IN THE MAMA BAG
When traveling to and from our destinations, I pack snacks, snacks, and more snacks. I also have toys and entertainment out the wazoo, because baby girl gets bored. Toddlers. At any given 10-minute interval, I have these things to pull out of my Mary Poppins bag to keep the little lady entertained and comfortable:
Contigo Autospout Kids Striker Water Bottle
Our favorite water bottle, hands down, because it really is leak-proof. I keep this full with her milk.
Snackeez Jr. Cup
Because she sometimes gets bored with her milk, I also fill this cup up with water. I love this cup, because it serves double duty. It houses a drink and a snack. Genius!
Munchkin Snack Catcher
Love this snack container! It’s so easy for her to grab her little snacks out of, and if she throws it, the snacks don’t go flying everywhere. It also has a lid that flips on the top to make sure things don’t get stale or get lost. This is awesome.
Annie’s Homegrown Bunny Grahams
In her snack catcher, I usually keep these snacks. She also loves the Cheddar Bunnies, but she’s all about the sweets. The Bunny Grahams are a mix of honey, chocolate, and chocolate chip. They keep her happier than the Cheddar Bunnies, and a happy toddler is what I’m going for.
Wipes
Because usually after she eats a snack, her hands are messy. Moms should always have wipes handy regardless.
iPad
If you have an iPad, load it up with her favorite apps (ours are here & here), and have it charged and ready to go. If you don’t have a DVD player in your vehicle, I highly recommend downloading some favorite cartoon episodes. You can also mount the iPad with this handy gadget.
Books
Charlotte loves any book that is a “look & find.” But really, any board book with bright colorful pages will work. It’s all about redirection when it comes to boredom. If I can get her to focus on “where is ….” on a page, she is all about it.
Melissa & Doug Water Wow
This is a new toy to us, and we love it! If you don’t have this yet, you will definitely want to add this to your shopping cart. It’s a reusable water color coloring pad. Your little one uses the refillable water pen to “paint” and as the water pen touches the pages, the pages fill up with color. It’s the coolest! Your toddler will be so amazed. Best thing about it, zero mess. It’s the little things.
FOR THE CAR
Cup Holder for Carseat
We have the Britax Marathon, and it did not come with a cup holder. Big mistake. Good thing they make them as accessories. This is on my list to make my life easier.
Snack & Play Travel Tray
Also on my list is this genius contraption. When she’s wanting to color or read her book that I mentioned earlier, this would be ideal to have. You know I’ll be ordering this soon.
Frozen
If you have a portable DVD player or dropdown DVD player in your vehicle, this movie, you guys. I know everyone is probably wanting to “let it go,” but it is still a favorite for us. C will watch and now sing along (she just says, “sing sing”). I don’t know what we would do without it. I presume we’d watch another Disney movie.
A Trash Bag
I would definitely recommend traveling with a trash bag. I always forget this, but this would also make life easier. A plastic bag from the grocery store would suffice.
FOR THE OUT-OF-TOWN ACCOMMODATIONS
What we’re going for here is trying to emulate sleep arrangements as if we were at home. Charlotte has a very comfortable crib. She loves sleeping with pillows and her stuffed animals and baby dolls. She even has a hashtag on Instagram that I’ve deemed #cribcrew. But when traveling with a Pack N’ Play, things aren’t as comfy and cozy as her crib. I always pack her pillow and a few of her stuffed animals, because they are her best friends. She also sleeps with a sound machine, because that little thing has been a lifesaver for sleep since she was nine weeks old. (You can read about baby sleep here.) Here’s what I’m thinking we need to recreate the elements of a good night’s sleep:
Pack N Play Mattress Pad
I think this might be worth the investment and worth the packing. Charlotte’s Pack N Play, although necessary, has a super hard surface. She is used to comfort. Even though she sleeps with a pillow, I think the hard-as-a-rock bed is not working for her. I’ll be looking into this mattress and also the mattress pad cover. I think these things would help her sleep better, in turn, help her parents sleep better.
Bose Sound Dock & iPod
We have an older version of this along with an older version iPod, but we use the Beach Relax app to help the little miss sleep. She has been listening to the ocean waves to sleep since she learned how to sleep through the night, and it is a must for us!
Before we leave out of town, I usually make a list of things we’ll need for our trip. Lately though, I’ve been kind of winging it. Life gets so much easier and harder at the same time. I still have to pack diapers and wipes, and our medicine cabinet just in case. I also throw in a few toys with very few parts into our bag, usually her bouncy ball, Color Wonder coloring book and markers, and picnic basket. Toddler life is tough, and any time they are in new surroundings (although familiar), things are going to be thrown off a bit. I pack my patience, and remember that sometimes you just have to roll with things. We are fortunate to live in a time where we have plenty of things to help make us and our children comfortable.
