Since the holidays just ended, it is time to thank those who generously gave to us. Another year end review is this popular post, Thank you Cards. Thank you! These two little words mean so much. I was taught early on when you receive a gift, you send a hand written thank you card. As a kid, I thought this was a major pain in the rear, especially when you rather play with your toys instead of writing hand written thank you notes. But, we did it because it was required. As an adult, I have tried to maintain this practice and instill the importance behind writing thank you cards in my kids. Yes, sometimes life gets in the way and I do not always get hand written thank you cards out, but I try. Even though my kids are 3 years old and  now 15 mos. old (originally 12 months old when the post was written), they have been required to participate in creating their own thank you cards. My son has colored on each card that goes out since he has been 15 months old – putting his own touches on it.  For my daughter, she painted her own thank you cards for her first birthday.  Here is how we did it and how you can recreate them for your own family. Supplies Needed 1 Roll of Painter’s tape 1 Box of plain cards and/or paper (card stock) 1 paint brush or the kids can use their fingers 1 washable paint (colors of your choice) 1 paper plate for the paints Directions Get out your blank cards out. If you are using card stock paper, cut the paper down the middle; leaving two pieces of paper. Then fold each paper in half...

Because I am spending some well needed quality time with my family during the last two weeks of December, I am running some of the most popular posts of the year.  Another post that many people tended to gravitate towards was the Top 10 Apps for Au Pairs. Like any young woman between the ages of 18-26 years old, Au Pairs are attached to technology.  Most Au Pairs have smart phones or devices, whether the host family provides it or they purchased their own.  To make their transition go more smoothly and help them feel more acclimated, here are top 10 Apps for Au Pairs. Alarm Clock Free Alarm Clock Free turns your mobile device into a beautiful digital clock and alarm clock for free! It even displays live, local weather conditions and temperature that makes you know about the weather immediately when you wake up. Cost: Free Platform: iPhone and Android   Gas Buddies Find the cheapest gas (petrol) around you. GasBuddy uses gas price information provided by our users to bring drivers together to support the common goal of saving money on gas.  Gas prices only for USA and Canada. Cost: Free Platform: iPhone, Android, and Blackberry   Circle of 6 Circle of 6 lets you choose six trusted friends to add to your circle. If you get into an uncomfortable or risky situation, use Circle of 6 to automatically send your circle a pre-programmed SMS alert message, with your exact location. It’s quick. It’s discreet. Two taps on your phone is all it takes. Cost: Free Platform: iPhone and Android   Wi-Fi Finder  Over 650,000 locations in 144 countries worldwide! Quickly and easily find FREE or paid Wi-Fi when you travel with the JiWire Wi-Fi Finder. Cost: Free Platform: iPhone and...

Another popular post from the year, Who Did Your Au Pair Bring Home? This is so pertinent because so many Au Pairs travel during the holiday season that they need to pay attention to who is sleeping in their beds with them. Does your Au Pair travel? Does your Au Pair stay in cheap hotels/motels or hostels?  Most likely the answer to these questions are yes.  Has your Au Pair heard of bed bugs?  The most likely answer to this question is no and if they have heard of bed bugs it is because the commonly  used phrased by parents worldwide when tucking their children into bed. “Sleep tight; don’t let the bed bugs bite.” This is no longer just a phrase. This past August our Au Pair had friends visit that frequented several hostels while traveling the United States East Coast.   Not only did her friends stay at our home, but they left some uninvited guests – bed bugs. According to Orkin Pest Control, they have seen a 33% rise in bed bugs since 2011.  As of 2012, New York (ranked 10th in the country) and Washington, DC (ranked 7th in the county), of course two of the places my Au Pair’s and their friends frequented. Every morning for about a week, our Au Pair would wake up with bug bites all over her legs, neck and back. We thought at first that they were mosquito bites and then perhaps spider bites finally my husband – who lived in New York – said that we might have bed bugs.  Of course I was mortified and automatically started itching. I knew nothing about bed bugs, so immediately I did research, but my husband did.  You can’t get rid of bed bugs with RAID and...

