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Travel Mama | Monet, Vacations for Kids
Monet is an expert travel mama whose blog The Traveling Child is a treasure trove of tips and tricks on planning vacations for kids. This week I had the opportunity to chat with Monet about being a lifelong traveler and traveling with small children. I first came across Monet after giving birth ad being inundated with people telling me my life as a traveler was over, and traveling as a family is rarely done. Her thirst for adventure and expertise about vacations for kids had me hooked. How much did you travel before kids? Where had you been? Quite a bit, prior to kids I had traveled to China, Botswana,…
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Being a Mother | How to Discipline a Toddler
My mother ruled with an iron fist, because her mother ruled with an iron fist and so on and so on since the beginning of time. In the Caribbean culture tiny people are to be seen and not heard. Crushed into model citizens. This never worked for me and decades of therapy make it easier to live my life outside of that hurt. Yet there are some days in the mire and trenches of motherhood where I’m tempted to act off of instinct, and not learned behavior. A few days ago after one of THOSE mornings sprinkled throughout motherhood. Noon said “mommy I don’t like you.” Devoid of the sass…
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Travelling Essentials | Best Travel Clothes for Women Travelling with Kids
When travelling as a mom it’s easy to put yourself last especially after precision packing the bags of tiny humans but choosing the right clothes to travel in, is one of the easiest ways to ensure a smooth travel experience. Think flip flops to the airport is a good idea, well not so much when you have to stand on line at security barefoot bouncing a screaming tiny human while getting a full body pat-down will change your mind real quick. The best travel clothes for women travelling with kids is is the clothing that lets your body breath and prevents you from having to pull or adjust it while…
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TRAVEL MAMA | Ashley, Flying with a Baby
Flying with a baby is daunting to most new parents but expert Travel Mama Ashley jumped into the adventure with two feet. This week I got to interview Ashley and find learn about her take on traveling with kids and the How much did you travel before you started flying with a baby? Where had you been?Before having our son, I’d traveled to almost a dozen countries including Thailand, Austria, Italy, France, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. When did you get your first passport?I actually didn’t get my first passport until I was 22 years old. I kept waiting for my parents to take me or send me abroad and that…
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Being a Mother |How Long to Breastfeed
Breastfeeding toddlers is not commonplace in America, people often ask me how long do I intend to breastfeed Noon. Yet I don’t really have an answer to this seemingly innocent question. Every time I catch a glimpse of Noon feeding, her body growing besides mine I’m reminded that I was once her home. That something born inside of me has the power to grow and change and be whatever it chooses. I’m reminded of how small I am and how the cell that would one day form this creature, I have the privilege to nourish, was created inside of me, inside of my mother before I was even a thought.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I…
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Family Beach Vacation Packing List
I live 15 minutes form the beach in New York City and after many years of summer loving I’ve compiled the ultimate beach vacation packing List for family travel. These stylish sustainable essentials ensure a relaxing day at the beach with kids, that’s easy on Mother Earth. cooler this backpack cooler that makes handsfree travel possible to keep beverages cool and your fresh fruit treats fresh shovel these bamboo ones look darling. bucket these collapsible ones are perfect to pack in your bag. Buying beach toys near the beach is a no no as all the tourist trap options are cheaply made items beach towel To dry off but, large…
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Being a Mother | Toxic Family Members
In the Caribbean toxic family members are a rite of passage. Family functions are filled with innuendo and compliments hidden deep within disdain.Children are raised to believe this way of being was the norm, that their elders know best and that toxic family members have thier best interest at heart. This My entire childhood was split between two houses three blocks apart. Every year around holiday time my mom would dress us up and we’d make the trek to the first house, nothing was in order nothing was planned but it was full of love. My mother filled her lungs with laughter and smiled till her cheeks hurt. She sang…
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SUSTAINABLE CITY | NYC Subway with Toddler Stroller
There are plenty of things to do in NYC with a toddler, in any season, after all this is the city that never sleeps. Master the NYC subway with a toddler stroller and unlock the hidden gems of the city. Many people come to New York during the holidays but New Yorkers aren’t at our best till its shorts season. Being locked up inside during the summer with a toddler is an evil I wish upon no mother, so I’ve comprised this list of ways to tackle the NYC Subway with a stroller. I like to walk most places but the lure of a free music festival or beach trip…
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FIND YOUR TRIBE
As if I didn’t have enough to be grateful to Noon for. I now count her responsible for joining me forever to some legendary souls that now comprise my mom tribe. She is my all-access pass to this new crop of loving women I could only dream of being in the presence of, otherwise. When I became a mom I feared mommy groups because I felt like they all were gonna tell me to wear sweatpants and give up on life. When a friend of mine started a mom group, I skeptically joined, and as the saying goes the rest is history. These women are an extension of my Tribe.…
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TODDLER TRAVEL HACK | BREASTFEEDING
Traveling as a family has its own unique set of challenges but throw a toddler into the mix and you’re on a totally new adventure. This year noon will be 3, she’s walking and talking questioning her existence and demanding more of me than I am ready to give on most Thursday’s. I cuddle her and giggle with her, we pick flowers and play peekaboo and yes we’re still breastfeeding. Everyone who knows me knows I’m breastfeeding I’m open about it and do it unabashedly. I’ve never had a negative experience or had someone request for me to cover or leave an establishment. Aside from all the stellar health benefits…
