Showing posts with label ergo baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ergo baby. Show all posts

Friday, July 12, 2013

Flying With Toddlers

While we still have travel on the brain I thought I would share some tips and tricks of certain must-haves every parent needs while traveling with toddlers. As you saw here we recently flew to Virginia and Washington D.C. with les deux! The trip was definitely a lot of work with a one and two year old and only Danny and I, but if you have these essential items below, it will make for smoother sailings :)


photos via here

1. First off we have the beloved iPad. Daniel doesn't like to watch tv, but Sienna loves a great  Sophia the First episode or Elmo movie. I made sure to download a couple of surprise movies and shows onto the iPad before the trip to whip out when needed. If it can help keep one cranky toddler calm during a long flight, I'm all for it!

2. Next we have the One Step Ahead Ulti-Mite Umbrella Stroller. As much as we love our Bob Duallie, that beast is not made for flying. So a couple months prior to our trip I decided to get two umbrella strollers for traveling. Lucky for me I snagged two of these strollers with a 30% off coupon on Gilt one day and they came out to $50 for both! If you haven't signed up for Gilt, it's amazing, you can do it here. There were many times on our trip when I did miss by double stroller, but smaller is definitely better while on the go! And one also came in handy as a luggage carrier through the airport while Daniel was in the Ergo Baby carrier. 

3. And then we have my new favorite the kids' new favorite snacks, Plum Organics Teensy Fruits. These are soft fruit snack that hold to their name and are small and safe for Daniel to eat. The kiddos love them and fight over them so I have to separate their piles while snacking. My concern with flying was of course their ears so I brought lolli-pops, but they didn't keep them in their mouths long enough to soothe any ear discomfort. The fruit snacks kept them chewing and swallowing. Looking back we definitely looked like crazy first-time-flying-parents with how many packs we opened via takeoff. Hey...at least they had multiple servings of fruit in ten minutes!

4. Of course every mom needs a good crossbody while traveling. Having two free hands while juggling multiple boarding passes, IDs and toddlers is vital! I made sure to bring along my Kate Spade Cobble Hill Ellen crossbody. It's pink, perfect, and made travels with les deux easy breezy...

5. And last, but not least my fabulous Wet Ones travel pack! While traveling through airports no parent should be without these. The bathroom lines can be long and washing the their hands doesn't happen as much as I'd like.  Of course I had hand sanitizer which was in the carry-on zip-loc bag with all my liquids and I also packed travel packs of Clorox wipes. These are great for wiping down arm rests or any surfaces that just seem icky. 

My biggest piece of advice when flying with toddlers is to carry-on as little as possible. We had to carry WAY too much through the airport! Next time I will bring a diaper bag and MAYBE another carry-on, but it is worth it to check as much as possible. 

As hard as it was I can't wait to do it again! 

Do you have any tips on flying with littles?


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Mommy Must-Haves

all photos/items found here

Leaving the house with the kiddos is definitely one of the biggest challenges of life with les deux. As hard as it is wrestling them to stay in the stroller, feeding them on the go, and double diaper changes at any given moment, there is definitely something freeing about being in the outside world and not being cooped up in the house! Maybe it's because life feels a little more normal. On a side note to all the mommies out there, if you have a choice between two malls, pick the one with a Nordstrom because their little mommy lounge has been my saving grace these past two years...the fabulous shopping helps too!

Anywho, I've compiled a list of some of my mommy must-haves that I can't leave home without....
5. My shopping cart/high chair cover: being that I am a huge germophobe (see image #3), this little cover comes in quite handy especially at the grocery store! Keeps the little ones from putting their hands and mouths on the dirty cart. This isn't the actual one I own because I am in the market for a new one, but I'm hoping Balboa makes a black and white one like this to match my nursing cover :)
4. My Ergo Baby Carrier: this has been another saving grace with the two little ones! I usually use it combined with the shopping cart cover if I have them both at a store that has shopping carts (Yes I am that crazy woman you see juggling babies, a shopping list, and coupons at the grocery store-thank goodness for cookies & balloons).
3. Babyganics Hand Sanitizer: this is a must when out with the kids! Once again I despise germs and sick kids (proud owner of not one, but TWO humidifiers). Sienna also has sucked on her fingers since a young age so I have to have one without alcohol. Also the kids like it- Sienna thinks its really exciting to rub the disappearing foam in her hands!
2. My Timi & Leslie Diaper bag: I have been rockin this bag and purse since December of 2010 and it is still going strong! It's great because it comes with the stroller straps, bottle holder, changing pad, and and extra small purse! So I have been using it all for 2 years now because I refuse to carry two 
big purses. It even looks cute so I don't feel like I am carrying a diaper bag! Don't worry though, mommy has definitely been eye-balling the rightfully deserved purse I will be getting once I hang up the old diaper bag ;)
1. And last, but not least my Bob Revolution Duallie Stroller: this deserves a blog post on it's own so I will keep it short, but this is a great stroller that has everything I need to be out with the babies! I use it if I want to go for jog, go to the mall, or even at the beach! It is amazing for when we visit theme parks as well! 
So there ya have it! That's everything I have to have with me if I want to take the kids out! And yes, I've been stuck driving Danny's big SUV while he sports my cute VW CC...sigh...can't wait until the umbrella stroller days!