Travel Tips {Travel with a Preschooler}

Our little Peanut is growing up, so I thought I would update my travel tips -- this time with a preschooler (where did the time go?).  I wrote about plane travel with a (pre)toddler here, and our favorite gear here and tips for day trips (by car) here.  And while some of it is the same, some has changed, so I figured I would combine all my tips for traveling with older toddlers/preschoolers here!

Gear -- Stroller + Carrier + Car Seat

No matter where we are going or for how long, our stroller comes with us -- it can hold our bags, our kid will gladly sit in it, she can sleep in it, it holds stuff for the day when we are out exploring, and more.  We pack in some pretty long days when traveling and while our little lady can walk (and loves to), she struggles to keep up and cover all of our ground.  A stroller just makes our lives easier.  I love traveling with a stroller and I love the City Mini in particular.  I have talked about my love of our stroller many many times on the blog (here, here, and here just to name a few).  This bad boy folds up with one hand, is extremely sturdy and has been able to do small towns and big cities and everything in between.

I do bring our toddler Tula to use on travel days -- usually in the airport and getting on and off the plane.  Just keeps us all safe, usually we have to walk onto the tarmac to get to the plane when using budget airlines.  We don't typically use the Tula when we are in cities or day tripping but it is handy to have just in case.

If we are renting a car, we take our new car seat -- we upgraded to the next size as our Peanut was fast out growing our other travel car seat (we loved this one, lasted us two and a half years).  We took our new car seat on our recent trip to Germany and it was amazing!  Extremely lightweight and still fit in our car seat bag (which I highly recommend).  The massive benefit of bringing our own car seat is that it is checked for free -- we've never had any issues with the multiple budget airlines we've flown.  We load up the car seat bag with lightweight stuff (I make sure the bag weighs no more than 10kg) and no one has questioned us so far (fingers crossed).  And when we usually have to pay a hefty fee for a checked bag, this is a huge win!

Entertainment
I'll start right off with the big guns -- our tablet. We have a lower end older Samsung tablet (can't even find it on Amazon) that we are currently using strictly for travel.  We have pretty much used up all the storage on ours, so if anyone has any recommendations for a new one, let me know!  We also bring our kid headphones for Serafina to use.  And we load our tablet up with:

Apps: We use a combination of educational apps and just plain entertaining apps.  Honestly, there are times for both and Serafina will gladly play both.  Really our only requirement is that the app works without wifi as it often isn't available.  Our current favorite apps are: Daniel Tiger (PBS Kids doesn't work in Spain so we have to download all PBS apps separately), Endless 123, Endless ABC (for both Endless apps we have paid for the full app), Busy Shapes and Khan Academy Kids (this one does require wifi so we typically only use it when we are in the hotel/apartment for the evening).  We are always looking for new apps to change it up, so please let me know your favorites!

TV Shows/Movies: Again we typically go for high interest shows, but our kid actually likes the educational ones so it works!  And we have had to get creative with our downloads as we can't purchase/download some things because we live in Spain.  But our current favorite shows and movies are: Daniel Tiger, Little Einsteins, Paw Patrol, Blues Clues, Trolls, Frozen, Cinderella, Snow White... 

Other Entertainment: We almost always bring a super cheap coloring book and crayons/colored pencils (picked up from Spain's version of the dollar store); I can usually find cheap sticker books too and bring those.  We also travel with a few Melissa and Doug On The Go products -- our favorites are the Water Wow, the Magic Color and the Color-N-Carry (I usually stock up on a few at a time during sales).  We also really like the Crayola Color Wonder as then we don't have to worry about things getting colored that shouldn't be colored!  And finally, I cannot take credit for this but I tell everyone about this trick :)  Save all those stupid Happy Meal toys, birthday party trinkets... all the little toys that cost you next to nothing.  And throw them into a bag -- I personally use one of my Ipsy bags -- and call it good.  If you lose one of those toys, who cares but they will entertain your child for hours!  This bag of toys comes everywhere with us, not just traveling and I change out the toys frequently.  And finally, we usually travel with one new book that we pull out right when we get on the airplane. 

Snacks/Food:
Because I have food allergies we always bring a few granola bars with us (and also helps that Serafina will eat the granola bars too if needed).  We prefer to stay in apartments if we have more than one night in a city, so we also pack one or two of these nasty rice packets (no judging, I know they are gross and unhealthy) to use if needed.  Serafina eats them, they are super easy to make, cost next to nothing and take up no room in the suitcase.  Our sweet girl is not a huge fan of eating while traveling (too much to see and do) so we resort to anything and everything to get her to eat -- the rice packets, lots of french fries, croissants, bread, platefuls of cucumbers.  I would not consider our kid a picky eater, until we travel (ugh)!  We also pack some snacks for the airplane -- sunbutter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, goldfish crackers, and a treat.  Serafina loves M&Ms and Smarties so we bring a package and slowly dole them out on the plane (ask for an extra cup from the flight attendants to use to hold the candies -- works great).

