Luxury Headphones - Avanti on-ear headphone review

Avanti headphones look and sound great

On my last flight, I offered to sit next to a crying baby.

Just kidding. In fact, I actually offered to switch my aisle seat to a dreaded, claustrophobic middle seat in the last row so the mom seated there could sit with her husband and infant, who were, indeed, next to me.

And, I was rewarded for this when the stewardess then moved me up to a premium economy seat so the family could be reunited

The reason I was willing to sit next to a baby was I was testing out a pair of high quality Avanti headphones. The on-ear headphones, by Moshi, are not noise-canceling, but they are super comfortable and I don’t even enjoy noise-canceling (they are called noise-isolating) - the sensory deprivation feels odd.

What the Avanti headphones do is let you relax and listen to your music, or podcast, or a video, without sticking ear buds in and giving you a true stereo sound.

Compactly packed for travel

They have also helped me when I work in my garden, recently redesigned as an outdoor office. I don’t mind some ambient noise, but my neighbor’s son sometimes blasts distracting rap music, not rally conducive to a work environment. In fact, maybe I should get him a pair.

With the money

The headphones aren’t cheap - $199 retail - but they have a luxury feel and sound and they come with a cool carrying case to protect them when traveling or just running around the city. And they fold up compactly so you don’t have to schlep a big tote to stash them in.

Garden office - headphones helpful

The headphones also look pretty cool, with a stainless steel part over the head, and either burgundy or tan ear cups.

Noise-isolating

Noise-isolating was not a term I was familiar with, but it means that sound doesn’t leak out. You know hone you are on the subway and someone next to you is blasting music though his ear buds? You can often hear it and wonder how the guy is going to hear when he is 40. But usually you don’t want to listen to someone’s second hand music. With the Avanti headphones, you won’t annoy others around you and you will enjoy high quality sound. A win-win.

Note: I received a pair of headphones for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated and opinions expressed are my own. 

Ricardo Suitcase: Better Luggage for Easier Travel

The Ricardo suitcase, with 2 sections

Although I am hearty in some ways - running half marathons, rocking boot camp, climbing mountains, I have delicate parts. When I travel, and pull my roller bag, I get blisters on my hand.

At least I used to, until I was sent a Ricardo suitcase. This amazing travel companion has 360 degree wheels, making it easy to push or pull - basically with a fingertip. I may never require another hand massage!

Of course, the suitcase has other advantages, too. It is neatly divided in tow, so you can put delicate dresses on one side, running shoes and smelly clothes on the way home on the other.  And the bag is expandable, so if you are like me and shop on vacation (or business trips) you can create room for the purchases.

The Ricardo suitcase is great when going down increasingly narrow airplane aisles - you can turn the bag sideways and roll it down, avoiding the feet of the people already sitting (we’d like to welcome first class, premium members, people flying with babies or young children, people whose last name starts with an ‘M’ - basically anybody but me). 

One place where you have to be careful, though, is on escalators. I rolled my new Ricardo bag onto a down escalator and it started rolling so fast it was practically airborne. It’s fine going up escalators, but for going down, I think I’ll stick to an elevator.

Surprisingly, the bags are quite inexpensive - and downright cheap if you act fast. TravelingMom has a deal of 65% off, even on sale prices, with free shipping for orders over $99. Just use the  coupon code TMOM65Off 

Note: I was given a free Ricardo suitcase to test out. Opinions expressed are my own.

Exercising My Right to Drive a Convertible

My favorite ride on a recent trip to Disney

Disney is all about fantasy, so driving a Camaro SS was a dream come true at the ultimate fantasy land, Walt Disney World.

I was in Disney at the TravelingMom retreat and Chevrolet http://www.chevrolet.com/ brought a bunch of shiny cars for everyone to drive. There was a 2014 Impala, the 2015 Tahoe and Suburban and the 2014 Camaro.

