We flew 14 times with my little boy between the time he was born and two years old. Half of that time, I flew with him by myself. While our first flight was not too bad, there were definitely some times in there that could have been better, such as getting stuck on the runway for an hour. There were also some times where I definitely had to pick my battles, such as letting my kid crawl on the airport floor. Overall, there were a few things I learned that resulted in a vacation that was memorable for the right reasons and not a grumpy baby or parent.

1. Know how your child travels

Of course we all know our children, but do we know how our children travel? Even if you have not traveled with your child, you do have a bit of insight to how they travel that can help you decide how to proceed. For instance, does riding in a moving vehicle help your child fall asleep? If so, you may want to consider air or car travel during their sleep times. However, if you child does not enjoy this and you are pretty sure he will not fall asleep, consider traveling when they are most happy. Likely this will be in the morning hours. Other examples might include planning your trip events around naptimes and mealtimes and making sure to have those favorite toys along for comfort.

2. Call ahead and know options and regulations

Traveling now days is a headache for anyone, let alone with a baby. Call ahead to the hotel and know what options there are for the child. Most hotels have cribs for your baby and provide them free of charge. If you are staying at a hotel that provides this, it eliminates a very bulky travel item. Also call the airlines to know what you can check at the gate and what you can carry through security. In my experience most airports have been pretty good about allowing baby items, including food. However, I used to carry the car seat through the airport fearing that if it got lost in luggage I would be without a very important and expensive item for the trip. Come to find out the airlines are regulated to have so many car seats on hand in case this happens.

3. Check for items to make your life easier, as long as they are limited

If you do choose to travel with your car seat through the airport there are a few options available. We selected a car seat backpack so we could easily carry it through the airport. There is also a contraption that will turn your car seat into a stroller which can also help to transfer the child through the airport. Check out the travel section of your local baby store to see what is available.

4. Rent baby gear

In most major cities now you can rent baby gear, and sometimes you can arrange an airport drop off. When I traveled alone with my son I had the hotel provide the crib then rented a stroller and car seat. The company met me at the airport which was also important to have safe auto transportation as soon as we landed.

5. Plan for everything and plan for nothing

I know that this is virtually impossible, but give it a try. By packing more activities than I thought I needed, we survived our one hour being stranded on the runway. Also plan for flexibility on the trip as you never know what ultimately will happen. One trip we went on we had a few plans, but nothing firm. By working around our child's schedule we had a great time.

Traveling with a baby does not have to be a struggle. By knowing your options and traveling requirements and careful planning you can have an experience to remember - for the right reasons.

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As a new parent with a two-year-old, being kind to my child today is pretty easy. A few crackers here, or playing with him for a few minutes there easily does the trick.
In making this list, however, I thought about the future and considered what I could do today that would make my child happy tomorrow. What could I teach him now, while he's young, that will help him in his life as he gets older?

While no two parenting styles are the same, there are certain ethics and abilities that most parents would agree are important to teach. I hope to teach my child a few of these early on, so that he will know that his parents loved him enough to show him how to be happy.

Here is a list of 51 things you can do for your child to let him or her know that you care:

1. Make their favorite meal.
2. Make them a special snack.
3. Surprise them with a gift.
4. Teach them about money.
5. Teach them how to work.
6. Teach them to respect others.
7. Teach them creativity.
8. Teach them the importance of honesty.
9. Feed them a healthy diet.
10. Teach them how to express love.
11. Encourage them.
12. Be there to cheer them on.
13. Be there to put a Band-Aid on their hurts.
14. Be there to listen about their day.
15. Be there to help them with homework.
16. Hang up your phone when you're spending time with them.
17. Help them with a school project.
18. Host a birthday party for them.
19. Have a water fight with them.
20. Participate in athletic events with them.
21. Teach them how to perform service.
22. Teach them how to be charitable.
23. Teach them how to read well.
24. Celebrate their successes.
25. Help them find and develop their strengths.
26. Teach them to be forgiving.
27. Teach them about their ancestors/culture.
28. Leave them a nice note in their lunchbox.
29. Leave a piece of candy in their shoe.
30. Play a game with them.
31. Smile when you're around them.
32. Help them open a savings account.
33. Go fly a kite with them.
34. Make a fort with them.
35. Make a snowman with them.
36. Teach them how to ride a bike.
37. Let them be silly.
38. Teach them to be positive.
39. Pay them a compliment.
40. Teach them teamwork.
41. Take them on a picnic.
42. Let them invite a friend on the family outing.
43. Teach them to be understanding with others.
44. Help them set goals.
45. Teach them gratitude.
46. Stop your current task to help them when they need it.
47. Skip watching a television show to play Frisbee with them.
48. Teach them how to throw a ball.
49. Take them on a special outing.
50. Teach them how to be polite.
51. Let them help you around the house.

