MOM CONFESSIONALS

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{ disclosure: I am working in partnership with Marriott and TheMotherhood.com to cover the Marriott Tots Travel Too program and have received a stipend }

Having just endured a 13+ hour road trip with both a toddler and an infant I can truly appreciate Marriott’s Tots Travel Too program.  I was amazed to discover as I prepared and packed for our trip, that my kids luggage size now surpassed my own  — and by leaps and bounds nonetheless.  Despite my efforts to be super prepared, I of course, couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing one or two things… maybe even more. I even tried to make an excel spreadsheet listing every item going into the luggage… but at some point stopped.  I can only say that at least its a starting point for our next trip and I’ll pick up where I left off.

The complimentary Tots Travel Too program really seeks to help relieve some of the bigger stresses parents might endure by providing guests, upon request, with a travel crib and freshly laundered COVERPLAY® removable crib slipcover to ensure their “traveler-in-training” can rest comfortably.  What this means is a worry-free clean resting spot for your preciousProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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abe.  For those who are truly germaphobes, you can purchase your very own (machine washable) slipcover and bring it along on each stay at a Marriott hotel.  It’s definitely  a lot easier than hauling a cumbersome travel crib and I’ll do anything to pack a little lighter — three cheers for Marriott!  For a bit of bath time fun, they provide a complimentary animal squirt toy which I know will make my little one squeal in delight.  In addition, parents who have forgotten to pack their toddler’s essentials can contact the front desk for complimentary items, including outlet covers, nightlights, baby shampoo, and baby lotion, plus disposable bibs designed by our cult favorite, Dwell Studios, will be available in the breakfast areas.

The Tots Travel Too program is available at more than 2,500 Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels in the continental U.S. and Canada.  Marriott partnered with COVERPLAY®, a company founded by two mom’s with toddlers (whoot whoot!!),  to create an exclusive slipcover design and is available for purchase on www.shopmarriott.com.

For more information on Marriott’s Tots Travel Too program please visit www.marriott.com/totsTravel2

GIVEAWAY: So Marriott wants to know what tips or tricks do you have for travel survival with a toddler.  We’re thrilled to offer to (1) of our incredibly lucky readers a chance to win a $250 Marriott Gift Card (for use at a Marriott hotel or at shopmarriott.com) & Marriott Tots Too Welcome Basket filled with travel essentials just for sharing!   To ENTER, from now until June 30th, leave a comment on this FORM with your tried and true traveling with toddlers tips.  Your tip may be featured on Marriott’s “The Ultimate Traveling with Toddlers Must-Have Tip Sheet“! Get up to (two) bonus entries. 1st Bonus – If you follow me on twitter @momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (Win a $250 Marriott Gift Card & #totstravel2 Basket @momconfessional by sharing your tips on traveling with a tot http://wp.me/pLvfH-tG). 2rd Bonus – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends.  DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM and leave a separate comment for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses. Giveaway ends on June 30th 2010 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

{ disclosure : VW Routan was provided for editorial use by Volkswagen North America, Sola stroller, available for pre-sale in July at BabiesRUs.com and debuting August 12th, 2010 at Babies ‘R’ Us stores nationwide, was provided by Mamas & Papas, all images used in coverage were taken by a Nikon D5000 – on loan from Nikon USA }

As we head back to the daily grind and as much as I’m thrilled to be sleeping in my own bed tonight, I will miss this island.  Their hospitality was not lost on us.

A visit to the gorgeous Publix, not your ordinary grocery store and if anyone from their PR department is reading this – please build one up my way… yielded a beautiful purple peony which was gifted to the toddler.  She danced through their fresh produce area and spotted the flower, calling us to “Look at the purple flower! So beautiful!”  One of the assistants quickly picked one out for her and as we were checking out ran over to us and gave it to the toddler.  She was beaming and fawning all over her beautiful purple flower.

On another quick stop to the island’s McDonald’s a coffee spill incident almost caused some bad burns with the toddler.  She, simply wanting to be helpful, picked up the hot cup of coffee to give to me and dropped it.  I, of course, could only scream in horror as it started to spill all over the table.  A grandmother-type sitting at the next table, quick as can be, scooped the toddler up, seconds before the scalding coffee could touch her skin.  Everyone came running over with tissues and wipes, asking if the toddler was okay.  When the dust had settled, the husband took a sip of the remaining coffee and declared it was still too scalding hot to drink.  Seems a trip to the hospital was narrowly avoided thanks to this wonderful lady.

