Preparing Children for Upcoming Airplane Travel

July 22, 2016 by 2 Comments

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Planning a family trip can seem overwhelming enough to most parents, but planning on surviving the trip with children may seem impossible. With proper preparation, any parent can survive taking a trip on a plane with their children, no matter how old they are. It’s helpful to prepare yourself and your children ahead of time for the upcoming trip and always plan for the worst-case scenarios just in case.

Prioritize Safety

Safety needs to be your number one priority at the airport and on the plane. Airports are busy places and when parents are busy worrying about their luggage and boarding on time, children need to remain close by the entire time. As any parent knows, children can wander away rather quickly, so remain vigilant in keeping your children under control by giving them something to do or allowing them to help out. On the plane, try to keep children out of aisle seats. Ear pressure and pain are common in children on planes, so ensure you purchase appropriate ear protection. You can get padded child-size noise-attenuating earphones from this online pilot store prior to your trip.

Get Them Excited About The Destination

Children love to have something to look forward to, so spend some time getting them excited about where you are taking a trip to. Whether it’s a trip to Disneyland or a family vacation to explore a new place and learn about a culture like Mexico, tell your children about all the cool adventures in store for them. If you are going somewhere where the culture is very different than what your children are used to, teach them about it so they know what to expect. You can help them prepare by watching travel videos and reading books about your destination.
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A Guide To The Very Best Ways To Save On Travel

April 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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There’s something extremely exciting about visiting new places and learning about other cultures. The only problem with travelling is the cost – vacations rarely come cheap. While you might find a deal on your accommodation, for example, your flight tickets may end up costing you an arm and a leg. Travel can be a lot of fun, but if you’re not smart about it, it can leave you with an empty wallet and a drained bank account.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to cost you the earth to travel abroad. If you know all the best tips and tricks for saving money on travel, it can actually be relatively affordable. To make travel a little more budget-friendly, we’ve compiled a list of all the very best money-saving travel tips. From booking your flights to choosing where to stay, we’ve got you covered. For everything that you need to know to cut the cost of travel, keep reading.

Avoid peak time travel

The price of flights varies significantly depending on the day and time that you choose to fly. If you want to save on the cost of plane tickets, the best thing to do is avoid booking for peak times. A peak time ticket can cost up to three times the amount as an off-peak one, so it’s worth being choosy about when you travel.

Try out a few different dates and times and see what the price difference is between flights. You’ll often find that on weekdays, daytime flights are the most affordable. While on weekends, flights late at night and in the early hours always tend to cost less. If you take the time to compare the best times to travel, you can significantly reduce the cost of your trip.

Use travel comparison sites

It’s not just about the time you travel at, but also who you choose to fly with. There are plenty of online comparison sites that allow you to not only compare the cost of flights but also show you what the cheapest airline is. Don’t be put off using budget airlines just because they’re seen as being cheap. They work just the same as standard airlines but they charge around half the price.

Of course, it’s not just flights that travel comparison sites can help you to save money on. They can also help you to save on the cost of accommodation, by showing you the best low-cost accommodation options. Take the time to use comparison sites and you can ensure that when it comes to the cost of your trip, you keep it as budget-friendly as possible. One of the best travel comparison sites is Skyscanner.net, so take a look and see if you could save.
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Summer Road Trip Essentials

March 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Are you channeling Thelma and Louise this summer? If you’re gearing up for the road trip of a lifetime, here are some essentials to pack in your trunk.

Clothing

A summer road trip is all about sun, sea and sand. Pack your swimwear and some light layers for evenings. Choose a mixture of laid-back daytime outfits, beach attire and a couple of smarter looks for going out. Try and pack light, as you may have limited space.

Sat nav

The films often show glamorous starts wrestling with paper maps with the wind blowing in their hair, but the reality is that sat nav is a lot easier. Plug in motel postcodes and landmark sites to navigate your way without any stress or arguments with your co-pilot. Take a map with you just in case the road layout has changed, or your sat nav stops working.

In-car charger

If you’re planning to spend long periods of time in the car, it’s wise to pack an in-car charger. You may need to make calls and you’ll undoubtedly need your phone to stop off and take some snaps.

First aid kit

You never know when accidents could happen, and it’s always best to be prepared. Bring a first aid kit with you to treat any scrapes and scratches you pick up along the way.
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Taking Time to be a Dad Today @adcouncil @fatherhood.gov #fatherhood

February 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

The more involved a dad is, the more successful his children are. A father’s influence can determine a child’s social life, academic achievement, and future achievements.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Family Assistance’s National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) and the Ad Council in an effort to inspire and support men in their commitment to responsible fatherhood.

