Need to rent baby equipment?

Have you started travelling again now that your little ones are a wee bit older? Or perhaps your kids are school aged but your sister is visiting with her little baby? If you find yourself in need of some compact baby equipment in Calgary (or pretty much any city in the world) then look up your local baby equipment rental company. But before you make the phone call, read my tips on renting baby equipment that were published this week on UrbanMommies.com.

Little Traveller rents baby equipment in the Calgary area. Our most requested items are convertible car seats, CARES airplane harnesses, playpens and high-chairs.

Heavenly Holiday with kids

Some friends just got back from an incredible holiday in southern California. They rented a 3000-sq-ft family beach house in San Clemente, mid-way between Los Angeles and San Diego. The house was extremely child-friendly as the owners have 4 children of their own. Our friends' two young children were in heaven in the children's playroom and art room complete with toys, games, a piano and even two indoor swings. Mum and dad were happy with the state of the art kitchen, the excellent choice of local restaurants and stores, and the surfboards that are available for guests to use. Disneyland and Legoland were only 25 minutes away and the beach, a short 5-minute stroll. While the house doesn't come cheap (it sleeps 12 after all), our friends said it was worth every penny. Their kids were in floods of tears when it was time to pack up and head home.

It's not always easy finding a kid-friendly vacation home that everyone can enjoy, but I have to admit to being a little green with envy at the reports of this amazing house!

Back to work!

I'm back to work this week after a couple of weeks of taking things easy with my children and parents-in-law (visiting from England) and enjoying some down down at our little log cabin. I'd like to say were enjoying the sunshine, the local outdoor pool, and picnics in the mountains but we've had a typical English August here in southern Alberta -- cold and wet!! So we've been enjoying plenty of craft time together (I recommend kidscraftweekly.com and the book D.I.Y. Kids by Ellen Lupton for great ideas) and baking cookies and cakes in the warm kitchen.

We also plucked up the courage to upsize our Subaru. I loved our Subaru and vowed I'd only ever buy Subarus again but our growing family had outgrown it and we needed more space. So we joined the masses and bought a minivan... I can't believe we didn't do it sooner! I love driving it, I love the convenience and the extra space (no need to collapse the Chariot anymore), and what's more the kids love it. My 5 year old was so excited during the test drive that she didn't stop talking for one single moment and she's given everyone on our street a tour of the roomy interior!

So, I'm rested and I'm ready for a busy fall season!

CARES awards

The CARES airplane harness for children continues to generate positive reviews and media buzz. In the last few months, CARES has been awarded the Dr. Toy's "Best Vacation Product" and "10 Most Socially Responsible Product" accolades. It's also been given the 2009 National Parenting Center's "Seal of approval."

CARES can now be used on any plane certified under the jurisdiction of Canada, the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand. It's also been used successfully by parents on nearly all the European and Asian airlines. Notable exceptions include Aer Lingus, Lufthansa and ANA. For more info, visit the Kids Fly Safe website.

Anyone planning to travel with children in the 22-44lb weight bracket (approximately 1 to 4 years) should consider giving CARES a try. It's available to buy or rent through Little Traveller baby equipment rentals in Calgary, Alberta. We ship across Canada.

Kara's featured on Canadian Babies

I got a little write up on Canadian Babies this month as part of their parent entrepreneur program. Check it out at Canadian Babies online.

Are you interested in becoming a parent or a mom entrepreneur? Here are 9 tips for parent entrepreneurs starting their own business from MarketWatch.com. Got a great idea for a new product or service? I highly recommend a book called The Mom Inventor's Handbook: How to turn your great idea into the next big thing by Tamara Monosoff. The author gives expert advice on how to create and sell your own products from home.

Travelling while pregnant

I came across this informative post today by pregnancy/parenting expert Ann Douglas on Canadian Babies about travelling while pregnant.

It's also a good idea to pack a big box of your preferred heartburn/indigestion remedy of choice. There's nothing like the combo of travelling, disturbed sleep and unfamiliar foods to enhance that uncomfortable pregnancy side-effect.

Happy travels!

CARES on TV

Sarah Brazeau and Erin Laberee from www.StarBrightforkids.ca were featured on the Breakfast Show on Calgary's CityTV this morning. They were on air to offer advice about travelling with kids, and borrowed a CARES airplane harness from Little Traveller to extol the virtues of this little 1lb device.

Jump seat booster makes eating more fun!

We're excited to add another new item to our inventory. The Beanstalk Jump Seat booster is an incredible seat that fits on virtually all dining chairs turning them into an instant highchair. Now your toddler can sit at the table (any table!) and enjoy dinner with the rest of the family. These so-called jump seats are popular in Europe where space is often an issue.

Another benefit of the seat is that it folds completely flat (you can even remove the handles) and so it travels really well. It has a lightweight metal, adjustable frame and is suitable for babies over 6 months weighing up to 30 lbs.
The Beanstalk jump seat is available to rent through Little Traveller in Calgary for $4 a day / $24 a week.

Kid-friendly hiking near Calgary

One of the best things about living in Calgary is the proximity to the Rockies and all the amazing hiking on offer there. We headed to Heart Creek at the weekend with our two little girls. Our 17 month old was as happy as can be in the Jack Wolfskin Watchtower Deluxe backpack. It's one of the most comfortable backpacks you can find -- well suited for broad-shouldered or tall men. Our 4 year old is an adept hiker now and helps with the regular shout outs to warn away the bears (and all other wildlife!)

The Heart Creek trail near Lac Des Arcs (just 45 minutes from Calgary) is perfect for little legs. It's an easy half day hike with limited elevation gain. The trail follows the creek and there are seven log-wood bridges along the route which my daughter literally skipped across while I held on tight to the railing. We couldn't see the waterfall at the end because there's some rock-climbing involved in reaching it, but we enjoyed lunch at the little beach at the base of the falls. The wildflowers are incredible this time of year.

Another great area for hiking with kids is Bow Valley Provincial Park. There are a number of short loops and some great picnic spots. Head there soon to catch all the lillies and the Indian Paintbrush in bloom.

The Jack Wolfskin Watchtower Deluxe backpack is available to rent from Little Traveller for $7 a day / $42 a week.

Code Red "Bag It"

While browsing in a Calgary store, I came across a great addition for my backpack, diaper bag and car's glove box. They are biodegradeable bags called the Code Red "Bag It" that come in a tiny red dispenser with a loop attached. I use mine as on-the-go diaper bags or garbage bags. I bought a pack of three dispensers -- 36 bags in all -- for just $9.99 at Kacz' Kids.

I love finding products like this that make my life easier!