Travel, vacation & …swimming pool, beach, sea , ocean

Travel, vacation & …swimming pool, beach, sea , ocean  

Many of us have experienced that Traveling with kids, as a family, is not always just pleasure…and I already heard many parents say:  it's better to stay at home than boarding on a plane as a family.

Well, my first recommendation is to read some articles, get some tips browsing the web…some articles are standard and state the obvious, many of them try to sell us something…but sometimes, we get this specific tip…that fits us, and which can make the holiday much more pleasant….

I wanted to share with you how we got to make the Water Slig….

So we were a big family already…..taking a vacation with 3 kids….., like a friend told me: Good Luck….

So we were at this place by the ocean, and they also had a pool …and I challenge you to go into the water with 3 kids ages; 1 year, 3 years, and 8 years old….

What a celebration, who shall I hold…. I started juggling

My oldest already new to swim, but insisted I would play with him

My middle child, 3.5 years old, wanted to play…and as he still does not swim…you need to hold him and assist so he will not be drawn….

And the youngest, 1.5 years old also want to join the celebration – and well with her you need to be super careful

And you as where my wife was, well it’s a vacation…she was taking a NAP…

So I tried to enter the pool with my baby in a baby wrap sling….my baby was wrapped and secured and I could assist my second child….it worked BUT

The fabric absorbed the water and became very heavy

It took ages to dry afterwards….and meanwhile we could use our sling ….

So for me this kind of things are a challenge…

We looked over several fabrics and at the end we had 2 options

1.       Mesh fabric – like they use for sports shirts (football , soccer, basketball…)

2.       Dry fit – the new kind of fabrics used for sport in the past recent years.

We found out that the mesh fabric was lighter in the water and more comfortable, since it a mesh, the fabric did not "catch air" like a balloon – ware as with the dry fit fabric, it was not comfortable….

Why over the shoulder SLING, and not carrier style with 2 straps

1.       Size, place in the bags – we wanted something small and compact, like the Sack'n seat

2.       We found out that this way – one hand can secure the baby, and the other hand has more freedom to assist the other kids in the water.

As an extra bonus – we found out that this is a great sling for traveling….when you are out with the stroller, for example, …and do not have space to take all the other things – it’s a great solution for a handy sling…

So

What will you do on your next vacation…

Travel, vacation & …bedwetting….at night - a product is born

Travel, vacation & …bedwetting….at night

Many of us have experienced that Traveling with kids, as a family, is not always just pleasure…and I already heard many parents say:  it's better to stay at home than boarding on a plane as family.

Well my first recommendation is to read some articles, get some tips browsing the web…some articles are standard and state the obvious, many of them try to sell us something…but sometimes , we get this specific tip…that fits us, and which can make the holiday much more pleasant….

I wanted to share with you how we got to make the Soft'n Dry….

At that time, when we traveled, our kids were 4 and 6 years old (a boy and a girl…)

Well, they were both long past the diaper stage…but from time to time, it happened that they had a bedwetting issue at night.

Usually,it happened when they were emotionally troubled or been sick, had a cold.

And yes, going to a vacation, sleeping in foreign bed, for some kids, it's an issue and can be emotionally hard.

I recall that one of my kids, had a period of constant bedwetting problem, every night.

You can imagine (or maybe you also experience…), every day to change the bedsheets, every day to make laundry, every day…every day…

And we had this mattress protection which you put UNDER the sheets….but still you have to change it every day…

If you have this problem as well, you understand me….

And then you go traveling, or even on a vacation for one week….

AND, on the first night in the hotel….where you suppose to stay the whole week…your child "made his bed" at night, what's now?

What are you going to do all week? What an embarrassment with the hotel…shell we tell them? Ask to change the shits? What about the mattress…

So this was US….what now?

So we were in India at that time….I went to look in babies /  kids stores if there is something to protect the mattress like we had at home.

And of course I did NOT find what I looked for…..BUT

I found something that the locals are using instead of diapers….as using disposable diapers making all this garbage is a problematic issue in India, since in many cases there is no garbage disposal system, and they have to burn their own waste….in many times they avoid diapers, and just let the kids go without anything…

And from there, the conversion of the product and material to something which can be useful in our world was very quick.

For few months we used it ourselves,  tried it in various options, sizes as well in different weather (winter /summer…)…

And with few adjustments and changes….we got to the Soft'n Dry….

