Summer Day Trip Essentials When Traveling With Toddlers

Hello hello!  It’s been a minute since I posted but I took a much-needed break over the Fourth of July weekend to just relax and recharge.  We’ve enjoyed our fill of pool parties, ice cream / popsicle, and the kids even stayed up wayyy past their bedtime to catch some fireworks.  I’m feeling rested and so excited to take on a busy month of July (two of the best sales of the year are coming — Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and Amazon Prime Day!).

As I get back into my blogging routine, I wanted to share a fun girls’ trip with one of my blogger besties Sandy as she came down to Dallas with one of her friends, Nancie, to visit me!!  We had chatted and texts for days brainstorming ideas on things to do and ultimately, being the Fixer Upper fans that we all are, we decided to take a mini road trip down to Waco!  I had heard so many amazing stories about the silos and Magnolia Market so I couldn’t wait to make a little day trip out of it. Sandy and Nancie brought their girls along and it was such a coincidence that we were all moms to 3-year old toddler girls!  I haven’t had a girls’ trip in years and it was so fun that we all had our little minis with us too!

I’ll admit that I was a little nervous as I prepped for the trip traveling with toddlers, but everything went so well!  With the shared knowledge of 3 amazing mamas, we literally had everything accounted for ahead of time and I’m excited to share a few of my tips for those of you that are planning your summer adventure!

Baby Jogger City Mini GT Anniversary Stroller – on sale!

Jumpsuit: J.Crew Striped Linen Tie Jumpsuit (00) – (similar, similar, similar)
worn with NuBra
Hat: Hat Attack Lampshade Hat (similar, love this one)
Shoes: Steve Madden ‘Carrson’
worn with leather inserts
Earrings: Baublebar ‘Contessa’

Traveling with Toddlers Must-Haves:

Bring The Right Stroller

Having a stroller for our trip was a complete lifesaver!  I’ve been a Baby Jogger fan for years (the Baby Jogger Summit X3 was actually the very first stroller that we ever bought!) and I was so excited to see that they came out with an anniversary edition of their super popular City Mini GT stroller with an upgraded design!  I love how quick, nimble, and compact the City Mini GT Anniversary Edition stroller is (perfect for travel!) yet is still loaded with all the features including a huge compartment underneath for storage (I was able to store my belongings as well as that of Sandy and Nancie!), an extended canopy for sun coverage, and most importantly, a near flat recline (cause stroller naps are gonna happen!).

Baby Jogger City Mini GT Anniversary Stroller w/ Parent Console

As we ended up staying for a bit longer at Magnolia than we expected, it was so nice that Mei was able to catch a mini nap comfortably in the stroller instead of get cranky or fussy.  With the plush-knit premium fabric and leatherette details that are new in the anniversary edition of this stroller, my little babe was definitely resting in a bit of luxurious comfort!

There are also plenty of accessories to choose from including this super handy parent console.  I also ordered the glider board to have in handy when Dylan wants to catch a ride and now I’m thinking I need the cooler bag as well for stowing picnic essentials whenever we’re on the go!

One of the reasons I bought our first Baby Jogger stroller years ago was because of its super easy one-hand quick fold — it seriously makes traveling with toddlers so much easier when your hands are full already juggling too many things!  The City Mini Anniversary Edition stroller also has the one-hand fold and all-terrain wheels which definitely came in handy for our trip as there were several areas that were unpaved and needed the extra durability and suspension control.

Baby Jogger is celebrating their 10th Anniversary of the City Mini with a “Get Out & Stroll” Sweepstakes — just take a short quiz for a chance to win a family trip to the US city of your choice!

Sun Protection

No doubt it gets hot in the summertime so being prepared with sun protection is key!  Nothing beat a hat for giving you some much needed shade and I absolutely love this “lampshade” style from Hat Attack!  It’s a bit of a splurge but I love the striped seersucker trim and it provides a ton of coverage while still looking chic!  Other cute summer options include this petite-friendly boater hat (10% off w/ WELCOME10) and a wide-brim floppy hat always looks so glam!

Of course you can’t forget sunblock!  I could write a post on my favorite sunblocks as I’ve seriously tried them all, but for now I’ll share with you what I’ve been using this summer religiously on both myself and my kids.  For the face, I swear by Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery — and with 4.5 stars and 241 reviews it’s pretty clear that it’s a popular one too!  I love that it actually repairs my skin, has SPF 50, and isn’t greasy or heavy.  Even my kids love putting it on and trust me, they’ve hated almost every other sunblock I’ve tried to put on their face before!  For the body, I love Supergoop! and alternate between using the Antioxidant Infused Sunscreen Mist and the Super Power Sunscreen Mousse.  The spray I keep in my car and use it when I’m in a rush dropping off the kids in the morning and need to get them sprayed before their camps.  The mousse I’ll use if I have a little bit more time and want the kids to help me in putting on their sunblock.  My kids LOVE the mousse texture and it makes the whole sunscreen process so much fun for them!

Mini Portable Fan / Face Mister

The kids have several handheld fans that double as toys but I recently picked up this one from Amazon to clip on to our stroller and it has been a lifesaver!  I also picked up this little fan that plugs into my phone from a company event a few months ago and even though I thought it was a little gimmicky at first, it’s turned into one of my favorite must-have phone accessories now! 😂 Having just a little bit of breeze can seriously make all the difference.

Change of Clothes / Swimsuit / Wet Bag

Traveling with toddlers is always an adventure and you never know what may happen when it comes to your clothes!  Our girls ended up getting quite messy from snacks and foods they were enjoying so it was nice to have a clean outfit for them to change into.  And especially in the summer, it seems like you never know when there’s an opportunity for the kids to splash around so I’ve learned also to keep a spare swimsuit and wet bag handy just in case!

Baby Jogger City Mini GT Anniversary Stroller – on sale!

Jumpsuit: J.Crew Striped Linen Tie Jumpsuit (00) – (similar, similar, similar)
worn with NuBra
Hat: Hat Attack Lampshade Hat (similar, love this one)
Shoes: Steve Madden ‘Carrson’
worn with leather inserts
Earrings: Baublebar ‘Contessa’

Summer is definitely the season of travel and hopefully these tips will help you be prepared for your next adventure!  If you have little ones, head out in style with the latest Baby Jogger City Mini GT Anniversary Edition and be sure to check out the Baby Jogger Sweepstakes for your change to win a free family trip!

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Special thank you to Baby Jogger for sponsoring this post.