Baby Travel Gear and Accessories For Helping Baby Sleep While Traveling…

Have Baby Will Travel has been online for five years, and in that time I’ve learned that there are some things that can make your life a whole lot easier while you’re traveling with baby – for eating, sleeping, playing, and getting around. Some are must-haves, some are nice-to-haves, some may seem excessive – but if there’s a product or service available that could possibly make your life easier, wouldn’t you want to know about it?

Some of these I’ve used personally and loved. Some of these I wish were invented when my kiddos were smaller. Some of these were out of my budget but I wished I could afford. All of these will either help give your baby a safe place to sleep while you’re on the go – or even possibly help baby to fall asleep!

Baby Bjorn Travel Cot

Baby Bjorn Travel Cot

I’ve seen and lugged my fair share of baby travel beds, and the Baby Bjorn one, while pricey, is probably the sturdiest one I’ve come across. It’s also incredibly easy to set up, incredibly easy to take down, and weighs only 11 pounds – most certainly lighter than the baby that’s likely sleeping in it. It’s not exactly the most compact when folded, but if you are lucky to be flying an airline where checking luggage is not extra and you’re not sure about your sleeping arrangements at your destination, this way you know you have a safe and secure place for baby to sleep.

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Phil&Teds Nest

Nest

Those clever Kiwis at Phil&Teds have created a cool multi-purpose travel bag/travel bassinet for those hitting the road with baby. Nest is a lightweight bag – approved for overhead storage in airplanes – that can hold all of baby’s odds and sods while you’re en route, and then serves as a cosy bassinet for baby to sleep in. It is safe and suitable for newborns and infants up until about nine months of age, so if you’re planning on doing a fair amount of travel while baby is quite little (as you should!) than Nest is a great investment.

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Canadian shoppers be patient! Nest is not yet available in Canada.

Toddler Travel Bed

The Shrunks Toddler Bed

This inflatable bed is BPA-free, pthalate-compliant, and offers toddlers a comfy and fun place to sleep when you’re out and about. The toddler bed + pump weighs under 8lbs, and can fit in a suitcase. How I wish this was invented for those few trips we took when my daughter was too big for a pack’n'play, but too small for a real bed. The inflatable toddler bed fits regular crib sheets, and they also have a version that’s a twin bed that fits regular twin-sized bedding as well.

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Travel Bed Rail

The Shrunks Inflatable Bed Rail

Yet another product by The Shrunks that I wish was invented when we traveled with our daughter as a toddler. Travel bed rails seemed impossible to find, and I laugh when I think of some of the crazy contraptions we built with the hope of keeping her safe in her bed. Staying in family-friendly hotels and resorts does not necessarily mean they will supply bed rails, and this little invention can give you some peace of mind without taking up much room in your luggage.

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Travel Night Light

Tykelight Night Light

My kids are good sleepers, but the are used to certain sights and rituals that come with bedtime at home. And while we follow our bedtime routine while we’re traveling, how wonderful it would be to bring along the nightlight they’re familiar with?! Plus, we’re always fiddling with hotel room lighting arrangements to try to come up with the best light-enough-to-see-but-not-so-light-it-disturbs-our-sleep level, so just bringing a nightlight from home would alleviate all those issues!

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Back To Sleep Bear

Back To Sleep Bear

Bringing along your baby or toddler’s woobie or lovey is a no-brainer, and this one actually has an added feature that could be a bonus for travel. Not only is it a cuddly (and safe) teddy, the soundbox acts as a white noise machine, and can play womb sounds or a song or message that mama or dada records. The soundbox has an audio and motion sensor, so it automatically starts again if baby cries or the bear is moved. The soundbox automatically shuts off after five minutes, conserving battery life.

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Baby Sleep Sack

Wearable Blanket

The Back To Sleep Wearable Blanket is another step in maintaining at-home sleep habits while you’re away with baby. I used a sleep sack with my kiddos when they were small because I knew they would always be cosy and warm, and also it helps limit their mobility and keep them on their back. I’m certain that traveling with the sleep sacks when they were little helped my children fall asleep when we were traveling, and it’s kinda nice to have the crib bedding and baby blanket all in one.

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Goodnight Moon

Goodnight Moon

We had to buy a new copy of Goodnight Moon for my son, as my daughter’s copy is so beat-up it’s barely readable. And now my son’s copy is in the same state. Both of their Goodnight Moons have come on just about every trip with us, as maintaining our bedtime routine while we’re away is key to helping them fall asleep. We’ve read Goodnight Moon almost every night for six years. To say we can recite it word for word is an understatement – it’s become part of our psyche! I tell myself that’s a good thing Whether your bedtime ritual includes Goodnight Moon or a different book, don’t forget to bring it on your trip.

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Comfy Critter - Shark

Comfy Critters

This is a really cute stuffie, pillow, and blanket, all-in-one! Packing a stuffed animal, pillow and special blanket into your already-bursting carry-on bag is not always feasible, so these little guys are not only cute, they are very functional. Introduced pre-flight, it could help make flights cuddly and cosy as opposed to chilly and cramped. The shark is really cute, no? There is also a Bunny, Puppy, Lamb, Unicorn, Chick, and an ultra adorable Ladybug Comfy Critter.

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Baby Travel Gear and Accessories For Eating While Traveling With Baby…

In the five years that Have Baby Will Travel has been online, I’ve learned that there are some things that can make your life a whole lot easier while you’re traveling with baby – for eating, sleeping, playing, and getting around. Some are must-haves, some are nice-to-haves, some may seem excessive – but when there’s a product or service available that could possibly make your life easier, wouldn’t you want to know about it?

Some of these I’ve used personally and loved. Some of these I wish were invented when my kiddos were smaller. Some of these were out of my budget but I wished I could afford. All of these will help feed your baby while you’re on the go – be you just down the road or on the other side of the world…

Totseat

Totseat

For babies able to sit unassisted – usually by about eight months, the Totseat is a portable and compact way to ensure baby has a secure place to sit at the table for mealtimes. It will fit most chairs with a back height of between 25 cm and 75 cm, and a width of less than 53 cm. It adapts to fit chairs of varying heights, includes fasteners for rounded, metal-framed chairs, and also comes with a super-secure wide strap to create a back support on open-backed chairs.

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Bibagogo

Bibagogo

The Bibagogo is a stain-resistant, wipeable bib with hidden pockets that hold a feeding spoon and two facecloths. it rolls up into a self-contained unit. It’s easy to wipe and wash and dries very quickly.

We traveled with our Bibagogo for years, and it still looks brand new.

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Coverboo

Coverboo

My kids would never nurse under a cover, and I don’t necessarily think you HAVE to use one to breastfeed in public. But what I like about this one, is it’s actually a kind of stylish scarf, that when in use swoops around your back to cover that bit ‘o back that tends to peep out when you’re nursing.

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Tommee Tippee Weaning Bowl

Tommee Tippee Weaning Bowls

The Tommee Tippee baby products are the UK’s best sellers, so when they came across the pond a few years back, I was definitely interested in learning more about them. We love the weaning bowls with lids because they’re fairly leak-proof, but also handy just as containers to hold snacks or leftovers. Ours have been constantly in and out of the dishwasher for the past few years, and they still look brand new.