It might looks like simple fabric, and it IS…But

• It is super absorbent
• It dries very fast
• The water (pee) spreads widely on the fabric, and not just gather where the spot is…
• It saves a LOT of hustle
• You protect the mattress; it dries in less than 30 minutes after washing
• No need for full laundry round,

And most important

You do not have to change all the bedsheets every day !!!

Its recycled materials, it Hypoallergenic,,,,

So

What will you do on your next vacation…

Soft'n Dry…..it comes in different sizes and colors…

How does a product is born

Bringing a product to life is usually a long process...

One of the reasons for this journey is to find again the sparks of creation again. Sitting at home/studio every day got us a little board, plus all the daily tasks and logistics of manufacturing, delivering, collecting...takes at the end of the day to much energy.

I must admit, that 4 months now into our trip, and only lately I found the time to sit and think, gather thoughts that rise along the trip

We rented a house in Goa, kids going to a local international "school" (if you can call it a school...don't imagine classes, big building ...

We have set up a relatively good internet connection (which is big deal in india...- if you are not in one of the big cities)

So everything is set up for work, for developing...but it doesnt come...so many ideas are throuwn into the basket. over the years I had so many things I wanted to do, not only for babies/kids but now, nothing seems right at first...

I try to stick to whats going on around us, what we are missing, what would have helped us in our travel... 

So, I have something in mind, but it's too early to share...

The first stage when you have an idea, is checking the web and see if there are similar things or solutions, in our world there is almost nothing to invent, if there is a need - most likely there will be a solution already.

Sometimes all you need is to see if your solution is good, better than whats on the market, a different angle which is worth making your own product, design, significant improvement to similar solutions......

for small business like us, it is very essential to bring something else, not usually common, otherwise we will have to compete from start with companies which has much more power and funds to promote their solutions, it will not always work since being diferent or bringing unique solutions sometimes has its deficulties, you need to educate the market...but once in a while you make the break, the sack'n seat in its time was great solution to common problem parents faced and unique enough to stand out and get on its own its name, we had enough time to get our brand known before similar solutions came along.

Traveling, Kids, Electronics

Traveling, Kids, Electronics

Here is something people do not get enough attention to while preparing for travel…

We are family of 5: 2 adults, 1 teenager, 2 kids ages 7, 10,….so we carry

2 laptops (sometimes 3)

2 iPads,

3 mobile phones

This is something worth a lot of money, and something that needs to prepare for traveling mode,  pay attention how to manage all this

Fully charge all devices before you leave 

Seems obvious, but in the stressed-out mayhem that can reign before you go on a trip with your kids, it can be easy to forget charging your devices. Plug them in, and pack them fully-charged. You might still run out of battery power along the way, but at least you're as prepared as you can be. I know from experience that kids can really use up a lot of battery power if you experience a flight delay, or if you're on a long-haul flight

Bring your cables with you - in your hand luggage
While it's usually pretty easy to remember our actual devices, is can be easy to forget the cables that go with those devices: bring them all, and keep them close. You might need them to recharge your phone or tablet during your trip, for example, if you get stuck at an airport because of a flight delay.

My tip: Cable organizer kit/cable bag- as there are many cable organizers on the market. You can always find a small pouch which will be the cable pouch.

Check for data plan
Most people know about this these days, but it is still good to think about ahead of time. Check with your provider how much it will cost you to use mobile data when you're traveling, just so you don't end up with an astronomical bill when you return home. Use wifi when possible (it's available for free in so many places these days, including many hotels, airports and restaurants), and also make sure you've turned off any automatic updates on your device that might cost you.

My Tip: buy local SIM card with data plan wherever you go, it would be the cheapest way, and as you don’t always get free WiFi especially when you are on the road…it is very helpful to have a connection when using maps and such..

Bring converters and adapters
every country has different socket,,,Bring  power converters or adapters in order to plug in all your various devices. We travel with several, and two of them allow for USB-charging as well.

My tip: If you didn’t find any while preparing, you can find one in every airport.

Bring a power strip
many people fall in this one !. Bring a power strip so that you can recharge several devices at once, using just one outlet. This can even be useful at airports:

Imagine yourself getting to your hotel room, while you find only one socket and you need to recharge 7 devices…

Get a good cover for your device
It's an unfortunate reality that things you pack in your hand luggage might get squashed on a flight. Whether your bag goes in the overhead compartment, or under the seat in front of you, that bag might very well get flattened, crushed, and otherwise mauled. A good cover will protect your phone, tablet, laptop, or e-reader from damage.

