Tips For Traveling With Littles From A Pro

This weeks Link Up just might be the only one i feel like i am an expert on. Traveling with toddlers? Heck I have been traveling with my babies since they were born. Having kids was not about to slow me down. Granted traveling with babies may be easier than a toddler, they can't run away and they don't scream crazy things like your hurting me when you are holding them on a plane, but you can totally kick butt at it, i promise!

Make sure your trip is littles approved-

Basically we have yet to take a trip we couldn't include our babes on but we did plan things to do with them. When we go to vegas we aren't out walking the strip at midnight or staying at hotels with party pools. On our cruise we didn't go to any of the late night shows but that was fine with us. Where ever we go we try to find things to do outside or that are new experiences for the girls. One of our favorites is finding beautiful parks or places to explore. We almost always visit a park at least once to give Leighton time to play.

Be organized and know what you are packing for-

No matter where we go I plan out outfits, how many days will be gone? I double the outfits. A set for the first of the day, half a set in case of accidents and half a set in case of crazy weather. Then I plan wether or not i need to take the essentials with me. (diapers, food, etc.) When we went on a cruise i took jar food, pouches, diapers, snacks everything. When we go to cities, Seattle, San Diego, and Nashville I pack the bare minimum. Only enough diapers to last getting there and the first night, same goes for food. A great trick i learned to get me organized for our first few trips, put each day into its own ziploc baggy, outfit with backup and accessories. 

Carrier, stroller, car seat or all of the above-

I do not travel with out both my wrap and the stroller. So far we haven't had to fly with our double stroller but i wouldn't hesitate to take it at all. We have always dragged along the car seat as well. Luckily we don't rent cars very often but we need it in case we take a taxi (only use carrier styled seat) or borrow a car from a friend. Airlines will allow you to check both a car seat and a stroller for free when a baby (under 2) is flying with you. I check the car seat with my bags and the stroller at the gate. This is the tricky part and where my wrap comes in handy. I wrap baby/ toddler on, throw on a backpack. (I always use a back pack as my carry on/ diaper bag when traveling.) Push the stroller down to the plane and that way i have 2 hands to fold it up and your babe isn't running away from you. Ta Da genius right? 

Dont fret schedules and bring entertainment-

So this one time Leighton watched Pocohantas about a billion times in one week. I am not proud of it, but i was opening the Nashville store and I did not have time to worry about forcing her to sleep. Kids do not sleep well outside of their environment, its just how it is. They will survive a week with an upset schedule. I promise. When we go to Disneyland the girls nap if they fall asleep in the stroller. No way are we going to skip out on hours at the happiest place on earth so they can get a nap in. Same goes with all of our vacation they do get their sleep, believe me when they are tired enough it will happen. Just be sure to keep other forms of entertainment on hand. Movies via phone or iPad, books, coloring, small toys, snacks,whatever will keep them happy. This way you can plan your vacation activities and not be stressing what times to do what because you need to take a 2 hour break in between or be back to the room by 7 for bed time. 

Hope these tips were helpful! Traveling with our girls is one of our favorite things, really. We have trips planned for years to come. Getting out of your normal surroundings and experiencing new things is one of the best ways your children can learn. There is so much culture and life out there to explore and there is no reason to not include your littles while you do. 

Read other bloggers advice on traveling with littles here.

P.S. Go enter my summer go t's giveaway in yesterdays post.

Kicking Off Summer With A Giveaway

Since it is the first week of June i feel like Summer is really here. I don't know why but Summer is my favorite season, especially here in Cedar City. The weather is beautiful, the sun shines every day, there is always something to do and everything just feels happy. I have had my mind set on a huge summer vacation for awhile now, but instead we have decided to spend the summer close to home and you know what i am totally okay with that. So here is our list of things to do this summer and I can't wait to start checking it off! Do you have any fun plans for summer?

Summer Time List

play at the park// go on picnics in the mountains// take weekend trips to the cabin// hike all of the Utah national parks// teach Leighton how to swim// plant a vegetable garden// pick raspberries// run in the sprinklers// play in canyon creek// go to the beach// get a tan// go to disneyland// take our first trip to the zoo// host game and grill nights// run with the sunsets// enjoy the sunrise// go to all the town festivals// run in several races// watch fireworks// eat at the tiki shack// go camping// 

and most importantly... spend lots of time as a family!

Giveaway

Now for what you have all been waiting for! Lets kick summer off with a giveaway! 

Entering is easy, you can enter here on the blog or on Instagram, or both. The more ways you enter the better your chances of winning will be. 

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Favorites

Summer is in full swing around here. FINALLY!

I feel like i have been waiting on these beautiful sunshiny days for far too long. 

Each week i will be posting our favorite summer "go to's" along with a few fun giveaways.
(check back tomorrow for the details on our first giveaway ever)

Enjoy!

All of the above items are found at GAP

P.S. They are having an awesome sale right now! Up to 50% off women and men's favorites as well as 40% off kids faves. Oh and there is an additional 30% off with code SUNFUN.

I am dying over the canvas totes, I feel like they are perfect for days we head to the park or pool and want to throw a bunch of randomness into one big bag. I also prefer wearing my shorts a little longer and it is so hard to find a stylish pair, well hello boyfriend color block shorts, and lets not forget these two adorable dresses. My two year old is in the dress her self stage and guess what she wants to wear everyday? Dresses!

