Radio City Christmas Spectacular Review (by Ella, age 5)

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Beth Henry

Christmas Spectacular Review

Today we went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It was my second time; the first time I saw it I was 6 months pregnant with Ella. So in a way she has experienced it before too…but not really. Today was her first time to see the show. It was SPECTACULAR! There’s a reason they use that word in the title of the show! Here is her Christmas Spectacular Review:

My interview with Ella after the show:

Beth: Ella, what did you think of the Rockettes?

Ella: They were awesome!

B: Do you want to be a Rockette when you grow up?

E: No, I want to be just myself.

B: What did you think of Santa in the show?

E: Santa was Magic.

There was a part in the show where the Rockettes were riding a double-decker bus and wearing winter coats. As they came out of the bus they were wearing shiny dresses. Ella commented, “It’s magical! Or maybe it’s just the Christmas Spirit”.

When I asked Ella what her favorite parts of the show were she listed these four things:

When they destroyed the castle. (This was in a 3-D “live” video game where the player destroyed the Humbugs with Christmas cheer. It was magnificent.)
The snowflake bubbles (remote-controlled giant snowflakes flying throughout the theatre…so cool!).
Snow Confetti
The end, when they all clapped and cheered. (This is always a favorite for Ella who really loves to express her appreciation for an exciting show.)

She didn’t mention it in my “interview”, but the cotton candy was pretty special to her too.

I am sure that most people already know and expect this is a great show, but I’m telling you, if you have an opportunity to see it, it will be one of the most incredible shows you’ll ever see. If you’ve seen it in previous years, you should know that each year they change the story and theme so although they have some of the same elements, it is full of surprises each year. Seeing it as an adult without kids 6 years ago was so much fun. Seeing it today with a 5 year old was absolutely priceless. The joy on her face lasted the entire show. Watching her experience the Christmas Spectacular was so rewarding. This was truly a special, joyful, spectacular day.

Snowflakes–So Magical!

Have you seen the show? Was it this magical for you?

*This is not a sponsored post. I am in no way affiliated with Radio City Music Hall and I am not being paid for this review. I am simply sharing our experiences. In any of my reviews or recommendations I will always give my honest opinion.

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Categories: Blog (Cloud Surfing Adventures), Reviews | Tags: Christmas, Christmas shows, Christmas Specatular, New York Christmas, NYC, review | 1 Comment

5 Things to Pack For Flying With A Cold

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Beth Henry

The kids and I are all sick today. John and I have bad colds and Ella has been vomiting. So sad! I’m really glad we’re not scheduled to fly anywhere this week! If we were, we would of course have to change plans with Ella vomiting. Here are some great things to have on hand for those times when you have to travel with a few sniffles or for when a cold pops up as you’re headed to the airport:

EarPlanes

These are a great invention: ear plugs that help equalize cabin pressure. They really do work and are great to use when you’re a little congested so that the pressure changes don’t bother you as much. They come in adult and child size.

Little Remedies Honey Lollipops

With no artificial dyes, no artificial flavors, no medicine, these Safety Pops are great for soothing little throats. An added benefit on the plane is sucking on a lolly during descent can help with ear pressure.

Mucinex for Children

Mucinex is so effective it is the only decongestant I use for my family. (Of course John is too young to take Mucinex, which is recommended for children aged 4 and up.) Before Mucinex was available over-the-counter, my doctor prescribed the main ingredient, Guaifenesin, for me so I could take it for my recurring sinus infections without the side effects that other decongestants have, like making my heart race. Using it allowed me to continue flying even though I was getting sinus infections every month due to allergies. I love the kid’s formula that comes in little granule packets. They are perfect for traveling. Since they are not liquid you don’t have to worry about separating them for clearing TSA and they are light and small. It’s easy to just toss a few packet in your purse to have available just in case you need it.

Hyland’s Homeopathic Cold Tablets

Babies and Toddlers are too young for medicines like Mucinex, which is recommended for ages 4 and up. We have found Hyland’s Baby Tiny Cold Tablets to be give effective relief to sniffles and sneezes. It’s not like it wipes out the cold completely, but it seems to help make the symptoms less miserable. We actually ran out of these yesterday and today has been a tough one for baby John. Wally is going out to the store to get some more Hyland’s Cold Tablets as I type this.

