As if packing for myself wasn’t challenging enough, then comes baby. Over the past few months, Eli and I have been on at least 10 road trips with Jon (who travels A LOT for business). I remember the first time I had to sit down with my lists of things to pack, I had no clue where to start. So I packed almost everything we owned. Fortunately, with each trip those lists become shorter and easier to plan…I now know what’s essential and what’s taking up (valuable) space.
And I’m glad I had the practice. We’re currently in Miami and though I was concerned that we would leave something important behind or wouldn’t be able to have the same comforts of home while away because of restrictions on luggage (Jon can only carry so much through the airport 
) that hasn’t been the case. So while I was rocking Eli back to sleep last night at around 1am, I began thinking of the few things that I just could not imagine traveling without. These are the items that make my life a little simpler, both on the road and at home. Here are my top 5 travel favorites:
1. My Little Seat. This travel high chair made of cloth was recommended to me by my best-friend, Danielle, who had used it while visiting me with her son, Flynn. Since we’re often eating out, we never need to be concerned with restaurants having a (clean) high chair. In fact, even if one is offered to us, we usually just this little gem. It comes in a small pouch which can fit easily in the bottom of my diaper bag/purse. The entire thing is washer friendly. So far, we’ve only encountered one chair that it couldn’t be used with and that’s because the back of the chair was too wide for the cloth pocket to slide into.
2. Cloud b – Sleep Sheep On The Go. This adorable little sheep is known as Lambikins in our house and he comes everywhere with us. It is a soothing sound machine with 4 different sounds and has a timer of 23 or 45 minutes. There is a velcro strap so you can attach it to the car seat, the crib or the stroller. At this very moment, Eli is listening to the rain in the hotel room thanks to his sleep sheep. Not only are the sounds soothing for the baby, it also allows me and Jon to make a little more noise without worrying that we’ll wake him. If you order this online, make sure to distinguish between the travel sheep and the regular one. In my opinion, the regular sheep is just too large and not necessary if you already have the travel one.
3. Baby Buddy Secure-A-Toy Straps. For only $3.99 you get a pack of 2 straps in a wide variety of colors for both boys and girls. I suggest having at least a couple of these – attach it to the car seat, the high chair, stroller and leave them there until they need to be washed. These straps not only prevent your child from losing toys (by throwing them out of the stroller when you aren’t looking), they also keep sippy cups and mesh food feeders off of the floor which is obviously a huge benefit when you’re on the go – just strap the feeder to the high chair and even if the child drops it, it remains clean and ready to be chewed on! And it also works on Sophie la Giraffe, much cheaper than the $10 toy leashes sold specifically for her.
4. JJ Cole All-Purpose Blanket. This blanket is machine washable, measures 5ft x 5ft and folds up into a nice compact carrying bag, with a side pocket. One of my favorite finds because it allows me to turn wherever we are into a play are. I’ve used it in our home to add extra padding over our hardwood floors, brought it to every park and the best use has been in hotel rooms when I like the idea of keeping Elliott away from the carpets…The fabric is a tad slippery which only seems to be an issue when Elliott is learning to crawl and could use a little more traction.
5. BOB Revolution SE Jogging Stroller and Travel Bag. If there is one item that has made Jon and I equally excited, this is it! There are so many reasons to love this stroller – it has adjustable suspension for a smooth ride, pivots on a dime, folds up in 2 moves, has a huge canopy with a sunroof so we can see our little guy while running.
The travel bag is a serious piece of luggage. It has a shoulder strap and handle for easy carrying but also comes with wheels. We managed to pack almost all of Elliott’s belongings into the empty space around the stroller which saved us on extra baggage fees.
Now that we’re at our destination, we’ve been able to go for runs, do some sightseeing and even take it to the beach. Though BOB is an investment, we think it is worth every penny!
