There are lots of reasons to Airbnb it in Atlanta. Whether you’re planning a staycation, thinking about making a trip to Atlanta with your kiddos, or looking to outsource your best friend’s weekend visit with tots in tow, these family-friendly Airbnb’s are epic. From manse to mini, graceful to mod, we’ve picked our favorite crashpads in town. Keep reading for everything you need to know about our city’s best kept Airbnb secrets.
Secluded Intown Treehouse
This property is Airbnb's #1 most wish-listed property in the world, and is described as being the most relaxing, romantic, dreamy and unique place you'll ever stay. What could be better than falling asleep in the trees and waking up to birds singing around you—all within the city limits? Located near Northside Drive in Buckhead, visitors here will have easy access to the interstate, Buckhead and Midtown.
Llama Luxury Cottage
Stay with the Dali Llama once at this Llama Luxury Cottage and you'll never book a traditional hotel stay again. Kids will love these gentle creatures (but take a spare shirt—llamas spit when mad), the on-site hens (and fresh, organic eggs), and the bamboo forrest. This quirky urban oasis is located only 20 minutes from the Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Children's Museum, and Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.
Buckhead Carriage House
If Southern charm is what you're after, then this graceful Buckhead Carriage House is for you. Situated in the heart of Atlanta's in-town neighborhood known for its restaurants, shopping, and beautiful homes (also for the Legoland Discovery Center, Atlanta History Museum, and within striking distance to some of the city's prettiest parks and playgrounds), this beautiful abode with its own pool is perfect for families.
Teepee in the City
The Teepee is tucked in the corner of a unique property in East Atlanta that is shared with another Tepee, a Sovereign Airsteam, a Caravel Airstream, and a Dalton Camper—all rented out to other guests. It's high on the novelty list and certain to delight any adventure-loving littles, but isolated it is not. Families can use the fenced in backyard, complete with a garden, hammocks, hot tub, treehouse and zipline, and fire pit, and the owners live on-site with their two younger kids.
Midtown Modern and Miniature
This Tiny House packs a big punch when it comes to cleanliness, thoughtful design, and proximity to in-town's favorite hotspots near Piedmont Park and the Botanical Garden, the BeltLine, the Krog Street Market, the Atlanta Zoo, and more. The tucked-away bedroom and the enchanting loft space make this tiny house a big hit with your kiddos, and don't let the size scare you. This casa is located close to everything worth seeing and doing, so your couch time will be limited. But while you're there? Magic.
Are your kiddos helping out around the house more than ever? It’s no secret that the pandemic put most families into hyper-drive when it comes to overall cleanliness. Now there’s data to back up what you’ve suspected over the past year-plus.
According to a recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of SC Johnson, more than half of Americans believe the pandemic has had a positive effect on their cleaning habits. Beyond that, the data shows families are cleaning together more than they were in the pre-pandemic days.
The survey, conducted between Feb. 10, 2021 and Feb. 16, 2021, included 2,000 adult participants aged 18 and up. The findings show Americans are now spending more time than ever cleaning their homes, which equates to an average of six hours weekly!
Alan VanderMolen, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at SC Johnson, said in a press release, “At SC Johnson, our goal is to create a healthier world by educating and enabling people on cleaning and hygiene so that they can respond to this pandemic and future public health threats.” VanderMolen added, “We are encouraged to see families are working together to improve and maintain their cleaning habits because healthier homes create healthier communities and a better world.”
Not only are they spending more time cleaning, American adults are also more satisfied with the cleanliness of their home. The poll shows a whopping nine out of 10 of people surveyed feel their efforts have paid off in cleanliness.
When it comes to kids and cleaning, 44 percent of parents say their kiddos help more to clean now than they did before the pandemic. Seventy-one percent of these parents also expect their children to keep up the cleaning efforts from now on!
Does it seem like you’re cleaning your home more than ever? OnePoll recently conducted a survey on behalf of Bounty of 2,000 American’s cleaning habits pre- and during-pandemic times.
