Jack and I arrived in Honolulu (the winning destination of WanderTot’s poll) tonight after Jack’s longest flight yet. I still can’t believe he stayed awake for the ENTIRE seven-and-a-half-hour flight.

We were scheduled to arrive yesterday, but our flight left without us even though there were 11 empty seats, thanks to weather-related weight restrictions. I was like, come on people, you can let on the skinny chick and the baby!! No such luck. Thank goodness we got on today and, not only that, we got an entire middle row of three seats to ourselves.

Everything was going great until, an hour into the flight, the top popped off Jack’s sippy cup, which was FULL of apple juice. It spilled all over him, so he was soaking wet from neck to toe, I mean DRIPPING wet and screaming because a) he had no idea what just happened and it terrified him and b) he was cold and wet. I took off his shoes and braces to make it easier to change his clothes in the cramped airplane bathroom. BAD IDEA. He stood on the floor while I took off his pants and diaper. The second I took off his diaper, he peed. Did I mention I left his socks on? Yep. I brought a clean shirt and clean pants, but I did not foresee him peeing on his socks.

Yeah. So. I just let him go barefoot while the socks were drying out. We went for a much-needed stroll around the plane and I definitely got some looks. The where-are-that-poor-baby’s-shoes looks. Eventually, I had to put them back on because Jack has to wear braces on his feet and he can’t wear the braces without the socks. Also, pee is sterile so don’t give me that look.

So then, THEN, we had another little incident, which you may not care to read about if you don’t yet have children. Let’s just say some of the airplane food didn’t agree with Jack and we had a leaky diaper situation. I had only brought the one extra pair of pants onboard and now they were ruined too. I had two choices. Let Jack rock the diaper, shoes and shirt look or put back on the apple-juice pants. Luckily, they had had about four hours to dry out, so they were only damp when I put them back on. Now the only clean thing the poor kid was wearing was his shirt.

Lesson learned: bring one change of clothes for every few hours on a flight. Plus extra socks.

The rest of the flight actually went really well and Jack was pretty much an angel aside from the forgetting-to take-a-nap thing. He ALMOST fell asleep after we touched down, while taxiing to the gate. He completely conked out on the shuttle ride to the hotel.

I hope he can sleep on the plane on the way home. Especially since it’s an overnight flight.

**UPDATE This poll is now closed. There was a tie between Austin, Texas and Honolulu, Hawaii, so I decided to go to whichever destination had the most space available on the flights out of Denver. Honolulu here we come! We leave on Sunday morning.**

Jack and I will go wherever you decide. Pick from this list of warm-weather destinations and we’ll hop on a plane as soon as next week (as long as there’s room on a flight). Then we’ll give you updates on our trip right here. If you have a suggestion not on this list, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll add it to the poll. I’m STILL waiting on my renewal passport to come in the mail, so we can’t travel internationally at the moment.

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Usually our trips to the airport are pretty standard. I have my ziplock bag of liquids under 3 oz. and we just make our way through the security checkpoint without anything interesting happening. I usually bring an empty sippy cup and Tang to mix with water from a drinking fountain inside the terminal so that my toddler has something to drink while the plane takes off to prevent his ears from popping. I breastfed my son when he was a baby, so I never had to worry about bringing formula.

On our way home from San Diego, I happened to have some juice in a sippy cup when we went through the security checkpoint. I had totally forgotten about it in the crazy trip to the airport. So, when the security officer picked up the sippy cup and asked if I had any liquids he should know about, I told him I had forgotten about the juice and he could just dump it out if he wanted. Well, he looked at me like I was totally crazy for thinking they would just dump something I might be trying to make a bomb with.

So after we got our shoes back on and all that, we were whisked away to the side, where they performed all sorts of crazy tests on this little yellow sippy cup half full of apple juice. I couldn’t help finding it a bit humorous, although I don’t mind all the security procedures since they help keep us safe. The juice came back clean and off we went. It only took a few extra minutes, but make sure you don’t have any extra liquids if you’re running late!

If you do want to take some formula, milk or juice for your children, here’s what you need to know:

•  You can bring over 3 oz. of baby formula, breast milk or juice through the security checkpoint in reasonable quantities.

• Breastfeeding mothers can bring breast milk even if traveling without their child.

• Separate these exceptions from the liquids in your quart-size ziplock.

• Look for the family/medical liquids lane. We always use this lane anyway, since no one behind us gets all anxious while I’m folding up the stroller and all that. It actually seems to go just as fast as the other lanes anyway.

