TRAVEL TIPS PART 2
/If you’ve followed along with our blog, you know I LOVE great (HONEST) product reviews, tips and tricks for time management, life hacks and all things that just make life easier, happier, less stressful and safer as a mother.
I wrote this “Traveling Tips” Blog post last year, and it’s been one of the most read ones. There’s everything from what to travel with, to the best activities to keep your kiddos busy in the car and airplane, to easy ways to stay with your routine while traveling and more. If you are traveling with littles and need any car and airplane tricks, it’s all there!
But I’ve come back to add even more! And now I want to share my 8 all-time favorite car accessories that have WHOLEHEARTEDLY made life as a mother easier, safer and more enjoyable!
1. Our Graco® 4Ever DLX for Graco® car seats.
Here’s why: A MUST HAVE FOR YOUR BABY REGISTRY! The Graco® 4EverTM DLX 4-in-1 Car Seat is America’s #1 selling car seat. Need I say more? I’ve looked everywhere, and every single website I go to it gets amazing reviews, and I’m just wishing we would’ve gotten them sooner cause then we wouldn’t be on our third seats! What’s even better is it’s now upgraded with new features to help mom. This car seat offers mom longevity and convenience with four modes of use from 4-120 lb, and it’s the only car seat to go from rear-facing to backless booster, making it the only car seat you’ll ever need! Here are some additional new features! The new integrated belt lock-off makes seat belt installation easy and secure (which can truly be such a pain with some car seats!) The Rapid Remove TM cover lets mom remove the cover WITHOUT UNINSTALLING THE SEAT! Sold! Hands down my favorite part cause I hate taking car seats apart! The seat also has the new Protect Plus Engineered TM which is the most rigorous combination of crash testing that helps protect little one from frontal, side, rear and rollover crashes.
And there is NOTHING more important than our babies’ safety.
2. Our perfect to travel with IPAD COVER
Here’s why: I am so incredibly pleased with this purchase that we’ve had for almost two years, because they are cute, functional and also work perfectly with another item I’ll show for in the car! They fit straight into the headrest hangers and allow the girls to keep their heads up instead of looking down at their tablets while traveling. The girls love them because they stand up on their own and they can easily hold them in their hands! They also love bunnies so that was a win win! There’s also other color options available!
There is a handle for you to hold it easily, so you don’t need to worry about damage of the iPad as your child may not be able to hold it tightly. The all-round protection removes your worry about damage, scratch, dust and stains. The reverse side has an adjustable holder, which offers you a number of iPad viewing angles. The built-in heat dissipation layer is able to effectively dissipate excess heat, so that your iPad can be used for a longer period.
3. Our DROP STOP - CAR SEAT GAP FILLER
Here’s why: Anyone else a Shark Tank fan here? We saw these on Shark Tank and HAD to get them, and we ARE OBSESSED! I am notorious for dropping items between the seats but even more so, it is such a hard area to clean in the car! These solve both of those problems and don’t look bulky or weird!
Drop Stop attaches to the seat belt catch via built in slot; moves with the seat and no need to readjust or reinstall. Drop Stop blocks that annoying yet ever so dangerous gap between your car or truck seat and center console.
4. Our BENTO BOX - double option BENTO BOX - single option
Here’s why: THESE MAKE EATING WHILE TRAVELING A BREEZE! I am always packing the girls’ lunches for on the go, and now that Everly is in therapy full time we obviously have to pack her lunches on the go too. Someone once told me that teachers love these cause they only have to open one box versus a million different packages for the kids. I also love that everything is in one spot and it’s aesthetically pleasing! It’s so fun to put different meals together in them!
Based on traditional bento boxes, the containers feature 3 compartments, so you can pack healthy, well-balanced meals! Thin and lightweight, they effortlessly slip into your purse, backpack or briefcase for on-the-go portability. Endlessly Versatile: Microwave safe, the lunchbox bento containers heat evenly and withstand up to 120C! Great at home, school or work, they’re also freezer safe, so you can store leftovers. When you’re done, pop them in the dishwasher for a quick cleanup. To protect lid – clean them by hand to preserve the seal. Food-Safe and BPA Free: Made with thick 1000ml sides, our kids’ bento boxes are as safe as they are durable! Approved by the FDA, harmful chemicals won’t leach into your food. And because they’re reusable, they’re an eco-friendly, money-saving option.
5. Our CORDLESS VACCUUM
Here’s why: If you follow my personal Instagram, you now I am constantly raving about my cordless vacuum haha! This is my favorite thing in the history of ever. We leave one right in our mudroom so it’s easy to take straight out to the car, clean up crumbs and to get into all of those hard to reach places WITHOUT having to drag a cord around everywhere! LIFE CHANGING!!! It’s cordless, stays charged foreverrrrrrr and gets into all of the small spaces that are so hard to clean up from crumbs and all the things kiddos and dogs bring into this world! I also love that it is SOOOOO easy to clean and empty! I mean this with all of my being - YOU MUST TRY THIS THING OUT! I can’t get enough of it and literally use it every day of my life!
Cord-free, hassle-free! HOLIFE cordless vacuum cleaner is lightweight and portable to use. Weight only 2.2lb, Free your movement and easy to clean stairs, kitchen, inside of your vehicles, hard to reach corners, wall edges without bulky and tangled cords.
6. Our BACKSEAT HEADREST HANGER
Here’s why: Probably the most random thing to see on a mom hacks list, huh? BUT YOU GUYS!!!!!! omg. I can’t even handle how much I love these things! Okay here’s the reasons I say these are must buys. One, it clears up the floors in your car. I am so bad about throwing allll the bags on the floors, and this way I can hang my purse up and easily reach back into it if I need to grab something while driving! Second, I can hang the girls bookbags on the back of the seats and they can easily reach into them to grab their toys while on the go. Three, it WORKS PERFECTLY with that bunny tablet case which rests perfectly inside the hooks, so it also acts as a tablet holder!!!!! They’re incredible. (They’re also great for hanging clothes for on the go so they don’t wrinkle!)
No one likes an untidy car interior with plastic bags and kids’ toys rolling around on the floor. Organize your back seat clutter, floor and leg room with these universal headrest hooks that will instantly convert the back of your car seats into a great storage space for hanging your handbag, clothes, umbrellas, hats, coats, purse, kid’s toys, trash or plastic grocery bags and more! KEEP YOUR SHIRTS WRINKLE-FREE: Don’t block your rear view vision by hanging your jackets or dresses over the back window. Thanks to these space saving hooks, you can now enjoy a clear view and keep your shirts wrinkle-free, throughout your travels.
Here’s why: When traveling with the girls (especially if we aren’t going to be walking or out for long) we essentially just use a single umbrella stroller that’s less than $30 for our girls if they’re not walking (and this one is our favorite that we HIGHLY recommend) It is truly so easy to travel with in both the car and airport! And we love that it takes up no room! We are actually going to buy another so we just have two super simple (and cheap) umbrellas to use while traveling! And if they get messed up, so be it! They only cost the equivalent of 5 coffees! Hehe! Stroller is designed for a child up to 40 lbs. There’s a 3-point safety harness to keep baby secure. There’s extended sun canopy and rear hood provide more sun coverage than most umbrella strollers. There’s cool-climate roll-up exposes mesh for increased air circulation and creates a head rest. And we love the storage basket that holds all baby's necessities.
So there ya have it! My 7 MUST HAVE car accessories that I couldn’t live without! Let me know in the comments below or on Instagram if you know of any other cool gadgets that make traveling a breeze!
HAPPY TRAVELING!
XX, Amy