Diapers Deluxe

Diaper bags have come a long way from the days of pink bunnies and blue teddy bears. Check out these options, all lovely enough to have you strutting through airports with flair. You'll be using these long after baby is out of pullups.

Coach Optic Signature Baby Bag

Comes in pink, blue, black and tan. It has an infinite number of pockets (which we find frustrating but you might love) and the changing pad that makes this a diaper bag versus a regular tote.
www.coach.com
$398

Burberry Close Decorative Shackle Buckle

For Burberry-loving moms, a signature diaper bag; in pvc with nylon lining; includes changing pad.
www.burberry.com
$495

Eva Rocker Diaper Bag by Debbie Rott

Leather bag that comes in an array of colors and celebrity styling: black, tan, red, purple, navy, denim, brown and gold. 6 inside pockets and waterproof changing pad.
www.blissliving.com
normally $310, on sale right now for $295

Audrey Bag by Mia Bossi

This bag performs covert diaper duty, which we love: it has a washable changing pad, a removable insert, and detachable straps for snapping onto strollers. We love the computer insert option to tote the laptop, although for a $1300 bag we think it should come gratis (it's an additional $54.50). Supple Italian leather with snake skin trim; also comes in glow and orchid.
www.miabossi.com
$1308

Fleurville Diaper Bag

Leather bag shown in Chocolate Luxe; also comes in black, pink and aqua marine. Comes with see-through wipe case, removable insulated bottle holder, and washable changing cloth.
www.fleurville.com
on sale for $197.95

Stork Sak

A great option for dads but cool for moms who want a hip unisex look; in black or espresso tough cowhide leather. Includes leather trim changing mat; a great laptop bag when diaper duty is over.
www.tuttibella.com
$200

Staying Liquid

It's your last day of vacation. You're somewhere warm and lovely on a beach of warm white/pink/black sand. Or perhaps there's an infinity pool, so named, you think, because you could stay in it until the end of time.

Your flight doesn't leave until mid-afternoon or evening and you've finagled a late checkout, or perhaps there's a suite you can take advantage of for those odd hours between 11 AM checkout and actual departure. Either way, you've worked it so there's enough time to enjoy one last frolic in the water, all the while pretending that you don't have to leave your paradise.

Except...

what to do with those soaking wet bathing suits?

Hmmmm...you could stuff them in the plastic laundry bag the hotel usually provides in the closet, but how common. It would be so much nicer to have your own smart-looking wet bag.

Well now you can. Appropriately named "Wet Bag," the name may not be chic but the style is. Originally designed to hold diaper paraphernalia, these bags come in 3 sizes ranging from small more personal sizes to large hold-the-family-swimwear size. The outside is thick sturdy cotton padded with a polylaminate material, while the inside is, of course, waterproof. There are nine prints to choose from that are appropriate for adults as well as children, and best of all, these bags are completely washable and reusable.

And if you're bathing au naturel, you can always use your Wet Bag for the body washes, colognes and hair products that you can't bring on board anymore.

www.minimebabygear.com
$11.95-$17.95

W New York Union Square

This morning a water pipe burst in our house.

We went blissfully about our business when we woke up, totally unaware that down below in the depths of our basement, chaos was erupting: water cascading out of a pipe at such strength that firefighters could have driven off flames with it. It was only when we were heading out of the house through the basement that we became aware of our own personal Antarctica - big sheets of ice by the garage door, cold water floating everywhere else.

Nice.

What does all of this have to do with the W, you ask? Nothing, except for the fact that we were there the previous night and boy do we wish we were back there now...

The W hotel chain isn't the first one that comes to mind when one thinks "family-friendly." But of course, part of our quest is to find those hotels that may not necessarily make a big deal out of advertising that fact, but that do a bang-up job of welcoming you once you get there.

The W Hotel Union Square definitely does a bang-up job.

Service Pros: When we first arrived at the hotel, coming in out of what felt like sub-zero temperatures, the front desk staff immediately offered our daughter some hot chocolate and apples. A weird combo, yes, but being hungry and cold, hey, it worked. D loved the cocoa so much she had 3 cups, which they kept supplying without complaint. The staff was more than just gracious to D - they genuinely seemed to like children and really pampered her.