Yes and yes to pretty much everything on this list! Kennedy has been on about 15 roundtrip flights (most of which were before 2!) and planning is essential!!! We are flying to Los Angeles next week and then to DC in April with a toddler and a baby… pray for us!! LOL
So exciting! So happy to get the Meg O. approval. ;) Kennedy is quite the jet-setter. Way more flights than I’ve been, I think. Planning is the story of my life. Lol. I’ll definitely be praying lots of prayers for happy trips for all of y’all! :)
Love this post! I’m bookmarking it for the future. I’ve heard so many moms love snackeeze! I might need to pick one up!
Thanks so much, Julie! :) That little Snackeeze cup is Char’s favorite. That’s where I keep her water, and I’ll throw in a few snacks to the top. And she also loves that it has her beloved “Zo-zeen” on the cup, too. I’m sure you could find one with a little train. ;) Hope you’re feeling well, mama!
Ooooh, these are brilliant suggestions. We do a lot of road trips in the summer (weekend jaunts to the lake). I could definitely use a few of these!
Thanks for sharing (I’m pinning this to my Deliberate KIDS STUFF board).
xoxo
Thanks, Jennifer! And double thanks for pinning it, too! :) Traveling is work, but when you over pack the “stuff,” it always somehow makes for an easier trip. Xoxo
This was such a great, helpful post Kristy!
Thanks for sharing and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
YES!! We travel with so much of this stuff too! Each summer we take a long road trip and I think our SUV is packed to the max, haha. Great tips!
Ha, our SUV is always packed to the max, and we only travel with one child and one dog and two adults. You should see us at Christmas. We are officially the Griswolds. Lol. Thanks, Tabitha! :)
Ellie has been a traveler since she was three days old and we had to make our 6.5 hour road trip home from the hospital (she is adopted and we chose to adopt from across the state). There has rarely been a day when she hasn’t been in the car. We are so blessed with a good traveler. No big tips just make sure to have a few toys, books and snacks. Sometimes I’ll crawl into the back seat with her to keep company or we will sings songs.
Wow, that is awesome that she is such a great traveler. :) I usually sit in the back if she’s extra cranky so I don’t have to have the Go-Go Gadget arms. Lol. I sing with her, too!
Hope you are having a great week, Ashley!
Oh we feel so fortunate for her go with the flow temperament. Hopefully her being so even keel will continue into her 2’s!!! #wishfulthinking!!!
Yes and yes to pretty much everything on this list! Kennedy has been on about 15 roundtrip flights (most of which were before 2!) and planning is essential!!! We are flying to Los Angeles next week and then to DC in April with a toddler and a baby… pray for us!! LOL
Love this post! I'm bookmarking it for the future. I've heard so many moms love snackeeze! I might need to pick one up!
Ooooh, these are brilliant suggestions. We do a lot of road trips in the summer (weekend jaunts to the lake). I could definitely use a few of these!
Thanks for sharing (I'm pinning this to my Deliberate KIDS STUFF board).
xoxo
YES!! We travel with so much of this stuff too! Each summer we take a long road trip and I think our SUV is packed to the max, haha. Great tips!
Ellie has been a traveler since she was three days old and we had to make our 6.5 hour road trip home from the hospital (she is adopted and we chose to adopt from across the state). There has rarely been a day when she hasn't been in the car. We are so blessed with a good traveler. No big tips just make sure to have a few toys, books and snacks. Sometimes I'll crawl into the back seat with her to keep company or we will sings songs.
Okay, I’m totally getting that tray!!!! And that cup holder, because I have marathons too. Awesome post, and so timely too because we’re going to Disneyland next week, woot woot!! (6 hour car trip, booooo lol).
I need to get it, too! And thanks so much, Jessica! Umm, you and Meg might be there at the same time. Y’all need to communicate this pronto! :) Good luck with that long car trip, girlfriend!
Okay, I'm totally getting that tray!!!! And that cup holder, because I have marathons too. Awesome post, and so timely too because we're going to Disneyland next week, woot woot!! (6 hour car trip, booooo lol).
I love these tips and some of the stuff you linked looks awesome!! Love those water-wow things, Scarlett loves playing with them and I never even thought to bring them in the car. I’m not going to lie, I let her just have the iPad in the car lol… and I feed her lots of snacks… like I pack a cooler full of food if we are going on a trip any longer than an hour! Haha!
and I love that last photo of Charlotte with her burger that’s the size of her head haha!!
Charlotte loves the “paint.” I took it with us this last time, and she was quiet for a whole 10 minutes. That is eternity in toddler time. :) I don’t think a cooler would fit in our car. We would need a trailer for that since our car is so full already. Haha!
And yes, her burger was huge. You know how we do things here in Texas, Tawnya! Lol.
Awwww she’s so cute! We will be going on our longest road trip yet, so these are very helpful.
Thanks, Whitney! Good luck on your long road trip! :) Can’t wait to hear about it.