Other Tips:
European airports are often extremely kid friendly and most have a play area for kids centrally located (even the super small airports) which is where we will typically hang out before going to our gate -- we are usually one of last ones to board.*  But if your airport doesn't have a play area, just let kids run up and down the airport!  Our kid really likes airplanes and airports, so for the most part she is well behaved which makes travel days just slightly easier.  

Our kid also likes museums, not as much as she used to so now we make games out of going to museums -- scavenger hunts for animals in pictures/sculptures, different colors, etc.  We point out our favorite paintings/sculptures and ask her for her favorites.  We also let her take pictures of what she likes which really helps -- and she comes up with some amazing pictures!  We do have this camera that she uses at home and we will for sure be taking it on our next trip.

So we do a healthy mix of museums/adult activities, usually in the morning when she is less tired and in a better mood and then add in fun/kid activities as well, such as interactive museums (natural history museums), parks, zoos, etc -- and bribe her with ice cream when all else fails :)  When planning our trips, Trevor and I discuss the places/museums/etc we most definitely want to see and we make those a priority, then add in other activities for all of us to enjoy too.

And just like when she was little, we always travel with a backpack full of the usual necessities: wipes, change of clothes, a few snacks, and the entertainment things we will need for the day/airplane trip (we always bring the tablet and kid headphones, the bag of toys and at least one or two art activities -- whatever else we have brought with us stays in the hotel room and we rotate the art activities/books, etc. if needed).  

While traveling with kids (at any age really) can be difficult, it is also so rewarding.  We see and experience things we never would have if it weren't for Serafina which makes our travels that much more fun -- the key is to laugh a lot and be flexible.  Hope you all enjoy your travels and leave any other tips and tricks in the comments!


*I know there is much debate on first or last to board with kids and we have done both.  With budget airlines, unless you have paid for a priority ticket (which we never do), you are forced to wait in a LONG line so.... we let our kid play until the line dies down and then we board.  Flying budget airlines is an adventure in itself and probably does deserve its own post one day!

Travel Tips {Traveling with Food Allergies}

Most of my friends and family know that I have some food allergies which can make traveling a little challenging at times, especially when I don't know the language.  But I don't let it stop me from traveling and enjoying the amazing places this world has to offer -- and allergies shouldn't stop anyone!

So first -- I am mainly allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, garbanzo beans (chick peas) and soy.  In case you didn't know, tree nuts are all nuts (but not peanuts) -- so almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.  Peanuts are a legume (so in the bean family) which is how and why I am also allergic to garbanzo beans and soy.  I found out I was allergic to all of this later in life, in college.  It made for quite the life change, but its been a good chunk of time now so I am used to it...

I am also lucky in the sense that while I do need to carry an Epi-Pen and Benadryl with me at all times, I am still able to handle trace amounts.  So I can eat items that may contain allergens or things that are cross contaminated.  This allows me to still order most things and just stay away from obvious foods that have nuts/soy in them.  I can eat at bakeries where products have been made with nuts -- I just won't order something that has been sitting next to/touching a product with nuts or that obviously has nuts in it.  Hope that all makes sense.

Over the years of traveling and dealing with my allergies, I have come to learn which foods are safe and which are not -- and which foods can contain hidden allergens.  This is a great website for more information on allergies, especially if you are new to living with allergies.  But here are my tips for traveling with food allergies:

Know Which Foods You Can and Cannot Eat: I always stay away from marzipan and macarons (the French ones) because they are always made with almonds.  I also avoid Asian food, including Thai food because it always has soy.  But I know that yogurt, meats and cheeses are typically safe for me.  This is always an easy (and cheap) grocery store/picnic option when you are traveling.  Pick up some bread or crackers to go with your meat and cheese and of course wine and you have a complete meal!

Read the Labels: Europe is wonderful at labeling all of their products (in grocery stores), putting allergens in bold.  Europe did this long before the United States caught on so grocery shopping is fairly easily in Europe (just know the words to look for when reading labels in another language).  Many restaurants offer menus with labels including the top allergens as well (especially in tourist areas).  We were in Sweden recently and every single restaurant had an allergy policy on their menus -- it was wonderful.

