Yolanda Edwards | Cookie Travel & Lifestyle Editor

If you have an Eloise, or a future hotel manager, in the making, like we do, this is a super cool DVD to get.  "The BIG Hotel" goes behind the scenes of a large hotel, and shows how it all works. The kids love it, and so do we!

Check out our favorite DVDs for kids .

Yolanda Edwards | Cookie Travel & Lifestyle Editor

This is why we live in New York City--for days like this. Imagine being able to have your child (and yourself) exposed to the music of Thelonius Monk, as performed and explained by none other than Wynton Marsalis and his band.  This past weekend we learned about syncopation, development, and Monk's mantra: "expect the unexpected." We also heard the piece "Stuffy Turkey," which we have since downloaded and have been listening to every day. After that, we rounded out the afternoon with chicken soup and chocolate bouchons at Bouchon Bakery.

New York City has proclaimed today, November 20, as the official Thelonius Monk Day, kicking off the weekend festivities for Jazz at Lincoln Center's Monk Festival! 

Nancy Solomon | Ciao Bambino

With four kids, the likelihood that someone is sick, getting sick or getting over being sick (i.e. will spread it to the others) when we are traveling is always high. We've learned that a little preparation and a plan of action goes a long way.

Consider your destination: When selecting your destination, take your family's health needs into account.  The more remote a location, the further away the hospital will be and in foreign countries, hospitals near larger cities will be more likely to have English-speaking staff.  Some places have no hospitals at all, only local clinics -- this is a big issue on islands and should be evaluated before you commit to a location, especially if you are traveling with infants. Also, destinations where food and water safety are a concern increase the likelihood that you may need medical care.  The CDC web site provides thorough information on specific destinations and various tips on traveling with children. 

Prepare a medicine bag: A well-stocked medicine kit enables you to treat most minor ailments, while assuring you'll have what you need when you need it.  Internationally, it's helpful to have familiar brands since many of the name brands are not available. Our kit always contains: Motrin, Tylenol, Benedryl, Dramamine, Swimmer Ear drops, Adult Sudafed, Band-Aids, Neosporin and a thermometer.  When going out of the country, I add a general antibiotic prescribed by my pediatrician, Dent Temp (temporary dental glue), anti-diarrhea and re-hydration solution (this way I have the accurate dosing), DEET bug repellant and sunscreen.  It seems like a lot, however, taking care of this ahead of time allows you to relax while traveling knowing you can treat most things that come your way with familiar products.

Despite diligent preparation, you your kids may need medical attention while on vacation.  If this happens, here are some tips to ensure the process is as easy and safe as possible:

Be proactive: Being proactive cuts down on the spreading of the sickness and most importantly, trips to the ER. Don't wait to a critical point to address an issue, especially on Fridays, before heading into the weekend.

Find a local doctor:  Domestically and abroad, I prefer local doctors to clinics or hospitals. You can easily ask your hotel for a doctor, but in countries with robust bribing systems, you may want to call your local embassy or consulate and get the list of recommended doctors. It is also a good idea to understand the location of regional hospitals in case you need emergency care and the local embassy or consulate can provide recommendations for this as well.

Verify medicine: Look to buy sealed bottles of a medicine even if you only need a portion.  If time allows, verify the name of medicine with your pediatrician. On a recent trip, the local doctor come to our hotel room with a suitcase of loose pills to give to our 3-year-old.  This was his normal protocol, so fortunately we were in a situation where we could say no thank you.

Thinking about your kids getting sick or hurt is never fun and certainly, my least favorite part of trip planning.  I don't let this stop me from traveling, but I'm always prepared and ready to deal with anything that comes our way.   

Bush Takes Steps to Ease Holiday Travel Crunch
In an attempt to ease the frustration of flight delays this holiday season, President Bush plans to temporarily open airspace that's typically only available to the military.  Though the Pentagon made two East Coast corridors available to commercial airliners last year, Bush will expand that to accommodate those flying to celebrate the holidays with family and friends in the Midwest, Southwest, and along the West Coast.

Thanksgiving Travel to Wane
No surprise here: many families will opt to spend Thanksgiving at home this year thanks to the economic downturn.  According to AAA, 41 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles to gobble Turkey with their loved ones later this month -- a decline of 600,000 travelers from last year.  It will be the first decline in Thanksgiving travel since 2002.

New Mindset for Fliers: Pay As You Go
Like many restaurants, some airlines are now offering "ala carte" pricing to holiday travelers.  So while base fares for flights might drop, if you want that pillow or peanuts once you're onboard, you'll have to pay.  New fees for checked bags infuriated airline passengers this year, now travelers might have to whip out that credit card for everything from a window seat to speaking to a live person when you book your flight.

Roll call! How many of you have ever sedated an infant during air travel? We've never done it with our brood, but we know a couple moms who have tried it. As for the rest of you, what do you think?

Is sedating an infant a way to ensure that the child rests easily, isn't plagued by post-flight jet lag, and that other passengers have an enjoyable flight (keeping parental embarrassment to a minimum)? Or is sedation a potential risk to the child's health in exchange for the potential benefit of keeping an infant fussy-free in flight?

