So...where is this? To enter follow us on Twitter @jetsetmum, facebook Little Jet Setter or add your guess as a comment here! We'll sort out a winner by the end of June!
Good Luck and Happy travelling!
Monday 13 June 2011
Competition for a set of Little Jet Setter products
Summer is almost upon us and we all need a bit of inspiration. How about a short city break with the little ones? We love this destination and if you can guess where it is, we'll reward you with a set of Little Jet Setter products - amazing baby and toddler products even if you're staying closer to home!
So...where is this? To enter follow us on Twitter @jetsetmum, facebook Little Jet Setter or add your guess as a comment here! We'll sort out a winner by the end of June!
So...where is this? To enter follow us on Twitter @jetsetmum, facebook Little Jet Setter or add your guess as a comment here! We'll sort out a winner by the end of June!
Thursday 10 March 2011
2011 - a Year in Kids Travel
It may be March, but that is still just the beginning of the year - so get planning for your Jet Setting. I actually put this list in our latest newsletter, but somehow forgot to post it...better late than never!
Where to go in 2011? Check out these ideas!
March: It has to be skiing, but this year, the alps are not snowy enough! How about Whistler in Canada for a break with the littlest travellers OUTSIDE half term.
April: Everyone in the UK is looking forward to the April of Holidays - head to Goa for a great kid-friendly break from the Royal Wedding hoopla. Our blog has some great reviews here.
May: Before it gets too hot to handle, hotfoot it to Morocco for some souks and splendour. Hotel La Mamounia has hosted A-Listers like Jennifer Aniston, Orlando Bloom and Gwyneth Paltrow. Why not you and your toddler?
June: The perfect time to run for the hills. Perhaps the "Heart of the Old World" as coined by Conde Nast Traveller - Kosice in Slovakia or Bled in Slovenia.
July: There is no avoiding the tourist rush in July. Just go with it. There is little better than the south of France in the heat. Here's a great "Top Ten" for kids in the "SofF".
August: How about a break without the spector of an airline strike hanging over you? If you live in the UK, escape to the Cotswolds - this hotel has a lovely garden to watch the kiddies play while sipping a glass of wine after a long walk.
September: If your kids are too young for school, take advantage of it! Jet off in September. Villas with pools are a bargain later in the month. Check out www.VRBO.com for some international inspiration.
October: Getting decidedly chillier. Thailand is Gorgeous this time of year and still in low season. Avoid Phuket itself to find the real Thai hospitality on Railay Beach. Break the bank Rayavadee or cheap(er) and cheerful Sun and Sand bungalows. With a toddler be sure to go for airconditioning!
November: End of November is a great time for fun in the African Sun. South Africa has something for everyone. Check out these great tips on safaris with kids.
December: Before the rest of the month is dedicated to holiday chaos, how about getting in the festive mood with a German Christmas market? The Gluhwein is divine!
Where to go in 2011? Check out these ideas!
March: It has to be skiing, but this year, the alps are not snowy enough! How about Whistler in Canada for a break with the littlest travellers OUTSIDE half term.
April: Everyone in the UK is looking forward to the April of Holidays - head to Goa for a great kid-friendly break from the Royal Wedding hoopla. Our blog has some great reviews here.
May: Before it gets too hot to handle, hotfoot it to Morocco for some souks and splendour. Hotel La Mamounia has hosted A-Listers like Jennifer Aniston, Orlando Bloom and Gwyneth Paltrow. Why not you and your toddler?
June: The perfect time to run for the hills. Perhaps the "Heart of the Old World" as coined by Conde Nast Traveller - Kosice in Slovakia or Bled in Slovenia.
July: There is no avoiding the tourist rush in July. Just go with it. There is little better than the south of France in the heat. Here's a great "Top Ten" for kids in the "SofF".
August: How about a break without the spector of an airline strike hanging over you? If you live in the UK, escape to the Cotswolds - this hotel has a lovely garden to watch the kiddies play while sipping a glass of wine after a long walk.
