Disney Vacations with KIDS!

We are Disney fans. I really can't remember how many times I've been to Disney World - whether with my family, high school chorus, college friends for a bowl game, my hubby or now my kids! We just took our second trip with the kids. My parents have blessed us with tickets and condo using their timeshare - so without them, neither trip would have taken place. I thought I'd share my thoughts on Disney with kids.

Our first trip was with a 2.5 year old Will and 9 month old Adeline. We went the week after Christmas and spent four days - one in each park at Disney World. (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios - formerly MGM and Animal Kingdom)

This trip, Will was 4 and Adeline was 2. We spent 3 days in the parks - skipping Epcot.

There are lots of guidebooks with tips for Disney and I've read a few of them. Honestly, you can find all of the info you need at MouseSavers.com or AllEars.net. I used Mouse Savers a LOT before this trip and highly recommend it. So, feel free to stop reading now and head over there. :)

Here are a few of the specific things I'll be remembering for future trips:

1. When to go?

NOT the week after Christmas. I've never seen Disney World so crowded as it was the week after Christmas. The weather was great - we even had to go buy a few short sleeve shirts for my kids because I did not anticipate it to be so warm.

This trip at the end of June was much better as far as crowds. The longest line we waited in was about 30 minutes and that was because the ride got shut down for a bit. Otherwise, we rarely waited for very long (with some planning of course!). However, the heat was a bit of a downer. We made do with fans, cool treats and lots of water.

MouseSavers has some thoughts on the best time of year, but my opinion is October! Jacob and I went in October for our first anniversary and it was the best I've ever seen. Warm enough that we could swim in the pool, but hardly sweat at the parks. The crowds were so little we were able to visit all FOUR parks in TWO days. (Of course, we stayed from open to close....but you can do that when you don't have kids! :)

2. Cheapest Tickets?

Disney recently redid the way tickets are sold. You now have base tickets and you add options such as "park hopper" (visit more than one park per day) or "no expiration" (meaning unused days never expire). You can also buy tickets at a SLIGHT discount from AAA offices. MouseSavers has more info here. The bottom line is that the more ticket you buys - the cheaper it is per day visited. I would recommend saving up and buying a 8-10 day ticket to use over multiple trips.

3. Naps and a schedule?

The last trip (with a 2.5yo and 9mo) was a little different than this one in that we came back everyday for lunch and naps. We would be at the parks from open until about 12. Then return from about 4-7. One night we stayed late for a night parade and fireworks.

This time our kids were a little older and we tested the waters the first day. We stayed from park opening until about 3pm. Adeline napped in the stroller and Will did fine. That was our plan for the rest of the park days. However, this schedule did not allow us to keep the kids up late for fireworks in a park any night though.

4. Food?

Disney recently began allowing you to bring soft coolers in to the parks. You still cannot bring hard coolers, but I did see many soft coolers while we were there. This is a HUGE help because park food is pretty expensive - although not as much as you would think. We simply planned ahead the days we would eat out or bring our food. Having a plan is half the battle so you aren't caught with hungry, grumpy children (and parents)!

We usually purchased either lunch or dinner in the park and ate the other back at the condo. We spent about $30-40 per meal in the parks. I was pleasantly surprised to see the (relatively) healthy options on many of the menus. The kids' meals came with fruit or veggie sides and milk.

MouseSavers.com has coupons for dining in the Orlando area. We were able to find coupons for the Rainforest Cafe (in downtown Disney AND Animal Kingdom) to made kid's meals .99! That saved us $10 on that meal!

In addition, you can visit Restaurant.com to find other Orlando area restaurants. I found a Disney Character Dining restaurant there and bought a $25 gift certificate for $2! We ended up not doing the character dining because all of the character dining is done on a buffet/flat rate cost (no a la carte dining). It would have cost us almost $60 after the gift certificate to dine with Pluto and someone else we'd already met (can't remember who).

5. Where to stay?

This one is a little more tricky for me. My parents have a timeshare and we have stayed in a condo through the timeshare almost every time we've gone. I've stayed on Disney property twice (only a total of 3 nights!) and do see the value in doing that. There are certain deals that Disney offers twice a year (October and February, I think) where you can get free dining plans by staying on Disney property. There are "value" resorts (basically hotel rooms) that are still very nice and well themed. Staying on Disney property allows you to use Disney transportation (nice if you fly instead of drive!), get free parking at the parks (saves $14 per day!) and allows you extra hours in the parks on some days - called "Extra Magic Hours."

