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We love taking our three kids on outings, and since we’re lucky enough to live in Southern California, we have lots of options. We’ve got passes to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana.

Disneyland and SeaWorld are on our to-do list (my husband is not a huge fan of crowds, but now that the kids are on to the idea that there are amusement parks out there, I think he’s fighting a losing battle).
So we were really excited to find out about a place that’s a little more off the beaten path: the Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas, just 20 minutes north of San Diego.

It’s beautiful, with numerous paths winding through the lush 35-acre landscape. We followed one of them to the new Hamilton Children’s Garden, which just opened in June. They have a fun tree house for kids to climb, a shallow stream to pretend panning for gold, and these cool faux wood beams to build a house.
They also have a music area with huge chimes and a xylophone.
My kids played happily for well over an hour, exploring all the stuff.
On our way back to the parking lot – parking is free if you have at least four passengers – the kids wanted to explore some of the paths. We came upon a lily pad pond, and, as we went over a bridge, we spotted a large waterfall.

There is also another children’s area, closer to the parking lot, an interactive garden called Seeds of Knowledge. They have fun events throughout the year. We recently went to their Insect Festival and were very impressed. There was tons of stuff for our kids to do. My son was handed a cup of dirt containing earthworms at the first station. What’s better than that?

There were arts and crafts, where my daughter made a fine ladybug out of clay, and a show where a woman showed different animals, from a monitor lizard to a fox. A pavilion held all kinds of exhibits: you could try eating bugs (I steered the kids away from that one!), watch honey bees, meet reptiles – my son held two different snakes. You could look at plenty of mounted bugs behind glass and, for a 10 on the Icky scale, my son held a huge Madagascar hissing cockroach. Where’s the hand sanitizer?!?!

Some quick facts and tips:

• The garden is officially a non-profit, so your membership is tax-deductible. It’s $12 for adults and $6 for kids 3-12. For a year pass, it’s which includes two adults and children in the household under 18.
• It’s open 9-5 every day except Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Wear comfortable shoes. The Children’s Garden is a bit of a hike from the parking lot, and the way back has a decent incline. There is also little shade, so make sure your kids wear sunscreen. It is surprisingly hot, despite its proximity to the beach.

Did you miss us? We were off at the  ABCKids show scoping out the latest and greatest gear for you! Going to this massive children’s industry trade show is always a treat . Every year the show surprises and delights me with clever inventions, and modern innovations that promise to make the experience of parenting (and childhood itself) safer, cleaner, funner, better. This year was no different in that regard. But it was different in many ways from past shows. This year saw a shift in thinking. Manufacturers are not only coming up with new solutions to common problems, but they are also rethinking the solutions of the past. Gone are the Diaper Genies and plastic bottles and toys that flashed and screamed for my attention three years ago, and in are the cloth diapers, stainless steel containers and pvc/pthalate free medical grade silicon teethers. Wood, recycled composites, and green products dazzled at this year’s show. Stricter regulations, and more informed consumers are forcing manufacturers to be creative. And this is a very good thing! Several companies have risen to the occasion and have introduced lines that dazzle with their elegance, eco awareness and simplicity.

Two companies that stood our for me were Dano and Sprig.

Sometimes it is the obvious that gets overlooked. Like the ubiquitous rubber duck that may be floating in as many as 9 out of 10 children’s tubs. Most rubber ducks are not safe to be chewed. They contain pthalates and pvc (used to make the plastic “soft”). If that is not enough to gross you out, try holding a squirty ducky up to the light after a month or two of tub duty. See that black gunk on the inside? Yep. That’s mold! Grossed out yet? I was. So much so that I banished all ducks from my kids tubs. But Dano is bringing the duck back to our tub with their incredibly clever silicone version that pops open for cleaning. I could hug these people!