September: If your kids are too young for school, take advantage of it! Jet off in September. Villas with pools are a bargain later in the month. Check out www.VRBO.com for some international inspiration.
October: Getting decidedly chillier. Thailand is Gorgeous this time of year and still in low season. Avoid Phuket itself to find the real Thai hospitality on Railay Beach. Break the bank Rayavadee or cheap(er) and cheerful Sun and Sand bungalows. With a toddler be sure to go for airconditioning!
November: End of November is a great time for fun in the African Sun. South Africa has something for everyone. Check out these great tips on safaris with kids.
December: Before the rest of the month is dedicated to holiday chaos, how about getting in the festive mood with a German Christmas market? The Gluhwein is divine!
Thursday 10 February 2011
Skiing with Babies and Toddlers - What are the options?
I love to ski and I'm very lucky that I have a husband who does as well. It makes it easy to decide we ARE going on a ski holiday and then it is just a matter of deciding where it is we'll be sipping the warm mulled wine. That is until Little Jet came along. Now we have a lot of other considerations to take into account before we wax the boards and dust off the goggles including:
What are we going to do with Little Jet during the day?
Is she old enough for ski school?
Is she old enough to enjoy it?
Will the childcare be english speaking?
Do they feed my kid during the day? Something they will eat?
What about napping - how can we facilitate nap time without getting stuck in a hotel room all day?
Where can I buy kids ski gear without breaking the bank?
Well, we've been through these questions for a number of years, and I think there are really a few options:
1. Family-friendly packages. From the UK there are a number of ski companies that provide creche/childcare services as an easy add-on to your booking. Notably, Mark Warner is an expert in this regard. We have sampled two of their resorts: St Anton in Austria and Les Deux Alpes in France. I would sum them up as being great Chalethotel options if you have kids under 4. They provide childcare from 9 am to 5pm, baby and kid friendly meals, fun activities including sledging, face painting and swimming, and even provide an evening Kids Club that allows you to settle your little ones to sleep or in front of a film while you go upstairs to dine at your leisure. The accomodation and the food are not luxurious, but they are adequate and they certainly have the advantage of being ski in/ski out in many locations. And did I mention the Kids Club in the evening? And the all day fun and games childcare? And the spaghetti bolognaise for dinners?
2. The Chalet experience. If you can get a group together that know each other well enough to share a chalet and nannies - this could be the best way to go. If your babies and kids know each other and you can book a nanny with the chalet (like with Ski Famille), your life is simple and the slopes beckon. Of course, if your kids are older, ski school drop off and pickup is easy with childcare involved as well. Chalets are typically more intimate and relaxed and evenings can easily be spent with the kids tucked up in bed after loads of fresh air, and a number of bottles of wine for the adults in the sitting room around a roaring fire. Bliss.
3. Hotels or Chalets without specific childcare. I'm an adventurous traveller and Little Jet has been everywhere. But when the purpose of the holiday is to strap on 1 or 2 planks and head downhilll, you really need to organise someone else to be looking after your little one. Without something organised for you, this means a creche in the resort or a nanny. We've done this with Little Jet and I think it is fair to say the success of this strategy is totally dependent on the character of your child and their age. Babies that are quite happy being left, will have no problem with a room full of toys. Older children may struggle if there is a language barrier - something you definitely should find out about in advance. All creches cater for lunches, so there is no need to come back to feed your little ones. The nanny option is widely available as well, but much higher in cost unless you club together with families you're travelling with. Nannies do give you the lovely option of having your kids meet you for lunch (at the bottom or for great family photos at the TOP of the mountain), flexibility on what they will do all day, and more one-on-one time than in a creche.
The important thing is to plan ahead and to think about how your child will best enjoy the time. I personally think ski holidays are some of the most fun travel with kids. Getting them out there in the snow at an early age is a great way to get them interested in winter outdoor pursuits. Little Jet is begging to go back and ski "all the way down the mountain". Well...perhaps just a few meters as a starter...
