Residence Inn® by Marriott: A Bit of Certainty in an Uncertain Time

18 hours. 8 miles. 36 more hours.

Eighteen hours passed between the time my daughter's birth mom called to tell me contractions had started and the moment I held our daughter for the first time.

We were only 8 miles away from the hospital. Plenty of time to get there and be with Crystal, the woman who was about to make me a mom.

Another 36 hours passed from the moment Tessa was born until the time we all left the hospital to take her first to Crystal's home and then to our own.

Because we lived in the same metro-area that Crystal did, our open adoption began locally and we did not to not have to travel during this time of heightened uncertainty and stress.

Not so for all families formed by adoption. Some must travel far from home for the birth and early days of parenting.

Such times can be full of uncertainties.

Emotionally-charged relationships are being formed. Hormone levels are high. People are navigating uncharted territory as they define their roles in relation to each other. There are the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, all within the same general place and time. What could happen? What will happen? How long will it all take to happen?

People who travel to adopt may not have certainty at the hospital, but they can have certainty at Residence Inn during their stay. Residence Inn is known for being a reliably comfortable place to make yourself at home.

"Residence Inn is committed to finding new ways to support families and enhance their overall travel experience," says Diane Mayer, vice president and global brand manager as she speaks of Residence Inn's its commitment to the LGBT community and family travel.

Join me on November 6 at 9 pm ET (6 pm PT) for a Twitterchat. Residence Inn by Marriott is partnering with Mombian.com and the Family Equality Council to host a travel-focused Twitter party for all parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT). Families and experts representing the LGBT community will participate in a conversation that aims to provide travel resources, tips, as well as stories of inspiration. Topics of the conversation will include:

• Legal and practical aspects of traveling interstate and internationally
• General tips for hitting the road with kids in tow
• Extended stays out-of-state or internationally during an adoption process

"This opportunity will provide access to expert resources, and prompt dialogue in the LGBT community, which is important as we continue to engage with and welcome our guests," says Mayer.

With more than 600 properties in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Central America, Residence Inn by Marriott is the leader in the extended-stay lodging segment. Designed for long stays, the brand offers spacious suites with separate living and sleeping areas. Fully functional kitchens, grocery delivery, 24-hour markets and complimentary breakfast help guests maintain a healthy balance while on the road. Complimentary Wi-Fi allows guests to stay connected to the home and office, while health and fitness options and inviting lobby spaces provide comfortable places to work and relax. 

Sounds like a home away from home. Exactly what's called for during the early days of parenting.

Follow and join in the conversation with the hashtags #RIFamily and #TMOM on November 6 at 7 pm MT or 8 pm CT. Put it in your calendar so you don't miss it! When you RSVP for the party and participate with at least one tweet, you are entered into a drawing for a $250 Residence Inn® gift card or one of two signed copies of Cat Cora’s Classics with a Twist: Fresh Takes on Favorite Dishes cookbook

In the meantime, visit TravelingMom.com for more tips about traveling with a baby and as a family.

Disclosure: Thanks to Residence Inn for sponsoring this post -- in which you all get to reminisce with me about the day I became a mom --and for sponsoring the weekly #TMOM Twitter Party on November 6.

Image: Residence Inn  by Marriott

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Lori blogs at LavenderLuz.com. Her book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, was written with her daughter's birth mom, Crystal, and is an acclaimed and helpful guide for all families embarking on the adoption journey. Check out the reviews!

Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort's Kids Culinary program

Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort in Avon, CO is unveiling its culinary program for kids and teen offerings this winter season. Tessa and Reed got to check it out this week.

Parents traveling with teens know how hard it is to find anything that grabs their interest, other than their phones and, just maybe, The Food Network. Which is why Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa and the culinary team from 8100 Mountainside Bar & Grill are launching weekly, complimentary, tween/teen focused cooking classes inspiring our kids to trade texting for chopping.

Classes will include themes such as basic knife skills, gourmet pizza making, sushi rolling, cold weather “mocktails” and lessons on how to make barista style coffees at home.