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Microwave Sterilizer Bags

Microwave Sterilizer Bags

I was kind of a freak about sterilizing my bottles and breast pump parts, and when we traveled to Florida and stayed at my father-in-law’s place, I used these to microwave sterilizing bags to sterilize everything in his microwave – rather than bring along my microwave sterilizer unit. These are a great way to ensure all your feeding gear is sterile while you’re on the road, providing your accommodation has a microwave, or can supply one on request.

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Travel Bottle Warmer

Bottle Warmer

One of my top tips for traveling with baby is to get them used to room temperature bottles and food, so you don’t have the hassle of heating while en route. And this works amazing when traveling with bottle-fed infants who are drinking expressed breast milk or formula and eating purees. But then I traveled with a toddler who enjoys “bubbas” of milk. You can’t exactly travel with room temperature milk unless you locate some in tetra packs, which can be difficult. Enter this cool bottle warmer, which is non-toxic, lasts for hours, and reusable – you just have to boil in water to reset. There is no need for electricity or batteries!
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Baby Gourmet

Baby Gourmet

For our first trip with baby, I meticulously packed our jars and plastic containers of baby food into a larger plastic storage container in our suitcase. It weighed a ton, and while the container did come in handy on our trip as a storage facility for our bottles and sippys that needed washing, and did protect our belongings should any of the jars or containers explode in our suitcase, it was a bit of a pain. I am immensely jealous that these foil pouches of baby food were not invented when my littlies were just starting out on solids. I’m also steamed that the availability of organic baby food is much more widespread as well! These Baby Gourmet purees sound yummy, and the containers could not be easier to travel with.
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Lunchie

Lunchie

It’s a good idea to have an insulated bag along with you – not just for travel days but for any and all day trips. So they might as well be cute, right? The Skip*Hop Lunchie bags are soft, with a roomy main compartment that holds bottles, drinks, snacks, and more. An insulated, wipe-clean interior keeps food and drinks cold, plus the inside mesh pocket holds latte money, an ice pack, or utensils.

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Cubbie Cup

Cubbie Cup

This may not seem like the most practical drink and/or snack dispensing system, as it doesn’t fit in usual cup holders and won’t slip into a bottle compartment in your diaper bag, but on car rides or plane trips it’s actually worked out great as both the snack and drink are right there if your toddler need or wants it, and the lid on the snack keeper keeps mess to minimum. The sippy part is actually quite good at remaining leak-free as well. The Cubbie Cup is a small investment in your sanity on travel days!
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Boon Spoon

Boon Squirt Spoon

This ingenious creation eliminates the need for packing a bowl, so if you’re on the go with baby and know you’ll have a mealtime in there, just fill your spoon – or spoons – and go. The Boon Spoon is also a great invention for when baby starts to self feed as well.
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The Cause Of My Recent Hearing Loss...

I was certain that the Mitsubishi Outlander was our new car, on paper. Whatever Mr. HBWT says about the optional third row (I called it a jump seat) I sat in it and could probably manage sitting there for a trip in a pinch. I love the fact you can flip a switch to full 4×4 (I never feared winter driving in our Cherokee). It’s not my favourite style-wise, but thus far I’ve felt the most comfortable driving this one – it’s the most SUV-ish and I guess I like that feeling of a Jeep . If it was a stick shift, I think I would have refused to return it. Mr. HBWT was not quite as enamored as I, but did appreciate it for more nerd-like reasons…

Read on for Mr. HBWT’s full review!

Review and Test Drive Of The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander:

Yay:
-Switchable 4WD modes
-7 passenger seating
-Rockford Fosgate sound system

Nay:
-Fuel Economy (6 Cylinder)
-A tad ponderous
-3rd row seats

The Mitsubishi Outlander has always been on our short list of compact SUVs for numerous reasons – reliability reputation, switchable control over the all wheel drive (with their fancy-pants Super All Wheel Control), the option to have a 3rd row if need be, and finally, and perhaps most importantly, the amazing resemblance between the Outlander’s front grill and the mouth of a Cylon Centurion from the 1978 sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica. It is an impressive list of feats for an entry into the small SUV / crossover platform that is home to vehicles like the CR-V and Rav 4.

2012 Outlander

1978 Cylon

The model we test-drove was the top-end XLS and it had the standard array of doo-hickeys and technical bobs that most of the other fully loaded small SUVs have with one notable difference – the sound system. The Rockford Fosgate stereo and subwoofer is, and there is no other word for it, BANGING – and ears be warned that they will not enjoy Cyprus Hill’s “Insane in the Membrane” at full volume. The stereo is a lot of fun and something you simply don’t see very often as first party options – especially in a vehicle of this class.

Other cabin pluses are a spacious interior in both front and back (with reclining 2nd row – nice!) and what felt like a nice layout of controls up front. My one beef is that the steering wheel, like that of the Rav 4, seemed small. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not expecting a steering wheel you would find one hunched over like that in a city bus – but the smaller wheel does seem to translate in to a more awkward driving position (particularly for me with the seat cranked all the way back). The leather seats were comfy – and 3 adults and 2 kids (in car seats) plus bags fit well for a small highway trip we did to Niagara.

The Controversial Third Row - Headrests Not Up...

On the topic of comfy seats I now come to the highly contentious 3rd row in the Outlander. Yes, it is for kids only. Yes, it does not look particularly comfortable (it is not even a real padded seat). Yes, folding it demands every ounce of origami skills you may have. If you are looking for a 3rd row for every day use this is NOT the SUV you are looking for (a Star Wars reference – I am on a roll today!). With that said, the 3rd row on the Outlander may be ideal for some (including us). It stores away flat and there really is no compromise in cargo space (what pro reviewers seem to positively refer to as a “why not” feature) like other models in this class with 3rd row like the Rav-4 (most people do not take that option for this vehicle for that reason). While somewhat silly, it is handy for short trips where 5 seat belts will just not do (especially carting friends) and both of my kids actually liked it for the novelty of it being a kid-exclusive club. Now if there was only a privacy glass to come down in front of this row to limit the cacophony of standard car-trip squabbling it would be win-win for everyone. Hey – wait – you can just turn up the stereo – YAY!

One other neat-o feature of the Outlander is the 2-part tailgate – with the main hatch swinging up and the lower ¼ (or perhaps less) swinging down. People seem to find it handy for dogs hopping in the back and loading groceries etc but for me it was another “why not” feature.

Not A Bad Looking Car. 10 Year Warranty Looks Even Better...

Outside I enjoy the looks of the Outlander (and aforementioned cylon characteristics) – styling is good and it is definitely a solid built machine. You sit high, and visibility is definitely above par for this class of SUV. Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to test its all weather capabilities and S-AWC (imagine that – sad there is no snow) but a friend who has a 2011 has a lot of good things to say about its performance in Canadian winters.

