Jessica Laird

Latest posts by Jessica Laird

Why Trunk Shipping is Our Favorite New Summer Camp Life Hack

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Sat, 06/18/2022 - 11:00am

Ship Camps is an affordable service that helps families seamlessly ship luggage and boxes to sleepaway camps across the globe.

If the packing list alone doesn’t get you, shipping all those trunks, duffle bags and boxes off to summer camp surely will!

But gone are the days of cramming suitcases (and fans, and loose toiletries, and last-minute purchases) into your car or dealing with ever-increasing overweight bag fees and lost luggage hassles at the airport. Ship Camps is the affordable service that helps families seamlessly ship luggage and boxes to sleepaway camps across the globe–and we might be in love.

Ship Camps launched in 2021 and parents have been singing its praises ever since. With campers often needing a ton of gear and sometimes traveling to far off destinations–or even overseas–the reliable service removes the headache of lugging everything yourself and lets you purchase some peace of mind at a very affordable upfront price.

Read on for answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about camp shipping with Ship Camps.

Summer Safety Toolkit: How to Keep Kids Safe From Ticks, Drowning, and More

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 06/14/2022 - 10:00am

Connecticut Children’s–the only health system 100% dedicated to kids–is sharing their 2022 Summer Safety toolkit.

Kids and parents alike look forward to the carefree days of summer, but it’s also a time when activity-related accidents and injuries in children tend to rise. With families gearing up for backyard BBQs and beach vacations, we teamed up with Connecticut Children’s–the only health system 100% dedicated to kids–to share their 2022 Summer Safety toolkit.

In the toolkit, Connecticut Childrens’ experienced pediatric experts provide parents with everything they need to know about the most common summer safety concerns, at home or on your summer travels. From ticks and sunburn to dehydration and drowning, you’ll learn safety and prevention tips, plus when it’s time to call a doctor or visit the emergency room.

In this article we’re highlighting the top six summer safety tips for kids and families. Click through to the Connecticut Children’s website to see the full toolkit or explore their other children’s health and safety resources.

Qapital: An Automated Money Management App That’s Perfect for Busy Parents

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Sat, 06/11/2022 - 1:40pm

The Qapital budgeting app gives families an organized, unintimidating, and customizable way to set and reach financial goals.

As a mom-of-two who just made yet another summer camp payment, I’m not exactly surprised it was a husband and wife team with four little ones of their own who finally cracked the code on money management with an easy and intuitive app that’s perfect for busy parents.

Yes, Qapital is seemingly the answer to an age-old parenting problem: how to budget and save when it feels like you’re constantly opening up a daycare bill or a surprise Invisalign invoice just as your kid outgrows the sneakers you bought three weeks ago. Using behavioral science and automation, the Qapital budgeting app gives families an organized, unintimidating, and customizable way to set and reach financial goals while still accounting for expected and unexpected childcare costs–plus your own personal spending habits.

From clever ways to almost trick yourself into growing your savings to a joint money management tool that lets you and your partner share financial goals, Qapital offers a stress-free, budget-building, money-saving app busy parents like me–and probably you–have been looking for.

Now that I’ve given Qapital a try, here are a few of my favorite features––plus a code for a $25 sign-up bonus with a free trial:

5 Ways to Enhance Online School with "Real School" Experiences

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Thu, 06/09/2022 - 3:30pm

Group gatherings and field trips are a wonderful way to bring learning offline—and PA Cyber plans hundreds a year.

While the majority of instruction happens online at your typical cyber school, the virtual elementary or high school experience can extend well beyond the computer screen. Between school-run offerings, local programs, and parent-led groups, there are plenty of in-person opportunities that can be meaningfully incorporated into an online education.

“The pandemic has taught us how much we value those face-to-face interactions,” said Brian Hayden, the CEO of PA Cyber—one of the largest and most experienced online tuition-free public schools in the nation. “Families have expressed to me their appreciation over the years for the hundreds of in-person field trips and enrichment activities that we put on. We brought back those activities as soon as it was safe to do so.”

