A Life In Review

Traveling and living in a hotel with an infant isn’t the easiest thing to do. If they are anything like my baby, there is an adjustment period. We tried to find products that would help our little one feel more like she was home and not in a strange place. I researched each of these before buying them. There was some trial and error involved that led me to my final product choice.

Some of these items are really only needed for long term stay and travel, but others are great for regular travel. Here are the top 7 things that have helped make this trip a little bit easier on me (Ps. these are in no particular order).

(Amazon links will be provided, along with pictures, I make a small commission on the links!)

1. Summer Pop ‘n’ Jump Activity Center:

This is my number 1 favorite purchase for the hotel. Georgia loves her Disney jumper at home, but it’s far to large to travel with. This portable activity center folds up and goes into a bag that can be carried like a folding camp chair. It’s lightweight and full of color. It can be used inside and outside. I chose this one because it has springs in it, which let Georgia to jump up and down. It has 3 different heights, allowing the toy to grow with your baby!

2. Graco Pack ‘n’ Play:

Hotels typically provide roll away cribs if necessary, but when you are gone for a long time, it’s nice to bring a piece of home with you. We made sure she used it at home first so that it was familiar. This one in particular is super cute and has some nice little features. We have the one with the newborn part that came with a changing pad, which was great for home. We left the newborn attachment and just brought the pack and play. Once it’s set up in the hotel, we throw one of her crib sheets on it and away she sleeps! It looks like ours is no longer carried, but there’s a close one without the changing pad insert (which isn’t necessary for travel).

3. Angelcare Baby Bath Support

Honestly, I did try a travel baby bath. It was a super cute Summer Infant bath, but when I opened it and went to use it, it was really only good for a sponge bath. The tub had to be filled to the tippy top to soak the baby. I ended up ordering a second Angelcare bath (left mine at home since I brought the travel bath) and had it shipped to me at the hotel. The Angelcare bath is great period. I had just wanted something smaller to travel. However, my final thoughts on a bath are, use what you know. If you are flying, have the bath shipped to the hotel and then either donate it, or ship it home.

4. Summer Pop ‘n’ Sit Booster Chair

This little chair is great. Both the tray and the chair fold up nicely and fit into a small bag. They are lightweight and there are a bunch of cute color options. It’s super easy to use and can be safely attached to a chair wherever you go. Honestly, it’s small enough to bring to a restaurant if you prefer to use a seat from home.

5. Ergobaby 360 Carrier

This is another product that was trial and error for me. I tried a cheap carrier before I left home, and it killed my back. After that, I decided to go with a more expensive option, but a better quality option. The Ergobaby 360 carrier retails for about $140 (you can usually get it on sale) but its worth every penny. I used this carrier to wear the baby while I do random things throughout the hotel. Whether it be laundry, talking to the front desk, doing dishes, etc. it’s perfect for hands free baby carrying. I used the Original Ergobaby with my daughter, but have used the 360 with my son and LOVED it even more.

6. Tommee Tippee Travel Bottle Warmer

When you see this product you might laugh because it’s really just a thermos. I almost didn’t buy it. The way it works is that you pour hot water into the bottle portion, screw the small cap on and then screw the large white cap on. However, it’s smaller than a thermos and works so well on the go. The white cap flips upside down for you to pour water in and lay the bottle in for warming. We accidentally kept water inside of it for 24 hours and it stayed hot. So it definitely does the trick. I looked at other electronic travel bottle warmers but I really wasn’t all that impressed! This is a simple product, but for bottle fed babies this is a must for travel (unless you have loads of money to spend on the really expensive travel warmers!!!)

7. Baby Swimming Float Ring

Most hotels have pools and if you are traveling with a small infant, this is another must have. It’s a blow up float that folds into a nice bag (that comes with the float) and can be shoved into a suitcase. It is for infants ages 3-12 months. This is only one of two floats that I found for babies under 9 months old. I chose this one because the baby is actually in the water with this float (the other one just sits the baby on top of the float and they don’t actually touch water). It works really well and it’s super fun to see your tiny person in a big pool.

** They no longer make this one so I linked one that is close! **

I have updated this to the current prices and links as of July 2023, but I still stand by these products. I love these products and have used them with my 2022 baby as well. If you need more baby product ideas be sure to follow me on Instagram at @lizziemichalak where I share things more often!