Resort Vacation Must-Haves for Babies or Toddlers under 2

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that our first family vacation was a bit of a mess. We ended up in Bahamas at the same time as a hurricane. Thankfully, we were in a part of the island that just got a lot of rain and crazy wind... but it honestly could have been so much worse. I don't mean to be overdramatic but I low-key feel traumatized by it. Thankfully, we got home safe and sound.

I am doing to toot my own horn. I did an AMAZING job figuring out what to pack for the baby. That I even OVER packed. I am also so thankful for all the moms I connected with before my trip to figure out what items I should bring for Ava.

My Quick Thoughts Baby-Led Weaning

Starting your baby on solid foods is somehow both fun and daunting. Solids is a huge stage in their development and a sign that you're doing everything right, but it's also stressful. 

• When are you supposed to do it? 
• How much do you give? 
• What is the best way? 
• How can you make easy on your baby?

Four Tips for Travel with a Baby 1 Year Old or Under to Prevent Heat Exhaustion

In September, we went our first family vacation. It was a mess. Two words: Bahamas & Hurricane. I did an amazing job at making sure my baby was cared for when the rain subsided and the sun was OUT! Man it was hot! A bearable hot but the type of hot that would be exhausting for a baby or infant.

The last thing I wanted was ANY heat-related illness- for all of us. Thankfully all those tips that i researched when Ava was a few months-old we're so helpful.

FYI - all of this is pretty self explanatory BUT you wouldn’t believe how easy it is to forget about the simple things when your away from home. 

SPF Is your friend

Please don’t forget to pack this in your suitcase. A lot of people feel like just because they have melanin that they don’t need sunscreen. That’s a complete lie! Wear it! A cool perk from my hotel was that they offered sunscreen to guests on the beach. I should add that there are kid-friendly options as well! On top of that - keep your little ones head fully covered. I had a few bucket hats that I rotated for Ava.

Bottles: Glass vs. Plastic Pro vs. Con

I remember back 20 years ago when glass bottles were the norm. Yes I’m that old. We started Ava on plastic and silicone based bottles... which I don’t regret but there are a few benefits to glass bottles that we have observed in the past few months.

Thank you to Dr. Browns they gifted us Options Glass Wide-Neck starter set!

Not sure if you seen these in-stores but they feature an anti-colic vent system. If you have a baby who takes in a lot of air or gas. You totally need a paced flow! These help reduce feeding issues, helps digestion and also helps to preserve vitamins. I'm thankful that they added nipples for 9+ months for Ava Rose. I waited until baby girl was at least 10 months before I introduced these bottles because I wasn’t sure of the weight and overall sentiment that she would have towards them. 

She does so well with them! I wish I started earlier.

Checked in Luggage: Beauty

This is the first time that I actually didn't pack a lot for a beach vacation... I had to share my suitcase with a cute 1 year old (so I wasn't upset). One thing I wasn't playing with was my skin care. I had my skin care make up a situation all sorted out *hair flip*.