You know how everyone has that Mom friend that just has their shit together? Has all the best tips, tricks and eco-friendly toys/household items? Always seems calm and under control? There's always ONE in the group and as much as I'd love to be her, I actually look to my friend Amy (and Blair!) and her calming/yogi/Mother hen ways. Our husbands have been friends since they were little so we met in our late 20's when our weekend nights still revolved around bars and our mornings were spent at yoga. We've been friends for a while now and have grown closer as our lives have changed, going through pregnancy and Motherhood together, making her one of my best and most reliable friends. She is such an amazing Mom to her little girl Averey (Ro's future wife - No seriously, they are already giving each other kisses!) and whenever I have a question or feel unsure about something baby related, she is one of the first people I turn to.
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One of my favorite things about planning a vacation is being able to look forward to satisfying a little wanderlust. I’ve done a fair amount of traveling throughout my life from childhood road trips and island stays to California yoga retreats and stay-cations in the beautiful city of Chicago. (You can never go wrong with being a tourist in your own city!) But, when the idea of bringing our 11-month-old, Averey, on a week-long trip to Florida came up, I couldn’t help but feel quite uneasy! Luckily, we had some time to dive right into the research, and here are a few tips and tricks that we found worked best for traveling with a little one!
To set the stage, our
vacation consisted of a flight from Chicago to Tampa Bay, Florida, a short
drive to visit family, a drive back to Orlando to visit Disney’s Magic Kingdom,
then another drive over to the Gulf coast to end our time at the beach. It all
took about a week!
We chose to purchase this super light-weight (and affordable) car seat for the flight as
well as car rental. It was a nice and snug way for Averey to take her nap on
the plane while Mama and Dada had our hands free to read or listen to music. This carrier is a must-have to go along with it. It not only
provided an easy way to carry the seat around, but another form of luggage for
those straggling items that you just don’t have time to place nicely in the
diaper bag. Luckily, Southwest airlines allows you to gate check your stroller
and car seat!
Although the car seat was
a nice and safe way to transport Averey, my biggest source of worry was keeping
her occupied! We had a bag of toys, snacks, etc, but what was truly going to
keep her distracted? Screen time. Yes, I know, but a 2+ hour flight totally
warranted it, and it worked! We purchased a few accessories like these baby-friendly
head phones and a travel
activity table. Don’t forget the
favorite stuffie and you’re ready to go!
DISNEY WORLD
Walt
Disney World’s Baby Care Centers are hidden gems. On a hot day, they provide a chance to cool
off, there are several high chairs, changing pads, nursing rooms, and a kitchen
with a sink and store with every baby-related amenity you can imagine! We
utilized the one in Magic Kingdom a few times, especially with it being a
90-degree day. Our main goals at the
Magic Kingdom were to: Meet Mickey Mouse, ride on the infant-friendly
rides and have an unforgettable time! All totally attainable with a
light-weight umbrella
stroller that lays flat for naps, a
stroller fan, a light-weight
stroller cover and a lot of water to stay hydrated!
As far as rides, we went on It’s a Small World, Little Mermaid, Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan. Averey loved them all! She especially loved Mickey Mouse. I’ll admit, I was teary eyed watching her face light up when Mickey Mouse walked over to her. Such an amazing moment! We ended the night with Disney’s magical fireworks show and Averey slept like a log the whole night.
As far as rides, we went on It’s a Small World, Little Mermaid, Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan. Averey loved them all! She especially loved Mickey Mouse. I’ll admit, I was teary eyed watching her face light up when Mickey Mouse walked over to her. Such an amazing moment! We ended the night with Disney’s magical fireworks show and Averey slept like a log the whole night.
THE BEACH
Averey ended up with a small
fever the morning after Disney World (there’s no protection from the thousands
of germs crawling all over every object in that place!), but she was in good
spirits, so we embarked on our drive to St. Petersburg.Once there, we headed
right out to the beach. Is there anything better than a baby on the beach?
There’s just something so fun about introducing them to the sand and the water.
We had a feeling Averey would love the sound of the waves, and she absolutely enjoyed every second! Spending the second leg of our trip beach bumming it was the perfect way to end an eventful and enjoyable vacation. It’s the simple things like stocking up on sun screen, finding a nice beach umbrella to rent and early morning walks (to stay clear of that super strong sun around noon) that Now that Averey is 14 months, we can’t wait to book our next destination!
We had a feeling Averey would love the sound of the waves, and she absolutely enjoyed every second! Spending the second leg of our trip beach bumming it was the perfect way to end an eventful and enjoyable vacation. It’s the simple things like stocking up on sun screen, finding a nice beach umbrella to rent and early morning walks (to stay clear of that super strong sun around noon) that Now that Averey is 14 months, we can’t wait to book our next destination!
Where have you traveled with your little ones?
What worked best for you? I'll take all the tips!
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Thanks to Amy for sharing her tips and contributing to the Motherhood series!
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