11 Must-Have Gadgets For Easy Travel With Toddlers

The post contains some affiliate links. Review my disclosure for more information.

In our house, we travel more than most. Afterall, we’re Americans living on the other side of the world and it takes us 23 hours to see our families. With two little kids, we try to stay on top of fun travel distractions. I’d like to share our 11 must-have gadgets for easy travel with toddlers.

Puzzles

Lacing Toy Puzzles

Ok, so for kids from about ages 2 to 4 these little wooden lacing toys keep kids fairly entertained for a bit. For long trips, even 30 minutes with happily entertained kiddos is a blessing. I like Loobani Wooden Toddler Lacing Toys. They’re eco-friendly and made with non-toxic paints. Plus, they’re little and pack easily. So, you’ve got an eco-friendly, non-toxic, easy-to-pack, educational toy for your kids. When your kids are happy and entertained, it makes travel with toddlers so much more enjoyable. It’s a win.

Magnetic Puzzles

Tangram Jigsaw Book

This year, our family discovered Wallxin 150 Magnetic Puzzle Tangram Jigsaw Book. Everyone in our family loves it! Our toddler loves to create her own designs and sometimes she tries to actually make a puzzle. The point, though, is that she loves playing with this “travel-only” game, and it’s magnetic so the pieces don’t really get lost (as long as she keeps them on the board). The best part is that she enjoys the game AND it’s pretty educational.

Teddy Bear Magnetic Puzzle Toy

We also found another magnet puzzle that we can’t wait to try on our next trip. This Teddy Bear Magnetic Puzzle Toy looks like my kids will love it. We save “travel” toys for travel so that they can look forward to the trip.

Traditional Puzzles

4-in-1 Puzzles

Usually, puzzles are a travel no-no for us, but then we found this Melissa & Doug Dinosaur 4-in-1 Wooden Jigsaw with Storage. We love this puzzle set because all of the pieces have fit inside of the box, and the lid acts as a surface for putting puzzles together. So our kids can play from their carseats and they (generally) don’t lose any of the pieces.

Melissa and Doug sell a bunch of different 4-in-1 puzzles. These are a hit in our home. You can hunt around Amazon to find the right puzzle for your family.

Tetris Puzzles

For even your rowdiest toddlers, this USATDD Wooden Tetrix Puzzle is fun for toddlers and adults. Our kids love it because the pieces are colorful and there really is no wrong answer. The pieces are different shapes. They’re fun to bite, and they’re super bright friendly toddler-friendly colors. Plus when mom and dad play with them, it’s THAT much more fun. It makes for nice family time on a long trip.

Travel Art!

Ok, so I’m one of those parents who always finds a way to make each and every activity “learning time.” Luckily for me, I think my kids are too young to know that all parents don’t do this to their kids. But when it came to picking out a coloring book, this Toddler Coloring Book: Numbers Colors Shapes: Preschool Prep, Activity Book made me so happy.

We use this coloring book to identify numbers, shapes, and letters. We work on our colors. It’s fun for them and when I sprinkle in a few stealth “educational” questions, they’re working on foundational skills. Fun for the kiddos AND educational, which make it fun for parents. What could be a boring screen-filled trip, becomes a series of fun learning experiences. It’s a win-win.

Electronics

Ok, parents, when all else fails there are electronics. Kids, like adults, get bored and tired of traveling after a few hours. So, to spice up the trip and add a little diversity, we always keep a few electronics in the activity cycle. Here are our favorite electronic travel companions.

Kid Edition Amazon Fire HD.

My kids LOVE this thing. We can download Amazon movies and TV shoes. There are educational and fun apps that my kids adore. When you’re in an enclosed space with little kids, it’s nice to have fun things to keep them happy. This Kid Edition Amazon Fire (with the kid-proof case) keeps things quiet and happy when we’re traveling. It’s a favorite for long flights and long car trips.

iPad.

Now, we didn’t buy an iPad for our kids, but we do have iPads. We’ve downloaded a bunch of kid-friendly fun apps that our kids enjoy and when we add them in our travel activity circulation, they are a fun distraction from travel, especially when they get bored or tired of being in the same place for so long (14-hour flights with two kids under 4). You work with whatever you’ve got, and the iPad has been a lifesaver at times.

Kiddo headphones.

Whether your kids are watching the kid-friendly flight provided movie, playing with kid edition Amazon Fire HD or playing an app on the iPad, having headphones that fit over your kids’ ears (not earbuds) is a must. Before I had this little epiphany, I think I put the earbuds back into a child’s ears one million times in the span of thirty minutes. These are a must-have, sanity saver. You’re welcome.

Favorite Kid-Friendly Apps

Apps, I could probably write a whole blog post on my favorite apps for travel with toddlers and younger kids, and I may one day. For now, here are our favorite travel apps. They never get old, and they’re educational. My 3yro loves these apps and the 16 mo sits quietly and watches the 3yro play (amazing!). We literally have to pry the iPad away when iPad time is over.

Endless Reader

My 3yro new her alphabet but was having a hard time with all of the letters’ sounds. Enter Endless Reader. This app animates letters and words and will have your child repeated the sounds of letters in no time. They match letters and even learn sight words. Because of this app, my little one already has at least 20 site words memorized and recognizes them in storybooks, on billboards, and on street signs. When traveling with toddlers, you need a great app that will help them learn, keep them engaged, and keep the “I’m bored” conversations to the bare minimum. If your kid likes the free version to get extra words, you have to buy a bundle, but it’s worth it.