More info: Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort.

Flying this summer? Here's a Parking Spot -- with GIVEAWAY!

Chances are good that there is a Parking Spot at the airport near you. After all, TheParkingSpot.com operates in 20 airports in the United States. Chock-full of amenities and services, The Parking Spot:

• features covered and uncovered airport parking
• offers frequent shuttles to and from the airport
• has luggage assistance
• is open 24 hours
• is well lit and fully fenced
• offers fast and easy check-in/check-out
• is priced competitively from $4/day (Oklahoma City) to $22/day (Newark)

To keep up with The Parking Spot, you can Like it on Facebook.

I have not yet had an opportunity to try out TheParkingSpot for myself, but I have been given a coupon for a free week -- I'll be redeeming that the next time I travel. I'm always looking for ways to make family travel easier.

The Parking Spot will mail a card each to two lucky winners good for a week of free parking at any of its locations. This is an easy, no-nonsense contest -- just visit TheParkingSpot.com to see which airport you would park your car at for your free week. Leave that in a comment here, and make sure I can reach you in case you win.

Entries accepted through 8 pm on June 22, 2012 (MDT). After a random drawing, two winners will be announced in this space the following day. Check back to find out who wins -- hopefully you!

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Random.org spit out #3 and #5.

Laura and Cathy, check your email. I'll send your mailing address to my contact at TheParkingSpot.

Thanks everyone for entering!

Why women love Amy Michelle bags (with discount code)

Subtitle: Why I am carrying a diaper bag even though my youngest is in 3rd grade.

If you want a purse for a busy gal-on-the-go, you buy a purse designed by a busy gal-on-the-go.

I got to know Michelle Herbert in a yoga class. She explained that she and her friend Amy met each other in graduate school. Over dinner one night sans kiddos, Amy was horrified at the disarray of Michelle's bag when she opened it to get something. Michelle explains: 

Think papers, diapers, bottle explosions, food, letters, work documents… all thrown into a black hole. I told Amy that there were only two types of baby bags. Even in the saturated markets of baby products and women handbags I could not find a bag that was organized and functional AS WELL AS sophisticated and elegant. If I wanted organization and function, I had to sacrifice style and elegance; if I went for elegance and sophistication I sacrificed organization and function. Clearly, I was not willing to give up my fashion sense, but the lack of organization was not looking pretty.

Quite simply, we started Amy Michelle to design and manufacture a baby bag to reflect a woman’s style, while accommodating the travel and organizational needs of both baby and mom. Motherhood requires many important sacrifices, but we did not believe choosing a baby bag should be among them.  

That night at dinner we started designing functional and stylish baby bags on a restaurant napkin.

 Their functional yet stylish designs resonate with women everywhere -- including me. Amy Michelle bags have been featured by Franklin-Covey, at Bed Bath & Beyond and Babies R Us. In addition, Amy and Michelle were named emerging entrepreneurs by Sam Walton and honored by American Express for women in business.

Disclosure: Michelle let me select any bag from her collection for purposes of sharing my honest opinion with you. The collection has options for work, travel, and baby. I no longer have babies so I asked Michelle what was the smallest bag that I could fit typical mom stuff in, plus an iPad (which I intend to get one of these days). She steered me toward the New Orleans, which comes in two color swatch options.

You can tell that moms designed these bags because the interior of the bag is a light color so that you can see your stuff against it. On the outside of the bag are three handy pockets for cell phones, keys and, yes, and iPad. On the inside are three pockets in addition to the main chamber, plus two more areas specifically for water bottles, sippy cups, or whatever liquid gets you through the day. One thing that's quite noticeable is that the material used is very lightweight. My shoulders (and my yoga practice) are grateful.

You can also tell that moms designed the website because of the videos that accompany each bag. Let me show you the video for mine (90 seconds):
This bag is reasonably priced at $60.

Michelle and Amy are generous businesswomen. A portion of the profit from each bag goes to help children through the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver.