Performance. That is the key to this car and it was here that the Outlander fell short for me. In the city this vehicle sucks the gas – we never did much better than around 16L/100km and for me this is damn close to a deal breaker. I am, of course, talking about the 6 cylinder version – apparently the 4 cylinder gets much better fuel economy but does not have the 3rd row option. For an SUV in the compact class it was much too thirsty – more thirsty than the mid-size CX-9 and Kia Sorrento – vehicles that actually have useable 3rd row seating. I basically look at cars in 2 ways – it better be good on gas or it better have lots of room if I am going to get hit on fuel – and unfortunately the Outlander is neither. I accept I drive with a bit of a lead foot but in the city I am typically mid pack and am not constantly weaving in and out so it is not extreme. Highway mileage was better, but not great. And on top of this, I didn’t find the Outlander particularly nimble – if you had to hit it on the highway a couple of steamboats went by before the six kicked in.

I don’t know why the Outlander sucks on gas and isn’t particularly peppy – the Rav 4 in the 6 cylinder felt like a rocket and was to me a fair compromise on gas economy from the stock 4 cyl. (they are very similar). The CRV and Rav 4 felt light and nimble – and perhaps there is something to the Outlander’s build that adds to that. It has heavy doors, and feels a bit like a tank when you drive it, perhaps that is what an extra 250 or so pounds to its gross weight feels like between it and the CRV.

Corinne liked it very much – particularly the tank-like feel (a hangover from the Cherokee I presume) and I thought I would too but after getting a taste of light with the CRV and RAV I don’t think I do any more. It’s still on the short list – the 4 cylinder without the 3rd row option that is – but it is up against some pretty strong competition in the five-seater SUV world (though if they had a red eye that swooped back and forth above the grill they may convince me).

****************************************

It sounds dumb, but I was SUPER-bummed about the Outlander’s fuel economy – at least the XLS version we drove. The four-cylinder version is a possibility for us, but if you could combine the better fuel economy with the *use in a pinch* jump seat, we would have found the perfect car for us. But maybe it’s for the best… I may have permanently damaged my hearing with that stereo and I may or may not have already frightened nearby drivers with my renditions of Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2U and Jay-Z & Alicia Keys’ “Empire State Of Mind”. Up next – the brand spanking new Mazda CX-5, and the Kia Sorento. Also on the list is the Suzuki Grand Vitara – now that their newer models are four cylinders, the switchable 4×4 option is also very appealing.

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Disney Fantasy - Outside Cabanas

I was a pretty adventurous traveler in my single days, and my husband shared my wanderlust, which is one of the (many) reasons I knew he was “the one”. When we first had our daughter, and I expressed to people that we still hoped to travel WITH her, one of the most popular responses was “Well now I guess you’re stuck going to Disney.” Like that was a bad thing.

There is a sometimes a difference between traveling and taking a vacation. And a Disney Vacation is just that -a vacation – especially when you have a baby or toddler in tow. I am all about going on adventures and not having to specifically stay in properties labeling themselves as family-friendly, but if you need a break and don’t want to have to even think about high chairs or change tables or stroller access, Disney’s hotels and cruises have you covered.

Day 3:
For our Magical Preview Cruise, day three of our itinerary was a day at sea – to give everyone a chance to explore and enjoy the Disney Fantasy’s amenities.  I was also looking forward to a lazy morning. We slept really well on the ship – the beds are very comfortable and the motion really seemed to keep me knocked out. I had a fancypants brunch to attend at Palo – one of the ship’s two adult-exclusive restaurants that require advance reservations (and are an additional cost), but I joined my husband at Cabanas to help get the kids off for breakfast. I may or may not have had bacon.

Palo serves Northern Italian cuisine and is open for dinner but also occasionally brunch while the ship is at sea. I was there for a special event with fellow bloggers to meet and chat with some Disney execs, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying a Prosecco (or three) and devouring the Blue Cheese, Grape, & Port Wine Pizza. While I waited for my pizza I also enjoyed some of the offerings from the brunch buffet, so essentially you had to roll me out of there. The additional dining fee is very reasonable – $20.00 per person – but apparently reservations are difficult to come by. Online reservations well in advance are strongly recommended.

It's A Small World Nursery

While I was off stuffing my face, my husband decided to check out the kids’ clubs. At almost three, they would have let Bub stay with his sister and play in the Oceaneer’s Club, with the proviso that we check in every hour since he was not yet fully potty trained (more on that later). I was concerned that the It’s A Small World Nursery would be too baby-ish for him, but they decided to check it out on the way to the Oceaneer’s Club. My husband said Bub didn’t even look back as he tried to barge into the play area, and had to be convinced to return for a hug and kiss goodbye. At $6.00 for infant care for babies as young as 12 weeks up until 36 months, the It’s A Small World Nursery is a clean and fun place, with wonderful doting Cast Members who will care for your baby. They do accept walk-ins (like us) however when the ship is closer to capacity, reservations are recommended – as is checking in your child online in advance.

Oceaneer's Club

My daughter was next to be dropped off at the Oceaneer’s Club. I have always had reservations about Kids’ Clubs at resorts, so therefore I have kids who would rather go there than hang out with me! (At Beaches Turks and Caicos, toddlers were crying as they were being dropped off – mine cried when I came to pick her up! But I digress…) The difference between the Oceaneer’s Club and the Oceaneer’s Lab is that the Lab has more structured activities and an itinerary to follow. Most of the kids were a bit older in the Lab, and the Club often has “open house” hours where you can come in and play with your child, as well as supervise younger siblings so the whole family can play together. All the Cast Members working with the kids were bright and friendly – both my kids instantly felt comfortable with them, so I did too.

With both kids happily ensconced in supervised activities, and me happily consuming a week’s worth of calories in one sitting, my husband went for a run and relaxed by the pool. When he went to pick the kids up, both of them begged for another hour. I met him when I was finished my meet-ups and we had blissful thirty minutes alone together. I wanted to do the “King Of The World” bit from Titanic, but that part of the boat is not accessible, and the bow section of the ship is where the teen club is. Darn teenagers After we grabbed the kiddos we whooped it up at the character dance party in the lobby, where both my kids bailed from the conga line into the gift shop. Then it was time for some pool action!

Meeting Tiana - Worth The Wait

Bub was a bit grumpy, so my husband did the Deck 4 walk (2 laps!) while I watched my daughter splash around. Then I was on Bub watch duty (and pool-side cocktail duty) while they waited in line for the AquaDuck – the waterslide that goes out over the ocean. It was a good thing that Bub was napping for this, because at 40″ he was not quite tall enough (minimum height for both slides is 42″) to go on. Then we swapped out as it was time for the Princess Meet & Greet in the lobby. The Character meeting times are all in the daily newsletter, but I recommend arriving a bit early or at least on time. While there is less of a wait and more opportunities to meet the characters on the cruise than in the parks, you still do actually have to wait a bit – which is nice because when it’s your turn you don’t feel like you are being rushed through. A tip to the tantrum-throwing mom with two very disappointed little princesses in tow: don’t show up for a character greeting at 5:00 when it says it starts at 4:30. And don’t give me the side-eye because I almost ran over your foot with the stroller because you refused to make room for us in the elevator. *rant over

Bub’s nap wasn’t great, and dinner was a bit stressful. The Royal Court was our last in the rotational dining plan, and my daughter (well we all) loved the Cinderella’s Ball feel. I had the chicken, which was delicious, and my husband had the ravioli, which was divine. Again, as with all our meals, our servers Jorge and Brent were so awesome – entertaining and feeding (!) the grumpy Bub, and making an appropriate fuss over our princess dress-clad daughter. When serving the ketchup they do so in the shape of a Disney character (usually Mickey) but Brent can do Minnie – complete with bow. We left dinner and came out to another dance party – this time with live music. Bub had a party going on in his pants which required his swift removal, and though we feared the kids were too spun to settle, we made it to the showtime of “Believe” – and I’m so glad we did.