Also making my kids tub time pleasanter, are the new line of bath toys from Sprig. These recyclable toys, made from a bio composite of reclaimed plastics and recycled wood materials, are great looking and luxurious feeling. Solid, smooth and without sharp edges. They are sure to withstand a beating from multiple kids, and stand the test of time. But when it’s time to say goodbye, they won’t have to stick around for a few thousand years longer. Their kid powered electronic toys operate without batteries and the electronics are removable for recycling. The simple and attractive bath toys encourage creative play and yes, they drain completely. Thank you Sprig! Sprig Toys are currently sold at Pottery Barn Kids.

Although the selection of cloth diapers was overwhelming and the bamboo/organic/fair trade signs abundant and uplifting (and deserving of a separate post!), some of the products that caught my eye were of the old fashioned clever thinking variety. Made by moms for moms, clearly. Stuff I loved included:

Girl’s bathing suits with a snap crotch. Hallelujah! Having wrestled with many a wet swimsuit in many a public restroom while my girls were littler, I cannot for the life of me figure out why noone has thought of this sooner!

Burp scarves that tie onto your bag. Yes, you read right. It’s burp cloth meets fashion scarf. As opposed to fashion scarf becomes burp cloth – something that has been around for ages in my house. Not everyone wants to walk around with a cutesy diaper on their shoulder. There’s an alternative now for fashionista moms. A burp cloth that ties onto your bag like a scarf. Looks cute, but is made to handle the inevitable

The Baby Jogger City Select Stroller. I’ve long argued that there is no way that one stroller can do it all, for everyone, but I may have to eat those words. The new City Select promises to come close. With over 16 configurations for one or multiple kids, all possible out of a single frame, it’s an exciting development. The answer to just about every “But wait, does it…?” question I lobbed at the reps, was “Yes! It does!” Can’t wait to review this one!

Other super clever stuff I saw: detachable, comfortable shoulder straps from GoGaga Their signature straps are slinglike, and soft, allowing you to spread the load out over your shoulder and back. It’s a standard thing on their bags, but now that the strap is sold alone you can use this fabulous strap for your other bags, your camera and more.

Ouef’s knit alpaca animal dress up, Boon’s wheat grass inspired bottle drying rack, Baby Hawks “Ruthless and Toothless” carriers, bamboo cars and toys from Hape and new offerings from Zigo that get you out there into nature with your kids. It was a gleeful whirlwind tour of the best new stuff for kids. There were too many fantastic items at ABC to name them all in one post. Check out all of my photos from the trade show floor and stay tuned as I review some of these finds in the coming months!

We’re going to Vegas this weekend to scout out the latest and greatest in carseats, strollers and family gear. We’ll be reporting live from the tradeshow floor to bring you the best in family travel gear, and clever solutions for families on the go like yours and ours. Keep an eye out in the weeks to come for our ABC finds. We can’t wait to report back to you with all the goods! Watch our site for updates!

Last week my family got to experience another wonderful, fun-filled trip around Pennsylvania. This time we spent three days and two nights in Lancaster and Hershey, home to some amazing family-friendly vacation spots, including Dutch Wonderland, Hershey Park, the Strasburg Railroad, Choo Choo Barn, and much more. For those who live in the mid-Atlantic area, this is such a wonderful and close place to vacation. For those further away, it is so worth it to come to this area for a family trip! Read on to learn more about this exciting area…

Our Stay at the Willow Valley Resort
We started off our trip at the Willow Valley Resort, a fabulous family destination central to everything in Lancaster and about 45 minutes from Hershey. This was our hub for our trip and it was very comfortable, relaxing, and a nice place for our family to stay. Our double room in the Atrium building was nice and upgraded with granite, had a refrigerator (great for storing milk, fruit and snacks!) and was a convenient walk to everything on property: 2 restaurants (with great Smorgasbords!), a bakery, an indoor swimming pool and water playground, a beautiful lake with playground, and a family-friendly farm.

My children really enjoyed their time playing on the property throughout our stay. They loved the water playground and one of the highlights of the trip was a visit to the Willow Valley Farm. My boys learned about all of the animals there, got to feed them and give them water, and pet the animals, too.

