hotel manager at Caesar's told me that 85% of people leave them on "accidentally" and become upset if their room is not made up.  The hotel policy is to disregard the privacy light all together and assume you left it on by accident. 

False Belief - The room door shut all the way when I heard it slam shut. 
Truth - Many of the doors are heavy and seem to slam shut.  Due to fire codes, that prevent smoke from spreading into rooms, there is a barrier all around the doorway.  The door slams into this and may or may not actually close.  You should actually push it a little until you hear the door click. 

False - Placing items in the safe will prevent them from being stolen.
Truth - Items are often stolen right out the safes and sometimes the entire safe is taken from the wall.  (This is information I was told by a detective.)

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Maintaining Sanity on the Road Trip: Slow Down and Listen

Ready to take that end-of-the-summer road trip but worried about how your kids will fare in the back seat?  

Translation: do you fear the bickering and yelling?  Do your kids get car sick watching DVDs?  Mine do.  And they fight in the back seat.  A LOT!  This was a painful situation for me: I like road trips, but I don’t like my kids on road trips.  How to fuse the two?

A little over a year ago, we were on a road trip and I wanted everybody to listen to audiobooks: they improve your vocabulary, they broaden your world!  I downloaded an iPhone app that had the entire Librivox.org catalog in it for a mere 99 cents.  That’s over 30,000 books!  Problem was, many of the narrators were unbearable.  I also found out: thirty thousand books is overkill.  Too much choice creates paralysis.

And that’s when it hit me:  I would create my own iPhone app with only the children’s catalog from Librivox.  And only with the best narrators.  No matter how good a book is, if the narrator is no good, it’s impossible to enjoy.

I engaged Mazal Simantov – a good friend and excellent designer, programmer and lifelong children’s advocate.  Together we created Audiobooks For Your Kids.  Thirty of the best narrated titles from the children’s catalog of Librivox.org.  Now, you don’t have to spend the time figuring out which book to listen to: you can search by title, age, genre and author.  Best of all, the app is only 99 cents.  We also made sure that the design was beautiful, spare and easy to use -- and we’ve done the legwork for you by curating the app!

Here’s what you get when your kids read on the road: they don’t wander away, they don’t fight, they are safe.  They are quiet. 

There are no bells and whistles to this app: it’s old school, if apps can be called such things.  You don’t read along, there are no graphics, no animations.  You just listen.  Slow down and listen.  There’s a lot of noise out there, online, and most of it is no good for us.  You can listen in the car, at home, in the doctor’s waiting room.  We even explain how to do it on our website.  Easy peasy.

Over the next few months, we’ll release three new apps with 30 titles in each of the following categories: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Fairy Tales/Folk Tales.  Stay tuned.
Raise your kids as readers.  Audiobooks is too reading!  Enjoy the summer.  Drive safely!

The first five people to retweet this blog post will be sent a free copy of the iPhone app, Audiobooks For Your Kids.  Be sure to send your email to feedback AT audiobooksforyourkids DOT com so that we can send you the code.

Elizabeth Rodgers is an avid traveler, award-winning filmmaker and Los Angeles native who now lives in Boise, Idaho with her lovely family. She’s the co-creator of the Audiobooks for Kids iPhone app and contributes regularly to TravelingMom.com as the Idaho TravelingMom. Follow her on Twitter at erodg.

GPS - A Must have for Traveling

     There are many things you need when you are traveling, but GPS systems are a must have item.  Nothing ruins a trip quicker than getting lost over and over.  Getting lost cuts into valuable time that could have been spent doing something fun.  When we got our GPS system they were still around five hundred dollars, now there are tons you can pick from for under $200.  I have a Garmin and love it. 

Packing List for Camping

I have to keep around a Camping Packing list of everything to take camping, because otherwise I'll forget the most important thing like the camping tents!  Until last week I had my list on my phone.  When the phone went dead I lost my list.  I decided to make another here on my blog that way it is always handy and I can't lose it again! Medicine is always at the top of any packing list, because unfortunately we've had at least two trips cut short because we forgot our daughter's medicine.

Here is my list of essential Camping Gear!

Medicine
Tent
Air Mattress
Air pump
Blankets
Sleeping Bags (Winter weight)
pillows
Glow Sticks
Flashlights
headlamps
lighter
wood
Roasting sticks
marshmallows
chocolate
gram crackers
baby wipes
hand sanitizer
books
hammock
rope
ax
lantern
chairs
citronella candle
mosquito spray
sunscreen
ice chest
Frisbee and other outdoor toys
scooters (if there is sidewalk)
Camping Stove preferably one with a coffee maker
charcoal
paper products
trash bags
jackets
hiking shoes
shower shoes (we use flip flops)
life jacket

10 tips for Road Trips with Kids

1. Movie player! It will make the entire trip better if the kids can watch movies.

2. Get a new movie for the drive. Kids will watch a new movie over and over.

3. Plan and play road trip games,like the ABC game.

4. Make the most out of a stopping. Instead of stopping to eat and again for gas, stop somewhere you can do everything: gas, eat, and restroom.

5. Don't let the kids gorge themselves on drinks. I let my kids have drinks, but I make sure to spread it out. This keeps us from making extra stops.

6. Pack meals around your schedule. If I'm waking the kids up at 5am to hit the road I feed them breakfast in the car. I will also pack a lunch to keep us from getting stuck in the drive through line during the lunch rush.

7. Bring snacks. I take fruit, chips, crackers, and anything else that's simple.

8. Listen to an exercise cd when everyone's tired of being in the car. I have the Happy Butts cd. It's a little silly, but it's gets everyone moving and laughing. Best of all it keeps the driver active and awake.


9. Clean out the car at each gas stop. Don't wait until your at your destination, instead cleaning as you go will help maximize car space.

10. Take toys for the drive. I let each kid pack a bag of stuff they want for the journey.

8 Ways to save money in Las Vegas

Living in Vegas is expensive, especially for a family of five.  We try to find free activities in Vegas  and places kids eat free in Vegas, when we can  Anytime we go out we pay tourist prices. I constantly look for ways to save money, especially on eating out.  Here is what I have found so far in Vegas.  Each of these are deal websites that I watch, I hope they help you save on your next Las Vegas Vacation.

• LivingSocial's Daily Deals!- With a different deal everyday you can save money on lots of things. I got a 1 hour massage for $39.  The also occassional have family trip deals. Going to Las Vegas? Find the best deals up to 70% off.

• Restaurant.com - Las Vegas has almost 200 restaurants that participate in these restaurant gift certicates. Some of my favorites are Memphis Championship BBQ, Pink Taco, Strip burger, House of Blues, and BB Kings.  This can really help a you have an inexpensive family vacation. Just be careful about the ones that automatically add 18% gratuity. Most restaurants in Vegas do this anyway if there are 5 or more in a party.

• 3 O'clock Club - This website has good deals everyday. Some popular Vegas restaurants are on here such as Hash House a Go Go.

• Groupon - Everyday is a new deal. They offer deals on a little bit of everything.

• EverSave - mostly savings on products which comes in handy if you plan to do some shopping!

• CrowdSavings - mostly restaurant deals

• Zozi - Deals on Vacations, weekend getaways, yoga, helicopter rides and more!

• GoldStar has heavily discounted tickets to shows in Las Vegas. They even offer free admission to some shows and events. 

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