It poured for most of our time in Florida, so we really got to test the cars in less than ideal conditions - wet roads, mist falling. So we didn’t have the top down.  But the car handled well on curvy roads in the rain; I could imagine how much fun it would be to tool along on the California coast in this sporty car.

Where to Go

Chevy MyLink has a built in navigation system, but this Camaro was also equipped with OnStar, a remarkable concierge service for your car. You press a button, and within seconds are connected to a live phone call. All you have to do is tell the person where you are going, and directions will be either loaded into the nag system for you, or spoken aloud while you drive. Amazing.

The Camaro looks great from any angle

OnStar also offers incredible peace of mind - they provide roadside and emergency assistance, even for weather situations out of the scope of the car.  If say, the car in front of you hit black ice and had an accident, you could contact OnStar and get that person emergency help.

Connected Car

Chevy MyLink has an easy to use touchscreen, with Sirius XM radio and bluetooth integration with your phone.

Eyes on the Road

Everyone else is looking at you, but you want to make sure that you keep your eyes on the road.  It’s easy with this car, which has color heads up display. There are also audio controls on the leather steering wheel, so you won’t get distracted playing with the touchscreen.

Midlife Crisis

The money shot; the Camaro with the top down

If you drive this car with little kids, there are rear child seat latch anchors.  And up to teen years, a couple of kids will fit comfortably in the back seat. 

But if you are tall, and/or have large children, they will not enjoy the rather cramped rear seat. I like to drive with my seat pretty far forward, but still, my rear seat passengers were happy to get out of the car.

However, the Camaro does offer creature comforts like heated front leather seats, remote keyless entry, parking assist and power outlets.

The Camaro starts at $41,885; extras including special headlights, racing stripe, automatic transmission, remote start and the navigation system brought the price up to $46,650. It gets 15 mpg in the city, 24 on the highway.

Note: Chevrolet provided the Camaro for my test drive. Opinions expressed are my own.

Summer Hair - Whether Traveling or at Home

When I travel, I sometimes try out new products, figuring the people I meet will never see me again.This is also why I am the family photographer, hiding behind the lens with frizzy hair or flaking eye shadow.

But I put a new hair product to the ultimate test last week - three days in the rain and Florida humidity. I had just gotten a sample of SheaMoisture's Tahitian Noni & Monoi Smooth & Repair High Shine Glosser, a silicone free styling product that promised smooth hair and controlled frizz.

My curls were even subjected to a test drive in a convertible, and a couple of turns on Disney’s newest ride, the MineTrain roller coaster.

Like all  SheaMoisture products, this is organic and paraben free. Tahitian Noni is an antioxidant, and Vitamin C is added to keep hair healthy. Monoi Oil repairs damaged hair, and keratin smooths it.

Not only that, it is sold at drugstores and is reasonably priced.

Luvo - Lots to Love

Luvo flatbreads

Finding healthy, frozen food can be like hitting the daily double: rare, but so satisfying. Luvo, a new entry into the frozen entree business, at least in the East Coast, hits the mark again and again.

Flatbreads come with whole wheat / flaxseed crusts, but they taste delicious, not virtuous. I tried the the Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Flatbread with Ricotta Cheese, which is a perfect dinner with a salad. My daughter also sampled the breakfast version, topped with ricotta, a touch of honey & apricot jam & chopped apple; for kids who get up too late to sit down for breakfast, this is a healthy breakfast on the go. There are also more combos, including an appealing sounding mushroom, egg and spinach version.

Unlike many prepared foods, the Luvo entrees are loaded with flavor, not salt. They are also made with no GMO ingredients.

And if, like me, you feel guilty about the excessive packing used in prepared foods, you can rest easy - the meals come in recyclable paper pouches that go from freezer to microwave to recycling bin.

If you aren’t a vegetarian, you can enjoy the hormone-free animal products. But anyone can savor the vegan whole grain pilaf, with quinoa, wheat berries, brown rice and kale.

