Our Family Adventures

Julie & her daughter Hailey, from Our Family Adventures have had some great adventures! And Julie has agreed to share some great car, plane and Jersey Shore tips with Baby To Go. After reading her tips, be sure to check out her blog, her daughter is ADORABLE! Julie is so crafty I am very envious. And she designs blogs! Baby travel and HTML? Very cool.

What to bring on a trip with a baby? The key is to remember everything you are inevitably going to forget. Still with me?

I've been at this "raising a baby" thing for just over 10 months. My daughter has been on at least 10 flights and a number of long distance car trips. So those are my credentials. I don't claim to be an expert at traveling with my daughter, but thus far, I've done a fairly good job and my references (my plane-peers), have given us compliments on virtually every flight we've been on.

My hubs travels for work and frequently gets first-class upgrades. The upsides: there is more space all around, smaller stewardess to passenger ratios and free snacks. The downside: If you want to be glared at because you simply are accompanying a child, sit in first-class. They have it down pat. I'll be honest. I've never purchased an extra seat for my daughter, but I would if we were taking a long (ie longer than 6 hours/cross-country) flight. It's infinitely better when my hubs travels with me because we play "pass the baby". It's a fun game… really…

When my daughter was little (between 7 weeks [<-- first flight] and 3 months), I took her in my Moby Wrap, where she slept the entire time. Those days have sadly passed, and on my most recent flight, when we went to Cape Cod, Mass., she was successfully entertained by puffs, the puff's container, books (lots of books), Jet Blue televisions (all hail to Jet Blue for that…)  and our row-mate's (what else would you call him??) computer. My row-mate was ever so empathetic of my traveling solo with child and allowed my girl to hit the number pad on his computer, which he had locked, and didn't glare at me first-class-style when she reached for his glasses. Tip: befriend your row-mate!! 

Julie, flying to Florida with frequent-flyer, Hailey

Here's what I've learned by traveling via air over the past 10 months or so months:

1. When going through security, be SO prepared.

2. Know exactly how to fold your stroller in the most compact position so it can go through the x-ray. Also know that you can gate check (for free) strollers, so don't be afraid to take one with you (same with car seats if you're doing the infant thang).

3. Have all liquids in a bag on top so you can grab it quickly and easily. Know that you can bring anything for baby in liquid form that you need, just prepare to have it tested (even milk). It's fine. They let you watch. Just be prepared.

4. Have snacks just underneath the baggy with liquids and small toys next to that. Don't bring musical or squeeky toys (check those). That's just not fair to your fellow passengers. Remember, you're trying to befriend your row-mate (I should just coin that term). 

5. Be ready: items on belt (shoes off), child out of stroller, fold stroller, walk through.

6. If you're struggling, just move over. People are going to be far more empathetic and yes, even willing to help, if you show that you're willing to let them go ahead. They are not (please don't be this person) going to be so nice if you are struggling and say sorry but don't move out of the way… and now your kid is screaming and you're stressed (you're going to get the glare first-class style), so just move out of the way. Trust me.

7. If possible, feed on the way up and down to keep the ears popped. I know you've heard that before. Or bring a pacifier if your baby uses one (mine does not). Better to be safe than sorry, I always think.

8. Know that you are not allowed to use a wrap during take-off or landing. Don't get angry (like I did) because I'm warning you now. I don't understand why…just go with it.

9. So now that you have my tips for traveling by air with a baby, I'll tell you about our last trip. 

We drove 3.5 hours to the New Jersey Shore where we stayed for a week (for the record, we did NOT go to Seaside and there was no fist bumping action). 

A little background… my daughter was pretty refluxy first 12 weeks of life and as such thought that the car was essentially the Devil (although she would fall asleep, luckily). When she was awake, though, we played white noise as loud as we could take it and crossed our fingers that she'd fall asleep. Somewhere around 11 weeks, I went to Target and in desperation bought a children's CD, turned it on real loud, and never looked back. It was as though someone pressed the off button. The car is no longer Satan, but we still keep that CD (and a few other choice ones) readily available for car rides. 

We have stayed at the same home at the NJ Shore for the past 6 years, so to our benefit, we knew exactly what to expect. We brought our Pack 'n Play, but one of the smartest things I've ever seen was a crib rental shop on the island (that also carried strollers, high chairs, etc). Wow. Genius, right? I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, hotels have cribs available, but on an island of majority house rentals, this is seriously a genius move. It's expensive though ($45/wk for a crib and $25/wk for a Pack 'n Play), so luckily we didn't need to go that route.