Disney Fantasy - "Believe"

As with the previous night’s show, “Wishes“, “Believe” has a pretty corny storyline but phenomenal musical numbers. Both kids were entranced, and as someone with a background in such things, I am totally impressed with Disney’s incredible production value – the costumes, lighting (indoor fireworks, even!) all were fantastic. And probably the most incredible? My daughter was convinced that the little Tinkerbell light was real, and I get to keep my pixie-dust believing girl for just a little while longer.

A little tidbit that I held from my husband (such info tends to stress him out) is that our bags needed to be packed and outside our stateroom door by 10pm for disembarkation the next morning. After the show, we headed back to our room, threw pretty much EVERYTHING into our luggage, and out the door it went  - just in time. I had the foresight to leave our and the kids’ clothes for the next day out, and our carry-on bags were just fine to manage the next day needs. Now, had we been going straight to our flight after our cruise, I would have ensured I was more organized, but our flight home was not scheduled to depart until 7pm, and though we were going straight to the airport the next day, we were going straight to the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport – to rest and relax for those precious final hours of vacation.

Stay tuned for a wrap-up, and a detailed account of our stay at the Hyatt Regency MCO, but first – a few tips:

• Remember, your luggage needs to go out the night before you leave. Set aside a few minutes to get organized on your last day, so you’re not scrambling.
• The additional fee of $20 per person for the exclusive dining at Remo and Palo is well worth it – if you’ve a wee one under three be sure to book your It’s A Small World Nursery time for the same time if reserving online in advance.
• The shows are fantastic, and worth the late nights. Be sure to grab drinks and snacks from Deck 11 before the show so you’re not tempted by the sweets at the snack bar next door.

Revisit our Disney Fantasy Preview Cruise Day 1 and Day 2, and stay tuned for our post-cruise stay at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport coming soon!

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Honda Hottie

I preface this weeks Car Reviews post with the fact that I wanted to dislike the CR-V. Years ago my husband had one for a work vehicle (I worked there too, that’s how I was allowed to drive it), and I found it to be gutless and meh – although I did know that the fuel economy and inner space appealed to him, I (vainly, and think of who I was a the time, a childless TV producer who thought she was pretty hot stuff) thought it was  a “nerdmoblile.”  But now I know that today’s nerd is tomorrow’s hottie, or CEO, and the same applies with the CR-V. And for 2012, the new styling of the CR-V makes it a hottie, I think.

Well now that you know a little too much about where my thought processes come from, I hand it over to MY hottie Mr. HBWT, for his comprehensive review…

Review and Test Drive of the 2012 Honda CR-V:

Yay:
-Interior cabin space, layout, and comfort
-Fun and easy to drive
-Fuel economy

Nay:
-4 cylinder engine not a powerhouse
-Fully equipped CR-V msrp

I did not understand the CR-V and it’s appeal.  Pre 2012 it looks like an egg on wheels, and pre 2007 it looks like a little school bus (to me neither ringing endorsements).  When you look at them and then see how much they are, for both new and used (the value they hold used is mystifying) , they just don’t convey value or styling or luxury. And yet, despite all of this, they are EVERYWHERE and their owners and professional reviewers seem to love them. I was, therefore, looking quite forward to getting a CR-V for a week to see if I could grasp what all the hub-bub was about.

New Styling At The Rear

Inside the CR-V is the quintessential compact sport utility in the SUV food chain – a five seater (there is no 3rd row option even though they may have been able to judging by the somewhat comical attempts like the similarly sized Outlander and RAV-4) with great cabin and rear cargo space befitting it’s egg-like shape.  The cabin is not cluttered with various mouldings jutting into you and, with the aid of the tilting and telescoping wheel, there is tons of room in both the front and second row.  All of the instruments and controls are nicely laid out, and the fancy-pants touring model we had featured the dual screen (one above the other set in the dash)  is downright neat-o and very easy to use especially for navigation mode. The folding second row is a tad odd (similar to our Cherokee) but doesn’t seem to cut that much in to useable cargo space.  The CRV inside is clean and neat – very practical and utilitarian. And in our touring  model the heated leather seats are like flying first class – once you taste it it is hard to go back to coach (or fabric).

Before I head outside I wanted to pop quickly under the hood – as the standard 2.4l 4 cylinder engine seems to be at the heart of much of what is beloved and disliked about this car.  It is great on gas – there is no doubt – and also avoids the necessity that other manufacturers have of adding a turbo or demanding the use of premium gas (a deal-killer to me with it being $0.15  more per litre).  It is no rocket, though, and the smaller engine definitely earns its keep passing on the highway and slipping and sliding through traffic in the city. With that said, though, I never felt frustrated by it – it did what it needed to do – and I respect Honda for sticking with a common power plant in all of the CRV variants. If you want a bigger engine, and vehicle for that matter, get a Pilot.

Both my wife and I are heavy on the pedal and never get as advertised fuel economy (perhaps none do) and most of our driving is in the city stop and go. For this CRV we still got a respectable 11.7 l/100km in the city in the AWD and a much better 9.5 on the highway.  I still haven’t driven anything that can touch the Orlando‘s 10.5 actual in the city – it is FWD only mind you yet felt peppier than the CRV – but the CRV was really good and definitely close enough for me. Visibility in the CRV is good all around though it does seem to share that fickle blind spot in the rear pillars that is so common in these vehicles.

The only car people stopped us in parking lots to ask about...

Being wrong about most things most of the time (according to my 6 year old daughter – with eye roll and all – “uhhhh…  DAD!”), it is no biggie for me to eat a little crow and that is what I have to do about a statement I made in an earlier review about styling.  I still think the Rav-4 is the most SUV looking small SUV (which I like) and I stand by that, but the 2012 CRV is also much sharper than its predecessors and I like its new look – especially in the blue of our tester (though it is basically the same interior space and dimensions as the 2011).

The CRV is very practical, rates highly in safety and crash tests, is a well thought out small suv, is great on gas, and is comfy and fun and easy to drive.  My only real gripe about the CRV is a well appointed one like we had is pushing 40k (like the Rav4) and is really nice but I am still not sure THAT nice.  That price range is pushing into much more spacious entry level mid size SUVs that are not that much worse for fuel economy – like the Mazda CX9 (which I loved and stuck at 15L/100km in the city – not much more than our CRV at almost 12) and the Pilot that sport a highly useable 3rd row seating and seem like substantially more vehicle for the money.   With that said I can see how, amongst its peers with similar trim levels and pricing, the masses have gravitated to Honda. And a great feature of this car is that if you need to upgrade in the next few years you don’t have to sweat taking a bath on re-sale.