Sunday 12 September 2010
The Autumn Fair Tradeshow - Fantastic Launch and Lessons Learned!
Firstly, I would NEVER plan to do a countdown to launch on a blog site. Talk about fashioning a rod for one's own back. In the lead up to the big show, the last thing I could manage was forced creativity in the form of "Top Ten" lists. So I bailed on the idea and the last one on the blog was Top 11 Disaster moments with Toddlers...yep...that was 11 days before the event. Oh well, you can only do so much. (Note to self: use all my fun ideas for countdown days 10-1 in the coming weeks!).
Secondly, I would not order so much booze. I know - a very un-me thing to say! But prosecco is not as much fun when you are hauling bottles of it across the tradeshow at the end of the day. Our launch bubbles were great fun, especially because we got to share them with the stands around us and some new customers. In particular the fun ladies at Totseat were our buddies for the week - wouldn't have made it without them to roll our eyes at the 45th time we heard "Big girls you are beautiful..." playing from the exhibition music gods.
Thirdly, I would have planned for better footwear. It was great having a super fantastic stand and all the planning for the details of how it was going to look. I should have taken 10 minutes out to assess my planned shoewear. I was coveting others' Fit Flops when I mooched around in sensible heels. (I know...rookie mistake). I thought a heeled croc would work...I was wrong! On the topic of footwear, can someone please explain to me how people choose to strut around in 4 inch Christian Louboutin's at a tradeshow that covers 190000 m2?!? Some strutting buyers even took the uniform to dance floor level - little black dresses and updo's. Strange.
But all in all, the launch of Little Jet Setter was great fun and a rousing success. We got great interest from some of the big name multiples and loads of great independent stores. Next tradeshow stop Cannes for the TWAA show!
Thursday 26 August 2010
11 Baby Travel Disasters
Inspired by my favourite communications guy.
11. The baby puke-a-rama. You may have a pukey baby. You may not. This does not guarantee they won't turn into the exorcist when you're travelling. Carry multiple extra clothes…and a set for you too. A friend was in the Halifax airport in a tank top and pajama shorts in January with a carry on full of sicky clothing. Nice look.
10. Baby runs. A friend said baby poo smells like buttermilk. When it just won't stop coming and you only have a limited number of nappies, buttermilk sucks. You only carry on a logical number of nappies for a regular poop situation. Solution? ...when you find out let me know.
9. Overtired immobile kids. The ones too young to run around. Instead they just cry and cry. I was on a plane from HK to London beside a mum that had already come from Sydney on her own with her 9 month old baby girl, Neve. Neve turned into a red, howling monster about 10 minutes after takeoff and kept it up pretty much solidly through to London. Nothing to be done. Try really hard not to scream at the on board team when they suggest she may want some milk. LIKE YOU HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT ALREADY!
8. Overtired mobile kids. These are the ones that run maniacly up and down the airplane. Polite smiles turn into glares in no time when kiddo is yelling and bumping into elbows and knees on the upteenth trip. Let them run a bit, then tempt them into seats with books, videos, toys...pull out the big guns, otherwise they'll never stop. Perhaps a shameless plug for the travel pack here??
7. Baby spikes a fever on a long haul flight. Okay, so you're panicing that it is airborne Ebola, but try to stay calm. Air stewards are great at running around and fetching you things (cloths for the baby...gin for you). If you have brought baby drugs - give them that and cuddle them and try to monitor their temperature. There isn't much you can do.
6. Your kid is bored. I realise, this may not seem like a disaster to many. However, on an airplane filled with people to annoy, this could be going in the direction of disaster. Have an emergency toy to hand. Ideally something new for the trip that should keep their attention for a while.