AND! Amy Michelle is offering AllThumbsReviews readers a 15% discount plus free shipping in the continental US. Enter "poppy" when asked for a coupon code at checkout.

Form and function do indeed go together in Amy Michelle bags. Take a look and I bet you'll agree.

Submitted by Lori and cross-posted on MileHighMamas.com.

Wrap Your Valentine in a Warm Embrace at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

Looking for a Valentine's experience to share with that special someone? Here is a guest post from the folks at the Ritz-Carlton in Bachelor Gulch (Beaver Creek, Colorado). I have not had the pleasure to personally review the experiences listed below, but I can certainly vouch for the Ritz-Carlton Spa in Denver (and I have).

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Whether Cupid is striking for the first time or you are in need of igniting an old-fashioned romance -- The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is the address to make a declaration to your loved one this Valentine’s Day.

From 7’s perfect ‘last minute’ yet romantic house-made après offerings slope-side, including gourmet gift baskets with selections by Dylan’s Candy Bar, themed treats and splits of bubbly from $65 -- to indulgent overnight spa packages or a sumptuous gourmet dinner -- there is no unrivaled setting to set the tone from February 10th through the 14th.

Colorado’s only outpost of Master Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Spago will feature a prix-fixe five-course menu at $95 per person – highlights include savory delicacies such as Spicy Ahi Tartare, Black Truffle Agnolotti, Surf & Turf with Kobe NY Strip and New Zealand Langoustine Tail, a decadent ‘passion’ torte and more. The award-winning venue will also offer its popular seasonal menu.

The Forbes Four Star Bachelor Gulch Spa has enhanced its popular Romance Package by adding a dreamy Rose Petal Drop and Chocolate Covered Strawberries to the 90-minute Close-to-You Massage/Signature Copper Tub Soak and Sparkling Wine or Mimosas for two – at the year-round price of $560. In addition, the Spa has also created the below inspired items to the Valentine’s Day menu:

• Couples Massages - All Couples Massages received during these dates will receive a special amenity valued at $40.(Prices vary based on duration of massage).
• Mini Romance Package – The 110 minute packages includes a 25-Min Couples Massage for Two and Couples Copper Soak - $225 
• The Art of Couples Massage - 90-Minutes - $270

For those who wish to ‘take home’ the essence of The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch to their object of affection, the Spa Boutique has thoughtfully assembled the Valentine's Day Romance Bath Basket for $75. The amorous collection includes Tara "Loving" Massage Oil, "Loving" Bath Oil, two Loofas, a Candle, and Organic Pomegranate & Fig Rose Petal Bath Bubbles. For guests enjoying a rendezvous in-house, the creative expression may be even more special by adding Chocolate Covered Strawberries, a Half-Bottle of Sparkling Wine & a Personal Bath Butler Service for an additional $50.

Finally – nothing says ‘I love you’ like baubles! The Signature Shop will offer 15 percent savings off an array of eye-catching accessories at the Mauri Pioppi Fine Jewelry Trunk Show, February 11 through 13, from 10 am to 7 pm. The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch ensures everyone the perfect way to impress and express their love.

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Happy happy Valentine's Day to you and yours from me and mine.

 -- Submitted by Lori

Snakes on a plane? How about KIDS on a plane!

If you want to strike terror in the hearts of travelers everywhere, simply mention children and airplane in the same sentence. Whether you travel with or without, I'm sure you would agree that the entire cabin is appreciative when kids past the cute baby/toddler stage are occupied with some quiet activity (cuteness cuts you all sorts of slack, we found in earlier years).

In anticipation of our Christmas trip to visit Grandma and Grandpa, the kind people at LovetoTravelProducts.com sent me one trayblecloth each for Tessa and Reed. Tessa's was a polka-dot pattern and Reed's was a soccer design (others are available). They are compact and light, and fit easily into pockets of a suitcase or backpack. The introductory price is a reasonable $20 (which turned out to be cheaper that several bottles of airline-sized gin).

