Trendy Thursday: Summer Shoes from Striderite

The baby isn't a baby anymore. She's racing around the house and playground and in need of supportive shoes. Thanks to Striderite I was able to test out two new shoes this week.

The Daffodil Sandal ($45) looks so sweet. It's a traditional white summer sandal--perfect for all the breezy dresses I have for my little girl's summer wardrobe. The leather shoe is very breathable and incredible supportive. enhanced with our ultra-comfortable Natural Motion System to mimic barefoot walking and to give babies the flexible stride path and natural propulsion they need to grow into strong walkers.Much better than the inflexible (but adorable) leather saltwater sandals she's been wearing.

To transition from summer to fall I picked the Shawna leather sneaker ($50). These trendy sneaks will work with all her little play clothes. These shoes provide excellent support for her explorations thanks to the Natural Motion System technology. I love the fine materials (suede and leather) that go into the construction. Perfect with jeans or a jumper.

HP Digital Travel Frame Review

Got a family member that travels? Me too. Mr. Momtrends is on the road once a month for biz. For his 40th b-day I gave him a new HP DF300A 3.5-Inch Portable Digital Picture Frame.

The bad news: It has taken me an additional $25 and two months to get it up and running.
The good news: The hubby loved the gift and will adore seeing his girls while he spends time away from us.

I'm a little bitter that this frame doesn't come with the required photocard. I mean, really, who has extras around! So after I read the instructions through I went off to purchase a Kodak Flash Memory Card($10). Then I found out I would also need a Lexar Media Single-Slot USB Multi-Card Reader ($15) to drag photos from my Mac onto the photo card. Another $25 down the drain. This present just got a lot more getting expensive.

Once I got all the parts, I was able to simply load up the photo card and then insert it into the frame. The pictures are incredible--so crisp. And we love the travel sleeve the 3.5" frame slips into for storage. We set the frame to a slide show so we can see 100 rotating photos. So be patient and be warned. It'll take a little effort but this is a wonderful gift. Buy the HP DF300A 3.5-Inch Portable Digital Picture Frame on Amazon $45.99

Five Tennis Tips for Young Players

I went to local coach Esther Forrester to get tips for working with kids in tennis. Here in NYC we are getting excited for the US Open. Tennis is a wonderful family activity and you can start your kids on the sport early. Forget about full matches, just get them excited about whacking the ball and running around on the court.

1. Use oversize foam balls or low pressure balls as they bounce slower and travel further. Consider the Prince Play & Stay Stage 3 Tennis Ball designed just for kids ages 5-8.
   
2. If your child is very small- consider using a mitt like racquet instead of a full size junior racquet.
   
3. Place a ball on a tee ball bat or on a string and then have your kids try to hit the ball. This makes it much more manageable for young kids.
4. Play show and tell with your children. If you want to help them improve- show them how to do it. For example, if you want to help the kids hit the ball in front of them hold your hand out in front of them so that they can see where to hit it. Some of the concepts in tennis are difficult to verbalize.
5. Go crazy over The Grand Slams (French Open end of May, Wimbledon End of June, US Open End of August and Australian Open end of January) and watch them on television to keep your kids interested in tennis. If you are in NYC, consider taking them to Arthur Ashe Kids Day (8/29/09) which is before the commencement of the US Open.
   

Esther Forrester is a seasoned tennis instructor who works with kids in NYC and beyond. She was also a former Division I college player. Please see her website www.elftennis.com. For more tips visit the USTA site.

Make Camping More Fun for Kids

Getting kids to love the outdoors isn't easy. "Kids we are going to head into the woods with the bugs, no electricity and you can't bring toys!" Tough sell. How about, "We'll roast marshmallows, make our own tepee, tell ghost stories and play tug-o-war." Easy sell.