Known for creating endless in-person opportunities to enhance their personalized live and self-paced online K-12 curriculum, PA Cyber helped us compile a list of five meaningful ways to take virtual learning offline. Read on to find new ways to expand your child's online schooling with “real school” experiences.

Top-Rated San Francisco Tours for Families: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and More

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 05/17/2022 - 8:48am

Travel through town in a tiny car with GoCar.

There’s so much to see and do in San Francisco and the Bay Area, and a top-rated San Francisco tour can make a trip to the Golden City a whole lot easier–especially with kids in tow.

Whether you’re hoping to hop aboard a San Francisco Bay cruise, looking to customize your itinerary with popular stops like The Exploratorium and San Francisco’s Chinatown, or searching for a big adventure outside of the city, San Francisco city tour options are pretty much endless. Take on San Francisco sightseeing by double-decker bus, helicopter, bicycle, or even tiny car, and you’ll be one step closer to truly seeing it all.

With the help of enthusiastic TripAdvisor travelers, we’ve narrowed down your search to the best family-friendly San Francisco tours with 4- and 5-star ratings and rave reviews. Here's our list of the best tours for exploring San Francisco and the Bay Area with kids, plus some insider tips. Click through for quick and easy booking with TripAdvisor.

Best STEM Summer Camps in Chicago Area

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Mon, 03/14/2022 - 11:00am

Work on STEM skills with a fun summer camp in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Camp Invention

If architectural model making, video game development, battle bot competitions, 3D printing, and Harry Potter science sound like the makings of your kiddo's perfect summer, you're in luck. Chicago is jam-packed with STEM camps available at local universities, museums, and other nearby centers, offering a wide range of enriching, hands-on programming. And as science, technology, engineering, and math become increasingly important in our tech-centric world, you can give yourself a pat on the back for helping to hook your kid up with skills that will serve them long after their school days.

Still not quite ready for in-person camps? Here are our picks for the best Chicago area STEM camps. For more of the best Chicago summer camps, check out our Chicago Summer Camp Guide, or our directory of summer camps in Chicago.

Navigating Kids’ Anxiety About COVID Restrictions Ending—Tips From Pediatric Experts

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Thu, 03/10/2022 - 11:00am

Pediatric experts from Connecticut Children’s share the best ways for parents to approach reopenings. Photo courtesy of Connecticut Children's.

With more and more COVID-19 restrictions being lifted and masks becoming optional inside most Connecticut schools, parents and children are navigating big changes for what feels like the millionth time in the last two years. Understandably, for some kids, this new chapter may bring on what’s known as “re-entry anxiety”—a sense of fear or uneasiness that can accompany the return to our pre-pandemic normal.

To get a handle on the best way for parents to approach these reopenings while minimizing anxiety, we connected with the only health system in the state that’s 100% dedicated to kids, Connecticut Children’s. Their pediatric psychologists provided helpful tips for navigating the difficult emotions that can come with this new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, and offered up some handy resources you’ll definitely want to bookmark.

Towering UES Luxury Condo Has 8 Floors of Family-Friendly Amenities for Only 46 Homes

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 03/08/2022 - 10:00am

From a whimsical kids' play space to a double height basketball court, 180 East 88th Street is packed with family-friendly amenities.

If space, privacy, and access to recreation and amenities are at the top of your dream home wishlist, it’s hard to do better than Upper East Side luxury condominium, 180 East 88th Street. Boasting spacious two- to five-bedroom half- and full-floor or duplex condos, the beautiful towering building has eight entire floors of meticulously designed amenities. A whimsical kids’ play space, a party-perfect residents’ lounge, a teen-targeted game room, plus a double-height basketball court and a soccer pitch are just some of the amenities offered for all ages.

Paired with the perks of the coveted Carnegie Hill neighborhood, like Museum Mile, Central Park, and some of the city’s top public and private schools, 180 East 88th Street is a great pick for New York City parents. Read on for a peek inside the tallest high-rise above 72nd Street and take a look at the units with immediate availability.