Travel Gear — The Vacation Gals

Backyard Safari Outfitters Children’s Outdoor Toys Giveaway

July 26, 2010 | Author: SoCalGal

Just in time for the dog days of summer, we have a children’s educational outdoors toy set contest giveaway. Backyard Safari Outfitters makes nature walks, and exploring the outside world, even more fun for kids. The educational toys at Backyard Safari Outfitters are tough and well-made, and children don’t even have to really “pretend” to be using the equipment since it’s all fully functional. No pretend child-size outdoor toys here! The Vacation Gals have a contest giveaway of three Backyard Safari Outfitters items: The Cargo Vest, Bug Vacuum, and Mega Magnifier. A Pop-Up Field Guide is also included.

The Cargo Vest tag says it’s good for kids ages 5 and up, but it might be too small for a 10-year old (my 11-year old could zip it up, but it didn’t look comfortable). It is super rugged, with lots of cargo style pockets for the safekeeping of those treasures kids find on nature walks…you know, rocks, pine cones, that sort of thing. There are six D-rings and two shoulder clips so that other gear can be kept easily at hand, and a clear front pocket for the Field Pop-Up Guide.

The Bug Vacuum is my older daughter’s favorite Backyard Safari Outfitters item. It really works; it sucks up insects and arachnids, without harming them as far as I can tell. Kids can be kind to nature while observing the bugs, and then releasing them safely. I’ve also found the Bug Vacuum to be very useful in terms of getting insects out of my house without having to squish them first. We don’t have to embrace all types of bugs to appreciate little critters, after all!

The Mega Magnifier is a large, framed magnifying glass that can be put on the surface of a stream — or other types of water — so that children can examine what swims or grows under the water’s surface. My family didn’t get to test one of these out, but I assume it’s as sturdily constructed as the other Backyard Safari Outfitters educational toys with which my kids have played.

To enter this contest giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment below describing something you or your children have found on a nature walk. The giveaway winner will be chosen using a random number generator, but please don’t enter more than once a day. Relatives of The Vacation Gals should not enter the contest giveaway, and please — US residents only. The Backyard Safari Outfitters giveaway will run until 6:00 PM PST Tuesday, August 10, and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, August 11, 2010. Good luck!

Posted in: Travel Gear | 31 comments

Top 5 Best Free Travel Apps for Smartphones

July 2, 2010 | Author: SoCalGal

There are many free travel apps, useful for vacations. I don’t have an iPhone, and with all the apps talk on the web, sometimes it feels like I’m the only one. The proud(ish) owner of a Blackberry, I’m well aware of the relatively meager apps available for this smartphone. Nonetheless, I do have a few, and not all are the free ones that came with my Blackberry — though my kids love to play Word Mole and Brick Breaker. Over time I’ve downloaded and discarded a handful of apps (Reuters took up too much memory, for example). These are the top 5 best free travel apps for my smartphone, the ones I use consistently for travel plans on the go.

1. Urbanspoon – This free app works like a charm to find restaurants in most well-traveled vacation destinations. It works within price ranges and types of cuisine. Urbanspoon is best for mainstream travelers; it doesn’t have a global reach with completely reliable recommendations in all markets, but will grow with time.
2. Google Maps – Love, love Google maps. This is the best free travel app I have, if we judge by my frequency of use. It’s the most complete, reliable mapping app I’ve seen; my partner uses it on his iPhone, and on both smartphones we can judge freeway traffic, and choose travel routes accordingly.
3. FancyTran – I have to admit, I haven’t traveled anywhere where I need to use it yet. But this free online translator app gets my wanderlust stirred up: 64 languages are supported, with an interface to Google Translator, Bing Translator, and other reliable online services.
4. Kayak – There are several online travel planning aggregators, but Kayak is the best free travel planning app due to its ease of use, intuitive navigation, and speedy aggregation of hotels, flights, car rentals through its meta-search engine. While I typically use Kayak on my desktop computer, downloading it on my Blackberry was a snap.
5. TripIt – I’m forgetful; I scribble flight numbers and confirmations on scrap paper, and forget to take my notes with me. TripIt keeps track of those important confirmation numbers for air travel and hotels, as long as I input them on the program instead of the back of a used envelope. Accessing that information at m.tripit.com ensures I’ll never miss my flight again.