Teaching our children how to be happy is a long and involved process. Mostly, it requires time, effort, and unconditional love. Always remember, if you're child knows how much you care about him, then he will be more willing to trust you and your advice. What do you to help teach your children how to be happy?

Want more great ideas? Check out Powerful ways to show your children love.

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Myself? I did not care for exercising when I was younger. I much preferred to stay indoors, watch television, read or do crafts. However, I always enjoyed the water. One day in ninth grade I saw a poster advertising for swim team tryouts. After swimming for a while I saw another poster advertising a local triathlon and decided to try that. One thing has led to another, and since then I have found several activities that I enjoy outside including hiking, surfing, skiing, rock climbing and mountain biking. Now you do not need to get that serious, or even follow a path into outdoor activities. Exercise is about you and what makes you happy.

1- Think about what you like to do

If you do not like running, I suggest you do not run for exercise. If you like dancing, find a dance class. If you do not have money for the dance class, check out the internet. There are hundreds of exercise options and new ones coming out weekly. Pick one, explore, change it up and find your favorite. I also like to have a lot of ideas in my back pocket and change it up.

2- Think about what time of the day you are most awake and energetic

Generally speaking, most of us are a night person or a morning person. You are more likely to exercise, and do so better, when you exercise at these times during the day. Personally, I am a morning person, and if I don't exercise before noon, it usually does not happen.

3- Schedule it

This is where it gets a little tricky and you might have to get a little creative. I have a tight schedule, and I don't get 2 hours to myself every morning to exercise. For the mornings I am at home, I have found some exercise videos that I enjoy to do at home then save swimming for the mornings that I don't stay at home.

*Bonus idea- Make it a party

Everything is better with a friend. There is conversation, encouragement and team work as you both reach your goal. I had a friend that would rent out a local squash club for parties. Trust me, you have never sweat this much at a party in your entire life.

Make exercising about you. The biggest reason for failure is boredom and perceived lack of time. Make exercise something you plan to do which then becomes something to look forward to and then something you love to do. Go out there and own it.

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I literally did get soaked during this event. It had been the driest summer in a while and no one expected a fast moving thunderstorm to dump like it did. There are other times I get soaked too, the trick here is do you let it soak into your spirit - or not. I decided a long time ago that being grumpy was not fun and all it did was bring me down. From there on out, I made the choice and through self-discovery found five ways that I can be happy.

1. Choose to Be Happy

Sometimes it is a literal choice that you have to mentally make. It is that mental picture of the fork in the road where one road is happiness and one road is sadness. I like to use a surfing analogy here: most often, the way you are looking is the way you are going to travel. If you are happy and looking up, you will travel up.

2. Replace those Bad Thoughts with Happy Ones

In a sports psychology class I took they gave the actual example of athletes picturing a stop sign in their mind any time a self-defeating thought came up. The stop sign was to signal that they needed a stop in their behavior and change. Anytime you are having "down" thoughts, replace them.

3. Take a Break

Not many of us make the most rational decisions when we are upset. Take a break, refresh and come back when you have a clearer picture of what needs to happen. Being upset does not result in many productive actions.

4. Do Something Fun

Hopefully when choosing to do something fun we choose to do something constructive that will help us in the long run. For example, something fun might be talking on the phone with a friend, exercising or working on a certain hobby. I will be the first person to admit that I really like chocolate, but eating it is not always the healthy answer.

5. Count Your Blessings

No matter what, there is always something to be thankful for. One time I was shoveling rocks with a roommate and she started commenting on how great it was to be doing this together and what a beautiful day it was. We had a great time.

Make the choice to be happy, and do it today. Yes there is a time for sadness, but quickly replace it with happiness. It is better for health, it improves your outlook on life and I also believe it is contagious. How will you spread the happiness today?

