Beautiful Photography

Wondering what to buy a teen as a birthday gift (who wouldn't want to look this cool!)? Want to capture the essence of your bouncing baby or carefree toddler? Look no further than Calgary maternity/family photographer Brandi Murray, the talent behind Simply Connected Photography. I just love the way she uses colour and the urban backdrops she often chooses. I could look at the sample photography on her website all day long! She offers an "a la carte" service so you can pick and choose what prints/what size you want to order.


Brandi also has a blog. Click here to take a peek.

The Mother of all Packing Lists

Packing for a family vacation takes a lot of preparation. I take the opposite approach to my husband and start making lists of things to remember weeks before I go, but I'm a serial list maker (and I tend to get very excited about upcoming trips). Here are a few websites with packing lists you can print out to help take the strain:

The website www.HaveBabyWillTravel.com has a pretty inclusive packing list to help you in this mammoth task. Consider renting the last four items on the list when you arrive at your destination, if that's an option.

There are a number of tailored packing lists at About.com including a Disney packing list and a camping packing list.

Listorganizer.com has a form to print and fill out so you can personalize your list according to baby's needs and the length of your trip.

For help with what to take pack in your carry on, check out www.havebabywilltravel.com again as well as the US Transportion Secutiry Administration's advice page, and the Canadian equivalent with a detailed list of what is and isn't permitted in carry on baggage.

Happy travels!

Five great kid's websites

Check out the SavvyFive websites for kids article which I wrote this month with plenty of input from my 4 year old daughter. Like most kids nowadays, she has an instinctive grasp of computers and technology in general and has no trouble navigating around even the most complicated websites. I have these five websites bookmarked for her in a folder named "Lily."

If you're travelling with kids, consider downloading a few Sesame Street video podcasts onto your iPod, iPhone or something similar. They're free and available through iTunes or here: www.sesamestreet.org/podcasts

Baby Rhys Adventure Gear

Baby Rhys is a Canadian kids adventure gear company after my own heart. All the Baby Rhys products are inspired by an active lifestyle and a sense of fun (so much colour!) and adventure. Their designs focus on practical convenience without skimping on style. All the products work well for little travellers on the go, but my favourites are the bandana hat and the diaper tote bag (perfect for the airplane). Also check out their award-winning cotton and suede infant crib shoes that come in an assortment of such cheerful colours that you'll forget all about the ice and snow outside and dream of springtime...

Blogs rule!

I have to admit to a major love affair with blogs! I get a huge rush when I find a new one that I really enjoy reading (Julie Cole: The Baby Machine) or when I come across a blog that informs me (Baboo Baby) or offers a great service (clickthemouse.ca). It's just amazing how much fresh information, advice and funny opinions there are out there waiting to be discovered.

My latest find is motherofadeal.com. They post special deals, freebies, coupons, store closings, samples sales, travel deals and more. The perfect service for anyone like me who loves a great bargain!

10 things to do in Calgary

Looking for fun things to do in Calgary? Here's an article I just wrote for Helpwevegotkids.com with 10 fun things to do in Calgary -- take a gander if you get stuck for ideas.

Turbulence Tips

Most flights experience some form of turbulence from weather systems or erratic air movements. And while pilots often know when to expect it, clear air turbulence can catch the crew (and therefore the passengers) unawares. To help prevent injury from turbulence during a flight, follow these guidelines:
- keep your seatbelt buckled at all times when seated (to keep yourself safe and to set a good example to your children)
- keep your child's seatbelt or restraint harness buckled at all times when seated
- don't get up unless necessary
- when walking about the cabin, hold on to the seat backs or overhead bins and keep hold of your child at all times
- don't stow heavy items in the overhead bins
- keep the overhead bins closed at all times
- consider renting or purchasing a Baby B'Air flight vest for your baby travelling in your lap or a CARES harness if your child is over a year old, weighs at least 22 lbs and has her own seat. Both restraints are designed to keep little travellers safe during mid-flight turbulence.

Safe travels!

What are those weird noises we hear during flight?

I found this information interesting... and reassuring! And I'm looking forward to explaining away the roars and thumps to my ever curious 4 year old next time we fly. It's taken from the Boeing website.

In the early days of aviation it was common for people to refer to airplanes as "flying machines" -- and that's exactly what they are. When you're flying, you're inside a large, complex machine, so it's common to hear a lot of strange sounds. Here are some of them:
A drilling sound prior to takeoff and on approach to landing That's the sound of the flaps and slats being extended on the wings. These panels, which increase the area and curvature of the wing when extended to facilitate low-speed flying, are driven by a screw mechanism that causes the noise you hear.
A high-pitched whine prior to take-off That's the sound of the engines spooling up for take-off. Once airborne, the pilot will throttle the engines back, and during cruise the sound of the engines becomes more of a hum than a whine.
Rattling during takeoff or turbulence That's the sounds of things being jostled in overhead bins and other parts of the cabin due to engine vibrations on takeoff or turbulence during flight. It's not the sound of the airplane breaking apart!
A thump beneath the floor following takeoff That's the landing gear going up into the belly of the plane and the doors to the landing gear bay being shut.
A loud roar following touchdown That's the sound of the thrust reversers, which help slow the plane once it's on the runway. They literally reverse the flow of the air through the engines which is why they are so loud. Airplanes are designed to stop using breaks alone, but flight crews typically deploy the thrust reversers to help save wear and tear on the braking system.

Baby B'Airs are here!

Little Traveller now has Baby B'Air flight vests available to rent or purchase.

These award-winning quilted flight vests are for lap-held infants up to the age of two. They are designed to protect infants during the flight portion of a trip when 90% of turbulence occurs. They also help to safely secure wriggly children.

The vest is made from 100% cotton and is comfortable to wear (and easy to wash).

For more info: Baby B'Air / CARES harness

Superstars choose Little Traveller!

We briefly mingled with some international superstars (well, with their assistants if truth be told) last week when we rented snowsuits to Ms Tori Spelling and Mr Dean McDermott who were in town filming with their two little ones. I'm sure they don't have much need for snowsuits in LA. We were happy to help out.