- 1. Slumber Pod
My biggest regret with this product is not having it the minute Joshua was born. This is- and forever will be- my favorite item ever purchased for travel. IT IS GOLD folks. The slumber pod is an item that is put over the crib/toddler bed/playpen for complete black out. It is incredible light, fits in it’s included 1 ft x 4 in travel bag (so so small!), and takes less than 5 mins to set up from start to finish. It is 100 % breathable, has a great zipper door-like entrance for easy access to baby, and even a little hole for a baby monitor camera. We bring this with us to countries far away, and even to friends houses next door. We never ever have to worry about light, Joshua seeing movement, or more importantly seeing us. The second we put him here he’s so comfortable and ready to sleep. I cannot recommend this product enough and with our next baby even plan on using it in our home when he does naps in different rooms of the house. This was the best $150 I spent in a long long time and i recommend it to you 100 times over.
2. Dock-a-Tot
We’ve had the Dock-a-Tot since before Joshua was even born and he still uses it every single day now at over 2 years old. I can talk about this product for days but in summary this item gives me two things- a familiar comfortable place for Joshua to sleep in for both nights and naps where ver we are, and also peace of mind. Whether he’s in the nursery, on the living room couch, at a friends house, plane, or even a different country, the dock-a-tot is his common safe place. I feel this is so important because it plays a big role in him not being scared or overwhelmed with new surroundings. As a parent it’s great because I always know he is sleeping somewhere safe, clean, and comfortable. I had so many fears being a first time mom and I love that I did- I was careful, I constantly did research, I made every single decision consciously and I kept my baby safe. This 100% breathable Dock-a-Tot is the reason I wasn’t up half the night wondering if he turned or if he could still breath. It held him snug, kept him from hitting his head on the crib or putting his arms through the holes, and he absolutely loves it! I recommend this to all mama’s and it’s always the gift we give to our friends at their baby shower. A must have!
3. Travel Stroller (Mima Zigi)
A travel stroller is such a great investment for people living in a Urban area, a smaller home/condo, or that travel a lot. It is incredibly light weight, easy to push (literally glides with the push of a finger), packs up very small (even into the overhead compartment), and has a ton of accessories – bassinets, diaper bags, cup holder, bar, winter foot muffs, etc. I love this stroller for all those reasons and since we got it Joshua prefers it over our full size stroller on a daily basis. It’s such a great investment and if I could go back in time I would have purchased only a travel stroller and skipped the big bulky one. With this being said we have gone through four different travel strollers and tried three more in stores. In my personal opinion there is nothing comparable to Mima Zigi on the market right now. In comparison, ever other travel stroller we’ve tried feels like a cheaper umbrella stroller OR if it is designed well it really does not pack up small as a travel stroller should. When he leaned- the stroller fell over on its side (so scary!), the wheels got stuck EVERYWHERE, it was difficult to close, and didn’t have any accessories let alone storage space. This is just to say that travel strollers are so so great BUT you have to be cautious and try out the stroller before you buy. The last thing I would want for you is to be stuck with 3 strollers like we are, that don’t work well.
This baby carrier differs than the ones we had previously because it has a hard baby seat like feature at the bottom. You can wear it rear and forward facing, on your back, and also solo with just the bottom seat. This has helped me a lot because the weight becomes almost non existent. This product is so self explanatory and so great for both moms and dads. We use this a ton during our travels and have loved it!
5. Hatch Rest
We bring this sound machine with us whenever we travel so that both Mathieu and I could continue hanging out or working when Joshua is sleeping. It’s my favorite because it’s light weight and is completely controlled via an app on your cell phone. It has multiple sounds, lights, and even programs for you. We’ve had this since Joshua was born and love its capability and sleek simple design.
That’s it- these are my 5 ESSENTIALS when we travel. It makes our stay so much easier and our little babe so happy!
Leave a Reply