I now see why this is such a champion in its class – cue clouds parting and ethereal rays shining upon me. “Uhhhhhh….  DAD!.” There is hope for me yet.

**************************************************

The styling of the 2012 CRV is awesome. I am not so in love with the styling of the earlier models that we will probably end up buying. But seeing as I’m now a practical mother instead of a hot shot hottie, I can eat the styling this time around. Coming up we’re looking at the Mitsubishi Outlander, the brand new Mazda CX-5, the Kia Sorento and now the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Right now, for the combination of space, fuel economy, and styling, the CRV is the frontrunner, let’s see if it stays that way!

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Castaway Cay, Bahamas

It’s been over a month now since we returned from our Disney Cruise, and both kids keep referring to the trip as something that’s going to be happening again and again – as in “When we go back on the boat…” and “On our next Disney cruise…” I’m not sure if the kids have been this affected by a trip or if they’re just that much more verbal now they can express their feelings afterwards. I had a feeling this trip on the Disney Fantasy blew their minds, and I guess I’m right!

Day 2:

We all slept really well on board the ship, and upon waking we were delighted to see the clear turquoise waters as we docked at Castaway Cay. Getting ready took no time at all, as the stateroom’s split bathrooms allow one to shower while the other brushes teeth, washes faces, etc. I was pleased my husband was so organized when putting our stuff away, as finding clothes for everyone was easy as we all had our “zone”.

Breakfast at Cabanas is a buffet so vast I recommend you remind yourself you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try everything. I tend to have a bit of a self control problem when it comes to buffets, so I ate enough to last me most of the day! The food is fresh and delicious, and there is plenty of coffee, juice, and milk at hand. The lattes and specialty coffees are extra – I think it was $5 for a large, non-fat vanilla latte. I had one the first day but didn’t bother for the rest of our trip. We tried to eat outside but the morning was a bit breezy so in we went – the interior of Cabanas is lovely anyway. I was astounded by the attention to detail with the beautiful tile work.

View Of Castaway Cay From Cabanas Restaurant

The nice thing about docking at Castaway Cay is you can walk directly off the ship. And the fact that we were there all day meant that we didn’t have to rush – although we did hustle since we were so excited to hit the sand. We are beach people, and Castaway Cay satisfied our need for sandcastles and salt water in a very beautiful and easy way. The water was a little cooler than the Caribbean we are used to, but we quickly adjusted to the temperature and spent most of the day in it. Sand toys were a tad pricey at the gift shop, so our kids made do with cups from the restaurant for their scooping and filling needs. Lazing in the sand, splashing in the sea, floating in the salty water – this is our ideal way to spend a vacation.

The food at Castaway Cay is included in your cruise fare, and there are also included beverages available as well – including water. There is no milk or coffee available, though, so if you need a caffeine fix or a nap-inducing bubba you’ll have to nip on board or bring a traveler. As you approach the beach, you’ll come across beach-friendly strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs that you are free to borrow (first come, first served), and there are also lots of rentals for watersports.

Post-Beach Nap...

We had a lovely late lunch – barbecue chicken, potato salad, fresh fruit and, of course, self-serve ice cream, before heading back to the boat. My daughter wanted so badly to go to Scuttle’s Cove kids’ club on Castaway Cay (I insisted on family time!) that I agreed to let her play in the Oceaneer’s Club while her brother napped. Of course being tired and grumpy was not a good enough reason to sleep, so it was back to Deck 4 for a few laps. While the boys slept and the girl played under the supervision of the fab Oceaneer’s Club staff, I had a few minutes to explore the ship and take a few pictures, and pop into the gift shop for some Pirate trinkets.

Like Father, Like Son

Bub napped late, which I typically try to avoid but I wanted us all to enjoy the shows that evening. He was very tough to wake, so my daughter and I headed to The Enchanted Garden first so we wouldn’t be late for dinner. This evening was a pirate party, so each guest was given a red bandanna to wear, and my daughter was delighted with her newly procured “pirate princess” outfit. A quick tip- packing a few costumes or accessories means fun at the theme parties without expensive trips to the gift shop!

Dinner was really delicious, and our awesome servers (hi, Jorge and Brent!) had the kids’ drinks ready, my glass of wine poured (leftover from the bottle I purchased at dinner the previous night) and were ready with a quick smile or joke to entertain the kids. Bub was pretty grumpy when dinner first started, and Brent not only had him laughing, he cut up his food and fed him. I sipped my wine and marveled at the Disney magic My husband’s tuna and avocado appetizer was delicious, and my prime rib was really good. Actually all our food this evening was wonderful, but I think the fabulous service made it taste even better.

Arrrr! Pirate Dinner At The Enchanted Garden

This evening’s show was called “Wishes” , and while the interstitial bits were a little corny, the song and dance numbers were really wonderful – fabulous production value with fantastic costumes and special effects. The kids absolutely loved it, even Bub – who at still only 2 has trouble sitting still for very long. I’m so glad we were able to see it all as a family.

But by the end of “Wishes”, the kids were cooked. Back to #5152 for a quick battle over the top bunk (again) and bedtime – except for Bub. I’m not sure if it was the late nap or the excitement of the evening (probably a combination of the two) he was spun, and would not settle to go to sleep. Back to Deck 4 for some laps (I really didn’t mind doing this – felt the exercise was good for me!) but even with his woobie and the fresh night air, sleep was not coming. We headed up to Deck 11 for the Pirate Party, where in spite of the sometimes scary imagery (he finds all the skeletons a bit freaky, and we tell them they’re silly so he laughs) Bub enjoyed the stage show. The fireworks off the boat? Amazing. Not exactly conducive to settling a toddler at bedtime, but amazing.

Eventually he did go down, and then my husband and I finished our beer from the previous night (yes, we’re lightweights now) and slept. Hard. The (slight) rocking of the boat and the supreme comfiness of the bed meant I had probably the best sleeps on vacation in a long, long time.

Stay tuned for the final installment – a recap of our Day 3, but first a few more tips:

• If you’ll be enjoying the beach at Castaway Cay, apply sunscreen before you disembark. The kids will run straight for the water (trust) and it’s hard to put lotion on wet, sandy, and squirming kids.
• In spite of wanting to keep luggage to a minimum, pack a few costumes and accessories for your kids. Everyone makes an effort for the themed parties, and this way you can avoid pricey trips to the gift shop. These fun themed parties might be a good excuse to hit the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, however…
• Be prepared for your baby or toddler sleep routine to get a little screwy. There is A LOT going on and Bub’s naps suffered. Luckily he was too busy to be too grumpy and he was so tired by the end of it he was right back on track. They always find their routine again, anyway. With some (and some trips) it just takes a little longer.

Disney Fantasy Magical Preview Cruise, Day 3 – coming soon! 

