Archive for the ‘Product Review’ Category
The Classic TravelKiddy – Hours Of Entertainment For Kids
Jen over at TravelKiddy was kind enough to send over a Classic TravelKiddy (ages 3-6) for us to evaluate during the second half of our Cruise Views Marathon. Due to the fact that this kit had to be used in order to be evaluated, we have retained any remaining items in the kit for our kids to play with and enjoy. TravelKiddy was also kind enough to provide our lucky Scavenger Hunt winner with a Basic TravelKiddy.
Now for the review…
Our Classic Travel Kiddy was sent via Fedex and arrived within a couple of days of shipment. It was well packaged and upon opening the box, the unmistakable large, lime green canvas bag was staring at me – the neon color allows you to spot it easily across the room – I love it! The actual bag measures 11x15x3, allowing you to stuff lots of extras inside. This is ideal if you have more than one child or if you intend on taking a longer trip. Heck, I admit that we even carried an extra diaper and snacks in it. It has an easy carry handle and is the perfect size for young kids.
I was most impressed with the quality of the canvas – this bag looks and feels like it can hold up to some abuse, even from our young Hercules. With a small zippered pocket inside and a durable zipper, this is definitely a well thought out selection that will last for years.
The difference between a Basic Kit and Classic Kit is a small package of goodies that can be used as a refill on your return trip. For the additional $5, it is well worth it. Some of our kid’s favorite toys were in that packet, most notably the wind-up ladybug, color mask, little finger animals and Wikki Stix.
We built up the anticipation, not allowing the kids to open the kit until we boarded our ship a few days later. Our 4 year-old had no trouble carrying the TravelKiddy even when we stuffed it with a few extras. We weren’t in our cabin long before the kids dove into the kit and started exploring all that it had to offer.
More than once we had to ask them to pick up the various toys and crafts that they had strewn about the room, but the great part was that everything always fit neatly back into the canvas bag. I will say that since we have a 19 month old, we had to confiscate the smaller plastic animals, as they are a choking hazard. This is clearly disclosed before you purchase the kit as well as on the tag that is on the kit itself. The kit is not recommended for kids under 3, but with some selective removal of items, our younger child was able to enjoy the kit also.
This kit is geared toward arts & crafts type activities with small toys interspersed for times when spreading out isn’t an option. The 8×12 foam drawing board made for a stable surface when a table was not available. It can also be used to color upon, but the kids never got that far as there is so much more to do in this kit. There are three activity books, a blank tablet book, crayons in a sturdy container and lots of craft items. My favorite is the fishy hat that you can color.
Our kids two favorite items were the magnetic art board and the measuring tape – maybe now they will leave our measuring tape alone. In addition to the sticker book, there are also several pages of loose stickers that they can use to “decorate”. The folks at TravelKiddy indicate that the kit is intended to provide 8 hours of activity. I could easily see that being unlimited with some of these toys.
On the cool, but interesting side, they’ve also included two blank postcards with postage, band-aids in a tiny carrier, tissues and wipes. Note to self – remove these items before they get destroyed – the younger kids think everything is a toy!
The only two things that I would change – try to get postcards that have pre-determined patterns for coloring and substitute slightly larger animals. Otherwise, this is a quality activity kit that will entertain your kids for hours…our kids even used it in the car on the way home from the pier, then again at home.
The Basic and Classic Travel Kiddy are available for ages 3-6 and 6-9. Contents vary accordingly. The Basic Kit retails for $29.95 and the Classic kit is just $5 more. TravelKiddy will also put together a custom kit especially for your child. Be sure to check out their other cool kits and products too!
Disclosure
Product Review – Eagle Creek Roller Bags
For travelers who are on the road a lot or just want a sturdy, reliable bag that will fit in almost any (non-commuter) overhead bin, the Eagle Creek Tarmac 22 is the perfect solution. Unlike other bags, it fits best wheels out, allowing it to be half an inch larger than standard specifications. We own two Eagle Creek roller bags and have dragged them around the world. Whether you use the optional Pack-It® system or not, you can stuff this thing until it bulges without worrying about the zippers popping or the fabric tearing.
The 22″ version measures 14x22x11 when expanded and weighs about 8 pounds. Constructed of heavy duty ballistic nylon, it resists tearing and stretching at the seams. Just to be sure, they’ve added reinforced patching on the corners to prevent excess wear. The large wheels and protective housing allows this bag to glide through airports without a hitch. Truth be told, I’ve dragged it through beach sand and who knows what else and it just keeps on going.
The zippers are heavy-duty and even when full and bulging, there is never a sign that the zipper won’t hold tight. The zippers on the front compartments are a bit less sturdy, but I’ve never had an issue. Even the telescoping handle glides up and down easily. I often watch as other travelers fumble and struggle to get the handle extended, while this bag makes it seem effortless.
From a capacity perspective, this bag is deceiving. You would never guess that you could stuff a weeks worth of clothes into it, but once expanded it provides 3200 cubic inches of packing space and endless pockets. If you add accessories from the Pack-It system, you can squeeze even more into this bag. This model comes with a built in Shoe Box and Stash Cache to get you started.
If this bag doesn’t sell itself, the warranty will. Yes, there are other manufacturers that offer “lifetime” warranties, but if you read their fine print, they either exclude wear and tear or will repair but not replace your bag. With the No Matter What® Warranty from Eagle Creek, they will repair or replace your bag for whatever reason…no questions asked. You don’t even need a return authorization! There is one catch, you do have to pay to ship it to one of their repair centers, but still, there is no better warranty out there.
Eagle Creek Tarmac Plus One
The Eagle Creek Tarmac comes in a variety of sizes ranging from 20″ to 28″. They also offer a special 19″ model with detachable day pack (really handy for families) called the Tarmac Plus One. The most popular of course in the Eagle Creek Tarmac 22, which is the perfect carry-on roller bag. It comes in your choice of three colors (Black, Palm and Sienna) and retails for $285.
Bottom line, Eagle Creek is the standard for affordable and durable quality luggage. Just read the excellent customer reviews and decide for yourself. Check it out at today at Amazon
Disclosure
Traveling Potty – Taking the Worry Out of Long Trips
One of the many kid accessories that we purchased once our first child was out of diapers was a portable potty chair for traveling. If we were going to take long car trips, hike, or expect to be more than 5 minutes away from facilities, this was going to be a necessity.
People have two reactions, utter disgust or a brilliant realization that they must have one too. You must admit, it is one of the more creative solutions to a real problem. The alternate solution is using a pull-up or diaper for those situations. That isn’t a preferred solution because it undermines potty training.
So, what are the options in travel pottys? Well, not as good as they were. We were very fortunate and we’ll share our secret with you. Read the rest of this entry »
Babeebrite Light – Great for Travel
About a year ago when our second child was born, we purchased a Babeebrite hands free (clip-on) portable light to make nighttime a little bit easier. What we got was much more than we expected.
Babeebrite Hands Free LED Light
