Southwest Airlines Mommy Blogger - Flying with Baby

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Who knew...even Southwest Airlines has their own mommy blogger. Jessica Turner is the resident Mommy Blogger for the airlines. Her guest blog posts and video blogs focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville, Tenn., with their 10-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything!

Among Jessica's posts is, 'How Not to Go Nuts When Flying with a Peanut'. 'Peanut' is Jessica's Southwest-friendly term for kids. Get it? In this article, and the accompanying video below, Jessica outlines truly helpful hints for parents flying with babies. Every parent has struggled with this process; most of us learned how to do it 'the hard way'. Thanks to Jessica, moms today don't need to muddle their way through.

Famplosion offers thousands of current family activities for families. Many of the cities serviced by Southwest are included among the cities covered by Famplosion. Here are some examples: Austin, TX, Chicago, IL, Columbus, OH, Dallas, TX, Detroit, MI, Houston, TX, Indianapolis, IN, Jacksonville, FL, Los Angeles, CA, Nashville, TN, New York City, NY, Oakland, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, Sacramento, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, San Antonio, TX, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, Seattle, WA, Reno/Tahoe.

Discovering Mom Bloggers-Debbie Abrams Kaplan

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

You've no doubt noticed the influx of blogs written by parents over the past few years. Famplosion feels a natural affinity for parents who write about family activities. For this reason, we will be highlighting truly unique parent bloggers here.

The first blogger we'd like to introduce you to is Debbie Abrams Kaplan. A mother of two children herself, Debbie describes her work:

I'm a journalist specializing in family travel. I write for Shape, Family Fun, AAA Traveler, the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News and others.

In addition to the above writing, Debbie hosts her own blog, 'Frisco Kids', a current fun and entertaining look at activities for kids and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among the fun activities for kids Debbie mentions are Valentines Craft at Michael's.

Also in the San Francisco Bay Area, and featured on Famplosion, are a few Valentine activities for families to enjoy.

Love is in the air at the Habitot Childrens' Museum! Between February 6 and 14, the museum invites families to bring art supplies to make Valentines and receive a free adult admission during Habitot’s Week of Valentines. Young children can make heart-themed art for their loved ones at different interactive stations. Come during regular hours (Monday-Thursday 9:30-12:30; Friday-Sunday 9:30-4:30) to share the love. Free adult admission with art supply donation; otherwise, regular admission rates apply ($8.50 per person).

Ice Skating in San Francisco's Union Square for the Holidays

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

The ice skating rink, located at the heart of Union Square, in downtown San Francisco is filled with holiday spirit this time of year.  Especially exciting is the Menorah Lighting and Hanukkah Celebration.

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.

The last two nights of Hanukkah will be celebrated in San Francisco's Union Square.  On Friday, December 18th, the Chanukah Celebration begins at 12:30p.  The Menorah Lighting Ceremony starts at 3p.  On Saturday, December 19th, the Chanukah Celebration begins at  7p.  The Menorah Lighting ceremony starts at 7:30p, complete with songs and dancing.

Families can visit the Dreidel House and enjoy arts and crafts from 3p to 6p.  Each child attending will be given their own Menorah to light.

The ice skating rink will remain open until January 18th and is available for public skating and private parties.

Happy holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours.

Thanksgiving in the San Francisco Bay Area

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com


Are you and your family looking for something to do over the Thanksgiving holiday? Famplosion has you covered.

In Walnut Creek, join other families as they get a healthy start to Thanksgiving Day, with the Walnut Creek Turkey Trot. Participate in the 10k or 5k runs, or just watch the kiddos run the quarter mile or 100 yard dash. After the run, you're all set for a guilt-free Thanksgiving feast.

Also on Thanksgiving morning, join the Nitro Turkey Thanksgiving Run in Richmond. Event organizers claim the Native Americans taught the Pilgrims the joys of trail running, making this a perfect way to show your gratitude on Thanksgiving.

Another delightful holiday activity is ice skating at the Union Square Holiday Ice Rink. Ninety minute sessions on the ice begin on each even-numbered hour throughout the day. For less than $10 per person your family can glide into the holiday season.