To generate camping excitement and make sure the virgin voyage into the wild is a success, I suggest Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids' Guide ($9.37). Author Lynn Brunelle has tips for everything. You'll fin plenty of practical items, such as how to tie a fashionable bandanna on one's head (p.114) and outdoor bathing tips. Then there is the fun stuff: creating seed and petal pictures (p.280) a guide to the constellations and lyrics to camp songs. The illustrations (in black and white mostly) are wonderfully kid-centric. This is a must for any family that plans to head into the wild with kids. That goes for backyard camping too!

Pocket Doodles

In-car entertainment is crucial for a successful road trip. 99 bottles of beer on the wall may start to drive you crazy around mile 10. Here's a solution: A doodle book called Pocket Doodles. ($9.99)

The simple and small black and white book is ideal to pack in a backpack for travel fun. All you kid will need is a pencil or marker (washable naturally). Bill Zimmerman and Tom Bloom teamed up to create the book and filled with pictures to color, word bubbles to fill in an other imaginative pursuits. I'd say it would work well with the 6 and over crowd, but I also like the idea of older kids working with younger siblings on this project or parents working with kids who can't yet read.

Traveling Without the Kids?

Taking a vacation without the kids can be a great boon for a marriage, but this feat takes some planning. One of the first things you'll need to do is secure childcare and take care of a medical authorization form at Forms4Travel.com or Forms4Parents.com. This form will allow grandparents, babysitters or your friends to be prepared and informed in case your child has a medical emergency while you are away.

I met with the founder, Linda Kagan, esquire and mom of two, to talk about this important detail. As you'd expect, the idea was born out of necessity. As a lawyer/mom Linda wanted to have all her bases covered before she went on a trip to Israel without her kids. She couldn't find a adequate form, so she devised her own legal document listing all her kids' important details (doctors, allergies, health care info., etc) and had it notarized. With this taken care of, Linda was able to put some of her worries behind her. If something happened, her family would know how to care for the children and get speedy medical care.

I used Forms4parents.com last year when the hubby and I went to Paris without the kiddies (woo-hoo). This site allows you to fill out a form right on the website and download the finished document. I used the Medical Care Authorization Affidavit ($16.95) and I appreciated all the customized details I could enter into the document (past medical history, allergies, etc.). When done, I hit print and took the printed document to a notary. Forms4Parents gives you a quick and tidy form to work with--if you like computers. The new site Forms4Travel.com allows parents to order pre-printed forms for $14.95. These forms come in the mail and can be filled out in pen and then notarized (to find a notary, Linda suggests visiting your local bank branch).

It's all in the details with these forms--be sure to pack in all the information you can. And in addition to forms for traveling parents, Linda's sites also have consent forms for babysitters, children traveling alone or with grandparents and much, much more. Basically, if you have a concern, she's got the form. So if you're going through all the trouble to plan a kid-free vacation do your best to leave the worries behind. I'm thrilled that Linda is a sponsor of Momtrends and feel very confident recomending her site.

Bring a Zoocchini Pal on Your Next Trip

Kids are wild about plush toys. Momtrends is wild about Zoocchini. These plush toys are well-made, super-snugly and unbelieveable vibrant. These are the types of animals that become instant favorites and get toted everywhere.

I got to check out the new Ocean Collection from Zoocchini. We are now the proud parents of Ollie the Octopus ($21.95). He's purple and orange and a very nice house guest. He has the lovely manners and always enjoys playing with the mermaid dolls in our house.

Olli and his pals, Clawd Lobster, Fanny Fish and Muffin Mermaid make great summer gifts. Perfect for sending off to camp or as a special pal on a plane trip. The toys come packaged in a colorful see-through bucket. Just plop a bow on top and it is ready to give.

Kickboard USA Scooter Giveaway

We are simply addicted to our Mini Kick Scooters around here. I was lucky enough to write a review of KickboardUSA's products for Babble.com and we've been hooked ever since.

Now that summer is here, my daughter and all her pals (boys and girls) use their Micro Scooters each and every day. These ride --on toys are easy to master (I've seen plenty of two year olds on them), sturdy and a great way to get your kids moving this summer.