Hilton Head Island is a perfect place to visit if you need to unwind and remind yourself of the simpler things in life.  It’s a great place to relax, breath and really let yourself slow down a bit.  All too often you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, especially in NYC where the commuters are famous for their rushing shuffle.  Just sit on the beach and watch the dolphins swim by, the little crabs dig in the sand and take a deep breath in…. and exhale….  We will miss you Hilton Head Island, but you can bet we’ll see you again real soon!

{NIKON PRO}
Documenting this trip has been interesting.  From a photography standpoint I felt a little unmotivated.  Partially because the infant’s worsening eczema was upsetting me, not to mention the weariness of our travels were starting to show.  I like to stage my shots.  I don’t just point and shoot anything.  Images aren’t just about the subject.  Now I’m not a professional photographer, because I think anyone can do this and make their images infinitely better just by taking the entire frame into consideration.  When the husband just wanted to click and shoot, I couldn’t help be exasperated with him seeing the huge garbage bin in the background.  Yes, my daughter was being super cute and posey, but… yuk and peeee-eeeew!  I’m a bit of a perfectionist.

Here I was with this gorgeous Nikon D5000 and I wasn’t quite getting the shots I wanted.  Of the 344 shots I took during this entire stay, I thought I’d be lucky if I got 5 or 6 great shots.  I’m happy to say once back at my iMac I unveiled some gems.  I definitely had gotten quite comfortable using the camera during our stay though.  I was in love with the larger hi-quality LCD screen on the camera.  The ability to see every feature on that screen came in quite handy as I tried quickly to adjust for each individual situation.  The sharpest and it’s ability to capture the right amount of light is amazing.  I hardly had to do any post-production work on the images.  All the images included in my road trip coverage were taken with the Nikon D5000.  Some my favorites are included in the gallery above.

The only hitch came when the hospitality of the south came into play again.  Trying to capture the perfect family vacation portrait, we were fortunate to have at every point someone volunteering to take a picture for us. Unfortunately the camera proved too advanced for these users.  I had one gentlemen remark that he couldn’t see through the eye piece and what resulted was a in a picture where the picture cuts off at the very top of husband’s head.  Compensating for that the next time around resulted in using the Live View mode.  Of course this time, the gentleman actually used the eye piece and because of the extra delay in shutter because of the LV mode, we got a slightly blurry shot.  I will see if its salvagable still, but I warned the husband, blurry can’t be fixed. 

What was most upsetting, and not the camera’s fault at all, was I kept forgetting that it had video capabilities!  It had HD video quality recording capabilities and I could have captured so many of my daughter’s antics.  I will fovever beat myself up for it. 

While I typically use some of the more advanced functionality of the camera and am most comfortable with using it on M – Manual, I can equally be comfortable with using Av or Tv modes as well.  Beginners looking to hone their skills and take it up a notch will be happy that the Auto feature yield equally impressive shots as they step up to Av or Tv modes and finally onto M.  When shooting children, Auto is actually my favorite mode to leave it on.  Those little suckers move so fast, I’m more interested in capturing the right shot above all.

{ disclosure : VW Routan was provided for editorial use by Volkswagen North America, Sola stroller, available for pre-sale in July at BabiesRUs.com and debuting August 12th, 2010 at Babies ‘R’ Us stores nationwide, was provided by Mamas & Papas, all images used in coverage were taken by a Nikon D5000 – on loan from Nikon USA }

I am the type of person that absorbs the tongue of those around me and after being in the south now for 5 days…  The husband couldn’t stop making fun of me as I started inadvertently adding a southern twang to my speech.  While there were certain things I missed about home, I was definitely enjoying all the comforts the south had to offer.  All I could think about was how nice it was not to be in such a rush like it was back in New York where everyone seems to be running some sort of race.  I could practically see myself moving down here, living in a little beach bungalow, steps from the ocean if it wasn’t for the humidity…sigh!