Service Cons: The only problem - mainly because of being 5 months pregnant - was the door service. Now, we're usually okay with opening a door for ourselves, but the front doors at the W are heavy, made moreso by the fierce arctic winds churning across Union Square. More often than not we had to open those babies ourselves because the lone doorman was already occupied. Note to management: can you get more doormen? Please? We can vouch for the fact that you sometimes actually have more than one guest entering and/or leaving the hotel at a time...

Room Pros: We had a Spectacular room, which was definitely big enough for two adults and a toddler not to feel cramped, and did feel rather spectacular. The room sported a king-sized bed with really plush down pillows that I wanted to steal; cots and cribs are available and the room easily accommodates either one. The room is nicely decorated in neutral beige and brown tones, complemented by eggplant and gray touches like throws on the chairs and throw pillows that were also soft and huggable. The DVD player was a big hit, especially since we were prepared for it with a Laurie Berkner DVD for D. (W has a selection of DVDs for you to choose from but we didn't get to see how much of it is kid fare.) D also liked the cool lounge music already loaded into the bedside CD player and we danced around the room to it like lunatics in front of the floor length mirror (see more on that below).

For some reason we never seem to have enough towels when we travel. That was not a problem here. Washcloths and bath towels were big, plentiful and plush. The tile around the bathtub made it feel more like a homey NYC apartment than a hotel, which was a nice touch.

Room Cons: The duvet cover on the bed was a mauve matte silky material, which had us running around behind D as she gobbled up her pizza and fries out of fear that she would leave greasy fingerprints on the damn thing. Of course, she did manage to get one or two small ones on there. Oops.)

There was a fabulous mirror, at least 7 feet tall and framed in hardwood, propped up against the wall. We loved it and if staying sans toddler, we would have loved it even more. The problem was, all of us loved it: D kept hugging it and leaning on it. We kept seeing images of it crashing down on her, which made it hard to relax and appreciate her healthy self-image as she vigorously kissed and hugged her reflection.

The window in our room (# 2007) was very narrow, although it had a great night view. But since the ceilings were extremely tall and the drapes were heavy as well as ceiling high, it was impossible to close them - we couldn't get the drapery to move across the rod. Not so great when you're trying to fool a child into thinking it's not time to get up yet.

For those that care, they were rather spare with the bathroom amenities (bar of soap, shower cap, shoe mitt on the bathroom counter, body wash, shampoo and conditioning rinse from Bliss in the bath) but we didn't mind - we usually bring our own anyhow and it must save money, trees, parts of the Amazon rainforest and a polar bear or two. (The several unexpected doodads they put on the minibar - from a teddy bear to an intimacy kit, ooh la la - might make up for those that like "stuff", but those are all for purchase.)

One other feature that was cool for the childless but maybe not so cool for parents of toddlers: the sliding door on the bathroom. It's a great spacesaver and makes complete sense in the room. With an opaque glass inset, it slides easily into place, but there was no lock - meaning it slid OUT of place just as easily. D literally caught the paternal unit with his pants down more than once, and giggled mercilessly. So much for privacy...

Room Service: The excellent Todd English's Olives New York restaurant is downstairs providing wonderful fare both in-restaurant and in your room. For room service, there is a child menu, with the usual faves: chicken fingers (which they were out of), hamburgers, mac and cheese, etc. When we ordered and included D, they were sweet enough to add 2 boxes of candy hearts gratis just for her. It warmed our hearts. It also pissed us off slightly. Of course, we loved that they added a special something for her. But the gentleman who brought our order up made a big deal of pointing them out to D, which made it all the harder to get her to eat her food first and not hit the candy immediately. Long after he left we were engaged in conversation, including tears and drama, about why we have to eat our food before the candy. It began to get very Rain Man. Note to management: Very thoughtful touch, but how about something healthier (we'd even take an oatmeal cookie) and placing it discreetly on the tray so that parents can decide if and when Junior gets it? We're not ungrateful, really; it's just hard to fight the lure of candy...

Restaurant: We ate at Olives for breakfast in the midst of downtown business people wheeling and dealing. There was enough on the menu to keep D happy : cold cereals, oatmeal, sausages, etc. All of the food was quite good, but if you want to save Olives for dinner there are other options in the surrounding area, including the Coffee Shop across Union Square, which also does a nice lunch and is far more fashionable than the name would imply.

Being a W, of course there is the requisite lounge just off the lobby, providing comfortable seating by day and turning into quite the dimly-lit scene at night. There's also the Underbar in the basement which we didn't peep at - why tease ourselves? We didn't get to make a visit on this trip, obviously, but we'll be back.