These covers fit over the "tray table in front of you," a boon for germaphobes. There are pockets to hold small toys and maybe an iPod nano (for kids unlike mine who don't have mean parents -- waaaaah). Included with the trayblecloth are dry-erase pens and pre-printed sheets with tic-tac-toe and hangman games. The sheets go under a plastic cover and games can thus be played over and over again. The plastic also protects the games from spilled apple juice (don't ask).

We're giving the trayblecloths the thumbs up. For each of four legs of the trip, Rob and I got about 20 minutes at a stretch to read our own books, talk with each other and listen to our own iPods and sip our gin, while the kids happily and peacefully played.

But eventually, someone would have to "go to the bathroom," which is kiddie code for "I want to converse with all the other passengers in the airplane."

I'd be interested in a remedy for THAT travel problem, but for now, consider this my endorsement of these nifty traveling items that will be coming with us on future trips. If you'd like more information, check out this video and then order your own.

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Getchyour Free Dinner!

Want in on a secret? A way to save money and possibly even get yourself a FREE dinner or some FREE mula to go shopping? Well, with a little restraint, and about 90 minutes of your time (not now, this post will only take you 2 minutes!), I can probably help you get a free dinner or a $100-$150 voucher anywhere you travel to.

I know, I know, you're probably getting all WEIRDED out right now that I'm going to try to SELL you something, but I promise, I'm not. Instead, I'm just going to let you in on a little secret that cheapskate old me uses ALL the time... timeshare sales presentations.

Ya see, the thing with TIMESHARE presentations is that they will PAY you for your time - REGARDLESS if you buy anything or not. All you have to do is follow their rules, and whammo, 90 minutes later, you've got yourself a voucher for $100-$150! And that voucher? Well it's usually good for a whole LIST of places - including restaurants, local shops, and more.

What are their rules you ask? Usually they include things like both you AND your spouse have to sit through the whole presentation, together you have to make over x amount of money, and if you leave even a MINUTE before their pitch is over, you void all chances at the free money. Some have a few different rules so you should read it carefully to understand what you're getting yourself into, but most - don't. And if you're anywhere for over 3 days - what's 90 minutes in return for money for a VERY nice dinner out!

The warning though? The big big BIG FAT warning - you COULD come out of there $15,000-$45,000 poorer. If you let yourself get sucked into their presentation, or you let yourself fall into the traps of their pitch, you really COULD end up a timeshare owner when you never ever even wanted a timeshare - you just wanted a free DINNER!

So... going in, take it seriously that these people do these presentations day IN and day OUT - they KNOW what buttons to push to make you want to buy, and they KNOW what tricks work. Do not by any means under-estimate how GOOD they are at their jobs.

Knowing that, how do you AVOID ending up $15,000-$45,000 poorer and just get that damn free dinner?

1. Make a deal with your partner that you will NOT buy a timeshare no matter HOW cheap or how MUCH pressure they put on you. You are there for a free DINNER, not a vacation home!!!!!
2. Prepare yourself AND your partner ahead of time that they will GUARANTEED tell you that it's a "one-time offer only", that "the second you walk out of there, the price goes up $5000+", that "they know you visit x often, wouldn't it make more sense to OWN?", that "you can sell it anytime, without ANY penalty", that "you can't sell it for any LESS than you bought it for so it's a SAFE investment", and even that "you can trade time in this location for time in that, that, or even THAT location".
3. Do some quick math AHEAD of time on what you spend annually on vacations and HOW you spend your vacation money. Know this ahead of time so when they pitch you, you can reason that it doesn't balance out. For the husband and I, we're real BARGAIN-shoppers so we get cheap nightly rates wherever we go. We also usually travel at PRIME times of the year - so for us, the timeshare nightly rates are more expensive than what we'd usually spend.
4. Leave your credit card behind at your hotel/condo. Do NOT take it with you. Without a credit card, you can't put a deposit down, without a deposit, you can't buy. Or at least you can't buy without LEAVING the presentation... and thinking it through further.