The Mini Micro Scooter ($75.98) is the model for beginners. These first wheels were designed for kids ages 2-5. Unlike two-wheeled scooters, these are easier to balance and to store (they don't flop over). The handle bar is a pleasure to grip and steering is mastered with simple weight distribution. The Mini’s deck is low to the ground and very stable. I am impressed with the fluid movement and "quiet"ride--must be the Italian-made Polyurethane wheels. My daughter and her friends love meeting up for playdates on these speedy scooters.

When your kids get a little older they will be ready for hip, new, Maxi Scooter ($149.99). This award-winning scooter is designed specifically for kids 6-10. The Swiss-design steering mechanism is meant to simulate surfing--how cool is that. The three-wheel design is super stable and a breeze to master.

Momtrends has an awesome giveaway to keep your kids busy this summer. We are going to give away one Mini and one Maxi scooter--two winners total. To enter head over to the Kickboardusa.com site. Watch the Mini/Maxi video and then come back to Momtrends and leave a comment about why you need one of these scooters.

• For an extra entry, tweet this: @Momtrends KickboardUSA Scooter Giveaway http://bit.ly/S0IDb
• For an extra entry, blog about this contest and leave a comment with the link.
• For an extra entry, subscribe to the Momtrends Newsletter or paste my button on your blog.
  

Be sure to add your contact email. Contest open to US residents ages 18 and over. Contest ends 7/31/09. Winners will be selected by random.org. Winners will be announced on a blog post. If winner fails to respond in three days a new winner will be chosen.

Best Audio Books for Kids

Road-trippers know it is essential to have the right entertainment on hand to make car travel easier on preschoolers. They don't zone out on thier ipod yet, so they need help making time pass. One of our family favorites is The Gruffalo and Friends. This is an audio book that includes six stories read aloud by wonderful actors. Our favorite on the CD is Squash and a Squeeze. The narrators simply make the stories come alive--perfect for when the family gets stuck in traffic on I-95. And I am eagerly awaiting my order of Free to Be You and Me to add to our in-car entertainment options.

Here is a short list of best-sellers from Amazon.com of audio books. I excluded Twilight and Harry Potter as that material is a bit advanced for the six and under crowd. Please add you own favorites in a comment.

Car Travel Tips for Summer

Recession or not, Momtrends readers are hitting the road for summer vacation. And we're not alone, according to a new survey from Jiffy Lube International, 88% of people surveyed say they plan on taking a summer vacation. That's a 4% increase from 2008.

Forget about planes. We are driving. 71% of travelers plan car trips. So I guess we'll need Jiffy Lube's Summer Vacation Vehicle Checklist:

1. Check your engine oil & filter – Engine oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle, check your owner’s manual to see how often your manufacturer recommends changing the oil and oil filter.
2. Clean dirty wiper blades – Don’t get caught in summer showers with dirty or old wiper blades! Simply run a paper towel over your wiper blades to clean off dirt. Also, check for cracks and tears in the blades, and be sure to replace them at the interval specified by your owner’s manual.
3. Keep your tires pumped – Winter driving may have worn down your tire treads and pressure. Have a professional check to ensure they are properly inflated so you maximize gas mileage. You can find the proper tire pressure in your vehicle owner’s manual or in your vehicle’s door jamb. Be sure to check your spare too!
4. Stay cool and check the A/C – There’s nothing worse than having your air conditioning stop working in 90 degree weather. Have a professional perform a system check to ensure you’ll stay cool when the weather heats up.
5. Engine air filter – An engine air filter is like your vehicle’s lung, and the dirtier the air filter, the less clean air gets to your engine, thus affecting how it works. See your vehicle owner’s manual for how often it should be replaced.
6. Prepare for an emergency –There’s nothing worse than having your vehicle breakdown on the side of the highway. If you don’t have a vehicle emergency kit, create one with items such as bottled water, a flashlight, flares, duct tape, an extra cell phone, energy bars, a blanket, and can of Fix-A-Flat.