Luvo meals are available in supermarkets and are a great idea when you travel - if your hotel room has microwave, you can healthy meals on the road. And now you can also have them in the air: Delta is serving them on West Coast shuttles and transcontinental flights to and from JFK, LAX, SFO and SEA.

Dinner to Go, From Far Away

My daughter with a Chilean empanada cook

My middle daughter spent her junior year in Chile, and she developed a passion for empanadas. These vegetable or meat pastries are cooked to order throughout the country, but in the US, they are not as common.

Luckily, Fairway Market

Fairway empanadas

has stepped into the fray. The stores just introduced a Latin Table with empanadas and tamales.

The empanadas are fine - as long as you haven't experienced the freshly made ones in Chile. We visited my daughter and had some straight from the oven, so you can't really compare But my other 2 daughters didn't go to South America, and they loved the spinach-Portobello mushroom empanadas.

Even better are the tamales, with black beans (there are also meat versions of both, but we stuck with the vegetarian). They all come with spicy chipotle dip and avocado-tomatillo sauce.

Fairway tamales

These are great for combo meals - a healthier than fast food treat, plus a salad and you have dinner. And next time I stay in a hotel with a microwave and a fridge, I will bring a pack or 2 along. Somehow my kids are always starving once we get to a hotel and the food at hotels is usually quite pricey.

The empanadas and tamales are $4.99 each, for 2 and 4, respectively, and filling enough for a meal.

Getting around Town: Friendly Rides with Lyft

If you are not familiar with a city, taking a cab can be fraught with anxiety. Will I have to wait long? Is the driver going to rip me off? Will he know where he’s going?

With Lyft, you get a ride and a friendly face. Download the app on your smartphone and you're good to go.

I recently tried Lyft in San Diego, and if you live in, or are traveling there, or to any of these cities: DC, Atlanta, St. Paul, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Dallas, Seattle, Chicago or Charlotte, you can check out this new ride sharing app – and save money.

Lyft rides are the same price or less than a cab, and with the promo code RIDE20, you get $20 in free Lyft credits.

The whole experience was seamless. We landed and I opened the app, a red balloon (the cars are distinguished by the furry pink moustaches on the front). You have to allow the app to access your location; then you are told how soon a driver will arrive.

By the time we got off the plane and walked outside, we got a text that our friendly Lyft driver was there. He greeted us with a fist bump and dropped us off at our hotel. On the way, he told us what local beers to check out.

We requested another Lyft driver when we switched hotels (the Hotel Palomar, with the bikes pictured above), and this one, an art student, told us about a great exhibit at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. It was like having access to insider info.

You pay for the Lyft ride through the credit card stored on the app – there is a suggested donation, and you can add a tip. And both the passenger and the driver rate each other – a handy tool so the company can keep tabs on drivers and weed out obnoxious passengers.

Lyft touches down in Baltimore soon as well.

Note: I did receive a free ride from Lyft, but all views here are my own.

Back to School - and International Vegetarian Cooking

Those of us with school age children often have to curb our travel once the school year starts, Yes, there is Christmas break, February break for NYC public school students (aka the ski week) and Spring break, but we don't like to travel over Passover and Christmas is one of the most expensive times to travel. So we stay put more during the year, and I cook more. 

Luckily, I curbed my wanderlust with The Healthy Voyager's Global Kitchen, a vegan cookbook with recipes from around the world. Author Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, a travel writer, TV host and nutritionist, has vegan takes on a wide variety of international cuisine, form conch fritters (made with oyster mushrooms, which have the right chewiness) to Palak Paneer. You wouldn't even know that tofu subbed for cheese unless you made it.

But the point isn't to trick carnivores. The book offers vegans (and vegetarians like me, who might use regular mozzarella in the mushroom pupusas) recipes for often elusive foreign dishes. I love to try local food specialties when I'm traveling, but I'm often limited in my choices in meat-centric countries. 

