Shopping for a Baby Beach Tent or Travel Beach Umbrella? There’s a lot to consider when planning a beach vacation with a baby or toddler in tow. Of course you will want to pack your baby beach vacation travel essentials, but there’s that one item that may seem tough to pack: shade. Shade is absolutely the most essential piece of baby beach gear required if you’re planning a family beach vacation. One resort we stayed at in Mexico had a great beach, but not much shade. There were some lovely palm trees, but the shade the trees offered was inconsistent. Since my children are now bigger and we s ..read more

Preparing a house for a toddler visit is not easy. To anticipate what might happen, you need to get inside their head or think as a toddler thinks. As babies grow into toddlers, their curiosity starts taking over and that is when the problems begin to arise because how can you expect a toddler to not touch the things they’re not supposed to touch? Whether you are having family visit or wanting to make your vacation home appealing for rentals to families with small children, here are some steps to take to make your house toddler-friendly. There are general tips that are no-brainers like keepin ..read more

Flying with an infant of this age means one thing for mom (or dad)… You’re. Busy. But this is also one of the more rewarding and fun times to travel with your baby! They’re alert. You can usually figure out what they need when they need it. They’re still quite easily distracted. Unlike newborns, babies of this age are at least in the beginning stages of a routine. So, while that makes your life easier as a parent, an understandable fear is blowing that routine with travel. Fear not! Both of my kids fell into a fairly structured routine at a very early age. And both adapted well to temporary c ..read more

Planning on flying with an infant 6-12 month-old? We’ve flown with our kids during this stage more than any other. And just how many pictures do we have of us on board the aircraft? Zero! Flying with an infant of this age means one thing for mom and dad and anyone else in your traveling party… You’re. VERY. Busy. And if you’ve got an early walker on your hands (lap)? Even. Busier. But this does not mean that flying has to be unpleasant. Unlike newborns and younger babies, infants of this age are even more interactive than their younger selves. They are usually well-established into a sleeping ..read more

Bub, Safe and Snug… Car seat regulations and booster seat requirements vary from country to country and often state to state and province to province. Regardless of our destination and their child seat laws, we have always brought our car seat along. For us, the hassle of lugging it always paled against the thought of not using it *just this once*. Most items marketed as travel car seats are anything but and could seriously compromise your baby’s safety, so if rental cars or taxis play a role in your vacation plans, so should a car seat or booster. The infant carrier car seats are so easy to b ..read more

Visiting Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom with Babies & Toddlers: Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom is the the biggest of Disney’s theme parks, but it is also the easiest to navigate with a baby or toddler. If this is your first visit to Walt Disney World and you are planning on spending a few days in the parks, Animal Kingdom is a great one to start with. You can ease into seeing how you all fare with the rides, attractions, and crowds without being overwhelmed and without the expectations that sometimes are associated with seeing Magic Kingdom for the first time. Nothing can beat tha ..read more

We love Cuba for kids and as a family destination – and so do millions of other Canadians, Brits, Europeans, and Aussies.  Americans likely won’t be far behind. If you’re considering traveling to Cuba with your baby or toddler, here are some basics to help you decide… Cuba for Kids – Health: Michael Moore may have exaggerated a little, but Cuba’s health care IS good. Tourists are well looked after should they require medical attention. Most hotels and resorts have medical staff on site (or at least on call). Medical insurance is required for Cuba and must cover any type of medi ..read more

Seeing Cinderella’s Castle in the distance from the start of Main Street, USA is just as magical a view from a stroller as it is from an infant carrier or your own two (little) feet. But there’s a lot riding on a visit to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. And, if you’ve got a baby or toddler in tow, you’ve got more on your mind than just coping with crowds or wait times for rides. Luckily, Disney is very intuitive when it comes to parents’ needs. You will still need to plan your day and be flexible enough to deal with the unexpected. But, stroller accessibility, high chairs in restaurants ..read more

Hollywood Studios is a different kind of Disney experience. It’s less about the rides and more about the shows and experiences. If you’ve got a baby or toddler in tow, and only a limited amount of days to visit the parks, I might suggest giving it a miss, or combining a day with Epcot as it’s nearby and also more of an experiential park. Obviously a visit to Magic Kingdom is a must, and Animal Kingdom is too big and too far out to really do a combo day with another park. However, this is Disney we’re talking about, so of course Hollywood Studios has plenty to delight your little mouse ..read more

Some parents complain that travel with a stroller is a big hassle. It’s been a couple of years since my son outgrew his. But on a trip to Walt Disney World, I tried to convince him that all bets are off when it comes to theme parks… A six-year-old in a stroller at Disney World is perfectly acceptable. He would have none of it, and we ended up carrying him out of the parks and off the bus every day. He was 60llbs! How we left every park. I carried him a lot too. Couldn’t do that for much longer! Your hands are full when traveling with a baby or toddler. And travel with a stroller is often look ..read more