Friday, May 27, 2011

Ten Family Travel Med Kit Essentials

If you listen to “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” then all you need is bandades and Windex for a medical kit! That would be the easiest but not very practical and I can’t see spraying Windex on a hurt knee. OUCH!




I usually pack a bunch of ointments, sprays, and salves, but there was definitely a time, probably very early on, when I was a lot more careful and thorough and current about what to bring on family vacations.


So I reviewed the literature, as they say, and identified some products and preventatives that we all might consider packing on the next trip.


1. Butterfly band-aids. Not the first shape that springs to mind, is it? But if you’ve got young kids like mine who wait until they’re well away from cushiony surfaces before doing their tumbles and face plants, the butterflies are “helpful for minor cuts that need to come together,” says Dr. Christine Wood, a practicing pediatrician and spokesperson for USANA Health Services.

2. Mederma for Kids. This is a cream Wood recommends parents use “on cuts or scrapes that are scarring. The product does truly help in minimizing the appearance of scars,” she says. (I use Neosporine with a germicide)


3. Hand sanitizer. The Centers for Disease Control Yellow Book has a handy section on traveling safely with infants and children. One of the book’s blander bits of advice is that “when proper hand-washing facilities are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used as a disinfecting agent.” But there’s a twist: “Alcohol does not remove organic material,” the CDC says, “so visibly soiled hands should be washed with soap and water.”


4. Children’s Benadryl Anti-Itch Gel. This is one of several itch-stopping topical gels parents might use for stings and bites, Wood says. If you also pack the Benadryl capsule it not only helps with allergies in general but it helps the kids sleep through long trips!


5. Insect repellent. To DEET or not to DEET? Parents debate this one in pharmacy aisles everywhere, and the CDC cites the American Academy of Pediatrics, which “recommends that repellents with DEET should not be used on infants younger than two months old. Also, the CDC reminds us that “products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus specify that they should not be used on children under the age of three.”

Plus, here’s one I know you didn’t know, which is that “repellent products must state any age restriction. If there is none, EPA has not required a restriction on the use of the product,” according to the CDC.


6. That part of your brain that keeps your fingers out of your mouth. Our friends at the CDC remind us not to “apply repellent to children’s hands” as “children tend to put their hands in their mouths.” I never remember this.


7. Sun-blocking garments. Nothing is more loathsome to me in summertime – other than jacked-up ice cream pricing – than all the time it takes to lather and re-lather kids with sunscreen. That’s why I love the CDC reminder that “there are sun-blocking shirts available that are made for swimming and preclude having to smear sunscreens over the entire trunk.” This kind of shirt and protective, fully brimmed hats are good ideas for kids of all ages.


8. Sea-Bands. Given that meds like Dramamine can cause drowsiness, Wood has used Sea-Bands on her own son. The bands, she says, “work as acupuncture bands on the wrist and minimize motion sickness.”


9. Probiotics. “For those children who are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea,” Wood says, a probiotic can be incorporated into a child’s food “to soothe indigestion symptoms.”


10. Ziploc bag. On a weekend bus ride last summer I mopped up my younger daughter’s vomit with a long-sleeved shirt, which I disposed of in the convenient Ziploc bag I had been carrying it in. From that trip forward our family has traveled with several strategically-placed gallon Ziplocs, each containing a few paper towels. A throw-up kit. Don’t leave home without it.


Advisory and disclaimer: Don’t try out any new medications, nutritional supplements, or treatments on your child without consulting your family doctor. In addition, although I don’t personally endorse the products mentioned in this post, I don’t feel I can say “zip-top” bag and be taken seriously, hence “Ziploc.”

Dining

We post our impressions of where to go and enjoy a great meal but when you go to other cities this maybe a great way to get ahead on your dining experience.



Sniff out critics' favorites


If you're more interested in getting a recommendation on the spot, download Urbanspoon. The app makes a game of finding a restaurant: Search options are displayed slot-machine style, with neighborhood, cuisine, and price as the categories. Refresh with a simple shake of the device, or click off for critics' reviews and some menus. Free. Download it: Android, iPhone/iPad.


Make reservations


Instead of calling 12 restaurants to find one that can seat your party of four, let OpenTable do the work. Search more than 15,000 restaurants in Canada, the U.K., Mexico, and the U.S. by the number of diners and your desired reservation time, and then sort by cuisine, price range, and neighborhood. And in about five taps — voilá! — you've got a reservation. Free. Download it: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone/iPad.


