Tips on Traveling with a Toddler

Traveling with a toddler is completely different than traveling solo or as a couple. There is a lot to consider like eating, sleeping, clothes, activities, entertainment. Although travel items list varies depending on the type of trip and what is your plan on doing with your little one, but we will give you a list of most useful items for traveling with a toddler.

  1. Baby Carrier Backpack and Baby Wearing

Particularly in foreign countries that may not be stroller-friendly, a comfortable baby carrier is necessary. We highly recommend a lightweight carrier that folds/rolls up and fits nicely into a carry-on. For families looking to have a versatile all around carrier that can work equally well on nature hikes as in the city.

There are also special baby wearing shirts that allow both moms and dads to enjoy the benefits of baby wearing without the intimidation factor that comes with figuring out multiple straps or complicated tying techniques. Parents can bond with baby and enjoy all that snuggly closeness just by popping them in the easy to use pouch. Baby wearing is the way to do it while traveling, especially while on paths and cobble-stoned streets that are not very stroller friendly.

 

  1. Convertible Car Seat and Stroller

If you want to make sure about safety and comfort of your toddler during traveling, then you need to get a car seat. Eventually, little legs get tired and they just want to be held. Particularly, you should look for special car seat that can easily convert from car seat to stroller. It is easy to use because this unique piece of baby gear has integrated wheels. It is a complete travel system in one and it is super simple. Just push down the lever, wheels pop out of your car seat. Pull up the handle and it turns into a stroller.

  1. FlyeBaby

This item is small enough to easily stash in your carry on. If you fly a lot, then having this item you can see how placing a sleeping baby in one of Flyebaby swings would be so much more comfortable for everyone involved. This item would make your baby’s fly much pleasant.

 

  1. Portable travel chair

Portable chair is perfect for when you stay at an apartment rental. Most big name hotels and restaurants provide high chairs, but apartment rentals and small cafes rarely have high chairs available. You can also take it with you when you are visiting friends and family that do not have a high chair available, so you can use it outside of travel situations too. Portable chair is most useful between the ages of 4 months to 16 months.

  1. Portable Travel Crib

Portable crib is an important item in every toddler travel arsenal. Most hotels have standard pack-n-play style cribs available, but especially with a newborn, you should be careful with rental cribs. Most apartment rentals do not provide baby cribs, so you are forced to either rent a crib from a third-party service or bring your own with you. You will feel much more comfortable having your baby sleep in a bed that you are familiar with and it is reassuring to know that your baby is sleeping in a safe, clean place.

 

  1. Toddler Sleep Sacks

These sleep sacks are a safer option then traditional blankets and they provide a clean, familiar sleeping experience when traveling. Most importantly, they make it difficult for little climbers to climb out of the crib or bassinet. You can have several sleep sacks with varying thickness and material, which allows you to regulate their sleeping temperatures.

  1. Portable baby bassinet

This portable baby bassinet can replace the portable travel crib mentioned above. This travel bassinet has a metal frame that folds to fit easily in your suitcase. It is relatively small and lightweight, so it travels well. It is possible put it on the bed beside you when you sleep. It has a breathable mesh wall so you do not have to worry about him suffocating.

 

  1. Baby video monitor

It is small and easy to set-up, so you can bring it whenever you stay at a vacation rental or if there is a chance you will need to put your baby down for nap. It comes in handy when you are in a loud environment or far away from the baby room. It gives you peace of mind to know that if baby is crying you can hear and see him.

 

  1. Baby bath tub chair

Without a quality bath, you risk having a cranky baby that cannot get to sleep, which is not fun, especially if you are sharing a hotel room. Holding a slippery baby in the bath is not an easy task, so you can use a baby bathtub chair. On the surface, the bathtub chair appears to be an awkward travel item, but it is actually very easy to travel with. It is lightweight and fits easily in your suitcase. Because it is made with hard plastic, it provides protection for liquids and other breakable items that are in our luggage. You can use it as an anchor and pack around it. Babies love this bath chair because it gives them the freedom to sit calmly in the water without you having to hold them upright. This, in turn, results in longer, more enjoyable baths. If you have a baby that loves bath time, you will want a baby bath chair with you when travel.

 

  1. Tablet with cartoons, games and white noise

Tablets have become an essential travel item for every family. You can have cartoons, movies, games, music, videos that would make a travel of you baby more fun. There is also a lot of fun baby apps to download. You can load tables with white noise (sounds of rain, waves crashing on the beach, etc.). At night or during naps, you can crank up the volume and put the tablet beside baby’s crib. The loud white noise is soothing and drowns out other sounds that could potentially disturb baby while he sleeps. It works especially well during daytime naps, when you are awake and moving about the hotel room or apartment rental.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Walk On The Drier Side

As I’ve gotten older a lot of things have changed. I care a bit less about what people think about me, I realize what’s important (and what I should let roll off my back), I enjoy the simpler things in life, and I realized that my body has changed. A lot.

I joke with my kids about what they “ruined” on my body while I was pregnant with them. The stretch marks from my first, the hair that started showing up on my chin after my second, and the “pregnancy face” that never went away with my third. And of course the one thing that got worse after each pregnancy: bladder leakage.