Fitness & Spa Stuff: The paternal unit tried out the fitness center and loved it. Each treadmill has its own TV - a small thing, maybe, but a luxury when the person already there is into Oprah and you want SportsCenter. The hotel doesn't have a spa but they can arrange for in-room services including mani/pedis or massages.

Other Info: This hotel is dog-friendly: you'll see bowls of kibble and water by the front door, as well as a pet menu alongside the human ones for room service. We love dogs ourselves, but when a big golden retriever got off the elevator and made a lunge for D (who was doing nothing to excite or even attract said dog), we did have to wonder what W would have done if it had bitten D. Maybe something for them (and the growing number of pet-friendly hotels) to think about.

Lastly, W has a Whatever/Whenever service that will provide whatever, well, whenever. As long as its legal, they'll help you do it: you can see some of the more unusual things they've done on their website. Our admittedly lame request came about when we bought salads from Whole Foods Market across Union Square and forgot to get utensils. Whatever/Whenever provided us with full place settings for 3. There was a nominal fee for this service, but given that it made the meal much nicer, it was worth it.

Hmmm...maybe we can get them to redo our basement.

Busy Bodies

Kudos to last Sunday's New York Times Travel Section, which hipped us to the website Madallie.com, a children's travel store.

While you can't really reinvent the wheel when it comes to keeping kids occupied on the road, the fun products at Madallie are unique in style. They've got stuffed animals that are so plush and comfy that we're thinking of buying one for ourselves, and their magnetic games - slides and ladders and checkers are a few - put old games in fun new packaging.

Our real faves, though, aren't the games and finger puppets that are in abundance. Instead, we like the pseudo-grownup stuff, like the colorful luggage tags and passport holders. The travel journals also look really cool: they're great for helping kids keep track of what they've seen, done and God forbid, learned on their trips to Peru and Vietnam. There's even some funky stationery for camp or trips, a great tool to introduce kids to the dying art of writing letters instead of emails. (What? You mean people used to write on paper and mail it?)

Now when we prepare for our next trip we can make one online stop for all that "keep busy" stuff. Because isn't there enough stuff to do before traveling already?

Baby's Got Back

Backpack, that is.

Maybe you've given your tot his own Louis Vuitton luggage set. Or you've gone the other route and prefer to let your 5-year old drag a Jansen sportsac through the airport.

If you're like us, however, you fall somewhere in the middle. Louis Vuitton, God help us, not yet. But the ubiquitous monotone backpack? Too anonymous and boring. God forbid Junior puts it down at the airport, you'll never find it again.

Enter Little Packrats. This company, created by mother-of-twin-boys Cathy Berse-Hurley, makes backpacks that are creative enough to catch a child's fancy without being too whimsical. They're small enough for a toddler to carry while still being "cool" enough for the teen set. While these bags are not big or sturdy enough to use as checked luggage, they're great for carrying games and other "keep busy" items on board. (Which should reduce the burden on your shoulders by half, no?)

Made of durable vinyl, these will appeal to those who eschew leather. But even fans of animal hide will appreciate the quality of these bags, and with most of them at $40 a pop, you can equip your kid with a full menagerie for school and travel.

Artisans of Leisure

No, we haven't decided to change our name. Artisans of Leisure has been around longer than we have, and they're much more than a blog. To us, they're sort of like, well, GOD. In the form of a travel planner.

Picture this: a family of 12 ranging from a great-grandmother in her 80s to a 3-year old tyke, all heading to Russia. Or a father who gives all of his daughters customized trips to anywhere they want in the world when they turn 15.

Artisans of Leisure has handled all the details of trips like these, and they can handle yours too. What makes them such a standout company in our minds? For one, no age minimums (to which we say fabulous). If you want to head to China with 10-month old Junior in tow, no problem. They'll help arrange babysitters and age-appropriate itineraries, and will happily build in some down time for naps.

As the name would suggest, this is no ordinary group travel company. For one, all the hotels you'll be booked in will be top-notch (hello, spa, goodbye, Elmo). Trips include a private car and driver as well as private transfers to and from the airport. They cover any and every destination around the globe: the website gives examples of itineraries for some of their most-requested destinations, but they 'll plan a trip for just about anywhere your heart desires.

