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I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Jenna McCarthy’s book The Parent Trip: from high heels and parties to highchairs and potties in response to our call for advice on traveling with a youngster.  Her stories about traveling were great, but I found interesting and entertaining information throughout this short, but sweet read.  (Short being key when you’re a mom who barely has time for such pleasures!)

McCarthy writes about her experiences starting from the decision to have a baby, through the birth itself.  Her insights not only struck a cord with me as I recalled my own experiences, but also cracked me up.  Soon-to-be moms or new moms will find solace in McCarthy’s honest interpretations of what a real woman experiences in pregnancy, birth and new mommy-ness.  What to Expect it is not (she even has a disclaimer), but sometimes the best medicine you can get when you’re struggling with change (and boy do babies put you through the change wringer!!) is to hear someone’s not so perfect stories and impressions of child rearing.  Don’t get me wrong, McCarthy is clearly a loving, wonderful Mommy—but she’s real, and that makes her advice more credible to me in some ways.

McCarthy’s isn’t the only book of this kind.  It falls into the same category as The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine or Jenny McCarthy’s Belly Laughs (and yes the similar names struck me as quite the coincidence as well).  I will suggest The Parent Trip to friends and colleagues who will appreciate this genre and McCarthy’s wit and wisdom.  Now, if only she would write a sequel about living with a toddler!

Disclaimer: A copy of the The Parent Trip was provided to SNHParents in exchange for this review. No additional compensation was received and the opinions and thoughts expressed are those of the author.

I hate outlet safety covers.

Actually, let me clarify that: I hate removing outlet covers.  And while it’s not something you need to do every day, there’s one chore that always seems to involve removing at least one cover: vacuuming.

In our household, I’m typically the one who vacuums. And by that I mean that I’m the one who helps our daughter push the vacuum along the floor until I can distract her with the dustbuster long enough for me to actually clean the carpets. This also means that I’m the one who has to remove the outlet covers.  I don’t have long fingernails, so I usually use whatever is handy to pry the cover off. I’ve been known to use the vacuum plug, a screwdriver, a pen, and even an emery board (don’t tell my wife about that one). They all worked, but none were as easy to use as the WedgEZ. Ok, I know you thought of grade school pranks when you read that, and maybe milk even sprayed out of your nose. But this isn’t that wedgie.

WedgEZ is a simple tool that does one thing and does it really well: remove outlet covers (What, you thought I was going to say it did something else?). Available from www.wedgez.com for only $3.99 (3 for $9.99) plus shipping and handling, this hook-shaped piece of plastic pops outlet covers off quickly and easily. You just insert the tip behind the plug, rock the WedgEZ toward the wall, and the plug slides out without any bent plugs, dented walls or swearing. The WedgEZ even has clips to attach it to your vacuum’s cord so it’s always right where you need it. It’s even covered by a 100% replacement guarantee if it breaks.

I’m not sure how much emery boards costs, but I’m betting it wouldn’t take ruining too many of them to justify buying a WedgEZ. Now if only it had a feature to keep me from losing the outlet covers once I took them off…

Disclaimer: SNHParents received a WedgEZ in exchange for this review. No additional compensation was received and the opinions and thoughts expressed are those of the author.

Thanks to Jeff Leombruno for submitting ‘Teaching,’ a photo he took in Exeter, NH. You can see a larger version on our homepage or check out the original at Flickr.

Although Jeff took this picture in mid-October, this week’s temperatures have been warm enough for riding bikes, and almost enough to make us forget that we’ll be looking for winter photos soon enough.

Want to see your photo on SNHParents?

When our daughter discovered how to climb over the gate in her door (way too early for our comfort) we started leaving the bathroom light on to help her navigate the hallway. This worked, but we wanted a better solution, preferably something she could use on her own. Enter Mobi Technologies’ TykeLight GloMate and TykeLight Jr.

These unique lights won’t provide the same illumination as a traditional flashlight, but their rounded, “MSN chat guy-like” plastic bodies allow them to glow with a soft, even light that is comforting in a dark room and enough to light up a nighttime bathroom trip. And thanks to internal LEDs, they remain cool to the touch and can be used safely in and around the bed at nighttime.