Motivate Me Monday- Dream Weekend

Did anyone else have a dream weekend? We sure did. I honestly am pretty sad that it is over. Saturday started off with a super awesome Piyo class that kicked my butt and let the babes play at the gym day care. For some reason Leighton loves the place. Then we went on a breakfast and swim date with friends. Coconut, chocolate chip, ricotta pancakes are always a good idea! 

My little girls are quite the pair of fish. Leighton is way too brave in the water and i need to get her into lessons asap! Every time she thought i wasn't watching her she would run straight to the deep end and try to jump in. Thank goodness for awesome lifeguards who kept their eyes on her. 

After the pool and nap time i took the girls to the local nursery for "garden days" they were offering free little kid train rides. Leighton was in love. If it wasn't for the wind she would have rode that thing all afternoon. While we were there i had her help me pick out some new things to plant in the yard. What was her favorite plant to carry around? Beats. We planted everything together after church yesterday. It is so nice to be at this point in Leighton's life where she is taking everything in and learning so much. She loves to be a helper and its great because Emersyn loves to watch. 

This week I hope to have more moments like this with my girls. I am going to be posting a list of all the things we want to do this summer. I am so glad it is finally here!

Unwanted Advice

People love to give advice. It's natural. It seems like everyone likes to think that others should do what they are doing, but it's more that people like to feel helpful. If you have had a baby then you know this is true. If you dont believe me post a simple question on Facebook epidural or natural?" Or a statement "I've tried for 3 days to get my baby to sleep and it's not happening" 100+ comments I swear. When you are given advice you weren't asking for how do you deal? I'm not great at this, a lot of the time I laugh about it or I tell people close to me followed by a can you believe that, or it's crazy. Then I usually realize their is some help in the unsolicited advise that was given. When I told a woman from church I was pregnant I got to hear for 2 hours how to properly have a baby at home. With out a midwife. I never intended to have my baby at home and I still don't. The hospital is plenty comfortable for me. But I listened. 

Before Leighton was born I swore on my life the girl would never eat sugar, ever!  I was really good about it until the day she turned 1. Then it was too hard to be a helicopter mom and tell everyone around me not to feed my child and to explain that although fruit snacks seem healthy, they are full of sugar. The advice I was given... Don't be hard on yourself when your kid starts eating sugar. I heard this over and over again and everytime I wanted to freak out. Sometimes I tried to argue but it was always better when I listened. Now Leighton might not be the healthiest toddler on the block. She is dairy free due to allergies and making her sugar free made for an almost impossible diet. She obviously loves sugar just like the next kid. I monitor her intake but I don't feel bad when she eats it. That advise I didn't ask for, well it happens to be useful more often than you'd think. Be a listening person and acknowledge what is being said. You never know if you'll use it or not. Heck maybe I'll have to deliver my next baby at home on the toilet, you never know. By listening you save yourself an argument and fulfil the other persons need to be helpful. 

Check out the other link up posts here.

Timing

If you follow the blog then you know so much change has happened in my life and i have been feeling the load of it lately. I am feeling better, talking about it has been great and feed back has been putting things into perspective. Although my personal trials are small right now i realize, time alone can not heal all things but know that the Lord can. I have learned this lesson so many times and yet it still surprises me over and over again. Kaden and I have witnessed our fare share of trials in our short 5 years together. We have helped others who have gone through truly tragic events and have always thought of our selves as blessed. 

You may already know this, but it has been on my mind a lot lately. Before i became pregnant with Leighton i had a very hard time getting pregnant. I was really young when I went off birth control and assumed if we are meant to have a baby we better not do anything to prevent it. Secretly i wished every month that i was pregnant. I don't even want to know how much money i spent on those dang tests. My 19 year old self could not have ever known the beauty that the Lord had planned for me years down the road. I like to thank a very long time on Clomid and lots of healthy eating and exercise for my fertility finally kicking in but really i know it is much more than that. There was a point that i felt like giving up, after having a miscarriage, i felt like i had lost my chance and that being a mother would come much later on in life, maybe when we could afford more expensive fertility treatments or adoption. 

I felt like that was the hardest thing i had ever gone through, and probably still is. It was such a spiritual awakening to me. I carried a child that wasn't ready to come to earth, or maybe didn't need to. I felt angels surrounding me and The Lord's presence in my life so strongly. If i was supposed to have a baby it would happen on the Lord's time. 

Clearly i have children now. I have two beautiful miracle babies. A few months after my miscarriage I became pregnant with Leighton, I even was in a car accident during that time and was told i had lost her, I didn't. The Lord blessed us with her when she was supposed to come. Her life brought happiness into our lives and into others who needed it. During the time that i was pregnant with her Kaden and I were being prepared to be parents, we grew closer in a way we never could have if our first child was born. I was and still am constantly reminded of the Lord's timing and that everything comes down to following his will. 

Motivate Me Monday- Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!!!

I hope you all enjoyed your three day weekend. But Most importantly I hope that everyone was able to take some time and reflect on those that have gone before them. The reason for this holiday is to honor those that have been lost, especially serving our great nation. What better way to honor those who have died than by living? This week this is what i am reflecting on and aiming towards. Hope you are as well.