For those though that aren't sure they can handle the pressure, here's some questions to ASK the timeshare people - questions that'll help you fight back and keep your head on straight:

1. Is there a monthly or annual fee on TOP of the "mortgage"? Usually there is. DO THE MATH on what this will REALLY cost - it's never as cheap as they say, and AGAIN, you went in for a free DINNER, not a vacation home!
2. Are there RULES to how cheaply I can sell my timeshare? Usually, there are. Usually, the rule is that you can't sell it for any LESS than you paid for it - they'll tell you this is how you know it's a "safe" investment, but REALLY, what this means is that somebody who bought 2 years before you can sell it CHEAPER than you can, which means that if you're trying to sell at the SAME time as them, their timeshare will be more appealing to buyers because they can price it lower - and you can NOT compete with that.
3. What are the nightly rates for the time of year YOU travel? If usually you go up to Whistler for example, at Christmas for example - what are the nightly rates in the timeshare vs that bargain website you usually book through? I'd bet the timeshare is more...
4. How far AHEAD of time are the timeshares - even YOUR timeshare - booked? Do you have to book 2 years ahead? 6 months ahead? How far ahead to guarantee you even GET to visit your timeshare when you want? The last presentation the husband and I went to had a 2 year booking practice - non-refundable. Can YOU plan two years in advance? Didn't think so...

Now go get that dinner!!!

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LowePro Mini Trekker Rocks My Vacations

The husband and I, we're what I like to call, "amateur photographers". We own a TON of gear, we take a WHACK of photos, and we annoy pretty much everyone we know with how "in their face" we can be when we pull said gear out. We DON'T however pull said gear out all the time - we pull it out when the occasion merits it (ie. travel, other people's babies), or when we're just plain bored and need to MIX things up. Cuz yes, for the husband and I MIXING things up means playing around with the camera gear. THAT is what excites us. (Have I mentioned we're dorks?)

The problem however with being an "amateur photographer", is you need a way to CARRY all that gear, and if you're like us, you need a way to carry it that one, DOESN'T break your back; two, fits UNDER a plane seat; and three, fits all your gear PLUS personal stuff cuz there is no way in HELL we're carrying TWO carry-ons EACH.

The other problem is as hinted at above, we have a TON of gear, so we needed TWO bags - one for him, and one for me. And rather than searching around for something that worked for HIM vs a DIFFERENT something that worked for ME, our goal was TWO somethings, both with enough compartments for ME to separate my contact stuff and magazines from my camera gear, and enough space for HIM to carry his multiple GIGANTO sci-fi books, his GAZILLION gadgets he cannot travel without, AND his camera gear.

What we ended up buying (x2) is the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW Backpack (Black). This bag not only met ALL the criteria above, but did so with a waterproof cover* that probably ended up SAVING our cameras on what turned out to be a VERY scary boatride while in Thailand.

The Lowepro Mini Trekker AW Backpack (Black) not only has multiple compartments and zippered areas for separating your personal stuff from your camera gear, but it has ADJUSTABLE insides. Meaning, if you're like us and own two bases PLUS multiple lenses (all in varying widths and lengths such as a 10-16, a 75-300, 17-85), the need to TIGHTLY pack those lenses, ensuring they STAY in place during travel, is key. This backpack does that, perfectly.

And while small in size, the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW Backpack (Black) also won me over with great bonus features such as MINI pockets to store things as small as a camera battery that you really DON'T want to be digging through a big pocket for; a tripod pouch to hook our tripods into so we don't have to carry them SEPARATELY; padded shoulder straps to save me from the WEIGHT I can sometimes throw INTO this bag; and all sorts of stretchy adjustment strings to hook additional things onto your pack - things like a baseball cap for the husband and his often sunburnt head.

The only thing I'd say this bag DOESN'T have is enough space for my new laptop. If we'd bought one of those MINI laptops, there'd be no problem at all, but regular size laptops? Well, they call for something like the Lowepro CompuTrekker AW Camera Backpack - the bag I really want to upgrade to now that I'm a laptop owner. Maybe for Christmas? Hint hint?

But putting it out to all of you, what's the one must-have feature YOU look for in a camera bag? Do you have one you own and love? If I were to get a lovely Christmas upgrade, would I be happier with something else?

