WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010
How do you like it....?
Vegemite. An acquired taste. I have to admit that I have always been a Marmite girl. I hail from the UK, so I am not a "happy little vegemite" kid, but have perhaps grown to like it over the 10 years I have been here (dare I say, I now perhaps even ever so slightly prefer it to my much loved Marmite!?)
But really, Vegemite (not cheesy i.snack or whatever they ended up with), is really great for those fussy little 'hips' especially when you are travelling. Now, don't get me wrong, I am NOT one of those people who fills their suitcase full of favourite foods when heading off on holiday, but I would recommend getting one of those little squeezy Vegemite tubes, and just putting it in your bag. Kids are funny little things...creatures of comfort really, and they just may not LOVE to dabble in frogs legs in France or Sauerkraut in Germany, like perhaps you and I might do.
Don't even think about it. Just pop one in your bag. You'll be grateful when all they'll want on that 24 flight to London is junk food. At least Vegemite contains lots of Vitamin B (which also keeps the mosquitoes away) and plenty of folate (for all those yummy mummies to be).
Oh, and another thing, has anyone tried Tiger Toast (toasted cheese and Vegemite stripped toast...yum!)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2010
Hip destination baby names...
Names are getting more and more unusual, and as the repertoire of names grows wider and wider, its really intriguing to discover how and why parents choose their little 'hips' names.
Now, as you know, we at 'The Little Hip Traveller' are all about travel, so it seems only appropriate to talk about hip destination names. I wonder how many kids are named after the place where their parents met, or travelled to, or even, were conceived? Of course the Beckham's famously named two of their sons Brooklyn and Cruz, and now it seems many other parents are following suit.
Research by Bounty has unravelled the top 10 destination baby names.
1. Florence
2. Rio
3. Paris
4. India
5. Sydney
6. Lucia
7. Brooklyn
8. Savannah
9. Devon
10. Pheonix
Love it! How about Timbuktu, Wagga Wagga or Whakatane anyone? Has anyone got any hip stories to tell about the origin of their child's name?
Image: Freedigitalphotos.net
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010
hip travel spots for 2011
Trying to think of somewhere hip to take those little 'hips' or perhaps teenage 'hips'? How about checking out Lonely Planets latest lists;
- The top 10 cities for 2011 (Wellington, Newcastle, Valencia, and New York to name a few)
- The top 10 countries for 2011 (Albania, Brazil and Bulgaria leading the way)
Go on, have a read and get some travel inspiration.
Mmmm, yummy Valencia oranges...
Image: br3akthru / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
- The top 10 cities for 2011 (Wellington, Newcastle, Valencia, and New York to name a few)
- The top 10 countries for 2011 (Albania, Brazil and Bulgaria leading the way)
Go on, have a read and get some travel inspiration.
Mmmm, yummy Valencia oranges...
Image: br3akthru / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
jump in the saddle for a squashy ride...
Getting onto a plane for many flyers is now as everyday as getting on a bus. As we are up in the air so much more, budget airlines are popping up all over the place to meet the high demand. In my previous life, before having my wonderful little 'hips', I spent a lot of time flying both domestically and internationally for work. Cattle class for me was the norm, and quick hops from state to state was a regular occurrence, together with all the other bleary eyed business passengers (also conveniently crammed into cattle class!)
However, flying cattle class will soon be taking on a new meaning, as one Italian aviation company, Aviointeriors, have designed the world's smallest aircraft seats. The seats, currently named 'skyrider', are styled on saddles used by cowboys, and the curve of the saddle forces the passengers to sit at a slight angle. They are designed to be comfortable for shorter flights only, around 3 hours max. The idea behind this is to enable more seats onto the flight. More seats = More passengers. More passengers = More money for the airlines! However, one great benefit of these smaller seats are that they are much lighter. Being less heavy, the plane uses less fuel, which in theory should bring down the airline costs, and the best thing, have a lesser impact on the environment.
All very well, and big points to the designers for great imagination, but what I am wondering is, where do the little hips sit? We can't expect them to sit on 'saddle' seats that are designed to make you lean forward, as their short little legs would not be able to support them. Does this mean a higher price for regular airline seats? Not only are some airlines now considering charging us money to use the toilets on board (yes, fabulous if you are toilet training), but now we may have to pay even more to take our little 'hips' onboard, when they actually only take up a third of the size of an adult! Perhaps these designers can create a play area down the back of the plane with all the extra space!
family only sections on flights...a sign of things to come?
According to a recent poll through Skyscanner , 59% of travellers would like a family - only section on all flights. Now, obviously this is something we tackle all the time - how to make travelling with kids less stressful - however, is this really necessary, or is this a sign of things to come?
Apparently Qantas paid an undisclosed amount to a female passenger who claimed a child's screaming on a flight made her ears bleed! So what do you think...do you think we should have a family friendly part of the plane, or should Business class be more affordable so disgruntled passengers can pay more to be seated away from families? Perhaps we will we go as far as having flights that are 'adults only'? Or do we get rid of those flashy suites that some airlines are producing, fill them with a ball pit just like Ikea, and pay someone to 'nanny' the kids whilst we sit back and catch the latest flick.....Mmmmm (ya, right). What do you think?
