There are barely six weeks until Christmas, and many of us are already planning ahead for that often dreaded holiday travel. Sure, it’s fabulous (we hope!) once you get there, but traveling with kids can be less than fun. Little Jet Set (sound familiar?), a company founded by two former-attorneys-turned-traveling mamas, offers some great toys, gifts and other fun ideas for traveling families. Anything to make the time pass without screaming contests sounds like a great idea to me!

Gobblet on the Go is a fun travel-sized game that plays just like the timeless tic-tac-toe except that you can gobble up your opponent’s pieces and move yours around the board. The first player to line up 3 pieces in a row wins. It takes just seconds to learn and a few minutes to play, and is great for kids from age 5 right up to adults. The wooden board and pieces conveniently come in a mesh drawstring bag for portability. It would fit great on an airplane tray table or between two kids sitting in the back seat of the car. You know, right on the imaginary line that they’re both so tempted to cross.

Check out Little Jet Set for this and more awesome ways to entertain your kids while on the road this holiday season.

Win it! We’re giving away this very game. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight!

Whether you’re still in the space of packing everything but the kitchen sink every time you leave the house or you’ve moved on to the days of trying to remember a diaper & a few wipes, you’re going to love the Diaper Change Travel Kit from well-known baby & child manufacturer, Munchkin.

No matter where you are, you can have a comfortable, clean surface to change your baby. The design is truly awesome and I leave mine in my vehicle so I’m never without the necessities. (As long as I remember to restock it!) There’s a zippered outside pocket for storing your personal items and interior mesh pockets hold diapers, wipes (it comes with the case) and other essentials. The changing pad detaches easily for separate use, though I’ve never had a need to do so, and there’s a cushioned pillow for baby’s comfort. The carry strap attaches to any stroller or, in my case, the handle on the back of a vehicle seat. It comes in three colours - tan, pink and black.

Win it! We’ve got a Munchkin Diaper Change Travel Kit in black to give away to one randomly selected reader. To enter browse the Munchkin products and comment on this post with at least one of your faves (not including the Diaper Change Travel Kit, natch) before noon mst on November 13, 2008.

We travel rather frequently because none of our family lives where we do. We travel packed from floor to roof in our mommy-van because we take our own…well, everything.

One thing I refuse to leave behind is the playpen. We use it for a bed and for a safe restraint and a used one is just…ew. Well, it was ew until I discovered the Coverplayard designed by smart-mom Allison Costa.

The aptly named Coverplayard is a slip cover liner that gender neutralizes any playpen, protects your babe from the germies on a borrowed unit or just modernizes your own playpen. It slips on and off easily and fits most any playpen - just slip it on and attach it with Velcro and pop it off and into the wash when it needs it. It’s absolutely perfect for hotels and anywhere else you take the babes, and comes in several awesome designs.

Starting at just $50, the Coverplayard is way cheaper than buying a new playpen and more convenient than dragging your own everywhere you go. Thanks Allison - now my kids have room in the van to pack “just one more toy!”

Save 10% on your Coverplayard with the code faf

With a two year old and a newborn, a family trip is not my idea of a good time. Sure, we have fun once we get there, but travel is a nightmare and even when we’re there we’re still missing the comforts of home. Whether it’s an hour from home or a twelve hour flight, Little Jet Set has you covered with everything to keep kids well prepared for your next travel adventure. From travel games and art supplies, luggage and toiletries and everything in between, all of the products are all conducive to travel on the road or in the air.

Little Jet Set was founded by two well-traveled attorneys turned well-traveled moms. Hana Wolf & Nisha Cordero have “been there, done that” and have chosen only the best items in every category for their site.

I’m a huge fan of the nap pack (pictured), a 48″ long soft fleece blanket with attached 11×16″ pillow for nap time on the go. Great for planes and cars, and also perfect for nap time in hotels or at Great Aunt Martha’s place.

No matter what you choose from this great online shop, it’s sure to enhance your travels. A well prepared mom is a happy mom!

Win it! We’ve got both of the pictured nap packs (dino and pink spots) to give away!

To enter, leave a comment on this post by noon MST on April 22/08 with DINO or PINK SPOTS in the first line (not both - separate comments for separate contests please or your entry will be disqualified) and tell us what other product(s) (not mentioned in this review) from Little Jet Set you think are cool.

Get up to two additional entries into this contest!