Now, downloading all these interactive smartphone apps can chew up a lot of memory. I recommend turning them off when not actively using them, so as to not affect your Blackberry’s speed or effectiveness. With all the major expenses that go along with a vacation, it’s reassuring to know that these best travel apps are free.

Posted in: Travel Gear, Travel Tips | 11 comments

Backyard Safari Outfitters Children’s Educational Toys for Outdoors

June 23, 2010 | Author: SoCalGal

Summer’s here! What are you going to do with your kids now that school’s out? Summer is the season for family vacations, road trips, and long lazy days hanging around the backyard. My children are so happy to explore our backyard with these educational Backyard Safari Outfitters toys I may have a hard time getting them to the beach.

A few months ago I was invited to a mom bloggers’ brunch, hosted by Child’s Play, and everyone received a couple of samples of educational Backyard Safari Outfitters toys and gadgets. I was familiar with the brand – my kids already owned a wet/dry scoop net (it’s something like a water-tolerant butterfly net) and 2-in-1 Habitat Set, from past birthdays. See, my older daughter has wanted to be an entomologist (i.e. bug scientist) for as long as she can remember, and her friends’ parents have been happy to support her in her efforts. Hey, it’s not THEIR houses that have the threat of ants escaping from Ant Farm on a yearly basis, right? My kids have subsequently observed metamorphosis through raising and releasing butterflies (successfully), hatched praying mantis eggs (that one didn’t go so well), and raised ladybugs (I admit, that one was pretty fun).

Last week, Child’s Play thoughtfully sent my family some additional Backyard Safari Outfitters items. My younger daughter immediately put on the Cargo Vest, and clipped the field tools to it. It fits sizes 5 and up, and while it fits my 8-year old fine, I don’t think it will fit her next year. With her own binoculars, all those cargo pockets, and the Field Tool set clipped to the D-rings, all she needed was a pith helmet. Dr. Livingstone, I presume? She was ready to explore.

My older daughter must have thought it was her birthday. The Bug Vacuum is exactly the sort of quasi-scientific educational gadget toy she loves, and she spent the next hour in our front yard, sucking up whatever insect strayed across her path. She also used the Backyard Safari magnifying glass she already owned, but I think this was more for show: There’s a built-in magnifying glass on the Bug Vacuum. That Bug Vac may have shook up the insects she caught, but they seemed just fine after she released them. It’s a humane way to investigate insects close up.

My younger daughter doesn’t share her sister’s love for insects, though. She’s more squeamish, and for her, the Mega View Periscope was perfect. She had a problem with keeping it completely extended at first; we eventually figured out that it has to be lifted with a little more force that one might think to stay in its fully extended position. The instructions could benefit from adding this detail. She really enjoyed hiding all around our front, back, and side yards, and the best part of it for her was her pure child’s delight at seeing without being seen. The periscope is also partially submersible, but we didn’t take it to the nearby stream yet. That should be a really fun way to treat our town like an outdoor adventure day trip, too.

People say parents learn from our children. I must admit that my tolerance level for bugs has definitely increased since my older daughter became so fascinated with them at an early age. But there is a line that must be drawn; recently, she’s developed an interest in Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. She asked if she could do some online research, and later I found her notes. Terrifying!

Having pet Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches is definitely not in my kid’s immediate future, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she does indeed grow up to be an entomologist. The Backyard Safari toys, with their nature-friendly, educational and scientific bent, really help her continue to explore the insect world. They keep her engaged and happy while exploring the natural world that is right here, in our backyard. When we can’t travel to a US National Park or some other wild part of the world, these toys do a good job of turning our own backyards into an explorable substitute.

Thank you to Child’s Play and Backyard Safari Outfitters for supplying my family with these toys.