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Can You Hear The Drums, Orlando?

This week for our Car Reviews we tested out a brand new vehicle – not just as in 2012 brand new, but brand new as in first year on the market. Thanks to GM Canada, we road tested the Chevrolet Orlando, an interesting crossover that has seven seats and is fuel efficient. I loved the idea that we could still have a lot of room without emptying our wallet at the pumps each week. 

And now it’s over to Mr. HBWT for his comprehensive review!

Review and Test Drive Of The 2012 Chevrolet Orlando:

Yay:
-Efficient use of space makes it roomy up front and the best 3rd row option for its size
-Economy on both purchase price and gas (we averaged 10.3L/100km in the city)
-fairly peppy for a 4 cylinder

Nay:
-Price of decent 3rd row is a cramped 2nd row
-Reliability yet to be seen as this is the first year available
-Quality of build

I like the Chevy Orlando. It does what needs to be done in the fact that it is an efficient people hauler with seating for 7, is an easy size to maneuver in the city, and the price tag doesn’t involve a 7 year payment plan. I like its styling for the crossover field. And I like that it is being marketed towards Canada, Europe, India, and Australia (it is not available in the US) which means Chevrolet is starting to grasp the need for more fuel efficient vehicles in places where gas is more than $4 a gallon (a LOT more).

Peppy 4 Cylinder With Looks To Match

As I usually do, I will start on the inside and make my way out. the Orlando was a surprise addition to our car shopping as this is its first year on the market and it satisfies one of the key features I was looking for – a useable 3rd row – kind of / mostly. With the driver and front row passenger seat full back there is loads of room up front – enough room to put it in competition with much larger vehicles and by far the most room I have had in any vehicle in this class. The 3rd row is highly useable as well – I fit in there at 6’7” (though not a ton of room to spare of course). The one drawback to all of this space at the front and the back is the 2nd row is definitely where they find the room. With the front seats full back there is about 2” between the back of the front seats and the front of the 2nd row which basically negates anyone sitting behind you in this configuration (my will-o-the-wisp 6-year-old didn’t). So all of this means the front seats have to come up to make the 2nd row useable which is not a big deal but certainly is a shame as it now feels like all the rest for room up front.

The Orlando of course comes with all of the tech and gadgets (the more as your price goes up) and our 2LT was nicely trimmed with pretty much everything other than a satellite / screen in the dash. And speaking of the dash they do have a neat privacy feature – the face plate of the stereo swivels up for a little cubby that has a usb and is a great place to put stuff of more value (though I presume thieves will know about it soon enough). Layout in the cabin was good and it is easy to access all of the features.

The Kids Loved The Colour, Which Is Perfectly Valid

Moving outside, styling is next. I like the looks of the Orlando. It is not amazing, but considering some of the ugly ducklings in this class (I am looking at you, Calibre) it has nice lines that are somewhat reminiscent of the CX9 we had a few weeks back. Unfortunately it also shares reasonably poor visibility out of the back like the bigger Mazda but doesn’t have the nifty sensors or backup camera for added safety that the CX9 does. I think it is something you could get used to and is somewhat compensated for by its smaller size for maneuvering. Rear-view mirrors are big, and access to the trunk (which is pretty small with 3rd row up but this is forgivable considering the vehicle’s size) is easy-peasy. And, while this may be a small note, it is important nonetheless… my wee man (2 yrs old) loved our red Orlando and thought it looked like Lightning McQueen. A car could certainly be called worse.

Driving the Orlando is pleasant – the standard 4 cylinder engine is surprisingly peppy. I found the handling – from steering to cornering – reasonably mushy though, and had to remind myself this is not an SUV with 4 wheel drive or offroad suspension. The Orlando felt, to me, like a big car where you sit fairly low. Fuel consumption was excellent real world, and we were bang on 10L/100km with mostly city driving which was much better than the other vehicles we have driven in this class.

As you may have noticed throughout my review I have numerous likes for this vehicle, but I am never able to say the word LOVE. To me the Orlando is utilitarian and not something you drive for the experience or to show off to your friends. I am a self-confessed non-car-guy guy, never scratched “FORD: Fix or Repair Daily” or “JEEP: Just empty every pocket” (I have no doubt every carmaker has one of these sayings) into a high school desk and I have no allegiances to any of the manufacturers or countries of origin, and I am saying this because what I am about to state sounds like it is picking on the North American car makers. I see they are getting better but there were a lot of things on this car that felt, and there is no other way to put it, cheap. The key in the ignition wiggled more than my six year old’s tooth. The folding seat in the 2nd row had an alarming wobble at its foundation when you lifted it to access the 3rd row. The air vent dials also wobbled. Now these may seem reasonably trivial but this car had 3000k on it – what is it going to be like in 5 years… or 10? Hopefully this is getting better and they will prove me wrong, but if you are in any doubt about what many North American cars vs their foreign counterparts will be worth down the road just take a scan through the auto trader.

It is not, of course, fair to compare the Orlando to cars ten thousand dollars or more in price – you hope they are built better. But this is my final concern with a car like this – how much does it really cost? To me the Orlando is a great people hauler and if one could forgo the bells and whistles you should be able to drive one of these off of the lot for well under 25k all in. You then get 10 years of service out of it, and it owes you nothing. With that said I am irritated by what seems like a bait and switch the North American cars have for new purchases. A base Orlando – with 5 speed manual transmission – comes in under 20k and , surprisingly enough, no dealer carries this optioned vehicle so the “base” is now the next level and thousands of dollars more. So it is not hard to walk out of a dealership with an Orlando closer to 30k with tax, and to me it is not worth that money. It is certainly better than the Dodge Journey that runs 20K to 40K + (ridiculous if you ask me – it’s like they couldn’t decide what they wanted that vehicle to be) but I think they will miss out if they attempt to sell this car head to head with much more revered rivals like the RAV-4 and CRV.

I like the Orlando because I think it does what it is supposed to do, it’s good on gas and can haul more than the standard 5 passengers, and I am glad Chevrolet is offering a vehicle like this.

Ultimately the Orlando is not a vehicle we are able to purchase at this time, as the price tag for a new one that has the features we would want is above our budget; even with GM’s tempting 0% financing, car payments are something we are looking to avoid. Now, if there were Orlandos on the market a few years old with a reasonable amount of mileage, we may be giving the Orlando a much more serious look. 

Next week? We take the 2012 Honda CRV for a spin!

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The Disney Fantasy, March 2012

Pre-kids, a Disney vacation is one I never saw myself taking with kids, never mind taking again and again. In my previous life as a certified travel snob, I had not yet come to the realization that a vacation and traveling can be two separate things, and that one is not better than the other and each has its value. While I am itching to get out and explore somewhere new, after the death of my father on New Year’s Day and the grief, stress, and everything else added on to a working parent’s plate, this Spring I needed a vacation. I’m grateful to Disney Cruise Lines for inviting us on a preview sailing of their newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, as this busy break from reality allowed us to escape from winter’s doldrums and provided me the impetus to create a new Cruising section of Have Baby Will Travel.