*Note: The cover is only a "cover", as in it wraps OVER the front of the bag only and protects it from splashes and rain. It will not save your camera if, for example, it falls OUT of the scary boat and into the ocean.

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Farecast and my $800 windfall

As of this weekend, I am a BIG fan of Farecast.com. I'll tell you right up front: my thumbs are reaching for the friendly skies.

There are bunches of sites for booking flight reservations. Each airline has one, plus there are Travelocity, Expedia, HotWire, CheapTickets, PriceLine, and others. Sure, they all give you the best price at the moment you are searching.

But Farecast gives something else in addition. Something that just saved my family $800 for some travel later this year. What is that something?

Farecast gives you advice. It looks like one of these:









Farecast shows you not just a moment, but a trend for YOUR route when YOU are traveling. It made it really easy for me to be decisive about our purchase to visit the inlaws.

This feature works best if you are planning a trip with months of advance notice. Simply enter your travel details (dates and number of people traveling), and it will show you available airlines and fares, along with this handy trend tool.

I have been checking daily for our upcoming trip (another nice feature is that I didn't have to re-enter the flight information each time I checked). Fares were sky-high, much to my dismay. I was afraid we would not be able to afford to go.

But when I checked again Saturday, Farecast told me to buy because fares had gone down by $200. WooHoo!! I found a schedule that worked for my family and booked right away. Fares actually went up DURING my transaction, but came back down as I kept trying. It was a very turbulent ride.

Farecast does not currently offer the trend tool for all routes and all times. But it seems to be available on a healthy portion of them. It also offers a similar pricing tool for hotels.

Farecast, which was acquired by Microsoft last spring, is now my one-stop shop for travel reservations. Check it out for your next trip.

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De-Stressing the Backpack

When the husband and I travel, we like to go with packs - BACKpacks. Part of it's just the way we travel, part of it's feeling like we're not on a "formal" trip, but MOST of it, well it's all about convenience.

You see, the thing that's better about BACKPACKS (over luggage), is that BACKPACKS go on your back. And while that sounds completely freaking OBVIOUS, it's not. Because where it makes a world of difference, is in places with charming old cobblestone streets, places with no elevators, and places that might or might not offer you that fancy thing some people call a "concierge".

Because while other travellers are dragging their suitcases along the street, FIGHTING with it every step of the way to have it NOT fall over, we're hauling ass comfortably down the street, fighting nothing. While other travellers are having a BITCH of a time hauling their suitcases up the FOUR flights of stairs to their room, we're climbing up quite easily. And while they're trying to communicate with the concierge in a language they don't speak, we're already checked in, and heading for the pool.

The problem however with backpacks, is that nothing really STAYS where you put it. Cuz no matter how TIGHTLY you pack it, or how many different ways you try to ORGANIZE it, your clothes, shoes, and everything else always end up at least SLIGHTLY jumbled. And for someone as anal as I am, that gets pretty tough.

Or at least it GOT tough, until I found these - Eagle Creek Pack-It Cubes. For this last trip to China, Cambodia, and Thailand, we each bought one Double Cube and one Half Cube. And these things, they SAVED our lives. Well, they saved MY life, and the husband just thought they were pretty cool.

The cool thing with them is that you can SORT your stuff. In the little Half Cube, I had my bikini, underwear, bras, and bandanas - HE, on the ther hand, just jammed his full of underwear. In the Double Cube, we both put shirts, and cuz I'M the packer in the family, ours were both broken out the same way. On the ONE side, we had our cotton tees, tanks, polos, and on the other SEPARATE (its own zippered section), we both had our nicer button-up blouse type shirts.

And while I loved the whole "sorting" thing we had going on, where I could pull out a cube and have access to 4 shirts instantly, the thing I loved most was the lack of clutter. There was no digging through my whole pack, or holding my hand on one portion while pulling another - it was all just simple "slide-in" and "slide-out" kinda action.

Absolute and TOTAL thumbs up.

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