Endless Numbers or Endless 123

By the same creators of the Endless Reader App, Endless Numbers (aka: Endless 123) is just as amazing as its reading counterpart. This app helps your kid recognize numbers. Put numbers in sequence and it starts with basic math. It’s a great app and I’ve got a 3yro who can do basic addition and LOVES it. How great is that?

Final Thoughts

We have a ton more gadgets and tips for making travel with toddlers almost resembling a fun experience. It’s just that these 11 toys/gadgets are easy to pack, fun for play, educational, and our kids have enjoyed them. What great gadgets do you have to make travel with toddlers more fun?

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20 Life Hacks to Make A New Country Feel Like Home In 30 Days Or Less

By Nomad Mom

If you follow this blog, you know I write a lot about moms and mom issues. I’m a total mom advocate and a huge fan of moms creating at home income, but there’s another side of me. I’m an expat, and I didn’t just move once.

My husband and I move our two kids every two to three years to another part of the world. In fact, in the last 5 years, we’ve moved 8 times. Most recently, we moved to China with a two-year-old and a newborn (YIKES! is right. Welcome to my life.) So, if you’re about to make a big change, read this blog post. I’m going to share my moving secrets and today, I’m sharing 20 ways to make a new country feel like home in 30 days or less.

Let’s be honest.

Moving sucks! And while moving to a new country (or anywhere) can be exciting, it also requires a TON of rapid learning. You may have to learn to navigate in a new place not to mention where to get groceries and where to buy a new SIM card for your phone. Oh, and you may not be able to speak the language. And this is just the first day.

Before we dive into to these 20 tips, I make two assumptions. First, I’m going to assume you already have a new place to live. Otherwise, that’ll make getting comfy in your new country take a little longer. Second, I’m going to assume your new place is furnished with the essentials and you may or may not have shipped personal items.

Given those assumptions, let me share with you my 20 hacks to make your new country your new home in 30 days or less. In no particular order, they include:

1. Resist the urge to nap.

Jetlag is real and it can add a whole new level of drama to your transition, especially if you have kids. When you arrive in your new city, attempt to keep your (and the kids’) normal bedtime and napping schedule. Start how you’d like to continue. It’ll be hard at first, but your bodies will adjust to any time zone changes MUCH faster.

2. Reestablish Your Home Routine.

Get that routine going immediately. The sooner you know what to anticipate, the easier it’ll be to transition into ‘home mode’ and out of vacation mode.

3. Learn how to use local currency and understand its equivalence to your own.

I always have a problem with this. Don’t be like me. Research the currency changes ahead of your departure. Know what to expect and understand how much of the new currency equates to your home currency.

4. Buy a SIM Card/Get a Local Cell Phone.

Get connected. Makes exploring so much more fun, especially if you have Google Maps on your phone.

5. Set up an internet account for your home.

Home isn’t home without internet. I’m only exaggerating a tad…

6. Take a walk in a different direction from your house every day.

Go out and explore. Figure out what’s in your neighborhood, and you may even meet some new people.

7. Have daily family adventures.

Go somewhere new every day. One day, explore the nearest grocery store. The next day, you could find another store or pharmacy. Plan a day to find the nearest hospital is. Make it fun.

8. Take taxis for the first month instead of the bus or metro.

So this may be a tad pricey (depending on your exchange rate in your new country), but taking taxis is amazing. Taxi drivers know cities in a way few tourist ever learn. Taking taxis for a few weeks helps you learn shortcuts to your favorite places and you’re likely to spot new places you want to check out. It’s a great way to help you mentally map the city.

9. Explore a few grocery stores.

Try a new one every week. Grocery stores and fresh air markets are always exciting. Prices, quality, and convenience can vary greatly. So go get to know your options.

10. Research Local Expat Clubs/Associations & Go to An Event.

Don’t wait to feel “settled” to find the expat community. Feeling “settled” may not happen for a while, but meeting new friends to help you navigate this new place will go along way to help this new country feel like home.

11. Attend a place of worship.

If you have a religion, cool. If you don’t have a religion, that’s cool too. Find a place of worship. You don’t have to have a religion to go to a place of worship. You just have to believe in something greater than yourself. Going to a place of worship opens you up to join a community of people. If you’re the same religion, you automatically have a commonality. If you’re not the same religion (or any religion), you have an opportunity to learn something new. Remember, learning does not mean accepting or embracing. It just means learning. Just be honest and be yourself. You may make a new friend.

12. Tour schools if kids are school-aged.

Get the kiddos in school! Tour a couple and have a list of non-negotiables, before you start touring, to make sure your kids are in the best possible environment.

13. Open a local bank account and deposit money.

This is a biggie in some countries. Having a bank account opens you up to be able to do transfer funds into the account without having to carry cash all the time.

14. Take language classes.

I bet you thought I forgot. Get your hind parts into a language class, go find a tutor (or both). No doing Rosetta Stone alone at home is not enough. You need to interact with people and have someone help you with your pronunciation. You gotta start living in the language.

15. Find favorite foods.

Find local equivalents to make your family’s favorite dishes.

16. Try Local Dishes.

Go out to a local restaurant at least once a week and try some local dishes

17. Hang out at parks and talk to people.

This works particularly well if you have small kids or a dog. Parks are teeming with people and its easy to strike up a conversation.

18. Join an expat club.

Nope, it doesn’t really matter what club it is as long as you have a passing interest, and it’s not going to land you in jail.

19. Say Yes.

Be open. Say yes to invitations when you want to say no. Say yes to trying new things when you want to run in the opposite direction. You’ll be a better person because of it and you may make a new connection.

20. Phone home.

Determine how you’re going to stay in touch with your home country. Popular options are Skype, Magic Jack, Vonage, FaceTime, WeChat, or Whatsapp.

