• The Traveling Walnuts Archive

    When my older daughter was a baby, we were fortunate to move to a home with a beach at the end of our street. As a new mom, I couldn’t wait to head down to the water with my baby in tow. After precariously loading up our stroller–with beach bag, sand toys and extra-large blanket tucked underneath; folded beach chair balanced on top; and umbrella bag slung over my shoulder–we headed out. Of course, we didn’t get very far without me having to stop every minute to shift my position and re-adjust all of our belongings. Luckily, my daughter remained intact, but I couldn’t say the same for my sanity. Eventually, I learned to master our beach-bound excursions, but had always longed for a stroller [&hellip

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    What a great day to be out for a stroll! And if you’re out with your baby in tow, it’s the perfect excuse to strap on your front carrier and let her take in all the sights and sounds of a warm, spring day. We’ve got our eye on the brand-new BABYBJORN Ice Cream Collection of carriers that make a fresh statement for today’s babies. Available in a mouthwatering palette of four refreshing colors–or should we say “flavors?”–including Pear, Strawberry, Blackberry and Blue Mint, the Baby Carrier One can be worn either forward-facing or back-carrying as your baby’s needs changes. Because it is designed to accommodate children from 8-33 lbs., you can use this carrier well into the toddler years. A baby product that lasts? [&hellip

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    All it takes is one sunny day with temps that hint of spring, and wanderlust strikes! (Yup, it’s been that kind of winter.) My kids keep asking if they can wear short sleeves, but we all know how tricky the month of March can be…With an eye on the calendar, we are eagerly counting down to spring break and that means scores of families heading out of town. Even if your brood won’t be joining the masses, it never hurts to indulge in some vacation-style play. It’s why the Sea Dog Tote from Douglas caught our eye this season. Just this past weekend, my 6-year-old watch in amazement as a woman walked around town with her dog securely zipped up inside her sweatshirt. With just [&hellip

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    I wonder if there will ever be a day when I won’t find a broken crayon somewhere. Whether lying front and center on our family room rug, covertly lodged in the backseat of my car or buried at the bottom of my handbag, these classic signs of childhood prove that either my kids are very creative or that I can’t get a handle on clutter (probably a little bit of both, actually). If you’re known to stash paper and crayons in the car or anytime you’re on the go, consider the utterly adorable Mess Eaters Crayon Roll from P’kolino. Each high-quality European crayon has its own secure spot in this frog-shaped pouch. Unroll it and your child has a world of color at her fingertips. [&hellip

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    Has it truly been 30 years since Safety 1st debuted its Baby on Board sign? I remember, back in my B.C. (before child) days, when I noticed these signs proudly posted in mini vans as they jetted around town. OK, I wondered, why the need to announce your precious cargo? When I later became a mom myself, I realized why so many like-minded parents wanted to alert their fellow drivers to the importance of safe motoring. While today, car designs may have become more sleek and parents, even savvier, one thing remain the same: our children’s safety is always top of mind. That’s why we’re helping celebrate the 30th anniversary of Safety 1st’s Baby on Board with the unveiling of its Digital Baby on Board [&hellip

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    Tis the season to pack up the kiddies and hit the road. Of course, traveling with little ones is never as carefree as one might wish (just thinking about having to schlepp all that baby gear is exhausting enough!). If for some reason or another you find yourselves staying close to home this summer, your little one can still have fun and see the world. Ella Lou’s Wanderlust City Playmats are the passport for playtime in some of your favorite urban settings. Designed in a road map motif, these organic cotton mats let tots toddle their way through the streets of Los Angeles, New York City or San Francisco. The crawl-friendly surface is gentle on tender knees and is also ideal for tummy time. Older kids [&hellip

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    In just a few short weeks, I’ll have a kindergartner graduate home for the summer. She’s learned so much this past year, and I can only imagine how much she’ll absorb once first grade starts up. Because our school district has a half-day kindergarten program, we supplemented her education with an enrichment program a few days a week: a great way of extending the learning and enabling her to grasp new concepts not covered by the Common Core. Sure, summer gives us a breather when it come to the frenetic pace of the daily grind, but I like to think my kids can still maintain an education outside of the classroom, even when they’re not hitting the books. If you find yourself looking for ways [&hellip

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    A friend just took her first cross-country trip with her baby daughter…and boy, were her arms tired! No, this isn’t a classic joke set-up, but rather a comment on the reality of today’s parents having to lug too way too much stuff with them. Being on-the-go may sound carefree, but if you’re adding a baby to that equation, traveling is anything but easy-breezy! If you’ve got a family trip on the books this summer, it pays to do a little advance planning to figure out what you’ll need and when you’ll need it, so you can pack easily and have everything within your reach. For that reason, we love the lil’ traveler line from Miamica. This designer has found a way to streamline the travel [&hellip

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    My newly-minted 6-year-old received a stuffed lemur for her birthday earlier this week. Because we don’t know too much about this species (except from what we saw in the Madagascar movies), it seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn about something new. But before we could hit the library, our local newspaper ran a story about a nearby university’s scientist who received an award for her research on…yup, you guessed it…lemurs. Naturally it got us to talking about these mysterious creatures who happen to be endangered species. That’s when things got a little tricky; trying to explain what it means to be a dwindling breed to a kindergartner is not as simple as recapping a lengthy article meant for adults. So, since the experts say [&hellip

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    The open road is calling your name. Maybe it’s because it’s finally Friday, the weather is good and you’re itching to get out of town. Or maybe it’s just easier said than done; you still have family commitments and a list of errands a mile long. If that’s the case, it never hurts to live vicariously and that’s what we’re doing, thanks to a globe-trotting little girl. Lately Lily is a fresh new face in the world of kids’ entertainment–and a refreshing one at that. This is not a girl who dwells in the virtual world, but who joins her jet-setting parents on their various travels and records her observations about these adventures. Aside from  a doll in her likeness made by MerryMakers, Lately Lily [&hellip

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