1. Blog about this contest using one of the top three images found here.

2. Leave a comment with the direct link to your post (not to your main page, and in a separate comment from your other entry).

AND/OR

Subscribe to our RSS feed. Leave an additional comment to let us know that you did this for your extra entry. Be sure to leave a valid email address so we can confirm your new subscription. You may only enter one contest with this entry - only new subscriptions qualify.

Maximum three entries total per person.

CONTEST CLOSED

As a bit of a major clothing snob, I hate to package up one of my kids’ nice and rather costly outfits for the inevitable poop explosion, accident or mud fight. Nothing like carrying a $70 outfit around in your diaper bag until it’s too small.

I was so excited to discover babysparewear, where for $30-$52 you can get a complete outfit or two in a zippered waterproof travel pouch just for situations like that. Babysparewear is made for both babies and toddlers by creative mom Veronica Milito. Babysparewear are “chic, “emergency” travel kits with key items to mix-and-match or wear as an outfit. A modern approach to a simple idea.”

The outfits in the pouches are super soft & super comfy yoga-style duds that kids won’t mind changing in to and even the most fashion conscious parents won’t mind putting on the kids. The zippered pouches are sturdy enough to use for years, even when your children no longer require a change of clothing. Does that ever happen?

Save 10% on your entire purchase with the code topshop.
American readers will also receive free shipping.

Babysparewear is the newest addition to the TOP Shops, where we feature exclusive discounts for opinionated parents everywhere!

Win it! We’re giving away the pictured kit - the toddler spare wear spare outfit kit in fuchsia size 2T. To enter, search the BSW Shop and leave a comment on this post telling us your favourite product or two. Contest closes on 3/21/08.

Get up to two additional entries into this contest!

1. Blog about this contest using one of the top three images found here.

2. Leave a comment on this post containing the direct link to your post (not to your main page, and in a separate comment from your other entry) or send a trackback to receive your second entry. If you don’t know how to do this, just email us for help!

AND/OR

Subscribe to our RSS feed. Leave an additional comment to let us know that you did this for your extra entry. Be sure to leave a valid email address so we can confirm your new subscription.

Maximum three entries total per person.

Contest Closed

Guest review by TOP reader Sara

As a parent, getting into a car accident with my child is something I never want to think about. However, the chance of it happening is very real. Did you know that in the event of an accident, paramedics almost always transport the child in their car seat to the hospital?Have you ever thought about what it would be like for your child if you were not with them or were not able to talk for him/her? Scary, huh? Well, Chicks and Cubs has a solution. They have put together a “Car Seat ID Kit” that attaches to your child’s car seat. It contains a card with all your child’s most important information including: Name, Address, Date of Birth, Weight, Height, Telephone Numbers, Allergies, Doctor, and a place for you to give authorization for your child to be treated in your absence. It also contains a space for a photo and thumb print for identification.

The “Car Seat ID Kit” was something so important and super-easy to assemble and use! It comes with a Ultra-Fine tip marker to fill the card out with all your child’s information, a self-laminating card, and velcro strips to fasten it to the seat. It literally took less than 5 minutes to get it from the package to the car seat. Such a simple task for something that could be of vital importance later.

Although I hadn’t given this very much thought beforehand, I realize now just how beneficial the “Car Seat ID Kit” could be! Just a paramedic being able to call your child by his/her name could be profoundly calming in a stressful and chaotic event of an accident…. And the information on the card has the potential of being life-saving! I believe that this is a product that every parent should invest in for their children. And at only $10.00, this is such an inexpensive way to protect your little one! Being a parent means being prepared…and not just for the good things!

Chicks and Cubs is a great “Mom-Owned” company that has been in business since 1999. They also offer other great Child Safety Products such as ID Bracelets, Shoe Labels, DNA/Fingerprint Kits, Allergy Stickers just to name a few. In addition to safety products, they offer a wide variety of other baby/child products including Slings, Baby Shoe Bronzing, Patty Cakes (handprint and footprint keepsakes), and Keepsake Boxes.

Guest review by T.O.P. reader Kelly.