Final Thoughts

When you move, it can be tempting to flounder for a bit and to feel uprooted and unsettled. With these 20 life hacks, you’ll have your choice of activities to do and new things to experience. In no time, your new country will feel like home in 30 days or less.

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20 Ultimate Family Travel Gifts For 2017

By Nomad Mom

The post contains some affiliate links. Review my disclosure for more information.

Whether your family only travels during the holidays OR your family seemingly has gypsy blood, having the right tools for your family’s travel is essential for a happy holiday. Our family travels ALOT. Our kids have both taken multiple cross-Pacific flights in their short little lifetimes. So we know a little something about family travel. From our family to yours, here’s what we consider to be the 20 Ultimate Travel Gifts for Families.

If you’re planning holiday travel this year, you might find early an early Christmas present on this list to make your flight, road trip, or train ride, a little more civil.

Family Gifts for Everyone’s Use

These are gifts that everyone will benefit from using. They are the ultimate family travel essentials.

Adapters + Converters

If your family likes to take trips abroad, having power adapters and converters is key. For unknown reasons the plugs all over the world are different. The US has one type. The UK another. Europe still has another and all of Asia, India, Australia, New Zealand can be different. To add to the confusion, the voltages are also different. So not only do you need an adaptor but you may also need a converter. If you travel frequently, all of the adapting and converting can be a constant headache. Save yourself a headache and buy a universal adapter and a converter. These automatically change to whatever country you’re in. It’s pretty genius, actually.

1. Univeral Power Adapter

This adapter just helps you adapt the plug to fit your device. It does not do any power converting.

2. Power Converter and Adapter Combo

This is an adapter and a converter combination. It adapts to whatever region you’re in and it helps you convert the power voltage so you don’t fry your devices. Don’t ever use blowdryers or other high wattage devices in this, and just be careful. Killing your laptop on the first night of your stay in a new country is a big buzz kill.

Buy it now on Amazon.

3. Luggage Scale

Family packing for air travel can be a bit chaotic. And overweight luggage fees can set you back $50 to $200. Having a handy, light, easy-to-pack luggage scale can save you hundreds in excess luggage fees. If you travel individually or with your family, even once in a blue moon, this is a handy little tool to keep in your toolbag.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

4. Packing Cubes

I doubt I’m the only person who likes to keep a neat suitcase and know where everything is without digging through everything and creating a chaotic mess.

Enter these packing cubes. With this 4-piece set, you can use a cube for undies, one for pants, one for shirts, and one for toiletries. That’s how I pack for myself and the kids. It makes hunting for clothes a breeze, and it could keep you from overpacking. Plus, these packing cubes come with a little laundry bag. So when you get home, you just dump the dirty clothes in the wash. Easy travel.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

5. Luggage Locks

This is new to me. Since the September 11th attacks in the US changed our sense of security and consquently the face of airline travel forever, I really never thought to lock my luggage. But I’ve been increasingly seeing locked suitcases on the baggage claim carousels. Curious, I thought I’d check it out. Evidently, you can still lock your luggage when you fly. (Gasp! I know, crazy!)

To lock your bags, you need TSA recognized (or approved) locks. So, locking your luggage still comes with a certain amount of risk. Namely, TSA may need to enter your bag. If you don’t use these TSA approved locks, your lock will be cut off. However, with the TSA approved locks, TSA has skeleton keys that unlock them.

The good news is: if you really want to lock your luggage, you can. The increasingly bad news (from my perspective), is first if you’re running late for a flight and TSA needs to enter your bag, the process of unlocking your bag, searching it, and then relocking it, could be the few seconds you needed to make sure your bag makes your flight. Second, if you’re traveling internationally with multiple stops, I just wouldn’t do it.

As you can tell, I’m not a luggage locker but if you are, these are the type of locks you need.

Buy Them Now On Amazon.

6. Travel Pillow

I have a love-hate relationship with travel pillows. In my family, having four travel pillows is a bit of a hassel. Even when you fly alone, hauling a travel pillow is a bit of a pain. That said, I love the comfort a travel pillow offers during a flight or in the car.

I recently found the Travelrest. It fully deflates. So it folds down really small and inflates into a tube that you can comfortably sleep against. What’s even better is that, since it’s inflatable, you can control the firmness and softness of your pillow. Did I mention that you can deflate it?

Ok, so I haven’t tried this, but it’s on my list of travel goodies to try this next year. If you get around to trying it first, let me know how it works for you.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

7. Passport Holder

I never realized how important a passport holder was until my husband told me people have RFID handheld scanners that skim and copy your passport and some credit cards fitted with an RFID chip. Some of these RFID scanners have been known to skim your name, passport number, and country of origin and in some cases, these scanners have been able to steal entire credit card numbers.

Due to our frequent travel, out of precaution, we got RFID sleeves for our passports. This ACdream Leather Passport Holder with stylus, serves multiple purposes. It holds and protects your passports, credit cards, boarding passes, and it contains a pen. It’s a good buy.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

Gifts for Parents Traveling With Kiddos

No matter how much you prepare, traveling with kids is never the same as traveling without kids. But you can still find a little peace when you travel with your kiddos without overpacking, never getting a quiet moment, or feeling like a petri dish of travel germs. Parents, this list is for you.

8. Light Weight Packable Backpack

When you have kids, be they young or order, it’s always a great idea to have a little first aid, a few snacks, and maybe a bottle or two of water. Plus, I always travel with a few Clorox wipes, but that’s just me (I may be slightly OCD). The problem with backpacks is that it’s not easy to pack them. So you end up carrying it on the flight, even if you’d rather take another carry-on bag.