EarDoc

This is a great tool to have in your travel bag. The EarDoc is intended to help alleviate ear pain due to ear infections or changing cabin pressure on the airplane. So far in my testing I have found it to be very effective for relieving ear pain in adults and in children it at the very least offers a nice distraction to the pain they are experiencing. The EarDoc gives a vibration (adjustable speeds) that you apply right behind the ear. This helps open up the Eustachian tube to relieve pressure.

Categories: Travel Products, Travel Tips | Tags: air travel, flying with kids, kids flying with colds, travel tips | 9 Comments

Small Business Saturday—Businesses We Love

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Beth Henry

It’s Small Business Saturday! Are you ready to support small companies? Here are a few small companies we love:

Daisy Chains Designs

Flight attendant Owner, Designer, and Creator Pam Warren has some of the most beautiful creative jewelry around. Check out her designs. She even makes kid’s designs. Your wife, mom, sister daughter or girlfriend will love these! There are more than just daisy designs and they are all beautiful! Here is one of my favorite designs:

GoGo Babyz

If you have read any of this blog, you know I’m a huge fan of GoGo Babyz travel products. From wheels that attach to your car seat to make it into a smooth-riding stroller through the airport to a foldable wagon that is also a stroller and is even ATSM cerfied to a diaper bag that also acts as a baby carrier, GoGo Babyz has lots of great, innovative products for parents on-the-go.

Melzy Baby

This clever company came up with a solution for the diaper blowouts and leaks that every parent wishes never happened. The Soaker Stopper is great for traveling when it can be longer between diaper changes than anticipated. If the baby is experiencing tummy upset, the Blowout Blocker can save lots of outfits from a huge, smelly mess.

Categories: Travel Products | Leave a comment

Review and Giveaway of NurturMe Organic Baby Food

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Beth Henry

When you’re flying with a baby, one of the big considerations in packing is what food to bring. You should always bring at least twice as much food as you think you’ll need. You never know when you’ll experience lengthy delays or even an unplanned overnight stay. Little squishy pouches of baby food are nice, but since they’re liquid, you’ll have to declare those at TSA which can be a hassle. Here is a great option for bringing baby food without taking liquids:

*This Giveaway has closed. The winner is…..

Sara F.! Congratulations, Sara!

If you didn’t win but would like to try NurturMe Organic baby food, you can order them from the NurturMe store. I have also been able to find them at my local Target.

NurtureMe Organic Baby Food comes in powdered form in a small paper pouch. You simply add water, formula, or breast milk until desired consistency is reached. These pouches are great for traveling because they are so lightweight. I figure packing 12 NurtureMe packets vs. 12 liquid pouches will save about 2 lbs. in weight. This makes it a great option when you are traveling overseas where it might be difficult to find local foods that will work for the baby.

(Although I received this product for the purpose of review and a sample pack for this giveaway, I am not being compensated for recommending this product. My opinions are my own and I will never recommend something which I wouldn’t use myself.)

Scroll to end of this post to enter the Giveaway!

I love that all NurtureMe foods are Certified Organic, Non-GMO verified, and have no added preservatives, sugars, or salts. They are gluten-free, Kosher, and made in the USA.

If your child is older, you can use NurtureMe foods to add additional nutrients to their food. It’s easy to stir in a pouch of butternut squash with a dish of Macaroni and Cheese. Or your toddler might like an order of plain pasta when you stir in green peas. See NurtureMe’s Kichen for other great recipe ideas for your kids. They also have some great bite-sized free-dried snacks they call Yum-A-Roos. We tried Carribean Crop, with peas, banana, and pineapple. Although the recommended age for these snacks is 1 and up, John (age 10 months and good at chewing) enjoyed them very much, especially the peas. Ella (age 5) liked them too.

Things I love about NurtureMe baby food:

Healthy with no additives
Lightweight for packing
Easy to use
John likes them
Looks like food in it’s original state (e.g. peas are actually bright green, not brown-green like you see in jarred peas)

I only wish that NurtureMe offered more flavors. But on their website’s Q&A they do say they are adding more flavors. I have noticed several new ones in the last few months as well.

Ways to use NurtureMe foods:

For meals when traveling
In diaper bag ready for last-minute outings
In car for “emergency” snack (Yum-a-Roos are great for this purpose!)
At home to add nutrients to prepared meals
For meals ANY time

NurtureMe packages are also great for putting in your emergency bag in case of natural disaster. Having lived in California for 8 years, I’m very aware of the need for a grab-and-run bag of the essentials. You can easily pack the recommended 3-day supply of food for your infant or toddler using NurtureMe foods.

