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UltimateMama wants to let you know that her book, “Ultimate Nanny:  How to Find, Interview, and Manage the Most Important Person You Will Ever Hire — Your Child’s Nanny” is now available on Amazon.com.

Learn how to find, interview, and manage the most important person you will ever hire — your child’s nanny.

Buy it today for yourself or a friend!

People often raise eyebrows upon hearing of UltimateMama’s trip to Amsterdam with the kids which is silly!  Amsterdam is chock full of culture with plenty of fun filled activities to keep the kids engaged!

A few tips:

– Stay at the Marriott Hotel Amsterdam City Center and if there is an online deal then book the breakfast buffet which is a great way to start off the day.  The hotel is situated in a nice setting and offers a 5 minute walk to the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum

– Visit the Van Gogh Museum (buy tickets online in advance) and get the kids guide upon arrival/really engaging

– Visit the Rijksmuseum to see Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” (also buy tickets online)

– Buy online timed tickets for the Anne Frank House (if you do not buy tickets in advance the lines are super duper long)

– Eat at a pancake house

– Head to the Amsterdam Flower Market and pick up some great gifts from Holland (slippers that looked like clogs were a favorite)

– Let your kids explore the treehouse in Vondelpark

– Spend a few hours at the NEMO Science Museum (indoors and outside)

– Climb around the “I Amsterdam” letters

UltimateMama’s big tip for those traveling to Paris with children is to be organized and book museum tickets in advance.  Most museums have websites that enable consumers to buy tickets online — sometimes one must specify a day or time of entrance.

A few fun things to do with kids in Paris include:

– A visit to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and many other wonderful, priceless pieces

– Lunch at Pizza Vesuvio on the Champs Elysees which is yummy and central

– Shop for casual clothing for daddy at Celio

– Grab some macarons at Laduree (yes, New Yorkers you can get them on the Upper East Side too)

– Go to the merry-go-round at the Eiffel Tower

– Buy your family tickets for the Big Bus Tour Paris so you can hop on and hop off to see all major attractions (online tickets are usually cheaper) including the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre, and more

UltimateMama loves taking advantage of children’s reading programs at local libraries.  Not only does it inspire and motivate children to read in the summer months but also such programs often have a social element in which kids can meet new faces outside of the classroom setting.

Whether your child reads books independently, you or another adult reads to them, or your family grabs some books on CD for long road trips there are plenty of great books out there for all ages.  Some great summer reads for 8, 9, and 10 year olds include:

“The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate was a great book on CD for a recent long car ride

“The Doll People” by Ann M. Martin was another wonderful book UltimateMama enjoyed on CD

“The Princess Academy” by Shannon Hale received rave reviews by UltimateMama’s oldest daughter

“The Girl Who Could Fly” by Victoria Forester was another hit

“The Duel:  The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr” by Judith St. George was one that UltimateMama read in order to gain history knowledge with her children

“A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park is an amazing story that UltimateMama read to her children recently