This ZOMAKE backpack is perfect for anyone who likes to have a backpack at the destination but doesn’t want to haul it around during their travel. It’s foldable and packs down into a small little pouch that squishes into your suitcase. I love it, and it comes in all of these great colors.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

9. Noise-Canceling Headphones

Before kids, I only used noise-canceling headphones to drown out the sound of other people’s kids. Now, I use them to take a break from travel (and to drown out other people’s children). My husband and I take turns getting a little “me-time” during a long trip to take a nap, zone out, or just go to the bathroom uninterrupted.

During my breaks, I use my noise-canceling headphones to decompress. I don’t suggest you wear them to drown out the sounds of your own kids (however much you may want to), but once you get them settled, these headphones are nice to create a quiet space for yourself.

Buy Them Now On Amazon.

10. A Kindle

Ok, so there are a ton of choices for e-readers. All of them are excellent, but (in my opinion) the Kindle is the superior e-reader. I know you could get Kindle for ipad or a Nook, but none of them can do what the Kindle can do.

I have Kindle on my iPad, but when I really just want to sit down and read a good book, I pick up my actual Kindle because there are no distractions. It’s just like reading a book (but it’s thinner, lighter, and there are no pages). The backlight makes it easy to read in the sun, and this new Oasis Kindle has automatic backlight adjustments, which allows it to adjust the backlight to your environment’s natural light, giving your eyes an opportunity to rest.

Buy It Now On Amazon

11. Travel Toiletry Kit (for women)

Whatever your mode of transportation, traveling can make you feel a bit grimy. Being in any place for 14-hours is rough. I love this little toiletry kid though. It has everything you need freshen up when you arrive at your destination AND to last you for a few days of your trip.

Generally, I take the liquid items (toothpaste, body wash, one lotion, etc) and stuff them in a clear ziplock bad to get through security screening. I keep a toothbrush, the deodorant, and the facial cleansing cloths in my carry on. Everything else generally goes in my checked baggage. Seriously though, it feels so amazing to brush my teeth, wash my face, and reapply deodorant before I greet the world at my next destination.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

12. Toiletry Kit for Men.

Dads also need to feel fresh. Traveling can make you feel depleted and worse than that, you could stink. Ha! And generally, once you reach your destination you either meet with family or friends or you’re taking a taxi to check into a hotel. You’re going to interact with people. Why feel (and smell) like you’ve just traveled for a full day? This kit has more than you’d ever need for a short trip.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

13. Digital Photo Frame

This gift is for the family that travels extensively OR families who travel extensively or just live really far from extended family could give this gift to their relatives. It’s a great way to keep family and friends current on all of your family’s adventures.

What I love about this frame is that it’s wifi compatible, and it syncs with a free online photo storage system that allows you share up to 10GB on photos. It’s the perfect gift for families and friends spread out all over the world.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

14. Clip-On Cell Phone Macro Lens

So for as much traveling as my family does, we don’t ever travel with a camera. Crazy right? We use our smartphones to take pictures. This little smartphone accessory bundle works with iPhones (what we have), but it’s supposed to also work on Android phones.

It’s easy to pack. It helps you take more “professional” looking photos, and it’s a lot cheaper than keeping up with all of the cameras out there. The only negative about this bundle is that the LED lighting doesn’t work with the iPhone 8 because there’s no earphone jack. But for the price and the ease of use, it’s still worth it.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

For Young Travelers

Traveling with kids doesn’t have to be sooo stressful. It’s always going to be slightly stressful but you can minimize your stress level by keeping them entertained and keeping the germs at bay (as much as possible).

15. Washable Markers and Travel Pad

This is a cute little marker set for creating and coloring on-the-go. The markers are washable (with a bit of scrubbing) off of little hands. When it comes to planning activities during long trips, this market and free draw paper set, when coupled with a coloring book, will buy a few minutes of happy silence from your youngest travelers.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

16. Magnetic Puzzles

My 3-year-old LOVES these puzzles! There are seven magnets and a little book of puzzles to create with your seven magnets. My husband and I have literally spent an hour playing puzzles with our daughter. She really enjoyed it. At three, she’s not quite old enough to do the puzzles on her own, but we use the game to practice identifying shapes and colors. We work on big, bigger, and biggest, and we get to create cool pictures with our daugther—even our one-year-old likes to play with the pieces and watch us put the puzzles together. This is the perfect family travel game.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

17. Best Kids’ Tablet

There are a bazillion tables on the market, so feel free to choose any of those. We love the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition. Our daughter can access her favorite pre-downloaded shoes, movies, and games. She has her own little headphones (gift idea # 19), and as long as she likes the movie, she can be a happy little camper for about an hour.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

18. Toilet Liners

I absolutely hate public toilets (Remember: I mentioned the whole OCD thing earlier… ) I never thought I’d hate public toilets more, but then I had potty trained kids (even the one year goes #2 on the potty…I’m proud). Why do kids hold on to toilets? It’s so gross. I really dislike it. So, when I found these toilet liners I think I said a little prayer of gratitude and did a happy dance. These liners cover the toilet and have a little over hang so that when your little one inevitably puts their hands on the toilet, they don’t touch the toilet. (Do you hear the angels or is it just me?)

Buy Them Now On Amazon.

19. Headphones for Kids

I learned the hard way that little kids can’t use earbuds. Most probably know this intuitively. I didn’t. But after the 100th time, I was asked to fix the earbuds, I had learned this lesson. Kids need headphones. You know, the kind that fit over their little ears. We like these.

Buy Them On Now Amazon.