Now with John at 10 months old it is a little easier to just hand him a liquid food pouch, but I still buy NurtureMe dried food pouches for use during travel and in my diaper bag and emergency bag.

Do you want to give NurtureMe products a try? Enter to win our giveaway! Click on the link below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Categories: Giveaway, Reviews, Travel Products | 7 Comments

Lunar Eclipse (Space Travel?)

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Beth Henry

Tonight was a beautiful combination of the “Hunter’s Moon” and a Partial Lunar Eclipse. We went out in the front yard and set up a telescope for viewing. What a beautiful moon! When I looked through the telescope a far away bird flew across the moon. It looked like it was in the moon’s orbit and also looked like a bat since October has me thinking of Halloween themes.

This was one of those times when you realize how easy it can be to inspire a love of learning in our children. Ella had such a fun time being outdoors in the dark, looking through the telescope, and talking about the moon and the eclipse. She wanted me to look up when the next meteor shower would be because she is longing to see a shooting star (meteor). She loves the song by They Might Be Giants, What is a Shooting Star?: “A shooting star or meteor, whichever name you like. The minute it comes down to earth it’s called a meteorite.”

When I was getting Ella ready for bed she said, “I wish I was an alien on the moon and you were with me and we looked through a telescope at Earth.” Remember, you don’t always have to fly somewhere to travel. Your imagination can take you anywhere!

*Stay tuned…I’ll be doing a review and giveaway of an easy-to-travel-with healthy, organic baby food very soon! Follow Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ so you don’t miss out on this and other travel tips and giveaways coming up!

Categories: Blog (Cloud Surfing Adventures) | Leave a comment

Kids Love to Fly

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Beth Henry

Categories: Blog (Cloud Surfing Adventures), Photo Friday | Leave a comment

My Family (How We Vacation on a Budget)

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Beth Henry

This is my family. We love to travel but don’t love to spend money. Our jobs often give us the opportunity to travel with the kids without breaking the bank. Our annual trip to Newport, RI is one of those times when we tag along with my husband, Wally, when he goes to work.

My husband races sailboats for a living. For his job he has traveled all around the world. He has flown nearly 3 million miles and honestly, when he’s home, travel is the last thing on his mind. He just appreciates being home, so we do a lot of family things without going anywhere at all. But when he is sailing somewhere that is fun for the family, we like to join him. Newport is one of those places. Every year when he races in the 12 Metre North American Championship, we tag along. (This is in large part made possible by the generous owner, who pays for our accommodations each year at this Regatta.)

Ella is fascinated with the boat and when we greet Wally at the dock she jumps right on and starts exploring. I expect she will want to learn everything her Daddy can teach her about sailing in future years. I wouldn’t be surprised if she wants to race sailboats just like he does.

This is one of the few vacations we take where we don’t have to fly now that we’ve moved to the East Coast. A one-hour ferry ride sandwiched between 2 one-hour car drives is all it takes to get to Newport. This year I had to take the kids there on my own, which was quite challenging on the ferry, but I’ll save that for another post.

We really enjoyed Newport just as we always do. I think the secret to enjoying vacation with very young kids is to not plan a lot, enjoy little things like the local playground and novelty shops, and set aside time for naps. Surprisingly I even got to take a few naps this time while John napped and Ella relaxed playing on the iPod Touch or watching a little TV.

Of course there wasn’t any relaxing time for Wally, who fought hard to win. His hard work paid off when the boat he was on, Victory ‘83, came in 1st in all 7 races in the Regatta. When Ella heard they won, she said, “That’s my Daddy!” She’s very proud of her Dad who tries very hard to win every race. She has inherited his determination to be his best in everything he does.

Here’s a video clip that Wally took while racing on Victory ‘83 a couple of years ago if you want to see what it’s like:

(Don’t forget to follow Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ .)

Categories: Blog (Cloud Surfing Adventures), Photo Friday | 1 Comment

Wagon Stroller Review

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Beth Henry

Let me introduce you to a piece of equipment that is so functional and versatile it has two names: Wagon+Stroller. The Go-Go Babyz Wagon Stroller is a wagon that folds fully flat; (it’s about the size of a double jogger when folded). It’s a stroller that can carry equipment as well as your child. It’s a comfy seat when you watch a parade. It’s a safe ride for the kids when you’re marching in a parade. The Wagon Stroller is Go-Go Babyz latest amazing innovation for families on-the-go.

The Wagon Stroller is designed to comply with ATSM stroller safety standards. It can be used as a stroller, as a wagon, and as a cart. All of the impressive details of this Wagon/Stroller combo. are listed at the end of this post.

