10 Travelling with Kids Must-Haves

1. Distraction at bedtime. This was the best soother/added distraction at bedtime for both my kids.  It plays music while displaying a light show on the ceiling.  It automatically turns itself off after 12 minutes!

2. Easily washable bibs.  These are the best because they dry in an instant and are easily wipe-able.  They don't begin to stink like other vinyl bibs do after being wet.

3. Non-bulky water bottle.  This one is perfect.  I have tried out MANY stainless water bottles and I often find them way too big and bulky.  This one is slim and super easy to clean.

4. Small toys for entertainment anywhere.  These cars were the best entertainment.  My kids rolled them everywhere and they were small enough to take anywhere.  They are also super durable.  Definitely the heavy die-cast metal cars they used to make when we were little.

5. A travel highchair/seat for a little one is great on the road or sea or where-ever you may be.  This wonderful little seat is all cloth and packs up super small.  It is a great one to stash in the diaper bag for those places where a highchair isn't available.  It really does a good job keeping the baby strapped to the chair--even a wiggly one like mine.

6. Disposable table mats are also great.  I like them because they protect the table and my little one from germs.  They are also super colorful and add some entertainment during longer meals.

7. Pampers Clean and Go wipes are a must!  They have a resealable snap lid and they smell so pleasant.  We use them for hand wipes and baby wipes.  They are the best for travelling!

8. Oh, and we can't forget Sophie.  She is the perfect companion/play-thing and teether all in one.

9. Lastly, this changing mat/wallet is so streamlined compared to others.  It holds diapers, wipes and a changing mat all in one nifty little wallet.

10. My big girl loved having little markers to color with on our trip.  These are nice and slim and fit little hands nicely. These markers and a little notebook kept her busy most days.

What do you deem as a must when travelling with little ones?  It is so wonderful that there are so many items out there created to help Momma's out...especially while travelling with kids.

Small Spaces

Yes, that's right! 

Our family of 4 stayed in a living space of 122 sq. feet for an entire week and we have all lived to tell about it!

Somehow we all fit.  I am still not sure exactly how the contents of 4 suitcases fit inside this tiny space.  The cabin was like The Container Store.  Every nook and cranny was filled with shelves, cabinets, hanging space and organized little drawers. 

Sleeping:

For sleeping, my oldest daughter got the bunk that folded down from the ceiling.  There was the tiniest little rail to keep her from falling.  I was skeptical about how a 4-year-old would comply with this type of arrangement but she did great.  We called it her little tree house to sleep in.

My youngest slept in a Pack n Play that was shoved against the little couch.  She slept very well there. Thankfully, there was a curtain that separated her sleeping quarters from ours.  This helped a ton!  

And we slept in the bed.  It was amazing how it all worked out.  By the third night, everyone was out cold within 5 minutes.  {I am sure the rocking of the boat had something to do with it.}

Eating:

Most days, we ate outside our room.  There wasn't much space to do anything much less eat in our cabin.  On the days that we had to leave the ship early, we ordered room service for breakfast.  Breakfast on a tiny little desk with lots of options for picky eaters gave no room to spare.  It looked something like this.

I don't know how we kept it all straight.  It seemed like we had food or kids everywhere!

Entertainment for kids that need to play:

The room had a large circle window above our bed. 

It was a life-saver!  The kids spend endless hours there peacefully playing.  It had a wide ledge that the kids loved rolling their cars on.  This provided many hours of entertainment.  

Coloring and pretend talking on the phone also helped entertain our restless kids at sea.

Bathing my girls who like baths in a tiny stand-up shower stall:

This little ducky saved the day when it came time to take a bath.  

It also provided a little playtime at the end of the day.

By the end of the week we were definitely ready to spread out again at home.  Living in 122 sq. feet for a week was definitely an interesting experience with a 4-year-old who wants her own space and her little sister to wants to be in her big sister's space.

Dinosaurs STINK

As we were driving home from preschool today, my big girl told me all about dinosaurs.

via

This is dinosaur week at school so she was super revved up to tell me all about them.  After hearing about how big they were, their teeth and where they lived, she told me that they stink.  For a moment, I thought about her comment and then I said, "they stink?"

She said, "Yes Momma, they stink."

I followed with, "I guess they might stink." {I am not really into dinosaurs and thought that maybe she didn't like them either.  Perhaps this was her way of telling me that she didn't like them?}

It was quiet for a few moments as she and I clearly weren't communicating.  We were both scratching our heads...

She said, "Momma, they eeeee-stink-tttt."

"Oh, they are extinct," I replied.

"Yes," she calmly said and then proceeded to tell me what extinct meant to further clarify our miscommunication.

On deck

Being "on deck" was the best place.  It was the front of the boat and there was plenty of room for 2 curious girls to safely explore and watch the ocean.  Our big girl won a medal for a scavenger hunt that was successfully completed (not, really...the judge just felt sorry for a 4-year-old that looked so sad when she wasn't first to finish).  She wore the medal everywhere!  I love the little things that kids treasure.

It's all in the details

Looking back at the photos from our trip, I was struck by all the little details.  The details that cement the sweet memories in my mind.  Especially while travelling, the smallest detail can mean so much and make a visitor feel so welcome!

Our favorite details:

3 cousins playing in the sand

 huddling under a cabana in an unexpected rain-shower 

the twins playing the lively xylophone music on the boardwalk

sandy little feet

the waiter tending tables by the sea

seashells and hibiscus flowers decorating beach tables

the majestic boat bobbing in the turquoise water

the magenta begonias that decorate island beverages

the iguana that greets visitors by suprise

mysterious red berries hanging from the palm tree

crunchy tortilla chips, guacamole and limey pico de gallo

all the folks that enjoyed talking about their kids with us

Nautical

We recently had the pleasure of vacationing on a large boat of sorts.  I had a wonderful time dressing the girls in nautical colors.  There is something so wonderfully classic about deep reds, navy blue and crisp white mixed with natural wood and the cobalt blue of the ocean.  

That first splinter

We all remember the fright of that first wood splinter poking out of a little finger or hand after a full day of play.  My big girl has become quite concerned about any sort of ailment lately.  Even the smallest bruise or scrape has her mind spinning.  When she discovered a splinter in her hand the other evening she became so panicked.  This picture describes the scene perfectly:  Dad with the tweezers, Uncle #1 holding the hand steady, Uncle #2 holding the flashlight and the little girl looking on with a sweet mixture of fright and delight (I know she loved all the attention she received from her doting uncles and father).  I look at it and have to laugh and this dramatic moment.