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There are many reasons you do not exercise. There are even more reasons you do not exercise with your spouse. But there may be a desire within each of us to exercise more and spend more time with our spouse. So why not put the two together?

First, I have a story for you. When I met my husband it was not love at first sight. Sure, we had a common group of friends and some obviously common interests, but that was it. That is, until we ended up on some long bike rides and hikes together. We talked. We got to know each other. We teased each other. We fell in love.

Five years later, we still love to exercise together. Although, our time is limited, here are five strategies that we use for success.

1. Pick a common activity

Pick one hundred common activities. Fortunately for us there are thousands of exercise options from which to choose.

2. Be willing to try new things

I admit I don't care for softball, but if my husband said he would go dancing with me once a month, I would do it.

3. Lift up the other person

Positive energy keeps everyone motivated. People want to know that they are doing a good job. Point out little improvements they have made and keep encouraging them to get better. When I mountain bike with my husband, he knows that I have more fun and perform better when he is complimenting me instead of criticising me.

4. Talk

Get to know each other all over again. Talk about your week. Make each other laugh. Be silly. Talking does wonders to pass the time.

5. Plan for it

Exercise offers a physical and mental release. It is beneficial for general health. The only way to complete exercise on your task list is to plan for it. Keep that laundry list of options and add variety to your routine. If you have kids and want to involve them, consider looking for options such as a jogging stroller, kid carrier or bike trailer.

There have been times when I did not enjoy exercising with many of my male counterparts. Often, I felt pressured. Was I holding them back in some way? Exercise is about you, what you enjoy and your success.

It's basic math: exercise + exercise is better than just exercise. Build each other up in what ever activity you choose. Have a conversation. Have fun. Celebrate success in your exercise goals. It is through this process of self discovery and building each other up that relationships are strengthened.

Don't wait for tomorrow, start today.

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1. Make a list of daycares in the area.

Making a list can be done by searching on the Internet or contacting your local state department. Keep in mind that exact search methods may vary depending on geographic location but Google or another internet search engine would be an excellent place to start. Suggested search engine terms include "daycare + location."

2. Compile a list of questions that you want to ask the daycare.

Before you contact some of the prospective daycares, it's important that you come up with a list of questions to ask them. Here are some examples of questions that you might consider asking.

Are you licensed?

Although it isn't absolutely necessary to choose a daycare that has been licensed by the state, licensure does imply certain things about a daycare that might otherwise be lacking. Obtaining a license can be an involved process, and as such, it can mean that those in charge of the daycare are willing to make an extra effort for your child. It may also imply that the persons in charge of the daycare have a background in child care. Take note: Some areas may requirelicensure from daycare providers.

What is your emergency plan for an injured child?

This interview question draws out details from the individual about planning that has occurred beyond the daily activities. A well thought out answer to this question can let you know that the provider is responsible and has the best interest of your child in mind.

Why do you provide daycare?

The answers that you receive from this question will help you get a feel for the care provider's personality and motivation. Does the person sound like they enjoy spending time with children? Are they well-spoken and polite? Do they seem to know a lot about child care? If they respond with a simple "Because I need the money," then you might want to keep looking.

3. Call the state license/ inspection department.

With you current list of daycares in front of you ask the state department or other governing body for feedback about each daycare. While they only have information about licensed daycares, they have great advice on what to look for. Your top choices can be reinforced after obtaining audit information from the state.

4. Narrow down your list and go for a visit.

After you've gotten some government feedback, you should have an easier time weeding out some of the less impressive daycares from your list. When you feel that you narrowed the group down to only the top few hopefuls, then you'll be ready to make some visits. Take along a list of questions you want to ask and things you want to see. For instance, you might want to see how food is prepared or you might need to make sure that the sleeping area is safe for your child. If you would like to make any special arrangements regarding your child - such as those having to do with diet or allergies - this would be the time to discuss them. Also, know that most daycares have a list of parents that you can contact who are willing to provide feedback of their experience.

Finding child care for your little one can be scary, but it doesn't have to be a burden. With a little research and groundwork you can find a provider that you and your child can be happy with. Remember, if you plan ahead and do your research, your family will be much happier in the long run.

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