Your itinerary is tailor-made to fit you and the people in your group. While in Vietnam, you might visit the leading national theme park in Saigon as well as drop in on a Buddhist monastery to meet with monks. In England, a drive to Windsor Castle, home of the Queen, could include a stop along the way to play at Legoland, if that's your cup of tea.

And did we mention that oh-so-important word, private? Meaning that when your 10-month old starts screaming his lungs out as you tour Hong Kong, the only ones who'll be bothered are the rest of your family. (Which means, we hope, a little less glaring.)

Because the itineraries are customized for each group (and "group" can be anywhere from 2 people to 20, it's up to you), costs will vary. One thing you can be sure of, though: a vacation that will be worth every pretty penny.

www.artisansofleisure.com 800-214-8144

Travel + Leisure + Kids - We Love It

If you're a parent (which we're kind of assuming you are) and a subscriber to travel magazines like Travel + Leisure (call us crazy, but we figure that's a safe bet) then you probably already know that T+L has a great publication called T+L Family. With tips, reviews and all things family- and travel-oriented, this magazine is right up our alley. We just wish it came out more than 6x a year...

If you've never heard of this pub for parents, which has been out for a few years now, it might be because you can only get T+L Family if you're a subscriber to the parent publication - you won't find it on newsstands, you can't subscribe to it on its own and they don't really get overly aggressive with the marketing (which we are actually thankful for, as we get enough junk mail and spam as it is). Go to the T+L website, type in your account information for your T+L subscription, and you'll be able to request an additional (and free!) subscription to the family edition.

They've also added the Travel + Leisure Family Club, a membership club providing travel deals, concierge service, retail discounts and more - all with the family in mind - for the price of $139 a year. Although we love that this exists, we're not convinced of the real value of it yet: free concierge service and discounts are plentiful through credit cards or membership in any variety of clubs. The real hook here is the travel discounts, which we can't quantify yet but which we hope will include a lot of A-list places - you know, the types of places we're trying to keep tabs on right here at COL.

If you want to take the plunge right away, call 800-552-7885 or click on the link above. Once you do - or if you already belong - let us know what you think as you use the service, and if you've nabbed any great deals or otherwise gotten good mileage from this club. If you want to wait a while, we'll report back to you over time on what we're seeing... Stay tuned.

A Walk on the Wild Side

We love that so many tour companies are expanding their trips for families. No, it is not easy to bike through the French countryside visiting wineries with a toddler, or to kayak through the Galapagos with a 5-year old. But time was when we rarely saw anything of an active nature offered to the under-teen set, and that is thankfully changing.

National Geographic Expeditions has 9 tours in their 2007 travel catalog geared towards families with children as young as 8. The selections vary widely, from a 10-day trip to Tuscany (nicely timed to coincide with a viewing of Siena's exciting Palio) to a 13-day excursion to China. There are stateside offerings too, including 6 days of exploring the Alaskan wilderness (which looks to be already sold out!) and 6 days exploring Yellowstone and the Tetons.

The trips nicely blend adult and children's interests. In New Zealand, a wine-tasting is on the itinerary for adults while a special safari through the Lord of the Rings landscape should captivate the kids (and adults too, actually - it's breathtaking.) Adults can learn about castle architecture in Tuscany while the youngsters play soccer with local children. Of course, there's much about all of the trips that will appeal to both adults and children: visiting castles, hiking, kayaking, and just learning about different cultures.

Lodging isn't really luxury class for most of these trips, but that's not the National Geographic specialty. What is is active fun and learning about new cultures - and to paraphrase a popular ad, that's priceless.

The Skies are Much Friendlier with One Sky

Monday's NY Times ran an article about One Sky, a company that runs a private jet membership program in which members can either prepay for their flying or pay as they go. While the prices might still be considered steep by some - a one-way from Newark to Tampa in a light jet started at around $5300 - they certainly beat the costs associated with owning your own jet.

The charter airplane market isn't exactly new, but One Sky is making it easier to get a slightly deeper discount by allowing people to reserve an "empty leg" - a return trip for a plane that's only been reserved one-way, similar to a cruise's repositioning trip. Their website has an easy search engine allowing you to look up available empty legs. We won't go into all the nuts and bolts here - the article sums it up quite nicely and One Sky's website is very simple to use - but we thought it was worth a mention. At the prices you might pay for the whole family to fly anyhow, the comfort and convenience of a private jet could well be worth the higher price tag. If you've flown with One Sky, let us know what you think...