This past trip we spent two nights camping at the Disney Campground, Fort Wilderness. We loved it! The best part was that it only cost us $60 per night! I wrote about our camping experience here. The only downside to Disney property that I've found is the horribly high priced dining options. This is why the "free dining" with a stay on Disney property would be a HUGE plus! But once we got over the shock and made a new plan, we were set!

6. Other Kid-specific Tips

Strollers - We obviously knew we needed a stroller for our first trip. I actually bought a used one on Craigslist to use just for our trip. (The only double we had at the time was a double jogger and I knew it would have been horrible in the crowds!) When we returned home, I sold it for the same price! Much cheaper than renting one and I didn't worry when it got rained on or lost. Renting one costs about $15 per day and usually involves extra lines. Plus your stroller now looks just like everyone elses!

This trip, we were unsure about having a stroller for 4 year old Will who almost never uses one at home. We finally decided to bring our double jogger and I'm SO GLAD that we did. Will absolutely needed to ride at least 75% of the time and would have been so much more tired if he'd walked.

Waits - We brought a few small items in our bag for the kids to have during waits. Usually there was plenty to keep them entertained, but a few times we needed to get out the pens and paper. I also had some stickers and a few small toys.

Fast Passes and Baby Swap - If you don't know about the Fast Pass system at the parks - it is the only way you can do the majority of large attractions in one day. Basically, its a ticketing system where you use your park ticket to obtain a ticket with a specific return time for that ride. When you return - you enter the "fast pass" line that is very short. The trick that we recently learned (on our first with kids trip) is that the fast pass is actually good for the rest of the day! Even though it has an hour block of time to return, its good for the rest of the day.

Each day when we'd enter the park, the FIRST thing we did is send Jacob to a big ride for the fast pass. He would then meet me and the kids at the line for another big attraction so we could get right in line first thing when the waits are still very short (or non-existent!) When you look at your map, it will show you which rides have fast passes and those are the ones you might want to hit first. We usually would do at least 2 BIG attractions within the first 30 minutes of entering the park.

In addition, Disney will issue "baby swap" passes (essentially fast passes) good for up to three members of your party in situations where kids in your group cannot ride the ride. Basically, Will and Jacob would ride while I waited with Adeline. We're given a "baby swap"/fast pass when they get off so that I can enter the fast pass line while Jacob waits with Adeline. This prevents you from waiting in line twice and allows the entire party to enjoy the ride.

Souvenirs - I purchased a few small souvenirs ahead of time to give to our kids at Disney. (You can do this at a Disney Store or online!) This wasn't a big deal the first trip because Will was much younger. This time around, I knew he'd understand how much "stuff" he'd continually see that he wanted to buy. So in addition to the little fun things I purchased ahead of time, we told him we'd go to the big Disney Store (at Downtown Disney) and pick out one special treat. We did and he got a Bullseye (from Toy Story) to go with Woody and Buzz. He was thrilled and really didn't bug us anymore.

One thing I'd like to add about this is to be sure to purchase your souvenirs early in your trip. We had several toys (Adeline's Aurora doll that she picked and Jessie/Bullseye set my Mom got her) that broke while we were there. Disney was great about exchanging, but had we waited until the end of the trip that wouldn't have been possible! Plus, it gave the kids something new and fun to play with while at the condo.

Young Nurslings - If you have a nursing baby or even a diapered toddler, be sure to find and use the Baby Care Stations. When Adeline was 9 months, I nursed and fed her baby food in those at each park. They were super great (and air conditioned!) with microwaves, nursing areas, changing tables and entertainment for older siblings. There is only one per park.

That is all I can think of for now - but be sure to MouseSavers for LOTS more info! Especially for dining coupons like I mentioned! Please leave a comment with any tips or questions you have. (Leah P. is a Disney EXPERT and she may even chime in to answer them! :)

Traveling Advice

Tips for Traveling with Kids: By Lauren Papa

My sister-in-law has traveled more than anyone else I know when her infant this past year. Her husband, Matt Papa, is a Christian Musician, and they travel all over the United States. She has flown a few times, and here's her advice for flying with an infant.



Flying-

1. Pack as light as possible. This is not the time you want to bring EVERY single toy and baby item your child MIGHT POSSIBLY need. Stick to the basics!! Seriously! Bring a few toys or books or activities, depending on your child's age; beyond that, make the world your playground and find creative ways to entertain your kids!

2. Leave at least 30 min. before you think you should. With kids, getting around an airport is always slower. Don't count on making record time to catch your flight. Giving yourself plenty of time will make the experience much more peaceful and enjoyable for you and your children.

