reviews

How to Stay Comfortable and Healthy on Long/International Flights

Traveling on international flights is hardly fun. We just took a 10-hour flight to Hawaii that was exhausting. However, it did not compare to a 15-hour flight I took while pregnant. Talk about long! EL AL, the national airline of Israel, has some fabulous wellness tips to help passengers stay in shape, relax, and feel fresher during any flight as well as upon landing that I just had to share with you. 

These exercises are intended to provide a safe and healthy way of stretching certain muscles which may otherwise be tight as a result of sitting for any lengthy period of time.  Each exercise can easily be done from the comfort of any seat, without disturbing neighboring passengers. Exercises can be repeated as often as desired but should not be performed if there is difficulty or if pain occurs.

• BACK BENDS: Fold hands behind your head and stretch upward. Then, slowly roll your head down and around in a circle, rising slowly (and change directions).
• LEG JOINTS:Bring knee to your chest, keeping your back in an upright position. Rotate leg in small circles in each direction. Alternate legs.
• SIDE BENDS: Sitting straight up, place your hand on the opposite knee and twist your body in that direction. Repeat the same twist in the other direction.
• SPINAL STRETCHES: Link your hands together and stretch your arms overhead. Bend to the right and to the left.

Additional in flight exercises can include:

ANKLE TWIRLS: Lift your feet from the floor. Outline a circle with your toe tips, moving one foot clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Switch directions.
FOOT PUSHES: Begin with both feet flat on the floor, raising them as high as you can. Then, raise your heels high and keep toes on the floor. Perform this in a continuous movement.
KNEE LIFTS: Raise your leg with knee bent, contracting the thigh muscle (quadriceps). Switch legs.
NECK SWIVELS: With shoulders relaxed, lower your ear to your shoulder and gently move your neck to the right side and then to the left.
KNEE TO CHEST: Bend forward slightly. Wrap your hands around your left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold the contracted position for 15 seconds. Still holding your knee with your hands, lower it slowly. Switch knees.
FORWARD BENDS: With both feet on the floor and belly contracted inward, slowly bend forward and move hands downward, advancing toward feet. Hold this stretched position for 15 seconds and slowly return to a sitting position.
SHOULDER ROTATIONS: Arch your shoulders forward, upward and downward in gentle circular movements

The above exercises are recommended by the Israeli Center of Pilates. EL AL is now serving new health-smart meal options. In addition to the regular menu, a variety of 20 special meals are available in-flight which must be ordered at least 48 hours prior to departure. EL AL is committed to ensuring all passengers have a pleasant and relaxing experience on every flight.

And here are some tips that will help you stay comfortable during and after your flight:

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing
• Drink plenty of water
• Reduce consumption of coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages
• Avoid heavy meals
• Remove contact lenses and wear glasses to prevent dryness
• To equalize pressure in the ears, it may help to swallow and yawn

For additional details on EL AL Airlines in-flight exercise program, visit www.elal.com. Check out their blog and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

amelia in-flight tote by ellington

I recently got to try out the Amelia In-Flight Tote by Ellington Handbags. I have diaper bags - having three kids - and lots of other tote-type bags already. (What can I say? I love purses!) But this bag's unique features convinced me to give it a try.

What they say:

• Durable, easy-to-clean microfiber
• Adjustable, removable cross-body strap with removable shoulder pad
• Main compartment has secure zipper closure
• Four exterior slip pockets, three zip pockets
• Two full width pockets with magnetic snap closures; front pocket has: zip mesh pocket, slip pocket, two pen slots, key clip; back pocket unzips at bottom to go over rolling luggage handle
• Removable coin and card wallet
• Interior side mesh pockets, zip pocket

What I say:

I love this bag. I can honestly say - without a doubt - that this is the best diaper bag I've ever tried. LOVE. IT.

This past week we went on vacation to Virginia and we took the Amelia In-Flight Tote along and it was a life saver. With two adults and three small kids, you can only imagine all the luggage we brought! The kids have their own backpacks and can roll a suitcase, but the rest is up to us. My husband and I were wrestling laptop bags, the beach bag, car seats, you name it. So the ability of the Amelia In-Flight to slip over a luggage handle was SO helpful! I was honestly wishing I had two more.