Both my son and I do not do well in heat.  Both of us were suffering in the worst way possible.  We were overheated, sweaty and red.  I’m sure all the sunbathing didn’t really help either, but that’s neither here nor there.  My poor dear babe, despite the unlearned scratch instinct, was having the worst of it.  His skin was weeping making my main focus to make my son as comfortable as possible.  We’re lucky because despite the weeping skin, he was happy as pie just to be with his family, as we were to be with him.

We were becoming pros at the beach vacation thing in Hilton Head Island.  We had gotten our very own fully reclining beach chairs and colorful beach umbrella.  Being oh so clever, my darling husband found another use for our new Sola stroller by Mamas & Papas.  Probably not recommended by the brand, but we found it perfect for lugging all the extra baggage we had now acquired sans infant seat.  Everything fit in so lovely, and we wheeled the chassis right down in front of the ocean, making it that much easier to manage two children under 3 in tow.

Always looking forward to our next meal, our quick trip to the island Walmart yielded a local gem.  While chatting up the timeshare pusher standing outside, we asked him for his recommendations for dinner.  After mentioning all typical touristy choices, because I guess he had to, we had to go in for the direct approach.  We wanted the casual hole in the wall local favorite.  Swearing we were akin because he use to be from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, making us raise our eyebrows as he said “Ya’ll come down here much?“, he got a twinkle in his eye. He pointed us to a local secret called the Sea Shack where their slogan said it all – “nothing fancy… just good”.  It was literally a shack, slightly off the waterfront with a simple menu listing the fresh seafood catches of the day.  Looking at it face value, you might want to overlook it, but it did have a shiny “A” sanitation rating. God I wish they had that in New York… but I guess more than 90% of them wouldn’t pass.  The line out the door and alongside the entire building definitely let us know we were in for a treat.  Everything is served on paper plates giving a very picnic like vibe.  We ordered the Shack Attack which consisted of Oysters, Talapia filet, Shrimps, Scallops, Crab Cake, two sides and the best Hush Puppies we’d ever had.  You can get it fried, grilled or blackened — ALL delicious choices. You really can’t go wrong.  As our mouths drooled, we got an order both fried and grilled — not a bite was left on our plates.  It was soooo good! We had a total of 3 meals there on our trip, one of which was my choice for dinner on my birthday.

[ MAMA'S & PAPA'S LOVE ]
…the Sola. Our fancy new stroller was still getting double takes all over the island.  I really think it’s the print that we in the US are not use to seeing.  I wonder why, but it seems most brands opt to simply design in flat colors.  Some may veer into stripes, but its about as pattern-like as you’ll see a stroller get. I had one woman, obviously a trendsetter herself, remark that the pattern very much resembled something another MomConfessional favorite brand, Dwell, might have done.  Aside from me being vain about being noticed as the cool mom on the block, the stroller performs as good as it looks.  One of the things I found a must as a mom, is the ability to maneuver one-handed.  If you can’t, than the stroller sucks.  The Sola moves like a dream.  No more awkward, reverse and drive, reverse and drive as I attempt try after try to move it where I want to go.

{ disclosure : VW Routan was provided for editorial use by Volkswagen North America, Sola stroller, available for pre-sale in July at BabiesRUs.com and debuting August 12th, 2010 at Babies ‘R’ Us stores nationwide, was provided by Mamas & Papas, all images used in coverage were taken by a Nikon D5000 – on loan from Nikon USA }

We now had 2 days under our belt on the island and were getting into the rhythm of things.  That’s not to say you don’t still need to be flexible and open to ideas.  As much as I would have liked to do the tourist thing every day, that’s not exactly feasible with 2 under 3.  We opted for simple and even that wasn’t simple.

Let’s go for the simple part… FOOD.  Vacations are not a vacation unless they meet the following 3 criteria — Good Food, Beach/Pool and Sun — okay, 4 – shopping too.  We always try to embrace and get a taste of the local flavor as much as possible.  I happened to stumble upon, while reading this month’s FOOD network magazine, a piece on Robert Irvine’s favorite eats on Hilton Head Island!  One of his favorite spots, Stack’s, had my mouth watering before even tasting it, offered Creme Brulee French Toast.  Drool. It tasted as good as it sounds.  It was going to be a good day.