3. Know that you have the option to check your carseat. Most airlines will let you check your car seat for FREE. From experience, this is much easier than gate-checking it; unless you have purchased a seat for your infant and will be using the car seat on the flight.

**SPECIAL NOTE: If you check your car seat, be sure that you either bring a cover/bag from home or ASK THE AIRLINE to provide you with a large plastic bag to put it in. Why? Because it will get tossed and thrown and dropped and most importantly, it will touch all sorts of dirty surfaces. So go the safe, sanitary route and keep it covered!

4. Don't stress about going through security. Stress will only slow you down because you're so worked up. Take a deep breath and just know that it will take you a little extra time than the expert business traveler with nothing but a briefcase and that is OKAY!!

5. Food and formula/milk. You are allowed to bring food, water, milk, and formula through security for your child. Just be aware that once you have passed through, you will probably be asked to open everything up so that TSA can run a non-invasive litmus test to be sure you're not carrying drugs.

6. Acquire your gate-check tags. As soon as you get to the gate, approach the desk and ask for tags for items you plan to check at the gate. This will save you a little time when boarding and make things faster for those in line behind you.

7. Board early if you like. Traveling will children under age 5 affords you the opportunity to board early with all the special execs and reward members.

Thanks Lauren!!

Tips for Traveling with Kids

I would like to suggest a few things regarding flying with kids and just travel in general. You are about to see my "Wish List" for traveling, if I could afford all that I'm about to recommend. My favorite website for specialty items is One Step Ahead. This website is by far the best I've found yet.  
 
Lysol Wipes: You can get a small travel pack of these wipes or snag a few from your canister and put them in your own zip lock baggies. I leave a container in my van, along with the wonderful Ikea potty for emergencies.
 
Ikea Potty: If you aren't familiar with the Ikea potty, it's so inexpensive($3.99!!), one piece, a great size, and comes in a lot of fun, different colors.
 

We keep the potty, Lysol wipes and bags in the stow-and-go compartment in our van, under the floor-board. It's $3.99! No need to pay those $20-$30 prices for a potty.  The only catch is they won't ship it, so if you know of anyone traveling by an Ikea, have them run in and buy you one. We bought one for the grandparents as well to keep at their house.  This would be a great thing to use right before going into the Airport or while on the road traveling by car.
 
Baby B'Air: I have this, but haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. I can't wait! If you check your car seat in your airline travels, then this is a great option. Come terrible turbulence, your child will be safe.
 

Traveling with Car seats:

• Option 1: Look at this genius idea! If you want to forgo the stroller, especially if there is a stroller at your destination, this is a great idea.  It's called the Gogo Kidz Travelmate.  And look at how small and compact the actual carrying device is.  A $90 expense, but would be a very helpful thing to have. I have entertained the idea of buying this in the past, but we just didn't have the funds at the time.

 

Option 2: The Pac Back. I can't tell you how often I've thought about buying one of Pac Back car seat carriers as well. I flew quite frequently when I just had Laney when she was under two years old (hence, flying for free), and I sure could have used this to free up my hands.  If I had to do it all over again, I'd buy one of these...and I still just might buy one, even though we don't fly as often anymore. $40 is a great buy in my opinion.

 

Folding Potty Seat with Handles: This is a great solution to avoiding sitting on those uber-dirty gas station or airport toilets. Eek! The handles prevent the littles from grabbing the toilet when trying to balance. When you're finished, you can wipe it down with your handy-dandy Lysol wipes or just put it in a bag, seal it up and toss it in your carry-on or diaper bag.

Look at how tiny it folds up!

Sleeping Solutions: When my eldest outgrew the pack-n-play, I didn't know what I was going to do. Well, I knew what I wanted, but couldn't buy this particular bed at the time. Had I know about it in advance, say when I was still in  the pack-n-play stage, I would have asked for it for Christmas for my little one or saved up for it. I didn't start looking into options until it was too late. I ended up buying a Princess Air Mattress that has a sleeping bag sew into it. I think Target carries it. However, I wasn't very pleased with it. My daughter slides all over it and off of it since it's slippery material inside, instead of cotton. I should have just taken that money and put it towards something that I really liked and wanted.

•  Tuck Me In Travel Bed. I have wanted this bed for a long time.The thing I like most about this bed is that it has roll-guards. Comes in a Toddler Bed (ages 2+ up to 150 lbs) or a Kids Bed (ages 4+ up to 350 lbs).  There are a lot of accessories that go with this bed, but they all aren't necessary unless you just want the ease of not wanting to search for another carrying bag, etc.. You could use your own pillow and blanket.