Day 1:
After three action-packed days at Walt Disney World, we were excited to board the Disney Fantasy and check out our “Boat House” for the next three nights. Our itinerary was for three nights on board – with Day 2 being a port of call at Castaway Cay, and then a day at sea to enjoy the ship. Having never cruised before, I found the boarding experience a little overwhelming, and had I followed advice on my own site about how to prepare for a Disney Cruise, I would have had an easier time of finding our cabin and getting us something to eat! First impression of the Disney Fantasy? It’s beautiful. Really, really beautiful. The fixtures and finishings are lovely and totally what you’d expect for a top-of-the-line, luxury cruise ship. Our first stop was Flo’s V8 Grill, on Deck 11, for some lunch. We enjoyed a smorgasboard of pizza, hot dogs, wraps, salad, and fresh fruit before venturing down to our stateroom on Deck 5 to get organized. For future reference, next to Flo’s on Deck 11 is the 24hr beverage station, where you have round-the-clock access to pop, coffee, water, and milk.

Stateroom 5152

Our stateroom on Deck 5 (Cabin #5152) is classified as a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah, and we had the added good fortune of having an oversized verandah. The thought did make me nervous, but there was a child-proof lock that was high up on the door so that gave me some peace of mind.

The sail away party on Deck 11 was crazy – song & dance numbers, characters, fireworks – I thought it was for the special inaugural sailing, but apparently it’s like that to kick off every trip. Dolphins waved us off as we pulled away from Port Canaveral – we joked that they were animatronic ones created by Disney! Shortly after setting sail, we took part in the emergency drill, and then we were free to enjoy our cruise.

Just a few weeks shy of his third birthday, my son still usually has an afternoon nap. That didn’t happen on this day, as he was quite overstimulated – both kids were. Instead of venturing out and exploring the ship, we relaxed in our stateroom and took our time getting organized before dinner.

Animator's Palate, photo courtesy Disney Cruise Lines

Our dinner seating was at 5:45 – a good one for us. Our first meal at the Animator’s Palate was probably our least memorable food-wise, but most memorable experientially. As you sit down you are given a placemat and some markers to create a character. After your waiter whisks your placemat away, some real Disney magic happens. And I don’t mean your servers cut your kids’ meat and get them to eat broccoli – although that happens too During the animated dinner show, your creations are there in the classic Disney cartoons, singing and dancing with Mickey and friends. It’s truly incredible, and even our overtired kids were entranced and impressed. The food was decent, but it pales in comparison to the wonderful overall dining experience.

Wandering back from dinner, we spotted a number of characters and princesses in the lobby. That was a delightful surprise, but had I been more on top of things I would have realized that all character appearances and their times are listed daily in the Daily Navigaor – the Fantasy’s newsletter that your stateroom host places in your room each day. Our host was Carlos, and although I’ve since learned that this how a cruise works. There’s no housekeeping, per se – your stateroom host makes up your room each morning, and turns it down at night. And for our room that included setting up the bunkie while we were away at dinner.

Belle Gets Five

That evening’s show at the Walt Disney Theater was Alladin, and I heard it was great. Unfortunately the kids were utterly spent, so after a quick war over the top bunk, it was bedtime. Bub was too wired to sleep, so I packed him up in his stroller and set off to walk Deck 4 – the uninterrupted route around the ship that can also be used as a running track. Two and a half laps and he was gone – and slept the whole night through.

We were not far behind, but we did enjoy a few beers on our private verandah (approx. $30 + tip for six Corona from room service). The night air was fresh and we indeed slept like babies – if babies truly slept soundly and didn’t stir until morning

Stay tuned for a re-cap of Day II but first a few first-day tips:

• There is good storage but the staterooms are compact. We were glad to bring our compact travel stroller, as once folded it fit under the bed and out of the way.
• You can’t live out of a suitcase on a cruise; to keep your stateroom liveable you have to be organized. After we unpacked we stored our luggage in the closets. But beware you don’t accidentally bring home the fabric laundry bag belonging to the ship. Still waiting for the credit card bill to see how much that accidental souvenir cost!
• Acquaint yourself with the map of the ship and your place on it. Had I been a little more familiar with where things were and how to get there, our arrival process would have been a lot smoother.

Read on for: 
Disney Fantasy Magical Preview Cruise, Day 2…

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"This car is cool, Mom." Megan, 5

We are still car-less (or I guess crossover-less, or SUV-less) but thanks to Toyota Canada we had a great week tooling around in a 2012 RAV-4. We’re so glad we got to add this guy to our Car Reviews page, since it’s pretty high on our short list for looks alone. Drawbacks for us include the steep-ish price tag, even for pre-owned, but I suppose the fact that it retains its resale value could be considered a plus. I found the RAV-4 a blast to drive, and that’s largely because I have a bit of a lead foot and it responded quite nicely. The kids (and Grandma) had plenty of room in the back, and the storage capacity is great.

And now it’s over to Mr. HBWT for his comprehensive review!

Review and Test Drive Of The 2012 Toyota RAV-4:

Yay:
-It feels to be a really solid, well built vehicle
-The optional V6 really moves this small SUV around
-Ample room for 2nd row passengers and storage / utility
- The door-style tailgate

Nay:
-Same said V6 seems to negate the fuel efficiency of a smaller SUV
-Front seats can feel a bit cramped
-Cost of a well appointed version can push it into competition with mid-size SUVs
-The door-style tailgate

Not To Be Confused With Our Neighbours' RAV-4s, Also Silver...

In Tim Burton’s version of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory the Oompa Loompas are all played by one actor and, through the magic of green-screen, this one fellow is magically transformed into a legion of elf-like identical helpers. Excuse the somewhat convoluted film reference but it is a feeling that I can not shake when I look at Toyota’s RAV-4. This ubiquitous compact sport utility vehicle seems to everywhere at once when I am out and about – in fact there are three parked on our street right now. It’s a very popular vehicle, and after spending a week in one I now know why.

As mentioned in my earlier Mazda CX9 review, it is important to me to understand where a vehicle fits into the SUV food chain to truly appreciate its strengths and weaknesses and how it stack up to the competition. The RAV-4 is in the compact SUV category and its main competition is the equally ubiquitous Ford Escape and Honda CRV – vehicles that also fit my Oompa Loompa analogy very nicely. If you see a compact SUV the odds are tremendously good that it is one of these three.

The appeal of the RAV-4 definitely starts in the cabin, with ample room for five people or whatever mix of car seats and big folks you may have ( I must say the ratio of five car seats may not be your insurer’s dream combo as it implies a toddler will be driving – though my 2-year-old is more than willing to give it a try). The 2nd row has adjustable seats, which is a great feature, and all can sit quite comfortably with plenty of storage in the back as well. As also mentioned in my previous review I have a small (or tall) caveat here – I am 6’7″ and the RAV is a bit of a squeeze up front for me. It has gotten better – I actually don’t fit in a RAV pre-2010 – but it is right at the edge of comfort and I am a bit concerned how that would translate in a longer drive. Needless to say I am a bit of an oddity in this category so it isn’t a common concern for most, but if you are of taller stature or pine for the legroom of the ’78 Satellite Sebring you may want to try the RAV on for size.