Because Comfort Takes Priority

(photo by Joe Shlabotnik)


Airport waiting areas are not exactly the height of luxury. But how to get into one of those airport lounges without racking up 1 million miles on one airline first? Or what if your Platinum program doesn't have a lounge in your terminal of departure?

Enter Priority Pass. This fabulous program is targeted towards business travelers but is open to anyone willing to ante up the yearly membership fees. Membership plans are staggered based on your anticipated usage: a fee of $399 gets you into over 500 airport lounges worldwide for a year, or you can pay $99 a year and then $24 per lounge visit. (The $399 is generally less than you'll pay for membership to one airline's program with no frequent flyer discount.)

Lounges from Continental's Presidents Club and Delta's Crown Club are well-represented, although American's Admirals Club is conspicuously absent. A handy lounge guide is mailed to all members, with changes emailed and mailed throughout the year. You can also download the guide to your computer or PDA, or just check the website for a specific airport and terminal.

The best part? Guests are allowed, meaning every family member doesn't need to be signed up for access. In most cases you'll pay a $24 guest access fee (again, often cheaper than the airline's own day-access pass), and in some cases, kids under a certain age are allowed in free. Each lounge sets its own rules regarding guests but in one instance, a lounge attendant refused to charge us for our 18-month old although the rules dicated otherwise, which we greatly appreciated. (On the other hand, virtually all of the UK lounges ban children under 12 altogether - obviously the wave in luxury family travel hasn't caught on over there yet...) All in all, it's a great way for frequent travelers to get a little more comfort at the airport without being a slave to one particular airline...

And not to worry. On the occasions we've visited these lounges, we've seen everyone from small infants to teens in the facilities. Perks include non-alcoholic beverages, cheese, crackers, fruit, and periodicals, all gratis, not to mention comfortable seating, clean non-crowded bathrooms (equipped with changing tables!), WiFi access, meeting rooms and other business facilities. Some lounges even include showers, if you're so inclined.

In other words, a much nicer way to spend all that down time at the airport waiting for your flight...

Before and After

Yes, we promised you reviews of luxury properties to which you can feel comfortable toting the little ones. But we realize that getting to the chic hotel, that incredible spa, or that oh so relaxing beach entails some work. First, you've got to get there - no easy feat in these days of usually unpleasant (and sometimes surreal) travel. Then you have to do it all in reverse to get back home - a task which is practically guaranteed to leave you needing another vacation pronto.

So, in hopes of making the whole process more tolerable, if not exactly fun, we're also going to be including helpful tips to ease the pain. After all, it's bad enough having to do this stuff alone. Add kids to the mix, whether preoccupied teens or rambunctious toddlers, and it's enough to make you stay home.

Okay, maybe not. After all, you love to travel, so you suffer the pains (may we say indignities?) that traveling sometimes foists on you. Here's hoping we can help you suffer a little less, and enjoy yourself a little longer.

Up next: lounging at the airport in (relative) comfort.

So What Is This Anyhow?

(photo by Rodolfo Nunez)

We like to travel. Correction: we love to travel. And we love to travel with our children. However, while we appreciate places such as Beaches for creating havens where kids can be, well, kids, we really applaud and love places where stylish pampering for adults is complemented with catering to the littlest ones in the group. It's certainly to the property's benefit: after all, today's babe in swim diapers is tomorrow's paying guest. And why should the adults have to forfeit all sense of style to stare at Elmo all day while on vacation? Who's paying for this trip anyhow?

What you'll see here: reviews of properties including what special amenities are available for the master and miss, what keeps it attractive for adults, and any unique qualities of the property. We travel incognito so if we ever receive upgrades or any special treatment, we'll tell you and let you know why (we'll hope it's just because we're so charming?)

One word of advice: we hope you know that it's up to you to see to it that the young ones are well-behaved at appropriate times. We're constantly surprised at how often we see parents who are still checking their Blackberries but are somehow on vacation from minding their children. No, we're not interested in shushing our offspring every minute either - they are, after all, on vacation too. But there's a time and place for everything, and if you feel you are powerless to prevent Sophie and Alex from running through the restaurant or shrieking in the hallways, then maybe these properties aren't for you. (Or maybe you'll just be ordering a lot of room service.) You'll get not-so-nice stares from other guests and the staff may be none too pleased either. So be honest with yourself about how well-behaved your children are, and plan accordingly - it'll make for a better vacation for everyone.