Flying - What to Pack in a Carry On

What I pack in my carry-on has changed over the six years I've been flying with children. In the early days I wheeled one maximum sized carry-on filled with diapers, tiny clothes, snacks and liquids (pre-liquid-ban-days) and of course my computer. I pushed my twin daughters through airports in a dual stroller that also fit more goodies underneath.

Now that my girls are six years old, they pull their own carry-on luggage. Actually they've been pulling a mini-suitcase ever since I gave up the stroller. Barbie suitcases replaced Dora ones and leopard print and floral print suitcases have replaced the Barbie wheelies. Of course, what's in their carry-ons has remained relatively unchanged. They bring a few Barbies, some sort of electronic game, a coloring book and a stuffed toy.

In addition, I also make room for a change of clothes. If we are heading somewhere warm they pack a tank top, skirt and flip flops into their carry-on so they can change just before the airplane lands. A few extra pairs of underwear and socks are also packed for the flight just in case.

Even though the girls have their own carry-on packed full of stuff, my carry-on is still full...my computer, a couple of cameras, the DVD player...and tons of snacks (airplanes don't give much in the way of food any more).

UK Hotel for Kids near Legoland

The options seemed endless, but in the end I think I made a great choice.  Normally I prefer to stay in a Westin, Hilton, or Marriott, so choosing a Holiday Inn is definitely straying from the luxury brands. 

We'll be spending two nights at the Holiday Inn near Windsor (UK) before our flight departs to Tenerife and I wanted my six-year old girls to enjoy some age-appropriate attractions.  Ok, so Legoland isn't really an attraction but it looks like fun.  I know I would hear lots of complaining if I tried to take them to the "real" London sites. 

The Holiday Inn is located 7.5 miles from Legoland and promotes their kids eat free program.  The hotel also features an indoor pool. Legoland aside, we will also visit Windsor Castle.  The girls are looking forward to seeing Queen Elizabeth's dollhouse from when she was a little girl - apparently it's the largest dollhouse in the world. Hopefully my kids don't get any ideas about expanding their own Barbie "village".

Booking Flights for a Cruise

It's that time again. We're going on another cruise. As much as I love to be on acruise, it's the organizing of flights that I don't enjoy - not to mention the new additions to my credit card.

I scour different airline websites for the best prices but that's not my only interest. When flying with kids there are a few other considerations.

Are your kids early risers? Since mine are not we prefer to fly later rather than earlier. What about time between flights. Remember that little legs don't run as fast as an adult's when it comes to making a tight connection.

I even take a look at the airplane seat configuration (www.seatguru.com) to determine which flight is best for my family. Since I normally travel alone with my two kids, I prefer airplanes that have a three seat configuration by the window rather than only two seats. I also prefer newer planes that have power ports in the seats - great for computers or DVD players.

So now that I've booked the flights.....It's time to book hotels.

Laundry on Cruise Ships

Cabin location can make a good cruise a great cruise. When travelling with kids, it's funny what our priorities are - laundry facilties being one of them. I love when my hotel room or cruise cabin is closely located to the laundry facilities.

Having six-year olds means lots of laundry, and I refuse to bring five suitcases to house a couple of weeks of clothes. Not. I would rather throw a load of laundry in every couple of days.

Most cruise lines have either coin laundry machines or machines that don't require coins at all (even better). I usually bring a rubbermaid container full of dry detergent (usually the cruise lines DO charge for soap).

I also find that the best time to do laundry is in the morning. Rather than rushing to get off the ship right away, I like to put a load of laundry in when I first wake up. We'll all go for breakfast, then I'll put the laundry into the dryer. By the time we're ready to go ashore, the laundry is dry.

New Cruise Blog

Ok, so it's been a while (over one year, to be exact) since my last post. I want to change the direction of the way I post. Apart from increasing the frequency, I want to get more personal.

I apologize that I'm still a beginner when it comes to blogging...and I've been trying to figure out the best way to utilize this blog.

Do I want to give cruise industry info? Do I want to share the intricate details of the 40 some odd cruises that our kids and I have been on? Or, do I want to share about what it's like to be the family of a senior officer of a major cruise line?

The answer is all of the above...I hope you enjoy the journey.