I love these tips and some of the stuff you linked looks awesome!! Love those water-wow things, Scarlett loves playing with them and I never even thought to bring them in the car. I'm not going to lie, I let her just have the iPad in the car lol… and I feed her lots of snacks… like I pack a cooler full of food if we are going on a trip any longer than an hour! Haha!
and I love that last photo of Charlotte with her burger that's the size of her head haha!!
Awwww she's so cute! We will be going on our longest road trip yet, so these are very helpful.
We travel a lot too! Love all of these ideas!
Thanks, Ashlie! They are some good things to have on hand. ;)
We travel a lot too! Love all of these ideas!
So exciting! So happy to get the Meg O. approval. ;) Kennedy is quite the jet-setter. Way more flights than I've been, I think. Planning is the story of my life. Lol. I'll definitely be praying lots of prayers for happy trips for all of y'all! :)
Thanks so much, Julie! :) That little Snackeeze cup is Char's favorite. That's where I keep her water, and I'll throw in a few snacks to the top. And she also loves that it has her beloved "Zo-zeen" on the cup, too. I'm sure you could find one with a little train. ;) Hope you're feeling well, mama!
Thanks, Jennifer! And double thanks for pinning it, too! :) Traveling is work, but when you over pack the "stuff," it always somehow makes for an easier trip. Xoxo
Ha, our SUV is always packed to the max, and we only travel with one child and one dog and two adults. You should see us at Christmas. We are officially the Griswolds. Lol. Thanks, Tabitha! :)
Wow, that is awesome that she is such a great traveler. :) I usually sit in the back if she's extra cranky so I don't have to have the Go-Go Gadget arms. Lol. I sing with her, too!
Hope you are having a great week, Ashley!
I need to get it, too! And thanks so much, Jessica! Umm, you and Meg might be there at the same time. Y'all need to communicate this pronto! :) Good luck with that long car trip, girlfriend!
Charlotte loves the "paint." I took it with us this last time, and she was quiet for a whole 10 minutes. That is eternity in toddler time. :) I don't think a cooler would fit in our car. We would need a trailer for that since our car is so full already. Haha!
And yes, her burger was huge. You know how we do things here in Texas, Tawnya! Lol.
Thanks, Whitney! Good luck on your long road trip! :) Can't wait to hear about it.
Thanks, Ashlie! They are some good things to have on hand. ;)
These items are genius! We travel plenty and I’m always looking for things to make it a bit more bearable for our little girl. The Snckeez Jr contraption looks like such a genius find! I have to invest in one–anything that does double duty means less to pack and that’s get big points in my book. Thank you for sharing. These were all very helpful :)
Thanks, Maria! :) Charlotte loves the Snackeez, but I think it might have something to do with the fact that it’s her “Zozen” cup. Lol. She loves Frozen! Glad to help! :)
Definitely bookmarking!
Yay! Hope they help! :)
Oh we feel so fortunate for her go with the flow temperament. Hopefully her being so even keel will continue into her 2's!!! #wishfulthinking!!!
These items are genius! We travel plenty and I'm always looking for things to make it a bit more bearable for our little girl. The Snckeez Jr contraption looks like such a genius find! I have to invest in one–anything that does double duty means less to pack and that's get big points in my book. Thank you for sharing. These were all very helpful :)
Definitely bookmarking!
We love our contigo water bottles! By far my favorite for travelling!!! And we never leave on a trip without the ipad. definitely a lifesaver!!! Great list, my friend!
Us too! :) Thanks, Alycia!
We love our contigo water bottles! By far my favorite for travelling!!! And we never leave on a trip without the ipad. definitely a lifesaver!!! Great list, my friend!
This was such a great, helpful post Kristy!
Thanks for sharing and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Yay! Hope they help! :)
Us too! :) Thanks, Alycia!
Thanks, Maria! :) Charlotte loves the Snackeez, but I think it might have something to do with the fact that it's her "Zozen" cup. Lol. She loves Frozen! Glad to help! :)
This is a great list! That snack/drink cup looks like just what we need, as my little guy is ALWAYS hungry and thirsty. The travel tray looks like an awesome product, but did you know that a simple 13 x 9 inch cake pan will do the trick, too? It saved us on our latest road trip!! Check out my 10 must-haves for a road trip with a toddler on my blog: http://makelearngo.com/2015/07/10/10-must-haves-for-a-road-trip-with-a-toddler/ :)
This is a great list! That snack/drink cup looks like just what we need, as my little guy is ALWAYS hungry and thirsty. The travel tray looks like an awesome product, but did you know that a simple 13 x 9 inch cake pan will do the trick, too? It saved us on our latest road trip!! Check out my 10 must-haves for a road trip with a toddler on my blog: http://makelearngo.com/2015/07/10/10-must-haves-for-a-road-trip-with-a-toddler/ :)
Great list! I am so excited to have found your blog. I’m your newest follower! :)
Yay, Chelsea! I’m so happy you’re here. I hope you love it as much as I do. Have a great end of the week and weekend!