This week’s blog posts will come to you from The Boca Beach Club in Boca Raton. I am excited to share a new warm-weather vacation option for families, in the nearby sunny state of Florida.
First impressions … Wow! Even after waking up at 4 am for an 8:30 am flight, one could not help but be overwhelmed by the beauty of the ocean (which I am listening to right now from my room), the beckoning stretch of beach (which resulted in soaked pants from giggling, wading kids), and three gorgeous pools (including a zero-entry family pool).
You can get a preliminary feel for the newly renovated property at www.bocabeachclub.com, but it doesn’t even begin to capture the dazzling view and casual elegance.
I look forward to a week of fun in the sun together with you.
Holiday shopping does not have to involve long line-ups, boring choices or last-minute scrambling. We’re thrilled to introduce exciting gift stores and ideas, as well as spectacular savings, sent out in our holiday e-gift guide to subscribers today.
 This year’s most coveted gift!  Name Your Tune is THE children’s music CD made-to-order and personalized for each child. “This year’s most coveted item!” - People Magazine. Chosen by about.com and aol.com as one of the Best Gifts for Babies and Children. Your best destination for personalized placemats, wall art, lunchboxes and more! Use coupon code “Around” for $5 off your Name Your Tune CD order!
 Kids Craft Club - It’s Like Christmas Every Month!  Make Christmas last a little longer with a Kids Craft Club subscription. New craft projects in the mail every month! Enter the promo code ‘getcrafty’ to receive an additional month of crafts when you purchase a 3 month or 12 month subscription! Valid until December 15.
 Stylish and Meant to Last  Homeworks Etc. designs and manufactures furniture and accessories for babies, toddlers, moms and dads. They are products that are functional, decorative and meant to last. Choose this affordable, unique and stylish option to decorate your child’s room. Special: Enter coupon code kids for 15% off all items until December 30th 2009.
 Gorgeous Gifts Under $10 Bugalug is the perfect gift for the little girl that has everything. Our innovative stay-put hair clips, Pony Loops and Headbands come in tons of colors and designs and almost everything is under $10! The perfect stocking stuffer! Enter KAC at checkout for 10% off!Â
 RaspberryKids.com makes your holiday shopping easy peasy! Raspberry Kids is an online lifestyle store that features fresh, healthy & fun products for the little ones in your life. We cater to savvy expectant parents, moms, dads & gift givers. Shop online now for Toys, Books, Clothes, Gear & Stocking Stuffers! Use the promotional code: kidsaroundcanada15 and save 15% on everything in store*. *Except electronic gift cards.
Green Collection - Eco-friendly, Organic and Fair Trade Gifts for Babies and Children An online boutique offering eco-friendly, fair-trade and unique products for little ones. A fantastic selection of stylishly sustainable items. Help us reduce the overconsumption of unnecessary baby essentials, and support local business. Tons of unique gift ideas under $15! Xmas Gift Certificate $10.00 on your next purchase of $50.00 or more may be redeemed at any time. Voucher Code: ‘kidsaroundcanada09′ upon checkout.
 Unique Green Gifts to Wow the Whole Family at Lavish & Lime!
Looking for something a bit different? For reclaimed wool animal puppets and solar racing car model kits, recycled rubber passport holders and herbal tea pocket gardens, shop Canada’s eco boutique www.lavishandlime.com for unique and affordable green gifts for everyone on your list. Use code KIDSNEWS2 to SAVE 10% off any order through December 15th.
 Give your kids the world for Christmas!!!  Send your child on a fantastic summer excursion assisting them in becoming tomorrow’s leaders and trendsetters! Discover the wonderful places we go and are going to at www.30-Elephants.com. This is one gift that will not end up in next year’s “hand-me-downs”!
 Contact: 416-907-9734 or www.30-Elephants.com.
Everyone has travel preferences. But whether you’re the backpack/hostel type or perhaps the exotic locale/boutique hotel type, once you have children and decide to travel with them, you have to be open to new and different travel experiences. I was always a travel snob. To me, unless you were staying in B&Bs and taking public transport, you were not experiencing the true culture of where you were visiting. It never occurred to me that traveling was meant to be relaxing as well! Since opportunities to get away are now fewer and further apart, I now wholeheartedly embrace the ‘travel as vacation’ mindset, but I still need a little local culture as well.
Staying in little Bed & Breakfasts or small family-run hotels was always my preference, but they aren’t always an option when traveling with small children. While the proprietors or host families would undoubtedly be very welcoming and friendly, they likely won’t be able to offer the types of amenities that you’d prefer when toting your tots. Things like a shared bathroom or paper-thin walls may not be an issue pre-kids, but certainly would be now. Things like a pool or garden to play in may also be harder to locate in a smaller lodging. Not that the perfect little pensione or casa doesn’t exist - they’re just a little harder to find. This is where time (or lack thereof) comes into play. I just don’t have the time to research destinations and accommodations to the extent that I used to. Smaller places also don’t usually have the kind of budget required to extensively market themselves, or create a website. This is where word of mouth comes into play. If you know of a great B&B, or a small family-fun hotel that welcome small children and have facilities to accommodate them, please let me know!
