Happy Thanksgiving week! I’m looking forward to being with family, friends, reflecting, and eating some good food! No matter where you are this week, I hope you stay safe, travel safe, and enjoy the company of those around you.

My hubby and I have had a couple of weekends where we took short trips, and let me tell you, traveling with a baby is a whole new ball game. I mean, seriously, our car looks like it’s about to burst at the seams for such a tiny trip, but you wouldn’t believe all the stuff you need to haul when you have kiddos in tow.

If you’re planning to travel for the holidays with your kiddos, I’ve got you covered! Let me share my must-have items that will make your life so much easier. If you’re going to travel over Christmas, keep an eye out for any Black Friday deals and stock up!

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Depending on where you’re going, how long, and the current temperature, you’ll want to plan accordingly with clothes, necessary layers, and shoes. My hubby has been a major Adidas fan for so many years, so of course our favorite shoes for our son are these. HOW CUTE!!!

You’ll definitely want to pack diapers and wipes for the amount of time you’ll be gone, and some extras. There is nothing worse than having a diaper emergency in the car. Been there, done that. A LIFESAVER for us has also been to pack small, scented trash bags for those unpleasant little surprises.

Do NOT forget to pack snacks. Hangry babies are a whole other level of hangry. Make sure to pack baby bottles or sippy cups for water, juice, or milk. I love our travel bottle warmer, it makes the process so easy and doesn’t require a very long pit stop. Some of my son’s favorite snacks right now are yogurt melts, sliced cheese, and Cheerios. Make sure that you also pack any needed baby spoons and bibs.

Appropriate toys for the car are a special thing to consider. I’m sure you won’t want to bring every single musical toy that your child has, but you also don’t want your child to be bored. We have been packing a couple of stuffies (stuffed animals), a musical book, and my son’s favorite board book at the moment. Of course, a parent sitting in the back seat can provide ENDLESS hours of entertainment… because we’re hilarious LOL. Backstory: during my maternity leave, I watched copious amounts of GBBO. A couple of weeks ago, when we were on a trip, my son screamed for almost an hour. I had done everything I could think of to soothe him, but nothing was working. I had the random idea that maybe I could find the theme song to GBBO on YouTube and see how that worked. Found it. Instant calm. Wow…… However, I think I’ve created a monster because my hubby and I can’t listen to our preferred music anymore. Haha kids are hilarious!!

If you plan to stay somewhere overnight, there are a few items that have been so helpful to me and have helped my son sleep as if he were at home in his own bed. We all know that travel exhaustion is a real thing, and having the best sleep you can is vitally important for enjoying your travels. Babies and children require this even more, I think. My son has a mini-crib at home, and we love it! His little mattress folds up so easily and fits right into his playpen, so we’ve often taken both so that he feels like he’s sleeping in his crib. Make sure that you pack any sheets and blankets needed for the sleep space, as well. We use a sound machine at home and love being able to have one for travel as well. The sleep machine has helped our son (and myself) to sleep so well! Oh, and don’t forget a few pacis!!

And then of course, there are the larger items such as the stroller, travel highchair, or any other items that you find helpful. Whatever makes your life easier, do that! It may require some shape-shifting when you pack the car, but I think it’s better to be prepared and enjoy your travels than not have what you need and feel unprepared.

I hope that you find this helpful and maybe even find some things that you’ve been looking for. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season! It’s truly the best time of the year!