New York Nanny Center » travel

Vacation Together, not Home Alone

Lindsay Bell — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 00:03:37 +0000

We’ve all seen Home Alone. The movie opens up with mass chaos during the evening leading up to a big family vacation to Paris, France. Kids are everywhere, food is flying, and adults are struggling to pack. Eventually, a child gets left behind in the continuation of the chaos the next morning. Now, I’m not suggesting any of us are going to actually leave our children behind, but rather showing how easy a good relationship with our nanny could make things.

Now re-imagine Home Alone with a nanny. Yup. It doesn’t get past the first scene!

This year, we have some suggestions for using your nanny to her full potential during this travel season. Holidays are full of visits, vacations and family parties. A nanny can do a multitude of things to ease the stress of these trips, even if she is not going on the vacation with you. Here are just a few things your nanny may be able to help with:

Pack children’s clothes. This includes helping with laundry leading up to the trip!
Help to create an itinerary for the trip, based on what she does with the children every day. This can help maintain some continuity in their schedules and lives, even if they are not home and do not have their regular nanny with them.
Bring children to their doctors for check-ups or to answer any questions about traveling in the weeks before your trip.
Pick up any holiday gifts you were thinking about bringing with you on your trip.
Drive the family to the airport, saving money on a costly parking pass or car to the airport.
Create, purchase, or find fun activities for children to complete in a car or on the plane. Never underestimate the power of a child who’s engrossed in an activity instead of pulling on your sleeve for a couple of hours.
Prepare the car for a long road trip (fill with gas, bring it in for maintenance, pack it with snacks and drinks).
Gather children’s passports and take them to renew them if necessary.
Pick up the children from school while you prepare last minute details
Prepare a meal in advance. By having the meal before you leave already prepared from earlier in the week, your nanny can help you get out the door faster without worrying about stopping for food as well. You might also consider having your nanny pack you a meal if you will be in the car or have enough time to eat at the airport.

Now, depending on the agreement or contract you have with your nanny, some of these things may not be included. However, if your nanny does not feel something is in her normal duties, it is worth it to pay a little extra to have someone you depend on help you to make your trip as smooth as possible. Have any other ideas for how nannies can help? Comment down below! We’d love to hear from you.

Spotlight: Wedding Services

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 20:17:51 +0000

It’s Fall wedding season and LLD is here to help. Lucky Lil’ Darlings offers many high-end childcare solutions for your every day needs and your special occasions. This week we’re spotlighting our services that can help out with weddings!

Let LLD help make that special day even easier and allow you to focus on the wedding without worrying about the lil’ ones. Wedding close to home, in another state, abroad, or even in your own backyard? Not a problem! Lucky Lil’ Darlings can help before during and after the wedding:

Pick up and transport lil’ ones to the wedding, watching during ceremony and reception, and bring home safely
In-room sitter to watch lil’ ones at the wedding or set up and moniter an LLD Kid Zone at the reception
Hire an LLD sitter in another city besides your own hometown
Bring a TravelSitter with you for the weekend to take care of your every need regarding transportation, childcare, and more!
Concierge services to help shop and plan for wedding (extra set of hands)
Event Staff comprised of LLD sitters can help check guests in, set up venue, and help coordinate all volunteers or hired hands

LLD has a variety of services and is willing to help in any way we can to make you or your loved ones’ special day the best it can be. We will work with you personally to find a perfect extra set of hands for your event or children. For more information or to book an LLD sitter for your special day, contact info@luckylildarlings.com!

Mama Bell Is Back For Her Last!

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 18:05:59 +0000

Recently while visiting my daughter in NYC, I had the opportunity to meet and have dinner with her boyfriend’s father, who was visiting his son from Texas. Visiting may be the wrong verb, as we were both in the city for the same reason: to help our children with their prospective business start-ups. We sat across the dinner table talking about our abandoned spouses and the chores back home that they inherited in our absence. I knew that my husband’s inherited chores would go unanswered to my dismay.We laughed about how we were the oldest unpaid interns working 10 hour days out of love. It was a pleasant evening spent with a southern gentleman,unlike my Midwestern do it yourself one that I have at home. It was so much fun to talk to another parent about our successful children and help with my own lil’ darling’s small business!