Or you could just buy a regular twin air mattress. I know a lot of friends who have done that and it's worked well for them. I just liked the roll bars on this one.

Car Mirror: My friend Stephanie Lyon recommended a car mirror to me, similar to this one. I use it all the time! You can buy a similar one (the one I have) at Wal-Mart for about $5. They are great shower gifts!  The one I have flips down from behind the review mirror, so you can stash it away if you need to.

Flying Sickness: If you're flying for the first time with your kids, you might want to carry a gallon size zip lock bag in case they get sick or for blow out diapers. Or you could try some Queasy Drops.

Blowouts in the car seat: My second child is what we call our "Car Seat Pooper." It never fails. Every time she's in the car seat, we are going to have the biggest surprise waiting on us when we get to our destination.  Usually we are running late BEFORE we discover the blow out. So, we've learned our lesson, somewhat and try to leave a little bit earlier so one of us can stay back and change her. Here lately, while traveling, she's been on antibiotics for her recurring ear infections, so we've had our share of blow outs. We usually put a waterproof pad in her car seat to protect the seat from getting poo all over it. Babies R Us carries every size you'd like.

Dollar Store: From the dollar store, we like to stock up on the Diaper Bags. You get a ton of little diaper bags and they have handles on them for tying it closed. They also smell like baby powder so that's a bit inviting when you're dealing with nose-burning smells. :)

I hope some of these ideas will help you in your traveling endeavours.

Hollie

Just have a Can-Do Attitude

Hi all - Leah P. here to share my thoughts on this week's topic: Traveling with Little Ones. As I was thinking back over the countless air/car/train traveling we've done over the past 4 years, I had to laugh at some of the things I've done. Here is the best one:

Last summer I decided to fly from Chicago to Orlando to visit my parents. Samuel was a few months shy of his 3rd birthday and Joel was 1yr3mo. My husband couldn't get off work, so I made the trip by myself. I had to bring both of our carseats and our double stroller. Oh, and I decided that I wasn't going to check any luggage. (Insert: what was I thinking?! ha, ha).

If you were in the airport that morning, this is what you would have seen: Me pushing two boys in a double stroller (I figured out how to wedge Joel's seat into the double stroller with him still sitting in it). I had on a diaper bag backpack and a carry-on size duffle bag with all our clothes. Then I had to flip Sam's carseat upside-down and balance it on the accessory tray of the stroller while I pushed it through the airport. My boys were actually asleep and I thought I was doing pretty good. Until I hit airport security. Uh-oh. Did you know that you have to take those kids out of the stroller and walk through the metal detector with them? And you have to fold up your stroller and try to wedge it through the scanner? This is where my "can-do attitude" kicked in. I held my head high, gather up my two sleeping boys in my arms and let the airport security woman pass all my things through the scanner. Then I passed through the detector and put us all back together. After that, the airplane ride was no big deal! :) Now, the part that makes this the tops of dumb was that I was pretty sick at this point with my Ulcerative Colitis. I was going to the bathroom about 12 times a day (it got up to about 25 times a day by the time I went in the hospital). I had to run that double stroller to the bathroom more than once while we waited for our plane. And I had to ask the lady sitting next to us on the plane to keep an eye on my boys while I went to the bathroom on the plane. But I didn't really stress out at any point of the day. I am a super bull-headed person and I was determined to make it through that day with a smile on my face. And it all went fine.



I suppose my one piece of advice when traveling with little ones by yourself is to be willing to ask others to help you when you need it. I've asked airplane neighbors to hold my baby while I went to the bathroom. I've asked fellow train travelers to play with my kids while I filled a drink up. I've asked people to carry my stroller down the escalator for me while I held my boys' hands. People seem to take pity on a young mother with children and love to help out. Don't be afraid to let them!

Traveling with the DeLongs

I've found that traveling with little ones is utterly exhausting, but very rewarding. I love all the fun memories we make and hearing my 3-year old talk about a trip for months afterwards. I am constantly amazed by all that she remembers!

Our amount of travel varies in correlation to the stages of our kids. For example, Karlie (now 16 months) absolutely HATED the car until she was a year old. She never fell asleep, even as a newborn, and I would spend the duration of our car rides turned around in an illegal manner, trying to soothe her. So her first year we traveled as little as possible. Karis (now 3), on the other hand, was an easy baby and we went on many trips throughout her first year.