Do Your Research: know about the foods in the countries you are visiting -- for example, France is famous for their macarons but they are not nut-free.  Morocco likes to put nuts in a lot of their foods, even savory ones so you have to be careful....  Whereas English pub food is usually safe, same with typical German foods.  Know a few foods you can for sure eat in each country and you'll be a lot happier.

Be Prepared: the language barrier can be challenging, especially when trying to communicate you have allergies -- so learn the words in the language of the country you are visiting.  Some of the first words I learned when we moved to Spain was how to say "I am allergic to nuts."  But with the amazing internet, you can easily find travel allergy cards in various languages or use Google Translate to learn how to say what you are allergic to, keeping yourself safe.  I use the Google Translate app to figure out how to say what I am allergic to in the needed language and then take screen shots of the translations to use.  Just be warned that Google Translate is not perfect by any means.  For example, in Southern Spain, they use frutos secos for tree nuts (which literally translates to dried fruit), if you use the Google Translate translate word for nuts (nueces) most people won't know what you are saying!  So I often I will translate "I am allergic to nuts" and also include the words of various nuts, including peanuts so my message is more clear.  I also include things I can eat.  Many people assume I can't eat seeds because I am allergic to nuts, which isn't the case at all.  So just cover all your bases.  And if you know someone who speaks the language, get them to write down something for you!

Extras: while the United States uses vegetable oil for literally everything, which is straight soybean oil -- that doesn't really exist in Europe.  They use olive oil, sunflower oil or rapeseed oil much more commonly.  Soy is not used as an additive nearly as often in Europe as it is in the states.  I hardly ever have to tell people I am allergic to soy while traveling as it is typically only used in very obvious dishes -- like vegetarian food with tofu.  Europe has much stricter food laws and many countries are well ahead of the states when it comes to allergies -- making it easier (in my opinion) to travel even with allergies.  For example, Italy is one of the best and easiest places to travel if you have a gluten intolerance/allergy or even celiacs disease. 

And finally, don't feel left out or sad or frustrated for missing out on various things.  Yes, it is frustrating I have never had a macaron or never had the chance to eat some amazing Danish treats because of my allergies... I am still out traveling and experiencing the world, even if I can't eat my way through it!  Don't let allergies stop you from traveling and seeing the world.

enjoying amazing Danish food that I can eat!

Travel Tips {Potty Training}

So this is not a how to potty train post, because well... things work different for every single kid and there are plenty of books you can read (I preferred this one -- it was funny to read and has come highly recommended by many many people).

But, our potty training story -- Serafina's school did all the work.  They prepped her by talking about it in class, they prepped us by talking with us and giving us advice, tips, etc.  We were to take all diapers away (except sleep) on a Friday and work with our Peanut over the weekend, then come Monday, school would continue....  Each week a new kiddo gets a turn to be potty trained, they take the kid to the bathroom frequently and have big celebrations when kiddos succeed!  Serafina saw others potty train, got massive praise and it caught on super fast -- and I wouldn't know how to potty train a kid any other way (ha)!  

And now that our sweet girl is potty trained, we have the added challenge of traveling in Europe -- where public bathrooms are few and far between and often not the most toddler friendly places (no toilet seats, no toilet paper, usually very dirty... the list goes on).  And don't get me started about airplane bathrooms!

So -- when we spent close to ten full days in France in summer, we learned a few tips and tricks (and found a few great products) to help traveling with a potty trained toddler just a little easier.

Training Pants/Pull Ups -- we called them her "special underwear" and used them almost daily when we were traveling.  She still let us know when she had to go to the bathroom, but if she fell asleep in her stroller or car seat, we were safe from accidents.  Because we didn't call them diapers, it really seemed to help with her telling us when she had to go. 

Travel Potty -- we use this one and I cannot say enough good things about it!  It worked great in the hotel or at public restrooms as a toilet seat and even better as a standalone potty whenever and wherever we needed it!  It fit perfectly in a larger backpack or the bottom of our stroller.  We usually had it ready to go with a bag so it was easy to grab and get ready the minute our Peanut said she had to go potty.

Travel Potty #2 -- we have friends who whose this travel potty for boys and they love it.  They have a girl version too, but we could never get it to work for Serafina (although she does think it is a really fun toy!)

Training Pants Underwear -- we don't have these but I have heard wonderful things about them and have heard they can hold most accidents without even having to change pants!  So if you want to avoid the pull up route but still need something to contain accidents, these are perfect for you.

