Jordan and I have always loved to travel. From the moment we started dating we were on the go with one another all over the country and eventually the world. It is something we are passionate about and enjoy the new experiences and lifelong memories. You can checkout some of our previous trips such as our getaway to Paris, France in the travel section.

That being said, traveling since kids looks A LOT different. It was only six months after having Kennedy that we took our first international trip as a family, and it has continued ever since. Before we had children we shared the sentiment that travel was going to be important for our family unit. We want to expose the girls to people, food, and experiences they don’t get to indulge in at home on a daily basis. 

That being said, we’ve found that after several trips near and far with the kiddos there are definitely methods to keeping everyone (including mommy & daddy) happy! 

1. Kids thrive on routine. Try to maintain your household boundaries as much as possible. We know this isn’t always possible, but trying to stick to your normal routine will create for the best transition from home to vacation, and back again. Making sure everyone is drinking water, sleeping, and keeping fed will avoid any major meltdowns (remember, I speak from experience haha).
2. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare… For the car travel. I fill up two insulated water bottles per child. Two sippy cups of milk (even though Kennedy doesn’t nap in the car anymore, when she gets tired this helps relax her). Lots of snacks! I keep a snack bag close by with healthy, but diverse snacks so I can keep her excited about what’s next to munch on. Carrots, cucumbers, individual hummus, veggie straws, cheese, crackers, and all sorts of cut fresh or dried fruits are a few ideas. If she is a good girl I’m also not scared to give her a cake pop when we stop for our coffee fix at Starbucks!
3. If you typically use a device make sure you have some exciting content downloaded for them to watch so you’re not streaming or using cell service the entire ride. I usually download her favorite 3 movies and maybe a few episodes of a show she is into on Amazon video. That being said, I also bring a stash of exciting car activities. Usually these are new toys she gets to open along the duration of the trip. I will give her one toy every hour or so of the trip. On our last trip we had a portable sound machine for the car ride that I would sit in between the girls in the back seat. This was amazing. It helped create a subtle sound barrier between our toddler and our little one so she was able to nap in peace despite Kennedy’s talking/ movie noise.
4. Throw all expectations out of the window. There is no need to stress about how things will go, nor the things out of your hands. Prepare for those you can anticipate and after that let go and have grace. The more relaxed you stay, the family will reciprocate those vibes (wow, I sound very hipster).
5. Bring what you can from home that help with make a new space feel comfortable. We bring our sound machines, monitors, favorite stuffed animal, blanket, pillow, bottles, even their plate and fork from home (see items below). This helps keep the girls knowing that even though we are in a different environment we are sticking to our same core routine for the most part.
6. Cherish these moments, they will not last forever. Vacations are a time to make memories with the people you love most. Take the photos, play the games, eat all the foods. But also remember to sit back, without a device, and soak in the experience through their little eyes. 

Here are most of the items we swear by with little ones to ease the burden of our travels.

If you have a little one still in a pack and play or crib you should definitely check out SlumberPod. I was gifted one of these, and seriously this product is a game changer for seamless sleeping in any new environment. Use promo code strollinginthesuburbs for $10 off at checkout.