TykeLight GloMate
The $20 TykeLight GloMate is powered by an internal rechargeable battery. Each milky white GloMate comes with a saucer-shaped stand that charges him when he is place on top of it. Lifting the GloMate from the stand turns him on and the light from the internal LEDs is spread out evenly by the white body. Additionally, if the power goes out while the GloMate is on the base, he’ll turn on automatically as well.

If that was all the GloMate did, it would be a great product. But there’s also a small button on the bottom that changes the GloMate’s color. You can select a 15-minute blue fade or a solid blue, pink or green that remains on until the charge is gone (up to 10-hours per Mobi) or the GlowMate is turned off. In addition to the solid colors, there’s also a rainbow setting that rotates through the colors, gradually fading from one to another. This last setting is neat and reminded me of the soothing effect of lava lamps.

TykeLight Jr.
Like the GloMate, the $10 TykeLight Jr. glows with a soft even light. However, the TykeLight is powered by 3 AAA batteries instead of the GloMate’s rechargeable battery.

The TykeLight Jr. is available in blue, pink or green and the color is determined by the TykeLight Jr.’s plastic body, not the lights inside, so there’s no color-changing feature.  Three power choices (high, low and 15-minute fade) are set by a button on the bottom. The harder plastic body and the AAA batteries (enough for nearly 75-hours of light) make the TykeLight Jr. a good choice for traveling.

Conclusion

While both lights would be a great nighttime addition to a child’s room, I did like the GloMate more. The color-changing feature was a big hit with my daughter and the GloMate’s plastic body was a bit softer than that of the TykeLight Jr. But as much as I like the GloMate, I do have two minor quibbles with it. First, each time you lift it from the stand, the GlowMate resets to the default blue 15-minute fade. Sure it’s easy to tap the button a few times to get to the setting you want, but I wish it would remember the last one I used.

Second, I would really like to be able to use the 15-minute fade with something other than blue. This seems like an easy feature to implement, so perhaps it will be added to future versions. But for now, if your child likes green or pink save yourself some money and get the cheaper TykeLight Jr. However, if blue is your child’s favorite color, get the GloMate. The additional colors, rainbow mode, and rechargeable batteries are definitely worth the extra $10.

Just under a month ago we took our first extended road trip with our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Before hitting the road we asked for tips and trips to help us survive. You delivered and in this post we’ll share the most popular tips. In future posts we’ll share specifics on some of the products we tried while on the road plus share links to online resources.

Have Car Seats Inspected
Sure you may have had your car seat for quite a while, but are you sure it’s installed correctly? Why not plan to have it checked before heading out for a long drive. Check out www.usa.safekids.org for more information and a directory of inspection station.

Allow Plenty of Extra Time
I was surprised by how much extra time we needed. It seemed like we were constantly stopping for one reason or another. Just accept that your trip will take much longer than your GPS or Google Maps says it will, particularly if you’re traveling with young children. And no matter why you’re stopping, be sure to let everyone out of the car as much as possible.

Know Where You’re Going
Again, this may seem obvious, but trust me when I say that the last thing you want to do is get lost during the middle of a tantrum. And there will be tantrums. Even if you have a GPS unit, make sure you have paper maps just in case.

We had a GPS, but we also packed a copy of Drive I-95. This unique flipbook let’s you know what amenities are available at each exit on I-95 from Massachusetts to Florida and also includes information on radar traps, select attractions and more. If you’re traveling on I-95, you need this book, it’s that simple. I’m a huge fan of technology, but when we needed gas or wanted to figure out which exit was best for the next rest stop, this book was simply faster to use than the GPS.

Pack Surprise/Activity Bags
This was the most common recommendation, and one that that my parents used when I was a kid. Basically you fill a bag with small surprises (think dollar store) for each child. These can be handed out at regular intervals or as rewards for certain behavior (“I need you to be quiet for the next 15 minutes while we get back to the interstate…”) Just be sure to choose gifts that can be used in the car. For example, books are a great idea, but only if your child doesn’t get carsick while reading.

Bring a Digital Camera for Your Kids
Many people suggested letting kids use a digital camera to create a record of the trip themselves.  One person also suggested using taking pictures of a favorite doll or toy in various places along the way.