During the next two weeks, I will be spending some well needed time with my family and will not be writing as much, so I’ll be running some of my most read posts, starting with…15 Tips For Flying with Lap Infants.   Don’t worry though Stroller Runners, I will continue to update the stroller friendly race calendar on a daily basis. Flying with kids of any age can be very stressful, but flying with kids under the age of two seems like you are embarking on an epic journey. It does not have to be that way. I am no expert in baby/toddler travel, but I have driven several thousands of miles with my son and flown more than 8 times with a “fly free” or lap infant in the past 20 months, so I feel I might be able to provide some useful guidance and tips on traveling with a toddler.  With the holiday season coming up and families are considering traveling to see friends and relatives; I thought this would be an appropriate topic to broach. Here are my top 15 Tips For Flying with Lap Infants for parents with lap infant or “fly free” kids (children under the age of 2 years old) to make you and your baby have a more relaxing trip. 1.  Fly when your child seems to be the most relaxed. This might require trial and error. Some parents say flying the red eye is best, or flying during nap times. I have flown during my toddlers nap time; did not work because he was too excited. I have flown a red eye (night time, think that would work); nope he was up the entire flight. The best time we found to make it the most pleasant flight for...

Here is the follow up post on 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Dads.  My Au Pair thought it would be great if I could publish a 50 Holiday Gifts List for Host Moms and Dads. She told me it is very stressful buying for host parents, especially when they seem to have “everything” they want. Here is my 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Dads.   This is for all those Au Pairs that are not quite sure what to buy for their Host Dads. Click on the picture on the right hand side and it will open the 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Dads pdf.  The pdf has hyperlinks, so scroll over the item you are interested in and click through to the website where you can purchase the gift. The 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Dads gifts range from under $25 – under $100.  You can also find more gift ideas under my Gift Ideas for Host Dads on Pinterest. Here is a selection of 10 gifts out of the 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Dads. Pinterest Boards Dedicated to 50 Holiday Gift Lists Pinterest: Gifts for Au Pairs Pinterest: Gifts for Host Dads Pinterest: Gifts for Host Moms Pinterest: DIY Gifts From Kids...

After writing my 50 Holiday Gifts for Au Pairs, my current Au Pair thought it would be great if I could publish a Holiday Gift Guide for Host Moms and Dads. She told me it is very stressful buying for host parents, especially when they seem to have “everything” they want. Here is my 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms.   This is for all those Au Pairs that are not quite sure what to buy for us Host Moms. Click on the picture on the right hand side and it will open the 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms pdf.  The pdf has hyperlinks, so scroll over the item you are interested in and click through to the website where you can purchase the gift. The 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms gifts range from under $25 – under $100.  You can also find more gift ideas under my Gift Ideas for Host Moms on Pinterest. Here is a selection of 10 gifts out of the 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms. Stay tune for the Holiday Gifts for Host Dads.   Pinterest Boards Dedicated to 50 Holiday Gift Lists Pinterest: Gifts for Au Pairs Pinterest: Gifts for Host Dads Pinterest: Gifts for Host Moms Pinterest: DIY Gifts From...

Buying for an Au Pair, nanny, and/or child care provider can sometimes be difficult and for most parents more stressful than buying for their significant others. Your child’s care giver is watching your most precious asset(s) everyday and you want to ensure they feel appreciated.  The questions that go through my mind when shopping for my Au Pair are: How much do I spend? How much is too much? Do I buy multiple presents or just one? Is cash OK? Do I give gift cards? I have an Au Pair that lives in our house and is our adopted daughter, so I budget for her gifts like I do my other two children. She will be spending the holidays with us and waking up on Christmas morning with just as much anticipation and excitement as my three year old. Most Au Pairs have never experienced Christmas and/or other seasonal holidays American style, so in my experience all of our Au Pair’s are just as or more excited than my children. Because it can be challenging to come up with some ideas, here is a list with 50 Holiday Gifts for Au Pairs with gifts ranging from under $25 – under $200.  You can also find more gift ideas under my Gift Ideas for Au Pairs on Pinterest. Pinterest Boards Dedicated to 50 Holiday Gift Lists Pinterest: Gifts for Au Pairs Pinterest: Gifts for Host Dads Pinterest: Gifts for Host Moms Pinterest: DIY Gifts From Kids Here are eight gift ideas out of the 50 Holiday Gifts for Au Pairs.  ...