20. Kid Travel Backpack

We like to make traveling fun for our kids. To be fun, they have to be involved. So, we let them pack cheap replaceable things in their little backpacks. They put coloring books, crayons, or markers in their backpacks. Sometimes we let them put their tablet in there if we’re about to board our flights. But they don’t carry anything heavy or irreplaceable.

Generally, their dad or I hold onto their lovey and other little important articles that would end the world, if lost.

Our kids like their little backpacks. Their backpacks are about this size and have about the same amount of space.

Buy It Now On Amazon.

If you’re a frequent traveling family, a friend or relative of a highly mobile family, whether they’re in the military and move frequently; the family take frequent road trips, or travels internationally on vacation or with a parent’s work… these items are essentials in our travel arsenal. I hope they help you with your family travel.

If I missed a great product this year, leave a comment with a link and I’ll try it out to include next year.

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10 Easy Tips For Fun Family Travel

By Nomad Mom

Being The Nomad Mom is not easy. Traveling and moving around with kids and family takes a lot of planning, patience, and a knack for goodbyes. One of the perks of being the nomad mom is that I’ve learned how to make family travel a fun and memorable experience.

So I’m sharing my top 10 easy tips for fun family travel. Whether it’s a road trip, 48 hours in a new city, or a 14-hour international plane ride, family travel can be fun. Here’s how you make fun out of potential chaos.

My 10 Easy Tips For Fun Family Travel

1. Schedule your travel time.

We used to think of travel as a set event, and we’d think we just needed to survive the 14-hour flight or the 4-hour car ride. After several chaotic energy zapping trips that left us and our kids miserable, we realized there must be a better way. And there is! We needed to schedule our travel time. This one little epiphany has saved our family’s sanity.

2. Plan your accommodations wisely

No matter how old your kids are, sharing a hotel room with them is no fun. Dare I say, it may ruin a vacation—for them and for you. So, to keep the fun in family travel, I suggest that you plan your accommodations very wisely. We tend to like to book AirBnB homes for our vacations. We have two little kids so we reserve at least a two-bedroom apartment or house. Interestingly, it usually cost us less to rent a private apartment/house than to reserve a hotel suite.

3. Keep Activities Time + Age Appropriate

So this is probably a no-brainer for some people, but it wasn’t for us. In the off chance, someone else didn’t get the memo, I’ll share our family travel moment. Take the duration of your activities and the ages of your kids into account. Keep naptimes and bedtimes in consideration. This is the deal. Little kids (even the big ones) don’t always understand vacation. The opportunity to see new things, eat different foods, and skip naps or have later bedtimes is initially exciting (but can be kinda hard) for kids.

So just remember to plan your family travel activities with your kids’ preferences and schedules in mind. This may put a bit of a damper on your travel fun, but it’ll keep your kids happy.

4. Take Breaks

Vacations are meant for exploring, learning, having family fun, and relaxing. Don’t forget the relaxation part. All of the exploring, learning, merrymaking will be lost and forgotten if you forget to take breaks and just relax. Every day, plan some downtime. Whether you have older kids and they want some time to explore a certain place on their own or you have little kids who need a nap, take breaks. You may not see everything on this vacation but when you return home, you won’t need a vacation to recover from the one you just took.

5. Let kids pack a small bag

It’s hard being a little kid. Think about life from your kid’s perspective. Parents plan everything, and they never really get an opportunity voice their little opinions. And I get it, giving kids too much of an opinion could have you vacationing in the clouds above the Magic Kingdom eating rainbow ice cream and only wearing matching Mickey Mouse t-shirts.

Still, giving kids (of all ages) an opportunity to make small choices will help them feel like they’ve had an opportunity to contribute their ideas to the trip. So, let them pack a small bag for themselves of their favorite parent-approved (airport + TSA authorized) things. You may even want to get their input on your family’s daily activities, but I’ll leave that to you. Our three-year-old enjoyed deciding where we ate for lunch (once we narrowed down the choice to 2 or 3 places of course).

6. Introduce new foods sparingly

Ok, some parents may not be into new foods. That’s a whole different blog post. I’m assuming

here that if you’re into traveling, you’re probably also into tasting (at least devouring at best) the local cuisine. Between me and you, I’m a devourer. I love food! Check out these chicken feet my husband and I tried with our dim sum in Hong Kong… see picture (right).

The thing is this. You never know what food(s) may not agree with your stomach. If you’re like me, hardly anything ever effects you. Other people I know, will get sick regardless fo how careful they are.

When you’re traveling as a family (and with kids), be cautious about what and how often you introduce new and unusual foods. Sure, most tummy bugs clear up within 24-48 hours but I can tell you from experience, it’s no fun when your family is sick with a tummy bug AND you’re away from home.

7. Ask kids (even young ones) for input into activities

This kind of ties into #5 Let Kids Pack A Small Bag. Giving your kids input into what you do as a family and where you go makes everyone feel good. The trick is to limit their choices. So if it’s a pick for where to go for lunch, you can limit the geographical area to one street or you can limit the choice to two different restaurants.

Parents do the heavy lifting. You pick the price point of the restaurants, the location, the timing for your meal. You let the kids pick between your already selected options. For example, in Hong Kong, our three-year-old picked between dim sum at the hotel and dim sum at one restaurant. In Hawaii, our then two-year-old chose between burgers and burritos.

This also works with activities. Beach or pool? Take a walk on the beach or take a stroll around a new shopping center? Go to this museum or that museum? You get the picture. If you have more than one kid, let them take turns picking. The point is, always choose before you let them choose. Everyone will be happier.

