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How to Ace your Holiday Staycation with Kids

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*We’ve partnered with Bugaboo to inspire you to get out and explore this holiday season. There’s something about the holiday season that makes even a trip to the grocery store seem festive. Everything feels fresh and exciting when it’s decorated with a string of lights, and everyone is a little friendlier once they catch that holiday cheer. The holidays are a great time to plan a family staycation and get out and discover (or re-discover) your neighborhood with your kids. Of course, if you’re heading out on an adventure with your kids, even if it’s just around the block, you’re going to need the right gear. So we’ve partnered with global mobility brand, Bugaboo, to share how some modern parents make it work when they’re on the move during the holiday season...and how they’re creating some new holiday traditions along the way. Porsha Ellis of Raising Wisdom is one mama in need of a major holiday staycation. She recently moved her family out to LA, and while she’s no stranger to west coast life, everything looks different when you’ve got two little ones in tow. Find out how she’s exploring her new hometown with a little help from her Bugaboo Donkey², and how she’s navigating the transitions, both big and small. Has it been hard to move across the country so close to the holidays? Moving at any point with two young children can present some challenges, and being away from our immediate family can make it tough. Family is definitely something I've taken for granted on many occasions. We’re fortunate to have my partner's brother nearby and his mother has also come out from New York to help out. How is LA different than New York City in terms of mobility with your kids? New York City requires the minimalist approach; the less baggage the better. But here in LA, it's easier to get around with kids and take more with you on your journey. I keep my Bugaboo Donkey² in my car for easy access all the time, so no matter where we go, I’ve got my stroller with the Bugaboo Comfort Wheeled Board attached. How has your Bugaboo helped you get out and discover your new city? We've done a fair amount of exploring so far. We love the boardwalk and Santa Monica Pier. We also love to hit up the playground and parks. Picnics are Steele's favorite. It was cool to check out some of Silver Lake/Echo Park recently. We don't go East much, but I’m excited to check out more areas and try some new things over the holidays. One of the things I love about the Bugaboo Donkey² is its adaptability. For example, I can push Sage, my youngest, in the stroller while Steele, my 3-year-old, stands on the Bugaboo Comfort Wheeled Board or walks. Alternatively, I can have Steele sit in the stroller, and have Sage in the carrier, or I can expand my stroller into duo configuration and push both girls together in side-by-side seats. All of the options allow me to be mobile when I’m on my own with the kids, which is nice. And since the updated version of this stroller includes foam-filled wheels, I never have to worry about stopping to pump them up. What’s your routine with your daughters now that you’re in LA? I work during the week, so I spend weekends with the girls. We go to the grocery store, and we try to get to the farmers market as often as possible. We try to stay active with friends, so playdates and activities are a must. Depending on the weekend, you can most likely catch us outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Our Bugaboo Donkey² makes transitioning from place to place less of a hassle (and also keeps my kids contained!). What are you best tips for spending the day running around and exploring with your daughters? Expect delays in your day, but be nimble enough to work around them. Patience is a virtue! Be open to trying new things. Explore activities outside of your comfort zone to give your kids a fresh perspective. Always be prepared. I keep my Bugaboo Donkey² accessible at all times, because you never know when you might need it. Tell me about your plans for the holidays. We just bought property in Tulum, Mexico, so we will most like be heading that way for the holidays. I love Tulum, so I'm hoping this will be our new tradition moving forward. Why is it important to have your go-to gear handy when exploring a new place? Although I believe change to be extremely good, there's also power in consistency. As a mother, finding trusted product like the Bugaboo Donkey², that we can rely on, enables me to shift my energy and focus on whatever’s in front of me, instead of worrying about my gear. What are your fave bugaboo accessories for LA living? My favorite accessory is the Bugaboo Comfort Wheeled Board, hands down. Steele loves being able to stand up and jump off and play whenever she wants. I also like the fact that both girls can see each other and talk to one another. Oh, and I love that the Bugaboo Donkey2 side luggage basket and underseat basket each hold up to 22 lbs. Who doesn't need additional space to put bottles, baby toys, snacks and all that jazz?! The side luggage basket also has built-in pockets and a cover so I can stay organized and keep Steele’s curious hands out of the basket! Photography by Sarina Cass of Red Anchor Photo.

The brand new Bugaboo Donkey² is the ultimate multi-purpose stroller with superior maneuverability, spacious storage, customization options and the ability to grow with your family.

Shop a few of our fave Bugaboo Donkey² combos and accessories below.

Bugaboo Donkey²

Bugaboo Comfort Wheeled Board

Bugaboo Comfort Wheeled Board Adapter

 jessica
baby gear bugaboo bugaboo donkey2 holiday staycation porsha ellis raising wisdom sponsored stroller
Who said motherhood doesn't come with a manual?

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This mama mistook a car seat cover for a skirt (and we totally understand why)

Baby stuff comes in such cute prints these days. Gone are the days when everything was pink and blue and covered in ducks or teddy bears. Today's baby gear features stylish prints that appeal to mom.

That's why it's totally understandable how a mama could mistake a car seat cover for a cute midi skirt. It happened to Lori Farrell, and when she shared her mishap on Facebook she went viral before she was even home from work. Fellow moms can totally see the humor in Farrell's mishap, and thankfully, so can she.

As for how a car seat cover could be mistaken for a skirt—it's pretty simple, Farrell tells Motherly.

"A friend of mine had given me a huge lot of baby stuff, from clothes to baby carriers to a rocker and blankets and when I pulled it out I was not sure what it was," she explains. "I debated it but washed it anyway then decided because of the way it pulled on the side it must be a maternity skirt."