-Mama Bell will be taking a break until January to make way for our new series: Modern Mary Poppins Chronicles.

Global Sitters come to NYC

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 17:18:36 +0000

Two of LLD’s current sitters were Au Pairs in Germany for the same family of four kids, one year after the other. The best souvenir they brought home- was one of the lil’ blondies for a week! The girls each interviewed with LLD to be sitters soon after their German babies flew back home, and it was so fun hearing about their adventures with the kids in New York.

Our LLD Au Pairs with their lil’ darling from abroad

LLD sitters love when a family from out of town is staying at a hotel in NYC and request a babysitter for the day to take the kids around. In the past, some of LLD sitters’ favorite activities to do with traveling tots were taking them to the Museum of Natural History and Children’s Museum of Manhattan, to the Central Park Zoo, Dylan’s Candy Bar, touristy boat ride, or a day at Hudson River Park Playground and a walk along the water after to see all of the boats.

We asked the two former Au Pairs for a couple of pictures and blurbs about what they did during their weeks with their lil’ ones. Here’s a peak:

The on an adventure in Union Square Park Playground (right after build-a-bear, of course)!

Digging for dinosaur bones at the Museum of Natural History (right after his first New York Pretzel)!

They also took their tots to a football game, baseball game, and the beach. The girls said it was nearly impossible saying goodbye after those fun-filled weeks, and they look forward to having similar adventures with LLD families and kids in NYC this year.

For more information on LLD’s hotel services, click here.

-Shannon is our in-house Nanny Placement Coordinator, a former Au Pair, a lover of all adventures and traveling, and a current LLD sitter.

One Month Down

Alison Gore — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 18:44:41 +0000

If you had told me a year ago how happy appliances would make me, I would have laughed in your face. Now, my favorite phrase is “I’m going downstairs to throw a load of laundry in the wash.” MY downstairs and MY washing machine; not the coin operated machine around the corner that the entire neighborhood uses that I have to strap my daughter on in a carrier to get to even if it’s pouring rain! Don’t even get me started on the dishwasher and how easy bottles, pumping accessories and now baby food containers have become. I am in heaven!!!!

Parker & I are loving the new house

One month ago we moved from New York City to Washington, D.C. and it was the right move for us. I am sure about this. Having spent the last 15 years at least four hours away from my nearest relative, I am now three MINUTES away from my baby sister, her husband and their three pugs. The majority of those 15 years were spent living in a basement apartment and now I have a basement in a town home with a deck big enough to fit patio furniture and a grill (the grill is my husband’s slice of heaven). Just steps away from our front door, our community has a tennis court and a pool where I have taken our daughter nearly every day this summer. Most fitness centers have child care available, there are movie theaters with “cry baby” matinees, wine bars with stroller happy hours, and there are so many strollers coming down the sidewalk that we take turns passing, just about every day Parker and I have a mommy & me activity with one of the many local mom groups or a play date with one of the lovely mom/dot duos we’ve met. I have become a SAHM, (that’s meet up lingo for Stay At Home Mom) and I’m loving it!! Yes, I will eventually have to return to work in some capacity, but for now I have been given the lovely gift of spending each day with my brand new baby girl in our brand new city and I am cherishing every one of them! Granted, I am the oldest mom around since they start young here and we wait a while in NY, but I’m ok with that. I’m a happy AMA (advanced maternal age) mom!

Sightseeing!

Moving here happened fast and meant leaving friends and my job and giving up the unique energy that can only be found in New York City; but it also meant being closer to family, seizing a fantastic career opportunity for my husband and achieving a quality of life for Parker that can only be found outside of the Big Apple. Yes, I’m sure it was the right move for us.

-Jolynn Baca Jaekel has been a fitness professional for more than a decade and just had her first child with husband Rob in January. She and her family just relocated from NYC to Washington D.C. She returns to NYC next week to teach a FREE fitness class outside on the Hudson Pier (suitable for all fitness levels)…read more & register here.

