If you are planning to explore any one of the well-known caverns during your family vacation this winter but still have questions about the caves and how your kids or teens will fare during these tours, here is information that may alleviate your concerns.

* If you are taking any of the walking tours available, it is recommended that you do not carry a child without support.  Also, strollers and wheelchairs are not permitted in the caves.

* Children should be old enough to walk in the caves.  Also keep in mind there are narrow pathways and low ceilings that require a bit of maneuvering by them as well.

* Good health is required for kids as well as adults.  Anyone who has a heart or lung condition or any woman who is pregnant should forego exploring caverns.

* All family members must be in good health when exploring the Gold Cliff Mines.  If there are special needs required, you should notify the guide before taking the tour.

* No backpacks should be utilized during exploration of the caverns.

* Everyone who is touring the caverns will have to sign a waiver.

* If you choose to rappel down Moaning Cavern, children must be at least 12 years of age, weigh a minimum of 100 pounds, and be a minimum of four feet tall.

* If you plan to take the Zip Lines, you must weigh approximately 70 to 260 pounds.  There is no age limit at any zip line facility.  However, a waiver must be signed here as well.

* Walking tours of mines require that every person wears a hard hat.  Children must be at least four years of age.

Whether you are planning a trip to the Black Chasm Caverns, Mammoth Cave, the Gold Cliff Mines, Moaning Cavern, Carlsbad Cavern, or taking the Zip Lines over the foot hills of Gold Country – the more you know about the rules and regulations for each location, the better prepared you and your children will be to enjoy any one of these exciting trips.

You can find more information on the weather, what to wear, and facilities available at each location online.

* Bring bottles of water, kids get thirty and dehydrate quicker than adults do – bottled water costs $2 at a lot of major parks
* Sunscreen everybody, every time – getting burnt ruins the fun
* Buddy system – everybody has a buddy and travels in twos
* Everyone gets a map as soon as you arrive and you agree on a meeting spot on that map (mark it with a pen!) in case of separation
* Let them pick things from the map to do so they feel a part of the decision making process
* Don’t push them into riding something they are afraid of it will dampen the experience for them
* Avoid pricey park snacks by carrying crackers and dried fruit in a waterproof bag
* You can arm the kids with walkie talkies or cell phones just in case of separation or a problem
* You can pack a cooler full of sandwiches for lunch and have lunch at your vehicle or a picnic area

Sometimes hotel costs are a part of a package.  At all-inclusive resorts, they are the backbone of the vacation.  A hotel may be an important part of the vacation, or it may just be a place to spend the night.  Either way, hotel savings are readily available.

If you have used Holiday Inn before you had the children, you may know that all children stay free.  This includes those as old as nineteen, as long as they stay in their parents’ room.  You can get this discount by calling the hotel chain directly.

Some Holiday Inns have KidSuites.  These hotels are free for kids, plus you can often get good deals on the adult prices.  They are special rooms for children that are contained within the parents’ suite.  They are often geared to younger children.

One such hotel is their Nickelodeon Family Suites.  These suites come with special sleeping quarters for young children.  The hotel also has children’s activities.  Each room is even equipped with a game system such as PlayStation 2.

For a variety of deals, try Choice Hotels International’s website.  There are rooms where kids eighteen and under stay for free.  They must be in the room with their parents or grandparents.  Also, be aware that they are only free if no additional bedding is required.

This website sometimes offers travel discounts for friends and families of Little Leaguers of fifteen percent off.  There is no need to try to prove your status with the team, either.  Check the website to make sure the deal is on. Then, you just need to mention it when you make your reservations.

A guarantee for the best rate on the internet is also available through this site.  Find the best price you can through Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, or any other travel pricing site.  Then you fill out a form and send it to them.  They will match the best price and give you ten percent off.

There are all kinds of accommodations that use this same concept of “kids stay free.”  If you do some research on the internet or consult your travel agent, you will find them.  There are bed and breakfast inns that have such rates.  Even resorts in such luxurious destinations as Hawaii have deals like this.

If you are looking for a hotel near Disneyland with a kids-for-free policy, make sure your child is considered a kid by the hotel.  Disneyland has a low cut-off for kids’ rates.  So do many of these hotels.  A kid is often considered to be only someone between the ages of three and nine.