• Declare to the security officer at the checkpoint that you have the item(s).

• Your extra liquids will undergo special screening, which should only take a few minutes.

• You or your child will not have to taste the liquid to prove it’s safe.

For more information, visit the TSA webpage about traveling with kids.

As I’m sure most moms do, I try to do everything I can to help my son’s developing brain. I have always assumed the traveling we do together has a positive impact on his brain development. I mean, how could it not? It definitely makes a difference when teaching Jack new words. His vocabulary is astounding for a 21-month-old. Sure, I can point to a picture of a manatee in a book and maybe eventually he’ll get it. Take him to see one at SeaWorld and he gets it immediately.

VacationBetter.org released a new analysis on a study by the U.S. Department of Education yesterday supporting my theory. The study examined a group of first graders to determine whether there was any relationship between going on vacation (as well as things like where they went and how long they spent there) and their academic achievement in reading, mathematics and general knowledge. The findings showed that kids who took a summer vacation significantly outperformed their peers on academic achievement assessment tests. The length of the trip had a “modest significant” relationship with academic achievement.

I was a little surprised by their finding that it didn’t seem to matter whether the kids went on a relaxing beach vacation or headed to historical sites and science museums. According to the study, kids who went to plays or concerts, art or science museums, historical sites, beaches or lakes, national or state parks, and zoos or aquariums all had significantly higher academic achievement scores than those who did not.

I think just getting to spend that quality time with their families without the distractions of daily life has a positive impact on every aspect of a child’s development, not just academically. I know it can be tough in this economy, but parents should try to cut from other areas to make room in the budget for travel. Not only does every parent need and deserve a vacation, it’s good for the kids too. So start saving those pennies for a trip to the beach!

Each week, I will feature a useful travel website or blog worth checking out. This week, I’m recommending Disney’s family travel site. You would think their advice would be limited to all things Disney, but they have tons of great vacation ideas that are completely unrelated. You can search by vacations for babies, toddlers, school-age kids and pre-teens. They have family travel ideas, attractions, tips and more. Their pre-trip ideas are great; for example, if you’re traveling to London, they suggest making scones; watching Peter Pan, Mary Poppins and Harry Potter; and reading Oliver Twist and Madeline in London.

To me, vacation is about indulgence, whereas travel is about seeing the world. How many times have you bought something or ordered something more extravagant than you normally would, saying, “Well, we are on vacation.” Staying at a luxury hotel, eating gourmet meals and buying up souvenirs can add up to thousands of dollars in just a few days. I can see why many families can only afford to take one vacation a year.

But it doesn’t have to be that way if you just change your mindset a little. I think especially when you have young children, a luxury vacation just doesn’t make sense. Children aren’t going to care if you eat or sleep at the nicest place in town. Plus, they might throw a fit or decide not to sleep and you’ll probably regret spending the money. Not to mention that part of a vacation is relaxation, which is nearly impossible with children.

If you concentrate instead on showing your children the world, you can turn a budget for one vacation into tons of trips throughout the year. Shop around for cheap destinations, travel during off-peak times and get groceries instead of eating out for every meal. There are a million little ways to save on a vacation and it adds up quick.

When shopping around for hotels, if you find a good rate with a good cancelation policy, book it! If you find a better deal later on, just cancel the booking. Also consider trying Hotwire. They are able to have the very lowest rates by not telling you what hotel you’re getting until after you check out. That way, the hotel can offer a price much, much lower than it’s cheapest advertised price. You can pick the star rating and even the neighborhood. I think it’s kind of a fun adventure to let fate decide your hotel for you. The only downside is that it’s completely nonrefundable. I still think it’s often worth the risk.

Do the math to see if it really makes sense to get a rental car. I find it’s often cheaper to take a shuttle to and from the airport and use a taxi to get around town, especially if the hotel charges for parking. Don’t forget to add in parking fees from the attractions you plan to visit and gas as well.

While things like getting cheap accommodation and flights make a huge difference, remember the small things add up. Before you buy something on your trip, ask yourself if it’s really worth spending the money, lugging it home and taking up space in your house. I think you will find you don’t really want that keychain or mug or snow globe. If your kids want something, try asking them if they would rather buy that now or use the money to do an activity later.

If they’re old enough, I highly recommend giving your kids control over the entire vacation budget, as seen on the Travel Channel’s The Kids Are In Charge: Family Vacation. What an excellent opportunity to teach kids about money, budgeting and planning! If you have three kids and you’re going for three days, you give each kid 1/3 of the money and have them each be in charge of one day. You might be surprised how much more aware they are of how the money is being spent.

