After taking part in a recent discussion on Twitter with @NTFFC, @feelslikehome and @phdinparenting regarding the fact that we all were experiencing various degrees of separation anxiety about leaving our kids to go to BlogHer, I felt certain that we weren't the only moms feeling this way.

Unless you’re Thurston Howell III — with acres of spare rooms and 27 in help — houseguests are the pits. ~ Philip Galanes This bit of advice from The New York Times Social Q's column made me sad.

This is the first in a four-week series to help BlogHer '09 attendees explore Chicago.My favorite way to explore a city is on foot. I think it has something to do with the experience of using all five of my senses in a way that driving (or boat-riding) tours just can’t match. (Not to mention that walking is good for Earth, good for you and good for your wallet. Well, potentially good for you and your wallet. I suppose that depends on your discipline when in such close proximity to Garrett Popcorn Shops.) So if you’ve planned a little extra time before or after BlogHer ’09, and were hoping to see a little bit of the city (believe me: there’s plenty to see), then I’ve got a juicy tidbit for you: Chicago walking tours.

During my first trip to Disney World in 2005, I had dinner at Chefs de France, which I was a little nervous about (there’s no bartop dining here, and I wasn’t sure if the restaurant would be filled with couples and families). As it turned out, it was one of the best solo dining experiences I had at Disney World, and the food was divine.-- Solo Friendly

Though I'm writing this while stuck at an airport, I'm really looking forward to BlogHer '09 in Chicago -- especially since the city's made some very impressive green changes since BlogHer '07, when I was last in the city. The windy city has created a Chicago Climate Action Plan and is working hard to make it a reality.

If you start your day with organic, fair trade coffee, like to cook with organic olive oil, and treat yourself to gourmet fair trade organic chocolate on occasion -- then you're a lot like me. And you might want to sign up for one of these environmentally and socially conscious eco-educational vacations coming up to get a closer look at the coffee, chocolate, and olive oil you love:

I confess, I got a little irritated when I clicked through to read this post on Travelblogs: Do Solo Female Travellers have it Easier than Guys Travelling Alone? I sputtered over the title alone -- I couldn't decide if it was a joke or not. Solo female travelers having it easier than guys?

Aside from attending BlogHer in Chicago this year (getting more and more excited!) I'll be spending my vacation this summer at home, playing with my kitties, blogging, seeing a movie or two with my husband, and hopefully harvesting a few tomatoes from my sad little front yard garden.  Basically, the same things I do every weekend.  Unless I can come up with some creative ideas.  Can you help?

Do you crisscross the world in search of adventure -- or just cut across the blogosphere in search of virtual vacations? Eco-travel blogs are popping up to help you on your peripatetic way. Three to check out:

I love love love fishing through the blogroll to find new-to-me reads,to see what other travelers are up to, to see pictures of far away places, to learn that yet another person has lost her heart to a foreigner and is wading through the trials of expat life (you have my heartfelt sympathies). Here are a handful of new reads that I've enjoyed.

Alas, I'm not a lesbian -- but after discovering Sweet, a travel company that merges lesbian travel with eco-social awareness, I had to check the FAQ to see if I could still go on one of their green-minded trips!

The pilot of a Continental Airlines jetliner died midflight on Thursday morning as the plane, carrying 247 passengers, was en route to Newark from Brussels, the authorities said. Two first officers took control of the plane, a Boeing 777, which landed safely at 11:47 a.m. at Newark Liberty International Airport.