Our current normal travel consists of a 3 1/2 hour trip every few months to see the grandparents and a few trips to the beach during the summer. Since our girls are at pleasant traveling stages right now and we know that next year will be more difficult with a new baby, we have decided that this is our summer/fall to travel a lot! We just recently made a huge (for us :) 7 hour trip to Seabrook Island and although the car ride was very taxing, it was well worth it! (I blogged about what I learned that particular trip HERE.) Visiting the grandparents is usually fairly easy, because once we arrive, they take care of everything! But beach trips take a lot more planning and that is currently what is going on in my head right now. Here are my thoughts/tips in no particular order:

I totally agree with Leah that snacks are a huge help! Bring lots of snacks and save them for when the kids get fussy. Here is a list of my favorite healthy snacks that I now reference when planning for trips.

Consider having the kids split a "normal" meal instead of buying them each a kids meal when eating out. My family doesn't do fast food. I'm kind of a health nut, and I'm actually starting to rub off on my husband (finally!). So on car trips, we usually stop at someplace like Cracker Barrel. (We figure it is the closest to real food we can get on the road). We love it because it gives the girls a decent break so they can stretch their legs and it helps to get some energy out. Last time, we raced them up and down the porch and danced for about 20 minutes before getting back in the car. I'm sure that people must have thought we were crazy, but it really helped the girls. Cracker Barrel is more expensive, but splitting the meal saves money. Last time, the girls and I all split a grilled chicken tender meal. Because of all the sides and bread, and it was plenty for all 3 of us.

Buy a new CD or "hide" a favorite one for about a month before a big trip. Save it for when the ride gets too long and the tempers get short. We stumbled upon an old favorite on our last trip and I was amazed at how excited the girls were to hear it again and how they instantly calmed down and stayed peaceful for the duration of the CD.

Stickers can be entertaining for quite a while! I randomly bought a pack of those neon circle label stickers at the grocery store as we were leaving town and they turned out to be the best distraction for my 16 month old. They were really easy for her to get off and she was quite happy decorating a notebook (and her car seat :) for a good 30 minutes! My 3-year old LOVES sticker books (a book with a bunch of stickers in the middle of the book and she has to figure out which page they go on).

Take lots of pictures and put them in some kind of a book as soon as possible. My daughter LOVES looking at pictures of past trips, and it helps her to remember even more. She still talks about a beach trip we took when she was just a year old because she looks at the pictures so often.

My main job when preparing for a long trip is meal planning. Our family usually tries to save money by using our kitchen instead of eating out. We might have one special night for eating out, but the rest of the meals are up to me. As much as I enjoy cooking, however, I don't want to spend my vacation slaving away. Instead, I make ahead several of these meals that freeze well and have them all ready to go in the oven when we need them.

My husband prefers duffle bags over suitcases because he says they compress easily for packing and only take up as much space as we pack. We bought THESE inexpensive bags at Target in different colors for all of us and we have been really pleased with them. Every time he packs the car, my husband mentions how glad he is that we switched to duffle bags :)

A wagon is helpful for almost every trip! We just recently got a van and have been able to bring our wagon on trips for the first time. We have taken it on a camping trip and a beach trip and have been incredibly thankful for it both times! On our last trip, we packed all the beach toys right inside it and it was all ready for us when we arrived. Our particular beach had a LONG trail to get to the shore and the girls were always grateful for a ride home after playing all morning in the hot sun.

Go with grandparents or friends whenever possible so that you can relax more and maybe even get a date with your husband!

Traveling with Little Ones--Finn style

This week on Prayer of Hannah we are talking about traveling with little ones. All of us moms have done it at some point, even if the travel is just a few minutes away! The contributors for Prayer of Hannah include more than a few world travelers, and I look forward to hearing their tips for traveling cross country and overseas with little ones.

My husband’s and my family both live about 7 hours away from us (though in slightly different directions), so the longest car trip we have taken to date is a 7 hour one. I have flown with my daughter once, when she was about 9 months old, but this post will focus on car travel. Later this month Nathan, the kids and I will head out on a big car trip to see family in south Florida (13-15 hours by car), so these ideas are fresh on my mind!

