Traveling with Tiny – Summer Vacation Essentials for Mama & Baby

We are getting ready to embark on our first real family vacation later this week, and since we’ve never traveled with A before (beyond my commute to work), I thought I’d do a pre-trip post with our plan, followed by a post-trip round-up of what worked, what didn’t and what failed so epically I probably won’t want to speak of it.  My family lives about eight hours away in Vermont, and we’re going to do the trip in one shot, leaving super early (around A’s last night time feed – 3:30 a.m.) and hopefully stopping for her morning feed (7 a.m.) before what usually is a 2 – 3 hour nap, which should land us somewhere an hour or two from home right around the time for a leisurely late morning breakfast.  Fingers crossed.  (Feel free to cackle at our naivete at this point).

I’ve scoured the internet for tips, suggestions and ideas, and below you’ll find what we’re hoping to be our magic mix of A products will be:

Traveling with Tiny – Summer Vacation Essentials for Mama & Baby by gardeninggrl featuring a zipper purse

Taggies Oodles Owl Cozy Blanket / Graco Snugride 30 Infant Car Seat / Pajamas / Comfort1st – Ergo Baby Organic Baby Carrier / Plum Organics Baby Super Puffs Purples, Blueberry & Purple Sweet… / Chewbeads ‘Jane’ Teether Necklace / 5 Pieces / Jellycat ‘Cordy Roy Cat’ Stuffed Animal Pink One Size / Boynton’s Greatest Hits / WubbaNub Giraffe / Zipper purse / Honest Diapers Balloons Jumbo Pack Size Newborn (32 Count) / Honest Diapers Cherries Jumbo Pack Size 3 (29 Count) / Honest Diapers Bloom Jumbo Pack Size 4 (25 Count)

We’re bringing a mix of her favorite toys that don’t take up a TON of space.  This includes her beloved JellyCat (which might be the best stuffed animal ever, given its multitude of limbs and tail for sucking and chewing; her Wubba (which she has never liked to use as a paci but loves to cuddle); a brand new Taggie blanket (because she is tag-obsessed!); some of our favorite Boynton books; and the Melissa and Doug bugs my mom got her on her last visit – cute easy and super portable.

We plan to dress her in these sweet Carter’s jammies, which we got for a steal ($1.50 on sale with a great JC Penny’s $10 off anything coupon) a week ago.  They’re soft and comfortable and make for easy diaper changes.

And speaking of diapers, this is the first time A will go cloth-free since she was four days old . After a ton of research and a good coupon, we ordered a month long, size three bundle from The Honest Company.  We’re hoping to make it to Vermont, poo-splosion free, though we might still choose to cover the Honest Co. diaper with a Thirsties Wrap… just in case.  I’m hoping to do a review of our experience with Honest once she’s worn them for a full ten days.  Though, don’t worry, we’ll be back in cloth as soon as we get home!

For Mama, we’re packing the ever reliable Zipper Bag from 31 that we usually use for daycare (I’ll pack my own handbag for non-baby essentials).  I’m also bringing along the Chewbeads necklaces that Jason got Amelia and I for Valentine’s Day because now that she’s teething (she has FOUR teeth sprouting as we speak), they are a lifesaver for both nursing and entertaining her) and her Ergo pack, so we can get her in and out of her car seat easily.  Finally, we’re packing one of her favorite snacks – Plum’s Organic Puffs which are awesome when Mama and Daddy are eating in a restaurant and A needs a bit more than what we can feed her off our plates.  Puffs aren’t an everyday food, but they’re a great treat for highchair time.  Note: We don’t feed her anything in her car seat.  I realize it’s a personal choice, but we don’t want to risk choking!

This kiddo is ready for her first vacation!

What are your tiny travel essentials?

Easter Ideas

Easter Ideas by gardeninggrl on Polyvore

Amazon.com: Bumkins 3 Pack Waterproof SuperBib: Baby / Circo Infant Toddler Girls’ 1-Piece Striped Swimsuit / Circo Infant Toddler Girls’ Bucket Hat / Holiday Inspirations Lined Easter Basket with Purple Ribbon Small / Skip Hop Ducky Bath Spout Cover

I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking about A’s first Easter, and how we can create family traditions, while also not going too overboard since the holiday should be a mix of honoring the holiday, welcoming the spring season (if the snow ever melts), and delight in the magic of a tradition my husband and I loved as children.

Above is a small sampling of things we’ve thought about putting in A’s basket (including the sweet little basket we ordered at half price from JoAnn Fabric when they had their $1 shipping sale on St. Patrick’s Day.  We’re hoping to strike a balance between useful (bibs, bath spout cover, and bathing suit) and whimsical (both stuffed animals are from JellyCat – a brand that I can’t recommend highly enough).  And the stuffed animals go along with a book my mom sent A from her own childhood: The Golden Egg Book by the same author who wrote Goodnight, Moon.  In the story, a lonely bunny finds and egg that hatches into a friendly little duckling.  I love the idea of having these to friends to help A understand the themes and ideas as we read it together for years to come.