*Disclosure: I received the Wagon Stroller for the purpose of testing and review. I am not being paid for my opinion or promotion of this product. My opinions are my own based on my experience with this product. I will never promote anything which I would not use and enjoy myself.

This post contains links for your shopping convenience which will give me a slight commission if you make a purchase through them. This income will go toward the managing of this website. I appreciate your support!

My Review, Cute Pictures, Product Details:

The Wagon Stroller comes partially assembled and requires only about 5 minutes to finish assembly. The instructions were clear and easy to follow.

I first tested the Wagon Stroller at the playground. John was only 4 months old at the time, so while he was too small to ride in the wagon, it was the perfect play place for him while Ella played on the playground. I lined it with a blanket and gave him several toys and he had a great time.

Cloud Surfing Kids Fly Baby

A regular umbrella was easily propped up to provide shade however now we use a clip-on umbrella. Go-Go Babyz offers an umbrella as an optional add-on. It provides 100% UV protection and is adjustable so you can angle it just right to provide shade.

The next time we tried the Wagon Stroller was to go to a parade. We were able to load our 3 lawn chairs, 3 umbrellas, 4 flags, a cooler and a backpack in the Wagon Stroller and walked with ease to the parade. This would have been a frustrating task if we tried to carry all these items by hand, especially since I was carrying the baby and his diaper bag. The Wagon Stroller was so easy to steer and maneuver that Ella (age 5) proudly steered with the pull handle while Wally used the arched push handle as a back up.

In a freak occurrence, Ella turned the front wheels right into the curb as Wally was pushing. The angle and weight hit just right (or wrong, as the case may be) and the wheel peg bent a little bit. It didn’t affect the performance of the Wagon Stroller, but I notified Go-Go Babyz about it. They quickly sent me a replacement part with instructions on switching it out and offered to get on the phone with me to walk me through the simple task of replacing the part. Their customer service is the best! In this day and age good customer service is rare thing to find but Go-Go Babyz is always there for their customers. The employees are always cheerful, kind, and extremely helpful. They make you feel like they are your friend…the kind of friend who would bend over backwards to do anything they can to help you.

*UPDATE 9/30/2015—After about two years of use, I began to have problems again with the wheel. When I was taking pictures to help show the issue, I noticed that the hub had separated from the wheel on one of the front wheels. I contacted GoGoBabyz and they told me that they had actually had a difficult time with the original supplier of those wheels and the quality they were producing. So they changed the wheel for a more dependable result. GoGoBabyz shipped me two new front wheels, via two-day shipping, free of charge. I used the wagon again during our week-long Newport, RI vacation, and the new wheels worked much better.

John loved sitting in the wagon during the parade. It was the perfect setup. I couldn’t believe that I could actually watch and enjoy the parade while my infant played happily in the spacious Wagon Stroller. He loved having his space and toys. It was so nice having this dual-purpose stroller to do both carry equipment and to have a place for John to hang out and stay safe and comfortable during the parade.

Ella wants to participate in a parade next year. If we do that, we are definitely bringing the Wagon Stroller for John to sit in and to carry along a small cooler for cold water to drink along the way! I really love the feature of the push handle (optional feature, base model comes with a straight handle for pushing). As a flight attendant I am always pulling my luggage behind me and it’s really tough on my shoulders. I love the control I have by pushing the wagon instead of pulling.

When we went on a nature hike pushing John in the Wagon Stroller was so nice! Yes, a regular stroller would have worked as well, but when Ella got too tired to walk and Wally got tired of carrying her on his shoulders, it was sure nice to have a place for her to sit comfortably! The wagon also rolls more smoothly than a regular stroller. I also found that the Go-Go Babyz Sidekick Diaper Bag fit well across the push handle.

This is something I can see using for another 20 years. It’s not just for young kids. We will use it for sports equipment and events, for Farmer’s Markets, for pumpkin picking, as well as for all the above mentioned uses. I know you would enjoy the Wagon Stroller too!

Impressive details:

8” front, 12” rear All-terrain Wheels that Never Go Flat
3 Mesh Storage Pockets
Hands-Free Foot Brake
Folds Down Flat for Easy Storage
Straight, 3-Position Telescoping Push Handle with Foam Comfort Grip
Kid Friendly, Removable Fabric Easily Wipes Clean
Intended for Use with 1 year olds all the way up to 10 year olds
Extended wheelbase and side-to-side wheel track for added stability & safety
Easy fold & store

OPTIONAL FEATURES

Extended 3 position rear push handle
Removable cushioned seat with adjustable 5-point safety harness (each stroller can accommodate 2 seats)
UV Protected, Adjustable Sun Umbrella

*For your convenience I have linked to this product on Amazon. If you use this link I may receive a slight commission which will go toward managing this website. I appreciate your support!