Things I love while traveling:
*DVD player—I know it is a ‘cop out’, but a movie entertains the kids easily when the road miles grow long
*music that the kids enjoy—This is not always “kid music”! My children enjoy a variety of music, so we take our IPod and a car converter with us to listen to music.
*sippy cups for both kids—my oldest no longer drinks from a sippy cup, and my youngest is learning to drink from a ‘real cup’, but in the car, sippy cups are a must!!
*water bottles or a canteen to refill said sippy cups
*snacks—I used to use little snack cups (Glad makes a ‘toss and go’ snack cup with lids) that I would fill with goldfish, raisins, pretzels, or cheerios, but Baxter tends to upturn his cup into his lap and make a mess. I have now switched to snack size Ziploc bags that I can refill, because Baxter seems to handle them better
*Color Wonder markers and pad (or colored pencils and book—no crayons, they melt!) for Georgia
*car/tractor for Baxter—I never would have thought this, but my little guy played with a matchbox car for 30-40 minutes uninterrupted on one recent car trip. Perfect!
*portable potty—not as necessary now that G is fully potty trained, but still helpful
*rest areas—these have built in areas to run and play, and after being cooped up in the car that is a wonderful thing
*diversions—This sounds silly, but it is amazing how “look at that car!” “see the truck!” “hey, do you see a cow?” can distract children for a little while
*plastic grocery bags (for trash, kids toys, organizing snacks, etc)—as an aside, I don’t have this yet, but I hope to make a car organizer like this before our trip

None of these ideas are unique or original, but I hope that they might serve as a starting point for more suggestions from our wonderful readers. What are your tips for traveling with littles? What works for your family?

Krista's Traveling Tips

We moved when Lydia was 4 weeks old and I had my first road adventure with me driving, my mother-in-law in the car, and Lydia in the backseat for what should have been a five hour journey. We had to stop a couple times for me to nurse - The Bass Pro Shop and later in a department store dressing room. By the last hour or so Lydia was screaming and it was awful. All in all it took about 8 hours and I thought I never wanted to travel again if it was going to be like this. We've come a long way since then and I look back now and laugh at that experience! We became pretty good at traveling by car the first few months of her life. After moving, we spent the next 3 months on the road quite a bit and I learned to nurse her anywhere and not worry about it. She learned to ride in the car and entertain herself, but I definately think it was easier with a younger baby who wasn't so mobile yet.

When Lydia was four months old we moved overseas. I nursed her when each flight took off and landed and she slept the entire time on every flight. Really, we couldn't have planned it better and it was simply by His grace that it was such an easy traveling experience. (In contrast, we went to Thailand this past January and she slept for 3 of the 27 hours we traveled!) Since moving overseas, traveling has changed. While there are no laws about car seats so I'm usually holding her (which helps to comfort her if she is tired) we also do a lot of our traveling by train. I have found it much harder to travel now that Lydia is eating food. I have to admit that this is the hardest part for me about vacationing. She has never had sugar, chips, boxed food, or pasteurized milk. . . which makes traveling a challenge! We do take a cooler with us, and I really think out our trip in advance to make a plan for food. We take the Baby Ergo (baby carrier) and she has learned to just sleep in that if she's tired.

So, if I had to give traveling/vacationing advice, this would be it:

• Only take necessities - if you can get it there or don't need it, don't pack it
• But, do take everything you need, no matter how silly it seems - if you need a sound machine for your baby to sleep, pack it! If you're a food nazi like me :), take that cooler. If you need a pack 'n play, bring it, etc.
• Carriers are so convenient. I've never taken a stroller with us when we've traveled and never missed it.
• I don't know how this would work with more than one baby, or even a baby too big to carry, but rather than putting Lydia to bed early while we were in Thailand for 3 weeks, we kept her out late and just let her fall asleep in the Baby Ergo. Granted, we came home and she slept for about a week, but we had a great time seeing the sites, Lydia had fun exploring, and that was our solution to not having childcare when she needed to sleep.
• Have a plan.
• Don't let the thought of it being hard stop you! If you're like us, you had fun doing stuff together before you had a baby, and those memories are just as precious when you go as a family. Yep, it can be stressful to get everything together for traveling, (and I admit to even dreading some of our outtings beforehand) but we are also SO GLAD to have gone and those memories will last a lifetime.

Leah's Vacation Tips

Hollie & Christina have done such a great job with this topic - thanks ladies!

As far as vacation advice, my first would be to not be nervous about traveling with a newborn. I can say that the trips we did when Samuel was 0-6 months old were easier than the ones we've done at 6+ months. Smaller babies are so much more portable and unaware of their surroundings.