We also liked the fact that the hotel was centrally located to Dutch Wonderland, the Strasburg Railroad, and the Lancaster outlet shopping (all about a 15 minute drive), Hershey Park (about 45 minutes) and was around the corner from a nice supermarket (which we went to numerous times!)

Take a look at some more pictures of the hotel and our stay in Lancaster/Hershey.

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Our last trip of our fun-filled summer was to an amazing place called Skytop Lodge, in Skytop, Pennsylvania (in the Pocono mountains). Despite the colder and rainy weather that greeted us when we arrived, we had an incredible experience and couldn’t believe the beauty all around us at Skytop.

This all-inclusive resort is a wonderful family destination, especially for active families. As you approach Skytop, you can’t help but be amazed at the incredible property (take a tour here) – the main building, which opened in 1928, is majestic and beautiful. The gardens and flowers all around the property are probably the most beautiful that I have seen. And the numerous waterfalls throughout the property are simply amazing. Activities on property include over 30 miles of trails to hike, bike, relax and play by the lake, enjoy sports like archery, tennis, basketball, golf, paintball, rock climbing, kayaking, geo-caching, wilderness skills, and much more. Winter sports include downhill and cross country skiing, ice skating and sledding, and fishing and shooting in their indoor center.

One of my favorite features that sets Skytop apart from other destinations that we traveled to this summer is that they offer a kids camp in the summer, called Camp in the Clouds. For potty-trained kids over 3, they can participate in highly active, outdoor-geared activities for either half or full-day sessions. My older son Jacob, who is 4 ½, had the greatest time at camp. He played at the pool, did arts and crafts, and enjoyed playing indoor mini-golf. (It was raining the day he went to camp.) He met some friends and enjoyed playing with them throughout our stay at Skytop. And we loved that we got a little break (while our little one napped) which made the trip even more of a vacation for us! Skytop also offers a kids Ambassadors Club, which gives kids 4 and up a passport and special lapel pin. Each time they do an activity, they get a special stamp in their passport, which they can turn in for a prize at the end of their stay. Finally, it’s important to note that babysitters are available at Skytop, which allows parents some time off at night to enjoy the great entertainment activities and fabulous dining options (more on that later, too!) Read the full story

Continuing in our tradition of touring the state of Pennsylvania this summer, my kids, my mom and I got to spend 3 days, 2 nights in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, which is North of Philadelphia and a short drive from New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. The Lehigh Valley encompasses three main areas, including Bethlehem, Easton, and Allentown. I will touch on each of these places and tell you about the great family friendly places that you can visit while in this part of the state, including Dorney Park, The Lehigh Valley Zoo, the Da Vinci Science Center, and The Crayola Factory and Canal Museum.

Day 1 – Dorney Park!
Dorney Park is a great theme park and water park in one. What I love most about this park is that there are rides for every age, including some ridiculous roller coasters, and a wonderful kids “Peanuts” themed park called Camp Snoopy. Though the park is a good size, it felt very manageable for us, and in particular, Camp Snoopy, there was lots of shade, lots of kid-sized rides, some nice water sprinklers to cool us off without having to change, and no long lines! It was perfect and my kids really enjoyed it! It’s also great to cool off in Wildwater Kingdom, an area of the park (included with your admission price) that has lots of slides, a wave pool, and much more.

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My family and I live right outside of Philadelphia, a great city filled with tons of amazing, family-friendly things to do. I could go on and on about all of the incredible destinations in the area (and will touch on a few of our favorites throughout this article) but for now I want to focus on two of the most exciting destinations in Philadelphia (yet very different!)… The Four Seasons Philadelphia, in downtown Philadelphia, and Sesame Place, just 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia. My family got to experience both places over the past two weeks and I would love to share our experiences with you!

