traveling with a baby

It’s probably not news to most of you, but we absolutely love to travel. And ever since William came along, we’ve made it a point to take him with us whenever we can. We took him on his first trip to London when he was two months old and we haven’t stopped since. He did stay at home when we went on our Babymoon. Now that we’ve taken sixteen toddler flights, I’m working on tips for traveling with a toddler. There really is a big difference between traveling with a toddler vs. traveling with a baby 😉

I’ve always had a strategy for packing when it comes to William…if only I had one for myself! Ha. Now that he’s older that strategy has changed a bit, so I thought I would share my summer packing essentials for a toddler. Knowing that Nordstrom has almost everything we need to pack for William makes it a whole lot easier!

Clothing

Onesies/rompers: These one piece outfits make dressing William a piece of cake. They’re easy to put on and so easy for him to wear. Plus they are so soft. A few of our favorites include this striped onesie and this hooded onesie.
Shirts: I usually pack polos, but I also like to pack a few t-shirts like this striped tee and this pocket tee for more casual days. I try to do things that will mix and match to extend his wardrobe for our trip.
Shorts: These gingham shorts are too cute and they are so soft, too! They are easy to wear with a polo or with one of his tees. The checks also help hide any spills 🙂
Jeans: My friends joke that William never wears jeans, but I picked up a pair of jeans for our trip to Vail – it gets cold at night!
Pajamas: We’ve officially moved into big boy pajamas (insert mom tears), but how cute is the striped set? I usually pack a pair of pajamas for every night we are gone.
Swimsuit: When we are going somewhere that William will be swimming, I usually bring two swim suits, so one can be drying while he’s wearing the other. This plaid one is an all time favorite! And, how cute is this rash guard?

Shoes

We take some variety of sandals, moccasins, natives and sneakers with us! My top five summer shoes for toddlers typically make every trip. It may seem like a lot of shoes, but they all serve a purpose!

Toiletries

Lotion/shampoo: I always pack Honest travel-size lotion, shampoo and healing balm.
Diapers: A lot of people I talk to prefer to pick up diapers when they get to their destination. I’ve always found that it’s easier for me to just pack them. Plus that leaves extra space in our suitcase in case I have time to do any shopping!
Bath towel: I usually bring one hooded towel for after the bath or to cozy up after the pool
Bath toys: William loves playing with these jungle animals in and out of the tub, so we usually bring them with us!

Carry-On

Lovies: William’s blanket and elephant go with us everywhere!
Books/Toys: We typically let William pick out a few books and 1-2 toys for the flight and trip. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but he usually ends up playing with cups/straws, cheerios or walking the plane with the flight attendants instead of playing with the toys we bring. This way they don’t take up too much space, but we have an option or two if we need it.
Snacks: I always pack snacks for during the flight and also extras for our destination. I really don’t want to have to find a store and shop for snacks as soon as we arrive.
Diapers/Wipes: I always bring more than enough diapers and wipes for the flight. After so many flights and unexpected diaper changes, I know that it’s better to be over-prepared!