I love the fabric - the easy to clean microfiber fabric even withstood the beach. I also love how there a huge 'storage' compartment, but also has a smaller pocket that is perfect for holding your keys, wallet and phone. Perfect for travel. This bag is coming with me on all of my upcoming trips - and is such high quality that I know it will last far beyond when I need a diaper bag. (Imagine not needing a diaper bag...Sigh! I can dream!)

I highly recommend the Amelia In-Flight Tote. It retails for $84 and is available on Ellington Handbags's website. I'm buying one for my sister-in-law who just adopted two little ones - she'll need it - and I can't wait to check more of what Ellington Handbags has to offer.

UPDATE: The Amelia In-Flight Tote is currently on sale for half price!

disclosure: i was provided with an amelia in-flight tote to facilitate this review. i was not compensated financially for this post.

Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel

My family are I just stayed at the Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel.

This hotel's location was fabulous - its right on the beautiful beach that Virginia beach boasts with the boardwalk just in front. The hotel was gorgeous and not at all what I expected. Very posh, but still beachy inside. Plus it is surrounded by several great restaurants and activities, all within walking distance. And check out the pool: my kids deemed it "SUPER SUPER AWESOME!"

 Our room was perfect for our family of five: we had a king oceanfront room. There was plenty of room for all five of us and our mountain of luggage. It had everything we needed including a fridge, microwave, huge couch (I hate when hotels have nowhere to sit) and a gorgeous balcony. Not to mention wi-fi and free parking. And it was all for a very reasonable price.It is an older hotel, so the rooms are not huge (and the bathroom is a little small) but it is in excellent repair and completely modernized. Our room - actually the whole hotel - was spotless.

Every staff member I encountered at this hotel was just fantastic - very friendly and so eager to help. I was alone with my three kids while my husband was in meetings all day, and several employees were offering me extra help - one even insisted in carrying one of my three huge bags up to the room for me as I was also carrying an exhausted two-year-old. I was so impressed!

The only complaint I have is that there was no bathroom near the pool. So when your little one needs to go potty, you have to trek across the pools, up an evevator and through the hotel to the lobby.  Of course, the kids hardly cared ;-) It would not stop me at all from staying here again. The day we were there the fighter jets were flying right over the hotel. A bit loud, but they stopped by nightfall, so it didn't disturb us at all. Actually, my son was totally jazzed.

I highly recommend the Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel and would definitely stay here again with my family! They'd love to come back - they loved it too:

watching a movie before bed after a long day at the beach and pool

Disclosure: i was not compensated financially for this review. pool photo is from sheraton.com.

highland backseat organzier

My kids call our minivan Wall-E because its gray and full of garbage. As much as I try to keep it picked up, with three kids, all their accessories, and a super busy schedule, the van gets out of hand really quickly! So I recently got to try out Highland Backseat Organizer.

What they say:

• GREAT FOR ORGANIZING ITEMS SUCH AS FILE FOLDERS, CALCULATORS, CELL PHONES
• KIDS TOYS, COLORING BOOKS AND MORE
• EIGHT LARGE POCKETS
• ADJUSTABLE INNER DIVIDERS
• FOLDS FOR CONVENIENT STORAGE

What I say:

I'm buying another one. Maybe two.

I love it! I put this in the backseat between my two girls and we filled it with the books, markers, coloring books, teeny-tiny toys, sunglasses, and goodnessknowswhatelse that was rolling around on the floor and under the seats. It was great for our 7-hour drive we just made -- they were able to have all of their things in easy reach so I didn't have to keep crawling into the back to help them out.

As a busy mom, I love any product that helps make my life more organized and easier for my kids to help themselves. And the kids loved the backseat organizer because now all of their things are within reach and easy to find. It would also be great for someone with a long commute or who lives out of their car, to keep their passenger seat organized.

The Highland Backseat Organizer is available for only $9.99 at Amazon.

disclosure: i was provided with a highland backseat organizer  to review. i was not compensated financially for this post.

greek peak mountain resort - special deal!