Farrell still wasn't 100% sure if she was right by the time she headed out the door to work, but she rocked the ambiguous attire anyway.

"When I got to work I googled the brand and realized not only do they not sell clothing but it was a car seat cover."

The brand, Itzy Ritzy, finds the whole thing pretty funny too, sharing Farell's viral moment to its official Instagram.

It may be a car seat cover, but that print looks really good on this mama.

And if you want to copy Farell's style, the Itzy Ritzy 4-in-1 Nursing Cover, Car Seat Cover, Shopping Cart Cover and Infinity Scarf (and skirt!) is available on Amazon for $24.94.

Motherly is your daily #momlife manual; we are here to help you easily find the best, most beautiful products for your life that actually work. We share what we love—and we may receive a commission if you choose to buy.You've got this.

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California may invest $25-35 million to help parents with childcare costs

Daycare for infants is expensive across the country, and California has one of the worst states for parents seeking care for a baby. Putting an infant in daycare in California costs $2,914 more than in-state tuition for four years of college, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Paying north of $1,000 for daycare each month is an incredible burden, especially on single-parent families. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines affordable childcare as costing no more than 10% of a family's income—by that definition, less than 29% of families in California can afford infant care. Some single parents spend half their income on day care. It is an incredible burden on working parents.

But that burden may soon get lighter. CBS Sacramento reports California may put between $25 and $35 million into child care programs to make day care more affordable for parents with kids under 3 years old.

Assembly Bill 452, introduced this week, could see $10 million dollars funneled into Early Head Start (which currently gets no money from the state but does get federal funding) and tens of millions more would be spent on childcare for kids under three.

The bill seeks to rectify a broken childcare system. Right now, only about 14% of eligible infants and toddlers are enrolled in subsidized programs in California, and in 2017, only 7% of eligible children younger than three years of age accessed Early Head Start.

An influx of between $25 to $35 million dollars could see more spaces open up for kids under three, as Bill 452, if passed, would see the creation of "grants to develop childcare facilities that serve children from birth to three years of age."

This piece of proposed legislation comes weeks after California's governor announced an ambitious plan for paid parental leave, and as another bill, AB 123, seeks to strengthen the state's pre-kindergarten program.

Right now, it is difficult for some working parents to make a life in California, but by investing in families, the state's lawmakers could change that and change California's future for the better.

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These viral photos of a mom wearing her toddler on her wedding day are 😍

When a mama gets married, in most cases she wants her children to be part of her big day. Photographers are used to hearing bride-to-be moms request lots of pictures of their big day, but when wedding photographer Laura Schaefer of Fire and Gold Photography heard her client Dalton Mort planned to wear her 2-year-old daughter Ellora instead of a veil, she was thrilled.

A fellow mama who understands the benefits of baby-wearing, Schaefer was keen to capture the photos Mort requested. "When I asked Dalton about what some of her 'must get' shots would be for her wedding, she specifically asked for ones of her wearing Ellie, kneeling and praying in the church before the tabernacle," Schaefer tells Motherly.

She got those shots and so many more, and now Mort's toddler-wearing wedding day pics are going viral.

"Dalton wore Ellie down the aisle and nursed her to sleep during the readings," Schaefer wrote on her blog, explaining that Ellie then slept through the whole wedding mass.

"As a fellow mother of an active toddler, this is a HUGE win! Dalton told me after that she was SO grateful that Ellie slept the whole time because she was able to focus and really pray through the Mass," Schaefer explains.

Dalton was able to concentrate on her wedding day because she made her baby girl a part of it (and that obviously tired Ellie right out).

Ellie was part of the commitment and family Dalton if forging with her husband, Jimmy Joe. "There is no better behaved toddler than a sleeping toddler, and she was still involved, even though I ended up unwrapping her to nurse her. I held her in my arms while my husband and I said our vows. It was really special for us," Dalton told POPSUGAR.

This is a wedding trend we are totally here for!

Congrats to Dalton and Jimmy Joe (and to Ellie)! 🎉

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Why American preschoolers are picking up Peppa Pig's British accent

The internet is freaking out about how Peppa Pig is changing the way toddlers speak, but parents don't need to be too worried.

As Romper first reported, plenty of American parents have noticed that preschoolers are picking up a bit of a British accent thanks to Peppa. Romper's Janet Manley calls it "the Peppa effect," noting that her daughter started calling her "Mummy" after an in-flight Peppa marathon.


Plenty of other parents report sharing Manley's experience, but the British accent is not likely to stick, experts say.

Toronto-based speech and language pathologist Melissa James says this isn't a new thing—kids have always been testing out the accents they hear on TV and in the real world, long before Peppa oinked her way into our Netflix queues.

"Kids have this amazing ability to pick up language," James told Global News. "Their brains are ripe for the learning of language and it's a special window of opportunity that adults don't possess."

Global News reports that back in the day there were concerns about Dora The Explorer potentially teaching kids Spanish words before the kids had learned the English counterparts, and over in the U.K., parents have noticed British babies picking up American accents from TV, too.

But it's not a bad thing, James explains. When an American adult hears "Mummy" their brain translates it to "Mommy," but little kids don't yet make as concrete a connection. "When a child, two, three or four, is watching a show with a British accent and hears [words] for the first time, they are mapping out the speech and sound for that word in the British way."

So if your baby is oinking at you, calling you "Mummy" or testing out a new pronunciation of "toh-mah-toe," know that this is totally natural, and they're not going to end up with a life-long British pig accent.

As Dr, Susannah Levi, associate professor of communicative sciences and disorders at New York University, tells The Guardian, "it's really unlikely that they'd be acquiring an entire second dialect from just watching a TV show."

It sure is cute though.

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