If anyone deserves some R&R, it's our very own Amy Eldridge, the Readers' Choice winner of the 2009 Smart Cookie Awards. When she's not taking care of her own seven children (ages 4 to 22), Eldridge runs Love Without Boundaries, the nonprofit she founded six years ago, which funds lifesaving surgeries as well as nutritional and educational programs for orphans in China. Eldridge averages about three hours of sleep a night, and her travels are generally restricted to Costco, the athletic fields (for her kids' practices and games), and China.
In the premiere episode of Surprise Vacations with Karen Duffy,
which airs Sunday, July 12, at 8 p.m. ET on FLN, an unsuspecting Eldridge will open her door to find a camera crew accompanied by her family, friends, and
coworkers (who are all in on the surprise). She'll learn that she and some close friends (and no kids!) are about to go to an unknown destination where even more surprises await. With the help of her loved ones, viewers will learn
why Eldridge deserves this trip. But we at Cookie already know why....
At Going Places, we don't allow the word 'stay-cation'...an overused word that we see in way too many travel press releases. But even though we can't stand this word, it does exist for a reason--we might be traveling a little (or a lot) less...and staying home a lot more. A great way to expose your kids to travel that is far and away -- and also involves little expense and no jet-lag -- is to get these travel DVDs.
My family's favorites:
Walker and Ping Ping: This is an animated DVD about a boy named Walker who moves with his family to Hong Kong, and makes friends with Ping Ping, a local Chinese girl. At first I was completely skeptical because I wasn't sure watching a DVD about China, in animation. But it's really great -- my daughter and I have watched it around five times, have learned some Chinese, and I feel like we (that's actually just me) understand more about the geography of China...(I could never remember where the Gobi Desert was!). Note: January 26 is Chinese New Year!
The Little Travelers: We only have the Bali and Japan DVDs, and we love them. They are produced by a mom who takes her two girls to a new country every summer. They rent an apartment and really set up shop, so you get to see where they play, buy groceries, and explore the countries with them. The only problem is now my daughter wants to go to Bali and Japan, right now.
If anyone deserves some R&R, it's our very own Amy Eldridge, the Readers' Choice winner of the 2009 Smart Cookie Awards. When she's not taking care of her own seven children (ages 4 to 22), Eldridge runs Love Without Boundaries, the nonprofit she founded six years ago, which funds lifesaving surgeries as well as nutritional and educational programs for orphans in China. Eldridge averages about three hours of sleep a night, and her travels are generally restricted to Costco, the athletic fields (for her kids' practices and games), and China.