If we weren't already booked this month, I could be convinced to head back to Greek Peak to take advantage of this deal!!

Start spring off right with Cascades Indoor Waterpark and Hope Lake Lodge!
 
Make plans to stay and play during the month of April and receive 25% off your room reservations and passes for Cascades Indoor Waterpark at Hope Lake Lodge.

Use promo code Spring2010 to receive this special discount. This offer is based on availability so make plans today!

Not valid with any other discount or offer. Room reservation must be made for a night in April, 2010. Offer expires 4/30/10.

greek peak mountain resort

This past weekend, my family and I enjoyed two nights at the brand new Hope Lake Lodge at the Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland, NY in the finger lakes region.

We drove up in a light snow and saw the lodge, warm and welcoming like a postcard! We walked into a gigantic three story lobby, saw a roaring fire in the stone fireplace surrounded by comfy couches and picked up a cup of the complimentary hot coffee that is waiting to be enjoyed all day. Let me tell you, after a drive in the snow with three kids, it was heaven on earth!

We went up to our room and gave a collective "Wow!" It was gorgeous: rustic without being tacky (hard to pull off!), more than enough room for our family of 5, and had all the comforts of home. I was very impressed with how well-stocked the room was.  We've stayed at a ton of hotels, condos and timeshares over the years and generally the "kitchens" are ridiculous. Usually they have one small pot and a frying pan and they never have enough dishes.  This kitchen had everything from steak knives to a can opener to cookie sheets to wine glasses to food storage containers. I've never seen one like this. There was everything we would have needed to cook a big meal for our family! There was even a dishwasher. We ate breakfast in our room both mornings, relaxing in our pajamas.

There are several room layouts that fit anywhere from 4 to 10 people. We had layout B and it was perfect for us - plenty of room for us and all our stuff. The rooms have tons of storage in the huge closets, so we weren't constantly tripping over all our boots and suitcases and stuff. You probably know that my two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1) comfy beds and 2) a great shower. The beds here were very comfortable - even the Murphy bed I shared with Colin was nice! The shower was terrific - actually the whole bathroom was gorgeous, now that I think about it!

Cascades Indoor Waterpark (located right in the lodge) was super fun. The kids had such a blast. We could hardly tear them away to eat and sleep - it was all they wanted to do. It was torture when they woke up at seven and had to wait three whole hours for it to open. ("It is open yet?" "What about now?" "Is it open now?") It was very fun - even for mom and dad. We spent most of our time there over the weekend, going there twice on Saturday and again on Sunday before we left. The waterpark has a great variety of attractions, so its perfect for families with little kids and big kids/grownups.  My husband also went tubing with the girls on Saturday afternoon, which was a huge hit! The girls had never been before and they really enjoyed it. Meanwhile, I got pampered at the gorgeous Waterfall Spa. I was so impressed with how affordable, yet luxurious it was. My Apres Ski Massage was fabulous! I highly recommend scheduling some "me time" while you're there!

There are two restaurants in Hope Lake Lodge: Acorn Grill and Edgewater Cafe. We hit the Edgewater Cafe for lunch on Saturday while we were at the waterpark. The burgers were very good and the kids devoured a pizza. That night we went to the Acorn Grill, which was excellent. My husband and I both had very yummy meals, going with the entrees our server recommended highest, while the kids happily devoured their chicken fingers. (We skipped dessert at the restaurant and got ice cream at the Edgewater Cafe instead! Yum!)

Greek Peak Resort is a terrific family destination. We had such a terrific time - my kids were in tears when we left, saying they wanted to stay for a whole week next time! I'd love to come back with my extended family -- this would be such a great place for a little family reunion! The small touches made a huge difference: hot coffee and muffins in the lobby, a hotel store that actually had reasonable prices, shuttles to the ski area every 10 minutes... Plus, every employee we interacted with was eager to help, very friendly and constantly asking if there was anything they could do to make our stay better. 