We came across an article this morning from Kids Travel Doc arguing against sedating infants before air travel. Contrary to general belief, the article says, few infants cry during flight and those who do are the same ones who tend to cry more at home. Plus, the article states that most products that are used to sedate infants are antihistamines, which are not specifically meant to sedate children. Sedation is merely a side effect and it can be an unpredictable one at that. In fact, antihistamines can cause some children to become restless and administering them to small children is discouraged by the USDA.

Tell us what you think and check out our holiday travel tips for sanity-saving ideas before your next flight.

Yolanda Edwards | Cookie Travel & Lifestyle Editor

One of the most idyllic farms I have ever been to is Blooming Hill Farm, which is pretty close to the Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets in New York, off of Highway 17, 60 miles north of Manhattan. They are open on Saturdays and Sundays, and not only do they sell the most beautiful organic produce you have ever seen in your life, they also serve a couple of brunch-ish options -- usually a delicious waffle, a frittata, or a quiche, sometimes a chili. They also have Gorilla Coffee (my favorite), delicious ice teas, and amazing desserts.  If it is warm enough, you can sit at tables by the stream, and sometimes if it is really cold, they make a bonfire outside, so you can still hang out there without totally freezing. They also sell Balthazar bread, and lots of local cheeses, yogurts, and milk.

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention today named Burlington, Vermont the healthiest city in America. Home to the University of Vermont and the birthplace of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, 92 percent of the city's residents are said to be in good or great health.

Burlington also ranks among the best in exercise and among the lowest in obesity, diabetes and other measures of ill health.

We're excited to see some attention being drawn to this beautiful city. Less than a six-hour drive from Manhattan, Burlington is a great option for East Coaster's looking for a quick winter getaway.

Nestled along the scenic shoreline of Lake Champlain with grand views of the Adirondack Mountains, the city offers beautiful new hotels, a host of delicious restaurants and locally produced microbrews, and great shopping. Kid's can expel all that extra energy at one of the local parks. Or  head to one of the many bike or  sailboat rental shops for an outdoor adventure.

Start your day with hearty, delicious breakfast at Penny Cluse Cafe. We love the buttermilk pancakes (topped with Vermont maple syrup, of course) and the Tofu Scram. Ice Cream lovers can take a 26-mile drive to Waterbury to take a tour of Ben & Jerry's factory, or go 10 miles further to Stowe for some of the Eastern seaboard's best skiing. Add a bit of comfort to a family vacation and stay a night at Stowe's Topnotch Restort and Spa. Trust us, it'll be just the thing you need to help you recover from the holiday hulabaloo.

Check out more ideas of what to see and do in Burlington here! And see who was named the unhealthiest city in America here.

Today we're daydreaming about La Sommità Relais in Ostuni, Italy. See more photos after the jump, and check out other family-friendly hotels in Italy with our guide.

Yolanda Edwards | Cookie Travel & Lifestyle Editor

What a great surprise the Scandinavia House, this "Nordic Center of America" was for us. We went because I read about the H.C. Andersen storytelling hour that was free (thanks nymag.com and Lexy Zissu for the recommendation!)...and that they had a café that is operated by Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit...it was really fantastic.  We heard a story from Finland, and then had a walk around, checking out the cool play areas there (of course they are well done -- it's Scandinavian!)...and then had some delicious meatballs and mashed potatoes at the Smorgas Café, which has a kids menu as well. The gift shop was really good--adorable clogs in tons of colors and range in height, and sizes for toddlers on up...and great cards as well (on the left). 

I love the sound of this movie...for you that live in NYC (or are planning a visit), this seems like a perfect Christmas outing:

Finland's box office hit, Christmas Story, to screen at Scandinavia House in advance of its 2009 U.S. release Friday, December 12, 6:30 pm (English version) and  Sunday, December 14, 3 pm (Original version in Finnish, with English subtitles) $9, ($6 American-Scandinavian Foundation members).

For more family activities in the city, check out our NYC guide.

Linda Meadow | Founder and Head 'Guru', gurumommy.com

Now that I am back in toddler-land (my kids are 8, 7, and 3) I forgot what a pain it is to travel with a toddler! Here are my top solutions to the toddler travel trap!

1. Bring a car seat for airplane. If you're flying with a toddler, the FAA says that a car seat is the safest place for your child. I still love my Sit 'n Strol', but lately I've been hearing raves about systems like the gogo Kidz Travelmate, which is basically wheels that attach to your car seat making it portable through the airport.

2. Rent a stroller for your trip. Okay, i know this sounds strange if you have several strollers at home, but it solves the problem of traveling with a stroller AND a car seat (unless you're still in the infant stage and then you have the car seat that pops in the stroller). Once you're in the big car seats, it's such a pain to travel with both the car seat (even on wheels) AND a stroller, so I research baby gear rental services, such as www.babysaway.com. These services even deliver and pickup the equipment from your destination.

3. Pack a small wheelie suitcase for your toddler. They love to wheel luggage around the airport, this will actually fill up much of your time waiting for your flight!

4. Buy Crayola Color Wonder packs. The ink is invisible until it touches the pages, so you don't have to worry about leaving marker all over the airplane seats.

5. Bring a portable DVD player. I know they're not a new invention, but portable DVD players still work wonders if you want a bit of downtime for a long flight. They also work in hotel rooms to keep kids from fighting over what to watch in the early mornings when they're jet lagged!  Just don't forget the power cord for charging or you'll have some whiny kids on flight home!