Pre-pandemic, Americans spent an average of five hours and 37 minutes per week cleaning. Now that everyone is more aware of the germs around them, Americans have added a whopping three hours and 12 minutes per week to this number. This means 71 percent of adults are spending more time cleaning than ever.
photo courtesy of SWNS
The survey’s cleaning statistics show that the average American has spent nearly three weeks cleaning in the past year. This equals 458 hours or 19 days!
Increased cleaning time isn’t the only issue the survey revealed. According to the OnePoll stats, 79 percent of people were more aware of bacteria and cleanliness in general after the pandemic started. Seventy-eight percent of respondents reported they were more aware of their own cleanliness.
The survey also revealed the home spaces and places Americans believe are the dirtiest. These include handles and knobs in the kitchen (44 percent) and kitchen hand towels (18 percent). Jessica Rivera, infectious disease expert said, “Used dishcloths can provide a flourishing environment for bacteria. And what many do not realize is, when you wipe up a mess or dry your hands with a used, reusable cloth, you may be helping to spread bacteria.”
When it comes to other “dirtiest” areas of the home, the survey revealed that Americans also ranked kitchen sponges, bathroom faucet handles, kitchen faucet handles, coffee makers and bottled water dispensers at the top of the list.
Since the pandemic, our travel plans have been up in the air: it’s not easy keeping up with local restrictions, let alone in places across the country or even the world. A new survey from Travelocity conducted this month finds that one group of travelers have been paving the way when it comes to pandemic travel: parents! In fact, the research found that family travel will be the first to come roaring back. Read on to find out why and where parents are going in 2021.
Travelocity’s recent study showed a few patterns that demonstrate that pandemic travel, post-pandemic travel and family travel are still going strong. It showed (surprisingly) that parents are twice as likely to have traveled since the start of the pandemic.
Why are parents seemingly more comfortable with travel in 2021? The study revealed:
Parents know the industry: 57% identify as extremely or very familiar with the travel industry (compared to 42% of non-parents).
Parents are savvy online and they know how to make it work for them: 53% use social media to research travel changes and policies, 46% use local news and news sites, and 37% use travel websites (vs. using word of mouth or exchanging info with friends).
55% of parents are confident in their 2021 travel plans. Parents are planning earlier trips and booking their trips earlier than non-parents. 56% of parents who will travel in 2021 are already planning or will start planning their first leisure vacation in the next few weeks. 44% of parents indicate they’d feel comfortable traveling knowing that those around them had been vaccinated.
So what’s the most common trends among families? A trip to visit family (40%) followed by a road trip or a beach trip (30%). Following that, trips to visit friends (26%) or weekend getaways (26%) are on family bucket lists for 2021.
Parents also site hotel cleanliness as the most important factor in making decisions about where to go or stay.
Last Sunday, I was super motivated to clean and organize all of the toys! I have really been wanting to do this before Christmas. Parents, do you ever get overwhelmed by all of the toys, clutter, and those pesky little broken pieces everywhere?
I like cleanliness, organization and things just being put away. Of course, with three little boys, I have learned to live with it, their mess that is. The boys do put away toys every night before bed but they have not been organized and put in their proper place every time. (Plus, they have a Daddy who may be the messiest of them all…) So, I took four hours straight to get the toys where they needed to be and also many large piles of items to get rid of by either donating or just trash. We are donating baby toys and things in good condition that need a new home in order to make room for the new things that they may be getting for Christmas. We are trashing or recycling the broken things, the very old puzzles, and other items that have a million little pieces—half of which are missing. I am also trashing or donating any free and cheap things they got over the years that are never played with any longer such as happy meal toys.
I will share a lot of what I have done to get the toys in order but today I am concentrating on the organization of LEGOS specifically. Check out my Instagram page where I’ve saved everything in my stories under the highlight “Organization.”
It may seem very simple, just sort by color, but as a Mom to three LEGO-loving boys, I have learned a lot about precisely how to best keep them organized for good.
Here are my tips for parents helping to sort and store their children’s’ LEGOS.
Assess what you have. Bring them all to one common area where you can look everything over and see all of it together.
