Where the Magic Never Ends

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Beth Henry

Last month we took our first Disney Cruise on Disney Magic. What an amazing experience! I highly recommend it to any and everyone. Whether you have kids or not, there is something for everyone. In fact, for those without kids, there is a lot to do without being surrounded by children. There are actually several places on the boat designated “adult only”, so if you want to dine, swim, or dance away from the crowded kid’s areas, that is easily done.

Every day they had several live shows that were absolutely.amazing. These were Broadway-level performances that wowed every single audience member. My husband said that next time he would make even more effort to catch each and every show, they were that great. After the show on the last evening, Ella and I spotted the Cruise Director, Clayton. Ella recognized him from his part introducing the shows and we asked him if he would have his picture taken with us. After I handed the camera to someone, I turned around and saw Ella climbing on Clayton’s back! I guess he had stooped down for the picture and Ella took it as an invitation to climb on! Well, it was too funny to not take the picture that way.

Cruise Director Disney Magic

After that we got a “regular” picture. Ella was just as excited to meet Clayton as she was meeting Mickey Mouse. It just goes to show you that truly every moment on the Disney Magic is magical. I cannot fathom all the work that goes into making the cruise so amazing. This was by far our best vacation ever!

Cruise Director Disney Magic

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating. Don’t forget to follow Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. I’ll be writing more about our Disney experience soon!)

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BOO! Made You Jump!

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Beth Henry

 

Scared Mouse

Last year my little mouse won a Go-Go Babyz photo contest with this picture. I was so excited to win the Travelmate Deluxe Cruizer .  After testing and reviewing it (see my review here), I shipped it to my sister to use with her newborn. I am really happy that this January I will be having a new baby and can use the Travelmate Deluxe Cruizer in my travels. Thank you, cute little Mouse. Thank you, Go-Go Babyz. Happy Halloween to everyone!

(Disclaimer: I am not paid to talk about any product. All product opinions are my own and are not influenced or rewarded by any outside party.)

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating. Don’t forget to follow Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. We’re gearing up for another fun giveaway soon!)

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RIP Big Tex

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Beth Henry

The Texas State Fair is my favorite. Granted, I’ve only been to a couple other State Fairs, but still, I think the Texas one is the best. When Ella was 6 months old, we took her to the Texas State Fair for the first time.

Big Tex

It was my plan to make it a yearly family tradition to visit the Texas State Fair. Somehow each year our October schedule gets filled up and we haven’t even been back since this visit. I get sad every year when the State Fair ends, realizing I missed it yet again.

State Fairs always have something for everyone. When Ella was a baby, her favorite thing was the livestock. My favorite thing is always the food. What I wouldn’t give to try the Fried Bacon Cinnamon Roll this year!

State Fair, Coatneys 029

Now the saddest day is here: Big Tex went up in flames this morning. It’s always sad to lose a landmark. Since I’m already sad I can’t make it to Texas for the fair, this magnifies the loss. I’m sure they’ll rebuild Big Tex, but he won’t be the same. This amazing photo was taken by my friend, incredible photographer and producer, Chris Howell (used with permission). I love the Texas flag still proudly waving in the background, and Tex’s hand still intact, giving a final wave goodbye.

big tex

We have lost a great friend. RIP, Big Tex!

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating. Don’t forget to follow Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. We’re gearing up for another fun giveaway soon!)

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Disney Travel Tip: Laundry Soap

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Beth Henry

Disney and Laundry Soap

We just had our first Disney experience, spending 3 days at Disney World and 3 days on a Disney Cruise. Needless to say, it was amazing! I’ll write more about it later, but today I bring you a small travel tip: Always bring small packets of laundry soap with you on your trips. I packed 4 princess costumes for Ella to wear, but there was only one that she wanted to wear. She wore that dress 4 of the 7 days! I love Woolite laundry soap for travel because it doesn’t get too sudsy and it rinses easily. Laundry washing in the sink can be such a pain with other detergent that takes longer to rinse out!

