feature - Piyo Piyo

Let’s start with flying.
If you’re brave enough to bring your baby on an
airplane, here’s what you need to know.
First, decide if you’re going to buy your child
a seat. Lap babies (under age two) fly free on
domestic flights, so bring a copy of your child’s
birth certificate to prove they’re within the age
limits. However, if you want a seat for your baby,
you must bring a car seat on the plane.
Speaking of car seats, they do not count as
checked luggage on any airline. Note: you will not
be charged. Invest in a durable car seat cover
and check it for your trip. A great tip: when your
suitcase is over 50 pounds, avoid the overweight
fees and stick some of those extra clothes in the
car seat bag. Car seat bags are available at major
baby retailers.
And the same goes for strollers. Yes, you
can stroll your baby around the airport until
takeoff, and then check it at the gate. I suggest
purchasing a protective bag for your stroller
so it doesn’t come off the
plane bruised and
beaten. (I know this
from experience—
don’t ask.) If you
have an UPPAbaby
stroller, check out the
G-Series TravelBag.
Why? Because any
damage caused to
your G-LUXE or G-LITE
G-Series
stroller during air travel
TravelBag
is covered under a twouppababy.com
year warranty. www.
uppababy.com
feature
Baby on Board:
Next, I’m always looking for unique items that
make life easier…and safer. I thought I’d
mention a brilliant company targeting kids on the
go (I’m talking to you, fellow parents of toddlers).
The Breakdown of Family Travel
by Nadine Bubeck
O
nce upon a time not long ago, my husband and I could hop
a plane to Vegas, stay up all night in the city, and relax
beachside on vacation. Once upon a time travel was easy: we
had a pre-flight cocktail, a mimosa when checking into our hotel, and
a nightcap drink. And once upon a time, we slept in late, ordered
room service, and napped throughout the day. Gosh what I would do
for a nap right now.
It can happen anywhere—especially in a big
airport. Your attention shifts for
a split second and suddenly your
child wanders out of sight.
Fast forward a few years…we are now proud
parents of two kids under two. My sons are my
blessings; my little soul mates, but truth be told,
those little people have changed everything when it
comes to travel; just getting out of the house for an
hour takes planning, packing, and a lot of diapers.
Through trial and error and a lot of research, I’ve
come up with family travel tips and must-have
products to make vacationing less stressful with
baby on board.
SafetyTat
safetytat.com
SafetyTat is a fun, colorful,
temporary safety child ID tattoo
that aims to provide parents with
somewhat peace of mind. When
applied to the arm of your child,
SafetyTat gives an immediate,
highly visible form of child
identification that stays in place. The tattoos
read: If Lost, Please Call, along with your cell
phone number. www.safetytat.com
Now, what to bring on the plane.
Anything for baby can get through security. That
means you can bring breast-milk, formula, baby
food, and bottled water worry-free. A piece of
advice, though: get travel-size baby essentials,
as mean security people do exist and might
make you dispose of any tubes that exceed the
3 ounce container rule. That’s why I recommend
Babyganics purse-size items. All Babyganics
products are made from natural baby-safe
ingredients that won’t irritate your skin. Check
out the hand sanitizing wipes, toy-cleaning
wipes, and diaper rash cream sized for travel.
(Make sure to use the wipes to sanitize your
seat surroundings: the plane tray, seat belt, etc.
Disease-causing bacteria can linger for days on
most airplane surfaces. Yuck.) www.babyganics.
com
Of course you’ll need a place to store formula
and snacks, and for no-spill storage, I like
Piyo Piyo feeding accessories. The
super cute baby brand has an
array of fabulous products that
keep hungry and thirsty kids
free from making a mess. Plus,
Piyo Piyo is super budget friendly.
Check out the Non-Spill Milk Powder
Dispenser ($3.99) and the Keep-N-Trap
snack container that
encourages your child
to eat independently
without spilling
($6.99). www.
piyopiyousa.com
And a final piece
of flying two cents:
feeding your baby
with either a bottle or
breast during take off
and landing can help
them adjust their ears
to the change in cabin
pressure.
