After the gorgeous weather we’ve been having, I dug our beach bag out of the back of the closet and got it ready for a new season.  Here are my tips for a well-stocked beach bag for a baby on the go!

1. Fresh sunscreen.  Once sunscreen has been opened, it is only good for one season, so toss last year’s leftovers and start fresh.

Cover Up Baby Sunscreen Stick by BabyGanics is one of my favorites.  It’s safe for baby, waterproof, and won’t leak in your bag!

2. DiaperBuds (of course!)  I had to trade out last year’s sizes for bigger ones, and we are all set.  No worrying about wet, sandy diapers with DiaperBuds!

3. Baby Powder.  I first wrote about my love of baby powder at the beach over at Try It, Mom! Basically, it’s the fastest way to clean off sandy hands and toes.

4. Towels.  This year I found some adorable new pirate towels at BuyBuyBaby.

These hooded towels are perfect for toddlers at the beach or pool because you don’t have to worry about the towel falling off or tripping them.  It’s a bonus that my boys willingly get out of the water because they love putting these on!  (shhh- don’t tell them it’s not a “costume”)

5. Hats.  I always make sure there is a selection of hats in the bag to protect my little guy’s bald head.

6. Snacks & water.  I keep a bunch of non-perishable snacks in the bag so there is less thinking involved on the way to the beach.  Cereal bars, squeezy pouches, crackers, and puffs are great for this.  Reusable water bottles are also good to keep in the bag so you’re not searching for these things each day.

I love these collapsable bottles by Vapur because they keep my bag light.

7. Beach Books.  I use waterproof bathtub books for the beach.

These entertain my little ones long enough for me to read a few pages of a real book!

8. Extra plastic bags for garbage and wet things. duh.

9. And last but not least- TOYS!  My boys always fight over the shovels, so we make sure we have plenty of those.

These Melissa & Doug nesting pails are so smart! (Extra tip: Sometimes I drag our plastic baby pool onto the beach, fill it with a little water, and keep it right next to my towel.  I can even shade it under an umbrella or beach tent, and the babies can splash without worrying about waves.  Check out this tip in action HERE.)

I keep this bag in my trunk, and we are always ready to hit the beach!

*You can click on any image to shop.

We’ve gotten a taste of warmer weather, and now I’m dreaming about summer vacation.  With two toddlers, I know there is a fine line between a “vacation” and a “trip”.  Here are some places that make it easy for everyone to enjoy a getaway.

1.  My family will visit the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country any chance we get!  Between the child care options, championship PGA golf course, world class spa, scrumptious dining options, and water park (The River Bluff Water Experience offers six acres of heated pools, fountains, waterfalls, rivers, and an abundance of poolside lounges to soak in the sun.), you will never want to leave the resort.  But if you do, the San Antonio River Walk is a great getaway!  My best tip: Bring a baby float to enjoy in the lazy river.

2. Most people I know want to wait until their kids are older to experience Disney, but if you want a destination that truly specializes in amenities for babies, there is no place better.  The parks and resorts go above and beyond to make sure your baby feels right at home.  My boys are just 1 and 2, and we have already been to Disney three times.  My best tip: Bring a baby carrier, like the Ergo, so that you can easily hold the baby while waiting in lines (no stroller allowed on line) and during naps. 3. Next on my family’s list is Amelia Island, Florida.  I have heard nothing but great things about this beach destination.  The island, also rich in history, is known as one the safest and most family-friendly in the world.

4. We love Sesame Place so much that we have season passes.  This theme park doesn’t have all the magic of Disney, but it does have ELMO.  And ABBY.  My best tip: If you are going to go more than one day, get the season pass.  You save on parking, food, and souvenirs, so it’s a no-brainer!

Do you have a baby friendly destination to share?

Headed to visit family for the holiday weekend?  Packing all the toys is not usually an option, but unless you’re staying at a home with other kids, you’ll need something to entertain the little ones.

In the past, I would pack the smaller, favorite toys, but of course my boys would lose interest in them before we event arrived at our destination.  Now I have a go-to list of things to pack that don’t take up a ton of space and that are fun to use inside or out.  And they are inexpensive and easy to find when you get to your destination if that is easier.

1. PlayDoh.  You can now buy them in easy-to-pack soft pouches.  I have even used these on a long flight.

2. Sticker Books.  Melissa & Doug make great reusable sticker pads.

3. Bubbles (just make sure you securely bag them if you are packing them!)  Crayola just came out with colored bubbles that I swear my kids would chase around the yard or park for hours.