Categories: Deals, Reviews, Travel Products | Tags: GoGoBabyz Review, Wagon stroller review | 10 Comments

Keep Warm on the Plane (Deal: Today Only!)

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Beth Henry

Have you ever been on a flight where the air conditioning seems impossible to control and the temperature is freezing? On some planes the temperature is great through most of the cabin, but near the door it’s about 20 degrees colder. You just happen to be by that door and you’re FREEZING! You never know what you’ll experience in temperature from flight to flight. It’s hard to travel with blankets or even sweaters since they take up so much room. I love to keep a pair of BabyLegs in the diaper bag and travel backpack. They are pretty much one-size-fits-all: Ella can still wear the ones I bought when she was a baby. They are great for legs or arms! I have even used them for my arms before when it was really cold and I didn’t have my sweater.

Today only, BabyLegs is having a sale for their Facebook fans. (Be sure to follow them on Facebook!) You can get a pair of BabyLegs from this selection for only $5 with free shipping! Use the discount code “ORANGE” at checkout. I think the styles are really cute, check them out here!

Categories: Deals, Travel Products | Leave a comment

Save BIG on the Best Travel Products

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Beth Henry

First I want to thank all of you who entered my contest last week for the Go-Go Babyz Sidekick Diaper Bag/Side Carrier. A huge congratulations to the winners, Jennifer H. and Manda O.!!! To the rest of you, If you had your heart set on winning but didn’t, don’t despair! I have a code for you to get yours at a great discount!

First let me tell you why I love Go-Go Babyz products so much and am always raving about them. (By the way, this is not a sponsored post and I am not receiving compensation for my opinions stated in this post.)

The Go-Go Babyz TravelMate was the first travel product I owned. After just one time using the TravelMate I became a huge fan of Go-Go Babyz. It is such a genius invention: turning your convertible car seat into a stroller! I have used the TravelMate now for 5 years straight, on about 100 flights. Once a baggage handler broke the handle on it and once I broke the axle on it (by ramming it into a door when it was on a hotel trolley). Without such major abuse, I never had any trouble with the very durably made TravelMate.

Go-Go Babyz’s customer service is THE BEST and they got me the parts I needed right away. Honestly, after speaking with their customer service reps I felt like I had a close friend in them. They are so helpful and kind (and they don’t make you feel stupid when you do stupid things like ram your TravelMate wheels into a door).

Since I purchased the TravelMate, I have acquired several more Go-Go Babyz products and each one of them impresses me with the innovative design specific for traveling with kids. Simply put, Go-Go Babyz makes traveling with kids MUCH easier!

So, are you ready to try some of Go-Go Babyz awesome products? Here’s a code just for Cloud Surfing Kids fans. “gocloud13” will give you 20% off any Go-Go Babyz product through Sept. 30, 2013. Are your kids too big for the Sidekick Diaper Bag? Here are their other great products:

Mini TravelMate

This is the latest version of the TravelMate with several great improvements. The main thing is it is lighter (only 3 lbs.) and smaller than the original. Also it is less expensive so you get an even better deal using our discount!

Deluxe Cruizer

If you have an infant and plan to travel a lot, this is a must-have! My review of the Deluxe Cruizer is here. Have twins? There is an awesome adapter that will connect the two Cruizers to make a double stroller!

Car Seat Luggage Strap

Don’t travel THAT often? Money tight? Get this easy-to-use strap to attach the car seat to your rollerboard suitcase. So easy!

Diaper Pouch

This is perfect for those of you with toddlers or preschoolers. You can see my review of it here.

Wagon Stroller

Click here for my review of the Wagon Stroller. I can tell you this is a genius design! The biggest complaint I have about it? Everyone stops me to ask about it (it’s that cool)! This wagon stroller folds flat, as small as a double jogging stroller. It has a push handle as well as a pull handle. (I love that option! It is so much easier on my shoulders!)

Which item do you like best? GO NOW to www.gogobabyz.com and get some great products to help make your travels more enjoyable!!! Don’t forget to enter your discount code, “gocloud13” at checkout for 20% off! (Offer ends Sept. 30, 2013)