I’m hoping to have a post up about planting soon, but with more than 36” of snow still on the ground, we’ve put off planting until this coming weekend.

What ideas do you have for your little one’s Easter basket, and what holiday traditions do you look forward to at this time of year?

A’s 0 – 4 Month Favorites

Over the past few months, I’ve loved watching other moms post baby favorites because they’ve provided me an invaluable way to sift through the (literal) TONS of baby products out there.  I don’t anticipate this being a monthly post, but at least quarterly, I’ll try to check in with A’s favorites. 

A’s 0 – 4 Month Favorites by gardeninggrl on Polyvore

Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Ocean Adventure Play Gym

A’s Baby Gym was a Christmas gift from my mother and step-father.  While I don’t think it’s necessarily worth $70 (they got it on sale at half price), A love, love, loves mauling the toys, namely the octopus and the Lamaze Moose we regularly attach to it (we removed most of the toys, including the battery operated lights/music machine that was just too much for all of us).

Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Bouncer Fisher-Price

The bouncer was my mother’s idea as well, and probably the best gift we received for A from 0 – 2 months.  It was a convenient spot to set her down and she really slept well in it as a newborn during the day.  It also got us through her first cold at six weeks.  Since it doesn’t have a five point harness, it’s not super safe to leave her in now, so it’s primarily just a spot to set her down quickly while I’m supervising her.

HALO SleepSack Swaddle – Micro-fleece Target Exclusive

The HALO SleepSack was a great registry item that has been worth its weight in gold.  As a swaddle-hater, A was really hard to get down to sleep at night because her legs would twitch and she’d wake herself up.  We’ve only open arm swaddled her with it, but it keeps her cozy and warm and, best of all, asleep!

Bright Starts Lots of Links- Solid Colors

These links were a gift from a former student, and they were one of the first toys A showed any interest in.  We keep them linked above her crib, so she can look up at them while I’m picking up her room or choosing a new outfit.  If she’s sleeping in her crib, however, they are easily unlinked for safety reasons.  They’re also a great way to keep track of small toys in her diaper bag, like the…

Comotomo Baby Silicone Teether Blue One Size 

A has been drooling and chewing on everything (but namely her own hands) for the last two or three weeks.  I picked this up about a week ago, and its the perfect size for holding in her hand and sticking in her mouth.  It is also so easily sterilized, which has made for  a very happy Mama.

Jellycat ‘Cordy Roy Cat’ Stuffed Animal Pink One Size 

My mom sent this for A for Valentine’s Day, and she latched on and only let go long enough for the dog to eat it (and me to order a quick replacement from Amazon).  He’s made of soft corduroy and his tail and ears are perfect for chewing and sucking.  We’re eagerly awaiting replacement kitty’s arrival.  Note: A has the 9” small kitty – it’s the perfect size!

Amazon.com: Carters Easy Fit Velour Crib Fitted Sheet, Blue: Baby

A was born in October, and for the first two weeks refused to sleep anywhere but on me.  I quickly figured out that her cotton sheets were too cold.  As soon as we replaced them with these (we also bought a set for the pack n’ play, she was willing to sleep on her own (right next to our bed).

Jellycat Puppy Tails Book 8″

Of all A’s toys this one has been the longest lived and most used.  She loves the crinkly pages that she can now turn with her own hands.  The tails are great for sucking and the colors are vibrant.  She also has Jellycat’s Kitten Tails (pictured).  We give this toy two paws up!

Parent’s Choice Bottles

We purchased several very expensive “breast simulating” bottles for A, but the only one she’s taken is this Walmart cheapie.  At 97 cents a pop, they fit right onto my pump, so I can’t really complain, and they clean super easily.  They may not be the Cadillac of bottles, but the relief I had when she took it for the first time on her second day of daycare more than makes up for what I spent in bottles that are currently collecting dust in my basement.

Lamaze’s Muffin the Moose

This little fella was a gift from a great high school friend.  He first attracted A with his jingling toes, but later drew her in with his long, puppet-like legs and crinkly feet (girl loves the paper at the doctor’s office!).  He is most often found hanging out in her gym, and now that she has better hand-eye coordination, she loves to suck on his toes almost as much as she wants to suck on her own.

Graco Pack N’Play

We’ve used this as a bassinet since week one (technically, week three after the sheets), and it has been great.  I was able to move it into the living room when I was staying at home with A, and I anticipate a ton of use this summer in shady spots with a good layer of mosquito netting.

For those of you with older babies, what came next?  What products does your little one love?