Keeping organized

You know that feeling – that ohgodI’minaforeignplace-andIleftthewipesatthehotel feeling. Banish that feeling for good with a DIY tag outlining everything you need for day trips and attach it to your diaper bag. We used a lace paper-punch edger on a standard tag and had it laminated at the local office supply store.

Know before you go
We’ve all checked into hotel rooms that were, well, not quite what we expected. To assuage your fear of the unknown, check out these websites:

tripadvisor.com A site that receives more than 30 million hits per week, Tripadvisor allows you to read customer reviews revealing the good, the bad and the ugly features of hotels, restaurants and attractions. You can view your options in descending rank according to overall popularity, price, class and, often, level of family-friendliness.

debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com It’s not just Debbie who’s writing: there are tons of traveller reviews here — often written by Canadians — for tropical resorts in dozens of countries. Check out the page of reviews focused on travel with kids.

petfriendly.ca If you’re planning on taking Fido and Fifi with you on the road, it helps to know in advance where they’ll be welcome to lay their heads. This site highlights pet-friendly hotels in every province (and two of the territories), and outlines pet policies in each.

Air Miles Tip
Distribute multiple cards amongst family members (and helpful friends and relatives) – when everyone swipes to the same account, the points pile up faster.

Border crossing
By road or by air, getting yourself across the border has become more complicated in recent years — and if you’re crossing with a couple of little ones in tow, things get even more interesting. Check out voyage.gc.ca and ppt.gc.ca, two government websites that should provide all of the information you need. Here are some of the most important points:

• Everyone, even babies, must have his or her own passport.
• Since January of last year, all Canadians entering the United States by air are required to present a passport; this requirement will extend to land and sea entry on June 1, 2009.
• If one parent is not along on the trip, they should provide a consent letter that includes their contact info and shows they have granted permission for their child to cross the border with the other parent. A sample letter is available at voyage.gc.ca.
• In addition to the consent letter, a divorced or separated parent should also carry a copy of the divorce, separation or custody decree.
• Make two copies of everyone’s passport — leave one copy with a friend or relative at home and carry the other one with you, but in a different bag or place from your actual passport. If your originals are lost or stolen, this will make the process of identifying everyone and, if necessary, getting emergency replacements much simpler.

“Kids have to walk through security at the airport as soon as they’re able. Have your spouse go through first, then your child will walk to them and you can follow. This allows one of you to be with your child at all times and she will be more likely to walk toward Mommy or Daddy.”
Stacey Weeks, mom of Kaitlyn, 4

“I have a very active son, and for our last trip together, I packed a deflated beach ball in my carry-on bag. After getting through customs, I blew the thing up and we found an empty gate where we could play. It was a godsend to let him run around a bit before being confined to my lap on a long flight.”
Kelly Jones, mom of Riley, 2, and nine-month old Parker

Air Miles Tip
By using one of the Air Miles credit or debit cards, you’ll be able to “double dip – that is, collect miles on both the money spent using your card and at sponsoring retailers.

Travel essentials

Cares – a belt-and-buckle device that weighs less than a pound and fits into a small carrying pouch -attaches directly to an airplane seatbelt, allowing you to check your bulky car seat as luggage. If you live in or near Calgary, you can rent one for $25 per trip at littletraveller.ca. Also available at babyshack.com.

Babybjorn Travel Crib Light, $300 With a weight that tops out at a mere 11 pounds, globetrotting parents will welcome this crib’s clever carry case, washable fabrics and nearly instantaneous set-up.

Friendly skies
If you have your choice of connecting airports, here are the top five in the world for families, as determined by The American Society of Travel Agents: London’s Heathrow Airport, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, Frankfurt Airport in Germany, London’s Gatwick Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport.

We’ve consulted with parents, who have recommended their Canadian airport faves:

Toronto Pearson International Airport
“Our daughter loves the new terminal at Pearson and enjoys checking out all the cool sculptures in the departure area. Mommy loves the great magazine and bookstores and the Starbucks. Such a great airport.” –Chareen Parsons, mom of Lauren, 3

Calgary International Airport
“It’s easy to get around, the carts are free and there are people dressed up in cowboy outfits to help out. There are lots and lots of play and entertainment areas, exhibits to amuse the whole family, and you can actually see the planes take off, which is very exciting for little kids.” –Becky Arthurs, mom of Obadiah, 5, and Judah, 3

St. John’s International Airport (Newfoundland)
“It’s rather small and compact, which makes it easier for kids to walk through — a great feature, because then you don’t have to carry them. And the people there are so willing to help.” –Vanessa Thomson, mom of Josh, 8, Austin, 5, and Kaitlyn, 3

Aeroplan Tip
ou can’t hold on to your Air Canada Aeroplan miles forever — each mile you earn has a seven-year expiry date, and you must have at least one Aeroplan transaction each year to keep your account active.