While you may let older kids use your primary camera, you may want to pick up a “disposable” digital camera or find a used one on craigslist. There are also several “kid-friendly” digital cameras available for younger travelers. We took the VTech Kidizoom camera for a test run on our trip and will post a full review soon.

Portable DVD Players are Awesome!
Ok, I could argue about the importance of quality family time, but there were times on the trip when the portable DVD player really helped calm our daughter down. She was most happy with familiar movies, a plus because she could still follow the movie even with the sound turned down fairly low. The low volume allowed us to continue to interact with her while she watched. Of course, you may also want to bring headphones along.

Bring Along Some Good Music
We had a lot of good suggestions on music titles and we tried them all. We’ll go into more details in a future post, but for now let me just say that you want to be sure that whatever music you bring won’t drive YOU crazy. And don’t be afraid to scour your own music library for songs; “Our House” by Madness is now one of our daughter’s favorite songs.

Play Games
Ok, this may seem obvious, but how many of us tend to focus on the destination rather than the drive. Our 2.5 year old was quite capable of playing “I Spy” and we had a blast. If your kids are older, try the Alphabet game.

If your kids require a little more stimulation, consider age-appropriate travel games. For example, games like iPlay’s Tote-Along Travel Game and imaginetics magnetic Travel Picture Bingo are more involving than simple verbal games, but much more family-friendly than  portable video games. Just be sure that whatever travel games you choose are actually car friendly: Nobody wants to deal with a game that has to end because a piece is lost or the board gets bumped.

One last “game” suggestion that deserves mentioning is letting kids use Colorforms on the car windows. What a great idea! I didn’t know you could still buy Colorforms, but it looks like there’s a whole range of products available, including travel sets.

Avoid Sugary Snacks
The only thing worse than a cranky kids strapped into the back seat is a hyper kid strapped into the back seat. So be sure to pack snacks that are nutritious but not loaded with sugar. Finding snacks that fit the bill and are also car-friendly proved much harder than we though. Sure, we had fruit and crackers, but we also wanted some variety. We took along some Fruitabü organic smooshed fruit (think healthy and MUCH less sticky fruit roll-ups) as well as a selection of Snacktrition nut products. Due to our daughter’s age, the later wound up being enjoyed by my wife and me. And while I liked all of them, the Snacktrition cashews stood out from the others. They are simply the best I’ve ever had, especially the salt and pepper flavor.  They’re also a great source of nutrients and are “health baked with fiber,” but when they taste this good, who cares!

For drinks we brought fruit juice to mix with water (does anybody buy the pre-cut juice?) as well as Horizon singles milk. The later are shelf-stable (no refrigeration required), single-serve milk boxes available in plain, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate flavors.  Unfortunately our daughter proved that while she’s good at drinking from a box, she’s even better at squeezing or shaking the liquid all over herself, so it looks like we’ll be using sippy cups on the road for a while still.

Have Fun!

I originally added this so I’d have a nice neat list of ten items, but it really does have a purpose. Put more than one person in a small space for an extended period of time and it’s very likely nerves are going to get frayed. If there are family members in the group, then it’s guaranteed.  Making sure that there are fun things for everyone on the trip will help keep everyone happy. Just remember to enjoy the time you have and stay calm through the rough spots.

I’d like to thank everyone who submitted ideas, including:

• Chris Cochran – California Office of Traffic Safety
• Meagan Farrell- cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com
• Shel Horowitz – www.frugalfun.com
• Lisa Kothari – www.pepperspollywogs.com
• Lisa “Chase”  Patterson & Joan Vokes – www.justanswer.com
• Jenny Reed – www.ourcruiseplanner.com
• Sharon Silver – www.proactiveparenting.net

Have more travel tips to share? Please add them below.

Coming in early 2009, the Origami stroller from 4Moms opens and closes with the push of a button. This wonder stroller is powered by a generator that recharges as the stroller rolls: walk 300’ and you’ve got enough charge to power the transition.

The Origami is also made of 90% recycled materials and features daytime running lights, a pedometer and an onboard LCD to provide status information. And it could be yours for just $650.

I’m all for using technology where it makes sense and I really like the fact that it’s made mostly from recycled materials. And I know that there other similarly-priced high-end strollers. However, I don’t think that’s enough to justify $650 just to avoid opening and closing the stroller. I can think of a lot of other things I would buy with that money.

