TRAVEL GUIDE WITH YOUR TODDLER

OUR FIRST FAMILY TRAVEL

We went very excited during our Christmas holiday last year 2017 December. My husband and I are very scared to travel with Laia even in Amsterdam or Paris which are very near to us. But then our original plan was changed going to Germany and see the Christmas Market there. We were invited to go to Meribel, France. The part of skiing area and we have discovered that it was the biggest skiing spot in the world. You can find out the entire list here and they are number 1 Biggest Ski Areas. Since we are very excited to travel, I have packed with good amount of listing of needs for us not be cold and for Laia to be ready on anything that could happen on the road and during the stay.

LITTLE PREPARATIONS

PREPARE FOR THE COLD It was very easy to find thermal clothes in Decathlon and Uniqlo. We have enjoyed our shopping and it made us so excited to prepare everything before we go. We bought the following for us to be warm and dry:

Thermal Leggings for the 3 of us (Marlon did not want to wear any leggings but the cold made him, hahaha)
Thermal Tops
Boots (I have recovered a pair of UGG boots from my friend Carla and It was really warm and Marlon have received a pretty warm working boots from England when he had his Landrover competition November. So basically we only bought for Laia. )
Extra outdoor tops, which are all warm and an overall combination for Laia
New Jacket for Marlon because he had been using an old one and the jacket that he had was pretty old and not warm.
EAT ON A BUDGET Even the picnic on the road because believe me highway stops can be expensive. So brought with us the following:

Water
Fruits and Yogurt
Some Chips because we really don’t want to eat chips with Laia
Sandwiches for lunch
We also bought the dinner that we are going to eat for 2 nights and Christmas eve:
Spaghetti for the first night
Raclette for the Christmas Eve
Fondue Fromage for the last night dinner

BABY NEEDS

Of course, we have the diaper and tons of it and extra clothes for her that we have placed in an accessible bag when we need it. And the following more:

Biscuits and Yogurt
Her pacifier
Facial Tissues
Medicines
Perdolan
Neurofen
Thermometer
Diaper Cream
Nesivine (in case she will have a runny nose
Nail Cutter for she grows her nails very fast.
Extra wipe clothes or lampin
La Roche Posay lotion that only works for the skin of Laia
Toiletries (also for Papa and Mama)
Bath Towels (Which we haven’t really use because Carla and Aldrin have provided it for us)
And finally our Christmas presents

THE ROAD TRIP

STOPOVERS ARE NEEDED FOR TODDLERS

It was an 8-hour drive if we did not have to stop for 2-3 hours because staying on a maxicosi too long for the baby is not advisable. The first hours are okay, but approaching the height of the road going up made Laia sick and she threw up. It was stressful but knowing that I do have all the things she needs like extra everything. I did not panic. It was just she is really tired and she wants some hug.

BRING SOME BABY BALM OR TRAVEL BEFORE MEDICINE

What went wrong here? I used to be the very throwing up kid when I was a little girl and I did not even think about the same with my daughter. Do not give me the judging look because I am a learning Mom. Haha! Since we did not have anything, we bought a set of medicine for her for our going back to Belgium trip. And voila, she was a happy baby going back home.

MAKE A LIST

This helped me a lot all the time with everything. With travelling, I put on a spreadsheet with the colour combination of each category. I am happy to be an organising which I have started with my pregnancy days and hospital preparation. Make a list of everything you have to bring, think about twice if things are needed to go or not. Leave things aren’t essential for you. Then decide smart, you’ll get more space in your car and easy travelling experience. Of course, you are not perfect as I am, I did and I can forget things. What really helps me a lot until with my parenting is reading a lot of experience parents, joining forums and learning from others.

THE VACATION

We have really enjoyed the place, it was amazing covered with all winter snow. The cottage where we are staying is very cute and warm. We have received a warm welcome to the people who invited us and their boss is an amazing family to accommodate us for our Christmas trip. We did climb up to the ski area with cable car going up. And it was spectacular, it was bitterly cold but the view is so nice, isn’t it:

Up there are Marlon and Laia enjoying the sunny day. We are happy to have our sunglasses otherwise it is not nice to our eyes directly with the sun. I have enjoyed sliding down the snow it was a different feeling. We are thankful to pass time with Carla and Aldrin during this holiday season. The light during the night is very beautiful. There are also luxury activities to do but we are not up on doing it like a private warm swimming pool in a hotel, massage and relaxation. You can find a lot of things to do on their website.

We have also enjoyed our sleep and stay inside the little cottage we had. It was cosy and no wifi connected 4G is for some reason cut out. We have enjoyed quality time together with friends. It was a heartfelt vacation.

THE WONDER OF TOYS

Going back made it easy for us to travel and we have everything that we need for Laia we followed the advice from the pharmacy and Carla gave me a baby balm that made Laia comfortably sleeping. We really don’t want her to be using smartphones but the 12-hour ride pushed us to the limit of doing so. After that, she knows that it can’t be for every day. I opt to buy a small monitor tv not really iPad just to have a travelling companion with you kid. We have a lot of toys with us. Here is Laia enjoying her Peppa Pig program:

At the end of the day, we want to have more adventures. We said that we can! Marlon enjoys driving, but we prefer to ride a plane next time. We are continuously going in and out of town like visiting my in-laws at the seaside.We can say that YES, we have learned and we can manage better travelling guide for our little family! Next stop? The Philippines, which includes 16-18-hour plane ride. Stopover? We will see with the preparation we’d going to have. Stay in touch with our family adventures near or far!

***I found other helpful tips from another Mommy, Helen of Mom Bureau https://www.mombureau.com

Travelling With Little Kids: Simple Tips To Make Life Easier