Piyo Piyo Keep-N-Trap
snack container
piyopiyousa.com
Moving on.
If you prefer road tripping to flying the friendly
skies, I have some tech-savvy products perfect
for the open road.
First, consider buying the Infanttech Always in
View baby monitor. This system is 100% wireless
and completely portable, allowing consumers to
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feared every single germ lurking
around the room. I didn’t know
what to expect considering I was
and completely portable, allowing
consumers to use it at home or
on the go. It gives greater security
to parents about their babies,
showing them what they are doing
while they drive.
switching up my baby’s beloved
routine. Was I totally crazy for
vacationing with my mini me?
With that being said, I was
The video camera resides in a cute
stuffed animal that securely snaps
anywhere in your car. It’s super
simple: the camera transmits
images to a hi-res monitor
determined to have travel success,
as vacationing is probably my
Infanttech Always in View baby monitor
infanttech.com
conveniently located on your car’s dashboard. This system
reduces distracted driving—you won’t be tempted to turn your
head to check on your fussy baby. There’s even night vision
so you can see your baby in the dark. Until now, I’ve always
ridden in the back seat with my kids so I could keep constant
watch while my husband drove. Now I am able to ride in the
front like a real adult, monitoring my babies via Infanttech.
www.infanttech.com
Next to add to your road trip wish list: an
Apple iPad Mini 3 with 64GB. AT&T has the
nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network, as
well as the strongest LTE signal, so your
iPad mini can stay connected wherever you
are. This mini tablet will undoubtedly keep
your kids quietly entertained during a long
car ride.
The new iPad model is great for travel
because it’s compact and easily fits in
your bag. The crystal clear screen is fit
for watching movies, reading books, and
iPad
playing games. Go for the 64GB because
Amazon.com
you’ll rarely run out of storage; yes, this
model is for my fellow obsessive-compulsive picture-taking
moms—consider your iPad a perfect place to store your travel
photos.
And when I asked my friends at AT&T what other techy travel
items they suggest, they pointed me towards urBeats by Dr.
Dre. I know I sound like a tween, but
these earphones are pretty cool,
flaunting an exclusive design that
pumps out the deepest bass,
soaring highs, and ultra-clear
midrange. In other words, if your
hubby is behind the wheel and no
one wants to listen to “your music,” pop on your
urBeats, close your eyes, and take a mini escape in
the passenger seat. The sealed in-ear construction
blocks external noise. www.att.com/shop
Our next stop: room and board.
urBeats
att.com/shop
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I remember the first time we brought our first
born to a hotel. I was nervous. I was scared. I
for the woman in every mom
husband’s and my favorite
pastime.
I learned a few things during that first hotel stay. One:
many hotels provide cribs so you don’t have to worry about
schlepping a pack-and-play. However, I spent a good while
disinfecting the hotelprovided crib and chose to
bring my own crib sheet. If
you’re not comfortable using
a hotel crib—which is totally
understandable—buy this:
the Lotus Everywhere Crib
by Guava Family.
This portable product is
easy, light, and beautiful. It
takes seconds to set up, is
Lotus Everywhere Crib
made of breathable clear
guavafamily.com
view mesh, and is totally
safe. The Lotus packs into
a carry case that doubles as a backpack. It’s fairly light—13
pounds—and is GREENGUARD Gold certified, making it the
only travel crib in the world to have received this rigorous
certification. Use it for playtime and sleep time—fit for infants,
babies, and toddlers. Mattress included. www.guavafamily.com
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You make financial decisions every day,
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But have you made your most important
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save enough for your retirement; or how
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Life can change in an instant. Take control
and plan for life today.
You deserve a secure future.
Another thing I learned during our initial hotel stay: figure out
where baby will eat. We propped our little guy among pillows,
dripping baby food all over our hotel bed. That’s why I won’t
be going anywhere without my Boppy
Baby Chair.
This new Boppy product is
part highchair, part booster, and
part floor seat, designed to go
from floor seat to table seat.
The sturdy and safe travelfriendly chair includes a
three-point harness for baby
and chair attachment straps.
