Bring Them Along

Bubble Bum

2012-03-15T13:47:00.002-07:00

We just purchased this to help in carpool. It's no easy feat to get three car seats across the back seat of (most cars) my car. But, the Bubble Bum makes it possible! (And, isn't the name so cute?!) So far it has been great. I've had no complaints about sitting on it from the little man here. And, because it's so portable it would be great to take on vacation too!

Bulkhead Bassinet

2012-01-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

D. flying to Paris at 3 1/2 months

Did you know if you have a bulkhead seat you can put your infant in a bassinet? Yep, look at our little D. there swaddled and ready for bed. This meant mom and dad both got some sleep on the flight too! Just make sure to check with your airline and request it early!

Take a Trip Tuesday

2011-10-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

Take a Trip Tuesday... CHICAGO (Because I'm craving some fall air and sweater weather.)


Photo courtesy of http://www.iasaglobal.org/iasa/Chicago.asp

KFA (kid friendly activities) --

The Beloved Maclaren

2011-10-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Daniel and I in Prague with the beloved Maclaren.

There are A LOT of different stroller options out there. I dare say there is not a better built umbrella than the Maclaren though. Truly, this stroller has been everywhere with us. From cobblestone streets in Europe, to San Francisco, to all sorts of theme parks, to the beach, you get the idea.

Here's the thing though, and why I give it two thumbs up. The morning before we were leaving on a trip to Prague my hubby ran over it with his car. It was sitting right behind the car so we wouldn't forget it. Smart right? Since we had no time to get another stroller we decided it would work for the airport. We figured we'd have to get a new stroller there. We didn't though... even though the back wheel was/is a little wobbly it still did a great job! It made it over the cobblestones on that trip and many since.

A Few Practical (and VERY Important) Tips

2011-08-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me a link to this article the other day from the blog My Favorite Everything. It has some great tips.

I Survived

2011-08-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

I did it (I'm patting myself on the back right now). I survived my first flight with both kids all by myself! It was a short flight, but I'm counting it as a victory anyway!!!

It was just a quick weekend trip... But we packed in a lot of fun.

First up was the Ogden Dinosaur Park. Daniel is totally into dinosaurs right now and this place was perfect for him! There is a small museum area inside. It had the skeletons as well as a quite real looking animated triceratops protecting two cute little ones from a hungry and growling T-rex. It scared the living daylight out of Daniel. He was gripping me begging me to get away! Which is why there is no picture of it.Outside it was truly a dinosaur park. If you have a toddler that is interested in dinosaurs there is no better place. There was freedom to run around! And, while running you got to see all sorts of dinosaurs. There was also a little dinosaur playground

{Daniel and Vera with Grandpa under the brontosaurus}

{Doesn't that look real? Minus the yellow bench of course. :)}

Also on our list of kid-friendly activities was the South Davis Rec Center. It's not too big so it is (relatively) easy to keep an eye on the kids.

An added bonus to going to UT was to meet this little guy! The newest cousin in the family.

We LOVE Miles

2011-08-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

Because we love to travel and travel frequently we buy everything with our credit card and our credit card earns miles. (There are a plethora of options out there you just have to pick the one that works best for your travel needs.) We basically use miles solely for upgrades on international flights.

Here's why --

You get LOTS more space -- seats you can actually sleep in!
Airlines and their employees are more helpful at check-in and on the flight
Free checked bags
Your bags can weigh more
The food is better
You wait for your flight in a lounge where it is clean, uncrowded, quiet, and they have food and drinks for you (this is my favorite perk!)

Delay Disaster!

2011-08-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

The first international trip we took with Daniel was to Paris. He was almost four months old and we were spending Christmas there with Sam's family. They had flown out earlier and so it was just the three of us leaving Dec. 23 -- not the smartest move. We learned a lot this first trip about traveling with kids and actually just some good travel common sense (that we should have already known!).

It all started out smooth check in, security, boarding all good. See, here I am feeding Daniel before boarding totally relaxed because everything was on schedule as planned.

All the trouble started after we boarded the plane and were ready to go. But instead of taking off we just sat there waiting and waiting and WAITING. For the record, I am patient if they need to fix a problem with the plane. I want to make it to my destination alive. They can take all the time they want to make us safe. But after what seemed like forever the captain came on the speaker saying we were waiting for cargo. Really you are messing with my vacation on Dec. 23rd for cargo. When we finally took off we were leaving almost two hours late. Not good when you have a connection you need to make.

{On board and waiting....!}

Because of the delay we arrived late into London Heathrow (side note we try to avoid LHR for many reasons). We missed our flight to Paris and were left hoping to catch another flight standby. It was a slim chance too since now it was Christmas Eve and between all the different delays due to winter weather there were A LOT of people hoping to get on any flight. After waiting and not getting on two flights we were finally able to get onto the third. And arrived safely in Paris about 24 hours after we left home!

But we had no luggage...

Pre-kids Travel

2011-08-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

{On a boat headed to Naples with Sorrento behind us}

Before having kids traveling was EASY! Although, I didn't realize how easy (and relaxing) until after I had them. In your carry on you were sure to have a few things to read from the newest best seller to the guilty pleasure gossip magazines, your iPod, some noise cancelling head phones, and maybe a simple snack. If your flight was long enough you could even watch AND listen to a movie. In your checked baggage (if you checked at all) you had your clothes, a couple pair of shoes, and your toiletries. It was all a small easy list of what you needed. I loved getting to the hotel and organizing everything. Placing my clothes in the drawers, hanging up the few things that needed to be, and laying out my toiletries just so. It was like being at home only with daily housekeeping!

{At the Lujan Zoo in Argentina. A dream come true for me, to pet a LARGE cat. Sam liked it -- not so much.}

In my husbands and my first year of marriage we traveled a fair amount ranging anywhere from Europe to South America and a few stops in the good ol' USA too. WE LOVE TO TRAVEL!

{By the Iguazu Falls}

{Prague Castle}

{The Alamo in San Antonio, TX}

When we had our first child we made the decision we weren't going to stop. We also weren't going to leave them home. We were going to "Bring Them Along." So, in the last four years since our son Daniel was born he has gone basically everywhere with us. He has been to Europe a handful of times and from Florida to Hawaii with a few stops in between. And through it, I have become a self proclaimed expert (as opposed to a legal expert) on traveling kids. I have been asked about and given advice to a lot of friends and family. Which is why I am starting this blog. Here is my journal of advice of those things that have worked (and sometimes haven't) in our journeys with our one and now two kiddos!