“Oh the places you’ll go.” -Dr. Seuss

Taking your first vacation with your little one is an experience you will always remember. Creating memories is something I cherish and look forward to, but travelling, especially to destinations where you may not have access to things you need can be stressful. After traveling to Mexico and Cuba with my little one, I have made a check list of everything you need to bring to have a worry free vacation. I have spent hours, yes literally hours, making this list for my travel ventures, so I hope it makes your planning a little less stressful. I have also included some suggestions that I feel are important when planning your family trip.

When booking your vacation, wherever it may be, the first thing to do is make sure your hotel is child friendly. Some hotels cater to families but I find that not all cater to infants and toddlers. You want to make sure your hotel has a kids club, kid pool, a quite area in the building for your room location, nanny service or babysitting, and my favourite, kids entertainment in the evening.

The flight in my opinion is the most stressful part. What time to book and worrying how your child will behave are all things that add stress to this experience. Picking your seat is crucial. When flying down south we have only ever flown Sunwing and we always upgrade to the front row which is elite seating. It gives you way more leg room and there is no one in front of you. I would not sit anywhere different. If you have a child under two and you want them to travel for free they will share the seat with you so this is totally worth the upgrade. But book it fast because they tend to sell out fast. As for flight times, it all depends on your child. I personally like a 10:30am fight because it works well with nap time.

Ready to pack? Here is my coveted travel list that provided me with everything I needed on our vacations. I used this when my son was an infant and altered as he got to the toddler stage. Some items may not apply depending on what age your baby.

Travel checklist:

Feeding

• Formula (if using) , Organic Meadow milk tetra packs, munchkin fresh food feeder, pouches, apple sauce, crackers, goldfish, cookies, sippy cup, thermal sippy cup, bottles ( I bring four bottles), bottle brush & soap, snack containers, spoon/fork, bowl, paper bibs (shoppers sells these, use once and throw away), small kettle for boiling water (usually hotels will give you one, send an email to confirm)

Hygiene

• Baby wipes, hand sanitizer, baby lotion, bath soap, diaper cream, vaseline, zinc, prescription rash cream ( I always pack incase), nail clippers/file, face clothes, diapers, toothbrush/paste.

Medicine

• Advil/Tylenol, Benadryl, baby Gravol, any natural medication (0-9) or Stodal for cold, allergies, teething etc, probiotics/vitamins, thermometer, nasal aspirator, bug repellent, calamine lotion, rash cream.

Swim

• Rash guard swim suits ( I bring one for every to two days) ten days equals 5, swim diapers, sun screen 50+, water shoes, sun hat, baseball hat, sunglasses, puddle jumper, pool floaty, sand buckets and water toys

Clothing – Pack enough for each day, better to have more than less.

• T shirts, tank tops, long sleeves, shorts, pants, socks, sandals ( 1 pair), sneakers (2-3 pairs if child is walking) , Pj’s.

Sleep

• Pack and play, sheets, foam, sound machine, books for bedtime reading, monitor, blanket/sleep sac, Pj’s, favourite soother, teddy, blanket, light blanket to cover stroller for stroller naps.

Equipment/Miscellaneous

• Stroller, beach tent for infants, pack and play, iPad/charger, phone charger, adaptor, extra batteries for sound machine, adaptor for outlets, infant laundry soap, cooler bag, ice packs, kettle if needed, stroller fan, mommy hook for stroller, beach bag, mosquito net for stroller, extra blankets, plastic bags ( dirty diapers or laundry), baby carrier ( this saved my life on the plane with my son was an infant)

Toys

• Two favourite books, select a few favourite toys, purchase new toys to bring something they have not seen before, beach toys, bath toys, teething toys if needed.

Diaper Bag/Carry on

This bag is REALLY important. Once you are past security there is no turning back. Make sure you do not pack sunscreen and baby lotions here, I have seen so many people have this taken out of their bag. You can pack bottles with milk and water as long as it is for the baby.

• Two bottles with water or milk (depending age), formula, sippy cup with water or juice, munchkin fresh food feeder, pouches, one book, a few small toys, iPad and charger (with shows already downloaded), baby Advil, baby Gravol, sanitizer, diapers, wipes, change of clothes, extra blanket, bib, tissue paper

Helpful tips:

Only invest in an umbrella stroller if your stroller is heavy and bulky. Mine is Bugaboo and its super light and durable, I bring it with me on all my vacations. Make sure your stroller reclines back all the way.

Hotels have cribs but in my experience I like having my pack and play. Hotel cribs can be smaller than you expect.

Ask your maid to aways have plenty of bottled water for you in the room at all times so you don’t every run out.

Be organized and give yourself a few weeks to pack.

Pack medicine and small things in ziplock bags so they are easy to find.

When packing diapers I usually estimate 6 diapers a day as a safe number. Its always better to pack extra.

I hope this list helps and makes your packing experience an easy one. Enjoy packing and happy traveling!