Sometimes you travel with your kids for reasons that are less than fun.  If a family member is in the hospital, you may need to stay at a nearby hotel.  In this case, you can call the hospital for information.  They may be able to lead you to discounts at hotels in close proximity to the hospital.

In any case, there is no need to pay the full rate for children’s hotel rooms.  A little research goes a long way.  There are great hotel prices for kids wherever you turn.

3. Powdered meals. Take along ready to mix pancake powder for instance, then you can simply mix in a bit of water in the morning and you’ll soon have pancakes for breakfast. Powdered eggs are another idea, though regular eggs will keep for several days out of the fridge as long as the weather isn’t super hot. If you like potato flakes, you can take a box of those along too for making mashed potatoes or potato pancakes.

4. Corn and Potatoes. Corn on the cob and whole potatoes will keep for many days without having to be refrigerated, and they’re extremely easy to cook on an open fire or in a barbecue grill. Just wrap them in tin foil, and lay them close to the coals for a few hours. Carefully remove and unwrap them, and you have wonderful fresh cooked food!

You can also take a shredding tool along with you, and shred some of the raw potatoes into hash browns. A multi purpose tool or knife will allow you to slice the potatoes instead, and if you’ve also packed some kind of solid shortening, you can fry these easily in a skillet over the fire or barbecue.

5. Meats. When going on a family camping trip, meat is always a mainstay for the meals. Meat doesn’t keep well unfortunately, but there are ways you can approach this issue for longer camping trips. Stick with easy grillable meats such as hot dogs, hamburger patties and steaks or ribs, then freeze several days worth of these items solid. Pack them together into a heavily insulated cooler, and it will take them several days to thaw completely. Cook the most thawed meats first of course, so the partially frozen items can continue sharing their coldness for a little longer.

In addition to packing frozen meat, also be sure to packed canned meats too. This is actually the easiest way to take meat along on camping trips, so if you don’t have room for a big cooler just go with this option instead. Almost any kind of meat can be bought in cans these days: Little hot dogs, corned beef hash, roast beef, chicken, tuna, etc. Be sure to bring a manual can opener though, or you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to find ways to open the cans!

6. Staples. Last but not least, always take a few staples with you on your camping trip. Staples include things like dried rice and beans, misc canned goods, condiments such as ketchup and mustard, plus sugar, and coffee or tea.

Powdered drinks are usually a good idea too because they’re easier to pack, easier to keep, and simply need to be mixed with water when they’re needed. With that said: Don’t forget to pack plenty of water for cooking, drinking, and dousing the fire when you leave.

Other items that are usually considered “must have” staples for camping trips include marshmallows for roasting. And if your family plans to have s’mores on the camping trip, don’t forget the graham cracker and chocolate squares.

One last very important tip about packing food for family camping trips: Be sure to put everything in tightly seal-able containers or bags, and never dump extra food near your campsite or in any garbage bins around the campgrounds. Open or badly sealed food containers, and food dumped on the ground or in garbage cans will draw wild animals into the campground area. This can happen even in public campground areas, but particularly in state parks or remote wilderness areas. So be sure to close everything up at night, and pack it back into your vehicle or solidly sealed coolers and containers before going to sleep.

The dream of going to Disneyland fills the heads of children worldwide.  Just the mention of a vacation to that destination will make their eyes light up and their imaginations run wild.  The park isn’t cheap, but you can use discounts to make your children’s Disneyland dreams come true.

You could go to the park and pay at the gate, by the day.  You could, that is, if you wanted to spend the most amount of money possible.  One way to get better deals is to get them online directly from Disney.  Go to Disneyland’s official website and check the ticket deals.  You can save as much as fifty dollars per ticket.

One service that the Disney site offers is a vacation planner that specializes in Disney vacations.  This agent will help you explore all the package deals available.  These could include airfare, hotels, and tickets.  Once you decide, the planner will book your vacation for you.

The Southern California City Pass allows holders to visit several theme parks with one pass.  The pass is good for fourteen days beginning on the first day it is used.  The first days, up to three days, are spent at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.  Then the pass holder gets admission to attractions like the San Diego Zoo or Sea World on other days.