Unfortunately for you, I have little to no advice in regards to traveling and the beach itself beyond the obvious (lather your babe up with sunscreen, bring a hat, and if at all possible be within walking distance from the beach which is great on many levels!). My girl got extremely sandy, attempted to eats rocks and shells, and crawled as far away as she could as fast as she could get there. I've heard that some people bring their Pack 'n Play to the beach but I have a mover and a shaker and there's just no way she would have been happy in there. Switching off on beach-baby-duty was about all that kept me sane, so maybe you have some tips for me in that regard!

Anywhoodles, I hope you picked up a trick or two, and I'm your girl if you need recommendations for staying in Cape Cod or the New Jersey Shore. Happy travels!!

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Wordless Wednesday: Labor Day Vacation 2009

Some pics from our Labor Day Week vacation last year. Corolla, Outer Banks, NC. C was 5.5 months old.

swimming!

he couldn't even sit up on his own. 

chilling in the backseat of the car at a rest stop

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Ish Goes to Lake George

When I was a kid, we traveled up to Lake George a few times. It is a popular Adirondack, summer destination about 5 hours north of NYC. I remember going to to the Magic Forest and the Great Escape. I remember my little brother getting scared by the sheep at some place where you could pet animals. And my uncle getting sick on some sketchy Italian food we ate (or in retrospect, maybe that was a hangover). Anyway, Gina from The Ish Blog recently visited Lake George with her almost two year old son, Ish and her family. Here is her recap of this great summer getaway!

If you haven’t been to Lake George, NY, I would highly suggest you go soon! It is a great little village – very family friendly, with a lot of great activities to do rain or shine.

We made ourselves a long weekend up at the lake last week. Waking up Friday morning we piled in the car and picked up my parents to head north. Living in Westchester, NY, Lake George is about a 3 hour ride north. We had enough snacks, games and videos in the car to keep our almost-2-year-old son Matthew occupied.

The first thing we did when we got to the lake was check in to our hotel – The Quality Inn on Canada Street. This is one of the newer hotels in the area and is very clean, very modern and very convenient (walking distance) to the heart of the village. They have a great pool, an exercise and game room as well as a free continental breakfast (quite a spread!). Cribs are available upon request which is nice – no need to lug the pack-and-play!

After checking in, we decided to head out to the Magic Forest amusement park. This park is billed as an amusement park for younger kids. When we asked the woman at the front desk of the hotel what she thought about the park she was honest with us in saying that it’s quite out-of-date and is in need of some repairs. When we got there – we saw that.

The park was fun for Matthew – he enjoyed walking through the little fairy tale exhibits and seeing the live animals that are scattered throughout the park. We hit the carousel, the train ride and a little boat ride. There are some cute photo opportunities throughout the park (I think I may have my Christmas card photo for this year!). We were at the park for about an hour and a half - it’s really all the time you need there. There were no characters walking around the park (as shown on their website and brochures) and a lot of the rides were closed for “lunch breaks” for the staff. I would love to talk to the owner and give him some suggestions for making this park a better attraction. It has potential.

If you have older kids, The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom is just a few minutes down the road. This is a Six Flags property and is really very nice. We decided not to go this year (Matthew really isn’t a ride fan), but we have gone every other year we’ve come up to the lake. There is a great little kiddie area in this park as well as some cool water rides for the warmer days.

After the park we hit the pavement and walked through town all afternoon. There are a ton of family friendly restaurants, souvenir shops and numerous ice cream stands throughout the village. There are also a few arcades spread out through the village which was fun for Matthew – there are kiddie games and prizes that were just his size. We were lucky to stumble upon a huge craft fair in the middle of town this weekend – we picked up a lot of cute things from some very crafty locals!

Saturday was a shopping day – we hit the outlets. I stocked up on fall and winter clothes for Matthew from Gymboree, Gap and Carters. There’s also an Osh Kosh outlet as well as a ton of non-kid stores (Coach, Polo, Eddie Bauer, etc.). You can check out the store listings here:

Adirondack Outlet Mall

Factory Outlets

Saturday afternoon was spent in the pool at the hotel. Later in the day we went to church – Lake George has quite a few places of worship and we found a lovely little Catholic church only a few blocks from the hotel. After church we went to the Adirondack Pub & Brewery for dinner. Great food, great atmosphere, and again, very family friendly.

