family vacations

Preventing mosquitoes is one of my big concerns, especially this summer. Not only are they annoying and itchy, they carry some serious diseases that I don't want anywhere near my family. But I don't like the idea of spraying chemicals in…

Sure, Spring Break is cool when you and the family are jetting off somewhere fun, but what about those of us who decide to stay close to home? Are we not entitled to enjoy some rollin' good times, too? Short answer: Yes! Indeed, we are. …

Spring is (finally) rounding the corner. That also means that prime travel season and spring break is about to begin, and when it comes to family vacations -- be it a long weekend or a 10-day stretch -- there are plenty of moving parts t…

It's hard to believe that when our first children were born, capturing them on video meant getting out a clunky camera, hoping the batteries were good and that the card still had some memory left, then finding the right cords to connect …

Even though it's easy to snap and share plenty of great vacation photos these days, I do miss those fun postcards we used to collect and send during my family trips as a kid. But now with the ScenePast app for iOS, you can actually send …

Sitting in the back seat of a car for hours on end--whether we're on a cross-country road trip or just running errands all day--has got to be so boring for my kids. I think that's why they're so crazy about the new app we downloaded this…

What is the best app or website for plotting out a road trip? We want to be able to enter mileage targets and also find interesting places to stop. -Danielle Thanks for the great question, Danielle! Tis the season for the family road tri…

If you've got a busy summer ahead of you with adventures in new and exciting places, and you like to share your every move with your closest friends and family, a new app called Trip Lens is one to add to your packing, er, download list …

Any other parents in denial that the school year is coming to an end? Summer vacation beckons and lots of trips to the beach, trips to Grandma and Grandpa's, and trips in general are on the horizon. Yay! That said, the planning leading u…

If your family is anything like mine, a vacation means loading up all the tech gadgets to keep the troops entertained for the long trip ahead. With a pilot in the house, we do much more flying than driving, which can make things a little…

If you like the idea of your kids playing with iPhone or iPad apps in the back seat to keep them occupied, but feel better when the apps are educational instead of--oh, say, Angry Birds, we completely feel you. Whether you've got day tri…

This past weekend, I got through four fun-filled days at Disney World and emerged relatively unscathed from the perils of long lines and the whining that ensues on them. In part I have to thank the temperate weather, but I owe a huge deb…

Seeing family and friends over the holiday break is wonderful way to round out the year, but sometimes getting to where you need to be involves traffic jams, travel headaches and long delays in airports with really bad food courts. No th…

The idea of trips with the girlfriends or big family vacations sound amazing until you actually have to plan and organize them. Then, let's just say the magic disappears pretty quickly. That's why I'm super excited about a new site that …

With a ton of trips coming up, including the big BlogHer conference in San Diego this week, I feel like I'm losing my mind trying to keep it all organized. In fact, last night I had a brief panic attack as I tried to track down my airlin…

Summer is just around the corner (finally!) along with fun, sun, and of course, cute little bodies in cute little bathing suits which make for plenty of photo opportunities. But there's nothing like a big splash of water on your camera (…

When you're traveling to a new location, there are obviously lots of websites that gather recommendations from the public. But you do kind of have to take it all with a grain of salt, when you don't actually know who is insisting that Ma…

With a European vacation in my family's not too distant future (yippee!) I'm realizing we have become a lot more gadget-reliant since the last time I spent a good chunk of time abroad. It's no longer just my hair dryer that needs an occa…

There's nothing more frustrating than checking out airline fares in the morning, then re-checking in the afternoon and seeing that the cost per ticket has gone up $50. Highway robbery! Doing a desperate search on all the major travel sit…

Last week, I was thrilled to join a few bloggers and a whole lot of media for the inaugural sailing of the Disney Dream Cruise line from Orlando to the Bahamas. Why yes, I do love my job. Funny you should ask. While my son and I enjoyed …

The only place I ever seem to travel with my family during vacations is over the river and through the woods. I plan on changing that soon. And when I do, I've found a fabulous new travel website made just for family vacation planning, s…

As the holidays fast approach, I give thanks for having family nearby, especially when I feel myself nodding sympathetically to those endure the many hours-long car rides to get to relatives' houses. For them and for all Cool Mom Tech re…

If you are among the millions of folks traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday, we've rounded up six cool apps that we think will help make your trip smoother, for you and your kids. Just make sure you've got the headphones packed and yo…

With holiday car travel hitting its peak this week (oh lord, I'm fearing I-95 on Wednesday), we know that the iPad has become the new DVD player--a good way to keep the kids occupied, happy, and of course, quiet. Here, just a few of the …