Would you buy it? Some videos to help you decide:

[Geekbrief.tv]

Just saw that Toys “R” Us is selling the blue SanDisk Sansa Shaker 512MB MP3 player for $12.50 this week (9/21/08-9/27/08) – 50% off their regular price. This is a great first MP3 player, and our favorite for older kids (read our review). Although the recommended age is 8+,  younger kids could probably use it with supervision and a set of volume-limiting headphones (not earbuds).

Of special note: this bargain-priced MP3 player features a shake feature to select a random song—just like Apple’s new iPod Nano.

New Hampshire has become the 19th state to implement a state-wide 211 phone system. This free service was started by the United Way to provide easy access to information on a variety of community health and human services. Callers who dial 211 within New Hampshire (or 1-866-444-4211 from outside of the state) are connected to a specialist who gets them to the agency or organization that can answer their questions.

By providing access to this information, the service hopes to help New Hampshire residents quickly find critical information without resorting to calling 911 for non-emergencies.

Visit www.211nh.org to learn more. On the site you can also view the list of available information. Click on “Find Help” in the menu and you’ll see the following major categories:

• Basic Needs,
• Consumer Services
• Criminal Justice and Legal Services
• Education
• Environmental Quality
• Health Care
• Income Security
• Individual and Family Life
• Mental Health Care and Counseling
• Organization/Community/International Services
• Target Populations

There are a variety of ways to search the categories, or you can enter your zip code and browse for resources specific to your community. Using the browse feature, it took me less than a minute to find the state office responsible for day care licensing.

With access to important information literally a few button presses away, 211 New Hampshire is a resource that all New Hampshire residents should know about.

Want to share your photos with other local families?

SNHParents is looking for photos to feature on our website. If selected, your photos could be seen by our members and other website visitors.

What Kind of Photos?
We’re looking for photos that show how great this region is for families. Photos of family activities, your kids near local landmarks, pretty much any photo showing local family life, particularly current photos (seasonal, holidays, etc.). We’re also looking for photos of the destinations in our directory.

The only requirements are that any photos you submit must be family-friendly and belong to you.

How to Submit Your Photos
If you have a photo you’d like to share, please do one of the following

• Flickr Users: Submitting your photos couldn’t be easier! Just tag them with “SNHParents” That’s it! See, I said it was easy.(If you’re not a Flickr user, but want to learn more, I recommend this video from Commoncraft)
• Everybody Else: Please e-mail your photos in JPG format to and include “photo” in the subject. I know you have to do a bit more than the Flickr users, but it’s still pretty easy!

What Happens Next
If we select your photo, we’ll contact you through Flickr or by e-mail before we use it so we can get your approval for our planned use and go over attribution information.

If you don’t hear from us right away, don’t worry. As we bring new stories and resources online, we’ll keep checking Flickr and the e-mail submissions for photos we can use. So while we may not have a spot for your photo today, there’s no telling what tomorrow might bring.

We’re looking forward to seeing your photos!

Road Trip!

Those two words bring back childhood memories. Whether it was a trip to visit my grandparents or the mother-of-all road trips to Disney World, the time spent in the car was almost always as memorable as the time at the destination. But somewhere along the way, the thrill of the road trip disappeared as I grew older. As a teen it just wasn’t “cool” to spend that much time with my family (if I could go back and smack my teen-self upside the head I would). Now as an adult, I’d rather keep travel time to a minimum so I can spend more time with my family at our destination.

But lately I’ve been thinking about road trips again. Sure, increasing airline ticket prices are a factor, but the thought of spending time together on the road as a family is also appealing. Perhaps my memories of childhood trips are colored by nostalgia or maybe I’m just crazy. We’ll know the answer soon enough because in mid-September we’re driving down the East Coast to visit family.

You can help.

We’re looking for ideas to make our daughter’s first family road trip as memorable as possible. We’d like to hear what tips, tricks and products you use on your family road trips. Post them below or e-mail . We’ll be trying them out during our approximately 20 hours on the road and sharing our experiences.

We’d also like to hear stories from your road trips, either from your childhood or traveling as a parent. Please post them in the comments below.

We look forward to hearing from you.