Posted in: Budget Travel, Family Travel, Travel Gear | 3 comments

Toy Story 3 Movie Toys Giveaway

June 18, 2010 | Author: SoCalGal

The Vacation Gals are happy to have this brand new contest giveaway related to the newest Pixar movie, Toy Story 3. At the premiere after party last weekend, guests were given Toy Story 3 swag bags, and while the SoCalKids are delighted to keep theirs, SoCalGuy and I are even happier to promote the film by giving ours to one of The Vacation Gals’ readers. The contest giveaway prize, straight from the lot behind El Capitan in Hollywood, contains:

One Mr Potato Head
One Mrs Potato Head
Two slinkies that are emblazoned with the “Toy Story 3″ insignia
Two Buzz Lightyear Lego keychains
Some kind of Toy Story press-on tattoo facepaint thing.

Toy Story 3 is a great movie, almost perfect in every way. Gotta hand it to Pixar; those guys really know how to create crowd-pleasing films. Honestly; the swag bag should have included some Kleenex because there was barely a dry eye in the house by the time Toy Story 3 ended. Not that it’s a heartbreak — the movie is funny and sweet, and the climactic action scene is actually pretty scary. There’s more action in this iteration of Toy Story than in the previous two. I was speaking with two actors who voice characters in Toy Story 3 after the premiere, and both said that THEY got a little teary watching the movie, even after having participated in making it. So, consider yourselves prepared, grown-ups!

Pixar has made many films, and I’ve liked each of them. To enter this contest giveaway, simply leave a comment below describing your favorite Pixar movie. The winner will be chosen with a random number generator, but please don’t enter more than once a day. The Toy Story 3 contest giveaway is open to US residents only (for shipping cost purposes), and no relatives of The Vacation Gals should enter. This contest runs until June 29, 6:00PM PST, and the winner will be announced on June 30, 2010.

Not a fan of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the gang? Maybe you’ll like WanderMom’s Scholastic Mythlopedia giveaway instead – go take a look!

Posted in: Travel Gear | 172 comments

How to Avoid Ticks

June 15, 2010 | Author: TwinCitiesGal

Apparently tick season is in full swing thanks to the warm winter we had. I’ve never had to deal with ticks or learn how to avoid them, but now that I live in Minnesota with my backyard being a forest, complete with deer, I do. Of course, besides my yard, ticks are a concern anywhere you go from lakes to camping to parks. Since my son has had his first couple of tick encounters (finding them on clothes) I’ve been on the look out for preventable measures – especially with Lyme disease on the rise. I’m not big on the idea of lathering my children in chemicals every time they wish to play outside and that’s why I was very excited to find Insect Shield Repellent Apparel.

It is exactly what it sounds like, the clothing is treated with a repellent that keeps the pesky critters away from your skin and clothing. Insect Shield Repellent Technology is offered by many brands of clothing lines including LLBean, Buggies and Outdoor Research. The treated clothing is safe for everyone including infants and pregnant moms and lasts through 70 launderings. Insect Shield Repellent Apparel has been proven to repel mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, ants, flies, midges (no-see-ums) – sounds great idea to me, especially because I’m preparing for a trip to Alaska where there are 35 types of mosquitoes.

To increase your chances for avoiding ticks, wear long pants, shirts and socks and light clothing so you can spy the little bugs. Before entering the house do a “tick check” and look over everyone’s clothing and skin. Ticks particularly like the neckline, so be sure to check the neck and head. Insect Shield makes bandannas which are ideal for the neck. Sterilized tweezers are your best bet for tick removal (pinch and pull straight out) and don’t forget to save the tick in a jar for testing if needed.

If you live in a tick infested area, which is usually warm and humid, or are planning to travel somewhere where they are present. Be sure to check into Insect Shield Repellent, it’s a great alternative to bug spray.

Thank you to Insect Shield for the review samples – we’ve been tick free since using them!

Posted in: Travel Gear, Travel Tips | 2 comments

Winning Wednesday – Seattle’s Best Coffee Iced Lattes

June 9, 2010 | Author: SoCalGal

This giveaway is near and dear to my heart — or at least to my overcaffeinated soul. Seattle’s Best Coffee is part of the Starbucks family, and we were given one of their new coffee products to give away. Seattle’s Best Coffee Iced Lattes come in three varieties: Mocha, Iced Latte, and Iced Vanilla Latte. We’re giving away four cans of each.