With The Healthy Voyager's Global Kitchen, you can travel and not leave your dietary restrictions behind.

Emjoi Micro-Pedi Saves Your Feet

If you travel, run, walk the dog or just spend time with your kids, you are on your feet a lot. I am plagued by calluses, rough heels and hard skin on my feet. Pedicures are an occasional indulgence, but they cost time and money. Enter the Emjoi Micro-Pedi tool.

This battery-operated device has a spinning roller that smoothes skin in just a few seconds. You don't have to worry about cutting too deeply and getting an infection, or having such rough skin that you tear your socks.

Then there's those Manolo Blahniks from a sample sale that don't really fit, but they were such a steal that you cram your toes into them anyway.

New mani and pedi attachments can have you cut your ties to the nail salon entirely. The manicure kid as 5 attachments, to puff and polish nails and push cuticles back. the Precision Cone has tiny rollers that fit between your toes to get out those bumps and rough spots.

The Micro-Pedi is $39.95 and the attachment kits are $19.95 each; with the money you save on mani-pedis, you can spring for a pair of Manolo Blahniks.

This time in a size that fits.

Note: I received a sample of a Micro-Pedi in return for writing about it. My opinions and my smooth, happy feet are entirely my own.

Family Planning: summer vacation

When I plan trips, particularly family vacations, I write notes on scraps of paper, on my computer and  on my iPhone. MiniTime offers a way to plan family vacations and keep track of all the info.

This new website, with smartphone and tablet versions in the works, has both trip tips by family travel writer Suzanne Rowan Kelleher and custom itineraries the vacationing family can use, both as a planning tool and as a vacation diary.

I love the drag and drop feature of the itineraries; if you see attractions you want to visit or restaurants where you want to eat, you just add them to your trip planner.

The site offers personalized recommendations based on ages of your kids. It goes from infant to teen (17), and if you have kids in different categories, it offers the full range of attractions.

You can also book kid-friendly hotels directly from the website, with family-friendly amenities like roll-away beds, cribs, pools and microwaves in rooms noted. You can also sort hotels by amenities that your family wants, like a fridge in the room.

Foursquare provides restaurant suggestions, but you can’t yet sort by things like vegetarian food or availability of high chairs.

I was able to create an itinerary for my upcoming trip to Portland, Oregon, but planning one for Louisville, Kentucky, was incomplete. MiniTime uses crowd sourced info and started with top destinations; as the site grows and more reader feedback is added, planning trips outside major tourist destinations will grow easier.

For now, I am happy to recycle all those scraps of paper.

Spring Break Plans

Checking into a hotel can be a painful process, made even more difficult with whining kids.

Think about it. You just pulled up after a long drive, or flew in – which means you took a cab or train to the airport, waited in line, sat strapped in a seat, took another cab or a courtesy shuttle to a car rental counter and waited again.

So for a little kid (or even a big, grown-up adult) that check-in counter is the last straw.

Not so at DoubleTree by Hilton hotels.

At check in, they literally turn pouts into smiles with warm chocolate chip cookie for all.

This little gesture is particularly welcome at Spring Break, when families across the US all cram in a family vacation.

If you haven’t planned your spring break trip yet, you are in luck. I am co-hosting a twitter party with The Motherhood & DoubleTree by Hilton properties.

Join the party to learn what to look for when selecting a hotel, tips for traveling with children and trip location suggestions. Share any plans for the upcoming Spring Break and advice based on your past family vacation experiences. We'll also be talking about family-friendly packages at select DoubleTree by Hilton properties.

When: Tuesday, March 12, at 1 p.m. ET (the party will last one hour)

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #DTSpringBreak hashtag to track the conversation. See the details and RSVP .

