Maple Alps

Mama Buys

20+ Must-Haves for Traveling with Babies and Toddlers

Travel, Parenthood, Mama BuysAmanda Walter | Maple AlpsComment

While having babies didn’t stop us from traveling and seeing new places, it did shift how we did it. So much fun can be had while traveling with little ones, but there are some extra considerations to mind. One major thing is how you pack. Let’s face it: babies and toddlers require much more gear than we do. Even choosing the most versatile and minimalistic gear has us packing so much more than we were used to. Here are some of the best products we’ve tested (and loved!) in our travels so far!


This post contains affiliate links.


TLDR: Here is everything in this blog post in my Amazon Storefront!

Gear

Our Favorite Travel Stroller

We love this travel stroller mainly because it’s so compact! It fits in the overhead compartment in the plane, and we’ve taken it all over the world. It’s also easy to wash, which is essential.


Travel Play Yard

We try to find places with cribs to stay in, but when we can’t, this is a light and compact one. We actually use it at home too, so it gets a lot of use. (Get yours on Amazon here)

Slumberpod

We.Love.The.Slumberpod. It’s pretty pricey but SO worth it - especially when you cannot get separate sleeping areas for you and your babe. It’s almost 100% black-out (I went in there and couldn’t see anything), and you can put your monitor in the pocket (and even a fan!). Plus, it is extremely portable and fits in our suitcase without stealing too much room. (Get yours on Amazon here)

Portable Harness Seat

This has been perfect when no high chairs are available, and it fits right into our diaper bag. It fits on most dining chairs and is also easy to wash. (Get yours on Amazon here)

Car Seat Bags for Airplane Travel

We’ve tested a couple of car seat bags, and these are the best so far! The best feature is that it folds up into its own little bag for when they’re not in use. (Get yours on Amazon here)

Portable Sound Machine

A great thing to have on the go. This one is rechargeable and can hang anywhere. (Get yours on Amazon here)

Travel First Aid Kit

A must, especially when your little one is still a little wobbly on their feet. Features adorable bandaids as a plus and is seriously so well stocked that the adults get to use it too. (Get yours on Amazon here)

Stroller Fan

I haven’t left the house on hot summer days without this fan! It can attach to a lot - the stroller, the crib, the car seat…it’s fantastic. (Get yours on Amazon here)

Baby Carrier

I’ve mentioned some baby carriers before. I love the Solly Wrap because it fits in the diaper bag and is easy to pull out, and this Ergo is great, too - especially on hikes. (Get yours on Amazon here)

Folding Baby Sling Bath

If you still have a little, this is AMAZING. It fits right in your suitcase (seriously, so so small!) and is perfect to use in a bathtub or shower, or even large sink, if they can’t sit up yet. I can’t recommend this enough! (Get yours on Amazon here)

Postpartum Essentials for Recovery

Pregnancy, Mama BuysAmanda Walter | Maple AlpsComment

Postpartum. Even though I found many resources, I realized no one I knew personally ever talked about this time. Everyone focuses on the baby and its needs when first entering the world, but I had no clue what to expect for myself in that fourth trimester. When it finally came, some aspects surprised me, and some I had mentally prepared for based on the lists of things that one is recommended to have in stock. 

It’s easy to focus on the baby’s needs when first entering the world, but it is equally important to prepare for those first weeks after birth concerning your care. I’ve been thinking back on this time lately as I prepare to welcome our second baby very soon! Here are some things that can help you during your recovery.

Affiliate links are used in this post


For down there




For the Girls




Extras for you



What kinds of things did you find useful in your postpartum recovery?

 

Ten Baby Products We Use Every Day

Mama BuysAmanda Walter | Maple AlpsComment

Having a tiny human can be extremely daunting. When we first found out we were expecting, I already knew in my mind that I truly wanted the bare minimum amount of things possible. I searched for the most minimalist and versatile products out there that we could use and incorporate into our new normal. 


To be honest, I hated every second of research. I thought I would be excited about looking at baby things, but it was not the case. I got so sick of reading about baby gear and clothes and all the things people claimed we would need. I got tired of researching the best prices. I grew weary of reading reviews and consumer reports. It was all just so exhausting to me. 


I did, finally, get to a point where I felt pretty good about the choices we made for the newborn stage (and beyond - since we were thinking ahead as much as possible), and now that that stage is over [insert crying over my growing baby], I’m sharing my top ten must-haves!

