Tips & Tech To Survive Travel With Tots on GlobalBC

I was delighted to be in beautiful Vancouver, and a guest of GlobalBC’s Noon Newshour!

We all know about those surveys that say they’d rather us NOT travel with little ones, or be relegated to our own section of a plane… Well, I’m here to help you survive the journey with tips and tech that will hopefully keep baby so busy, most won’t even know there’s a babe in their midst!

As with most live TV spots, there wasn’t time to show everything, but here’s what was featured:

Vector 22 Carry-On by Osprey:
A good piece of luggage is essential. It needs to be lightweight, and have pockets to keep you organized but not so many that you can’t find anything. With a back pocket for laptop and tablet, plus a special pocket for the baggie of liquids, getting through security was a breeze.

Blackberry Playbook & Torch:
Never in my life would I have thought I’d let grubby little hands handle expensive gadgets, but the power of the tablet and smartphone is hard to refuse when you see just how quickly they can quiet little travelers. The Playbook is great because its petite size and light weight makes it easy for little hands to hold, and the HD picture is pretty impressive. Even the HD demo movie enthralled my toddler.

Motorola Xoom & Atrix:
The Xoom has the largest screen and the longest battery life of most tablets on the market, and the number of apps available for Android is  now over 100,000. The Atrix phone is essentially a hand-held computer, that can be plugged into a lapdock that turns it into a fully-functioning laptop.

Cute Headphones:
I wrote about these adorable toddler headphones a while back, because I think they’re great. Inexpensive, cute, adjustable, and external volume control means my kiddos are happy to wear them. And when kiddos are happy while traveling, everyone is!

Bottle Warmer:
Although I’m a huge proponent of having babies get used to room temperature food and bottles, there’s nothing quite like a warm bubba of milk to send a baby off to sleep. The Prince Lionheart On-The-Go Bottle Warmer provides instant heat at the push of a button – no batteries or electrical supply needed. It stays warm for hours and simply boil in water to reuse. It’s completely non-toxic.

Knot-It roll of bags:
This is a nifty little invention that ensures you always have a plastic bag to put laundry or yucky stuff in. Extra plastic bags seem to be the one thing I always forget, so popping this in your bag means you don’t have to worry about it.

Cubbie Cup:
It doesn’t fit in a cup holder, but for travel days it helps to keep everything contained. The Cubbie Cup offers a spill-proof way for your toddler to enjoy a drink and snack without managing a bunch of different containers.

Boon Squirt Spoon:
If your journey’s not too long, loading up the Squirt spoon helps keep mess to a minimum and leaves you with a hand free – necessary when you’re en route.

Bibagogo:
A nifty, wipeable bib with a pocket on the back that holds a spoon and washcloth.

Diaperbuds:
While more expensive than your usual diapers, Diaper Buds are worth the splurge for the bit of extra square footage in your carry-on bag.

Apps:

If your smartphone is anything like mine, most of your apps have been downloaded to keep your kids happy. Here are a few free ones that will make your life easier while you’re traveling with tots:

CAA TripTik Mobile:
Remember the paper TripTiks from your family road trips? Of course CAA has entered the 21st century and now all that information is in the palm of your hand. All the information is compatible with AAA as well, for your cross-border road trips.

Bravado Breastfeeding Friendly Locator:
Find local and international breastfeeding-friendly locations.

Nappy Station Location:
Find local and international locations to safely change your baby’s diaper in a welcoming environment.

Aloqa:
Recently purchased by Motorola, this app ties together location and social media, to show you preferred restaurants, and shops no matter where you are.

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