The airplane ride seems to be the bane of almost every parent’s existence. I’ve seen countless posts on parenting forums pleading for advice on what to bring and how to manage an airplane trip with young children. I have flown with my son six times since he was born, including four trips from the United Kingdom to the United States (varying from ten to twelve hours on a plane at a time). I have tried every combination of things and this product from A Toy Garden was my best discovery. The “On The Go Bag” fits an astounding number of toys in an amazingly small bag that fits quite easily into a purse or diaper bag. The toys amuse a variety of age ranges, recommended 2-8, but with my own 30 year-old self loving the Architect Blocks I’d say it should be left open ended. The bags include: “A set of wood Architect Blocks, a wooden Jacob’s ladder, a mini deck of cards, a mini set of crayons (you’ll find these in my purse at all times!), a super bouncy rubber ball, a collapsible drinking cup in fun shapes, a mini key chain level and mini keychain metal tape measure (for hours of entertainment), a mini set of soft clay in 5 colors, and a sheet of temporary butterfly tatoos. ” The big hits for us were the Jacob’s ladder… which has been played with for the past year and has held up quite well, the keychain tape measure… again played with for the past year and the blocks.

Because I loved the bag so much, I ordered another to have on hand for any new trip (the toys having migrated to various parts of the house since our first trip) and kept it in a closet. One day, our neighbors had a death in the family and had to leave immediately with their three young children for a seven hour car ride. I ran back to my house and grabbed the bag to hand off to the mom as she was pulling out of the driveway. When she got back she couldn’t stop talking about how much of a stress-reliever it was for her. With the tragedy on her mind and a car full of kids she was anticipating the trip to be terrible. Instead, every hour she would pass around another toy. It kept the children occupied and content, allowing her to concentrate on driving.

A Toy Garden is run by a WAHM, my preference for buying on the net. They give great customer service and are a pleasure to shop with.

Kelly is a WOHM from Bellevue, Nebraska. Her husband is SAHD who spends his days chasing their three year old and eleven month old boys, while rebuilding their recently acquired ‘65 VW Bus.

Thanks so much for sharing this great product with us, Kelly!

To submit your own guest review, simply email your text with links and any relevant images to theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with “guest review” in the subject line.

A friend of mine who had her daughter just a few weeks before my son was born was often distraught when trying to find the things she really wanted for her baby in local stores. She’s from Germany where toys aren’t coated in lead and toys aren’t generally plastic and loud, and shopping in Canada was extremely disappointing. She often came back with almost a plane-load from her visits home to Germany of things she couldn’t get here, most of them organic, natural and/or o extremely intelligent design.

I clearly remember her describing a stroller insert that “everyone in Europe” uses when they walk their babies for the entire few hours of nap time at all times of year. When I opened the box of the EuroTote from Lillebaby I found myself wishing she was having more babies because I had finally found it for her!

The EuroTote is a fabulous new product that is really five products in one. It’s a moses-style carrier, a car seat cover, a warm stroller bag, a play blanket and a bunting bag. You might even be able to think of more. There are so many great features that it’s going to be a challenge to remember them all but I’ll sure try!

-It’s non-toxic and machine washable, both a must for anything that’s going near your child.
-It’s one size fits all from newborn to 3 years and comes with two interchangeable covers, a warm one for winter and a mesh one for summer, and the zippers are two way for ease of use.
-The board that keeps baby secure when using the EuroTote as a moses carrier is removable for comfort in the other applications.
-It comes in four great colour combos.
-In case you’re paranoid like me, it has been crash tested and shown not to interfere with car seats.
-Safety straps, both 3 and 5 point, secure directly over the child so there’s no fear of over-cushioning the straps.
-It adjusts in length so that it always fits your child comfortably.
-The lining is 100% cotton and is SO soft and cozy.
-It has a 180° buckle system which makes it very secure for even the tiniest of babes.

We tested out the EuroTote with a 2 month old (as a moses carrier), an 8 month old (as a play blanket and a carseat cover) and a 17 month old (as a stroller bag). In all cases the EuroTote was very easy to use, despite our initial apprehension. The children all seemed very comfortable in it and in the case of the stroller bag it was absolutely wonderful to know that the little guy was snuggly and warm and that there was no risk of a blanket blowing off him on the very cool fall day that we did our testing.

The Lillebaby EuroTote retails for $120 USD. Click here for a list of retailers.

My Precious Kid has some awesome baby gear and family safety products. We’ve been reviewing their Table Toppers To Go, a tool for parents who like to…leave the house! If you’re like me, no matter how well you plan in order to be home for the next meal something often throws a wrench in the plans and you end up having to eat out.