Hashtag: #DTSpringBreak

Prizes: DoubleTree by Hilton will give away five total prizes. Four prizes will consist of tins of DoubleTree by Hilton's signature cookies (one tin for the Q1 winner, two tins for the Q2 winner, etc), with one grand prize of a free two-night stay at any DoubleTree by Hilton location. Winners will be chosen randomly from among participants who respond correctly to trivia questions.

Fitness Challenge: Boston Travel

Getting in a good workout when you travel is easy at the InterContinental Boston. This waterfront luxury hotel has a huge state-of-the-art fitness center with treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines, all with their own screens.

There are lots of free weights and strength machines, an indoor pool and plenty of space to stretch. Best of all, the gym is open 24 hours for guests, so if you are jet lagged and up at 3am, you can work out instead of gorging on candy. There is also a spa for those who like to relax on vacation.

Cambodian Food in Boston

Ethnic cuisine is often a great bet for vegetarians who are traveling, and Elephant Walk, with 3 Boston area restaurants, is no exception.

Elephant Walk separates out Cambodian, French and vegetarian entrees, and even has gluten-free offerings. In its prix-fixe menu, it offers to make some dishes vegan or vegetarian. We were in faux-hog heaven. Spring rolls are an excellent way for kids to eat their veggies. The spring rolls at Elephant Walk had greens, shiitake mushrooms, carrots and bean sprouts, with a peanut dipping sauce. We had 2 different vegetarian curries, one redolent of ginger; both were spicy and filled with vegetables and tofu. The restaurant also made creative cocktails, and had a local IPA from Mayflower Brewing Company on tap.

Fitness Challenge: Day 88

Omni Hotels really go the extra mile. If you sign up for their loyalty program, you reap immediate rewards. On just your first stay, you get a free morning drink, delivered to your room. You also get free WiFi and a shoeshine, neither of which I used.

But the free coffee was a great perk (literally). I had my banana and caffeine and headed to the Omni Austin’s large fitness center.

The fitness center, through the lobby, has state of the art cardio equipment, a bosu ball and a stability ball, plus mats, free weights and space to stretch.

The cardio machines don’t have individual screens, but there are flat screen televisions that you can use.

The only problem we had was we didn’t have a TV guide. When you are traveling, you don’t know where Comedy Central or E! are, and in the fitness center, the channels didn’t even match the ones in the room.

But during our work out, a hotel employee came in to refresh the towels. I asked her about the stations, and she went and got someone who knew.

Truly above and beyond.

Fitness Challenge: Day 86

Travelers often say these want to meet REAL people, not other tourists. When you are sightseeing, this can be challenging. But one way to find the real people in another city is to work out in a gym there, or go for a run.

On a recent day in Philadelphia, I took advantage of a free trial at a downtown gym to work out. Weston Fitness is undergoing a huge renovation, adding several new classroom studios. i t already has a large studio where spin, Zumba and strength classes are held, and a temporary studio for kettlebells.

Although Philadelphia is quite close to NY, the city has a very different feel. But the gym attracted the same mix of casual exercisers and hard core gym rats that you find in NY.

Cardio machines were positioned to look out over the street, and weights, stability balls and bosu balls were plentiful.

But the women's locker room had an odd smell (it is not scheduled for a make over) with no or even hooks soap in the showers and old lockers.

The gym did have an interesting fitness program, M.A.P.P. (Metabolic. Analysis, Program, Planning) which calculates metabolic rate and fat in each person, and sets up an individualized fitness plan.

Family Travel Down Under

One of the most daunting aspects of taking a family vacation to Australia is the flight. Both the cost, and the length of the trip, can be overwhelming.

Travel.com.au, based in Australia, offers a wealth of cheap flights www.travel.com.au/flights.html, form the United States and worldwide, to Australia.

And you are not working with no-name airlines. They have relationships with Qantas, United Airlines, and Singapore Airlines.

Flying a major airline means you can get frequent flier miles towards your next trip.

Travel.com.au also has deals on hotels and car rentals (car hire in Aussie speak) all through Australia, making it a one-stop website.

