Archives for October 2013

Get ready for Día de los …

October 31, 2013 By admin

Today may be Halloween but why not enjoy some multicultural celebrations this weekend with Día de los Muertos also known as Day of the Dead.

: Globetrotting Mommy – Day of the Dead Cookies; Day of the Dead cookies from Dean and Deluca:

Día de los Muertos, observed by many Latino cultures, occurs around the same time as Halloween and features many of the same traditions (think skulls, bright outfits, parades, sweets, etc.). During Day of the Dead, revelers celebrate friends and family members who have passed on by building altars and decorating them with colorful paper flowers, grinning skeletons and candles. It’s a festive way for families to gather and welcome the souls of the dead on their annual visit home.

Here is a guide for some family friendly Día de los Muertos events around the world. If you’re looking to host your own Día de los Muertos party at home, check out these amazing ideas from BRIT & CO.

Globetrotting Mommy – Día de los Muertos Party

Happy holidays!

Checking out Disney’s …

October 30, 2013 By admin

On a recent trip to the Disney store (proceed with caution!) I spotted the cutest collection of internationally dressed dolls. If you’re drawn to vibrant colors and lots of cuteness, you’re going to love Disney’s “It’s a Small World Collection,” seven new dolls inspired by the original Fantasyland attraction and one of the best-known Disney tunes. I can remember “It’s a Small World” being one of my favorite Walt Disney World rides when I was young and that song brings those memories right back.

Globetrotting Mommy – It’s a Small World Collection

The 16″ dolls feature traditional folk costumes, shoes and hairstyles and they are just adorable. Each of the seven dolls (Hawaii, Holland, Kenya, Japan, France, India and England) sings in her native language and English. Best of all, the recordings are made by children from around the world for authenticity. I love how kids can learn about other cultures, fashions, languages and traditions through play and these dolls are great starters for all sorts of inspiring conversations.

Globetrotting Mommy – Disney Small World Dolls

Not into dolls? The youngest globetrotting boys and girls will enjoy the “It’s a Small World” Storybook and CD set.

Globetrotting Mommy – It’s a Small World Storybook and CD Set

These would be great birthday, holiday or baby shower gifts. I also love the idea of using the dolls as part of your nursery or playroom decor.

Day Trip: Pumpkin Picking on …

October 24, 2013 By admin

Pumpkin picking on Long Island is one of my favorite fall traditions. If you’re looking for a great day trip from NYC this weekend head over to Fink’s Country Farm on Eastern Long Island. It’s not too far from the Riverhead outlets so if you’re feeling ambitious you might come home with pumpkins and a few new outfits!

Globetrotting Mommy – Pumpkin Picking on Long Island

You’ll want to get there as early as you can (they open at 9 am) to avoid crowds and get the best photo ops and pumpkins. The $13 admission price includes unlimited access to the Fall Festival weekend activities including Hay Rides, 7-Acre Corn Maze, Pig Races, Animal Farm, Barnyard Bouncer, Corn Crib, Live Music and more. Additional attractions are available for an extra charge including Pony Rides, Face Painting, Fall Photos, U-Pick Pumpkins on the vine, Kiddie Train, Corn Cannon and Pumpkin Slingshot. There are plenty of picnic tables and the food stand serves soups, sandwiches, hot dogs, roasted corn on the cob (delish!) and beverages (get the hot apple cider). The food line was really long the day we went so be prepared to wait or pack a picnic and snacks. Bathrooms are plentiful but they are port-a-potties (I know, I know) and there is an area for diaper changing.

If you’ve got older kids, you might want to bring a flashlight and check out the Spookie Maze from 7:30 – 10 pm on October 26th. And if you visit on Sunday, October 27th there will be trick-or-treating.