4. Toy Cars & Masking Tape. We can make a race track or city just about anywhere by sticking the masking tape to the floor or table, and Playskool makes great mini cars.

Any other great, packable, toy ideas out there?

My plan was to keep my babies in a crib as long as possible, but I didn’t have much choice after my oldest started climbing out of his crib with ease and showing up in our room in the middle of the night.  We made the change quickly right before his second birthday.  Here are my tips for making it a smooth transition:

1. Keep changes to a minimum.  Place the bed where the crib was in the room, and don’t drastically change the bedding colors/style.  Use the same bedtime routine if possible.
2. If there is going to be a new baby moving into the crib, make the transition to the bed a few months before the new baby comes so your child doesn’t feel “pushed out”.
3. If the bed frame is higher than the crib mattress was, consider having them sleep on the mattress on the floor before introducing the new height.
4. Make stories at bedtime extra snuggly now that you can sit on the bed together.
5. Know that your child will get out of bed and explore their newfound freedom.  When my oldest first moved to a bed, it took a couple hours for him to settle down to sleep in the beginning.  Once the novelty wore off, he spent less and less time out of bed after I left.  6 months later, it is very rare for him to get out of bed at all after I tuck him in.
6. Although it is probably already babyproofed, you will need to check the room again for any new hazards.  Make sure tall furniture is secured to the wall, outlets are covered, etc.
7. Turn the doorknob around so that they cannot lock themselves in.  Use a gate or a locked door to keep your toddler safe in the middle of the night, especially if they are on the second floor or prone to climbing onto the kitchen counters like mine!
8. Celebrate the milestone!

Almost every time I bust out a squeezy pouch for the boys while we are out, an older mom comments that she wishes they had a product like that when her kids were younger.  Not only can you feed your baby with one hand, but they quickly learn to do it themselves. Hands-free for momma!  My three-year-old still loves them, so they are a staple on our shopping list.

When my youngest started solids, I discovered the Boon Spoon, which is basically a spoon that screws onto the squeezy pouch for super easy one-handed feeding.  This was especially helpful when entertaining a rambunctious toddler while feeding the baby.

There are many other feeding products out there that will make it easier for you to give your baby nutritious food easily while out on the town. The Nuby Nibbler is a great way to introduce your little one to pieces of fresh fruit, and I even used them with a cube of frozen breastmilk to ease sore gums during teething.  The handle is easy to grasp, and the colors are fun.  My only complaint is that the nets can be hard to clean.

If your baby is a new to solids or just a messy eater, try the Sassy Baby Food Nurser while away from home.  It allows your baby to eat cereal or stage 1 foods through a nipple, making it hands-free and avoiding a messy face and bib.  Another solution for messy eaters are disposable bibs.  They come in fun designs, have a pocket to catch falling food, and are much better than packing up dirty bibs to bring home.

What are your favorites tips for feeding baby on the go?

My family loves to vacation, and I am always on the lookout for smart and cute travel products.  At a recent event in NYC, I was introduced to BubbleBum and buggyguard, and I can’t wait to use them!

BubbleBum is an inflatable car booster seat that folds up small enough to put in your bag.  This makes it a perfect solution for vacations, carpool, and taxis.  They also fit 3 across in the back seat, which most booster seats do not.  It meets all US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, only weighs 1lb., inflates and deflates easily.  An added bonus? It comes packed in a plastic cylinder that my toddler has been using as a drum for days.

The buggyguard is an adorable animal-shaped stroller lock.  Strollers are a big investment,  but you shouldn’t have to worry about it when you are at an amusement park, running into a restaurant, or parking it at the playground.  One of our strollers was stolen last summer, and at the time, it wasn’t even the cost of the stroller that upset me- it was having to carry the baby and all our stuff all the way back without it!  I can also see myself using this to secure my diaper bag to the stroller when I want to leave it behind, but don’t want to worry about it disappearing.

Do you have a creative travel product or tip to share?

**DIAPERBUDS NEWS!

DiaperBuds is a contestant in the Get On The Shelf contest.  Please take a moment to follow the link and vote for us!

Both BabiesRUs.com and Diapers.com are having HUGE sales on DiaperBuds.  It is a great time to stock up for spring!