Traveling with a Toddler & a Baby

Ahhh, vacation.

Relaxing, right?! And so easy! Or it *used* to be. Not anymore - now we’re parents of a crazy toddler and an active baby. And while there are a million reasons I love being a mom (bear hugs, bedtime kisses, the wild way they laugh when I tickle them jusssst right), vacations are slowly becoming one of my least favorite things. (Bear with me here, it gets better LOL).

I think it’s because in my head it sounds like so much fun! Let’s take the kids somewhere new! Show them the world! Explore together! But in reality it’s a *little* different. I won’t even go into details because if you’re a parent, you know. Ha!

But also - I do think vacations are (or CAN BE) fun with littles. Looking back at our last few trips, there are a lot of things Kris and I could have done differently. Things that would have made them a LOT more fun for everyone. Which is why I’m sitting here making this list - because in the future I’d really love to enjoy our family vacations instead of dreading them!

Here’s a what I recommend when vacationing with a toddler and a baby:

1. Plan ahead. Have a general idea of where you’re going (and when) so you’re not trying to figure it out last minute. And don’t cram your schedule - one morning and one afternoon activity is plenty!

2. Schedule kid-friendly activities. There will be plenty of time for eating brunch + visiting wineries when the kids are older. Or even next weekend when you’re not on a family vacation! For now, focus on spaces where toddlers can run/explore without breaking anything :)

3. Minimize morning chaos. Pack the diaper bag, set out clothes + make ready-to-go breakfasts the night before.

4. Stick to regular meal/sleep times and carry snacks. It’s easy to lose track of time so set reminders on your phone … tired + hungry = cranky every. single. time. (True for kids AND adults lol).

5. Pay for convenience. If you’re going to a beach, get the umbrella/chairs that are already set up. Or take the private tour instead of the group tour! One less thing to worry about or carry can go a long way.

6. Slow down a little. Give them a chance to crawl around or climb a tree or check out things at their pace. Watch them explore - most of this stuff is new to them and you don’t want to miss out on the things that light up their world while you’re rushing off to the next big thing.

That’s it - six simple things that actually make a huge difference. Jump out of bed in the morning, get excited, and get THEM excited.

Hope you guys have the BEST vacation!

With love,

Lace

A Weekend at Wrightsville Beach

Hey friends!

We got back from Wilmington a few days ago and I'm still a little tired!  Does anyone else ever feel that way?  Like you go on vacation to rest but then you come back even MORE tired than you were before?  How does that happen?!

Still - we had a pretty great trip! 

It was our first time in Wilmington and I LOVED it there.  It's kind of your quintessential east coast beach town ... salty ocean air, laid back people, and more seafood than you could possibly eat in one weekend.

We arrived late Friday night and checked into our Air BNB room.  Have you guys stayed in an Air BNB before?  It's kind of amazing!  Our house was really big and really nice - and so was the owner!  If you're ever in Wilmington and need a place to stay, I definitely recommend his place.  He'll give you the scoop on all the best places to go and he even makes fresh-baked cookies every night, yum!

Before we left, I did a last minute packing job and completely forgot Luna's swim suit.  I should have checked my Beach Essentials for Older Babies checklist (but I didn't) ... total Mom Fail moment!  Luckily, I brought extra sunscreen and a beach tent to protect her sensitive baby skin.  Unluckily, my husband ignored my sunscreen recommendation for himself and burnt to a crisp! 

It's not surprising since most of our weekend was spent at the beach.  As soon as we arrived, Luna ran to the water and plopped right down.  And she didn't leave that spot for hours!  It made me wish we lived a little closer so she could go to the beach more often!

If you're planning a trip to Wrightsville Beach in Wilmington, I do have one other recommendation ... steer clear of the pier if you can.  It was BEAUTIFUL but also a litttttle annoying because the lifeguards kept blowing their whistles at people swimming too close!

Every now and then, I reapplied Luna's sunscreen and after a while I brought her into the shade for a nap.  Now that I think of it, I probably should have taken one, too!  Maybe then I wouldn't be so tired now, ha!

Did I mention that a group of our friends was in town?!  It was great having them around ... although I won't be sad AT ALL when they all start having kids.  My mom friends can probably relate - once you have littles, you're on a totally different schedule from the rest of the world.  But it was still fun to have girlfriends around to hang out with :)

We had so much fun that we're actually heading back to the beach next weekend, too!  And I'm going to ATTEMPT to get a few more pictures with me in them (mom problems, right?).  For now, here are two of my favorite pictures from last weekend's trip with Kris and Luna :)

What are your favorite beaches to visit?!  Have you ever been to Wrightsville Beach?  Tell me all about it in the comments!

With love,

Lace & Lu