Clio Palmperfect Electric Shaver

My kids let me shower in peace for about 3 minutes before all heck breaks loose! That doesn't leave much time to shave. I love that the palmperfect shaver can be used wet OR dry, because now I'm not confined to shaving during my 3 minute shower.The palmperfect shaver is incredibly easy and fast to use. The smooth and ergonomic shape makes it comfortable to hold, and easy to shave all those hard-to-reach places. No more cuts or nicks - just soft, bare skin! 

You can find the Clio palmperfect electric shaver on their website and follow their Instagram Account! 

Wash. It. Later.

"The only solution for soaking clothing on the go!"

Matt always teases me for packing so much gear for vacations, day trips, or when we go on a walk around the neighborhood. But, when the kids spilled red gatorade on his shirt while we were boating, he was very happy I brought along the soak & save bags from Wash. It. Later. These bags are perfect for any outing - big or small! 

When you're out and about and someone spills a hard-to-remove substance, the bags can immediately get to work on those pesky stains. If you're on a day trip and a garment gets dirty, add the clothing to a 'soak & save bag' so you won't have to worry about treating it as soon as you get home. Or, bring these bags along on vacation so a stain doesn't set in before you can return home and treat it.  

Wash. It. Later. was created by Hannah, her husband, and her sister-in-law. Hannah is a mom of two and created the Soak & Save bags because she's been there... too many times! Kids are messy, dirty, and sticky, but now there's a way to prevent messy clothes from ruining an outing. Kids or no kids, these bags are great for treating stains away from home!

 Each box contains 3 'soak & save bags' that couldn't be easier to use! I love that the bags are fully recyclable and each contain 1 hypoallergenic soaking pod. They're about the same size as a grocery bag, and will take up hardly any room in your purse or diaper bag.  I am very impressed with how strong the adhesive is; you won't have to worry about them leaking at all!

You can find the Soak & Save bags on their website and follow their story on their instagram page @washitlater!   These will be a staple in our summer adventure bag! 

Birthday Boating

We don't usually make a big deal out of my birthday, but I turned 30 yesterday and really wanted to do something special! Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite places in the whole world! We decided to rent a boat and spend the day on the lake. My parents came along to celebrate with us (and drive the boat)! I couldn't believe how great the kids were; they loved it and were completely entertained the whole time!

Traveling With Toddlers!

Forced family fun in Ephesus, Turkey

We're gearing up for our first international trip with both kids! We've traveled to Europe, and Asia with Camden, but Brayden has never been out of the country. Some may say not to travel with toddlers because they won't remember the trip or appreciate the experience as much as they should. True. They probably won't remember the trip. But, guess who will remember the trip? ME! And, I like having my kids with me. 

As I was getting ready to make my packing list, and gather packing essentials, I remembered some of the mistakes me made traveling overseas with Camden, and some of the things that worked really well!

Filling a water bottle with rocks and sand in Rhodes, Greece

Slow Down:

 This is probably the #1 thing to remember when traveling with kids: slow down! Go with the flow, chill out, and don't over book yourself! If your kids are really interested in something, follow suit! It will be a much more enjoyable vacation if you aren't spending the whole time trying to hurry the kids along. They might even notice and appreciate all the things you walked right passed. It can be frustrating, but sometimes you can't expect your kids to do everything on your itineraries. Keep them in mind while planning your vacation! 

Sleeping in his stroller in Athens, Greece

Don't Mess with Sleep:
Nothing is more miserable than an overly-tired, cranky toddler! It's wonderful if your child will nap in a baby carrier or stroller! Mine will nap on the go, but only if they're exhausted. The naps are never quite as long, or quite as peaceful, though. If that afternoon nap really interferes with your itinerary for the day and the nap on-the-go didn't work out as planned, make sure you get your little ones to bed earlier at night. You can't expect them to miss naps, get to bed late, wake up early to get going, and still be perfectly happy. It doesn't work at home, it definitely won't work traveling! Provide time for them to make up for lost sleep or take advantage of the early risers, and plan your activities in the morning!



Bring On the Screens:
We try very hard to limit screen time at home! My boys know when they have screen time built into their schedule, and we rarely veer from that. When we're traveling, we encourage the kids to still play and explore, but when we're on a long plane flight, we'll do anything just to get through it as smoothly as possible. Don't feel bad if your kids play on a tablet for hours, the other passengers will be very happy! We love our Amazon Fire Kids tablets because we can download tons and tons of books to read together! That way, they aren't solely watching shows on the tablets.  


Eating spaghetti in Rome, Italy

Full Tummy, Happy Toddler:  
Eating out, and buying snacks gets really expensive really quickly! I can't stress this enough: order food your kids will eat! If they won't eat spinach at home, they aren't going to eat it on a vacation. It's more important for them to have full, happy tummies than to engage in a power battle over food. 

 I like to pack snacks in plastic containers, because it isn't going to go over well if their goldfish crackers are smashed to smithereens.  The food containers may take up some precious packing space, but they'll stack up nicely for the return flight home. You can't typically carry fresh produce into another country, but you can bring a lot of other snacks! Some of my toddlers favorite travel snacks are: gold fish, pretzels, plain bread, mandarin orange cups, applesauce pouches, fruit snacks, fruit leather, beef jerky, granola bars, Teddy Grahams, olive cups, and dried fruit. 

Cuddle & Connect: 
Traveling can be really overwhelming for adults and kids! It can be difficult when everything feels so different: eating new food, sleeping in a new place, etc. If you can keep some of the routines that you have at home, that can be really comforting. If you always bathe the kids, and read them a special book before bed, make sure to do that while traveling too! Connecting with your kids through the crazy can help them feel much more settled!

Your Secret Weapons:
When my kids have lost it, and nothing I do seems to help, I like to pull out the big guns. The secret stash of special snacks or brand new toys that will eradicate any memory of why they're so upset. Lolly pops, M&M's, chocolate covered raisins, new Hot Wheels cars still in their packaging... all the good stuff!


Happy as can be in Rome, Italy

Don't Say Cheese:
I know you want the perfect family picture to remember the vacation, but you don't need 10,000 pictures. A few posed pictures is plenty! I am so guilty of pulling out my phone every time I'm enjoying something. I urge you to live in the moment, put your camera down, and enjoy what you're doing instead! Or, at least take pictures of your family enjoying the moment instead of forcing them to smile at the camera!

Good luck, & Happy Traveling!