Be ready to unpack your devices at security
When you go through security at the airport, you will usually be asked to remove any "large" electronic devices from your bag. In my experience, this always includes laptops, usually includes tablets, and sometimes includes cell-phones as well. The devices are then sent through the x-ray machine separately from the rest of your hand-luggage. Just be ready to remove them all, and keep them readily accessible in your bag. A backpack or bag with a separate compartment for your laptop or tablet can really help speed up the process of security. It also helps keep your device safe, so it's a win-win.

A portable charger for your phone 
Traveling with cell-phones and other electronics means you are always looking for places to recharge those devices.

Rules

 Agreed rules for "screen time" for the kids during the holiday can make it easier for everyone, and prevent fights. On the other hand, just remember that being on transit, airports or trains, is not regular time, for some kids, especially on their first trip, it can be stressful times, unfamiliar zone… and it might be easier for everyone, to break the rules  

Have a safe trip…..

just wanted to remind you of our online store

Hello To....

Hello To....

There are endless kind of dessert....

While traveling in Asia, it is rare that you would find decent western deserts...and the local sweets are not what we used or expected to ...

If in India the traveler's desserts go to Banoffee Pie or Bagsu Cake (also known as Kudli cake  - no one really knows who was first)

In Nepal, travelers go for the king of the kings...

Hello To

there are many variation for this deserts

Hello to the King

Hello to the Quine

Hello to Jamuna...

Hello to Vardina....

The Recipe:

1. first stage:

biscuits, butter, banana

Break the biscuits into small pieces, slice the banana, mix together for 1-2 min in a pan, on low flame.

Put in a serving bowl

2. add 3 balls of vanilla ice cream

3. put the extras: It can be a piece of bagsu cake, or chocolate balls, peanut butter balls...

....

3*  the kings of the kings as extra: 

take a chapati (or any kind of spring roll dove) 

take a piece of any kind of chocolate bar (snicker, bounty, mars...

roll as spring roll and fry for a couple of minutes

place on the top of the ice cream

4. Pour chocolate syrop on top of everything

this is how your kids will look after eating it...

Bonapetit   :)

Earthquake in Nepal or What have you done last week...

So what did you do last week…

Nepal started as very peaceful and welcoming…good accommodation in very nice, cheap and popular guest house, good food and specially meeting friends from our hometown in Israel.

The Leb family

I know its not a special pictures...but meeting good friends after 7 months, is a celebration for us

Actually it is going to be month full of friend as another family of good friends from our hometown is coming to meet with us later on

Well after "boring" start, things got little changed to the extreme...

At this stage, normally I would write you details about the places we stayed, about the beautiful nature and great mountain view you can see only in Nepal, the great hospitality at the guest hose and the nice village people along our trek

But as the old sentence says:  People plan and god lough…

We have been through an Earth Quake !!!

After week of preparations, buying gear , warm clothes, we finally headed to the trek. Since we have small kids, we planned a not so difficult one.

The 7 hour ride to the sayberu besi, the town from which we are going to start, was very bad, nothing to write home about.

last one before we f to the trek

We have only started to trek early in the morning around 7 am

it was a beautiful day, we stopped by the river for some swimming and tea...

And then, at about noon

PA PAM, BLrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr STAGADAM,
 (soory no pictures we were little busy saving our lives...)

The earth moved. To say moved is a very big underestimation

The earth, moved, shacked all around, rocks falling down around us, land slides…and we are in the middle of the track.

We quickly ran to the center of the valley, away as much as possible from the falling rocks, gathered everyone.

It sounds simple but at real time

• Time froze, first your mind sort of understand what's going on
• I look around, if something going to fall on me
• I look for my family, : wife and 3 kids

In the back, about  10-15 meters behind me I see Shira and Shefa (our eldest son) , running together towards the water, I look ahead and do not see Goni and Anna…I know they are ahead of us, but they past a curve in the track and I can not see them, instinctively I start to run forward towards them…

After few seconds (5 sec or maybe 20, 30 sec) I see both of them running towards us, I look ahead, looking to see if rocks are falling down towards them , I gather them and leading them to what seemed to be "safe" area in the middle of the valley.

After few more seconds/minutes we all gather together (2 families, 10 people + 4 porters)

We hug, we cry, we breath…

minutes after the earthquake, couple of meters behind us

The first shock was long one, almost 2 min, but the earth did not stop to move…

A Huge cloud of dust started to surround us

We evaluated our situation, and decided to go ahead to the nearest village to see if we can get a shelter, to get some information of what happened.

We got only to the first house in the village, saw a family sitting in the field, and sat with them, trying to start and relax, calm down the kids.