The real gem of Hilton Head Island is their beaches.  So the family and I set out to hit the seaside.  If we thought packing for the trip was cumbersome, we were taught another lesson when packing for the beach.  I guess we should have done a little more research before hand, but when we hit the sand, we weren’t quite as prepared as I’d hoped we would be.  We did of course head out with sunblock, beach toys and a sun tent for the babe.  What we found out was that the beachfront, although owned by the Westin, did not provide beach chairs and umbrellas, not to mention the head-scratching towels.  We quickly adapted and forked over the $20 for 2 chairs and an umbrella while the husband ran back to the hotel pool area to grab towels for us.  With the quick calculation in our head we decided there had to be a better way to enjoy the beach, but we’d figure that out later and set out to enjoy the rest of the day.

I can see why some people consider Hilton Head Island, the best kept secret.  The sand is so fine, its firm the closer to the water you get.  The seaside lifestyle here is very anything goes, as long as you respect nature.  I loved seeing the bikes riding along the water line, kids frolicking in the ocean, dolphins swimming by and saying hi.  I got so excited when one of the beach bathers screamed out, “Dolphins!” waking me up from my sunbathing nap.  I gave her a pass as dolphins are one of my favorite sea creatures.  The toddler was amused by the tiny crabs digging around and the sweet little gecko she found underneath her beach chair.  Nature undisturbed was all around us and I, who declares firmly aloud that I am not a nature-friendly person — you’ll never find me camping in the woods — was not phased at all!  I learned that sand dollars are living creatures when the husband found one in the ocean.  His rare find turned out to be the norm for this island as the neighboring beach dweller had stacks and stacks of them in their treasure chest.  This was nature that I could deal with (the comfort of the resort just steps away…phew!).

I am always looking to take full advantage of all that a resort has to offer.  Figuring out what is offered and what is not can be as hard as deciphering a treasure map.  The best way to get all the intel is to read the hotel services manual, often found in a desk draw somewhere in your room.  I found out that the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa has a Kid’s Club which gives a free welcome bag when you check-in.  Really?!  We were not offered one when we checked in.  A quick visit to the front desk yielded a backpack for the toddler filled with coloring book and pencils as well as a generous sun hat.  Even the babe got a welcome gift in the form of the Westin Explorer rubber ducky, nightlight and first aid kit.  We added the backpack to the bribing arsenal.

While the beach was fun, we were on a budget and shelling out $20 a day for 5 days didn’t seem cost efficient for 2 beach chairs and an umbrella.  We also found out the hotel offered a similar service through their preferred vendor which offered discounts for longer stays but still we thought we could save even more.  What became our epiphany was… WALMART!  2 Chairs for $40 and an umbrella for another $20.  For $60 we got nice chairs and an umbrella sure to last us through the whole summer.  On the downside, we have to tote them back home.

After our little beach excursion, we decided to explore the island a bit and headed off to the famous Sea Pines section.  The husband was kicking himself the whole time we were there.  We were at the site of the famed Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament.  Because he had forgotten his clubs in our packing frenzy, all he could do was admire the links from afar and take a picture with the iconic red striped tower. Like many familiar cape-side towns there was lots of quaint local shops to peruse in. I particular admired all the beautiful stained glass work which I wasn’t sure if this was a local artisan thing, or just a touristy gimmick.  Nonetheless gorgeous.

Oh the stomachs growling again for some seafood…

[ MAMA'S & PAPA'S LOVE ]
…the Sola.  Our sleak pushchair was drawing stares from all the hotel guests at the posh Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa.  Is it catty of me that I loved saying that it wasn’t out yet – due in August at a neighborhood Babies R Us?  While everyone watched us in the lobby, I demonstrated how easy it was to move babe from rear-facing to forward facing, not to mention the ease of the recline… ensued. – I was having a Carrie (SATC) moment – yea, we’re that cool.

{ disclosure : VW Routan was provided for editorial use by Volkswagen North America, Sola stroller, available for pre-sale in July at BabiesRUs.com and debuting August 12th, 2010 at Babies ‘R’ Us stores nationwide, was provided by Mamas & Papas, all images used in coverage were taken by a Nikon D5000 – on loan from Nikon USA }

The second day brought on new challenges.  Not all days can be perfect I learned.  The babe started acted up a bit more – okay, a LOT more.  I think at one point he cried for over an hour.  We just threw up our hands and let him cry it out.  He was fed, he was clean… and he could rest at anytime he wanted.  He just wanted out of his car seat – yea, I hear you kid, me too.  If we wanted to get to our destination at a decent hour, that was not going to be an option every time he cried.