Disclaimer: greek peak mountain resort provided our family with lodging and other benefits, such as tubing tickets, for the weekend, so my family and I could experience the resort. i was not compensated financially for this post.

disney social media moms celebration: day two

Thursday morning, all of us moms were up bright and early to catch the bus to Epcot for breakfast.  I met some fabulous 'Disney moms': JL, Jennifer, Jackie, and some others I can't remember.  While we were enjoying a yummy breakfast, we listened to a fabulous presentation by Guy Kawasaki. He was so real and funny as he gave us tons of tips on how to harness the power of Twitter for our sites... such great information that was  especially appreciated by us busy moms who are always trying to make the most of our time!

Then came one of the highlights:  Disney’s involvement in the conference was to share about Disney’s Give A Day, Get a Day program. Already, 600,000 volunteers have signed up and completed the program to date - but Disney's goal is to get to one million volunteers. The entire day's events focused on honoring those who have volunteered, spotlighting volunteer opportunities and encouraging people to continue to give. It was inspiring! 

And, boy, was the audience surprised when Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition  made an appearance and had the audience to shout with him “move those balloons!” to reveal the  world’s largest canned food sculpture–more than 115,000 cans.   (Later that day there was a volunteer event to dismantle the sculpture and pack the canned food into boxes for distribution to food shelters.) Can you believe I forgot my camera for this morning? Of all mornings! Like I'm going to run into Ty Pennington again someday. UGH!!

After the presentation, my family and I headed over to the Princess Storybook Dining at Norway's Akershus. We've never been to any character meal at Disney and it was everything I'd heard! This was the highlight of the trip for Gracie, so for me it was worth every penny. We met Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Ariel, Belle and Cinderella:

I was worried the kids wouldn't really enjoy Epcot after our day at Magic Kingdom, but they had a blast. Disney has done a great job of providing fun activities throughout the park. They loved walking through World Showcase (where we saw tons of characters: Aladdin, Jasmine, Mulan, and Mary Poppins to name just a few). The girls were crazy about Test Track and rode it twice. But the highlight for the entire family was when Colin got to see Nemo! The Seas with Nemo and Friends ride is totally amazing... I was blown away. SUCH a cool ride! We rode it three times, I think. I wish it had been around when Ellie was 2 and totally obsessed with all things Nemo.  Colin was squealing with excitement the entire time. I'll never forget it!

Later that evening, we were treated to yet another surprise: an amazing dinner prepared by Chef Robert Irvine and his crew from Food Network's Dinner Impossible. Thursday night’s event was held outside and it was cold, but Disney staff was handing out hand warmers and had outdoor heaters to help kept us warm. We parked ourselves next to a heater at a table with Mandy's adorable family and enjoyed the food that was inspired by the Disney Princesses!  I loved the seafood shepherd’s pie while Gracie and Colin inhaled the chicken lo mein: I  can’t wait to see the show when it airs on Food Network in the spring!  
After dinner we were treated to a concert by a new band, Allstar Weekend (winners of Disney’s Next Big Thing contest), then  Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato took the stage.  The concert ended with a fabulous fireworks display. This was my girls first concert experience and they were totally into it! They were waving their glow sticks and dancing around with their arms in the air... they were so cute they even got up on the big screen :-) It was a fantastic night and a terrific party. Disney pulled out all the stops to honor the volunteers!

Disclaimer: I paid a fee to attend this conference, but as an attendee I received complimentary items, special discounts, and other exciting benefits such as food and entertainment, so my family and I could experience the magic of Walt Disney World.

disney social media moms celebration: day one

Wednesday morning we were woken up bright and early at the Embassy Suites Orlando Airport by three extremely excited little people! We headed downstairs for breakfast, where we ran into Janine and her adorable twin girls who were so sweet. What a great way to start our Disney Mom experience! We hopped on the shuttle and transferred to the Magical Express at the airport and were on our way to the Walt Disney World Resort.

We were dropped off at the Polynesian Resort, checked in (and met Christy - such a sweetie!) and went to pick up my conference packet (and a sweet bag of goodies!) and immediately headed out to the Magic Kingdom!  We spent a fabulous day at the Magic Kingdom, taking full advantage of the media fast pass that was in our packet! It would be hard to pick a single highlight, but a few included:

• Colin's face when he saw Pooh for the first time. He was jumping up and down in pure joy, giggling and pointing yelling "POOOOHH!!" Disney Magic at its best.
  