Drive smarter (not harder)
With skyrocketing fuel prices, road trips cost more now than ever before. “If people did a few simple things they could potentially get up to 100 kilometres extra out of a tank of gas,” says Charles Crispim, senior manager for the EcoEnergy for Personal Vehicles program with Natural Resources Canada. Make a game of it — keep track of how many kilometres you get per tank, and try to beat it. The federal government’s Office of Energy Efficiency has a list of guidelines, which can be found at oee.nrcan.gc.ca. Here are a few of the tips:

• Aggressive driving can increase fuel consumption by 37 percent, so take it easy behind the wheel.
• Drive the speed limit — an increase from 100 km/h to 120 km/h can burn 20 percent more gas.
• Get out the map and plan ahead — getting lost can be costly.
• In good weather conditions, use your cruise — smooth, even speeds are good for fuel efficiency.

Things that make trips easier
“Take along a large Lululemon shopping bag, the free ones you get with purchase. Nothing else holds as much for a carry-on, and it makes it easy to find stuff — it’s all out in the open.” –Yuki Hayashi, mom of Esmé, 6
(Note: If you can’t make it to a Lulu, some grocery stores have similar bags available at checkout for 99 cents.)

“Bring your kids’ stuffed animals or dolls from home, which are familiar and can help comfort them in new places and situations.” –Lisa Lethangue, mom of Brooke, 3

“As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think we could get by without our portable DVD player and kids’ movies. On our last car trip to Florida, we actually burned four hours of Treehouse to a DVD so that we had quick shows to keep the kids occupied! They tend to revert back to “are we there yet?’ mode when it’s a full-length movie.” –Meredith Dodge, mom of Jack, 5, and Andrew, 2

Don’t leave home without it
Parent-recommended items to keep close by, whether you’re flying or driving:

• Gravol
• A change of clothes for every kid in the family
• Children’s Tylenol and/or Tempra
• Large-sized resealable plastic bags, which can hold dirty clothes or diapers, small toys and can help avert disaster in case of vomiting
• A variety of surprises: stickers, colouring books, small toys, etc. — some parents recommend a gradual, hour-by-hour revealing of the new items, which can make a long day on the road much more bearable
• Band-Aids
• A cornucopia of healthy snacks; Cheerios, mini Goldfish crackers, water bottles and granola bars tend to travel well
• Pepto-Bismol tablets
• Baby wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towel
• Photos of your children, which can be invaluable in finding a wayward charge in a busy and unfamiliar place.

Pretty light
Lighten your load with these multiple-use beauty products:

	It’s your entire makeup bag in one product! Put it on lips, eyes and cheeks. The Multiple in Orgasm, $46, Nars.
	Why bring three bottles when you can bring one? This one is a facial cleanser, make-up remover and moisturizer. 3 in 1 Mild Gel Cleanser, $21, Reversa.
	Wash your hair and body with this sweet smelling gel. Rose & Green Tea Aromatic Wash for body and hair, $5, Ombra Spa.
	Handy as ever, use these for applying makeup and (carefully) cleaning nooks and crannies. 30-count Purse Pack, $3, Q-tips.
	100 percent natural, geared for specific climates, mix-and-matchable and entirely unisex, the Solavie Skin/Hair Care System is a no-brainer for travel. This one contains body/face cream on one side, and a shampoo and bath gel 2-in-1 on the other. $27, Solavie.
	Besides being good for your hair, conditioner is also a great shaving-cream substitute. Vive Pro Colour-care Conditioner, $6, L’Oréal Paris.
	It’s a moisturizer, a salve and relieves chapped or irritated skin. Petroleum jelly, $2, Vaseline.

Contributing editor Tim Johnson admits to being hooked on tripadvisor.com – he rarely stays at a hotel without vetting it there first, and sometimes scrolls through reviews, just for fun.