Sip smarter


With more than 1 million bottles of wine from Chile to Cali cataloged, the Cor.kz app is like a pocket sommelier. Search by region or varietal, peruse an exhaustive glossary, or scan a bottle's bar code with your smartphone to call up expert ratings and tasting notes. $4. Download it: Android, iPhone/iPad .


Avoid menu mistranslations


Foreign phrases can be unforgiving — and that's where On The Menu comes in. A database of more than 1,400 terms from all over the globe allows users to solve culinary conundrums with a quick Google-style search. Bagna cauda? That would be Italian for anchovy fondue. $2. Download it: iPhone/iPad.


Rub elbows with regulars


It's no easy feat to cut through the restaurant-of-the-moment hype in an unfamiliar city, which is where the no-holds-barred user reviews on Yelp's app come in. Using your GPS-mapped location, the app reveals the highest-rated places near you, as determined by the people who know best. Search thousands of dining options in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland by price, neighborhood, or the handy "what's open now." Free. Download it: Android, Blackberry, iPhone/iPad.


Ask the experts


Crowd-sourced restaurant reviews on Urbanspoon or Yelp can be telling, but you never really know who's behind them. The owner's mom? A foodie fussbudget? LocalEats relies on (relatively) objective parties-food bloggers, newspaper dining critics, alt-weekly columnists to compile its top-100 lists in America's 50 largest cities. Locally owned spots are in, national chains are out, ensuring you'll find an authentic meal without too much legwork. Android, iPhone/iPad, $1; BlackBerry, $3. Download it: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone/iPad.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Stay in touch with the World

The new News Republic smartphone app is launching on new platforms including iPad, Blackberry, Symbian, Bada, Windows Phone 7 and webOS and Android Honeycomb tablets. Smartphone users can also search, discover and share news stories using email, Twitter or Facebook. Giving you the ability to stay in touch with world news no matter where you are from.


Then you might fancy the News Republic smartphone app, which enables users to search and organize news stories. The app, featuring TagNav news tracking and navigation system, has attracted 400,000 iPhone and Android users with its English, French and Italian editions. This week, the app launched a Spanish edition and a German edition is expected shortly.


Users can create their own news channels from breaking news stories from 50+ news agencies and media sources worldwide including AFP, AP, Reuters, ITN, Adfero, Techradar, eWeek and WENN. The company says it has licensing agreements with content providers so users access the full news stories, images and videos within the app. They can also reference external resources including Wikipedia, YouTube and Google.


The News Republic app is available at the App Store, Android Market, Blackberry Appworld, Samsung Apps and Ovi Store in the News Sections.


For more info, visit the the News Republic site.

Image and video courtesy of News Republic.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Bike, Scooter Sales Shifting Gears

As gas prices surge beyond $4 a gallon, more Americans are cycling as a way to stay fit, save money or both. There’s definitely an obvious link that one leads to the other when it come to taking a bike instead of a car.



Bike sales rose 9% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2010, and sales of road bikes – commonly used in commuting – shot up 29%. Sales for gas-powered scooters are up even more: nearly 50% in the first quarter compared with a year ago.



Census data show that when gas prices last peaked, in summer 2008, bike commuting rose 15% nationwide from 2007. If gas keeps going the way the experts expect it to go I expect this will be no different this time around. We embrace our travelling biker. We’ve seen a few bikers booking with us and we feel it’s due to several of the nearby bike trails that we have.




In the past two years the federal government has made a $2 billion investment in aiding the growth to bike trails. Cities have capitalized on this and the number of U.S. communities designated “bicycle friendly” by the league of American bicyclists has grown from 25 in 2003 to 179 this year. See how our state or your state rates in bicycle programs by clicking HERE.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Travel Tips for the Solo Traveler

To minimize risks, follow these five practical tips, gathered from experts including Whitman, Schlichter, and travel guidebook author Rick Steves.



(1) Project strength. Walk purposefully, and show no fear — even if you have to fake it. Pickpockets prey on travelers who look like confused, easy victims. Common areas for Pickpockets are crowded areas. Pickpockets probably hit thousands of tourists a day around the world. Follow these simple steps, and you'll avoid them:


Keep your money in three places. The big money, credit cards, and passports go into a money belt under your clothes. More money and perhaps one credit card go into a more easily accessible change purse or zippered pocket. Finally, small money, for tips and taxis, goes into a front pocket, where most pickpockets work. This way, if successful, they get only the small stuff.



