Magnificent & Manageable Travel with Children

The brand new year is right around the corner. I’m not usually one for intense resolutions, as I like to stick to the more practical, manageable and reasonable goals that are somewhat easy to implement. Our family is ever changing and with that our lifestyle does as well. Jack and Zoe are becoming more and more independent every day, and as much as those bittersweet feelings intensify as I watch them mature, it is remarkable to experience the ways that our family dynamics change as well. Beau is incredibly energetic and sensitive, he is always busy moving or talking and needs someone or something at all times. Evvie is also experiencing and getting used to her place in this world and experimenting with her actions vs. our reactions; Messes and destruction everywhere and anywhere. She is curious and enjoying every minute of the freedom that walking has brought to her world. As parents moving around this home and these children in formation similar to the infinity symbol, life is a constant raceway and it demands structure, schedule and variation.

My goal for 2016 is to budget our finances prioritizing two things: the eventual purchase of our own home and land, and more travel for the entire family (not necessarily in that order). Through all of these changes that our children are experiencing both personally and as it relates to our family dynamic, we seem to all thrive on new experiences. We went skiing for the first time as a family a couple of months ago, and it may have been the greatest weekend we’ve ever had. It was cold and there wasn’t much snow, it was logistically confusing and often complicated, there were a few arguments and some restless edginess, but overall we learned how to be in new situations, learning new things as a family and we all felt the value of that. The kids learned how to ski! They were confident and proud of themselves and those feelings were pervasive throughout the whole family. Half of the battle planning a trip with the children is managing simple logistics; Making a list of the necessities that make travel easier and more comfortable for all of us. The older the big kids get, the smaller their things get and easier for them to manage on their own. For Beau and Evvie being four and 15 months old respectively, they still need help with their own physical selves, and that would be concerning if we didn’t have staples built into our everyday routine that make excellent travel utilities as well. I’ve used the Ergobaby carrier with each child, beginning when Jack was a baby nearly 9 years ago, and we’ve had an Orbit Baby Stroller System for 4 years and counting. The ease of everyday use from our daily lives in Manhattan, to flying with the stroller and gate checking it countless times without nary a single issue, to our lives now which involves storing it in the trunk of our car for every day use in the suburbs.

When I think about our experiences as a family over the entirety of 2015, there are a few that stand out especially; Our experience taking the kids to Disney World, then to Disneyland (lucky us indeed, both times were work related), to Lake Tahoe a few times in the summer and winter, and to Los Angeles a couple of times. As much ground and air space we covered traveling, the experiences themselves were everything we expected and more; Adventurous, exhausting, and educational in all different ways. We bonded as a family through the rigors of travel and the wonder of new places and situations, and even our marriage met new levels of triumph and tribulation. In each situation, it was such a relief to know that our basic needs traveling with two small children were met, more often that not utilizing the Orbit Baby Stroller system, particularly the infant seat, the kickboards that made a fun adventure for Beau in nearly every situation and the travel bag that the entire stroller fits into for airline travel. With Evvie easily transferred from car to stroller base, Beau was instantly thrilled with having his own place on the stroller as well. Trips to the grocery store, to Target, the Mall, downtown running quick errands, and even the marathon that is making our way through an amusement park was so much easier with the OrbitBaby stroller.

There aren’t many plans for travel in the works just yet for this New Year that is quickly approaching, but I feel confident and excited with the goal of adding in as much as we can logistically and financially fit into our plans as a family. There is a layer of confidence that comes with those big plans, attributing largely to knowing that the travel systems we have in place for our two youngest especially are not only dependable but also fun for the kids and easy enough for us as adults. There are very few products that I can say have withstood the test of time and circumstance and both the Ergobaby and Orbit Baby Stroller System fit that bill easily. To be able to say that as a parent is worth its weight in gold, in my humble opinion. I hope that this new year brings health, happiness and adventure to all of your lives.

Thrilled to announce Orbit is giving away a G3 Stroller on my Instagram account. Head over to enter!

US only, please. Winner should expect 4-6 weeks for delivery of prize. If prize is out of stock, Ergobaby/Orbit Baby reserves the right to substitute prize with equal value. Sweepstakes run from today until Thursday, December 31st at midnight. Winner will be announced on Instagram photo!