Baby Wipes -- these are my favorite wipes and perfect for travel because they have a great flip lid so the wipes stay wet.  We are lucky enough to live sort of close (an hour and a half away) to a Costco, so I stock up every few months.  Wipes come in handy for everything -- wiping hands after your toddler touches every single surface in the gross public restroom, toilet paper, etc. -- I will probably always travel with wipes now!

Hand Sanitizer -- also comes in handy as most public restrooms (and even many at tourist places) don't have soap.  Usually Trevor and I would use this and we would use wipes for the Peanut, but she started using the spray after she saw use it and it was easy for her to use and we knew she was at least sort of washing her hands

Other tips: attempt to get your toddler to go potty whenever you see a restroom available -- tourist sights, museums, etc, since they are often free and fairly clean (everyone should try and take advantage of these toilets!).  We did a pull up for the airplane and I am really happy we did.  Our sweet girl told us she had to go potty, but then she flushed the toilet before I even got a chance to lock the door and it scared her so so bad -- "no pee pee potty, NO pee pee potty," so I was happy we had a back up plan for the airplane!  And of course carry extra clothes (we usually had two outfits with us at all times).

And just be flexible -- we had a wonderful time traveling and our potty trained toddler did great using the potty wherever and whenever!

Travel Tips {Favorite Travel Gear}

Just a quick note -- I would say these products are best for kids aged about six months to two and a half or so.  The pack n play does have a bassinet so you could easily use it from day one.  The stroller has the ability to use a car seat adapter if needed and Tula makes carriers you can use from newborn to toddler!

Pack N Play -- we had a great pack n play that we used when the Peanut was a newborn and again when we moved here (for 8 weeks our sweet gal slept in it) -- that bad boy got a lot of use!  However, it is pretty big and bulky and we wanted a better one to travel with (that also didn't break the bank -- we were looking for under $100).  We found this amazing one that has now been all over with us!  And sadly, on our way back from Ireland, somehow the zipper was broken on the backpack/case so I emailed Graco and they sent two new cases for free!  Plus most airlines let you check baby gear for free, so we stuff our pack n play full to free up room in our other luggage!

Stroller -- pretty sure you all know about my love for our city mini stroller (definitely not paid to say that) but it has been so great to have a stroller that folds up really easily (and fairly small), is light, yet also has amazing wheels to get us all over the cobble stones and old European streets.  And coming back from Ireland, the clips were broken making the stroller unsafe so I emailed BabyJogger and we have since received not one, not two but FOUR extra buckle pieces for free (and I should mention that we have an old old version and they still sent us the buckles).  And an added bonus, it has fit through most airport security x-ray machines (which yes, you have to do in Europe).

Soft Structured Carrier -- I borrowed our friends toddler Tula for Paris and I am obsessed.  Seriously the best carrier ever invented.  It was soft, comfortable and most important for traveling -- it can fold up fairly small (compared to our Ergo 360).  We primarily use the carrier for airports and train travel (getting on and off the trains/airplanes).  So far in Europe, we have had to take Serafina out of the carrier more often than not going through security -- I think the only place we didn't have to take her out was Ireland -- but it has been a big help for the long walks to the airplanes and each of us having two hands to carry bags and whatnot.

Hiking Carrier -- we bought a used hiking carrier when we first got here so that we didn't have to use a stroller in some places.  We got this one and really like it -- however, Serafina isn't the biggest fan.  We used it in Portugal when she was younger and she did much better.  She hated it in Germany, but I think that was more the cold rather than anything.  While we haven't used it much, I still highly recommend one -- it can be a lot easier in crowded places and bigger cities (but be warned -- it can be bulky and difficult to travel with).

Lightweight Car Seat -- we ended up with a slight car seat dilemma when we were set to move here: Serafina still fit in her infant seat but we knew traveling with the car seat and base Seattle to Spain would be a pain.  We didn't want to lug our huge (nice, new, expensive) convertible car seat across the world either.... so we ended up getting a very inexpensive car seat -- we went with this one.  It does not have all the bells and whistles, however, it meets all the safety requirements and is insanely lightweight (about 9 pounds) making it very easy to carry through an airport.  Now, I would not use this as my everyday car seat, but for travel it works great -- it doesn't work as well as a rear-facing car seat since it sits a little too upright for it to be comfortable, but works great as a forward-facing travel car seat!
*I should note that all the airlines we have flown (and our friends have flown) check a car seat for free.  We use a specific car seat bag (so we can shove some other things in there) -- but many airlines just put the car seat in a plastic bag and that works great too.  We've used this bag in the past but it is a little difficult to carry and I worry about it staying shut, so we recently got this bag and will be trying it out on our next trip -- and I will be loading it up with diapers and such so it doesn't take up space in our luggage)!