Cruisin’ to the Cape

Alison Gore — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:53:47 +0000

On the road again, but this time not to babysit, we were the grandparents along for the family vacation ride. Growing up, my grandparents always were with us for family events including vacations and I loved having them along. They were the patience that counteracted my high strung father. This 14 hour trip was dotted with traffic accident jams and highway construction delays. Cape Cod was as beautiful as when we took our family there years ago.

Happy 5 months!

It’s great for families, filled with great beaches, yummy seafood, and tranquility. Our tranquility was interrupted by crying alerts, including a new tune we called “cry of the banchee” vocalized by one granddaughter. My daughter planned this trip to Nantucket, Hyannis and several local restaurants which on paper sounded great, but the reality of two 5 month olds put a damper on her itinerary. There’s always a next time though. We ate a lot of ice cream, took some lovely walks on the beach, shopped local thrift stores, enjoyed local cuisine, and made some great memories in Cape Cod 2013.

-Mama Bell

Grandma’s NYC Escape

Alison Gore — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 18:38:27 +0000

My daughter and her family had Father’s days plans with his family so I had a chance to escape to visit my daughter in NYC. Bright and early, 6:15 to be exact my son-in-law dropped me off at my daughter’s apartment on his way to work. I arrived earlier than expected due to no traffic and had to text, call twice, and buzz twice to wake up my daughter so I could get in. Sorry for the wake-up call but it was a free ride! I waited until she got the sand from her eyes and we went to the favorite bagel place for a quick breakfast. Feeling revived, we were on our way for a day of shopping fun in the West Village. Since that is the area of the so called celebrity sightings I kept my eyes wide open, but with no luck. We had dinner plans at a place in SOHO, another star gazing area of the city, where I talked my daughter out of ordering rabbit as it made me think of the backyard bunny. On to the Highline, something I’ve wanted to do for awhile and never had a chance. But after a day of walking the streets of NYC our feet and legs were having trouble with their normal right-left-right pattern. Giving in to exhaustion, our walk was cut short as the thought of a bed sounded better. Sunday we walked through Central Park, had a great brunch outside and went to the bus station for my trip back. As soon as I left my daughter for the daunting bus ride she ran into Julia Roberts on the sidewalk. It’s okay though, because I got to see these little faces when i got home.

Happy 4 months to my favorite lil’ darlings!

-Mama Bell

Make Travel Hassle-Free!

Alison Gore — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 19:43:25 +0000

Unfortunately for parents, the word “travel” has become synonymous for “nightmare.” This blog post is dedicated to parents traveling with children this summer and a few easy tips on how to make the experience better!

Preparing for your trip:

It is important that your children are prepared for your trip physically and mentally. Make sure children know the vacation itinerary, how they are getting there, how to behave in the airport, plane, train or bus terminal, or car and an emergency plan in case they get separated from you in transit.
Get them excited for this adventure by enthusiastically introducing them to your vacation spot and method of traveling through photos, books, bedtime stories, and maps. Physically prepare them by stopping by the pediatrician for a check-up and verification that all vaccines are current before departing. If you are anxious about traveling with your child, talk to your pediatrician about your concerns.
If your family is flying, be sure to read up on your airline and airport prior to departure. Some airlines, such as JetBlue, offer pre-boarding for families with small children, making settling in for your trip easier. Familiarize yourself with the airport and TSA guidelines while packing in order to avoid any confusion, frustration, or delays in your trip. Look into creative luggage options for kids such as the “trunki,” a carry-on sized suitcase that your child can sit on and be wheeled through the airport (great for tired or cranky children!).

Whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or automobile this summer, stay safe & have fun!

The Day of:

With your introduction to the travel itinerary, emergency plan, and exciting adventures that await, your child should be eager for your vacation.
If your flight or train or bus is early, pack breakfast—this will allow them to wake up later, and give them something to do while waiting to leave.
On that note, make sure to wake children (and adults) up early enough to get dressed and out the door. Don’t cut it close—arrive at the airport or terminal at the recommended time or earlier to ensure you have plenty of time to make it through security with your rugrats as well as leisurely make it to the gate with all of your cargo.
Dress yourself and your children in comfy clothes, and most importantly, shoes!