5. To really scare you - have a read about this nightmare with a travelling toddler. They have improved safety conditions since... http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Ryanair-Says-It-Has-Toughened-Up-Safety-Rules-After-A-Child-Fell-From-Steps-While-Boarding-A-Plane/Article/201008215681940?f=rss
4. Delays to return trip takes you past the 2 year old birthday. This is a good logistical nightmare. We were trapped by the ashcloud for 8 days in India past our return date. During those 8 days, Little Jet turned 2! Happy birthday! You now need a real airplane seat! This caused no end of problems with rebooking. If you have unexpected travel changes, consider calling the airline direct to talk it through. There are no systems in place for this sort of thing, so be prepared to be on the phone a long long time.
3. Nightmare when travelling with children nearby. Your kids may be angels, but when someone is feeding THEIR kids chocolate as a bribe to get them to pipe down on a flight to Malta, it is the longest 3 hours in the air ever. Sugar and kids and long journeys just don't mix.
2. Forgetting the key item. Little Jet has a doggie she does not sleep without. What happens when you are all on the airplane and doggie is not? We found that distraction with other cuddly toys specifically for travelling helped. A bit. Best advice? Don't forget doggie.
1. Travelling on your own with a small child on no sleep on a long haul flight that gets redirected to an airport in the middle of nowhere for a 4 hour emergency stop because someone in the cabin has taken ill. And your mobile phone battery died. Tears all around.
11. The baby puke-a-rama. You may have a pukey baby. You may not. This does not guarantee they won't turn into the exorcist when you're travelling. Carry multiple extra clothes…and a set for you too. A friend was in the Halifax airport in a tank top and pajama shorts in January with a carry on full of sicky clothing. Nice look.
10. Baby runs. A friend said baby poo smells like buttermilk. When it just won't stop coming and you only have a limited number of nappies, buttermilk sucks. You only carry on a logical number of nappies for a regular poop situation. Solution? ...when you find out let me know.
9. Overtired immobile kids. The ones too young to run around. Instead they just cry and cry. I was on a plane from HK to London beside a mum that had already come from Sydney on her own with her 9 month old baby girl, Neve. Neve turned into a red, howling monster about 10 minutes after takeoff and kept it up pretty much solidly through to London. Nothing to be done. Try really hard not to scream at the on board team when they suggest she may want some milk. LIKE YOU HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT ALREADY!
8. Overtired mobile kids. These are the ones that run maniacly up and down the airplane. Polite smiles turn into glares in no time when kiddo is yelling and bumping into elbows and knees on the upteenth trip. Let them run a bit, then tempt them into seats with books, videos, toys...pull out the big guns, otherwise they'll never stop. Perhaps a shameless plug for the travel pack here??
7. Baby spikes a fever on a long haul flight. Okay, so you're panicing that it is airborne Ebola, but try to stay calm. Air stewards are great at running around and fetching you things (cloths for the baby...gin for you). If you have brought baby drugs - give them that and cuddle them and try to monitor their temperature. There isn't much you can do.
6. Your kid is bored. I realise, this may not seem like a disaster to many. However, on an airplane filled with people to annoy, this could be going in the direction of disaster. Have an emergency toy to hand. Ideally something new for the trip that should keep their attention for a while.
5. To really scare you - have a read about this nightmare with a travelling toddler. They have improved safety conditions since... http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Ryanair-Says-It-Has-Toughened-Up-Safety-Rules-After-A-Child-Fell-From-Steps-While-Boarding-A-Plane/Article/201008215681940?f=rss
4. Delays to return trip takes you past the 2 year old birthday. This is a good logistical nightmare. We were trapped by the ashcloud for 8 days in India past our return date. During those 8 days, Little Jet turned 2! Happy birthday! You now need a real airplane seat! This caused no end of problems with rebooking. If you have unexpected travel changes, consider calling the airline direct to talk it through. There are no systems in place for this sort of thing, so be prepared to be on the phone a long long time.
