JetWithKids.com

We love sharing sites that make travel with kids just a little more 'happy' (for the adults especially!) If you are embarking upon a trip with your kids that involves airplanes, check out JetWithKids.com for all kinds of information you need and information you didn't even KNOW you needed.

To quote their website "Jet With Kids.com was created by Jet Seven, Inc., as an informative site for anyone flying with children. A panel of over 20 veteran travel experts and pediatricians are contributors to the resources of the book Jet With Kids. From important documentation requirements to the best toys on planes, even the true hard facts about infant safety on planes, this site is dedicated to changing aviation travel from a dreaded transportation necessity and "nightmare" to an enjoyable and safe part of the trip for all involved."

They have their own book, product reviews, resources & partner section, and ways to get in touch. They can also be followed on twitter @JetWithKids, or their blog.

At KidsTravelHappy.com we share the goal with JetWithKids.com of making travel easier for families with kids. Showing kids the world will help them understand how similar they are to other children anywhere, and will grow their minds in the process. Don't be afraid to travel with kids, just make sure you have all the information, and the tools to make sure your "kids travel happy".

Beyond the one-room hotel or motel

When we went to Hawaii last year, we knew someone who lived near where we were going. In fact, he owns a spectacular rental home RIGHT ON Sunset Beach, Oahu, however, it was (by a factor of 10) way more money than we could afford. He did suggest that we check out www.VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals By Owner) for some economical, larger than a hotel room, rental properties.

After a bit of searching, we narrowed our options down quite quickly, and were happy to have a 1-bedroom, 850 square foot home with a queen, kid bed, and a queen futon couch - plenty of room for our family of 4 and my mom. It also had a kitchen, full bath, beach toys, beach chairs, boogie boards, beach cruiser bikes (2) all included.

The added bonus was that the family we rented from lived on the top floor of their home (many have to rent out part of their house just to make the mortgage!), and they had kids the exact same ages as ours, which was great (except, that the kids often didn't want to leave!).

We found that having a 'home' for the kids for the 8 days we were there enabled us to more easily maintain a bedtime routine, and despite the many hours on a plane to get there (from Maine), we all adjusted quite quickly. The ability to cook some of our own meals (and spend the money on other activities, and a few really GREAT meals out), the room to spread ourselves out etc.. was so worth it. Not to mention, it only ended up costing us about $110 a night - much lower than what any hotel on Oahu with much less space would cost. If your budget is larger, there are even more options. As it were, we were only 2 blocks from the beach (and ALL beaches are public in Hawaii!), and we walked to pastries and coffee every morning!

A few websites to check out are: (and, there are hundreds)

• Home Away
• Vacation Rentals by Owner
• Cyber Rentals
• FindRentals.com
  

And, of course, you can always check (in the U.S.) with the local Chamber of Commerce wherever you are looking to go, and find vacation rental options as well.

When traveling with kids, we feel it's important to make as many of the aspects of the trip feel like 'home' so they are more apt to enjoy the things that you are traveling to see!

Second-hand Stores Provide Great Spare Travel Clothes

We love to shop consignment or second-hand stores prior to travel to outfit our kids. We don't sell clothing on our site www.kidstravelhappy.com, mainly because we focus on travel activities, books, games and toys, but we do think that easily accessible spare clothing should never be overlooked. There are 'cute' (and often pricey) spare travel clothing options (for kids and adults), but we find that travel tends to test even the toughest stain-proof items!

As a result, we have found that second-hand stores (garage/yard sales, exchanges etc.) are great ways to acquire clothes to pack for kids. Children tend to get less upset about clothes that are NOT their 'favorite" when encountered by a snack stain, or other activity disaster remnant that permanently adheres to them.

We've also used a layering technique (obviously NOT great for warm weather travel). Have your child wear a t-shirt with a long-sleeved shirt over it, and maybe even a fleece vest (or similar). If something spills, there is still a layer or two to call to duty!

And, don't think the kids are the only ones who need the spares. That spilled drink (on a plane especially), or that soaked through diaper (if you haven't purchased that under 2-year old a seat!) could end up on the ADULT's lap (bummer!). Despite the decreasing allotments for traveling on a plane, we've always felt even just a pair of shorts as spares (no matter the destination) can be a life saver.

Other quick tips/links

- dress kids in the 'second-hand' clothes, and put the 'first-hand' clothes on at the destination
- remember a recloseable bag or some other waterproof container for those soiled items. It is NO fun putting all of the nasty things into the ADULT's bag of dry things!
- check out this link http://www.resaleshopping.com/ - "where the Internet meets local resale shop owners" for shops near you or near your destination (for US and Canada)
- another fun site for all those thrifters http://www.thethriftshopper.com/index.htm
- you can also try outfitting the family in 'synthetic' clothes (NOT cotton). Synthetic fabrics make for easy cleaning and wearing, as they tend to dry quickly. We often rely on this type of clothing for the 'big people'
- if you are traveling by vehicle, have a small 'spare clothes bag' (with at least one thing per traveler) that is easily accessible. This is much easier to find than to pull out each individual's luggage bag (as it's bound to be the one most deeply packed that you'll need first!)
- if you are local to the Bethel, Maine area, please visit Little Bits Consignment, located at 85 Main Street 207-824-4008

d kids we have realized that packing to go anywhere is NO easy task, but we've also realized that cutting corners in the wrong places can bring disaster.