The combined prices of all the attractions for an adult would be $329, and for a kid, $260.  The City Pass prices are $235 for adults and $189 for kids.  To get the savings, however, you need to make full use of your pass.  If you skip some of the attractions, you might as well have bought the tickets individually.

Trips advertised on auction sites such as EBay or craigslist often seem too good to be true.  They usually are, because the tickets clearly state that they are nonrefundable.  If someone has used a part of the trip, you won’t be able to use the remaining portion.

Most of the legitimate good discounts for Disneyland come from travel websites, Disney sources, or travel agents.  You can usually find discount tickets at ARES Travel at a good price.  This is a travel service that makes itself available over the internet.  Be sure to figure in the ten dollar FedEx charge they add in for shipping.

If you don’t have an AAA membership, it might be the time to get one.  It may allow you to spend less on hotel rooms and other aspects of your Disneyland vacation.  Disney Visa also offers discounts.  You can get them just for acquiring the card before you book your trip.

Disney has various packages that include resort hotel rooms, tickets, and sometimes airfare.  They also offer “Good Neighbor” vacation packages where you stay in a more inexpensive hotel a few blocks from Disneyland.  Many of these hotels have free evening activities for the kids.

For vacation packages, it is helpful to know which seasons of the year are the most expensive.  Spring, Thanksgiving, and Christmas vacations are all peak times.  You probably won’t get good deals for these days.

The best discounts can be had in the value season.  This includes the very first of the year, May and June, and September through mid-November.  If you book in advance for these days, you should be able to get a fantastic deal.  If you search the internet travel and city sites, you might just find yourself and your kids on a dream vacation in Disneyland.

A New Year’s party gives us the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with those we care about.  We often put a lot of thought into the decorations, foods served, and activities.  Invitations are also an important part of any party, but we often just buy a cheap pack at the party supply store and fill in the blanks.

Why not make your own invitations instead?  Sure, it will take a little more time, but you can also customize them to the theme of your party.  And handmade invitations show your guests just how much you value their presence at your celebration.  Here are some tips for creating your own invites:

* If you’re pressed for time, the computer can be a big help.  A good card-printing program should have plenty of invitations to choose from, and many general printing programs have invitation templates as well.  You can customize these templates and add photos to make them more unique.  Once they’re printed, you can add some scrapbook embellishments for a special touch.

* If you’re using scrapbooking paper for your invitations, its size and weight might make it difficult to print on.  You could type up the information and print it on regular printer paper, then cut it out and paste to the inside of the invitation to prevent having to write it over and over.

* Calligraphy adds an elegant touch to any invitation.  But it’s important make sure that the important information about the party is legible.  If you’re new to calligraphy, do a sample and have several other people try to read it before going forward.

* Don’t feel obligated to make a traditional card-type invitation.  You could print invitations on a lighter weight paper, roll it up, and tie with ribbon to create a scroll.  Origami invitations also make a unique impression.  These types of invitations will have to be hand delivered, so they’re not the best choices for invitees who live far away.

* Another fun idea for invitations that will be delivered by hand is to put them in a helium balloon.  Adding a small amount of confetti will make these invitations especially festive.

* Even if you type and print the invitations themselves, signing them by hand will add a personal touch.  You could also add a short handwritten note if you like.

Creating your own New Year’s party invitations doesn’t have to be difficult.  You can make them as simple or elaborate as you like.  And best of all, you’re not limited by what you can find in the store.  You can easily match your party’s theme and color scheme and add lots of personality to your invitations.  So what are you waiting for?  Getting started early will give you plenty of time to create the perfect invitations.

Many people celebrate the New Year by observing certain traditions.  Some eat twelve grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve for good luck.  Others eat hoppin’ john and greens to bring luck and prosperity over the coming year.  And many cultures have traditional New Year’s cakes that they eat each year.

Even if a specific type of cake isn’t part of your New Year’s tradition, a sweet treat is always welcome at a celebration.  Making a festive New Year’s cake for your guests doesn’t have to be difficult.  Here are some cake ideas that are sure to be a hit.

* Chinese New Year Cake – This cake, made with glutinous rice flour called Nian Gao, is traditionally consumed during Chinese New Year.  But it makes a nice dish for the Gregorian calendar New Year as well.  The traditional recipe is rather complicated and must be steamed, but there is a simpler baked version as well.