Bottom Line:
Travel doesn’t have to be frustrating! Prepare in advance, get excited, and just relax. Even if you have a long day of travel, just remember all of the relaxing days of vacation ahead! Bon voyage!

Henry Takes Flight

Alison Gore — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:39:12 +0000

I’ve heard about it. I’ve seen people do it many times. I feared it to be honest, but the time had come. It was unavoidable. We were taking our first flight with a baby. I quickly sent out an S.O.S. memo to my “Baby Mamas” asking them for any travel tips they had, what to do about food/formula/gear for Henry, and how to get through security in the quickest and most efficient way—if that’s even possible for parents with young kids. Most of them had traveled and offered me a lot of great advice. I took their advice and packed a bottle for take off and landing, got some new toys that would entertain a 7 month old, had an extra change of clothes in case he had an explosion in his diaper (please, God, no!), and had everything strategically placed so I could unload it quickly while going through security.

I was still a tad nervous about how Henry would do on the plane. He doesn’t like to be held still for long periods of time, would be traveling during his fussiest time, and doesn’t fall asleep easily while being held. The kid likes to eat, move, poop, and move some more. None of those things are easy to deal with on a plane, let me tell you!

Henry looking out of our hotel room window

Surprisingly we got through security pretty quickly and painlessly. I was in charge of all the carry-on bags, and Bob was in charge of getting Henry, the stroller, and car seat through. We only had to wait about 25 minutes before we boarded the plane. Once we were on, Henry seemed happy and ready for his first flight. I laughed inwardly when I noticed no one making eye contact with us as we walked down the aisle. I knew what they were thinking, as I had thought it before myself, “please do not let them be sitting by me!” We made it to our very cramped and small seats and got settled in on our United Airlines flight.

Needless to say, Bob spent the majority of the flight in the back rocking Henry to sleep. Every time he got him asleep, an announcement would come on and Henry would wake up! Oh well, we survived! We even survived the flight back!

Our first ride on the NYC subway!

I was so confident in Henry’s abilities that I traveled by myself only a few weeks later to see my family in Detroit. This time I flew Southwest, which meant I could fly out of Midway instead of O’Hare (always a better choice…) I don’t know if it’s just because it was Southwest or because I was traveling alone, but everyone bent over backwards for me! The flight to Detroit wasn’t full so they let me bring the carseat on! Then the flight attendant told me how to place my bags so no one would sit with me and therefore i’d have a row to myself. I’m not sure if this was for my benefit or she felt sorry for anyone who would have to sit next to a mother and child! Either way, I wasn’t going to argue. Henry did pretty well. It wasn’t as stressful as I thought, and people actually smiled and commented on my “well-behaved child!” I didn’t get a row to myself on the way back, but Henry was in a super good mood, had the people around him enamored with his giggling and smiling, and a nice gentleman helped me with all my bags. (Thanks, stranger!)

Like all things in parenthood, you learn as you go. We’ve checked off flying with a baby off our list and look forward to the next adventure Bob and I take with Henry! Let’s keep our fingers crossed that our trip to Hawaii in December goes as well!

-Maureen is the Chicago city coordinator for LLD and a new mommy!

Flop House on Clark Avenue

Alison Gore — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:35:20 +0000

Two families merged this past weekend for a celebration of Baptism. One family came from Ohio, and others from New York, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Ireland. Our family of eight planned on staying in my daughter’s house, a 3 bedroom bungalow.

Papa Bell & the gals

Then came the in laws from Ireland and a brother and his wife. Upon entering their house it looked like a shoe store. There should have been a “Beware of Shoes” sign on the front door. Seats were at a minimum and you needed a sign-up sheet to use the bathroom. Even though it was crowded and the poor house transformed into a frat house for the weekend it was a great family affair.

P.S. I spent the day cleaning on Monday.

-Mama Bell