The Four Seasons Philadelphia
Wow! What a way to travel! the Four Seasons Philadelphia is an incredible, luxury hotel that exceeded all of our expectations. You may wonder… Four Seasons and kids? Does it work? I wasn’t so sure myself until the minute we arrived at the hotel and started to experience all of the amazing little touches that the hotel and staff do for all kids who stay. We got to experience the Family Values Summer Package which is a great option for families wishing to vacation in Philadelphia in style (and on a budget! Yes! At the Four Seasons!)

In addition to the impeccable service when we arrived, my kids were treated to a toy from the Radio Flyer red wagon! They were so excited to be able to pick out a toy (or two!) and immediately felt welcomed by a number of staff who warmly interacted with them. We went upstairs to our adjoining rooms (more on that later!) and discovered so many wonderful little surprises for the kids. They each had child-sized slippers and robes, books and puzzles about Philadelphia on their beds, and bath toys and their names spelled out in bath foam letters in the tub! After our room was turned down, we came back to the room to discover milk and cookies and balloons for the kids (they were in heaven!) and some sweet treats for us, too!

What we loved most about this special Family Values Package is that you get an adjoining room for 50% off, which makes a hotel stay with children SO MUCH nicer. After we put our sons to bed in the adjoining room, we got a chance to relax in our own room without the worry of disturbing our kids. Additionally, the Family Values Package comes with a $100 hotel credit per room per night for each full-priced room. That means a free spa treatment for you, or a meal for your family, or to spend however you wish!

This special Family Values Package is available every day from now through December 31st, so if you are looking for a great, luxurious vacation without breaking the bank, I highly suggest you visit the Four Seasons Philadelphia. You will enjoy wonderful restaurants (we dined at the Continental and loved it!), museums (The Please Touch Museum is amazing for kids, as well as the Academy of Natural Sciences), and other sites and fun attractions in Philly (hop on a Trolley, see the Liberty Bell, Ride the Ducks, and more) while enjoying the best hotel in the city and its amenities (including a beautiful pool). Please note this package is also available in Boston, New York, and DC as well.

Want to see some more? Check out some of our photos from our trip!

Sesame Place
A wonderful Sesame Street themed amusement park for kids of all ages, Sesame Place, right outside of Philadelphia, is a fabulous destination for families. From the minute you walk into this colorful, fun Sesame mega-land, you are surrounded with all of your Sesame Street friends. From character meet-and-greets, to amusement rides, to water slides and parks, to wonderful shows and parades, themed dining and great gift shops, there is so much to do!

My 2 year old loved all of the dry rides, like the Sunny Day Carousel, Big Bird’s Balloon Race, and Grover’s World Twirl. He also loved splashing around in the Rubber Duckie Pond and had a blast in the wading pool (which was huge!) He was dancing and singing at Big Bird’s Beach Party — an adorable show filled with all of his favorite characters! The highlight of the day, though, was meeting his favorite characters: Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Ernie.

For bigger kids, new this summer is The Count’s Splash Castle, a very cool multi-level interactive water attraction that has a HUGE 8 foot tipping bucket. There are also tons of fun water slides (Sesame Streak) , Bert & Ernie’s Slip and Slide, and Sky Splash, a cool family tube ride. Also, the nets & climbs on Cookie Mountain are awesome and a real challenge!

Check out this interactive park map to see all that Sesame Place offers.

There is so much to do at this great park, it is certainly worth the trip for anyone with younger children. Make sure when you visit that you pick up a yummy Elmo cupcake! They were a hit with my kids! Take some time on the Sesame Place website to plan out your visit. Also, make sure you check out any special offers that are currently being advertised. You will have a blast!

Last week I was at an event in LA, and my husband was stuck with the kids. We were continuing on up the coast on a family vacation, so they all came along for the ride.

“I’ve got two hours to kill in the city with the kids. What should I do?”

Normally a question like this would spawn panic, arguments, and frantic internet searches. But this time I was prepared. I pulled my copy of Free LA from Free Fun Guides out of the glove box and handed it confidently to my spouse. “Knock yourselves out!” He looked at the book a little dubiously, and drove off. I crossed my fingers it would work out well.

Did it ever!