I think you will find it even more fun and rewarding when you decide to travel with this mindset. Traveling is a great time to bond with your family and teach them about the world around them. Make the most of it while you can.

1. Be sure to bring your toddler’s favorite juice mix with you to the airport to make sure he will drink it during takeoff and landing, thus preventing ear problems. When he drinks it all before you even get on the plane, make him more. By all means, just keep giving him more because he’s thirsty for goodness sake. And you still need some for him to drink on the plane. Then, when his diaper leaks just before boarding, soaking the only pair of pants you have, put him in a regular diaper instead of the thicker nighttime diaper you have RIGHT THERE, because it’s only an hour-long flight and that just HAD to have been all the pee. Then, when that diaper leaks during the descent (when it’s too late to change, thanks to the seat-belt sign being illuminated), you can just hope that maybe no one will notice that you and the sleeping toddler you’re holding are wet and reek of pee, because you probably already smelled like pee when you got on the plane and maybe they are used to it by now.

2. When taking a road trip with your newborn baby, marvel at how well he sleeps in the car. He can sleep for four-and-a-half hours on the road! That never happens at home. Be sure to drive during the morning or afternoon, when your baby should be awake. This will ensure he will be up ALL NIGHT the first night of your trip and his schedule will remain messed up until the end of the trip. Be sure to let him sleep on the way home too; he’s so tired from not sleeping at night. Then, he’ll be even more messed up when you get home.

3. Take your baby on a camping trip while he’s teething. Make sure to pick a crowded campground so the maximum number of people can hear him screaming in the middle of the night. Proceed to pack up all of your camping gear and take down the tent, while consoling the baby, in the PITCH DARK. Make sure to put that black suitcase you are packing next to a wheel on the car. That way, when you leave and forget it’s there, you will run over it. Then you can cram it in the car instead of accidentally leaving it behind.

4. Check into a beautiful historic hotel and forget to make sure they have air conditioning. Proceed to enjoy your evening in your gorgeous, well-appointed room, attempting to get your fat, hot, pink, sweaty, mostly naked baby to sleep in the heat. When he finally passes out from exhaustion, you are free to sleep in the comfortable bed for the two hours left before morning.

5. Take many trips to the airport with your kids, juggling them, your stroller, your check-in bag AND your carryon bag. Watch as strangers marvel at how crazy you are to try to manage all this stuff! Then, one day, notice the Smarte Carte luggage carts you can check out for $4. Put your kid in the seat up front, pile your luggage and stroller in the back and get around the airport pushing ONE thing. Proceed to feel silly for not doing this earlier.

Hope you and your family had a great Labor Day weekend! If you have a good family vacation disaster story, please post it in the comments.

From the moment my toddler and I got on the shuttle bus to the Las Vegas Strip until the flight home, I had a conversation very similar to this with everyone we met:

“Are you visiting family here in Vegas?”

“No.”

“Oh, well, where is your husband?”

“At home working.”

“So, you just came on a vacation to Vegas with your baby?”

“Yes.”

I can see why people thought it was strange. They were in Vegas to indulge in any number of sins and just don’t think of  it as a family-friendly destination. But it is. Las Vegas can be one of the cheapest family vacations around. Since hotels there will do just about anything to get you to walk in their doors (and hopefully gamble away all your money), you can find a nice room plus lots of extras for super cheap and then visit free or cheap attractions at other hotels. Not including airfare, we spent around $200 for a three night vacation.

I found a deal at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall for around $35 a night for a nice, clean hotel room right on the famous intersection of Flamingo and Las Vegas Boulevard. Plus, I booked it on Orbitz in order to get a coupon book with $700 worth of savings. I also took advantage of an Orbitz discount code for another 10% off. Talk about an affordable vacation.

Bill’s is a great place to stay with kids. It’s a small hotel, unlike some others in Las Vegas that are like cities in themselves. This meant that from our room, we just took the elevator down, stepped out the doors and we were on the strip. No mile-long hike through a smoky casino. Also, we had no wait to check in. Other Las Vegas hotels can have you in line for an hour. Plus, room service was really affordable, which was so great. I could just order up some milk for Jack before bed or breakfast in the morning.