The fact that I had packed some travel sized Woolite laundry soap for our Disney trip is what saved me from having a daughter dressed like a ragamuffin in a smelly, stained outfit. It also let me keep her happy wearing what she wanted instead of forcing her to wear something else. Because Disney World is no place to be forcing your will on your kids. Am I right?

Disney Laundry Soap Tip

I love this pack of travel-sized Woolite, available at Amazon.com, because it comes with a drain cover. This is something I always pack when traveling with young kids because so often the bathtub drain stopper does not work.

(This is an affiliate link. When you make a purchase through the link I may receive a small commission, which goes toward the operation of this website. The cost to you does not change. I appreciate your support!)

Do your kids end up wearing the same thing again and again because it’s their favorite? Do you end up having to do laundry nightly so they can have their must-have outfit? Tell us about the most embarrassing time your child had a dirty outfit because it was the only thing he/she would wear. We’d love to hear your stories.

This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating.

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Announcement

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Beth Henry

I guess it’s about time I reveal this news to those of you who don’t know me personally. We are going to be able to share even more travel tips with you soon because….

Yep, she’s right…we’re expecting a little baby brother for Ella in January. I’ll be able to share with you more travel ideas and products for newborns and infants very soon! I’m excited because every year there are so many great new products that are invented. I’ve had my eye on quite a few the last couple of years, just wishing for a baby to be able to test them. Well, that’s not the only reason I wanted a baby. LOL

Of course the fatigue from carrying a baby has already set in, so I’m using that as my excuse for not posting here as often as I should. But if you’ll bear with me I’ll post as often as I can, and I expect to begin traveling quite soon after the baby comes, so I’ll share all the gear I use and all the tips I can come up with then.

If you already have a newborn, be sure to see my posts about traveling with infants: Packing for Onboard and Infants on the Plane.

Do you have any favorite infant travel products that I might not have had 4 years ago for Ella? Please share!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter or subscribe to email notifications of new blog posts (top right of this page). We run giveaways every once in a while, and will definitely be reviewing more travel products soon! 

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Categories: Blog (Cloud Surfing Adventures), Flying with Infants, Video: Ella Cloud Surfer | 4 Comments

Travel Tip: Create a “Passport”

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Beth Henry

Whether you are frequent or first time fliers, I highly recommend starting a “passport” for your kids. A “passport” is a logbook so you can record each flight. I received a pre-printed one on one of my flights, but it would be easy to make your own. Just staple some papers together, draw some dividing lines for recording each flight, and you have a “passport”! Let the kids decorate theirs with airplane stickers.

I regret not recording each of Ella’s flights. I never realized just how much I would be traveling with her, and it really would be fun to say exactly how many miles she has traveled. Of course we know her credited miles since we join every airline’s mileage program, but since I work for an airline we also have logged many standby flights, whose miles are not recorded. Now that I have the “passport”, which stays in our travel bag so I always have it, I remember to log every flight Ella takes.

Another benefit to having a logbook is that it gives a great opportunity for your child to meet the pilots on each flight. It’s exciting for the kids to pop into the cockpit before a flight to ask the Captain and First Officer for their signature. Our logbook has columns for Date, Flight #, Aircraft Type and Tail #, City Pair, Nautical Miles(pilots fill in), Pilot’s signatures, and Comments. The pilots who have kids themselves know how to impress a kid and will turn on all the lights in the cockpit and maybe even make the airplane “talk”. (“Pull Up! Pull Up! Terrain, Terrain! Wind Shear”… I don’t want to hear these in-flight, but it’s fun for the kids to hear on the ground.)

If you want to visit the cockpit, remember that they are in lock-down mode in flight and you cannot visit then. The best time is before a flight, during boarding. Board as early as possible and stop at the cockpit before going to your seats or you’ll be trying to swim “upstream” against all the passengers boarding. Make sure you don’t leave luggage blocking those trying to board the plane. Have your camera out! When there is time this is a good photo opportunity!