UPDATE on the bag (July 2018) 00 we have carted this bag all over Europe (only when we will be renting a car as our Peanut doesn't use a car seat on the airplane) and we love it!  It keeps our car seat safe and we can load it up with lighter weight items (clothes, diapers, etc.) and check it for free and no one has said anything!  I usually keep the whole bag under 15kg -- but so far so good with our luck of checking it for free!

We are still on the hunt for the best day pack.  We have found that we really don't need too much stuff with us each day, but a backpack works best and keeps our stuff in one place.  So if anyone has a great day pack that they love let me know!

Let me know if you have any good travel gear -- we are always adding to our collection!

Travel Tips {How to Plan a Trip}

We have taken numerous day trips, a few weekend adventures and are adding some longer adventures to our travel list.  But no matter what, we always do some sort of planning prior to taking off.  I've gotten a few questions from friends about how we go about planning our trips so I figured I'd throw a post together.  So here is your (disjointed) guide in planning a trip with a toddler!

1) Pick Your Destination
When we first got to Spain, we wrote down our top five travel destinations within Europe -- where we for sure want to go before we leave Europe.  Trevor and I actually did this separately but surprisingly most were the same!  We also wrote down a top five list for Spain as well given that these destinations were slightly easier to get to for us and we want to explore this gorgeous new country of ours.  So, with these places in mind, we get to our planning.

Day Trips -- we usually pick towns 1-2 hours a away and go from there, a lot of word of mouth from friends who have taken day trips, use a few Facebook groups, and we use this book that has great day trips from our town (I have heard good things about this book too) -- both are older so keep that in mind.  Our day trips are pretty relaxed, but we do at least read up on where we are going and where to park!

Longer Trips -- for places we fly to, we often use Skyscanner to look for flights.  It's a great website to look at the airport you want to fly out of and then find cheap places to fly to by using the "everywhere" function -- and you can look at flexible dates too which allows us to travel fairly inexpensively.  While we use Skyscanner to search flights, we always book directly through the airlines since they often have less restrictions than using secondary sights.

In terms of actually picking a place to go, we attempt to cross places off of our list, but also look at the time of year and what is happening -- we purposely chose to go to Germany in December to see the Christmas markets, but our dates were flexible so we looked for cheaper dates to fly.  And we try to do more of our traveling in the spring/fall because its often cheaper.  Of course we have tried to do more traveling before Serafina turns two and we have to pay full fare for her (budget airlines charge a flat fee of $20-40 per flight for a lap infant).

And finally look at the fees associated with your tickets.  There are tons of budget airlines in Europe and all have varying rules for their extra stuff.  A €20 ticket sounds amazing, but look at the fine print.  Some airlines allow for free child gear and some don't.  All of them charge for bags, seats and priority boarding -- with a toddler I definitely recommend getting seats and priority boarding, it just helps with the craziness of flying.  But also look at the non-budget airlines.  When we flew to Germany, it ended up being cheaper to fly with Luftansa (bags, seats were included) rather than flying a budget airline.  

2) Places to Stay
We actually often book our accommodations last after figuring out the town/city's layout, transportation and the various activities we want to do.  But when looking for accommodations, we tend to have an idea of how much we want to pay and then go from there.  Obviously some cities are going to be more expensive than others so we usually do a quick search to figure out the average price.  We use a combination of hotels.com (nice because you can get one night free after collecting ten nights within a year) and also Air BnB.  Both have their pros and cons -- we tend to like apartment-hotels the best because you get the convenience of a hotel but also have a kitchette which allows us to cook a simple dinner or keep food easily (plus it means we go to the local grocery store which I absolutely love doing in a foreign city).

Some things we always look for when booking places to stay: free wifi, close to the sights we want to see, ease of getting to and from with the public transportation, the neighborhood, free breakfast (if we aren't staying at an apartment), family friendly and then we also read reviews and the fine print.

3) Mode of Transportation
This one gets a little tricky because there are a lot of factors involved (and really only applies to the longer trips).  We've taken a variety of transportation to get various cities and once in our destination, we've also used a variety of transportation.  In Ireland we rented a car but also made sure to stay close to a train that could take us into Dublin one day.  In Madrid, we used the train to get there and then only used the subway once, the rest of the time we walked.  Germany was a bit of a disaster, but we took trains, subway and trams -- and we learned a valuable lesson: trains and toddlers actually don't work out so well.  Without any luggage, trains and toddlers work great, but when you are carrying luggage and dealing with a toddler, not so fun.  So, after Germany we decided that our next multi-city trip, it would be best to rent a car -- and actually probably more cost effective.  Renting a car in Europe can be done fairly inexpensively, especially if you go with a European company and go in the off season.  While train travel can be amazing, it can also be expensive, especially in countries where trains are a very efficient way to travel.  If you're driving, make sure you find a place to stay that has parking available (preferably free parking) and look into bringing your car seat (or renting one).

