Seven Simple Tips for Winter Packing

The holidays are stressful enough without having to shove every coat and scarf you own into a suitcase for winter travel. Stop shoving, pushing and pulling your luggage for hours, waiting for your clothes to magically compact themselves! Instead, make things easier on yourself by taking a look at the list below:

Ø  Choose synthetic fabrics. They will keep you warm and snuggly and are less likely to be fluffy and take up precious space.

Ø  Hats are the secret to staying warm! Make sure you pack a hat that covers your ears and the back of your neck for maximum warmth. Additional flaps or needless furry decorations just waste space.

Ø  Mix and mach. Have three to four pairs of warm pants that you can wear with three to four different sweaters in a variety of exciting combinations.

Ø  Don’t forget to layer. Bring t-shirts, thin long sleeve shirts and fleece tops. Layer them under your outfits accordingly.

Ø  Take care of your toes. A solid pair of boots is a must for winter travel. Wear them on the airplane to save space. Make sure that your winter travel shoes are weatherproof and dark colored so they won’t show stains from mud or slush.

Ø  Gloves=TLBT. Your gloves should be thin, light, breathable and waterproof. Pack gloves with some kind of grip and make sure they are of the quick drying kind.

Ø  Sunscreen: Not just for the beach. A windburn, or sunburn from reflection off of snow or ice is every bit as painful as summer sunburn. Take precautions.

Don’t get stuck in the cold! Make your free parking reservation with Team Parking and we will keep your car warm during your trip.

 

Ten Tips for Flying with Children

Flying with children can be a daunting task, whether you are an experienced flyer or first time traveler. Fortunately, some strategic planning can help make flying with children a fun and relaxed experience for you and your kids. Here are 10 tips to make your life a little easier:

1.      Let your child have her own carry on. She will feel like a “big girl” and you can fill it with little distractions and snacks to keep her busy during the flight.

2.      Plan around your usual routine. If you can, plan your flight when your child is most calm and pleasant. Only you know when your child takes naps, eats meals or becomes fussy.

3.      Know your TSA rules. Kids under the age of 12 do not have to take their shoes off for TSA security. In addition, baby formula, breast milk and medications are allowed in excess of 3.4 ounces in reasonable quantities for the flight and do not have to be placed in a clear zip-top baggie. You must tell the TSA officer you are carrying these liquids at the beginning of screening.

4.      Spring for a seat. While airlines allow you to hold your child on your lap until they're 2 years old, this is hard on a long flight. If you can afford it, buy an extra seat for the baby.

5.      Don’t take out the toys too soon. If you buy your child new books or toys for the flight, wait until the meltdown begins and then bring out your secret weapon.

6.      Suck it up. If you don’t usually let your kids watch TV or play games for extended periods, now is the time to suck it up and realize it won’t do permanent damage. Knowing they are being allowed to do something that is usually off-limits is a huge draw.

7.      Bring a spare shirt for yourself. Spills and spit up are inevitable. You will appreciate the clean smell around your upper body.

8.      Snacks and sippy cups. Pack durable snacks that are familiar to your child. Don’t forget to pack an empty sippy cup so you can fill it with juice or water mid-flight.

9.      Magazine scavenger hunts. Make a list of 10 things such a woman or a hotel, and have your kids find them using the magazines in the seat pockets.

10.   Who cares what other people think. Say hi to everyone and be cordial, but remember there is a good chance that you won’t see these people again. You are doing your best to make the experience pleasant for everyone and that is all that matters.

Stress less! Reserve your parking today with Team Parking.  

Documenting Your Trip

 

Your far flung travels mean nothing if no one else ever knows about them! Whether you are traveling to a beautiful Caribbean island for a family vacation, or you are taking a business trip to Italy and venturing abroad for the first time ever, you will want to document your experience. Here are a variety of ways you can show the people back home that you are having a much better time than them while they are stuck at work:

·         Start a blog. If you are going to be traveling for a long period of time, at least a month or longer, consider starting a blog using a platform such as Tumblr, Wordpress or Blogger. This method is great for people who enjoy writing and is a good way of documenting your trip and communicating with friends and family back home.

·         Journal. Write interesting things down as they happen; kind of like blogging the old fashioned way. Keeping a journal is a quick, low tech way to document your vacation and will give you something useful to do in what would be otherwise wasted time.

·         Create photo albums online. Use a dedicated photo site such as Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket or even Facebook to upload your digital photos. These days, you can even upload directly from your smartphone! Share these albums with family and friends over the internet and never worry about losing undeveloped film again.

·         Create a scrapbook. A scrapbook is a combination of blogging, journaling and photo album creation. Save newspapers, bus tickets, restaurant menus anything and everything and combine it all in a beautiful scrapbook that you will cherish for years to come.

Most importantly, don’t forget to leave your car in the care of Team Parking during your trip.