Find appropriate storage. We have a small tool organizer from Akro Mills. I highly recommend this one. It was Hunter’s favorite Christmas gift last year, not kidding! He is in 1st grade and loves organization like his Mama. We also have a tall stand-up drawerfor larger completed pieces and all of the manuals that come with LEGO sets.
When assessing and sorting, you just have to start somewhere. I took the biggest pieces out—things that were built or half-built and set them aside for the larger stand-up drawer.
Next, sort by color. Start with what you have the most of. For us, it was black and gray. Ask for help here, Hunter (7) and Deacon (5, almost 6) were helpers. Wyatt (2) was not into it. Many hands make light work!
Also, make separate piles for things that are not LEGOS bricks such as LEGO people, windows/doors, windshields, tires, and so forth. These things can have their own drawer.
Do not waste your time taking pieces apart. Some things have 5-10 small Legos put together. This may be something they are working on and so I just put it in the color drawer that it is mostly.
Now you can pull out the drawers and put them on the floor or table when ready to play. Keep the built pieces in the larger storage container and then encourage them to sort and clean up when done with the LEGOS for the day. Eventually, they will get into the habit and will be doing this on their own.
Use the LEGO plates for building! This will help to keep what they are building and so it won’t break or get destroyed. (LEGO plates can be pricey but also make a great Christmas gift.) I do not personally recommend off-brand, it is a different quality.
This will be a constant job but it will help in the end. My boys are so happy to have it organized because it helps them to play and build more easily for years to come.
This is not for 3-year-olds (or younger). Wyatt is ready to destroy everything I have done. It won’t be worth your time and energy for them to just dump out all of the nicely organized containers. If you have a young one, keep your older kids’ nicely organized LEGOS out of their reach!
Anyway, I bet you never knew so much went into keeping LEGOS! But when you are a Mom to three boys who happen to all love building, you learn a few things along the way. I remember spending countless hours with my brother and friends at our babysitters playing with LEGOS, just building for hours upon hours. Our family loves them so much and is a great break from screen time and especially in the wintertime when they may not be able to play outdoors. Getting organized now will help you to feel ready for all of those holiday and Christmas gifts!
I always love to hear from you, if you have more tips to share, please do!
Located in Bloomington, Indiana I am a wife, full-time working Mom to 3 boys, a part-time graduate student & a writer. I am also an optimist, problem solver, peacemaker, gardener, runner and a crazy-busy mom just trying to enjoy each moment. I truly value my friends, family and my mommy tribe.
Travel in 2020 looks different than in years past. There is a greater need for disinfection and cleanliness. Airbnb just announced that 1.2 million listings globally have been granted the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol (ECP) highlight since it launched in June.
Hosts on Airbnb continue to prioritize health and safety as guests look for healthy and responsible getaways. Listings receive The Enhanced Clean highlight after hosts attest to following sanitization guidelines to support safer travel. The program, which is available to hosts in 220+ countries and regions, is informed by guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States and Europe and advice from former Surgeon General of the United States, Vivek Murthy.
Airbnb offers unique homes with more space for their money and more control over their environment, such as entire-home listings with private amenities like kitchens and swimming pools. Bookings for listings opted into the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol are more likely to be for family stays.
Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Initiative continues to evolve and expand as our community adapts to a new world of travel and health precautions. As of this month, hosts in more than 220 countries and regions have access to Airbnb’s expert-backed Enhanced Cleaning Protocol in 61 languages, including a detailed handbook and other resources. Additionally, Airbnb has issued Health and Safety Guidelines for its entire community.
The top ten countries with the highest number of Enhanced Clean listings on Airbnb are:
United States
France
United Kingdom
Spain
Italy
Mexico
Brazil
Australia
Canada
Greece
Airbnb hosts in other places have also started following the new cleaning standards. Barbados, Korea, Japan and Portugal are also top ranking locations for Enhanced Clean listings, compared to total listings available.
“Cleanliness and safety are top of mind for our hosts and guests. In the last weeks, hosts have embraced and adopted our new rigorous guidelines, with thousands more attesting to the Enhanced Cleaning protocol everyday. This effort shows how our hosts are dedicated to the highest standards and committed to keeping their guests and communities safe,” said Catherine Powell, Head of Hosting at Airbnb.
According to internal Airbnb guest review data, 95 percent of all Airbnb reviews show that guests are satisfied with cleaning, scoring it at 4 or 5 stars (out of five stars) after their stays. Since the program launched, Enhanced Clean listings have had an average cleanliness rating of 4.8 stars, according to guest reviews.
In addition, as more guests opt to travel by car instead of plane, the percentage of bookings made on Airbnb within 200 miles has grown in the last months. Below are the top ten destinations with the highest concentration of Airbnb Enhanced Clean listings:
Telluride, Colorado, US
Destin, Florida, US
Walla Walla, Washington, US
Panama City Beach, Florida, US
Oregon Coast, US
Peak District, Hope Valley, UK
Grant County, Washington, US
Big Sky, Montana, US
Mammoth Lakes, California, US
Winter Park, Colorado, US
Airbnb hosts need to comply with guidance from governments or health authorities in their local jurisdictions. They remain committed to working with local governments, medical experts and other authorities to help ensure appropriate precautions are taken and inform the reopening of communities and their tourism economies.
New parents in the world are constantly wondering: When can I begin potty training? (Some don’t even realize that, with the right information, they can even begin potty training their baby).
Believe it or not, there are options for the first year of life (yes! you heard me right!), as well as the 11-18 month range, and 18 months and beyond.
So which potty training age is truly most beneficial to your child’s health?
There is a lot of crap out there on the internet about potty training, pun absolutely intended. It can boggle the mind. And there are a lot of marketing-fueled lies circulating (with the primary aim of selling more diapers). So. Because the current society is so convinced of certain mistruths, we need to push those aside right now. Before we dive into which potty training method works best for each age range (super-detailed info below), let’s first get something crystal- clear: Early potty training will NOT damage your child in any way.
There is no scientific study that actually proves that early potty training will harm your child (contrary to Dr. Hodges’ marketing influence, which is based on a study that doesn’t say early potty training will damage them, but that incomplete emptying of the bladder will).
And late potty training (starting at 2 years old and up) CAN potentially damage your child, in many ways. (This article compares and cites all the science that proves this, inarguably.)
The point:
• If your child is already over 18 months old, get educated and begin potty training this week.
• If your child is less than 18 months old, it can only benefit your child to begin today, in some way, big or small.
The science supports it. Again, I will break the ages down further, below, so keep on reading. And the most healthy time to begin? Early, early, early. As early as birth. (As early as wherever YOU are when you read this post.)
Establishing healthy potty use and attitudes from an early age is beneficial to your child, on so many levels. Parents: You get to choose, from birth, whether to train your baby into using the diaper as a full-time toilet, or using the toilet as a full-time toilet.
Full permission granted to choose what works for you (and a little bit of research might be necessary so you can feel confident executing this decision!).
Okay, now that this myth is completely disproven, we can confidently move in to answer the question: “At what age can I potty train my child?”
The top method for starting potty training at 0-12 months
The method you would use for starting potty learning with babies 0-12 months is called “elimination communication.” It is a way of tending to your child’s natural instincts for cleanliness by learning and responding to the signals, rhythms, and preferences of your baby.
The best method for starting potty training at 11-16 months
To start potty training with 11-16 month (likely walking) babies, which is actually considered by Montessori school of thought to be the “sensitive period” (the best time!) to begin toilet learning, you would use either pure EC or a hybrid of EC/potty training.
The top method for starting potty training at 15-20 months
To start toilet training a 15-20 month toddler, you’ve already mostly passed the EC window (although you can give it a whirl if you’ve got a super laid-back, not-yet-walking baby!)…and you’re now sitting at what’s called early start potty training. But, don’t you dare feel bad! You will now spend less time potty training/doing EC and more time teaching the final pieces of independence. Like ripping off a Band-aid, potty training at 18-24 months is a much more rapid process than EC (and it should be! Toddlers crave mastery at this stage, and being lax or hands-off about toilet training at any toddler age is a disservice to your wonderful toddler!!). Learn about early potty training on my Potty Training 101 page here.
The best method for starting potty training at 20 months and up
For this, you’d also do the same as the previous age range, but it’s not going to be called early potty training…just your regular ole run-of-the-mill potty training (but pls don’t use a boot camp or gradual plan!). Again, do not feel badly! The earlier you begin, the sooner you’ll be done, and you do not have to wait for readiness signs or fear that you’ll harm your child by doing the training too early. That is all BS funded by the diaper companies.
Some quick reassuring facts (for those of you who are skimming)
Which is the best time to potty train your child? Whatever age your child currently is. That is the best time to start the learning…now!
What is the current average age of potty training completion in the US? 36-38 months average.
What is the current age of toileting independence in the rest of the world? 12 months average.
What was the toilet training age in 1957 in the US? 92% of children were toilet trained by 18 months of age.
What would happen if we reduced the toilet training age by 1 year (from 3 to 2 years old)? The diaper companies would lose approximately $8 billion/year in revenues.
Remember: You can begin potty training at any age, starting as early as birth. It just looks a little different at each stage. And, no shame mama/daddy! You are where you are right now, given what you’ve learned so far. Now you know some more stuff about what age is best to begin potty training, get started today. We’re rooting for you!
Andrea Olson is an author and expert in potty training by Elimination Communication (EC). She's worked with thousands of parents worldwide to make the practice of pottying their babies efficient and enjoyable! She holds a Masters Degree in Psychology and lives in Asheville with her husband and 5 children (all EC'd from birth).
I know Marie Kondo is trending right now. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. First she wrote a book, now it’s a hit show on Netflix. It’s a new year and everyone wants to get organized, throw away things that don’t spark joy and have a house fit enough for a Pottery Barn catalog.
That is not me.
And that will not be me for a long time. LONG time.
Why? Because kids.
If you can have kids under age five and still keep the house spick and span, I commend you. But I can not. And in all honesty, I’ve stopped trying. It’s a losing battle.
I know my husband hates the mess. So I will pick up with my kids. And they make another mess. We pick it back up. On and on it goes until—gasp—my husband gets home and everything’s right back out again.
Don’t get me wrong. He gets it. He tries to one-up me when he’s watching the kids and has the same problem. My husband is a control freak, Type A, keep things clean nut and he still has learned that this is just not in the cards right now. Because kids.
It doesn’t mean we’re bad parents. It doesn’t mean we have bad kids. And it sure as heck doesn’t mean we don’t strive for cleanliness and order. We just recognize that during this period of our lives, achieving both is extremely difficult and more strain than it’s worth.
What would Marie Kondo say to all this? She said in one of the TV episodes to encourage your kids to participate. So, I called her bluff. I took the laundry out and I asked my four-year-old to help me fold. By the grace of God…he started to help. And by the genes of his father, he’s a good folder.
I was astonished. I was amazed. This folding experiment actually sparked joy.
Once he had folded a few shirts and realized this activity was actually quite boring, he proceeded to throw said folded shirts to the top row of a bookshelf, like he was playing a game of basketball. Because kids.
This is our life right now and it is glorious and it is fun-loving and it is disorganized beyond your wildest dreams. We will have plenty of time to pick up the mess and clear clutter. But right now?
These kids spark all the joy I need. And there is nothing more magical than that.
Hi! I’m Celeste. I consider myself a relatively new mom with two boys ages 4 and 2. Other titles I go by include: wife, marketing guru, avid reader (self-help books are my favorite), writer, travel/adventure seeker and fitness nut.
Spending time with your little one is the best part of being a parent but unfortunately, we can’t always be there to watch our kids. When looking for someone else to take care of them, you want someone you can trust and the number of options can be daunting. However, by carefully weighing your needs and the needs of your child against the factors that affect your decision, you will likely be able to make an informed choice.
You’ve probably considered a daycare, nanny, or maybe a family member but which option is best for your family?
What to Consider in Your Search for Childcare
Cost: It’s likely that the number one consideration when seeking the best childcare option for you family is also based on your finances. There is no getting around the fact that childcare is excessively (even prohibitively) expensive. Studies show that while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services quotes a healthy cost for childcare to represent 10% of the income of a family, the average cost can be significantly higher.