8. Research stroller accessibility in advance

This was a huge AHA for our family. Not all museums/buildings/amusement parks allow strollers. And even if they allow them, sometimes they restrict the number of strollers or the size of the stroller you’re permitted to use.

It’s not cool to find this out after you’ve already arrived with your kids and your stroller. Don’t be like my family. Do your research.

All of these locations have websites or Facebook Pages. Just do the research. If you can’t be a stroller, you can always throw a baby carrier on your back to haul your beautiful children when they inevitably get tired of walking.

9. Carry A Change of Clothes for Everyone

Yea, we learned this lesson during a short layover in Bejing as we waited for our delayed flight home. I went to take my son to change his diaper only to find out that had ….let’s call it….runny tummy, and not only had he ruined his outfit but he’d ruined my sweater and my coat. As a good mommy, I had a change of clothes for the baby. But I didn’t have a change of clothes for myself.

As it happened, right after I changed the diaper, our flight began to board. So my family and I ran to our gate as I reeked of our runny tummy poop. I was so embarrassed and couldn’t imagine flying home in these smelly clothes.

I travel with Clorox wipes. So, after we got seated on our flight, I took my coat and cleaned it with Clorox wipes. I then draped it over my shoulders and proceeded to ever so discreetly remove my sweater until I only had on a tank top. I closed my now non-smelly coat and put my stinky sweater in a plastic bag deep in my carry on bag.

My lesson is now to ALWAYS carry a change of clothes for everyone in my family. It’s a bit of pain, but it helps keeps our travel fun. I no longer worry about outfits being ruined or baggage being lost. Less mama stress means more fun.

10. Set a travel budget

This is a no-brainer to some people, but it took us a while to figure this one out. Now, remember, you also want to have fun and budgets are distinctly un-fun. Here’s the deal though, debt is also un-fun.

When you start planning your trip, make a budget for your accommodations, food, and travel expenses. Plan for experiences, gifts, and accidents.

Family travel can be fun and these 10 easy tips will help you handle your travel logistics, give everyone a voice, and try new things without sacrificing any of the fun.

What’s your best family travel tip?

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10 Simple International Travel Packing Tips For Kids

By Nomad Mom

POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

My husband and I have traveled extensively with both kids (ages 1 and 3) on very long (LONG) haul flights. Recently, we did a trip with our (then) 10-month-old, and 2.5-year old from China to Hawaii. It was about 10 hours of flying time and 16 hours of travel time. We’ve also flown from the east coast of the United States to China with two kids under 2 (about 24 hours of travel time). We’ve had some experiences, but as the kids get older, traveling becomes more fun. Here are 10 simple travel packing tips for kids to survive long haul flights.

Pack Light

This may seem counter intuitive, but you and your partner can only carry so much AND manage not to lose your little people.

How do you pack light for children? Well, It takes practice. The first few times we traveled with both kids we overdid it. We didn’t have the stuff we needed, and we had too much of what we didn’t need.

Now, I pack one outfit for each day of our trip for both kids. Then I add two extra outfits. One outfit goes in our carry on and the second extra outfit gets packed in the checked luggage.

Don’t pack toys. They take up too much room and the kids won’t touch them. They’re boring and will ultimately end up lost or broken.

A word about diapers, pull-ups, and kids undies: take enough diapers for the flight and the first full day. Plan to buy diapers when you reach your destination. If your toddler is potty-trained, opt for a pull-up on the flight— just in case— and take two pairs of undies for each day of the trip and one pull-up for each night (if needed). We also take a packet of kiddy toilet liners.

Name A Passport Keeper

Either you or your partner need to agree to hold the passports. Long flights with kids are exhausting. So, having a designated holder of the passports is a must. Make sure you agree (in advance) where you’ll hold the passports. In the case of an emergency, both parents should know where the passports are at-all-times because losing your passports 10 minutes before landing is CRAZY. (Ask me how I know.) But only one parent needs to be responsible for them.

To make things even simpler, this person can also fill out the customs forms for the family. That way, after you’ve traveled for umpteen gazillion hours with the kids, you’ll know exactly who has the passports, where they’re being kept, and who will complete the customs forms when you land at your destination.

Take Snacks + Eat Wisely

So, airplane food is pretty miserable (If you fly first or business class, skip this section). We’ve flown business class with our two munchkins in the past, but we won’t do it again. Flying business class is “supposed” to be relaxing. Flying with two little kids is never quite relaxing so it’s kind of a waste of money to fly anything but economy (maybe upgrade to economy plus), but I’ve gone off on a tangent.

Airplane food is bad. It’s microwaved and full of salt or sugar. Try not to eat it. When you’re traveling for long periods of time you generally become dehydrated and extra salt and sugar will only make the dehydration and sluggishness worse.

We take a little cooler with us on our flights with snacks. Remember, we’re Americans living in Asia. So, our flights are typically anywhere from 6 to 14 hours long. Remember. Snack and Hydrate.

You can read see a list of travel snacks I’ve tried or will try on Pinterest. Just follow my board on NomadMomLife: Kid Travel Snacks on Pinterest. I’m always adding snacks to this list.

Typically, I also take sliced fruit and veggies, but you must finish it before the flight lands (or you’ll waste it.). Boiled eggs are great so are egg muffins with a little meat. We use this little freezer bag and everything stays fresh for 12-hours.

Buy + Drink Water

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s not. Long haul flights, even short flights, don’t offer the conveniences they used to offer. Getting a small bottle of water every 2 to 3 hours isn’t enough water for a child let alone an adult.

Becoming dehydrated will make you crave sweets. Eating sweets will cause your kids to be even more “lively” than they usually are, and they’ll make you sluggish and sleepy. Energetic kids and exhausted parents is a bad combo.