This place looked pretty safe, the valley was little wider at this point, and we were far enough and safe even if some rock decide slide and roll down.

After a while we started to evaluate our situation, nobody really knows what happened, and what's around the corner…but rumors and some information start to come

Roads are blocked, we can not go back, or continue…rumors about Kathmandu are saying that there is a big mess.

We understand that we have to stay the night, and maybe more in this place, so we asked the family if we can stay with them in their hut

This family has a new house already, but apparently no one wants to sleep in it, all the village people sleep outside… at night we find ourselves with about another 20 people at least sleeping  in the smoky hut

In the first night the earth did not stop to shake, we didn’t sleep good that first night.

First morning after the quack we wake up , exchange the night experience…

Trying to gather more info , and maybe contact home, some of us goes up to the village.

It’s a mess, most of the houses are ruined completely or partly, the people village staying and sleeping outside in a temporary  shelter they set up. We buy some food that will last at least couple of days, some noodles, vegetables, biscuits…

We try to call and make any kind of connection with the outside world, but no success, no telephone, not cellular network, no internet, nothing, in the next couple of days we will continue to try with no success.

We feel safe, we feel and decide to stay out, no hurry to go back, since the situation didn’t finish and we do not really knows what going on outside…

Time went by, we shower…play football, or passing time with the kids..

On the third day, after not getting any connection, a local guy suggest to me to come along as he is going up the mountain to the next village where there is a chance to connect with the cellular phone.

I jump on the bike and we start to climb hill, what started as a ride up to the next village, became a 20 min ride up the mountain, which after we stop the guy tells me we have to go another 20 min by foot along the mountain (just to remind you that some of these mountains had major rock slides…)

To make things short, I have succeeded to call our contact in Kathmandu and advise were we are, and safe and forward massage to our family.

Another story, is what went on back at home. It seems that our relatives and friends gave a big push to find and rescue us…

 Ana share her painting pages with the local focal kids

 Playing with the baloons

 Even had time for short footbal game...

 cooking breakfest

After I came back, it seems things started rolling…just when I came, couple of soldiers came and said that an army helicopter might come tomorrow with supply, and will be able to take us…

Although we felt safe in the place we were, it started to feel that its time to go on.

Next morning we started to gather our things and prepare to leave. We did not even finish breakfast when we heard a helicopter…from here things got going pretty fast

We gathered our stuff quickly and went to the landing area, the whole village was there, and surprisingly it was a private chopper that the insurance companies hired, we were greeted by two Israeli teem.

The ride on the helicopter was more frightening for me than the last three days were, but that’s me…along the flight I saw the damage in the mountains…

So many people lost their homes, many people died and wounded


This is the entrance to the guest house we were sopose to sleep in... 

 The local temple completly collapsed

ruined house 

the people of the village are sleeping out side under temporary shelters

We were Lucky !

this is the head of the family that hosted us

Shira's (my beter half…) probably would describe everything in much more details as well dramaticly..if you want to read her side…Click here

Daramsalla

Daramsalla is all green, mountains, tibetien & rain....lots of raining

Daramsalla is a code name - you don't actualy get to daramsala, you just passing through it but its the bigest city in the area.

The main reason everyone gets to the area is for the Tibetians that sits around here. 

The main town called Mclaud, which is where the Tibetian Dalai Lama sits and their shadow government.

It beutiful, its mountains, where you can treck to the top of the mountain or just go for a walk in the woods. I know many of you are used to this kind of view, in any case it is totaly diferent...

Almost a month past by, mainly in Daramssala area, and thoughts of were to go and what we want to do in the comming months arise.

Since we decided to go to the trip only less than couple of months before we started, we were busy in getting things done (renting the house, vacination, visa etc...) and didnt realy discussed what we want and how the trip will be. 

Well its time to start. 

S has this romantic vision of traveling, meeting the locals, leave free...like 20 years ago...

Well we discovered that the kids would take time to get used and eat the local food, they want similar kids company, and above all they still want to eat every day, they still stain the clothes so someone still need to take care of laundry (thanks god that all outsourcing is very cheap here...etc)

I on the other hand want just to sit by the sea in Goa, listen to the waves, surf a little and think of new products to make and market...while the kids are going to the local international school, learn some english, meet and see other ways of living other than parents that goes every morning to the office and comes back in the evening..

The kids walking in Mclaud streets...

on the way to Triund mountain

 ב 

1

 meanwhile, the most common animal in darmkot

not a pleasent feeling to stand on one...

and remember to be Happy