droolicious : traveling with kids

The Babble Review: Trunki

editors — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:35:00 GMT

How great is it when you get to the point where your little ones can haul their own stuff? The Trunki is a cute and - this is key – lightweight, rolling piece of luggage that comes in fun colors and designs made just for traveling toddlers.

My daughter packed up her Frieda the Trunki (pictured above) the minute she laid eyes on it and has been hauling that cow around the house ever since. I almost can’t wait until the next harrowing cross-country flight where I’m picturing her happily pulling her Trunki behind her through the terminal. And when she does get bored (it’s inevitable with that toddler ADD) she can hop on and her father or I will pull her happily to the gate. Yea Trunki! Is that realistic? Anyone had a dream trip with their Trunki? – April Peveteaux

Get Frieda the cow and other Trunkis at Little Jet Set for $59.99.

Keepin’ it Cool

Lisa Mulcahy — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:30:00 GMT

I’m totally paranoid about food safety. I was horrified when my two-year found a stray sippy cup of milk under the couch (from god knows when) and took a swig. Yuk! Truth is kids don’t have enough sense to know when food or drinks have gone bad. So I always carry an insulated tote.

If I had a girl this winged heart cooler, $18, would be a permanent fixture on the stroller. And unlike some of the other “milk carriers” for babies, kids won’t outgrow this design. So it could be used well into the school years.

Testing the Baby B'Air Flight Vest at 30,000 Feet -- If They Let Me

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:04:00 GMT

As you read this, I'm traveling at 30,000 feet over the central U.S. (oh, the wonders of posting in advance...), and if the many Amazon customers' positive reviews were right, my 2-year-old is sitting safely in Daddy's lap, road-testing the Baby B'Air Flight Vest that arrived this week. That is, of course, if the attendants will let us...

Designed to take the place of a child seat and prevent possible injuries from turbulence during in-air travel (although it still doesn't answer the question of how to travel with baby once you've picked up the rental car), the Baby B'Air is a light, stowable cotton vest that, unfortunately, isn't yet FAA-approved for takeoff and landing but is OK for use on the cruise portion of your flight. The vest comes in two sizes, newborn and toddler, and secures little ones up to 40 pounds and 2 years of age (after which point the FAA requires them to have a separate seat) to your lap belt during flight.

Luckily, the vest's manufacturer includes a card with the Baby B'Air that you can use to show your attendant current FAA guidelines for the vest, and for anyone who's unable to use the vest on a flight, the company also offers a refund check. You can find more of the particulars of this policy at the company's FAQ.

Normally $40, the Baby B'Air is $24.75 now at Amazon.

2 More Travel Helpers, This Time for Germophobes

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:04:00 GMT

So you visited our recent 7 Days of Traveling Helps round-up and have been adding diaper services, travel games, comfort toys, books, carry-on totes, and multi-use travel essentials to your travel checklist. One last thing to consider, especially if you and the kids will be enjoying the recirculated air and making frequent trips to the public loo on a plane this summer, is germ-fighters, and we've got a couple of ways to ensure protection against some of the most common in-flight bug-transmitters.

Even before you hit the tarmac, the Germ-Free Pak ($32 from Flight 001) gives you a whole range of handy germ barriers, and because it's carry-on approved, you'll also be able to store it right next to the in-flight magazines. The reusable zip-top kit includes toilet-seat covers; a package of mini tissues; E-Boost immune-system booster; a germ-fighting aromatherapy inhalation pouch; and antibacterial spray, towelettes, and hand-soap sheets.

Once you're in the air, ensure the kids won't be napping with previous passengers' cooties by breaking out the Nap Sac Travel Blanket + Pillow ($28 from Lug), a snuggly-soft set that folds and zips neatly into its plush pillowcase for storage later. The blanket opens to 48" x 32", and the set is available in eight different colors, including grass green (pictured), crimson red, and chocolate brown.

Of course you'll also need a book to ease into naptime, so assuming it won't cause nightmares, what better way to rally the little ones around your bug-fighting mission than with the old stand-by Germs are Not for Sharing (top of page; $7.95 from Amazon)? Who knows, maybe if you read it loudly enough that guy in that seat next to you will remember to cover his face the next time he sneezes.

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.

First Look: Nestt Car Seat for Your Little Chickadee

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:03:00 GMT

Odds are good that you've never seen a car seat like the Nestt, and until the design geniuses at Think/Thing get their prototype into production, you won't. But this novel-looking seat is far more than a pie-in-the-sky concept, and perhaps more importantly, it's the handiwork of designers with the necessary breeding experience to incorporate function into their form. Tired, as many of us are, of "wrestling and lifting a struggling 30 lb. baby into and out of a car seat several times a day" (as they note in the Nestt's accompanying video), team Think/Thing created a seat that, with just six moving parts, can tilt and swivel on its base (below) toward your waiting arms in a single Zen-like move.

Safety, of course, is also a major concern, if not the major concern, and according to Think/Thing, the Nestt has Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 209, 213 and 225 (i.e., the ones all parents should have memorized) in the bag. The egg's shell has an embedded steel safety cage for side-impact protection, and in addition to its retractable and indexed belts, the seat features an air suspension system. And with its washable memory-foam cover -- available, at least in theory, in various colors to match your aesthetic sensibilities -- it looks to be as cozy as it is safe.

Think/Thing claims the Nestt is the best car seat in the world, but you tell us: Would you buy one?

(Thanks to DVICE for the tip-off.)