* Vasilopita – This delicious and easy-to-make cake is served by the Greeks at New Year, during which they also celebrate the life of Saint Basil.  A coin (which may be wrapped in foil) is baked into the cake, and the person who finds it in his piece is supposed to have good luck all year.

* Confetti Cake – What could be more festive than a cake that looks like it has been sprinkled with confetti?  You can add colored sprinkles to yellow or white cake mix just before pouring into the pan.  Be careful to mix them in gently and quickly, and to bake immediately – otherwise the colors will bleed into the batter.  Add liberal amounts of sprinkles to the frosting, top with decorative sprays, and you have a fun and yummy cake for your New Year celebration.

* Fresh Apple Cake – Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated with a number of traditional foods.  One of these is apples dipped in honey, which represents the hope of a sweet upcoming year.  Another way you could incorporate apples into your New Year celebration is with a fresh apple cake.  You can find plenty of recipes to choose from online.

* Fruit Cake – Fruit cake is a perennial holiday favorite, and it makes a delicious treat for your New Year’s party.  If you want some variety, add a couple of different kinds of nuts and some chocolate chips.

A delicious cake makes a wonderful accompaniment to the New Year’s toast.  It also makes a nice gift for those who won’t be ringing in the New Year with you.  Whether it’s a culturally traditional dessert or just one of your favorite recipes, a cake can help make the holiday that much sweeter.

Camping for the first time is an exciting experience and sometimes it’s the sheer excitement that makes your child unsettled. But if your child is very young, he may actually become homesick for his familiar home and toys while on a camping trip. How can you help him settle in?

One way is to bring several of his favorite toys along to keep him company. Reassure him that you will all be returning home at the end of the trip and that all his other toys will still be there. Make sure that he is comfortable; not too hot or too cold, and that he has plenty of his favorite food and drinks. Eating familiar food will help make the camping experience less alien to him.

It’s a good idea to practice sleeping out in the backyard in that tent before you set off on the camping trip. This will make him feel familiar with it all. But once you are actually camping, make sure he realizes that he can’t just get up and go into the house if he’s unhappy.

Once you are settled in, the idea is to make sure your child is absorbed by what is happening around him. It’s a wise idea to try a short camping holiday fairly close to home for the first time and then if it is a disaster, you can get home quickly and try again in a year or two.

If he is old enough, he may be able to take part in all the activities that are planned. If he seems unsure, you will want to stay with him until he gains more confidence. Never push him away and leave him with strangers if he is unhappy.

Children who are old enough to do some jobs should be given that responsibility and encouraged to do what is set for them to do. This will help to make them feel important and part of the scene. They also need rules about what they can do and where they can go. Rules and boundaries will help them to feel safe.

Be sure to tell your child clearly what will be happening on the camping trip. Go over the list of activities planned for each day and remind them what is about to happen. If other family members are engaged in different activities, let your little ones know ahead of time when the family is to meet up for meals and things like that. Small children live in the present and if they see some of their family disappearing into the unknown (to them) territory, it can be devastating because they think they will never see them again. So keep in mind these few ways in which to settle your youngster into camping life and you will both have a happier camp.

The Christmas stocking is a holiday staple for families with children.  Kids love to get up on Christmas morning and see what kinds of goodies Santa has left them!  Small stockings are also great for decoration, and they’re ideal for holding small gifts to give to your friends and family.

Making felt stockings is very easy, and it’s a great family project.  Here’s how to do it:

What You Need

* Felt
* Cardboard or card stock
* Marker
* Scissors
* Straight pins
* Needle and thread
* White faux fur and other embellishments

Instructions

1.  Draw a stocking shape of the desired size on a piece of cardboard or card stock.  Cut out.

2.  Place the cardboard shape on the felt, trace around it, and cut out.  Make two pieces for each stocking.

3.  If you want to sew buttons, fabric or other embellishments on the stocking, it will be much easier to do so before you sew it together.  Just make sure to sew them onto the side that will be facing outward.

4.  Pin the pieces of felt together, wrong sides facing out, and sew around the edges with a sewing machine or by hand.  Be sure not to sew the top closed.

5.  Turn the stocking inside out so that the seams are now on the inside.  Decorate the outside using fabric paint, glitter, beads, or anything else you like.  Sew a strip of faux fur to the top if desired.

