Travelling with a toddler and baby: Spring

Well, lets start with the car ride; we have a four hour drive ahead of us with a 3 year old and 7 month old, so preparation is key. For the baby, we will plan to leave during her first nap time which is usually around 9 am. The morning before leaving is eat and then play, play, play and tire these kiddos out. For the toddler, we pack allllll the snacks (that aren't crazy messy). I have packed fruit snacks, cheerios, a variety of granola bars, bananas, mum mum cookies for the babe, strawberries, and bran muffins. We plan to stop after 2 hours (half way) to stretch legs, breast feed the baby and grab lunch. The second half of the trip is usually when the distractions become key.

We download our toddler's favorite shows to her tablet/ipad, but prefer not to give it until the very end of the trip if we have to at all as she did get car sick once. We love the doodle board, and sticker books are fantastic. Aside from those, we bring some toys, and a few of her favorite books that we find occupy her time and get her imagination going- fatbrain toys are amazing! The snack cup is from @lennonandlaine, and is so so amazing for cheerios, or granola bites. We also have some nursery rhymes and her favorite songs downloaded to rock out for a bit, which is always a crowd favorite.

On to the suit case...I manage to pack me, Halle and Lainey's stuff all in one suitcase for a weekend (two night) trip. MAKE A LIST! Always write it down, check it off and then look it over again before you head back home so that you know you didn't forget anything...

Lainey (7month old):

Every item of clothing I pack for her will have extra sets as she is a puker and we can never predict if an outfit will last a whole day!

Baby carrier (we opted to leave the stroller at home as we knew we could manage without it)

Pjs x 2 (Only wears one pair both nights, but pack extra always)

Onesies x 3

Pants x 4

Sweater

Sleep sack x 2

Socks x 3

Spring jacket/pants set

Fleece suit

Toque

Booties

Bibs x 2

Baby monitor

SOUND MACHINE

Diapers (we had my mom buy some there so that we didn't have to pack along a big box)

Wipes

Pack n play

Blanket to use in car seat

Toys- rattles, teething toys

Soothers- at least one back up

Portable highchair

Water bottle

Her bowl that sticks to table (Ez-pz brand)

Halle (3 year old):

Tooth brush/paste

Panties x 4

Pjs x 2

T-shirt x 1

Long sleeve shirts x 2

Sweater x 2

Pants x 3 Rain pants x 1

Socks x 3

Jacket

Toque

Rain boots

Mittens

Hair elastics

Brush (we share one for roadtrips)

Air mattress (we will use my moms)

Blankets

Favorite stuffies (max. 2)

Night light

Favorite books (we always bring 3)

Water bottle

Cup for milk

Mask

Layers, layers, layers and always pack extra! Every time we travel, it's a different story and there is always a little bit of anxiety and stress. I can tell you though that we never regret it, and the memories made are well worth any stress. Come summer, we travel back to our mountain property almost every second weekend, and it gets easier and easier.

All my love,

Jen