There was so much to do and see my daughter was running around checking everything out for hours. She’s a pro at pony rides by now and she enjoyed her first pig race and corn crib. The Animal Farm was pretty extensive and there were plenty of feeding and petting opportunities. The staff was friendly and I loved that it wasn’t as commercial or expensive as many other pumpkin patches on Long Island (you know who you are). We left with three big pumpkins and a bunch of gourds for $12 which I thought was a real bargain when you consider one pumpkin at the Union Square Farmer’s Market is $10+ dollars.

You can also buy Halloween decorations, plants, pies (freshly baked by Mrs. Fink), vegetables, cider and other fall favorites at the farm stand.

There were so many great spots for pictures so bring your camera. Here are some of my favorite photos from our visit…

Globetrotting Mommy – Pumpkin Picking on Long Island

Still not ready for Halloween, check out my post on Halloween costumes and Halloween gift ideas.

Spring fashions for …

October 22, 2013 By admin

You’ve heard of New York’s famed Fashion Week but did you know that there is a separate Fashion Week just for kids styles? Well, there is and I was lucky enough to check out some of the latest spring fashions hot off the runway at petitePARADE’s Kids Fashion Week.

It was my daughter’s first fashion show and it was super exciting. How cute does she look in her front row chair?

We checked out the Stride Rite Children’s Group’s show which paired shoes from Stride Rite, Sperry Top-Sider kids, Keds kids, Merrell Kids and Saucony kids with the hottest spring fashions from Nordstrom and other children’s fashion brands.

The kid-friendly looks were full of vibrant colors (think florals, neons and 50 shades of blues), metallics (strappy sandals with bright flowers, yes, please!) and comfy styles. I also loved the fun bathing suits from Sweet Lola and Floatimini and the oh so chic girls raincoats from Oil & Water which were separate collections and did not feature Stride Rite footwear. Whether you’re dreaming of a beach getaway or Paris in the springtime, here are some of my fave spring looks for globetrotting kids:

Which looks are your favorites?

jetBlue Airways introduces …

October 21, 2013 By admin

Tired of keeping track of every family member’s frequent flyer points? JetBlue Airways has solved that problem with their new Family Pooling program. This free new program allows family members to collect TrueBlue frequent flyer points individually and share some, or share all of their points in a group account.

jetblue

With TrueBlue Family Pooling, customers can determine their own “family” based on what is most beneficial to them. Everyone in the family counts. Whether it’s immediate family members, same sex partners or a couple of friends.

Ready to pool your points, visit jetblue.com/familypooling and select a “Head of Household” to create your family. A family can consist of up to two adults at least 21 years old and up to five children, under the age of 21. Family members can choose to have 10 to 100 percent of their points pooled into the joint account. The “Head of Household” can then redeem points from the family account for any family member’s travel. One way award flights are available starting at just 5,000 points plus $2.50 taxes/fees with no blackout dates and points that don’t expire.

I love this idea and hope all the other airlines will be creating their own family programs soon.

It’s cool to be kind! …

October 18, 2013 By admin

Lisa at Happy Joyful Day is featuring a 31 Acts of Kindness project on her fabulous blog this month and I’m thrilled to be today’s guest poster. Go check out my story about a cool travel inspired way to be kind. I’ll give you a little hint…

Have a great weekend!!! I’ll be celebrating my daughter’s 4th birthday at her Princess and Pirates Spa Salon Karaoke birthday party. Say that three times fast…

xoxo

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Get crafty at home or away …

October 17, 2013 By admin

If you’re looking for a way to keep your kids busy crafting without having to spend hours on Pinterest researching project ideas (as fun as that is…) and way too much money in Michaels (thats fun too…), Kiwi Crate might change your life.

Globetrotting Mommy – Kiwi Crate

Just imagine, a box arrives at your door with a fun-filled Martha Stewart like project (and all the necessary supplies) and you just sit back and watch the excitement. If you’ve got little ones, you’ll need to supervise a bit but if your kids are old enough to read the directions, you could probably get a good hour to so to do something fun like fold the laundry.

