Hey, lovelies! The kids and I are getting ready for a trip to Arkansas soon to visit family, and while I was starting the process of what all to pack and bring with us, I thought I should share it all with you as well! I’ve gotten lots of questions about what I’ve found most useful and what all I really don’t need so hopefully this will be a helpful guide for you if you’re planning on traveling with your kiddos anytime soon.
I use this stroller for traveling and LOVE it! I have the single version of it, and used it for several trips with Nicholas before Ella was born so it only made sense to get the double now that Ella is heavier and a little harder to wear through the whole airport! We have the Baby Jogger City Select double stroller as well (well, used to until I left it in a parking lot), but it is much heavier, and you have to remove one of the seats to fold it up so that wasn’t going to work for our trips. I also highly recommend this car seat travel bag. If you have to take your car seat with you, the last thing you want to do is check it without keeping it covered and clean. This bag is sturdy, keeps out moisture, and can be worn as a back pack so you can throw it on your back and go! It’s SO much better than those orange nylon travel bags, and definitely worth the extra penny (I’ve had both so I can attest to that!).
Getting to the airport and checked in is one thing, but keeping the kids entertained on the plane is a whole other story! Especially if the flight is more than a couple of hours like ours is. As most of you know, Nicholas is BEYOND obsessed with dinosaurs…..I mean, to the point he knows more species than I do, and I’m the one who taught him in the first place! So we always bring along his dinosaur figurines (he loves these), and he is good about spending a descent amount of time playing with them and acting out dino scenarios. Haha! He does eventually lose interest though so I let him watch his ipad (we have this one) and I have this cover on it which is great for protecting it if he drops it. We also use these headphones when he uses the ipad so that he doesn’t disturb the passengers around us. When I can tell he needs a break from screen time, we’ll play with stickers like these and these, and he’ll usually be occupied with them the rest of the plane ride! They’re reusable so you don’t have to throw them out after you’ve peeled them off. This is obviously too many items to fit in my purse along with Ella’s things, so Nicholas carries this dinosaur back pack (shocker!) to put all of his things in, and it certainly helps me out!
For me, I don’t really pack any entertainment since I stay busy managing the kiddos the entire trip! As long as I have my clothes and snacks to eat, I’m good. This luggage is what I use, and it fits a ton. It comes with the smaller carry-on too, and they’re both very durable and hold up well with traveling and being tossed around. I also carry this backpack diaper bag to hold the kids’ snacks, Ella’s diapers and wipes, bottles, etc. and I LOVE it! It fits everything you need and more, and the colors on the bag are so chic. It has several smaller compartments for your smaller items, and I honestly can’t say enough great things about it. Lastly, and most importantly….HAND SANITIZER! Airports and airplanes are pretty much a giant petri dish so to keep the kiddos and myself from taking all those germs with us, we use sanitizer several times throughout our trip. I love this spray because it’s quick and easy and gets the job done. If you have any questions that maybe I didn’t answer in this post, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Traveling can be challenging with kids so I’m happy to help make that a little easier if I can! We’re headed out on Monday so wish us luck!