Many families enjoy preparing and serving food on Thanksgiving. At the Bay Area Rescue Mission they're looking for assistance to offer a Thanksgiving meal to those who would not otherwise have one. Reverend John M. Anderson points out,

It may not seem like a lot to you. But here at the Bay Area Rescue Mission $2.05 is all it takes to serve a hungry person a hot, hearty Thanksgiving meal. For over 44 years, we have been reaching out to the Bay Area's neediest people at Thanksgiving through the generosity of caring friends in the community.

Famplosion has over 200 activities for you and your family to explore over the four day Thanksgiving Holiday. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, click here.

Best Ghost Tours in America

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Do you believe in ghosts? Even those that don't, admit to loving a good ghost story. Here at Famplosion.com, we've searched behind countless creaky doors to find the 'Best Ghost Tours in America'. Featured here, are just a few of the chilling ghost tours listed on Famplosion. To see a list of ghost tours by city, click on the city names in this article.

In Nashville, there are a number of ghost tours to enjoy with your family. Nashville Ghost Tours, an event suitable for all ages, is a comfortably paced ninety minute walking tour of 'the shadow-filled streets of downtown Nashville'. At Hermitage, the one-time and maybe present home of Andrew Jackson, guests of all ages are invited to have a frightfully good time. Tour former President Jackson's plantation at night, and enjoy Tennessee ghost tales

Like Nashville, San Francisco offers countless grim, grinning ghosts of their own. Families with children 8 years and older, can go on a real guided ghost hunt. The one mile walking tour 'in a safe quiet neighborhood on tree lined streets with fine Victorian architecture' is lead by an experience story-teller.

Also for families with older children, the Winchester Mystery House, offers the 'Flashlight 'Ghost' Tours. Each Friday the 13th, and around Halloween, guests roam the rambling halls of this unique home, aided by nothing more than a souvenir flashlight.

The 'Not-Too-Spooky Halloween', at the Habitot Children's Museum in Berkeley, California, is likely to be more to the liking of families with children 6 years old and younger. While paranormal encounters are unlikely at this event, kids are invited to arrive in costume to play miniature golf in the infant-toddler garden graveyard and to conduct experiments with slime in the Art Studio. Paper ghost will fly in the wind tunnel and Halloween stories will be recounted in the 'Witch's Tent'.

The RMS Queen Mary, docked in Long Beach, California, offers a number of chilling potentially paranormal experiences. Beginning in the dark of night on October 16th, guest can brave the perils of the '15th Annual Halloween Terrorfest'. Families with kids 12 years and older can, if they dare, experience the 'Shipwreck: 15 Days of Terror', described by previous survivors as 'terrifying mazes located both on and off the haunted vessel'.

At Lake Tahoe, visit the former haunt of the charismatic 'Rat Pack', the Cal Neva Resort. Take a private guided tour of the Secret Tunnels below the resort:

Learn about Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior, Dean Martin and Al Capone's more private moments as the Cal Neva staff takes you on an historical tour of time gone by. See where Marilyn Monroe slipped away with political favorites and spent some of her last hours overlooking this Lake Tahoe resort from its rustic cabin decks. Don't forget to ask about the paranormal activity that still exists
today!

In Salt Lake City, guided ghost tours take a two hour guided tour by a professional storyteller, as you travel by bus to the great "haunts" of the City. Learn about the ghosts who reputedly dwell in these historic buildings and cemeteries.

Seattle also has some great ghost tours--including one at the world-famous Pike's Place Market.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, free of charge, click here

Tours are sweet!

Jelly Belly, long a family favorite candy, is actually headquartered just North of San Francisco. They have a really cool tour I discovered in Famplosion thanks to our awesome Bay Area Editor, Laura McConnell!

So, yesterday, we picked up our preschooler and drove North about an hour to the Jelly Belly factory to take the tour! It's a 40 minute tour with several stops along the way. The tour guide gives some background information and they also have TVs set up to play video segments about the history, production and shipping processes. All of this is done on a catwalk of sorts suspended above the actual factory floor where you have a great view of bin after bin filled to the brim with brightly colored jelly belly jelly beans! For my milk allergy son, who has never even tasted chocolate, this is pretty much what he expects Heaven to be like someday!

Unfortunately, there's no photography allowed on the tour...they need to protect their trade secrets, and the pronouncement at the beginning of the tour made me feel like we were entering Willy Wonka's factory! But in any case, this is the best I could do with the sign out front and the family. I highly recommend this tour!