My daughter and I tested out one of the Kiwi Travel Crates and it was a big kit. The travel kits come in smaller boxes and feature a single project that can easily be done on the go (like in a car, plane, train) or in a hotel. Check her out making a Kalidescope.

The kit included everything to make and decorate the project as well as an instruction pamphlet with additional suggestions and ideas. My daughter is turning four and was definitely able to do it all by herself but I did have to guide her through the simple steps.

Kiwi Crates are available in an array of offerings like monthly subscriptions, Single Crates, Travel Crates and Mini Crates as well as special holiday offerings and party favors. The Travel Crate is just the thing to pull out midway through a flight or train ride. Here’s hoping you won’t have to hear, “Are we there yet?????”

Note: I was provided with the Kiwi Travel Crate for this review but all opinions are my own.

Great gift ideas for Halloween …

October 15, 2013 By admin

Here in the United States, Halloween is one of the biggest holidays around but did you know that a number of countries around the world also welcome the winter season with parties, costumes and sweet treats?

In Mexico, they celebrate El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with festivities and parades. In Spain, they eat “Bones of the Holy” pastries. In Holland, they celebrate Saint Martin’s Day by singing songs and eating sweets or tangerines.

If you’re looking for some non-candy Halloween gifts for kids, here are some of my favorite ideas:

How cute are these Trumpette Ghost Socks?

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween Gift Ideas

These limited edition Halloween pacifiers from MAM come in a reusable case that can be used in the microwave to sterilize pacifiers. So smart.

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween Gift Ideas

Kids of all ages will love these Uglydoll Universal Monsters available individually or in this adorably spooky set featuring Dracula, Frankenstein, The Bride, The Wolfman, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Mummy.

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween gift ideas

Girly girls will want to get their nails into the holiday season and this little ghouls piggy paint set is sure to please with glow-in-the-dark white, orange and black polishes.

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween Gift Ideas

Books are always a great gift idea and this Creepy Carrots tale is a fall favorite in my house.

How about a gift kids and parents will love? Everyone loves Charlie Brown and this classic It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown DVD will keep the whole family entertained.

Happy Halloween season, wherever you’ll be celebrating!!

Top 5 Halloween costumes for …

October 10, 2013 By admin

Here in New York, the leaves are changing…the air is getting crisp…the farmer’s markets are full of pumpkins and gourds…and Halloween is coming!

I searched Pinterest high and low and here are my top five Halloween costumes for Globetrotting Kids…

1) This Baby Pilot DIY costume is just perfect for the under-one jet set.

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween Costumes

2) How cute is this DIY Mini Eiffel Tower?

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween Costumes

3) I just love these little DIY Pan Am Stewardess Costumes.

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween Costumes

4) Do your kids love the Disney movie Planes? How about making this DIY Dusty Costume. Perfect for boys or girls.

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween Costumes

5) No time to be crafty? This Ride in an Airplane Costume is great for kids of all ages.

Globetrotting Mommy – Halloween Costume

What are your kids going to be this year?

Dreaming of a safari themed …

October 7, 2013 By admin

Did you honeymoon in South Africa? Are you a huge fan of bold Chevron and stripes? Do you just love the idea of a safari theme for your new baby? If so, you will adore these safari themed baby nursery prints from Etsy’s SweetLittleBarn shop (discount code below)!

These 8×10 prints, available in single or coordinating groups, feature designs that are cute but not too cutesy which is usually the case with a lot of animal-themed nursery decor. I love the range of colors – from baby pinks and blues to bold yellows and grays – and styles.

These are my favorites:

Globetrotting Mommy – Safari themed baby nursery

Ready to order? Enter “globalbaby” at checkout for a 15% discount. They are also waiving the $20 dollar customization fee for Globetrotting Mommy readers so you can have the artwork of your dreams created from scratch for free!

Want more baby nursery inspiration? Check out my Fun nursery and kids room ideas Pinterest board.