The Itsabelly Blog

The Non-toxic Feeding Series Review - Part 3 - Cabo Trip & How the Foogo and Sigg Saved Our Travels with Baby

We just returned from our vacation in Cabo San Lucas and had a wonderful time but when traveling with baby I'm always going through a long list of things I need to make sure to pack.  One very important thing I make sure to have handy is the precious white liquid called milk.  Our 19 month old LOVES her milk!  I was also chatting with a friend about traveling with our babies and sharing different tips on how to make our travels easier.  She mentioned that Trader Joe's carries small milk cartons that don't need refrigeration so she takes these on the plane with her.  I thought that was a great idea as long as security decides to let you keep the cartons.  Personally, I haven't had a problem at all with carrying milk through but I've only traveled  within the US and MX so far with our toddler.  I wanted to offer some tips for parents wondering how they can have that precious white liquid on hand.

Special Notes About Travel to Cabo:  I decided to add this blurb in for those parents interested in learning more about what to expect when traveling to Cabo with their baby.  Cabo is an Americanized and modern town due to tons of tourism with lots of options for feeding your baby.  We fed Isabella milk which we bought on site at our resort in their general market.  We also ate at credible restaurants that offered rice, beans, chicken etc.  We even shopped at the local market and bought veggies and fruit which were fine.  Drinking bottled water with an American label or a local label that is credible (ask your hotel receptionist) is usually fine.  We had no problem.  We had a shuttle pick us up at the airport called Transcabo and they offer car seats for an extra charge.  Our car seat straps weren't working properly though so beware and if you're paranoid about this then bring your own and be prepared to carry it!  There were no laws enforcing car seats there and drivers didn't seem to care. We did share a shuttle to avoid the expensive cost and it was a bit of a bumpy ride sitting in the back of the van.  Note that there are two terminals in the Cabo airport which are about 1-2 miles away fr each other and walking with luggage and kids if you get dropped off at the wrong one is totally inconvenient - this happened to us!  So, make sure you ask the taxi or shuttle driver if the terminal you are dropped off at has your airline!

If you are traveling to Cabo and you want more tips from Itsabelly I'd be happy to help you.  So, just shoot me a comment through this blog entry or email me at info@itsa-belly.com and I'd be happy to share my experience and give you some valuable info to make your trip even more fun!

Here's what I do when traveling with milk:

• I take the Foogo sippy cup and fill it with milk.  The Foogo is insulated and keeps milk cold for several hours.  It's also a non-toxic container which is plus!  It also fits nicely in the side pocket of our backpack.
• I take a Sigg bottle and fill it with extra milk.  The Sigg is a non-toxic container as well! 
• Here's some Info on how long you can keep milk at room temp - It depends on the temperature that the milk is stored at. To be safe here are some general guidelines for time and temperature for milk:
  - At room temperature of 60 degrees F milk will stay safe for 24 hours.
  - At room temperature of 66-72 degrees F milk will stay safe for 10 hours.
  - At room temperature of 79 degrees F milk will stay safe for 4-6 hours.
  
• If for some reason security asks me to dump the milk I don't worry because I can also purchase milk from the coffee shops or cafes after passing through security.
• If for some reason you don't find a coffee shop or cafe to purchase milk you can always asks your flight attendant while she's serving your drink to give you a glass of milk.  Voila, you can fill your child's sippy cup with the precious white liquid!

These options should help you avoid bursting your ear drums from a screaming toddler who knows milk does her body good!  At least until her sippy cup is sucked dry again :)

Overall, from Itsabelly's review based on form, functionality and frugal-ness (is it worth the money I spent) we give Foogo and Sigg 4 out of 5 bellies (5 being excellent). 

A Great Travel Stroller by Mia Moda - Compact, Light and Easy Fold

A fellow mom asked me if I had any recommendations for a good travel stroller that she could take overseas.  She wanted to be able to fit it on the plane and be able to wheel it around on cobble stone streets.  I found the Mia Moda Cielo Stroller  through Baby Gadget and thought it looked like a great product.  I did a search for feedback from parents who have actually used it and only found one opinion posted.  Luckily, it was positive.  I don't think this product has been out long enough yet to generate much consumer feedback. 

My friend actually ended up buying it through Ebay for a better deal than through a retail store and she told me how light, compact and easy it was to fold.  It cost her over $100 not including shipping.  It also came with a carrying case that you could swing over your shoulder.  It received an award for innovation by JPMA in 2007.

The Cielo baby stroller is a traveler's dream. Folds with one hand in less than five seconds and fits comfortably into all kinds of spaces. The Cielo is the winner of the 2007 JPMA Innovation Award for its Unique Compact Fold!

For more pictures and feedback check out Baby Gadget

Traveling With a Toddler Internationally/Overseas - Making Your Vacation as Stress Free as Possible

I was recently speaking to a fellow mama about her first trip overseas to Brazil with her 16 month old toddler.  She had some great tips to share!  Below is what she recommends you must-have and don't need if you're traveling with a toddler, making your trip much easier!

 

Our goal for our 10 day trip to Brazil was to survive on two roller bags, a diaper bag, and a backpack.  Granted, we were going to a tropical destination, so we didn't have many clothes to pack for ourselves, but our main goal was to not check anything in.  We were traveling on buddy passes (always flying on standby), not knowing whether we (or our bags) would make the next flight, so we opted to travel light.  This was a good experiment in figuring out what you REALLY need to pack.

 

Here's what we did pack:

1) 60 diapers for the trip - we'd heard that the diapers in Brazil were horrible, so we opted to pack half of one of the roller bags full of diapers

2) Small cooler with two bottles of milk and snack box full of crackers, pretzels, fruit bars and cheerios

3) Two jars of baby food - I wish I had brought more, but we ended up buying more at a grocery store (more on baby food under "other tips"). Thankfully, Gerber is internationally distributed.

4) About 3-4 days worth of clothes for all of us

5) Cloth sling - surprisingly, the Moby Wrap can still handle a 25 lb. toddler, and is not as bulky as a framed backpack carrier and is obviously lighter than a stroller.  WAY awesome for containing a toddler who wants to run around the airport and into other people's luggage carts.  AND, our baby is into seeing everything at our level, so this was perfect for us.

6) DVD player (thanks Melissa!) - our daughter was very entertained by watching Little Mermaid, but if your baby isn't used to watching TV, it's DEFINITELY not a good thing to turn on before going to bed.  We were hoping she would fall asleep watching TV on the plane, but it just kept her up longer.

7) 4 books, rattle, beads, and cribbage board - for some reason, our baby LOVES playing with the pegs on a cribbage board, putting them in and out of the holes.  And then mom and dad got to play on the beach and at night.

8) Blanket and pacifiers - bring ANY AND ALL comfort items with you on vacation.  Absolute must-have.  And this is the one time of the year when all rules are thrown out the window - blankie and paci while you're walking around in the restaurant?  Sure!

 

Chicco Stroller Giveaway, 30 Strollers in 30 Days

Chicco, a popular brand of baby strollers is doing a great promotion where they are giving away 30 strollers in 30 days.  Five Minutes for Mom  a great blogging site for moms everywhere is also promoting the give away.  So, if you're in need of a stroller for your little one why not enter the contest....all it takes is a few minutes and you could win Chicco's Premier Stroller!  Cool deal!

Enter your name at Chicco through the link below:
Chicco Stroller Giveaway
Leave a comment on Five Minutes for Mom Blog site to be entered for a 2nd chance to win a Chicco stroller:
5 Minutes for Mom Stroller Giveaway http://www.5minutesformom.com/2319/our-chicco-giveaway/