It’s not something I want to shout from the roof tops, but I did have a conversation with a friend at the gym recently. We weren’t feeling quite so comfortable doing the extent of exercise that we used to do. Running, jumping jacks, even going hiking or doing a lot of working in the yard – bladder leakage is a real issue. We were both looking for an answer.

When I was introduced to Depend Silhouette Active Fit I had my doubts – could this really work? I didn’t want it to be something noticeable, or make me feel uncomfortable. The goal was to find something to make it a bit easier for us to enjoy the things in life again like we used to; with no worry of being embarrassed.

But the Depend Silhouette Active is thin enough to be completely comfortable wherever you may go, or whatever you might be wearing (yes even yoga pants!) it’s a cotton-like fabric that comes in three colors (beige, lavender, and black) and it’s completely smooth under clothes – it’s almost impossible for anyone to notice that you are wearing one. Interested in trying them? Click here to get a free sample.

A WALK ON cropped

 

It’s definitely a way to get back to enjoying life and doing things we used to  – without any need to worry – so we are giving it a shot. We will keep you updated on life on the drier side.

This post was created in partnership with Depend and Womensforum. All opinions and experiences are my own.

 

 

 

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Dive into Summer with Skyline Chili, Coney Island and the High-Diving Pirates

In partnership with Coney Island, Skyline Chili is offering a special deal for the Coney Island Dive Into Summer With High-Diving Pirates. This spectacular show of acrobatic pirates will bring their story to life with thrilling stunts, Olympic dives and a little mischief! At all Cincinnati and NKY location from June 10 to June 18, customers will be able to purchase tickets to this amazing show, and for purchasing them at Skyline, you’ll receive a second ticket free. This limited time buy-one-get-one-free offer is the perfect way to jump start your families’ summer!
Get you grub on –  and enter to win a $25 Skyline Gift Card from Skyline, and All in a Days Work. Enter in the rafflecopter below for your chance!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The “Essential” Essential Oil Diffuser

As you know I have been leaning my family towards a more natural way of life – when possible (and not too difficult). Part of this lifestyle change has included the use of essential oils; which actually can be useful for a ton of ailments. I talked to you earlier this week about the natural flea and tick remedy – and we’ve discussed uses of lavender oil and coconut oils in the past.

One effective – and easy- way to get the most out of your essential oils is to use an essential oil diffuser.  (I particularly like this oil diffuser from Organic Aromas – there’s not water or heat needed to diffuse the oil).


These type of diffusers are considered one of the most powerful type – they don’t need the water or heat to get the essential oil in the air, and they work by using an atomizer to make airborne particles of essential oils fine enough to be blown into the air.

There are a ton of benefits to diffusing the oils in the diffuser – such as relaxation and sleep, mood enhancing, helps ward of illness, pain relief, breathing easier, and more. Besides the health benefits – they smell awfully good too! I use lavender a lot in my house, which makes the entire house smell good, and its a mood enhancer and helps eliminate stress (something everyone in my house seems to need!)

If you aren’t a believer  – just give it a few days, and you will notice a huge difference. I sleep better, and overall feel better since we’ve been using diffusers in my home.

 

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3 Surprising Tips to Help Your Family Sleep Better This Summer

Summer can wreak havoc on your family’s sleep schedule. Not only are your kids off their schedules from school, but the longer days, heat, and humidity can also make it hard to fall asleep. Fortunately, solutions could be easier than you think. If you’re lying awake at night and you feel tired during the day, consider making the following three changes to improve your sleep quality.

Use the Long Summer Days to Your Advantage

Summer means the sun shines later in the evening, and depending on where you live, the evening could be the only time temperatures are cool enough to go outside without getting burned. Spending time outside balances your circadian rhythms. Essentially, this biological process tells your body when it’s time to wake up and when you should get tired. When the heat of summer starts bearing down and the temperatures are too hot to go out, wait until the evening to get time outdoors. Consider going for a walk and exploring nature, or play a game in your backyard.

Earlier mornings can also help, as spending some time outside before the sun is high in the sky and the temperatures increase can help you wake up for the day.

Open Your Door to Improve Airflow

You may like sleeping with the door closed to give yourself more privacy and block out distractions such as home noise and hallway lights. However, closing doors can also restrict airflow and limit how cool your room could be, which could leave you tossing and turning in a hot and stuffy room.

To test the airflow, step out of your room at night or when you wake up in the morning and see if you notice a temperature difference. If the hallway feels cooler than your room, then the airflow is limiting how cool your room can get. Along with opening the door at night, you can also try other tricks with your home’s HVAC system to stay cool such as checking to make sure your furniture isn’t blocking the air vents or using lightweight bedding instead of a comforter.

Create a Bedtime Routine

While your kids are out of school for the summer, you may be tempted to let them stay up late watching movies or playing with friends. While you can certainly be more flexible with bedtimes, try to stick to a regular sleep schedule and follow the same bedtime routine.

Completing a bedtime routine, such as brushing teeth and reading a bedtime story, triggers a response in the brain that signals it’s time to wind down. By going to sleep at the same time or close to the same time each night, their bodies can start automatically getting tired during that time. This way, you won’t have kids who want to stay up until midnight and not have the energy to get up in the morning.

If your family is struggling to sleep during the summer, try to understand why. Your family’s sleep schedule could be off because of school or environmental factors such as your room temperature. With a few small changes, everyone in your home can get a good night’s sleep.

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