  
  
• The rides. Its a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo... I can't describe how fun it is to see my kids loving the rides I loved as a kid!
• Ellie and Gracie are finally old enough to do some big rides! Their favorite ride was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Ellie even braved Pirates of the Caribbean!
• Meeting Ariel. We never got to meet her on our last trip to Disneyland, so Gracie was in heaven!



We returned to our hotel around 4:30 get ready for night's festivities! At 5:00 we caught the bus to ESPN Wide World of Sports. The kids and families were whisked away for some hot chocolate and sports-themed fun while the bloggers were treated to a short briefing and presentation by Meg Crofton, President of the Walt Disney World Resort. We listened as she and several others spoke to us about what's next for Disney. And there are some amazing things on the horizon:

Fantasy Land Expansion - For me, the mom of two little princesses, this was the most exciting news of the night. Guests will be able to have even more magical encounters with Disney princesses, like hanging out with Cinderella and attending Princess Aurora's 16th birthday party - complete with helping the three good fairies with preparation!  Each princess will have her own themed village within Fantasyland Forest. My girls will think they've died and gone to princess heaven!! Even Dumbo is getting a makeover, doubling the ride's capacity and riders can play carnival games while they wait in line. (And if you have kids, you KNOW how long the line for Dumbo usually is!)

Summer Nighttastic - The Mainstreet Electrical Parade we grew up with is coming back this summer!!  Oh, what I would give to see this again! It was always my favorite parade growing up and I'd love to share it with this kidlets!


Disney Cruise Line - Not only is Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas, getting a  huge makeover, but there will be two new ships in the Disney fleet. Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are scheduled to set sail in 2011 and 2012. Disney Cruise Line will also be sailing beyond the Bahamas - ships will be sailing both to Alaska and Europe. It has been my dream for years to take an Alaskan cruise - totally on my 'bucket list'. And now I know what cruise line I want to go on! 

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex - Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex has joined forces with ESPN to create a truly amazing sporting experience for athletes of all ages and levels. Every athletes will feel like professionals as they see themselves featured on ESPN and get the Disney touch on their sporting events.

After the presentations, we met up with our families and were treated to an amazing night of Disney entertainment – yummy food, dancing for the kids, characters visiting our tables, and schmoozing with other bloggers. This night was by far my kids favorite. Who knew my girls had inherited their Mama's love of dancing the night away? We practically had to drag them off the stage. It was a fabulous party and just a small taste of the amazing week that was to come!

Disclaimer: I paid a fee to attend this conference, but as an attendee I received complimentary items, special discounts, and other exciting benefits such as food and entertainment, so my family and I could experience the magic of Walt Disney World.

disney's polynesian resort

We just recently enjoyed a three night stay at Disney's Polynesian Resort, part of the gorgeous Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Flordia. And when I say "enjoyed" I mean "had the socks knocked off of us." Lets start at the beginning:

We pulled up to the Polynesian after getting off the Magical Express, walked over a waterfall-lined, tropical walkway lined with flaming tiki-torches and into the amazing lobby. We were all given leis and my kids were literally squealing in delight - it was just so beautiful. The main building - the Ceremonial House - hosts the hotel main desk, several shops and restaurants and the walkway to the monorail. Seeing as its Disney, the staff was absolutely delightful.

Our room was a standard garden view room. It had two queen beds, a day bed, gorgeous Polynesian-style decor  and a huge marble bathroom with private toilet. The rooms also have coffeemakers, refrigerators and microwaves (on request), hair dryers, irons and ironing boards and an in-room safe. We also had a crib in our room (also complimentary on request). There was more than enough room for our family of 5, the huge double stroller, our four suitcases and our piles of other stuff. Our room was quiet, comfortable and gorgeous!