(You can see more must-haves in my Amazon storefront here!)


Of course, this list is my list. Based on our needs. It is also not an exhaustive list; there are items we use every day that didn’t make this list because they’re so striaght-forward, like bodysuits, etc. There will definitely be some who disagree or don’t relate because their daily lives and setups look different than ours. So take it with a grain of salt. Just know, though, that I always only suggest things I personally recommend, so while there are some affiliate links, be assured I use and trust the products!


This blog post contains affiliate links

baby blanket and baby. Baby products that are worth every penny



Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair

I love this high chair. We got the newborn attachment so that Baby Z could be at the table with us, and I’m so glad we did! The price tag is higher, but I like that this chair will grow with her. Not to mention it looks fantastic and will blend in with our decor. Get yours from Amazon today.

Lovevery Play Gym

Another high price tag, but worth it. Baby Z loves this play gym, and it’s been so fun watching her skills improve daily. Now that she’s almost a year old, we’ve attached the tent, and it adds such a fun dimension to play. I see us continuing to get a lot of usage out of this item! Get yours from Amazon today.

Copper and Pearl Blanket

I love love love this blanket, and we use it every day. I’m going to buy another one. It was fantastic for swaddling, for covering the car seat, for laying on the floor - seriously everything. On top of that, it’s so soft and stretchy and so well made. Get yours from Amazon.

Boppy Pillow

This pillow gets so much hate, but honestly, I LOVE it. There are definitely mixed reviews out there, and everyone’s situation is different but I have used this every day since we brought our tiny human home. It has been so helpful for nursing and all kinds of propping (both me and the baby, hehe). I’ll mention that a lot of people prefer the My Brest Friend nursing pillow, but I haven’t tried it yet. Get yours from Amazon.

Burp Cloths/Muslin Cloths

These pieces of cloth get so much use, it’s insane. Spit-up, slobber, and all of the messes…these do the heavy lifting. Especially during those early nursing days, I was never far from them - and I couldn’t have too many. I will mention that I had a variety of kinds, and I liked the muslin ones best - personal preference. These are so great, and you can get them from Amazon.

Skip Hop Changing Pad

I opted for this one because it was a little cheaper than The peanut one and was still a wipeable option. It’s not as portable as the other would have been, but that hasn’t been an issue (and we are a year in). I am more of a station person than a “let’s change the baby anywhere in the house” person since we only have one. I’m sure that will change with a second, but I have no problem taking a wipeable one around. Baby Z also likes the mobile on it, though it is removable if you’d prefer not to have it on there. Get yours from Amazon!

Esembly Products

We cloth diaper this one with the complete Esembly baby system. It works incredibly well, and we love it! We are into the next size now. I plan on writing more about our cloth diapering experience soon! You can get Esembly on Amazon or directly from their website (try Esembly it for 15% off by using this referral link)

Frida Products

Namely the sucker and the windii. The peri bottle was also crazy helpful during the first six weeks postpartum. We’ve really used every item in this whole package and still do. Get this whole pack on Amazon!

Solly Baby Wrap

After hearing about the benefits, I decided early on that I wanted to babywear and I have so much love for this wrap. Seriously. It’s perfect when I need to be hands-free, but the baby needs to come with me. Great on walks too. It looks complicated and daunting, but once you get the tie down, it’s so easy to use - not to mention it packs away perfectly as well and doesn’t take up a lot of space like some soft carriers. I ended up buying two because I found I still needed to use them if they happened to be in the wash. Get it on Amazon or directly on their website. As Z has grown, I’ve also added their loop carrier to my collection, and I love the ease of it! I have a feeling I’ll love this even more when we add a second!

Muslin Bibs

We got so many bibs as gifts either in packs or ones that came with outfits, but bandana bibs were my absolute favorite - they looked the best, honestly, and these muslin ones especially were so soft and actually absorbent. So necessary for spit up and then later for teething, when drool is out of this world. I thought this ten pack would be a bit excessive, but definitely used all of them. Plus I love the neutral hues. Grab your pack on Amazon.

Bonus: Kibou Bag (you can now get limited colors on Amazon!)

I love, love, love this diaper bag! It’s crazy convenient and holds more than you would think. Plus, it isn’t bulky and obvious to carry around (and is nice looking, so my husband isn’t embarrassed carrying it around either!). Seriously worth every penny!