Also, Bill’s has no pool of their own, but with your room key you have access to one of the best pools in Vegas next door at the Flamingo. There are waterfalls and slides and a nice shallow ledge for tots to crawl on. There’s also a free Wildlife Habitat near the pool area that’s worth going to see. If you get hungry at the Flamingo, avoid the overpriced, tasteless buffet and check out Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.

One of the few attractions we paid for while we were there was Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage. In addition to dolphins, this is also home to the famed white tigers and lions, along with some alpacas and various other animals. Well worth the $15.

We also paid $4 a ride at the Adventuredome, billed as the world’s largest indoor amusement park. The Adventuredome itself is pretty nice. Jack LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. He wanted to ride the ferris wheel with balloon-shaped cars over and over. However, the Adventuredome is located inside Circus Circus, which is scary, creepy, stinky and just generally yucky. Above the casino, they have some circus acts and carnival games, but it’s not worth seeing in my opinion. Just walk FAST through the casino, straight to the Adventuredome.

We spent the rest of our time checking out the various free family attractions Vegas has to offer, including the gorgeous Bellagio Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, the Bellagio Fountains and the Imperial Palace Auto Collections (there is a charge to get in here, but you can easily find a free coupon).

We also went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, which we had a free coupon for. It is a good view, but Jack could have cared less about it and we had to wait in line forever in order to get the elevator back down. And we went on a Tuesday during the day. I can’t imagine what it’s like during peak hours. But you must go to Paris for the buffet! Awesome.

There are tons of other family-friendly Las Vegas attractions that we didn’t have a chance to see. There’s the Shark Reef aquarium at Mandalay Bay, the Lion Habitat and Rainforest Cafe at MGM Grand, gondola rides at the Venetian, and for older kids there’s Madame Tussaud’s wax museum, the roller coaster at New York New York, Blue Man Group and more. I guess we’ll be back again!

Recently, I sat down to write down some goals, like “pay off credit cards,” but I must have been in a particularly inspired mood, because it quickly turned into a bucket list of things to do before I die.

You’ll probably notice, as I did, that many of the items are travel-related. Over half actually. And I didn’t even write down a fraction of all the places I’d like to go. I realized that if doing the things on this list are what’s really important to me, then I needed to readjust my priorities and finances to match. I have also recently taken over the family budget and started “stealing” from everything I can for my travel budget. We are eating out less and looking for deals whenever possible. It’s much easier to do when you know it’s a means to a very rewarding end. Having other financial goals on my list helps me stay motivated to keep a cap on my travel spending in order to realize those too.

It was fun to do and really gave me a nice perspective on what I want to do with my life. You may have noticed this blog is courtesy of #45. It’s amazing what can happen when you write something down.

Here’s my list:

1. Pay off credit cards
2. Pay off car
3. Save emergency fund
4. Own a house
5. Learn to cook well
6. Take and score well on GRE
7. Teach Jack French
8. Take Jack to Beaches resort in Turks & Caicos
9. Go to Manchu Pichu
10. Go to Atlantis
11. Take Jack to swim with dolphins
12. Go back to Paris
13. Go clubbing in Ibiza
14. Go to Spain to see the architecture
15. Get masters degree
16. Take Jack on a cruise
17. Learn to breakdance
18. Visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
19. Read more books
20. Learn more about investing
21. Have plenty of money to send Jack to school, have a beautiful home, a nice wardrobe and travel
22. Take Jack on a trip around the world
23. Have a fantastic backyard with a hot tub
24. Stay at the Woodlyn Park theme hotel in New Zealand
25. Visit Bora Bora
26. Visit the south of France
27. Live in a foreign country (again)
28. Go on a ghost hunting mission
29. Get a book published
30. Take Jack to all the Disney parks
31. Go to Ireland
32. Ride a gondola in Venice
33. Go to Victoria Falls, Iguazu Falls, Niagra Falls
34. See the Northern Lights
35. See the Taj Mahal
36. Read all Pulitzer Prize fiction
37. Volunteer often
38. Spend a week at a 5-star spa with girlfriends
39. Visit the fjords of Norway
40. Learn CPR
41. Learn to make passive income
42. See the pyramids of Egypt
43. Take a speed reading course
44. Get and stay organized
45. Start a blog
46. Visit the Greek islands
47. Take up Tai Chi
48. Get rid of all the clutter
49. Learn a new word everyday
50. Be part of a flash mob
51. See a beluga whale
52. Go on a helicopter ride
53. See the Amazon rainforest
54. Take Jack to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen

What’s on your list? Check out this great site for inspiration.