It seems like this year has been the year of travel in our house.  Big trips, little trips – we’ve had them all.  The two constants have been:

1. How much I detest packing

2. How hard it is to dig up all the confirmation emails for a trip when I need them

I doubt there’s much anyone can do to help me with the packing, but the brilliant folks at TripIt! have taken  #2 off my list of travel annoyances forever.

Here’s how it works:

  • Create a free account on the TripIt! site
  • Forward your incoming travel confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com (for flights, hotel, car rentals, etc.)
  • View all of your plans in one place on a TripIt! created itinerary.  Their software is smart enough to lump plans within the same date range into the same itinerary, so forwarding is truly all you need to do.
TripIt! is a huge timesaver for travelers

TripIt! is a huge timesaver for travelers

I can’t tell you how much time this has saved me in our year of travel.  And even if you only travel once or twice a year, you’ll still save yourself loads of frustration with TripIt!, which is available for iPhone, iPad, Android  and Windows Phone.  So plan a trip with your sweetie, use TripIt! to manage your plans, and schedule a babysitter with SitterScout so you can get more than just a little grown-up time. Sounds like heaven, right?

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A seed swap, a whale festival, motorcycle bootcamp and a wine country tour. What do all of these things have in common? They are all experiences that you can find and book on RAVN –  a newish website and app that helps you discover fun and interesting things to do near you.

You search for things to do by mood (I’m feeling “artsy” today,)  who you’re going with (perfect for date night or “me ” time,) or price (free options abound!)

Find fun new things to doI searched for “solo” activities that were “unique,” and RAVN suggested:

100 Things to Try Before You Die Culinary Tour

Explore the best of the best with this day long eating fest, sampling the most infamous and top rated dishes in SF

This would have been perfect were it not for the $300 price tag. Yikes!

So I sorted by price and found:

Sailing Adventure for Interested Beginners

See what sailing is all about when you join this relaxing excursion designed to introduce interested beginners to the sailing experience

The sailing adventure was a much more palatable $10. Perfect!

So whether you are looking for something to do with your friends, your significant other, or all by yourself, RAVN can turn you on to some new adventures. RAVN is available on your computer or as an app in the iTunes store – both are free.

With all these fun things to do, what are you waiting for? Schedule your sitter and get out there!

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Grab a sitter and go see “Friends with Kids”

March 7, 2012

We haven’t seen it, but based on a stellar cast and the fun premise, we are really looking forward to this new movie opening Friday. Starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, Ed Burns and Jennifer Westfeldt, “Friends with Kids” looks to be a great ensemble movie with lots of laughs. In an effort to [...]

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An app to save you time (and money!) when you shop

March 5, 2012

I often find myself signing up for loyalty cards and then promptly losing them….or I stash them somewhere in my wallet, only to fumble around looking for them when it’s time to check out at the store.  That really pleases the folks in line behind me. Luckily, this no longer has to be my way [...]

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Where is the Love?

February 9, 2012

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and we surveyed parents to find out what they have planned.  We were surprised to learn that many parents are struggling to get “couple time” on this romantic (or not!) occasion.  In fact, when asked what occasion is celebrated with an “adult only” date, Valentine’s Day came in [...]

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A last minute date without the wait

February 2, 2012

Should you be fortunate enough to find yourself in a postion to get out for a last-minute date night (and with SitterScout you may very well be in that position!) – deciding where to go and wondering how long you’ll have to wait for a table can hinder your plan making. May we suggest acquainting yourself [...]

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Learn more about the fastest way to schedule your babysitters (and a new way to clean up oil spills!)

January 26, 2012

You don’t have to be a geek to know that technology can make your life a whole lot easier.  Nevertheless, we were absolutely thrilled to be called out by none other than Cali Lewis of GeekBeat.TV on the latest edition of her show.  Find out what she has to say about SitterScout and learn about [...]

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Launch Day!

January 23, 2012

Wow!  We are totally overwhelmed by the love and support we are seeing today.  So many people are giving us amazing feedback and so many people are learning about SitterScout, then sharing with their friends. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! Share on Facebook

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Spontaneity – Good for the soul

January 21, 2012

We aren’t exactly spontaneous in our family.  Asking anyone to do anything out of the ordinary (e.g., cleaning out a closet) usually requires advance notice measured in weeks. So when a friend mentioned to me that I should consider flying to Atlanta for her baby shower to catch up with all of our college friends, [...]

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Top Places to Find a Great Babysitter

October 24, 2011

One of the biggest challenges parents face is finding great babysitters.  And these days, with sitters busier than ever with school and extra-curriculars (and thus not always available when you need them,) one great sitter isn’t even close to enough! We’ve got some ideas to help you build your roster of sitters — so you [...]

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