Table Toppers are disposable and easily portable kids dining sets that sell for only $6 for a 4-pack! Each pack is enclosed in a hygienically sealed sippy cup (brilliant, I must say) and contains a disposable stick-in-place placemat that won’t be thrown to the floor, a disposable bib and a disposable baby-safe fork and spoon. There’s so much I love about the Table Topper, and convenience is at the top of the list. A set fits easily in my diaper bag so I’ve always got one handy and, other than the food, it contains everything I need. The placemat really (like, really) sticks to the table but comes off without too much adult effort at the end of the meal. The cup seals really well and we’ve yet to have a spill. Our waitresses have been a lot friendlier lately! (For the mom of many kids who has everything, these would make an awesome addition to a shower gift basket!)

Check out the many other great goodies from My Precious Kid, like dog tags, first aid products, wearable ID and more!

Until 12/31/07, enter voucher code #112075544 for 10% off your first retail purchase at www.mypreciouskid.com. One per customer.

We’ve got a Child Safety Pack valued at $16 USD from My Precious Kid to give away to a lucky TOP reader. (Second place gets the one Table Topper I have left from my pack of four (valued at $1.50 but priceless really). To be entered, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with Precious in the subject line and tell us another item that from the site that you think would be great for your own precious kid! Contest closes Friday night at midnight MST. Congratulations Krissie!

I have a strange fascination with germs and the studies that show their concentration in various areas. Almost all of them show germs from fecal matter in the strangest of places. One of the grossest to the mind of a paranoid mom? The shopping cart. When I see people place their babies & toddlers directly in their carts I feel an overwhelming temptation to have a conversation with them that goes something like this:

Me: Would you let your baby lick that man’s butt? (pointing to a random stranger)
Her: No, of course not!
Me: You might as well be doing that when you let him touch the handle on that cart because you know he’s going to put his hands in his mouth. You need to use a Clean Shopper.

Instead, I usually just cringe and am thankful that I have one and am aware enough to keep the majority of strange fecal matter away from my kid. I keep my Clean Shopper in my vehicle at all times, which is a good thing most of the time. Except when it has food and other random kid stuff spilled all over it and I forget to take it in the house and wash it. Or I take it in and forget to take it back out. For those times, I was SO excited to discover the disposable Clean Shopper. At only $9.99 for a 3 pack, they’re the perfect solution for forgetful people like myself. They work just the same as the original one, but are made of waterproof polypropylene. I’m not usually an advocate of disposable products but this is one that I’ll always be keeping around because the alternative is just too nasty.

To the germophobe’s delight, Babe Ease also makes a similar product for public high chairs called the Clean Diner and disposable version of that too!

And people? WASH YOUR HANDS!

We’ve got a selection of Babe Ease products to give away, including a Clean Shopper, Clean Diner, Clean Changer & bib. To enter, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with Clean Shopper in the subject line and tell us what the newest Babe Ease product is. Contest closes at midnight MST on June 6/07. Congratulations to Betty, Jackie & Caryn!

Planning some summer travel?

Whether long or short, car trips can be the bane of your existence (”When will we geeeet theeeere?”) or, if you plan right, they can be the making of some great memories.

The Four Peas Mini Sports Fan Activity Pack from Mom4Life is a great addition to your vehicle.

Intended for children aged three and up, this way cool activity pack comes in a cool plastic case with easy to use sliders and a convenient handle for carrying. The kit includes a pad of coloured paper, an activity pad, silly putty, crayons, make-a-race car sticker sheet, assorted stickers, a mini porcupine ball, a pull back race car, a notepad, a squishy frog, and magic springs. Enough to keep even the most hard-to-entertain kid busy for a few hours. (The “Girly Girl” kit is similar but includes different ‘girly’ stickers, a bracelet, a stamper & linking shapes instead of the stereotypical boy-ish goods.)

Once your child has used all of the goodies that came with it, the case is perfect to refill with toys and other activities to keep your car stocked and ready for the next trip. Great for the car, in restaurants, while waiting for appointments and anywhere else you need a little kiddie entertainment. It’s also perfect for taking into Aunt Myrtle’s house so she doesn’t make the kids count Q-tips for ‘fun.’

Twenty dollars for some sanity in a tidy little box. Count me in.

Get 10% off any Four Peas activity pack order at Mom4Life. Enter “Opinionated Parent 10% off” in the customer comments area during checkout and your discount will be refunded when the order is processed.