(Biker Shorts, Pullover, Shoes)
We’ve done our fair share of traveling over the years… we’re no experts or pros, but I do think we’ve learned a few things along the way… which made us feel so much more prepared for bringing an extra little one with us on this last flight to Hawaii. And while we always brace ourselves for the worst, most often we are pleasantly surprised by how well Harper, and now Camille, end up doing! So today I thought I would compile a list of all our must haves for traveling solo, with kiddos, + our tips + tricks for air travel + hotel stays. I hope it’s helpful in some way….
(Also, apologies this went out before it was completed. I scheduled it before we left for Hawaii thinking I would work on it while i was there, but I opted to take a full break while we were there and forgot to unschedule. Here it is completed….)
1. Cozy Pullover: I can’t recommend dressing in layers more. This cozy Barefoot Dreams cardigan that I snagged at the Nordstrom Sale would be absolutely perfect for this. I brought mine on the airplane and it was the best.
2. Comfortable Pants: In the cooler months I opt for these incredibly soft joggers, or this pair as well. During the warmer months, I’ve been wearing biker shorts (this SPANX pair is so good). I honestly can’t remember the last time I wore jeans on a flight… my goal is always comfort when I know that I’ll be sitting for that long.
3. Comfortable Shoes: I wore this tread pair en route to Hawaii and they were great… stylish and practical and I don’t tie the laces so they’re easy to slip off at the security check-points.
4. No Show Socks: So I bring these if I wear anything open toed. I toss them on at the security checkpoint so I don’t have to walk through barefoot… or I wear them if my toes get cold in flight.
5. Backpack: When I fly solo with TJ, I prefer to bring a big shoulder bag… but when we’re flying with kiddos backpacks are the best way to go. Having my hands free and not having to worry about something falling off my shoulder makes life so much easier. For a short flight I love this stylish backpack…. but on this past flight to Hawaii I brought this backpack diaper bag. It was great!
6. Sanitizing Wipes: Airport trays… need I say more?? I pack these wipes with me and wipe down the trays before we put anything down on them. While I know you can’t prevent germs from spreading in flight, this just makes me feel better!
7. Snack Containers: Since I prefer to bring my own food when we fly, I find this is such a simple way to pack a lot of food into one container…. nuts, fruit, and other bite sized treats all work in one small container.
8. Portable Charger: I always lose battery in my phone when we travel, and so do our iPads, so bringing along these portable chargers has been a lifesaver! I like this one because it can charge multiple devices at the same time.
9. Comfy Blanket: I bring along a cozy blanket when we travel… because someone always gets cold… Harper, myself… and now possibly Camille. This one is so incredibly soft, but of course, any blanket will do.
10. Hydrating Mist: My skin gets so try when traveling via air so I like to bring along this hydrating mist to give it a spritz of hydration mid flight.
11. Air Pods: In all honesty, my first time actually using these ear pods was on our Hawaii trip. I was sold after one use. TJ has had them for months though and swore by them. I can see why now. Traveling solo I like to listen to music and read (or even watch a movie), so bringing my own headphones is always a must. These are so compact and without any cords they don’t get tangled with anything else. Highly recommend.
Traveling sans kiddos is a piece of cake… throw in two little ones + it’s an entirely new ball game. We had three full suitcases, one stroller, two carseats, with two carry on bags… I think TJ was sweating both times before we even got on the plane. When we first took Harper on an air travel trip I was so nervous. Yet, with the right gear it’s completely doable! I’m sharing our must haves for air travel… and also including a few must haves for hotel stays in general after. Hope it helps you feel confident that you, too, can travel with your kiddos and make amazing memories together.
1. A POSITIVE MINDSET: Alright, I share this first because it’s our number one tip for traveling with kids. Mark my word, things will not go perfectly…. if you can roll with them and go into it expecting bumps along the way, you will be much more mentally prepared. TJ + I still get a little testy with each other when we air travel with the little ones, but it’s something we’ve come to expect. Now, we make a joke of it before we step foot into the airport. We basically ask each other how long we think we can go before we start getting annoyed with each other. It actually helps to reduce any tension from the stress!