4) Activities
Then the fun part -- figuring out what you want to do in the cool new countries and cities you are visiting!  With a toddler, it helps to plan and know what you want to do, but not over plan because, well, you have a toddler!

We use a combination of Rick Steves and Lonely Planet for travel guides.  Rick is great for in-depth guides to popular cities -- we often read his museum guides or city walks the night before so we have an idea of what we are seeing (since reading a guide book with a toddler running around don't always go hand in hand).  The downside to Rick is that he really only shares places and cities that he likes and they tend to be more popular.  And this is where Lonely Planet comes in!  Their books are huge and don't always go in-depth, but they do cover more cities which has been pretty helpful for us in Spain as we tend to go to the more obscure, tiny towns on our road trips.

We have learned (the hard way) that it is best to have an idea of what you want to do/see each day.  This includes: where places are located (and how to get there), hours (and the best time to go) and if you can figure out how toddler friendly the place is (can you take a stroller or is a carrier needed) and also some simple places to eat.  For us this means we usually have a spreadsheet or simple written down information so that when the toddler is crazy, hungry and tantruming -- we don't lose our cool too :)  Nothing is worse than being in a foreign country totally clueless with a not so happy toddler.  If we already have an idea of what and where we want/need to go it makes things a little easier.

We always plan our must-do activities in the morning while attempting to leave the afternoon free.  With a toddler, we are always up in the morning so we can typically make it to museums and other places at opening time.  And our mornings are typically better before full-on toddler melt downs occur once our Peanut is so O.V.E.R being carted around to various places.  We do our best to do activities in the morning that Trevor and I want to do, head back to where we are staying for a nap or a break and then attempt an activity for the afternoon that is more child friendly -- parks, kids museum, walking around, etc.

And that's it!  It sounds like a lot of work, and it is -- but for me, it is also a lot of fun -- I love learning about the places we plan to visit and the things we will get to see and planning out our days.  And when you've done all this planning -- BE FLEXIBLE!  Things never go according to plan, even if you don't have a toddler in tow, so be flexible and you'll have a blast!

our Peanut patiently waiting for the Metro
(best toddler activity ever, just riding the trains)

Travel Tips {Day Trips}

We have done our fair share of day trips (by car) to various towns within Andalucia. anywhere from thirty minutes to four hours away.  I highly recommend day trips when traveling -- have a home base (whether your house, a hotel.... anything) and then explore places around your home base.  It allows you to stick to a fairly similar routine for your toddler but still see some pretty cool places.  We typically do our day trips on Saturdays -- mostly because everything in Spain is closed on Sundays*, but also because it allows us a day to recover before the work week, if needed.

We've gotten our routine down pretty well for packing the car and heading out on a day adventure -- so here are our tips and tricks for taking a day trip by car!

Gear -- Stroller + Carrier
Because we have our car, we aren't really hurting for space -- therefore, we bring both our travel stroller and ergo 360.  We often leave one or the other in the car, but it is nice to have both available because we never know what the city will be like!  So often as we drive through the city looking for parking, we are also figuring out if we need our stroller, carrier or both.

Entertainment
Books: We again go with books (can you tell Serafina LOVES books?) as our main source of entertainment.  She very much likes to look at this book and this book while we are driving -- both are super colorful and easy for her to turn the pages.  We often hear her "reading" to herself while we are driving!  Books are also easy to throw in the stroller if needed.  We also have a set of these books which are just amazing.  They are super small, but colorful board books that are often found in my purse, the car, the diaper bag -- you name it!  I bring one or two of these books with us almost anywhere because I then always have something to entertain Serafina if needed.

Toys: We also packed a few toys that are high interest toys -- we start out with books and move up to toys as needed while driving or if Serafina is in the stroller while we are exploring a town.  Because I don't need to worry as much about annoying other people while driving (or in a louder outdoor, city setting) -- we tend to go for the noise making toys on our day trips. This musical toy is great -- so is this one.  But when we really need something that can distract Serafina -- we use this toy phone.  It is amazing!  It talks, you can record your voice, it lights up; Serafina LOVES it (seriously a huge thank you to our good friends for giving us this toy!).