The second haul of our trip was 6 hours.  We left around 9:30am and leisurely made our way back onto the road.  The toddler was not phased by all the crying the babe did.  Fine.  She did occasionally mention that the babe was being “too noisy“.  To the babe’s credit, his cry is more of a soft whine, a very sweet and heartbreaking whine.  I could almost hear him saying… “it’s just me… if you don’t mind, i’d like to get out of this chair… that is, if its convenient and all…” – my dear sweet boy.  We made 2 stops and the second stop was so close to the destination, I could almost declare it a non-stop but the toddler had to poop.  She hates to poop in her pants – yea, me too.

We finally arrived into Hilton Head Island around 4pm that afternoon.  I think the husband was under the impression we would be “roughing” it a bit on the island and gave me puppy eyes asking to stop at Walmart – just in case.  I relented despite wanting to get to the hotel ASAP and couldn’t believe his “must-haves” included more snacks!  Granted he did need sunblock too but still… As we drove onto the island, we could instantly feel the calm washing over us… we knew we were in for a treat.  We passed gorgeous golf course and southern-style mansions, all intertwined with almost hidden shopping centers sparsed in-between — not to mention about 2-3 Walmart’s and Target’s.  Entering the gates of the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa, we were greeted instantly with warm southern hospitality.  I chuckled as the valet tried to kindly set up the Sola for me.  He could only remark how cool it was but too complicated for him.  I quickly showed him it was not complicated at all.  With a quick flip it was open and the seat was already snapped in.  Let the relaxation begin…

After settling in, we were eager to get our hands on some fresh seafood.  We set off to the Crazy Crab, a local joint that was suppose to be casual and family-friendly.  Despite the humidity concerns of the husband, I opted to sit on outside on the deck.  The sun was setting and a small breeze was passing through.  It turned out to be the perfect first dinner here on the island.  I got to indulge in pasteurized raw oysters on the half shell.  I almost ate all of them before I remembered to share with the husband.  He was gracious enough to only take one.  I was a little skeptical when reading the pasteurized part, but was quickly reassured by the waitress that it was still raw.  That’s the best way to eat them in my opinion.  For my main course, I enjoyed a heaping pot of steamed lobster, oysters and shrimps while the husband enjoyed a plate of similarly broiled seafood. Despite all the delicious food on the table, the toddler could barely sit in her seat.  I get it.  There was an adorable cat family, and I’m totally not a cat person, with 4 kittens playing along the waterfront that had captured her attention.  We watched them playfully pounce on one another and admired their climbing skill as they each expertly climbed the palm trees that lined the water.  We still managed to get some fresh fish and veggies into her.  I forgot to mention, as we were settling in… we received a call from our pediatrician.  Cue the dramatic “dun dun dun”… The toddler might have a blood condition that was cause for some concern — let the medical drama begin, again…  Turns out the toddler’s blood doesn’t clot well at all.  Since this was only preliminary information, all we had was the initial diagnosis and of course I couldn’t help but google which said eating more green veggies would help.  The husband made it his mission to get them into the toddler at any cost — including bribery… which were not limited to new DVD’s, Dora toys, ice cream and whatever else was at his disposal.

[ VW ROUTAN COOL ]

• Auto-Start – The husband didn’t think this was such a neat feature until the humidity sunk in.  As a native New Yorker, he loves auto-start for those cold winter mornings but he grew to appreciate that it can cool down the car too.
• Remote Auto-Open Doors and Trunk – A girl/mom can get use to this.  Alone with two kids in tow, I appreciated the ability to auto-start the car.  As I’m locking up the house, or walking from the hotel to the car in this case, a double click and the doors open in my anticipation.  No need to place babe in a secure place while getting the toddler in the car.  I simply plopped the babe into the base with one hand, closed the door, went round the other way with the toddler and secured her in without any huffs.  A mom could definitely get use to this…