Inner pockets of jackets are less likely to be lifted but if I pickpocket notices you putting your wallet there than they can and will attempt to relieve you of it’s contents.



Keep your purse or luggage locked in transit. Also when sitting keep your bags in a visible area. Do not hang your purse on the chair as this is a common area thieves will riffle or take while you are distacted.



(2) Always remain alert. "It's those few seconds of inattentiveness when your bag or purse could get snatched," Whitman says. "Thieves are generally looking for a quick steal, so bring a cable lock to secure your belongings to your seat on trains, and lock the zippers of your bags together so no one can easily open them."



(3) Readjust your schedule. If you feel uncomfortable going out at night, don't force it. Instead, sightsee during the day, make lunch your biggest meal, and turn in early. "Everyone should avoid walking alone at night," Schlichter says. "I've heard plenty of stories of male travelers who put themselves in bad situations — they made the mistake of assuming they'd always be fine because they're guys."



(4) Avoid the flirts. Steves has long advised single female travelers to wear fake wedding rings, especially in Mediterranean and Latin countries, where the men tend to pay more attention to women than Americans are typically used to. Getting hit on doesn't always turn into a safety concern, of course, but a simple gold band could save you some headaches.



(5)Follow your gut. If your radar goes off, listen to it — no matter who sets it off. "Woman and young children are just as likely to be pickpockets in some European countries — not men with knives," Whitman points out. "They often get away with it, I think, because people don't want to be rude to a nice-looking, middle-aged lady holding a baby, even if she's being pushy."

Trends for Sping and Summer

As Pasadena weather starts to warm up and the stores have completed their switch from winter items to warmer weather items these are the typical trends to be aware of. Our weather in Pasadena runs about 40 degrees to 70 degrees in the spring but about mid June we start to see temperatures averaging around 60 degrees up to 100 degrees. Humidity is also a factor so if you plan to be outside you’ll want to keep this in mind when packing.



Afraid to try the latest trends because you don’t have the body of an 18-year-old supermodel? Never fear! Many of this season’s hottest trends are wearable for all ages and body types. Trying a new trend can be scary! Don’t be shy - Try one at a time and mix them in to what you already own. Summer is a great time to try something new or with a splash of more color than you’re used too. Here’s a couple of spring and summer trends that just about anyone can pull off:



This season dresses, and skirts will remain must haves... But this season fashion designer's have also given us all kind of fun fashions, fashions that will offer wonderful vivid prints, stripes, and geometric prints... The main theme this spring is somewhat tailored, and classic, but with a touch of bold, and edgy.



According to many fashion experts, super tight denim (commonly called ‘jeggings’) are a thing of the past. Instead, opt for wide-leg and trouser-cut silhouettes, which are flattering on all body types! Another trend making a comeback is flare jeans. If you have a curvy figure, flares are your best bet. They balance out a fuller top nicely and will make you look slimmer.



Hope this helps you as you plan on what to pack coming into our city. See you here!


Thursday, May 5, 2011

Would You Like Some Vodka on Those Pancakes?




That could be the question someone might jokingly ask upon first learning of this unusual, individualistic, and hauntingly flavorful vodka from Vermont, which lends credence to the fact that it is made with the sugars from 100 percent natural maple syrup. That in itself makes Vermont Gold maple vodka ($40/$20) a very limited, annual production, as the sap from New England’s maple trees only flows for less than six weeks in the spring, when warming daytime temperatures combine with still-frigid nights to allow the stored sugars to be released as sap. This in turn is boiled into maple syrup, which is then combined with a pure, non-grain vodka, then triple distilled and lightly filtered through charcoal to allow the delicate maple essence to come through in this 80 proof spirit. Only pure Vermont spring water is sourced for the distillation process, and no additives or preservatives are used. The distiller, Harry Gorman, handcrafts everything in-house. The result is a distinctly American-made, small-batch vodka with a smooth, semi-rich flavor of maple, a liquid tribute to a unique product of the Green Mountain State. Primarily available in the Northeast, it also can be ordered online. (866.998.6352, www.vermontspirits.com)