TV Shows: if all else fails -- we result to download episode of Daniel Tiger.  We use the Google Play app that allows you to download shows and watch them offline (a huge win so we don't use all of our data on Daniel Tiger).  I also just learned about Guided Access (Google it to find directions) which allows me to limit what Serafina can do/see while on my phone watching a show -- it's been awesome when we've needed to distract Serafina with Daniel Tiger.

Snacks
Again, we pack A LOT of snacks.  Actually, we typically pack a picnic lunch because well, Spanish hours and all.  When Serafina (and let's be honest, us too) are hungry for lunch, most places aren't serving food.  And our active toddler would never sit for a 2-3 hour meal....  So we pack her lunchbox with snacks for her (usually cheese, a banana, some pouches, ham or other meat/protein, sippy cup) and then also bring a small cooler with food for us -- typically the total European picnic lunch: meat, cheese, bread and chocolate!  We will throw in some goldfish/cheerios to use in the snack catcher which works great in the car or stroller (and keep extra goldfish/cheerios in these -- I like them better than Ziploc bags because they are reusable and also keep the snacks from getting crushed).  I have also discovered these really good Spanish graham crackers that we all like, so I typically throw a few packs in of those too (I picked them specifically because there was a label on them that basically said approved by the Spanish Pediatric Association).  Then we just enjoy our picnic lunch whenever we are hungy!  Each town we have been to has a park of some sort that has allowed us to let Serafina run around and eat our picnic lunch.  

Other Tips
Because we have used our car on our day trips thus far, I should note that I already have a small basket of necessities in the car (a toy, a book or two, extra clothes, diapers, wipes) so if for some reason we forget something or need extra, I know we are covered.  Therefore I usually only bring our wipes clutch and a few diapers while we are out exploring whatever town we are visiting.  Most of the time I also bring our travel changing pad because you never know when you'll need to change a diaper -- park bench anyone?  But if we have our stroller, we often just lay it flat and change Serafina in the stroller.  I have learned that most tourist sights have changing tables in their bathrooms but so far we haven't encountered any other places that have them.

While we are on the subject of bathrooms -- I should warn you that many European cities do not have public restrooms or if they do, they are few and far between (and you have to pay for them).  So we always take advantage of the restrooms in the tourist locations.

Anyways, we typically throw all of the things we will need for Serafina -- toys, extra clothes, diapers, wipes, etc. into her backpack rather than bringing a full diaper bag.  This allows us to put the backpack under the stroller, or I can throw necessary items (diapers, wipes, a toy or two) into my purse which happens to be much smaller than our diaper bag.  OR we will use a regular old backpack to keep everything we'd need for all three of us -- wallets, phones, camera, and stuff for Serafina.  Just depends on the day and where we are going.

And once again, be flexible.  We've had to pull over on the side of a very narrow road so I could nurse Serafina to calm her down after a long (long) day.  It worked and we were able to keep driving with a much happier Peanut!  We also plan for time to let Serafina run around -- whether its at a park or in a town plaza, just some place where she can run around and get some of her toddler energy out!

We have loved our day trips and have many more places where we want to visit so I am sure I will update this list as needed.  But if any of you guys have any other tips or tricks to add -- leave them in the comments!



*Just like almost every other European country, almost everything in Spain is closed on Sundays.  The only places that are open are museums and other tourist attractions in larger cities and then some restaurants (in both large and small cities) -- so if you are doing a day trip in Europe on a Sunday, plan accordingly.

Travel Tips {Plane Travel}

Another series on the blog -- this time travel related.  We plan to do our fair share of traveling while living in Spain, so my hope is to use this series to show you some tips and tricks we learn along the way! First up, plane travel:

I've had a few questions from friends about flying on the longer flights with Serafina.  And since we hope our friends (and family) with kids come visit -- this is for you!  There are plenty of flying with a baby/toddler/kid posts out there -- my personal favorites are Stephanie's posts about flying with an infant (I read and reread these the first time I flew with Serafina by myself).  I am no expert as we have only done one long haul flight with Serafina, but we have flown many times with her and most of those flights were 4-5 hours.  All these tips and tricks have worked for us on our flights and in the airports, keeping Serafina entertained and keeping her parents sane -- so here you go:

[And these tips are mostly for kids aged one to two years old -- once they hit that moving stage, you have to be a little more creative on entertainment.  Once they hit three, the tablet is your best friend!]