So avoid sweets: sodas, juices, bread, cookies, and all of the “good stuff” and opt for lots of water. Once you get through security and clear customs, buy large bottles of water for your family.

A quick rant about plastic water bottles. I don’t like plastic water bottles. I think they’re ruining our planet and our bodies. They’re not biodegradable and people use them regularly instead of buying reusable water bottles. Plus, I can only imagine what kinds of plastic chemicals leak into the water from the bottle.

Now, here’s a BIG caveat. When you’re traveling, especially internationally, plastic water bottles are your friends. Buying big ones will keep your family hydrated for the duration of your trip, and when you reach your destination, you can use that water until you figure out which water is safe to drink.

Allow TV Time

In our house, our kids don’t watch much TV. We try to keep them active and engaged with toys books, games or outings. Try, being the operative word.

On flights, the TV rules get tossed out the window. If you’ve ever tried to keep a 2-year-old and an almost one-year-old from driving everyone (including themselves) nuts on a 14-hour flight, you will know that TV is your friend.

I download favorite movies and shows on the kid tablet. We use this one because it’s pretty indestructible, which is helpful with kids. We have kid headphones. If you have a child under 5, make sure you have old school headphones that fit over the head. You don’t want to have a situation where your kiddo needs you to keep putting the earbuds back in her ears, every 10 minutes.

Don’t get me wrong, you can use the TV as a last resort, but allow yourself to admit defeat and turn on the TV or tablet. It’s ok.

Just remember, when all else fails, there is TV. Allow it. It will not permanently scar your child and it will spare your nerves to fight another battle, especially if you have a layover. And it will save the sanity of everyone on the plane with you. Trust me.

Add Structure

I hate to admit to defeat on fights with kids. So, I like to structure our flights, or at least I attempt to structure the flights.

I always have a new book or two for the kids, some new crayons and coloring books, an activity book for our 3-year-old to work on her letters and numbers. I give the one-year-old little snacks to play with so he can work on his pinchers. We also will walk him around the plane a little or look out the window together. There are also apps in the iTunes store for little ones. So, we may play an app activity while the 3-year-old works on her numbers, letters, and reading skills.

So in terms of activities, there’s story time, coloring time, activity time, walking time, bathroom (or diaper change) time, time to watch a show or a movie, nap time.

I find that my kids enjoy activities. Sitting still for 14 hours will drive adults crazy. Kids just don’t have a filter. So, keeping them occupied and always changing the activity is great.

I always make sure I have at least 1 (maybe 2) new coloring books and some new crayons. I also make sure we have our school activity book, a few downloaded favorite movies/tv shows, and a couple of apps to entertain the baby.

Pack the Perfect Carry-On for Flights with Kids

The perfect carry-on luggage is not over packed AND it has all of the essentials you need for you and your family. Here is a list of items we consider must haves. For the full detail, check out How to Pack the Perfect Carry-On for Flights with Kids.

First aid items. Pack a small see-through Ziploc-sized bag with child and adult pain relievers, an anti-histamine, hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial ointment, and Band-Aids.
Snacks. We pack our snacks in a small lunchbox sized cooler with sliced fruit, veggies, and peanut butter. I also try out Pinterest recipes.
Change of clothes. Make sure mom and dad have at least a change of shirt and both kids have a change of top and bottom.
Diapers/Pullups/Undies: We bring an extra pull-up or pair of undies— in case of emergencies, and we pack enough diapers to last us the duration of the flight plus two extra. Usually about 5-6 diapers.
Anti-Bacterial Wipes. Since we have young kids, I wipe the trays and the armrests.
Kid Tablet. Load the tablet with at least 4 TV shows and 2 movies. Also, make sure you have kid friendly headphones.
Kid Activities: One or two thin books, Coloring book, crayons, kid-friendly apps, activity book with dry erase marker and one easily packable magnetic game.

Plan Breaks With Your Partner

So, traveling with kids can be exhausting but it can also be a time to make positive memories with your kids. Part of the “positive” memory requires both parents to keep their cool and be patient. To do that, you need to make sure both adults (hopefully you’re traveling with two adults), get breaks.

My husband and I have learned that we both can’t be ON for 14-hour flights. It’s exhausting and we end up short fused and frustrated. The solution has been to break the flight up into a flexible schedule. For instance, on a 10-hour flight, we’ll agree to both be ON for the first 2 hours to get the kids settled and the last 2 hours to prepare for landing and handling antsy kiddos. The remaining 6 hours can be shared between us.

To make sure EACH parent gets at least 2 solid hours of quiet time, we do bathroom breaks and diaper changes first. That way, the kids are (generally) contained and each adult can have a nap or watch a movie relatively uninterrupted.

Take Advantage of Layovers

If you have a layover and you’re not rushed, create an opportunity for the kids to expend some energy and run around a bit.

To minimize being annoying to other travelers, we like to find a quiet corner in a lounge or at a gate. We create a game that requires running and giggling and just let the kids be kids.

They may be exhausted. It’s ok. We’d rather they run around in the airport than try to run on the plane. With any luck, they’ll fall asleep on the next flight.

Bring Trash bags for Dirty Clothes

As travel hacks go, this is super easy. It’s also extraordinarily helpful. Pack at least two (or three) trash bags in your carry on. They can be folded very small and they won’t take much room at all.

It’s a great way to keep things tidy and in the off chance someone has an accident (think bodily functions or food avalanche), there’s a place to put the dirty clothes until you can deal with them.

Believe me. There’s nothing worse than having no place to put dirty clothes when you’re traveling. The ones with the order blockers are super lovely. You’re welcome.