(Remember, if there is not time for visiting the cockpit, you can kindly ask the flight attendants if they could pass the logbook up to the cockpit for you.)

Kids travel

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating. Don’t forget to follow Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. We’re gearing up for another fun giveaway soon!)

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Keep the Relaxation in Vacation

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Beth Henry

Confession time: I hate planning vacations. We travel a lot, but it’s usually for trips planned/arranged by others, related to either my husband’s or my work. I usually wait until we actually get to the location to look up local activities and events and then go from there. This definitely causes me to miss out on a few tourist opportunities, but I stay relaxed by going with the flow. If we just feel like sleeping in, eating brunch at a local diner and playing at the playground one day, then that’s what we do.

I’m not saying this is the best way to travel, but just want to remind you to schedule downtime when you’re traveling with young kids. The best part of your vacation just might be riding on the seesaw.

seesaw joy

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating. Don’t forget to follow Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. We’re gearing up for another fun giveaway soon!)

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In the Jailhouse Now (Jailhouse Inn, Newport, RI)

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Beth Henry

Every year we get to join my husband in Newport, RI while he sails in the 12 Metre North Americans Regatta. This year and last, we stayed at the Jailhouse Inn. Transformed from the old Newport County Jail, it’s such a fun hotel to stay in! We’re right in the heart of downtown, near all the food, shopping, and the Harbor. We always take a few fun pictures behind bars:

jailhouse inn

One of the most enjoyable things at this “Jail” is the food! Free breakfasts include meat and cheese, hard boiled eggs, cereal, yogurt, fresh breads, lots of fresh fruit, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. This week they’ve been serving fresh pumpkin bread, which is so amazing. They serve fresh baked cookies in the afternoon. This breakfast spread is perfect for a four year old (Ella), who really enjoys choosing a bit of everything and definitely eats her best meal of the day here:

big meal

I’ll have to teach her otherwise later, because right now Ella thinks jail is pretty relaxing and fun:

In the jailhouseipod time

Ella is cracking me up, because she only wants to wear her striped outfit. She told me she was going to wear it all weekend. If it doesn’t get too horribly dirty I’ll let her, just because it’s funny and fitting. The Gap is just around the corner, and currently has a good selection of stripy clothes, so we might go buy a few more to add to the jailhouse collection. Smile

Fall starts tomorrow, but we’re enjoying every last hour of summer! We hope you are too!

beautiful day

 

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating. Don’t forget to follow Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. We’re gearing up for another fun giveaway soon!)

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My Timing Mistake

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Beth Henry

Well, today Ella overheard her Grandma talking on the phone about The Magic Kingdom. She was curious, “What’s The Magic Kingdom?” I told her we were going there and since Daddy wanted to be with her when we told her the surprise, we would tell her tonight what it was. She was fine with that, and after dinner I got out our free Disney Planning DVD so we could show her what to expect.

She was excited, but really more overwhelmed than anything. For someone who has never experienced the magic of Disney (that includes me, believe it or not), the concept of it all is really too incredible to absorb. Here is Ella after we told her and showed her some of the video of Disney World:

Reaction to the news.

 

My mistake was that I gave her this big, life changing news right before bed time. She was so excited and hyper that it took her an hour and a half to calm down and finally go to sleep. I hope she dreams of fireworks, castles, and princesses tonight. Smile

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Back To School…But Summer Fun Hasn’t Ended

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Beth Henry

School has started, but we are still traveling. I hope that Ella’s teachers aren’t too upset that she will only be attending half of the days for the first month of school. One nice thing about her just being in Pre-K is that she is only attending 3 days a week. Yesterday, a day off, we took a drive out East and played at the beach. What a great day it was!

We also visited the oldest lighthouse in New York: the Montauk Point Lighthouse. It was commissioned by George Washington back in 1792! It was completed in 1796 and still serves as an active aid to navigation. Wow! That’s impressive!

Are you doing any traveling this fall or putting it on hold until school holidays?

DSCN9469

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating. Don’t forget to follow ‘Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. We’re gearing up for another fun giveaway soon!)

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