6.  Cut a strip of felt an inch or so wide and 3 or 4 inches long.  Fold it in half to make a loop and sew it to the top left corner of the stocking.

Letting the kids decorate their own stockings gives them an opportunity to express themselves.  They could add charms that reflect their interests and hobbies, make pictures with beads, or use finger paint to add handprints.  Tubes of fabric paint or glitter glue make it easy for them to write messages to Santa and add their names.

Scraps of holiday fabric are great for adding a decorative touch to stockings.  You could cut out shapes such as Christmas trees, angels, or reindeer and sew or glue them to the front of the stocking.  If you want a different look, you could even use a sturdy fabric such as canvas instead of felt to make the body of the stocking.

Making and decorating your own Christmas stockings is lots of fun, and it’s very inexpensive.  Whether you’re making them to hang on the tree, fill with gifts for friends, or place on the mantle for Santa to stuff, it’s a wonderful way to get the family creative together during the holidays.

The holidays are approaching and our thoughts turn to gifts for our loved ones.  Do you have a toddler you’re shopping for?  Make sure you are choosing safe toys for your tot.  You should always make sure you are buying toys that are for their age and skill ability.  It is frustrating for a three year old to try to play a game meant for a five year old.  Some toys may prove to be a safety hazard if it contains small parts.  Small parts fit easily into a toddler’s mouth and could be a choking hazard.  Small children and infants automatically put items in their mouths.

Small children love plush toys and they are a good gift selection.  However, make sure they are safe for your tot by looking at the construction of the toys.  Are the eyes, nose, and other small features fastened on tightly?  These must be tightly secured so they won’t come off if the child chews on it.

Avoid any toy with sharp edges.  A toy with a sharp edge can be a potential safety hazard if the tot has the toy and is walking or running.  Again, they like to put things in their mouth, so a sharp toy could potentially damage their mouth.

Electric toys with heating elements are to be bought for children over eight years of age.  Don’t be tempted to buy these because they’re a bargain and would be fun to play with.  When children are playing unsupervised any toy with electrical heating elements are unsafe and can be hazardous.

Read labels before buying.  Labels give age and safety recommendations to guide you in which age group the toy is suitable for.  Also, look at the instructions.  If you can’t understand them, then probably your child won’t be able to understand them either.

Avoid another safety hazard for your tot by immediately throwing away all plastic wrappings from the toys.  These are a suffocation hazard.

Before you buy toys for your tot, check to see if they’ve been recalled.  The U.S. consumer Product Safety Commission can tell you if a toy has been recalled that pose a serious safety threat to your tot.  You can visit their website at www.cpsc.gov by calling a toll free number.  That number is (800) 638-2772.  You might be surprised when you find out some of the leading toy makers have recalled toys.  It would be a good idea to check older toys that a child may have to be sure they are not on the recall list.  The website will also give you the information on what to do with a toy that you have that is on the recall list.

Some of the toys that are on the list are by well-known toy companies including toy companies that we trust to make safe toys for our tots.  A few of the toys on the recall list are:

Little People Animal Sounds Farm by Fisher-Price.  The screws that hold the stall doors in place have been reported to have come off and pose a choking or aspiration hazard to a small child.  There was a report of a child aspirating the screw into his lungs.  Emergency surgery was performed to remove the screw.

Woody Dolls that were distributed by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts also have been recalled.  The doll’s buttons are not secured and can detach and pose a choking hazard for young children.

Drumsticks sold with toy drum sets by Battat Incorporated.  The end piece of the drumstick handle can break off and the screw at the end of the drumstick can loosen and detach.  Both pose a chocking hazard for small children.

Watch for those twisty ties that keep toys secure in their packages.  They may keep them looking nice in the store but are a hazard as they are taken off the toy.  They often have a small plastic backing between the cardboard and the tie.  Even if your toddler’s toys don’t have these, an older sibling might receive a toy with them.  They need to be properly discarded to avoid any danger to a younger child.

If you are a parent or grandparent considering which toys to buy for your little ones, please be aware of the above listed safety considerations.  Keep the holidays happy and safe for your tot.  Do your research and buy the toys that are suitable to the age of your child.