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Packing Tips for Travel with Toddlers
After more than 20 international and domestic trips with my toddler, I have almost perfected our list of what to take with us, no matter where we are going, San Francisco, Ireland or India. Much of our travel to this point
Travel Activities for Kids Without Using Electronics
We are not an electronic free family, but for much of our travel, our son has not been very interested in watching movies or playing on the iPad. This has meant coming up with lots of ideas on how to
Packing List for a Toddler’s Travel Bag
When we travel I always follow the same packing list for my son’s travel bag. It contains all of the things that he will need during the flight (car, bus or train journey). I refresh the bag with supplies as
Monrovia Canyon Falls: The Perfect Family Hike
I have finally found the perfect family hike and I am so excited to share it with anyone who will listen! Monrovia Canyon Falls is my new favorite hike to do with my toddler (and his friends). It has everything
Free Splash Pads on the East Side
It’s summer and summer means water play, especially on the Eastside where our summer temperatures soar. For us it’s even more important because we don’t have central air at our house, so we *must* get out in the afternoons to cool
Trash for Teaching | Recycled: Materials for art, play and learning
My son’s preschool teacher told me about Trash for Teaching, which is basically a recycling center where you can buy random bits and bobs for art projects or as my son says “engineering” projects. They source clean safe recycled materials
California Adventure Rides for Toddlers
California Adventure is my pick for a toddler’s first visit to a Disney theme park. California Adventure is smaller than Disneyland and feels much more manageable to do with a toddler. The California Adventure rides for toddlers are mellow and
Sunset Ranch & Hollywood Sign Hike for Horse-loving Kids
Today I suggested my toddler and I get some ice cream after his nap. Shockingly, he said he would rather go for a “hike and see horses”. Hmm. Yeah that’s what I meant! What better place to go for a
Trash Trucks – LA Sanitation Department’s Open House
Does your kid love ‘trash truck day’? My toddler is obsessed with trash pickup, trash trucks, trash cans and all things trash. He was watching YouTube videos of trash trucks at a local diner one morning when a kid in
Best Places to Visit in Delhi with Kids
India isn’t probably the first destination you would think to take your kids, and the capital, the capital of India may not be an obvious choice but kids are warmly welcomed there and throughout the country. Younger kids may find
Tips on Avoiding Culture Shock in India
Are you planning on visiting India, but not sure what to expect? You have dreamed of going to India for years, you have seen all of the movies, you have read the books, you feel like you KNOW what
Top Tips for Flying with Toddlers
Top Tips for Flying with Toddlers I am constantly peppered with questions on how to travel with a toddler. Our son has been on over 30 flights in his first 2.5 years, so he is already a seasoned traveler but it
Relief on a Hot Day: Grand Park Splash Pad
It has been middle of the summer hot the last few days and we are still in spring. Scared of what is to come in the next few months, we have been scoping out fun wet afternoon activities. Today we
Packing Essentials: Developing Countries
After 8+ years of living and many more years of traveling in developing countries, I have developed a pretty good packing list. I know exactly what to take versus what to buy at my destination. I try to always pack
A Day Out: Visiting the Van Nuys Airport Observation Area
Every week we try to do something new, so that we continue to explore and find our way in the vast city of Los Angeles. This week’s adventure was to the Van Nuys Airport Observation Area. I have to admit
Family Hike: Dante’s Peak, Griffith Park
Everyone outside of LA have these really negative mental images of what LA is all about – terrible traffic, lots of plastic surgery, expensive shops, totally fake people, strip mall central, etc. And yes a lot of that exists, but
The Never Ending Los Angeles Bucket List for Families
Mommy Poppins’s website has a great Los Angeles bucket list for families. Since we are new to LA, it has become the perfect base for many of our local explorations. As we learn more about the city, we continue to add to this