On the Road Again - or - A Few of My Favorite Things

So, I've taken a bit of a blogging vacation. I've definitely taken a bit of a travel vacation. We're nearing the end of the end of the longest travel-plan-free spell we've had since we hit the road again after the baby was born. What have I been doing since we haven't been traveling? Honestly, I don't know. I suspect it somehow involves lots of playtime with a certain little girl, but seriously - where has the past month gone? From the state of things, I can tell you what I have NOT been doing: blogging, cleaning my house, working out, filling in K's baby book and responding to emails in a timely manner. Yup, I suck.

Anywho... We're hitting the road again soon, so I'm starting to think about our past trips and all those little friends of mine who have made my life a bit easier. If you've read this blog for long, you know that we're a jet-setting family who travels to exotic locations like Midland, TX, Sioux Falls, SD, and Clarksville, TN. Look at all the places we've been since DKG & I found out we were expecting a little Kumquat!

Source:create your own personalized map of the USA or check out our California travel guide

So far (knock on wood), she has been an amazing traveler. I certainly don't claim to be an expert on traveling with a baby, but I am an expert on traveling with a Baby Kumquat. I've had quite a few mama friends ask if I have any travel tips. My #1 tip is to have a happy, joyful, laid-back, easy-going baby who sleeps well and loves to cuddle close to her mama (especially when she's stuck in her mama's lap on a plane for 3 hours).

So, how about some things that that we actually have control over? There are some products I've found that do make our traveling days a little easier. Since I'm forever in the debt of many mommy friends who have shared their favorite products with me, I thought I'd return the favor and share my favorite things for traveling.

1. Chic & Cozy Blanket Bag by ChicTots.
   The first time I flew with the baby girl, I carried a big, heavy backpack stuffed with everything I thought I could possibly need. I really did use most everything in that bag, but boy was it heavy! For our last flight, I packed the backpack, but also brought this blanket bag along and used it to carry everything I'd need to have handy while we were on the plane or in the airport. As you can see, it came in handy once we were at the hotel and had a long wait while Lola took care of getting us checked in. Perfect for a picnic!
   
   
2. Changing Wallet by Skip*Hop
   I bet you think this is a diaper-changing wallet, don't you? Apparently the folks at Skip*Hop think so, too. But me? For me, it's an awesome way to organize all the odds & ends I need to feed a Kumquat on the go. I do use a diaper wallet for travel (this one, to be exact), but I have found that the Skip*Hop one is great for food. I usually bring a couple containers of baby food*, some spoons**, bibs***, snacks, table covers, wipes & extra ziploc bags in it.
   *I usually either make Baby K's food or use pre-made organic frozen food, but that doesn't travel so well. For travel, I use Gerber Organics. I'd prefer Earth's Best, but the glass jars are heavier for traveling with than Gerber's plastic ones.
   **I use the take & toss kind for travel because sometimes it's just easier not to worry about cleaning the spoons all of the time. I do always keep 2 Ziploc's in the bag - one for clean spoons & one for dirty.
   ***I usually bring one real bib, but mostly use disposables. I've found through trial and error (mostly error) that bibs can go awry in the luggage if they're not cleaned and dried very thoroughly before packing.
   
   
3. My Little Seat
   
   
   I think one of the most difficult things about staying in a hotel with a baby is feeding her. Most hotel rooms don't come with a highchair, you know. I've also found - especially in Vegas - that so many highchairs in restaurants are broken. This lovely little highchair sling is awesome. It folds to about the size of a diaper. It's easy to use and as long as you can tie a knot, the baby is quite secure! I've even used it at home when the regular cover on K's highchair was in the wash.
   
   
4. My Buddies, Robeez
   Baby K loves to stand. She pulls herself up on everything. In preparation for our last flight, I imagined the little girl standing in the airport, on the airport carpeting, with her sweet, soft little baby feet and had only one thought... eew! I wanted to make sure we had something on her feet that would stay put. When she was younger (and it was cooler), I'd just dress her in a sleeper for a flight. But we were flying to Vegas and it was supposed to be well over 100. So, we needed shoes. I'd heard these shoes are way hard for kids to remove and it's true! So far, our little Houdini has not gotten them off on her own. She also doesn't seem to mind that they're on her feet. Oh, and have I mentioned that they're so. stinkin'. cute?! (And isn't Baby K??)
   
   
5. Fiddlesticks!
   I've recently become a fan of Plum Organics. I have to admit that I don't love their frozen baby food as much as Happy Baby's, but I really love their Fiddlesticks and Mish Mash. Fiddlesticks are basically like teething biscuits, but not as messy. I'm continuously searching for healthy snacks for us to take on the go and these two are my current favorites. I thought the Mish Mash (like Gogurt, but just fruit and easier for little ones) might be too advanced for my Baby Kumquat, but we tried it for the first time this morning and she was able to feed herself very easily. That's my goal, after all. (And that's for entirely noble, good-parent reasons like encouraging her self-sufficiency, independence, and sense of competence which will then lead to a healthy self-esteem and positive attitude towards the word and has absolutely nothing to do with the face that once she can feed herself, I can do other things... like eat.)

So there you have it! A few of my favorite (traveling) things! Hopefully these guys will continue to help us have happy trails. I'll keep you posted!