The cockpit is well laid out, good storage, and has all of the standard bells and whistles depending on what trim level you get (as you can probably tell I don’t really care about all of the Bluetooth and USB and map features and the other techno odds and sods but I will share my rant on that another time). You sit quite high in the RAV, so visibility is quite good (the rear pillars may take some extra getting used to for blind spots).

Bub liked it, except he couldn't reach the window button. I liked that

As we move from inside to out I wanted to take a second to talk about the RAV’s five – yes five – doors. Toyota seems to take a lot of heat from reviewers over their decision to make the tailgate a door-type that opens to the traffic side and I can kind of see where they are coming from. Imagine you are street-parked on a busy street downtown, sandwiched between two cars driven by people who have clearly forgone basic human decency, and your arms are full of shopping bags. It is not a best case scenario, to say the least, for this type of tailgate arrangement. That said, I actually prefer this style of gate in the standard driveway or parking lot as you can avoid the tailgate hustle as you dance back to avoid the gate as it swings up and over your head.

Now that we are outside I would like to point out what I consider to be the best looking, nay… most SUV looking, small SUV on the market. This is all subjective of course, but if you think the Escape or CRV or, gasp, Santa Fe look better – then I can’t help but think there is something wrong with you. The RAV looks like an SUV – and has just enough curves to keep it looking modern.

Performance is great. The RAV is easy to maneuver in heavy traffic, tight parkades, and with the optional V6 is a real roadster (you can actually make the tires, and your toddlers, squeal if you gun it). Not that I actually ever did that, of course.

Overall it is easy to see why the RAV is consistently in the top 5 best selling SUVs year after year. It’s comfortable, practical, looks good, and judging by its used resale values, a very reliable and well-made vehicle. Really the only two things that bothered me about the RAV, in the version we had nicely tricked out with the V6, was gas consumption and price tag. I think this car rates exceptionally well in the small SUV category, but if it has the fuel efficiency and price tag of a mid size SUV like the Pilot or CX9, vehicles with more room, my enthusiasm wanes. Perhaps it is best to forgo the V6 and the bells and whistles then, though I must say keep the seat warming option on the table (it’s goooood) – just make sure you don’t have any Wonka chocolate in you pockets if you do.

When I installed the car seats, it took me a while to figure out where the tether anchor bolts are (they are on the seat backs, but hidden), be careful not to mistake the cargo net hooks for the tether bolt anchors, as I almost did off the bat. I really loved the RAV-4. It does come with an optional third row, but it is tiny and hard to find. Due to the high-ish price tag, I’m not sure we’ll end up with one, as my husband does not fit in any models older than 2010, and resale prices are good, so that means the pre-owned ones in our price range won’t accommodate his height.

Fully unrelated to driving, I like the touch-screen GPS and entertainment system. You get so used to this technology that you’re all of a sudden spoiled when you don’t have it in your car! This coming from someone who, just mere weeks ago, drove a vehicle with cassette deck.

Right now we are test driving the Chevrolet Orlando, which is a peppy little thing considering its great fuel economy.

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At Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World

Stroller Reviews For Travel With Baby…

In spite of having a bit of a stroller problem, I never really found it necessary to purchase a second stroller specifically for travel. And depending on your destination and before airlines started changing their policies (ahem, American Airlines), most foldable daily-life strollers are just fine for travel. We traveled a lot with our UPPAbaby Vista, and other than being a little heavier and bigger than most, has really been a dream to travel with. But with our latest trip being a cruise, and knowing most staterooms are kinda in the New York City hotel room size category, I wanted to try out a good, lightweight stroller that would be ideal for cruising. The nice people at UPPAbaby sent along a G-Luxe for us to review. Our first outings in it were just for the morning school run, and two things surprised me. First – we had so many comments on how snazzy the stroller was. Second – pretty much every toddler being strolled in an umbrella stroller was in a G-Luxe. Maybe I’m losing my touch but I had no idea the G-Luxes were so popular – I thought Maclaren was top dog when it came to lightweight strollers. In our neck of the woods, UPPAbaby Vistas have definitely overtaken Bugaboos as the stroller du jour, so maybe they’re dominating all aspects of the stroller market. Who knew?

Well, now I can guess as to why – the G-Luxe is easy to push, easy to fold, easy to carry with the attached strap, and easy to adjust if your strollee nods off.

A Nap On Deck 11 Of The Disney Fantasy

I am not that familiar with using an umbrella stroller. Other than my ill-fated attempt at the mythical $10 cheapie stroller, we’ve stuck to full-size around these parts. My kids were always comfortable, and in spite of the somewhat bigger weight or size, travel with our everyday strollers was really no more effort than using them in our daily life. The G-Luxe took some getting used to for us – but now that we have it I can’t see us bringing our biggie with us for travel anymore. That could also be due to the fact that our kiddos are getting bigger (**sniff!**), but I was skeptical about our kids’ comfort and our ability to maneuver it. The G-Luxe passed with flying colours. On our first day using it, Bub napped in it for over three hours, and had decent sleeps in it throughout our trip. Gate-checking it was a breeze. I fastened all the straps and removed the cup holder. It does come with a travel-bag in case you are concerned about damage.

Now my husband loves the Vista because he’s super tall and he can push it with no issue. And even though the handles don’t extend on the G-Luxe, he could push it no problem – just not with a bag hanging off the handle.  And that was our main issue with our first outing with an umbrella stroller. Storage. We’re bad in the sense that we load up our stroller like a trolley when there’s not a kid in it, and the basket on the Vista is so enormous, you get used to having that kind of capacity when you’re out and about. It took a while for us to pare down our belongings, as well as to get smart about how we lugged them. When there was a body in the seat, it was ok to hang the diaper bag off the handles. But as soon as said body wanted out of the stroller, we got adept at swinging the bag into the seat so as not to send the stroller flying. At only 11lbs, the Uppababy G-Luxe is very easy to cart around, but it is obviously not used to managing a diaper bag at probably twice the weight!

By the end of our trip, on days we weren’t constantly folding and unfolding it (easy, by the way – which is good when using Disney’s bus transportation services where folding your stroller is required) I got pretty adept at packing our diaper bag in the G-Luxe’s basket so our essentials were within easy reach.

UPPAbaby G-Luxe

We’re late to the lightweight, umbrella stroller game, which is kind of a shame. My kids are big for their ages, and at almost-three Bub is almost 50lbs – the weight limit for the G-Luxe. My fingers are crossed that he continues to grow lengthwise instead of weight-wise for the next little while. Although my daughter is over that weight and at six is also over being in strollers, we did wheel her around in it from time to time in order to recover from various blisters and tired legs from long days at Walt Disney World

Depending on how much or the type of travel you’ll be doing, I’m still not entirely convinced that you need to buy a travel stroller. However, this trip with the UPPAbaby G-Luxe has shown me that it’s a small luxury that can really make your life a little easier while you’re tripping around with a baby or toddler.

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