It folds fairly flat for easy storage,
portability, and travel, and comes
equipped with a tray for clean
eating. It’s recommended for kids
3 months to one year old. www.
boppy.com
Modern Woodmen of America
Vivian Phan, FIC
CA Insurance Lic. #0F77436
Boppy Baby Chair
boppy.com
Continued on page 32
Financial Representative
4010 Moorpark Ave. Suite 201 San Jose, 95117
408.313.6918
[email protected]
Modern-Woodmen.org
Securities offered through MWA Financial Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Modern Woodmen
of America, 1701 1st Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201, 309-558-3100. Member: FINRA, SIPC. Products
are available in most states. Individual representatives may not be licensed to sell all products.
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My final thought: breathe. You’ll get annoyed. You’ll get
frustrated. Your child won’t nap. You’ll be up early…and late.
Travel as you once knew will change, but embrace it. Savor
giving your children the gift of creating family memories. Be
flexible. Forget about your normal routine. Have ice cream
for dinner. Stay at the pool all day. Put your feet in the
sand. Find your inner child and youthful spirit. Be silly. Be
adventurous. Be patient. And take tons of pictures.
Some other tips:
Make lists. A week before you travel, start a running packing
list—your “don’t forget essentials.” (And make sure to bring an
emergency kit just in case.)
Speaking of packing, bring something for rain and shine.
You never know when a sunny day at the beach will turn
breezy.
Oh, and don’t forget baby’s blankey. Pack your child’s security stuffed animal or lovey.
Always ask hotel personnel about discounted rates, free
meals for children, and an upgrade at check in – they can
only say no.
For hotel stays, bring childproof supplies, such as electrical outlet covers and baby gates.
Save on H2O. A family of four could easily spend $20 or more
a day buying water alone. To counter this cost, bring individual
refillable water bottles. As a budget saving bonus, this is also
an eco-friendly solution.
Encourage older kids to keep a travel diary. For each day of
your trip, have your kids write about or draw a picture of their
favorite activity in a notebook. Bring scissors, glue and tape
and add fun mementos from along the way, like ticket stubs,
postcards, maps, and brochures. It will make a meaningful and
inexpensive souvenir/keepsake.
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Some other co ol travel gear:
• My Best Friend
• The Itzy Ritzy Travel
Inflatable Travel Pillow to
Happens Wet Bag. The
support nursing moms:
reusable sealed pouch holds
mybreastfriend.com
diapers, swimsuits, wipes,
• Lansinoh Manual Breast
Pump for milk-pumping moms
(you won’t need to bring your
bottles, soiled clothes,
bibs, baby food, and more:
itzyritzy.com
bulky milk-pumping system):
• A portable bottle warmer
lansinoh.com
from WarmZe. It doesn’t need
• The Puj Tub. It folds
an electrical outlet, batteries,
Baby offers beautiful machine
UV Skinz Apparel
uvskinz.com
washable quilted covers
• Sun safe apparel for the
providing a 360-degree
whole family. UV Skinz offers
germ-free zone. It has toy
clothing for men, women, and
hooks to attach baby’s
children all certified UPF 50+
favorite things and safety
meaning it blocks out 98%
and personalization):
• A shopping cart cover that
straps to keep baby secure:
of the sun’s harmful UV rays:
kidstravelzone.com
doubles as a high chair cover
balboababy.com
uvskinz.com compactly for travel, fits in
or boiled water. Just place
the sink, and is for babies 0-6
the prepared bottle in the
months: puj.com
patterned pouch and the
• Durable and super cute
kids luggage and backpacks
(with free embroidery
perfect bottle will be ready
within 30 minutes. It never
overheats: warmze.com
(fit for germophobes). Balboa

The world’s finest Down Comforters, Pillows
Bed Foundations, European Bed & Bath Linens
Town & Country Village • Palo Alto, CA • 650.326.8583
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www.downandlinens.com • [email protected]
Complimentary Parking • Tuesday - Friday 11 am to 3 pm
Lot • Behind Asian Box
Valet Assist • North Parking
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