Contest entrants were asked to leave comments describing ways they save time in the morning. After all, these canned coffee products are great time-savers. The randomly chosen winner of the Seattle’s Best Coffee Iced Lattes is B.E. Ringer. B.E. Ringer wrote, “I save time in the morning by getting out all that we need the next day, make sure my purse is ready to go, charge the cell phone and pack up the diaper bag. That way I can rest easy at night and save myself time in the morning.” Congrats, B.E. Contact me though The Vacation Gals, and these canned iced lattes will be on their way to you in no time!

Posted in: Travel Gear | no comments

Seattle’s Best Coffee Giveaway – Ready to Go Iced Lattes

May 31, 2010 | Author: SoCalGal

For some of us, travel and coffee go hand in hand. Seattle’s Best Coffee has new ready-to-drink Iced Lattes, and for this contest we’re giving away a terrific gift box full of them. Even if your usual travel experience is limited to your morning commute to work, grabbing one of these coffee drinks and hitting the road is a great way to have a morning treat (and save a little coffee brewing prep time as well).

Seattle’s Best Coffee Iced Lattes come in three varieties; plain Iced Latte, Iced Mocha, and Iced Vanilla Latte. This giveaway is for four cans of each, for a total of 12 ready-to-drink Iced Lattes. These ready-to-drink Iced Lattes fit the bill for coffee drinkers. They are also really tasty, but not so sweet that they’re like candy — ideal for first thing in the morning. Of the three flavors, my personal favorite is the Iced Mocha.

Now, Seattle’s Best Coffee did a little research, and found that close to 75% of Americans are in such a rush in the morning that they have adopted a few time savers to help them get out of the house on time in the morning. To enter this contest giveaway, simply leave a comment below describing a way in which you save time in the morning. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. The contest giveaway will remain open until 6:00PM PST June 8, and the winner will be announced on June 9, 2010. Please don’t enter more than once a day, and immediate relatives of The Vacation Gals should not enter at all. Good luck!

Posted in: Travel Gear | 117 comments

Great Travel Coffee: Seattle’s Best Coffee Ready-to-Go Iced Lattes

May 31, 2010 | Author: SoCalGal

If you’ve traveled anywhere on the west coast of the US, you’ve probably heard of Seattle’s Best Coffee. Sometimes I think there are two kinds of coffee drinkers in the world: Those who enjoy the occasional cup of coffee to socialize with their friends, and my type. You know, the caffeine fiends? The ones whose children are somewhat afraid of them first thing in the morning? Yeah, I confess; I’m an unrepentant coffee addict. Seattle’s Best Coffee is a subsidiary of Starbucks, and it’s a really, really popular coffee brand out in California and the Pacific Northwest. I don’t travel anywhere without Starbucks VIA anymore, so when Seattle’s Best approached me with the offer to try out their new ready-to-drink canned coffee drink, it was pretty much a no-brainer.

The new Seattle’s Best Coffee Iced Lattes are, essentially, coffee for on-the-go types. Three different types are available: Iced Latte, Iced Vanilla Latte, and Iced Mocha. I taste tested all three, concurrently with Starbucks Frappuccino drinks of the corresponding flavors. Unlike a wine taster, though, I didn’t spit any out after tasting. That’s right: six caffeinated iced coffee drinks, within the same morning and afternoon. 9.5 oz each. Let’s just say, it made for an interesting day.

Seattle’s Best Coffee Iced Latte is less creamy and sweet than Starbucks Frappuccino, and has less calories too (130 vs 200). The same holds true for the Seattle’s Best Coffee Iced Mocha and Iced Vanilla Latte; less sweet, less creamy, fewer calories for the same size drink (one can = one serving). Starbucks iced coffee drinks are more like candy; I really like them, and they are often found in my fridge, but they’re a little too sweet for breakfast. The Seattle’s Best iced coffee drinks, on the other hand, are suitable coffee drinks in the morning. The cans fit nicely in my hands, and I can see them in my car’s cup holder for a morning commute. Just like the Starbucks iced drinks, they’re made with real reduced fat milk, so the expiration date should be taken seriously! I received my samples in May, and the expiration date on the cans is in September.

