The Savvy Villa Traveller

This was something I didn’t have to think about until I became a mom. Every time I fly with the baby this question brings me anxiety beyond belief. Fortunately I have never had to do this but I’m sure it is a matter of time. I had a false alarm on the last flight to Jamaica. I could feel my pulse racing and my mouth getting dry. I am not one of those people who can change a diaper in a minute. I need the changing table and a space to neatly lay out the wipes and diaper cream before I get started. Anyway, as I walked down what seemed like a long walk down the aisle to the restroom, I could feel the anxiety growing. I couldn’t tell the last time I used an in-flight bathroom. I remembered them as small and cramped with barely enough room for me let along a squirming baby. I could just imagine myself fumbling in there and a long line growing with impatient people waiting for me to get done. I thought of all the germs parading around in the bathroom and worried that they would get on my baby. Clearly, by the time I got to the door I was a mental basket case. Well, I was surprised to see that there was a changing table over the sink which folded down to give me just enough space to change the baby. My friend who is a more experienced mom just rolled her eyes when I told her about the table which I was sure was a new invention. Turns out that they have been around for a long time. I just never noticed them before. I guess there are just some things you don’t think about until you become a mom.

Last February we came back from Jamaica and finally arrived home at 1am and, of course, I’m due at work at 8am. Yikes. As if that wasn’t bad enough, we came home to an ice-cold house with no running water. The furnace had gone out and the pipes were frozen. Between being delayed getting home, and having a normally mellow toddler have a near melt down from having diaper failure plus the prospect of waiting for the furnace repair man, I was miffed. No, I was frustrated and mad! Plus we were freezing. As we put on layers of clothes and I wrapped the baby in blankets, I gave my husband one hour before I was checking into the nearest hotel. Fortunately the furnace company came within a half hour. First tip, have a great service contract on your heating company. The real question is at what temperature should you set your thermostat if you are going away in the winter months. I’m assuming of course that you don’t live in Florida but in a cold area like New York or Ohio, you get the idea. According to most sources, you should set the thermostat no lower than 55°F (12°C).

To learn more about preventing frozen pipes, click here

It’s the New Year. We are all filled with new hopes and dreams. Want a little inspiration … check out the movie Cool Runnings. It was nominated to be on the the AFI’s most inspiring movies and with good reason. It is the story of the Jamaican Bobsled Team who tried out for and raced in the Olympic Games in Calvary, Alberta, Canada. Just think of it - a country where there is no snow, a group of people who literally fear the cold, yet they decided to compete in bobsledding – in the Olympics! They withstood the taunts and jeers of others when the started but ended up winning the hearts of the world. Can I get a tissue, please! Crazy on one hand; but, on the other, a story of true determination, commitment, and courage. That video is in the library at the villa. Rent it on DVD this weekend for a big dose of inspiration.

I recommend it highly to young and old alike – but especially for young kids. With imagination and hard work, dreams can truly be realized.

What do you want to do but think is impossible? Just do it! If a group of unknown guys from Jamaica could pull this off, think of what you can achieve. Do you have an inspiring story? Tell us about it here. We’d love to hear from you.

Many older Jamaicans use home remedies before or in conjunction with seeing a doctor. We have known for years that chewing ginger works well for nausea. Guess what, the National Cancer Institute funded a trial looking at using ginger for chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting. Kudos to the grant recipient but, Geez, we could have told them that for free!

I don’t know about you but I am overwhelmed with mail – junk mail. My neighbor went to Italy for two weeks. I got more mail in three days than she got in two weeks. At this point, most mail does not get read. If it looks like a bill that I am expecting or a letter from someone I know, fine. Other than that it is 99% sure to end up in the trash. Sorry to all the people who waste their money sending me unsolicited mail. Not only do I have to sort the mail, but, since I’m paranoid about identity theft, I shred anything with my address or any sensitive info before I place it in the trash. Yes, I do shred. When I first heard of shredding the mail, I thought it was loco, sheer paranoia. I stand corrected. If you have ever met anyone who was a victim of identify theft, you would shred too. The problem with all this mail is that it takes up a lot of my precious time! I heard about the National Do Not Mail List. What’s the problem? Well I don’t know anyone who signed up with them. How do I know it isn’t a scam? Ok, maybe now I’m getting too paranoid. Oh, what to do, what to do.