Sunday was a wet, rainy day and our travel day. We hit a few more outlets that we didn’t get to on Saturday and then headed home. We had a short weekend up at the lake, but we certainly packed a lot in! Lake George is one of our favorite spots and I look forward to going back next summer. Next year I anticipate that Matthew will be a good age for The Great Escape and maybe we’ll try some miniature golf too! In a few years I hope to take him horseback riding through the many trails of Lake George.

Some travel tips for taking a baby/toddler to Lake George:

• Pack the small (umbrella-type) stroller for walks through the village – much easier to maneuver through the crowds.
• Pack long-sleeved shirts and light jackets for summer travel – it gets chilly at night and the daytime temperatures are relatively cooler (and windy!) because of the water.
• Pick a hotel within walking distance to the village – driving and parking in the village itself is a challenge.

To learn more about things to do in Lake George, check out their official online site: Visit Lake George

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Happy Labor Day!

To all those who work, want to work, hope to work, or are trying not to work too hard! And especially to all the moms... we have the hardest job! Happy Labor Day!

Looking back, I think the best part of this summer were the days (mostly Fridays) that I would take C in the car, drive out to my parents neighborhood, eat a yummy lunch (Panera, Cheesecake Factory, The Shack come to mind) and then head to the pool, playground and be totally worn out by the end of the day. And since I was always in the pool with C, I have no pics! Oh well, maybe next summer.

Enjoy this last un-official day of Summer 2010. Don't sit inside all day reading blogs, but if you can spare a minute, vote for Baby To Go as Top Mommy Blog, and enter the Wings of Nature Giveaway (ends 9/12).

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Last Weekend of Summer...

Yeah for fall, cooler weather, pumpkin spice lattes and the kiddies back at school! I am heading out on vacay, but I have some great guest bloggers lined up for next week. So in the meantime, enjoy your weekend, vote for Baby To Go for Top Mommy Blog and be sure to enter the Wings of Nature giveaway (ends 9/12).

Just kidding, summers not really over. Not until September 20th right?

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Raising the Bar: A Delicious & Healthy Giveaway

I love snacks. So does hubby. And C is a big snacker. So when we travel (even to the local playground) we always have food with us. As you know, C loves his Goldfish and Blueberries, but for myself, I prefer to pack bars. They are portion controlled, not messy and easy to tote around. I look for bars that are tasty, low cal, and high in protein. Recently, I was sent three Wings of Nature Organic Bars to try out and review. 

I loved, loved, loved the Cranberry Crunch Bar. It was by far my favorite! It tasted like you were biting into a PB&J... but without the gooey mess. The Almond Raisin was also delicious, like eating trail mix, but in bar form. The Espresso Coffee flavor, I did not care for, but I don't like strong coffee flavor and I think those chocolate covered espresso beans are nasty (but if you like that flavor, you will probably love this snack). Also, these snacks are organic, gluten free, low in sodium, vegan/dairy free, cholesterol free, and kosher!

Want to try one? You can buy them online, or at these local retailers. OR you can win a sample pack (3 bars) right here! 

To enter, do one or all of the following and leave a comment for each entry:

1. Follow Baby To Go via google friend connect

2. Follow me, @harmskills or @wings_of_nature on twitter

3. Tweet about it! @harmskills wants me to #win a sample pack of @wings_of_nature bars #giveaway #glutenfree http://bit.ly/bsudqw

4. Vote for Baby To Go on Top Mommy Blogs (click here)

That's it! Just leave a comment for each thing you do! Entries will be open for over a week. You can tweet and vote once a day (just leave a separate comment each time). Entries will close at 7pm EST on Sunday, September 12, 2010. One lucky winner will be chosen by random.org.

Disclosure: I was sent the aforementioned Wings of Nature. samples to try. I was not compensated in any other way for this glowing review.

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Wordless Wednesday: Since They Didn't Believe Me

I have met some great mom friends in my 'hood. Since I met them after C was born, they didn't know me when I was pregnant. So at a recent dinner out, they found it hard to believe that I was so GINORMOUS at the end of my pregnancy (who isn't?). I gained 39 lbs in 39 weeks (never made it to my 40 week appt to see if I hit the big four-oh). But you know what, see for yourself...

37.5 weeks along. In front of the pack and play that C slept in for 4 months

39 and a half weeks along. March 14, 2009 after a great meal at Abbraciamento with my parents. 

C was born 4 days later.

Linking up with: Angry Julie Monday, Life of Rylie & Bryce, A Beautiful Mess, & Live and Love Out loud

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