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Eighty-six percent of dads spend more time with their children today than their own fathers did with them, but a majority of dads (7 out of 10) also reported that they could use tips on how to be a better parent, according to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council. Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.

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Filed Under: charity/notforprofit, parenting

Diggerland – Family Fun in NJ

July 16, 2015 by 3 Comments

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A fleet of amphibious 8-wheeled black-and-yellow vehicles, otherwise known as ARGOs, may be a rare site to see in the United States. Perhaps more rare, would be children and their families operating the all-terrain machines on an off road course.

The Argos are added as Diggerland’s 25th attraction, following the World’s Fastest Backhoe and JCB WorkMax UTVs that were introduced earlier in the construction theme park’s second season.

“The ARGO furthers our goal of providing one-of-a-kind entertainment for families visiting our park,” said Yan Girlya, co-owner of Diggerland USA. “Diggerland is the only place in America where kids and their families can operate heavy equipment; and now we’re the only place you can get behind the wheel of an ARGO.”
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Airplanes and Ear Pain

July 6, 2015 by 4 Comments

There are plenty of things to love about air travel. Looking down through the clouds at the toy-sized cars and people rarely gets old. Those elf-sized packs of peanuts and pretzels and the tiny cups of soda have an oddly childlike charm. And at the end of the day, you’re hurtling through the air at 30,000 miles above the ground—what part of that isn’t exciting?

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A first-class or even an exit-row seat will buy you some additional legroom, but unfortunately every seat carries the same risk of experiencing the unpleasant ear pain and popping that commonly happens during air travel. In most cases, the pressure and pain you feel is mercifully brief. Odds are your hearing will return to its usual levels just a few minutes after the plane lands. It’s rare to sustain permanent hearing loss as a direct result of a flight.

Just where does this popping and pain come from? And, more importantly, is there anything you can do to prevent it?

What Causes the Pain and Popping?

The ear problems you experience when you fly are caused by an imbalance between the air pressure in your middle ear and that of the air around you. This is especially true during takeoff and landing, when the air pressure in the cabin is rapidly changing, oddly enough, to keep you comfortable. When the pressure is lowered during takeoff, your eardrum begins to swell outward like a rising loaf of bread. The reverse happens when the pressure is raised during landing, causing your eardrum to get sucked inward. In both of these cases, the imbalance leads to the muffled hearing and uncomfortable pain and pressure.

Open Your Eustachian Tubes to Equalize the Pressure
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Boiling Springs Savings Bank Student Checking Account @BSSBankNJ #GardenStateGrads

June 12, 2015 by 7 Comments

Disclosure- This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own and honest. For more information, see “I Disclose”.

What is the best way to get your kids to respect money and learn how to properly manage it?  A piggy bank? How about a new type of bank account from Boiling Springs specially tailored for new bankers aged 14-23?  That sounds better. The account is called a Boiling Springs Savings Bank Student Checking Account. 

This account features:

No monthly fees

Interest earned on all balances

Free specialty checks or a discount on custom checks

Free online banking

Free online bill payment

Free 24-hour telephone banking

Minimum deposit to open account is $1.00

Free transactions at Boiling Springs ATMs with Boiling Springs ATM card or Debit MasterCard

Direct deposit
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The Shelter Pet Project #shelterpetlove

May 26, 2015 by 2 Comments

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Each year approximately 3-4 million pets are adopted from shelter and rescue groups, but 2.4 million healthy and treatable pets still need our help to find a home. The Shelter Pet Project, in a collaborative effort between The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie’s Fund®, and the Ad Council, want to help these pets find homes.  The goal of The Shelter Pet Project is to make shelters and rescue groups the first place people turn when looking to get a new pet.

And why shouldn’t it be?  These pets are not “used” or “throw away” pets- they are companions that need a new home, usually due to no fault of their own.

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Have you met Cooper?  Our newest addition, here since December.  He’s awesome.  He thinks he’s people- but he’s a whole lot better, in my opinion, since he can’t talk back and he doesn’t care if I put on weight.  After our dog Chaac died of cancer almost 2 years ago (also a rescue from a local shelter), we never thought we would find another dog to fill the hole Chaac left in our hearts.  We did quite a few fosters, but it was Cooper who stole the show- we just adore him.

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Chaac the Wonder Dog- who we miss dearly.

 

Speaking of fosters- have you met Sasha?  Our latest foster dog is looking for her forever home- if you think that could be you, email me for more info!

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Sasha is 6 years old, likes long walks on the beach (or anywhere, really), and is quite the lady on her leash. She never pulls, and walks at whatever pace you are- this pup aims to please.  Clearly a beauty, she will bat her gold eyes and dazzle you with a smile that she flashes to anyone- she’s a flirt.
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