Self-catering hotels and condos are generally very family-friendly, and having 24-7 access to a kitchen when you’re traveling with babies is certainly the easiest way to go. We traveled like this pre-kids, and loved being able to pop in some toast in the morning and sort ourselves out for most lunches as well. But some families don’t feel like they’re on holidays if they have to cook at all, and part of a vacation is a big breakfast in a restaurant everyday. There’s also the issue of having to go grocery shopping, but personally, I love going to supermarkets in different parts of the world. That said, it can be a hassle to locate a store and figure out what you want to eat. Unless you’re paying big bucks, these types of accommodation are usually in more residential areas, or mean walking to the beach instead of being right on it. Car rental may be another factor in choosing a self-catering holiday, since a variety of restaurants or shops may not be located within walking distance. The nice thing is that decent self-catering lodgings are easier to locate online, with many rental agencies operating websites for individual owners, as well as larger chain hotels offering a kitchenette as part of a room upgrade.
For some, resorts – be they all-inclusive or not – are the only way to go. For the most part, all your needs can be met within the boundaries of one hotel. These can be cost-effective options as well, since all-inclusive resorts usually cover the costs of all meals, snacks and drinks, including alcoholic drinks. Larger resorts often have amenities especially for children, which can be helpful if yours are the type that need to be kept busy at all times! My difficulty with large resorts, is feeling somewhat removed from the local culture, although this can easily be remedied by actually leaving the resort – and not necessarily on a pre-arranged tour. In fact, I tend to shy away from package tours simply because we found it easier to ask around and find a person willing to take us around at our own pace, with our own car seat installed in the car. But some don’t require culture, they just want sun, sand, and to not have to think about anything. This is where the large resort can offer a worry-free holiday – no need to take out your wallet or move very far from your sun lounger.Â
Our first holiday with our daughter was at a large all-inclusive resort, and it was a good way to ease into family travel. Once we were there, all our needs could be met with little effort or brainpower, which actually allowed us to relax. It also helped us to realize that we could one day manage more independent travel – modified of course – and that as our daughter grows and becomes more settled that our travel options will one day be wide open once again.
If you live in Toronto or the GTA, you may be interested in the Mastermind Toy Warehouse Sale, happening from May 20 to 27. They are advertising discounts of up to 70%.
We are excited to be participating in the Spring Babytime Show at the International Centre in Mississauga from April 3 to 5. If you are attending, please come visit us and say hi at Booth #211.
The show provides a great place to learn out about new products, shop and listen to seminars about pregnancy, babies, pre-school aged children, and you! Toopy and Binoo will also be entertaining tots with a stage show. Also collect free samples.
Show tips: a) If you like to enter contests, print out labels in advance with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to save a lot of writing, and 2) If available, bring a shopping cart even if you aren’t brining a child to collect brochures and freebies.
Toronto is having a 175th Anniversary celebration, and everyone is invited …
To mark the Anniversary on March 6, 2009, City Hall will open its doors and invite residents in to celebrate the heritage, unity and diversity of our city through music, literature and art.
City Hall will be transformed into an exhibition hall featuring art installations, spoken word, dance and music. Special programming will also commemorate the City’s early history.
Another very popular kids’ star, Bob the Builder, will be coming to Canada this Spring!
Based on the popular international television show sensation, Bob the Builderâ„¢ LIVE! Spud’s Big Mess is a singing and dancing extravaganza for budding builders and their families.The show stars Bob the Builder, his business partner Wendy, trusty machine-team members Scoop, Dizzy, Lofty and Scrambler and other favorite friends from Sunflower Valley, including the mischievous scarecrow Spud, Farmer Pickles and Mayor Bentley.
The show begins as Bob and his team build the first-ever recycling center and wind farm in Sunflower Valley. It isn’t long before some items go missing and a few of Bob’s friends mysteriously disappear. Faced with a mountain of garbage, they must figure out who is responsible for the mess and work together to fix it, while dealing with Spud’s antics. Can they all pull together and get the job done? Yes they can!
The 90-minute show features ten original songs and sees the characters embark on an adventure that promotes positive messages of caring for the environment, recycling, teamwork, cooperation and, of course, the importance of a can-do spirit.
KidsAroundCanada.com visitors are being offered $4 savings on tickets to see Disney’s High School Musical: The Ice Tour happening at Rexall Place from January 23 to 25. To save $4, use the promo code “KIDS” at:
We just finished participating in the Today’s Parent Babytime Show for three great days in Toronto.Â
The show presented a wonderful opportunity to connect with many of our visitors, and to introduce expectant parents, parents and grandparents to our website. Welcome!
We are now in the baby groove, and are excited to share fun and interesting show finds, as well as new baby tips over the next few days! Please feel free to share your own as well.
Make Christmas last a little longer with a 
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Send your child on a fantastic summer excursion assisting them in becoming tomorrow’s leaders and trendsetters! Discover the wonderful places we go and are going to at 
Another very popular kids’ star, Bob the Builder, will be coming to Canada this Spring!
KidsAroundCanada.com visitors are being offered $4 savings on tickets to see Disney’s High School Musical: The Ice Tour happening at Rexall Place from January 23 to 25. To save $4, use the promo code “KIDS” at: