Part of me feels so extremely sick of writing/reading “What camera should I buy?” posts (or vacuum cleaner posts—those two topics are tied for extreme sickness of), I never want to write/read another one.

Another part of me is in the market for a new digital camera.

The trouble, I think, is that digital cameras keep CHANGING: a post written/read a year ago is about cameras that aren’t even being sold anymore. And the thing is, the search for happiness with a camera (or vacuum cleaner) is a search most of us are going to be working on repeatedly throughout our lives: THIS camera took the picture the instant I clicked the button, but had trouble with focus; THIS camera had excellent multi-spot auto-focus, but paused briefly so I never got the picture I had in mind. THIS camera has everything I want, but is too expensive and too large.

I’ve read several places that if you’re not making poster-size prints (or frequently cropping down to a tiny fraction of the original photo), you don’t need anything larger than 10 megapixels. But it’s hard to even FIND a camera 10 megapixels or smaller.

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I have always been scared of having to take my kids on a plane. We’ve never done it, because our family is close enough to visit by car, and every time I fly on my own I surreptitiously stare at other parents trying to manage small kids and strollers and bags and think to myself, oh thank GOD that’s not me.

The time has come, however, for me to nut up and face my fears, because I have the opportunity to take my 3.5-year-old on a trip to Washington DC at the end of this month. It will be just the two of us, and I am both thrilled about the adventure and, um, COMPLETELY FREAKED OUT.

We’ve been talking a lot about the trip and watching YouTube videos of planes taking off and so on; I feel like I’m doing an okay job on preparing him as best I can. He’s super excited about everything, but I know the fickle nature of a preschooler: it’s inevitable there will be some challenges along the way. So, what sorts of gear can help make it all a little easier? I’m hoping you guys can help me out, especially those of you with experience traveling with children. Here are some items I’m looking at:
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If you like pink, October is a good time to shop:  a lot of pink stuff is available for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  If you’re like me, you like supporting that cause and also really like the way it justifies a purchase.

Coffee-Mate is offering a pink mug for $12.95; $5.00 is donated.
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Last summer I went on a car trip with a toddler and a newborn. Um, that was really fun! As you might imagine!

One thing that made a world of difference was the DVD player. Sweet, peaceful Steve bought us several happy hours during the day in the car, particularly toward the end of the day when traffic got bad and no one was in the mood for another car game or car song. I really, REALLY recommend an in-car DVD player of some sort (and a few fresh DVDs) if you are driving a long distance.

Toys for long trips are tricky. Ideally they should be hand-held, one-piece, non-messy, non-noisemaking, and long-entertaining. It’s hard to hit all those bases, but here are a few that came close.
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Father’s Day is my least favorite holiday to buy for. Guys want boring stuff that is boring to shop for. Oh, not ALL guys: I’m sure SOME guys are like, “You know what I’d love for Father’s Day? New towels for the bathroom! And let’s go out for brunch!” But most of them want things that are expensive and who even knows what they are: Ooooo, a TI-nspire Cas! Whatever that is! And all the gift guides assume that dads drink beer and play golf. Sigh. Well, I have a few–A VERY FEW–Father’s Day gift ideas to make the process less painful:
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