My husband returned to me a card carrying member of the LA Library, and raving about two new parks in the city that he had “discovered”. Free LA turned what could have been a stressful afternoon into an adventure. We can’t wait to head back and try out some of the other suggestions in this handy book. If you have kids, and are looking for something to do in the city, this book is sure to be a hit.

We could all use a hand now and then. Snuggling while feeding your baby a bottle is wonderful. But let’s face it, sometimes you have to answer the phone. You try to prop the bottle up for the baby but it slips, the bottle drops and everyone cries over spilt milk. You need a little help. Get that help from a cute plush friend: Bottle Snugglers.

Bottle Snugglers are adjustable and keep the bottle poised at just the right angle for your baby. Older children, like my son, enjoy snuggling with these plush critters. They are machine washable and lovable. They also make a perfect companion for car trips.

This past June we were looking down the nose of a loooong boring summer. We’d snoozed through camp sign up season, feeling rebellious and sick of driving carpool. We vowed we’d go to the beach and pool instead. The lure of staying home and doing “nothing” was strong too. It lasted all of a week. And then I heard the swine call of summer that every parent dreads the most. “Mooooooom. I’m so booooooored!!!”

“Go outside and play,” I responded. As if I was genetically programmed to say this, like my mother and her mother before me.

“Cool,” they said, seeing their big chance to sneak one over on me, ” can we go jump on the neighbor’s trampoline?”

Cue hair standing on end, visions of ambulances and general mom mayhem. I’m the unfun mom. The one who makes her kids ride bikes on the sidewalk and forbids them to jump on the neighbors trampoline.

Of course I swore early on we’d never get a trampoline. Never, ever, ever. This is what happens when you have an ER doc and a neurosurgeon in the family. Your kids wear helmets when they ride bikes, you look askance at sneakers with wheels and you swear off backyard trampolines. You embrace your neuroses.

But then I heard about Springfree Trampolines and one by one my objections were dealt with and dismissed. This isn’t the dangerous head injury-waiting-to-happen trampoline of my youth. In fact, it’s about the closest thing I have to a padded cell in which to toss my 18 month old whirling dervish. For this alone, the trampoline can stay. Honestly, I lay down in there with a good book and let him jump all around me when he gets into that kamikaze mode that usually ends in a headfirst dive off the couch. He gets his yayas out and I use fewer bandaids.

You don’t need me to tell you that jumping on a trampoline is fun. You’re probably not surprised to hear that rebounding is also good exercise. We can all use more of that, kids and adults alike. In this way, Springfree trampolines are like any trampoline. Bouncy, fun, and good for you. But they are also totally different in both construction and safety.

Springfree has eliminated the bulk of all trampoline accidents (impact injuries) by eliminating the springs and poles that usually pose a threat. Even with a thick layer of padding on top of the springs that surround traditional trampolines, impact injuries are common and can be very serious. Likewise, the poles that are traditionally used to hold up the netting (so your kids don’t fall off the trampoline) can cause serious injuries on old-style trampolines. Not so with the bowed, lightweight and flexible rods that hold the Springfree enclosure in place. Check out this video demonstrating the difference between the old style trampolines and Springfree.

Everyone in my family sat gaping wide eyed and slack jawed for a good long time when I told them we were getting a trampoline. They asked me at least five times, ” Are you SURE mom? Are you feeling ok? Can I borrow fifty bucks?”

But here’s the thing: After the kids go to bed at night, it’s MY TURN. My mom never let me have a trampoline. Too unsafe. That was then. This is now, baby! I’ve got air! Summer staycationing is a whole lot more fun when you turn off the TV and get on the trampoline.

I’d be a bum bouncer if I did not share with you a quick chance to win your own Springfree Trampoline Staycation. Bounce on over to Bellaziza’s Picks and comment on her review for a chance to win one.

One last note about our Springfree Trampoline? It’s not just a Trampoline. It’s also a clubhouse. And a perfect place to spend a warm summer night. This sleepover looked so comfortable, even I wanted to spend the night!