With winter just around the corner, here is a must have for us stroller runners, rain and wind cover/protector.  Just because it is getting colder outside, does not mean you need to stop walking and/or running with your kids.  Depending on what part of the country you live in, yes, you might get some looks, but in the end it is good for you and your kids to get some fresh air. Jogging stroller rain and wind covers offer the protection your baby needs in unexpected rains. They are generally made of heavy duty clear vinyl with side air holes that allow good ventilation. According to several reviews I have read, one criteria reviewers judged whether a stroller rain and wind cover is good is if the cover can fold into a compact size. For some this might be important, but to me this does not even factor into my buying decision.  I cannot remember ever trying to fold my rain and wind cover and I have one for each of my jog strollers. Regardless of your brand of stroller, most companies sell a rain and wind cover. When shopping for a proper stroller rain and wind cover, here is some guidance. Ensure it is made of heavy duty clear material that will last. Rain covers are used quite regular by active families who keep up with their exercise regime even in cold and wet seasons. I like the stroller rain and wind covers that do not leave permanent wrinkles on the material because I believe it indicates heavy materials.  If you choose to fold your rain and wind cover, you will notice it more. However, as I mentioned above mine stays on all season.  If it is nice above 60 degrees and not...

Thank you! These two little words mean so much. I was taught early on when you receive a gift, you send a hand written thank you card. As a kid, I thought this was a major pain in the bum, especially when you rather play with your toys instead of writing hand written thank you notes. But, we did it because it was required. As an adult, I have tried to maintain this practice and instill the importance of thank you cards with my kids. Yes, sometimes life gets in the way and I do not always get hand written thank you cards out, but I try. Even though my kids are 3 years old and 12 months old, they have been required to participate in creating their own thank you cards. My son has colored on each card that goes out since he has been 15 months old – putting his own touches on it.  For my daughter, she painted her own thank you cards for her first birthday.  Here is how we did it and how you can recreate them for your own family. Supplies Needed 1 Roll of Painter’s tape 1 Box of plain cards and/or paper (card stock) 1 paint brush or the kids can use their fingers 1 washable paint (colors of your choice) 1 paper plate for the paints Directions Get out your blank cards out. If you are using card stock paper, cut the paper down the middle; leaving two pieces of paper. Then fold each paper in half making two cards. Make your child’s first initial of their name with Painter’s tape on the front of the card. Have your child paint the front of the card over the tape. Depending on the age of your...

By Cheryl Rushing It is nearly travel season and if you’re reading this you’re probably traveling with an infant or toddler, which brings its own set of challenges; flying the stroller friendly skies. We’re here to focus on a big one: traveling via air with a jogging stroller. Each major air carrier has their own set of rules when it comes to strollers, but some basic guidelines apply: The stroller can usually be checked at the gate.  Check with your airline if it is not listed below. Most airlines will allow an umbrella stroller as a carry on, space permitting. Most airlines check the stroller free of charge as long as the child is traveling with you, but please check the website or call the reservations number to verify before traveling. The stroller must fold down/collapse (strollers that do not collapse must be checked at the ticket counter and may incur a baggage fee). The stroller must be bagged and tagged (we recommend tagging inside and out). Label it with your name everywhere; like they tell you when you bring your toddler to preschool or day care, Label, Label, Label. The airline is not responsible for damage to the stroller and damage waiver coverage cannot be purchased. If you are planning on flying the stroller friendly skies; here is a breakdown of stroller guidelines for major US airlines when traveling domestically: AirTran Reservations/Information: 1-800-247-8726 You may bring a stroller to the gate for ease of travel through the airport. The stroller may be gate checked just before boarding the plane and will be returned to the aircraft jet way upon arrival at your destination. Car seats and strollers may be checked free of charge; any other items are subject to standard baggage fees (i.e.,...