Second, I will again put in a plug for using a baby sling. I have flown with Samuel about 10 times, and each time I put him in a sling for the trip. It made making my way through the airport such a breeze - I checked our suitcase, and then just had him and a diaper bag to worry about. If you use a pouch sling, you don't have to take him out for security check (once I wore a ring sling and the rings set off the metal detector and they made me take it off). There is a rule that you can't take off or land with the baby in the sling (so weird, I know) but I always put him back in for the flight and he usually slept.

To give you an idea of the trips we've done since Samuel was born, here's our rundown:

1 month old - Weekend Church Camping Trip (only 30 minutes from home)
2 months old - Samuel & I flew to Indiana to visit family
3 months old - Samuel & I flew to Fort Myers; met my parents there
5 months old - Samuel & I flew to Indiana to visit family
6 months old - All three of us drove to Indiana to visit family & friends
9 months old - Samuel & I flew to Orlando and went to Disney World with my parents
10 months old - All three of us drove to Fort Myers
10 months old - Weekend Church Camping Trip
11 months old - Samuel & I flew to Indiana and then we flew to CA with my parents
13 months old - Samuel & I flew to Indiana to visit family
15 months old - All three of us flew to Chicago to look at houses

Needless to say, I am a "have baby, will travel" kind of gal. But all of that was definitely easier when he was smaller and not mobile. It has gotten harder as he's gotten older.

My third piece of advice would be to vacation with others (whether friends or family). All of our trips were spent with other people except one - our trip to Ft. Myers in June to celebrate Ed's graduation from Seminary. We had a condo for a whole week, but ended up leaving about halfway through. I found it really hard to enjoy myself. I had all the same responsibilities that I had at home (feeding everyone, making sure Samuel napped, slept at night, etc) but I didn't have the familiarity of my home. Plus, once Samuel was asleep for the night, around 6:30 or 7:00, Ed and I couldn't go out and do anything. Had we been there with family or friends, we could have swapped childcare or had others around to play games with.

Good luck to you all as you plan your travels. Do you have any questions you'd like to throw out there for others to answer?

Our FAVORITE vacation - CAMPING!

Jacob and I love to travel and did quite a bit before Will was born. As I looked back over the past (almost) two years of Will's life, I realized that we have been so blessed to take many vacations. Most trips are short - usually long weekends - but they have all been so wonderful for our family. Here are the places we've gone as a family, with highlights of things we've done:

December 2006 - Slovakia for about a week to visit family; Will was 6 months old.

April 2007 - Atlantic Beach for 3 days; Will was 9 months old; visited NC aquarium

May 2007 - Will's first camping trip at 10 months old! Long weekend at Mortimer in the NC mountains.

August 2007 - Camping trip (14 months) for the weekend at Stone Mtn. State Park (NC - not GA).

September 2007 - Atlanta, GA (15 months) for 4 days to visit the Georgia Aquarium and other sites.

November 2007 - Austin, TX (17 months) to visit friends and attend a wedding!

In addition to these "planned" family vacations - we've spent a lot of time with family on the Outer Banks during the summer and at Christmas. Weekend trips to see Grandma and Grandpa an hour away happen at least every other month. Will is a very good traveler in the car and very adept at sleeping in his pack n' play! He has flown twice now (once overseas) but the majority of our travel is by car - or minivan rather.

Our FAVORITE vacation is camping. You can't beat camping for a cheap way to vacation. I'm going to post some pictures to give you an idea of the kind of camping we do. "Car camping" as I like to call it, is not exactly roughing it. We mostly camp at family or group campgrounds at state parks, like Stone Mountain or Hanging Rock in North Carolina. Almost all have full shower houses. The cost for the site is minimal (usually around $10-$15 a night)- you can check this website for info on all of the North Carolina State Parks. Hammocks Beach State Park is down on the coast and although we've never camped there, it's a great park to visit! I'm sure there are similar sites for parks in other states as well.

Will's First Trip at 9 months to Mortimer (not a state park, part of Pisgah National Forest)

*This album includes pics of our little collision with the mountain on the way home. We met a truck on the curve of a muddy mountain road and side swiped the rock face on the passenger side of the van. Thankfully, Will rides on the driver side! I didn't know how to edit the album without permanently deleting, so they remain. It happened just outside of the campground - so we were able to turn around and regroup at our campsite. Will rode home with his Aunt and Uncle while Jacob and I drove the windowless van for almost four hours. Everyone was fine - the van did need some repairs. :)

BubbleShare: Share photos - Safe Baby Toys


Camping at Stone Mountain In August

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.