2. Baby Carrier: A lifesaver. Lugging a stroller through security is an absolute pain…. and carrying a baby through the airport has it’s own challenges as well. The baby carrier seriously allows you to maneuver through the airport with ease. We had a very early morning wake-up for our flight to Hawaii and I was worried how Camille would do being thrown off of her schedule so early in the morning. Once I put her in the carrier she fell asleep again after about 30 minutes and slept until take-off. Security allows you to wear the carrier through, and you just go through the regular metal detector, get your hands tested, and then head on your merry little way. This carrier is so easy to toss on + off which is why I prefer it for traveling over the bigger BabyBjorn carrier we have.
3. Sleep Sack: We never swaddled Harper on the long flights we took because she typically slept the entire time (so crazy! I’ll never forget our flight to Boston she slept the entire 6 hours…. #lucky). I assumed Camille would do the same en route to Hawaii, but when she would fall asleep, she’d wake up after 30 minutes due to her startle reflex. So I decided that we needed to try swaddling her on the way home to see if she could get in longer sleep durations. It worked! I mentioned on instagram that she ended up sleeping for about 2.5 hours, but I think it was closer to 3 hours (which was more than half the flight). It made such a big difference for her.
4. Pacifier: I think this is likely a no brainer, but the pacifier helps in any precarious situation… it also helped Camille fall asleep, and stay asleep, on the plane.
5. Backpack: For Harper, she’s at the age where she enjoys carrying her own so we gladly gave her a pack filled with all the items she would need on the plane. We used this pink one, but she also loves this one and it has more room so it’ll likely be a go for our next flight.
6. Headphones: Since Harper does really well watching movies on the plane, we honestly rely heavily on that (along with the obvious attempts at coloring, books, etc… which only keep her occupied for about a collective 45 minutes….). We bring along these headphones and they work really well for her!
7. Snack Cups: I bring along a big container with the snacks and then we put them in these little snack containers to prevent spillage everywhere (been there, learned…). We typically bring a small stash of “special treats” if we get into a bind. Honestly though, she does really well and we typically just use them as a “you’re doing such a great job” reinforcement.
8. Water Bottle: We veto her drinking out of the plastic cups that they serve everyone else’s drinks in because the likelihood of it spilling all over the place is very high. This is the water bottle that she’s been using for about a year and it words well… no leakage which is always necessary.
A few tips for Air Travel:
We check our carseats (pack them away in these travel bags) + stroller (we use the UppaBaby stroller travel bag…) at check-in. That way we aren’t lugging it all throughout the terminal + security line. Once those items are checked, the load is lessened drastically.
We also bring along the bassinet (and when Harper needed it, her pack n’ play). Every airline has checked this for free (except Hawaiian… which was incredibly disappointing IMO) and it’s an added level of comfort for the girls when we’re traveling. I highly recommend it if you can.
During take-off + landing I nurse Camille (and did with Harper as well) to minimize ear pain from cabin pressure changes (bottle fed Harper when I was no longer nursing her). It works really well, and we’ve never had an issue with them crying on take-off/landing.
Something we did for Harper once she hit the age of two (and we booked her a single seat) was bring her carseat (we just stopped that this last flight). Since she associated the carseat with having to “stay put” as if she was in a car, it drastically cut down on any desire she had to get up and run around. She would even fall asleep in it for a couple of hours. It’s a pain to lug the carseat through the airport, but if your toddler is an active one like Harper then I highly recommend it. Now that she can sit with a longer attention span, and watch movies, we don’t need the carseat (although, she didn’t nap at all…).
Always bring a change of clothing in a ziplock plastic bag. For some reason blow-outs always happen in flight for us… and that change of clothes with the plastic bag is a major lifesaver.
I packed the girls’ items in these packing cubes this last time and it helped to keep everything organized! Usually everything gets mixed together and it’s a nightmare.
A FEW TIPS FOR HOTEL STAYS
We always try to find places that have affordable suits and/or kitchens. It just makes life so much easier. A larger room allows for TJ + I to stay awake after the girls have gone to bed… and if we get lucky enough with a kitchen (usually only if we rent a house) it makes eating meals in an option and cuts down on the stress of rushing around to get to a restaurant.
We’ve brought along this toddler air mattress for Harper + she loves it! We typically only do this if we’re staying somewhere that doesn’t have an extra bed.
Hope that helps + that you take that trip with your little family! TJ + I always agree that the memories made far exceed any of the bumps we incur along the way!