Gear -- Stroller + Carrier
We have a ring sling (which cannot go through security because of the metal ring, so I recommend packing this one) and the ergo 360 which is what we use when traveling.  Even if we have a stroller with us, we still wear Serafina through security and walking through the airport.  We use the stroller to hold our bags.  We received this stroller from our cousins who were no longer using it.  This stroller is perfect for travel -- it is large enough to hold our bags and its a great stroller to use when you arrive at your destination but also small enough that is folds up well and can easily be gate checked (which is what we do and what I recommend).  While expensive, we would have never bought this for ourselves but we are so thankful we have it -- it has become our "umbrella stroller" but still allows me to walk the cobble stones with ease!
[note: in the states, I can always wear Serafina through security no questions asked, they just require you to get your hands swabbed.  In Spain, I had to take her out of the carrier which was a pain and not something I expected.  I have been told that European airports are pretty hit or miss with babywearing -- so be warned that you may have to take baby out.]

Entertainment
Books: We packed a ton of books because Serafina loves reading and could seriously sit and listen to her favorite books for hours.  We knew it would calm her down while also entertain her.  We purposely picked books that were her favorites, but also ones that we could read over and over again without going crazy.  Our current favorites are Little Owl Lost and Barnyard Dance as well as any lift the flap books.

Toys: We also packed a few toys that were on the smaller side, that we knew could entertain Serafina while also not annoy us and the passengers around us (so we went for toys with minimal or no noise). Fred has been a favorite from our very first plane ride with Serafina when she was three months old -- and he has been on every trip since!  We also brought these wooden blocks emptied into a small make up bag (that I got at Target for like $2).  While Serafina didn't play with this on the plane, it was amazing to have during our long layovers in the airports.  She spent a lot of time sitting on the floor putting the blocks in and out of the bag.  It allowed for Trevor and I to rest and Serafina to be entertained -- I call that a win!

Blue Tape: this one deserves its own category!  I cannot claim this idea as my own but oh man was it a HUGE lifesaver on the awful flight to Madrid.  We would give Serafina pieces of the tape and she would stick it on and off the seat back -- it calmed her down, kept her quiet and finally stopped the crying.  A roll of blue tape will now always be in our carry on bags!

TV Shows: so while we do not let Serafina watch TV at home, we knew that we might have to up our ante at some point during our long day(s) of travel.  And on that third flight after her nap when she was so over being on a plane, we busted out some downloaded episodes of Daniel Tiger and it worked!  We picked a show that was somewhat educational and also that wouldn't annoy us.

Snacks
We packed quite a few snacks.  We choose items that we knew were Serafina's favorites like sunbutter on a bagel, various Happy Family products like pouches/puffs and Cheerios.  I am so happy we had food on the plane because the food we were served on our long haul flight was just awful and  we all ended up eating what I had packed for Serafina!
[Note: you can bring pouches that are greater than 3oz through security but make sure you take them out of your bag and put in a bin -- we were never questioned when I did this.]

Other Tips
I think it goes without saying to pack enough diapers and wipes for the day (we go with one diaper per hour as well as a brand new package of wipes) and a travel changing pad.  All airplanes should have a bathroom with a changing table that folds down but be warned -- it is tiny!  Using the travel changing pad helps me keep things organized without having things fall on the floor.

Also pack the usual items that you'd have in your diaper bag -- I know that is different for everyone.  We also make sure we have enough: pacifiers, extra clothes, blankets, her lovey, and also any possible medicine we may need for her (Epi-Pens, Benadryl, Tylenol, etc.).  Pack an extra pair of clothes (including underwear) for you and anyone else you're traveling with -- this is for two reasons -- 1) if you get to your destination without your checked luggage, you at least have some clean clothes and 2) if your little one has a blow out or any other major issue, you all have extra clothes!

I always nurse Serafina on take off and landing, unless she is asleep.  This helps with the pressure on her ears and also calms her down if needed.

A note on having a lap infant on international flights (at least flights to or within Europe):  In the states, kids can sit on your lap until they are two years old.  The same goes for international flights, but you are required to use an infant seat belt.  This weird contraption attaches to your seat belt and goes around baby.  It adjusts pretty wide, so that is what we did so Serafina didn't feel like she was being buckled in and could move around fairly easily.  (We did have a seat for Serafina but chose to hold her because it was what she was used to and what seemed to make her more comfortable, rather than sitting her in the car seat in her own seat).

And of course, be flexible.  Flights get delayed, you have long layovers in airports that aren't kid friendly.... flying can be stressful but be prepared and flexible and it won't be so bad!

Have any other tips or tricks to add -- leave them in the comments!