Hopefully, these albums will you give you a good idea of how we camp and the kinds of things we do while camping! Lots of hiking, playing in the water, games and eating! Some things to point out from the pictures that I think make our trips easy:

1. Having a tent large enough for us and the pack n' play! Our tent easily holds an air mattress for us and pack n' play for Will. (I told you we don't rough it!)

2. The ergo or other backpack for hikes! Will is definitely too young to go on long hikes without these. He loves riding in them!

3. Having a swimming area or waterfall to cool off! This is a MUST for summer camping in the South.

4. You can see from the second set of pictures that yes - we used cloth diapers on our camping trip. It was fairly painless, although I'm not sure I'd do it if we were gone for longer than a weekend.

5. Our child is a light sleeper, so we always bring his sound machine with us. This helps drown out the noises the adults make after the kids go to sleep. The first time Will went camping - it rained HARD and was a great natural sound machine!

6. Camping with family and friends makes the trip TONS more fun for us. We plan meals together and can split the costs of campsites. It's also nice to have extra adults around to play with the kids!


Feel free to ask questions or share your camping ideas and tips! Camping has become second nature to us and we have boxes of our supplies packed and ready to throw in the car. I don't even have to think about what to pack anymore! We look forward to camping again this summer and fall once our baby girl comes along any day now!

Good Vacation Ideas

Ever since Laney was five weeks old, we've been flying back to Georgia to visit my parents. Mastering how to fly with Laney by myself being so tiny was a trial and error process. (Since my dad was a pilot for the airlines, I was able to fly at a discount.) Wherever you're going on your vacation, you must nail down how to travel. Here's what I have found helpful while flying:

-Baby Carrier: I know many mothers travel with an umbrella stroller, but if you have one baby under the age of one, I would suggest flying with a baby carrier. I had less to keep up with knowing she was strapped to me. Using the bathroom was so easy, because I didn't have to take her out of the carrier or try to squeeze a stroller, carry-on suitcase and any other bags I had into a bathroom stall. When you go through the detectors, now you don't have to take your baby out of the carrier. Once on the plane, Laney would sleep or be content in our baby carrier. I made sure she was always strapped into the carrier during landing or take-off. She also sat in my lap during the flight.

Stroller: If your child is over a year, I'd suggest a stroller for you. The airlines will hold the stroller at the gate. Instead of a stroller, you might want to try one of these Gogo Kidz Travelmates. These have reviews!!


Rolling Carry-on: I didn't have to deal with bags slipping off my shoulder, because my carry on had wheels. I strapped my little bag onto the carry-on. When getting onto the plane, usually someone volunteered to put the stroller in the overhead compartment. People are soooo nice when you're traveling alone with a baby or if you're pregnant. :)

Nursing Covers: If your nursing while traveling on an airplane, the best thing you'll need is a nursing cover. A blanket will only do so much to shield you from the stranger sitting only inches away. I love bebe au lait nursing covers, but they are a bit expensive. I've learned how to sew them.



Earplanes: Have you ever been on an airplane and a baby is screaming from the ear pain? I always have felt so sorry for these little ones, and as a mother, I've always feared that Laney would be the one screaming. Well, scream no more baby. I haven't tried these "Earplanes", but they have incredible reviews.



Traveling while potty-training:



Every parent knows that consistency is the backbone of teaching your child anything. I have found several really good travel potties.

Potty 1
Potty 2
Potty 3




THE BEACH:
When Laney was eight months old, we went to Harbor Island, SC on a week long trip to the beach. It was her first time at the beach. If at all possible, having a wagon at the beach was so nice. Laney's grandparents showed up with the wagon, and it was the best thing for us as we went for strolls on the beach or took a stroll down to the community pool. We love the Radio Flyer Wagon that has two seats and an umbrella that can clamp down anywhere on the wagon to shield the sun.

Another helpful thing to buy is non-toxic sunscreen and swim diapers. There are also mesh slings for carrying your baby while at the beach so they don't get overheated or if you wanted to sit on the edge of a pool or what not and get splashed a bit.
Lastly, concerning high chairs and booster seats while traveling, we used a little inflatable booster seat that we bought at Target. It's trim, comfortable for the babies to sit in and easy with which to travel.



THE MOUNTAINS:



We also visited the mountains when Laney was seven months old. We had picnics outside, visited the little mountain stores and went on a trail walk to see the waterfalls. Babies love nature walks. As you can see here in the picture, after walking on a long trail, the babies fell asleep in their carriers. We also brought a baby swimming pool that was a few inches deep, filled it up and put it on the back deck. You could bring a deeper pool for bigger children. It didn't take long for that tiny pool to heat up.





Happy travels!!!