Now I just have to figure out how to entertain the kids the long flight.

Spain Vacation

Whether you are looking for an active family vacation, a sightseeing tour or a relaxing beach vacation – or all 3 – Spain is the place.

Spaniards also enjoy a healthy sports culture. Soccer rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona and native tennis player Rafael Nadal have elevated the status of Spanish spectator sports.

Since the Spanish weather
can usually be counted on to be sunny and dry, one way to see the countryside is by a cycling tour. Keep in mind that summer is very hot though; you might want to avoid summer for the most active vacations.

But if you are traveling to Spain in summer, the Spanish weather is conducive to hitting the beach. And if you are in Barcelona, you can get a dose of culture and sand.

Having a party

I’m always happy to go to a party, but I hate when drinks are served in cheap plastic cups. It brings me back to college keggers, and not in a good way.

You can upgrade your party, inexpensively, by shopping a hotel supply site. If you stock up on reusable, dishwasher safe glasses, you will save money (and the environment) and can plow the savings into better quality booze.

PeachSuite Wholesale Hotel & Restaurant Supplier has beer glasses for just $2 each so that growler filled with a hoppy IPA tastes even better.

When you go to the source for hotel supplies & catering supplies you know you are getting items that have withstood the test of thousands of travelers.

Broadway Kids

One of the joys of traveling to New York City is gorging on theater. You can see a different show every night, and even two in the same day if you add a matinee (typically offered on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays).

But what if you are on vacation with young kids? Some shows are appropriate for children, but others are not. Or maybe they can’t sit still for a show.

This is where Playtime childcare comes in.

Playtime is for tourists and New Yorkers alike, and is offered at the off-Broadway theater, Playwrights Horizons. But you aren’t restricted to seeing a show at Playwrights Horizons. You can also see a show at Signature Theatre or Westside Theatre, both of which are very close to Playwrights Horizons.

The childcare is free for Playwrights Horizons subscribers, so most NYC visitors won’t be eligible, but the cost is a very affordable $15 per child.

My teens babysit in NY, and that is the going rate per hour. If you see a 2 hour show, you are essentially getting the second hour free.

And if you were to arrange a babysitter through your hotel, you would pay far more, plus you would need a sitter for longer. Since you are bringing your kids to the theater, you only need a sitter during show time, not travel time

Playtime is for potty trained kids, ages 4 to 12. And the child minders, arranged by Sitter Studio, are themselves dancers, actors and musicians, so your kid can expect a fun time.

In fact, check out the names of the sitters. In a year or two, you might see them onstage!

Fitness Challenge: Day 75

When an exercise class doesn’t require sneakers, I am skeptical that I can get a good workout. But Exhale Spa’s signature Core Fusion fitness classes, using free weights, a small ball and barre, is challenging in its own way. There is no cardio element (though there are Core Fusion Boot Camp and Core Fusion Cardio classes for those who need to sweat more).

The core fusion class combines elements of yoga, Pilates and dance, and you may find yourself cursing that little red ball as you squeeze your glutes (only 20 more times!) and work deep within muscles.

Although I took a packed class, the instructor managed to know everyone’s name – there were a lot of first timers – and was able to keep on eye on our body positioning. Since 2 sides of the studio were mirrored, there is no hiding in the back.

The studio has tons of classes throughout the day, both yoga and barre, in three exercise rooms.

I was a little surprised out how threadbare some of the Upper East Side studio seemed. Cushions in the waiting area were stained; the place is in need of a make over.

But the locker room as spotless, with thick towels, keyless lockers with hangers, and amenities like razors (though no shaving cream) and mouthwash. Since this is also a spa, there are robes and slippers, too.

Exhale’s reach extends far beyond NYC, to Los Angeles, Dallas and Turks & Caicos, among other locations. It’s nice if you travel a lot; you can use your classes at any location when on vacation.