 

So there you have it. ten baby products we use and have used pretty much every day since becoming parents! Mamas, what are some things that you couldn’t live without?

 

My Favorite Pregnancy Products

Pregnancy, Mama BuysAmanda Walter | Maple AlpsComment

I know I kind of shocked everyone waiting till about ready to give birth before saying anything on the blog. To be honest, I couldn’t believe it for the longest time, and on top of that, I was recovering from some very stressful things in my life. The thought of shouting this announcement from the mountaintops did not excite me, in fact, it did the opposite. My sweet husband was gracious enough to allow me that privacy for a long time before we let it out on social media. 



All that being said, I really was pregnant the whole time! Today I just want to share some of the things that made [honestly, an easy] pregnancy even easier. 



This post contains affiliate links.

Morning Sickness Lozenges 

These lozenges (affiliate link) really helped me out during my first trimester. I didn’t have just morning sickness. I had all-day sickness and it was horrid. What made it worse was teaching all day with a mask on. I was miserable. These lozenges helped a sister out. 



Boppy Wedge Pillow

This thing was seriously a lifesaver. Sleeping was getting so difficult, and in the summer it was way too hot for me to imagine buying one of those giant pregnancy, or body, pillows. The main reason I opted for this, however, was because we traveled for six weeks over the summer and I needed something small, portable, and still effective. Well, let me tell you: this was worth every penny. And it didn’t even cost that many pennies. I found it on sale, bought it out of desperation for $11 and I’ve loved it since (grab yours on Amazon here). 



Maternity Leggings

Since I wear mostly high-waisted pants, I grew out of them pretty quickly. Maternity leggings were the best. I got a pair from Fabletics (here’s $40 off for you!) for walks and Pilates, and a few pairs from Target for in-between. I seriously lived in them. Still do. (This pair from Amazon are comfy too) I preferred the over-the-belly ones because I found that the ones that sit under the belly irritated my skin after a while.



Wireless Bra

Turns out your belly isn’t the only thing that grows when pregnant. During pregnancy, the body is going through so much change, inside and out, and comfort was really necessary for me. I struggled with the mental and physical aspects of all these changes. Anyway, this wireless bra (grab one from Amazon!) was sooo comfortable that I bought a few. And for a few bucks, it was totally worth it. Of course, if you want to save pennies (which I always do), grab this nursing version so you can use them comfortably postpartum too. Of course, things may change again, so it’s up to you.



The Bump App

This app was great. I used a few, but this was my favorite for easy-to-read articles, checklists, and other tools for pregnancy. Tracking the size and having an idea of what I should be doing was great. Maybe I’ll write a separate post about alllllll of the apps and websites I ended up using since there really were quite a few I would check every day. 



Babylist

Babylist was so helpful. We did not expect to have a baby shower, so I was really just using Babylist to help me stay organized and on top of making sure we had the basics that we needed. It was really helpful that we made a list when friends and family started asking for our registry, though!



Electric Heating Pad/Hot Water Bottle

This was especially helpful when the growing pains or back pains were unbearable. If you use this, of course, be careful and don’t put it directly on your skin! (get yourself one of these from Amazon)



Compression Socks

I thought this was the dumbest thing ever, but compression socks were perfect for me. The summer heat did not help the swelling situation, and compression socks provided relief. They were also fantastic when I was flying - they are perfect for the plane (get these cute ones on Amazon today!) Of course, for swelling, staying hydrated also helped!



Belly Butter

I guess theoretically I knew that my belly skin would stretch, but had no idea practically what that would look like or feel like. It was the strangest to me as I expanded that my belly button no longer existed. Anyway, all the stretching can be physically uncomfortable (think, itchy!). This belly butter really helped with any itchiness and aided with keeping my belly hydrated. That, and a loooot of water. It’s amazing how much more water I had to drink! I’m not saying that this was a miracle butter that prevented me from getting stretch marks, but I was grateful for the relief it provided.  



Bio-Oil

I’ve loved bio oil for years (get yours here), so it was natural that I would use it during pregnancy (and postpartum) as well. I used this when I wanted something a little lighter feeling than the body butter. 




Journal

You may already know that I have kept a journal for almost two decades now, and pregnancy was no exception. It was good to get my feelings out on the page, and I know I will enjoy looking back on the memories!

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Any mama friends out there have any favorite pregnancy products? Let me know in the comments!