In places where childcare is the most expensive, like Washington D.C. for example, care can cost an average of $3,000 a month and families spend more to the tune of 25% of their annual salary. Making a budget is crucial. As you begin to plan financially for childcare, make sure you take into account your eligibility for tax credits. While the Child Dependent Tax Credit will not cover all of your expenses, it may allow you to find a more desirable option within your means.
Schedules: If you need someone to watch your child at regular times everyday while you are at work, a daycare may be a less expensive and more clear cut option for you. If, on the other hand, your work schedule tends to be a bit more flexible, or if you only need a couple of hours a day covered, you may want to lean further toward a nanny situation.
Environment: You know your child best and understand if they will thrive in a social atmosphere or if they will feel overwhelmed. This may play into your decision. Take into account the environment you want your child to grow up in and determine your ideal scenario.
To help you compare each of your childcare options, use a checklist to aid in your search and be on the lookout for all of your necessities (and red flags).
The Pros and Cons of Daycare:
If you’re considering daycare there are positives and negatives you’ll want to run through.
Benefits of Daycare:
Costs are generally less than what a nanny would charge.
Daycare encourages socialization with other children which is important for development.
Curated activities are generally part of a daycare situation including educational toys, games and field trips.
Government accreditation can be a good indication of a daycare that is well managed and has to conform to cleanliness, class sizes and general safety standards.
A number of teachers mean that if a staff member gets ill you can still receive care, also it’s likely that staff members have training in child development.
Daycare may have many reviews that give you a sense of ease that it is reliable.
Some Disadvantages of Daycare:
There are more germs to be exposed to, meaning the cycle of sickness comes earlier and can infest the whole household.
Daycares usually have strict hours and therefore if your job is less predictable, you may have difficulty with timing.
The greater the number of children at daycare the less individualized attention your child may have. This means that more accidents are possible and it can be more stressful for your child.
The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Nanny:
While daycare has certain conveniences that make it favorable, sometimes a nanny makes more sense. That said there are negative aspects to nanny care as well.
Benefits of a Nanny Include:
Personal individualized care for your child which leads to an improved sense of attachment for your child to the caregiver.
Staying in a familiar environment where you can control safety, food access, and other aspects of your child’s care.
Flexibility that might allow you to have a more erratic schedule or be able to use the same person when you need an evening off as well.
Some Disadvantages of Having a Nanny:
If your nanny is ill it’s likely that you’ll need to call a backup option or stay home.
Recommendations may be fewer than with daycares as even an experienced nanny may have only worked with one or two families.
Nanny care can be costly.
Having to manage an employee can be a little trying, including keeping up with payments, sick time and vacation days.
Ultimately, you have to balance your options and see what makes the most sense with your budget and what your childcare needs represent. This checklist plus asking around, doing your research will help provide all the information you need to make the right decision for you.
I declared my dream of being a mom at the age of five years old on my kindergarten graduation day when answering the age-old question "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Many years later, it still seems like the best job in the world.
When you’re fueling up your family or shopping with kids in tow, where you shop can make all the difference. Consumer Reports‘ latest data ranks the best grocery stores in the nation.
Published in the April issue of Consumer Reports, the grocery store lists rankings for 96 retailers across the United States and among the top 10? Fan-favorite Trader Joe’s and Costco.
The report was based on responses from over 75,000 people. Consumer Reports’ survey asked questions regarding cleanliness, price, food quality and variety, checkout speed and staff helpfulness, selection of healthy options and locally produced foods.
The majority of the other top spots went to regional retailers, with the number one rank going to Texas-based grocer Central Market. The second place spot went to Wegmans, which serves the mid-Atlantic and New England regions, and third place was Heinen’s, which is located in northeast Ohio and Chicago.
The only national chains to break the top ten were Trader Joe’s coming in at fifth and Costco at 10th place. Other popular national chains topping the list were Publix at 11th, Sprouts at 20th and Aldi at 23rd. Even with the recent Amazon takeover, Whole Foods came in at 54th.