As I've said before the two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1) comfy beds and 2) a great shower. The beds at the Polynesian were very comfy. I loved the bedside lamps on a dimmer - they made perfect nightlights for the kids. (The hotel also will provide bedrails if you need for little ones). The shower was literally my only disappointment with this hotel. Our shower was week - only one setting worked and not very well. I couldn't even get my hair clean.  

The hotel offers so much right on site (which we learned during a rainy day!). There are four restaurants on site - one of which is Ohana, which offers a popular character breakfast. (Get there early, even with a reservation. Its really popular!!) Captain Cook's is a quick service restaurant that offers kids meals for around $5 as well as bottles of milk and juice that we stocked our fridge with to pacify the toddler until we could get him real breakfast. The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show is very popular as well. They even had craft activities every afternoon for the kidlets.

As for location, I cannot imagine a better location within the Disney Resort - its located directly across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom. You can even watch the fireworks from the sandy beach at the resort! The monorail comes right outside the lobby and within minutes you can be at the Magic Kingdom. Buses to Epcot, Downtown Disney, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom full up right outside, or you can walk one block to the Transportation Center and get the monorail to Epcot.

This hotel was FABULOUS! Our next trip to Disney, I will look into staying here first before any other Disney hotel. The location is just too perfect!! And my kids, who have stayed at lots of hotels in their young lives, said this was their most favorite hotel ever!

disclosure: i stayed at the polynesian as part of the disney social media moms conference. while i did pay to attend the conference, we were given a terrific deal by disney!

embassy suites - orlando airport

On our recent trip to Orlando, we spent two nights at the Embassy Suites Orlando Airport.

This hotel's convenience can not be beat - we got our luggage, called the hotel, and they sent the shuttle right over. Within 15 minutes, we were at the hotel checking in. The hotel was very nice and all you expect from a typical Embassy Suites: a huge lobby and gorgeous atrium with a fountain. It was located only 6 miles from the airport and is surrounded by several great restaurants, all within walking distance. 

Our room was perfect for our family of five: two queen beds, a crib for the baby and a sofa bed. There was plenty of room for all five of us and our mountain of luggage. It had everything we needed including a fridge, microwave, two televisions (Disney Channel for kids, Olympics for mom and dad), a huge bathroom (big enough for three kids to take a bath!), and a full hot breakfast every morning. And it was all for a very reasonable price.

I highly recommend what we did: The first day we flew in to Orlando, we stayed at Embassy Suites for a night, then caught their airport shuttle back to the airport and hopped on Disney's Magical Express. Our last night, we did the same - taking the Magical Express to the airport and transferring to to Embassy Suites for a night before flying out the next morning. It was so great with the kids - we were able to decompress and relax before and after the craziness of Disney. After 5 busy, tiring days at Disney, a relaxing night of ordering pizza in our room (and complimentary wine for mom and dad) was just what the doctor ordered!!

The staff at this hotel went above and beyond for our family. At the welcome reception the first evening, one employee - without our asking- found apple juice and a bowl of fresh fruit for my toddler. I was blown away by that little gesture. Then when it was pouring rain, we asked if the front desk had umbrellas we could borrow to walk to a nearby restaurant and they offered to drive us over in the shuttle. The second night we stayed, my husband went to check on the kids in the dark and walked into the coffee table, slicing his leg open. The staff at the front desk was so helpful and concerned for him, providing first aid supplies and even offering to drive him to the ER if he needed.  The staff made this hotel stand out from other Embassy Suites we've stayed at.

The only complaint I have is just a general hotel one: thin walls. We could hear the man in the room next to us having a phone conversation like he was in the room with us (which means everyone could probably hear my son's crying at 1am loud and clear as well). And the open atrium - while gorgeous - was rather loud on the Saturday night we were there while our kids were going to sleep.

All in all, I highly recommend this hotel and would definitely stay here again! The two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1. comfy beds and 2. a great shower. And this hotel had both! (Seriously, very comfy beds and a terrific shower!) See how comfy:

(Baby not sleeping is no indication of how comfy beds are.
He isn't a fan of sleep in general.)

Disclosure: i was not compensated financially for this review. photo is from hilton.com, since as soon as we enter a hotel room with our three kids, it no longer is picture-worthy.