3. Nightmare when travelling with children nearby. Your kids may be angels, but when someone is feeding THEIR kids chocolate as a bribe to get them to pipe down on a flight to Malta, it is the longest 3 hours in the air ever. Sugar and kids and long journeys just don't mix.
2. Forgetting the key item. Little Jet has a doggie she does not sleep without. What happens when you are all on the airplane and doggie is not? We found that distraction with other cuddly toys specifically for travelling helped. A bit. Best advice? Don't forget doggie.
1. Travelling on your own with a small child on no sleep on a long haul flight that gets redirected to an airport in the middle of nowhere for a 4 hour emergency stop because someone in the cabin has taken ill. And your mobile phone battery died. Tears all around.
Wednesday 25 August 2010
Top 12 Travel Toys for Kids
Without being a HUGE plug for Little Jet Setter products...Check out our stuff here: http://www.autumnfair.com/Autumn10/website/Show_Exhdetails1.aspx?exhid=exhiReg452&id=det
Top 12 Great Travel Toys for Kids
12. Acqua Doodle - awesome reusable travel fun that allows kids to doodle with a refillable water pen. Let it dry and doodle again. Hours of entertainment!
11. Water-appear designs - these fun magic paper products are use-once as opposed to the acquadoodle items, but are everywhere with loads of designs and characters.
10. Small travel games - this is really for the older kids, but they make great, travel-sized tin holders for chequers, chess, hangman etc...
9. Reusable sticker sets keep kids happy and busy. Little Jet Setter has 4 fun travel scenes!
8. Magnet Sets - like sticker sets, but with magnets. Obviously.
7. Bucket and Spade - this is great for the beach, but you'd be surprised how much fun it can be in the bath, the hotel room etc.
6. Stackable Cups - greatest travel invention ever bar none. Easy to pack. Useful everywhere (except the restaurant...stacking means also breaking down...which can cause serious injury to waitstaff with cups underfoot!).
5. Blow up toys - (oi...mind out of the gutter please...). These are super easy to deflate and pack, and are good in the pool, bath, ocean and on dry land!
4. Electronic games - the iPhone, the iPad - these are your friends.
3. Books - there is nothing better than a favourite (or a new book) to use again and again.
2. Toy clip - this should be your travel essential. It allows you to clip toys to baby's clothes, chair, table etc. so they stay off the ground. Cleaner and so much better for parental sanity than picking up the same item a million times!
1. Toddler packs - backpacks, suitcases, handbags - little ones love to put things in and take things out. As they get older they can carry their own toys with them as well! One less thing to jam in the nappy bag...
Top 12 Great Travel Toys for Kids
12. Acqua Doodle - awesome reusable travel fun that allows kids to doodle with a refillable water pen. Let it dry and doodle again. Hours of entertainment!
11. Water-appear designs - these fun magic paper products are use-once as opposed to the acquadoodle items, but are everywhere with loads of designs and characters.
10. Small travel games - this is really for the older kids, but they make great, travel-sized tin holders for chequers, chess, hangman etc...
9. Reusable sticker sets keep kids happy and busy. Little Jet Setter has 4 fun travel scenes!
8. Magnet Sets - like sticker sets, but with magnets. Obviously.
7. Bucket and Spade - this is great for the beach, but you'd be surprised how much fun it can be in the bath, the hotel room etc.
6. Stackable Cups - greatest travel invention ever bar none. Easy to pack. Useful everywhere (except the restaurant...stacking means also breaking down...which can cause serious injury to waitstaff with cups underfoot!).
5. Blow up toys - (oi...mind out of the gutter please...). These are super easy to deflate and pack, and are good in the pool, bath, ocean and on dry land!
4. Electronic games - the iPhone, the iPad - these are your friends.
3. Books - there is nothing better than a favourite (or a new book) to use again and again.
2. Toy clip - this should be your travel essential. It allows you to clip toys to baby's clothes, chair, table etc. so they stay off the ground. Cleaner and so much better for parental sanity than picking up the same item a million times!