Traveling with kids doesn’t have to be hard. These 10 simple international travel packing tips for kids will help you save your sanity and (perhaps) have a little fun on your next long-haul flight.

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How To Start A Photography Business

By Nomad Mom

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

I got my first EVER question! Todays’ question comes from a young photographer, we’ll call her “E” from Nigeria who has not been working due to the cost of materials AND the high competition where she lives. She’s asked a two-part question. First, “E” wants to know how to start a photography business without much capital. Second, she wants to know how she can sell her photos, specifically she asked about exporting the photos.

How to Start a Photography Business

So to answer “E’s” questions, I had to get some help. I’m not a photographer, and I know next to nothing about photography businesses. So, Marisol Farda, a freelance photographer and graphic designer based in Arlington, Texas, volunteered to shine some light on the topic for us (pun intended). You can find Marisol on Instagram at MarisolFarda. Here are the questions I asked our expert.

Q: What are the bare minimum tools?

A: DSLR camera with a lens and photography education.

Since “E” is already trained as a photographer, I figured we just need to find her a camera. So, let’s figure out what camera is best to get started.

Q: What is the best most cost-effective photography equipment?

A: Marisol, suggested that the most cost-efficient equipment to get started for a photography business is an entry-level DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) Camera. A brand new entry-level DSLR with kit lens will cost around $500. She recommended spending a little bit more money on a used mid-level DSLR or entry-level full-frame camera with a higher quality lens.

A used mid-level camera body will start anywhere between $200-$300 and the prices will increase depending on the quality of equipment. A used full-frame camera will start anywhere from $600-$800 and once again, the prices will increase depending on the quality of equipment.

The cost for lenses varies greatly depending on the type of lens and its features. Both Adorama and B&H sells used camera equipment and both are very reputable companies.

After reading Marisol’s response, I took a look on Amazon, and found used cameras and new DSLR cameras at various price points. To add to Marisol’s answer, I would guess you’d also need a laptop, some photo editing software, like Photoshop or InDesign, and possibly a lighting kit.

This is where my discussion with Marisol ended, but “E” had more questions. Let’s look at some of her less technical questions about competition and potentially exporting her images.

Q: How to succeed in a highly competitive environment?

*Edited to include new information.

A: Ok, so this is a tough question to answer. You guys know that I’m pretty adamant that moms need to start businesses online.

Establish Your Audience*

I say this a lot in my 5-Day Dream Biz Challenge, but you need to pinpoint your audience. So, my first response to this question is that you need to niche yourself down. The one detail your content needs is a clear audience because you can’t sell everything to everyone. Survey your local and national marketplace and look online. Determine what types of photography established photographers are creating.

What is their niche?
What is their perceived clientele?
Where is their pricing fit in the photography market? Are they high, average priced, or on the lower side of the spectrum?

Now figure out where you want to be.

What kind of pictures do you want to take? Who do you want to work with? How much do you want to charge?

Set Up A Unique Business Model*

Being The Nomad Mom and all, I’m a pretty huge fan of online businesses. But however you choose to set up your business model, make sure it’s unique.

For instance, my family hires a photographer every few years to take family photos. Given our lifestyle, we don’t ask for proofs. We don’t want prints. We generally just want a CD of our ALL of our photos: the good, bad, and out-takes.

Many photography businesses aren’t set up for that. They make money on the proofs. When we just pay our sitting fee and for the cost of the CD, it’s not the ideal for them.

If you take this real-life example and use it to identify other potentially unique client needs, you can create a business model that answers their problems and gives them an experience they’ll really love. There are a ton of options.

From a traditional standpoint: You could run a traditional brick and mortar photography shop OR you could work on location only. I’m not diving into these options because at Nomad Mom Life, we’re building nomad lifestyles and online businesses.

For online business purposes, you could set up a stock photo site where you take amazing photos and develop an online marketplace to sell your images.

There are several a million bajillion stock photo sites out there. My favorite new stock photography sites are CreateHER Stock and Colorstock. These are two relatively new (or at least new to me) stock photography sites specifying in pictures portraying women of color, professionally and leisurely.

You can also sell your images to stock photo sites. To learn how to sell your photos quickly, this is a great article that lists 10 Awesome Sites To Sell Photos Online.

Setting up an online marketplace to sell your photography allows you both to work as a professional photographer and export your work all over the world.

Q: How to sell photos online without a 3rd party?

A: So, ya’ll know I’m not super technical, but I can use Google. Uncle Google suggested the following two e-commerce platforms: Shopify and Easy Digital Downloads

WPBeginner has a fantastic overview of the different e-commerce sites. You can read their review here.

As for tutorials on how to set the whole thing up, once you choose a platform, that platform will most likely have videos and instructions on how to set things up. Speaking as a very non-techy person, I set up my blog and several other plug-ins. There will be a learning curve, but it’s doable.

Most platforms also have support pages where you can find answers to common questions and post your own questions if they haven’t already been asked and answered. But when all else fails, Youtube has a wealth of how-to videos on everything under the sun.

Q: Is there a cheaper way to start?

A: Probably. You can always do things cheaper. Here’s an article on How To Sell Stock Photos From Your Smartphone.

Starting a photography business WILL require an initial investment. In my opinion, it’s probably best to either take a small loan (personal credit or a business line of credit) OR a wiser (albeit slower) course of action is to start saving a little money each month to invest in your business at some later date.

For anyone interested in starting a location independent photography business, I hope this helps frame your expectations of what equipment, tools, and resources you’re going to need.

Are you a mom that secretly wants to start her own business? Join the 5-Day Dream Biz Challenge.

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