The vanilla and chocolate notes in the lattes aren’t overwhelming: Coffee remains the dominant flavor. I like this as again, the Seattle’s Best Coffee iced lattes aren’t dessert. They are really tasty! I can see why Seattle’s Best Coffee has such a loyal customer base in the Pacific Northwest. For the time being, the Iced lattes will be available in grocery stores in western states – Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona – but check SBCIcedLattes.com for updates.

We caffeine addicts understand the importance of travel coffee products. I look forward to adding Seattle’s Best Coffee ready-to-go Iced Lattes to my regular rotation of coffee drinks on the road.

Thank you to Seattle’s Best Coffee for supplying The Vacation Gals with Iced Latte samples.

Posted in: Travel Gear | 1 comment

Best Travel Flashlight

May 13, 2010 | Author: TwinCitiesGal

Back during my airline days, it was an FAA mandatory rule that I carry a flashlight along with my flight attendant manual. Today, I still pack a flashlight when I travel. And it’s a good thing. I’ve been in hotels that have lost total power for an entire night (a lightning storm was to blame for that one) and had to change a flat tire after dark (this has happened more than once on a road trip). I’ve used a flashlight put up tents and to read on a flight when my reading light was burned out.

Now that my family lives in Minnesota we have camping trips and other outdoor adventures planned and there is no doubt a good flashlight is important for such expeditions. That’s where ICON comes in – they have the best travel flashlight.

I was recently sent two flashlight samples, Rogue 2 (requires two AA batteries) and Modus 1 (requires one AA battery), made by ICON. These two sleek flashlights have long-lasting LED with tough bodies (meaning they can survive your kids dropping or throwing them), turn on with an easy push of a button and can attach to a lanyard. But what really caught my attention was the fact that they are waterproof – made possible by the O-ring seals. Living in a state with thousand of lakes and ponds, I figure that feature could be helpful.

One warning about the Rogue – the head can get hot (there is a warning on the flashlight), but I have yet to feel it turn warm.

For fun, my family pulled out our various flashlights from around the house and did a little light test and there was no competition, Rogue and Modus both out-shone each of the other flashlights – and we thought we already possessed some bright flashlights. We declared the Rogue the perfect camping flashlight and the smaller, lighter Modus is officially my new travel flashlight. If you’re looking to pack a flashlight for your travel, check out ICON’s selection. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Posted in: Travel Gear | 4 comments

Mother’s Day LUSH Mum’s Gift Giveaway – Win a Gift for Mom

May 5, 2010 | Author: SoCalGal

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s a great time to get your mom a gift. Better yet, why not win one? The Vacation Gals’ LUSH Mum Gift giveaway will definitely make a lucky mom feel loved on Mother’s Day. Well, around Mother’s Day, at least; this giveaway ends right after the actual day of maternal celebration. The good news is, the winner of this gift won’t have to wrap it. The LUSH Mum Gift box set comes wrapped in festive, flowery paper with a raffia bow. Inside, there is one of my favorite LUSH soaps, the very lovely rose scented Ring of Roses. Also in this wonderful Mum Gift giveaway, a creamy moisturizing Sultana of Soap (I confess to never having tried this one), a Turkish Delight Shower Smoothie (rose scented, with rose petals in the pot), a 3.3 oz bottle of Olive Branch Shower Gel, and a Fair Trade sugar scrub.

The Vacation Gals are all moms, and we’re all looking forward to Mother’s Day. We also like knowing that a few days after Mother’s Day, someone will find out she (or he!) is the winner of this LUSH Mum’s Day gift box. To enter, simply leave a comment below describing a nice way to spend Mother’s Day. Please don’t enter this giveaway more than once a day; open to U.S. and Canada residents. This giveaway will run to Tuesday at 6:00 PM (PST) May 11, and the winner of The Vacation Gals Mother’s Day LUSH giveaway will be announced on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Immediate family members of The Vacation Gals shouldn’t enter. Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted in: Travel Gear | 229 comments

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