1. Toddler packs - backpacks, suitcases, handbags - little ones love to put things in and take things out. As they get older they can carry their own toys with them as well! One less thing to jam in the nappy bag...
Monday 23 August 2010
13 Reasons to Go Glamping
I just got back from glamping in Lancashire. It poured down with rain (not surprisingly) but we had a brilliant time anyways!
13 Reasons to Go Glamping!
13. Most Glamping tents have separate "rooms" for kids - it is like getting a suite in a hotel (albeit with canvas walls!)
12. No TV - kids get to experience the great outdoors!
11. Fresh Air - you get it even when you're inside in these tents, so the kids will sleep like logs!
10. Loads of choices worldwide. Check out this site for inspiration! http://goglamping.net/
9. Sleep in a yurt. I didn't know what a yurt was either, until I saw this: http://www.lake-district-yurts.co.uk/info/our-yurts.html (look like a big marshmallow from the outside...)
8. Campfires. Actually, the campfire is beside the point. You can roast marshmallows on campfires, which is when it gets fun!
7. The glamourous part means that most of these sites have indoor loos which makes all the difference at 2am!
8. Easy cooking options - the featherdown farms sites allow you to book yummy food ahead you just need to heat over your pot bellied stove or a roaring fire. http://www.featherdownfarms.co.uk/
7. Access to the beach - some french glamping is right on the med, and check out this site on the beach in Cornwall - surf's up! http://www.tolcarnebeach.com/shacks.php
6. Farm glamping means all kinds of fun animal interactions even for the youngest kids. Remember to keep washing hands to combat germs, but otherwise have fun.
5. Rain rain go away...it will rain, but with an indoor stove, running water, comfy chairs and a table, kids can have fun indoors too when the inevitable downpour comes.
4. Adorable sleeping nook in the Featherdown farm tents that the kids will fight to sleep in!
3. Should I mention the money? Glamping can be cheaper than the same amount of space in the same location.
2. Eco-friendly alternative for accomodations.
1. Forced chill-out - no power, no tv, no mobile signal (often) - unplug, grab a book, play with the kids. Sounds like a great break to me!
13 Reasons to Go Glamping!
13. Most Glamping tents have separate "rooms" for kids - it is like getting a suite in a hotel (albeit with canvas walls!)
12. No TV - kids get to experience the great outdoors!
11. Fresh Air - you get it even when you're inside in these tents, so the kids will sleep like logs!
10. Loads of choices worldwide. Check out this site for inspiration! http://goglamping.net/
9. Sleep in a yurt. I didn't know what a yurt was either, until I saw this: http://www.lake-district-yurts.co.uk/info/our-yurts.html (look like a big marshmallow from the outside...)
8. Campfires. Actually, the campfire is beside the point. You can roast marshmallows on campfires, which is when it gets fun!
7. The glamourous part means that most of these sites have indoor loos which makes all the difference at 2am!
8. Easy cooking options - the featherdown farms sites allow you to book yummy food ahead you just need to heat over your pot bellied stove or a roaring fire. http://www.featherdownfarms.co.uk/
7. Access to the beach - some french glamping is right on the med, and check out this site on the beach in Cornwall - surf's up! http://www.tolcarnebeach.com/shacks.php
6. Farm glamping means all kinds of fun animal interactions even for the youngest kids. Remember to keep washing hands to combat germs, but otherwise have fun.
5. Rain rain go away...it will rain, but with an indoor stove, running water, comfy chairs and a table, kids can have fun indoors too when the inevitable downpour comes.
4. Adorable sleeping nook in the Featherdown farm tents that the kids will fight to sleep in!
3. Should I mention the money? Glamping can be cheaper than the same amount of space in the same location.
2. Eco-friendly alternative for accomodations.
1. Forced chill-out - no power, no tv, no mobile signal (often) - unplug, grab a book, play with the kids. Sounds like a great break to me!
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