Family Travel Tips: Just in time for July 4th!
STRESSLESS SUMMER TRAVEL WITH KIDS: TIPS FOR THE PLANE, TRAIN OR AUTOMOBILE
As parents gear up to hit the road, they come to realization that tossing stuff in a suitcase is not going to work like it did in their pre-baby years. There are so many necessities for keeping kids happy and healthy while traveling that the task of getting everything together is daunting. Stacy DeBroff, parenting guru, author and founder of MomCentral.com has partnered with CVS pharmacy and their new line of [nmslink:PLAYSKOOL, PLAYSKOOL] Baby Care products to provide tips for creating the ultimate travel survival kit for stress-less and fun travel, no matter whether it’s via plane, train or automobile:
JUST IN CASE…
- Bring along a spare set of clothes for everyone (parents included)
- Don’t leave home without the cloth wipes as they can salvage almost any unexpected spill or spit-up. PLAYSKOOL Cottony Cloths are unique wipes as they are made with real cotton so they stay super-soft and strong, meaning you only have to pack a few
- Pack doubles of essentials, from pacifiers to diapers
- For toddlers, insulated [nmslink:no-spill cups, no-spill cups] with flip top design are perfect for travel as they both keep drinks cool longer, but also help prevent accidental spills
- Include snacks that won’t crumble or go bad, like pretzels or raisins, and drinks that don’t leave impossible stains, like bottles of water or apple juice boxes
- Split each family member’s clothes among your suitcases in case one bag is lost
- If staying at a hotel, bring along adhesive bandages to cover and baby proof any exposed outlets in the hotel room
KEEPING YOUR BABY OR TODDLER ENTERTAINED
- Nesting toys, baby proof mirrors, soft animals, plastic keys and [nmslink:teething rings, teething rings] help keep baby entertained and less fussy
- Keep Teething Keys in a cooler, and look for ones filled with non-toxic Ice Gel that remains soft even when frozen and gentle on baby’s sore gums
- Toddler picks include stickers and sticker books, crayons, small-wheeled cars and trucks and blank paper and rubber stamps
- Don’t give your child too many sweets: all the candy, junk food, and soda often leave kids feeling sick on the flight
- Buy small gifts and wrap them in tissue paper to hand out in spaced-out intervals
CAR TRAVEL
- Spread a sheet or beach towel over the backseat to make cleaning up spills and crumbs that much easier
- On those hot summer days when metal seatbelts can get too hot, cut an old sock and fit it over the seatbelt
- Put a box of toys or a soft suitcase or a diaper bag between two kids in the backseat. It gives them boundaries and also serves as an ad hoc table for play
PLANE
- Pack your diaper bag as if you were going to a desert island for an entire day!
- Request a bulkhead seat with lots of extra leg room to stand up and play in
- Loop toddler or baby toys on a thick cotton rope, as this keeps them from being flung into the aisles or on the laps of fellow passengers!
- Suction toys that won’t fall off the airline trays make perfect playthings for babies
For more great family travel products, visit www.cvs.com.
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How to Control Japanese Beetles
If you find your flowers, landscape plants, and trees are dotted with shiny copper and green Japanese beetles, you have some options for fighting the pest before it destroys your landscape.
Traps, poison, and a unique, specialized bacteria can be used to fight the pest.
The Japanese beetle is thought to have arrived in the U.S. in 1916, shipped on flowers from Japan. Just a few beetles one year can turn into a swarm the next. Each beetle not only attracts more beetles, but its very fertile life cycle is largely unchallenged by predators.
Mature beetles emerge from the ground in late June, find suitable plants to feed on and begin attracting mates from as far as two miles away. Females feed, mate, and lay eggs in a two-day cycle, repeating this cycle until they each lay 40 to 60 eggs. Eggs hatch into grubs in eight to 10 days and as the weather cools, the grubs dig deeper into the soil to overwinter.
The beetles begin feeding at the tops of plants, chewing out tissue between the veins, which gives the leaves a skeletonized appearance. The beetles then move down as defoliation occurs.
Many insecticides are effective against mature beetles. Most insecticides have to be reapplied after rain and may not be effective against large populations. Further, they have no effect on next yearís population, which will surely rise from the ground.
Beetle traps capitalize on the beetle’s poor flying skills. Beetles fly clumsily toward the flower-scented bait, hit the trap’s wall, and fall straight down into a sack from which they can’t escape. Some critics of the traps say they attract as many beetles as they kill.
One product kills Japanese beetle larvae, thus stopping the reproductive cycle. Milky Spore, contains bacteria (bacillus popilae) which kills the beetle grubs. Each infected grub dies and releases new spores into the soil. It remains in the soil for 15 to 20 years. In one treatment, beetles can be controlled in one to five years with fastest results in warm climates.
Milky Spore is not affected by freezing, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or other lawn chemicals. It is harmless to food crops and may be used in gardens, and around pools and wells. It does not affect pets, fish, bees, birds, other animals, plants or man.
Milky Spore has unlimited shelf life when stored in a cool dry place.
Father’s Day Gift Ideas
When it comes to Father’s Day, my dad is difficult to buy gifts for. So I look around to see what he is reading, or what movies he is watching or what music he is listening to. Then I go to my best online friend, amazon.com
* DVDs of his favorite TV shows or movies
* Subscription to his favorite magazine
* Gift Certificate to [nmslink:Blockbusters, Blockbusters] so he can choose the movie
* Gift Certificate to a major department store where he can shop for any clothing he likes
* Since he loves Beagles, I had an artisan draw a picture of a beagle on a piece of freshly cut wood.
* One year, I saw a wonderful painting of a man and his beagle, walking in the woods. (Both of these are still hanging in his bedroom to this day)!
* Another year, I purchased tickets to a baseball game for him.
* Since he also collects coins, I purchase newly minted coins from [nmslink:Franklin Mint, Franklin Mint].
Now your dad may enjoy different things. What matters, and what is most appreciated, is spending the time to find the perfect gift.
So here is a great project for you: study your dad’s reading, music, and movie habits and you can either take him to see a movie with lunch afterward, take him to a baseball game, buy his favorite TV shows now on DVD,
get him a box of golf balls or new golf mitts, or spend the day on a putting green.
Maybe your dad collects baseball cards. If so, you can go on and buy a few boxes of the latest hobby baseball boxes available. If you have saved enough or wish to pull money together with your siblings, you may prefer to purchase an autographed card of his favorite player!
There are so many things, other than a tie, that you can buy or plan for and with your dad.
Look upon this as a Mission: Impossible assignment. If you accept, you know what lies ahead. More importantly, if you’ve never done it before, give him and hug and tell him how much you love him! There is no greater gift you can give your dad than that!
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