droolicious : 7 Days of Traveling Helps

7 Days of Traveling Helps: Comfort Creature Travel Buddy Pillow and Blanket

elizabeth leach — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Packing light means bringing only the essentials on board an airplane. So, if their toy could double as a pillow or a blanket then that's a good thing. Traveling is tough with kids but sometimes the smallest item can lift their spirits and yours. A cute monster pillow and blanket could be a nice way to wrap up your toddler and coax them to nap. Or if a nap is out of the question they have something to play with.

The Comfort Creature Travel Blanket is on sale for $19.99 and the Comfort Creature Travel Buddy Pillow is on sale for $14.99 at The Container Store.

7 Days of Traveling Helps: Lift the Flap Books

Chris Ford — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:47:00 GMT

Let me say first that I've already written about the best Traveling Help that I know, the Panasonic DVD-LS82 Portable DVD Player. But considering I've already shared that with you, I'll give you my number two Traveling Help. If you're going to be traveling with any child between the ages of one and three, you need to go get a lift-the-flap book. And then hide it until the trip is underway.

The last part of that is the key really. Go out shopping a week before your trip, buy some books and then don't show them to your child until the moment you need it most - either on the plane, train or in the car. Brand new things hold the most attention.

And lift the flap books are best, because you can read them to your child, and it also give them an activity (lifting the flaps). We've used this trick on multiple airplane trips, and it works every time. The problem is my youngest is starting to get to old for lift the flap, so now we're graduating to "Where's Waldo" type seek and find books.

Search for Lift the Flap books at Amazon.com

7 Days of Traveling Helps: Find It at the Beach Travel Game

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:04:00 GMT

There are loads of different Find It Games available, but if you're off to the seashore this summer, none seems more appropriate than Find It at the Beach. Like its counterparts, this one is a fun, fully contained seek-and-find adventure that's as great for the car as it is for the playroom: Spin, shake, rattle and twist the see-through canister until you've found all the objects -- over 40 in all, including the elusive hidden penny -- inside. Though the objects are hidden within zillions of pink, green and coral-blue pellets, the canister keeps everything neatly contained.

$19 from Amazon.

7 Days of Traveling Helps: Mr B Spy Bags

Heather Kuldell — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:35:00 GMT

The longer you parent, the more you realize that very little things can make life easier. My first tip for anyone traveling with kids is simple: Get some clear bags to pack inside your carry-ons or diaper bags. Think of each bag as one activity – the diaper changing stuff, the in-flight entertainment bag, the snacks plus wipes-for-clean-up bag – so you can quickly grab what you need without dropping or fishing around for anything.

Think of Mr B Spy Bags as super-thick, reusable plastic bags. Instead of flimsy plastic, the Spy Bags are made of a thick, durable – but still clear – vinyl and feature a zipper closure and handy snap loop.

Spy Bags come in small, medium and large sizes avaiable in multiple colors of zippered tops. The small is quart size, which means it’s small enough to take your one-ounce toiletries through airport security. The large, one-gallon size is big enough for a change of clothes. That leads me to my second tip: Bring a change of clothes on board for your kid and yourself. No matter how careful your toddler is with that free beverage, one of you will end up wearing it.

Available at Mr B for $9-$14.

7 Days of Traveling Helps: The Babies Travel Lite Service

SunnyChanel — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:34:00 GMT

We just returned from a weekend getaway. In my daughter’s suitcase we had to pack diapers, wipes, sunscreens, her special soaps, snacks, you know, all that stuff that you have to lug with you on any kind of extended outing with a wee one. With all her gear, there was hardly any room for her clothes, books, and Coco the fuzzy crocodile.

As I was dragging our bags, stroller and car seat to the check-in window, I fantasized of all those unwieldy baby supplies just magically appearing at our hotel. Little did I know that that dream could have been a reality with the amazing cool Babies Travel Lite service. The company's website features a large stock (including organic) of different baby necessities (about 1000 of 'em) so you don’t have to lug your baby gunk them from point A to point B and back again. You just place an order on their site and they’ll ship to your hotel, resort or vacation rental. Now next time I’ll have room to carry some of my own clothes! (Prices vary depending on what you order.)

7 Days of Traveling Helps: Multi-use to the Max

Lisa Mulcahy — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:28:00 GMT

I can still remember the first overnight trip with baby in tow. My car was packed to the gills, it took a couple hours before I actually left the house and somehow I still managed to forget something. As a believer in the less is more mantra this drives me crazy. So when I saw this handy all-in-one piece of baby gear-to-go I thought it’s probably worth the wait to ship it from down under.

Willibean n’ Lilibean’s Willi Lili Buddy, $AUD 69.95, (almost the same price in US dollars) made its first appearance on the Australian version of the reality TV show American Inventor. There’s nothing sleek and sexy about it, but it’s a portable highchair, simplified bouncy chair, changing pad, and shopping cart cover-up. Enough said. It also comes in a carrying case with an inflatable booster seat.

7 Days of Traveling Helps: The Ultimate Game Book

Erin Behan — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:01:00 GMT

How much would you pay for peace and quiet in the car or on the plane? $13.57 sound pretty good? That seems a small price to pay for this Klutz travel kit that comes with a book filled with just about every travel activity known to humankind, such as games, lyrics, crafts instructions, and a 100-page activity book with dot-to-dot, crossword puzzles, mazes and more. Accoutrements include colored markers, game pieces, and embroidery floss for friendship bracelets. If you're still skeptical, check out Amazon, where the kit gets pretty amazing reviews--and only costs $13.57.