Tips and Tricks on Flying with Babies and Toddlers

Posted in Travel by The Snazzy Mom

The first time I traveled to India or outside US with my son was, when he was almost 8 months old. My husband also accompanied me on that trip as we were nervous first-time parents flying with a tiny human ocean apart. During that visit we only stayed in Delhi and avoided any local travels within the country. You can read my experience on taking the long-haul flight with a baby here. There are some tips, tricks and details that might help you plan your flight experiences with an infant.

This trip was planned almost 2 weeks before I booked my tickets, as I found the perfect travel window and dates to take leave from my work. My family was very excited to see Vir as they hadn’t met him since our last visit and was so eager to see him all grown up. With all the excitement also came a lot of planning.

I wanted to make sure we visited Mumbai, Kota and Delhi on these two and a half weeks visit, so my son can meet my immediate and extended family as well my in-laws. I wasn’t sure when I will go next, so I did my best to cover as much I could on this vacation.

The thought of travelling to India can often make parents filled with dread or awe or possibly with a combination of both. The last time I traveled my son got sick and lost a lot of weight, he even stopped breast feeding and it turned out to be an emotional experience to see my baby in that position. Yet I knew this is the perfect age to take him, as now his immunity was way better from going to the school and that now I had better control of his diet and hygiene. I followed the recommendations and tips from a Pediatrician on this post .

Booking flights for smooth travel

This is one of the most important steps to a stress-free trip. I booked our flights with Turkish Airlines from Houston since I wanted a red eye flight where Vir can sleep in most of the commute. I categorically stuck to this airline, because it was a 13-hour journey one way. I wanted to break the journey with a short 3-hour layover before we hop on the second flight which was another 7 hours to give us a break from flying while also not spending too much time at the airport. Also, since I had planned my journey within India to major cities Mumbai and Delhi, I booked my return tickets from Delhi. This fit perfectly in plan and dint have a huge difference in fare.

My Top Kid’s Travel Gear recommendations

For details on how I kept my son busy in flight, at the airports and on my Top items for travelling with kids read here

Preparing your toddler for the travel

Once I booked the tickets I started preparing Vir that he will be travelling with only mummy and going in a very big airplane to visit Nani, Mama and Mami. Every night I would talk to him about the fun he is going to have there from sitting in a train, to seeing some animals to visiting new places.

Repeating this daily helped him be mentally ready to travel without daddy, meet new faces and most of all be excited about the long-haul flight. This worked wonders as he didn’t shed a tear while my husband dropped us off. He was in a good mood at the airport spotting airplanes and enjoying the in flight experience on the way to India and this really helped me stay stress free.

My In Flight & Layover Experience during arrival and departure.

46 hours of flight travel is way too much especially if you are doing it alone. I was nervous and was really praying everything goes well. I packed extremely light and kept a small backpack for myself for all the necessities, a busy bag for Vir and a JetKids Bed Box for converting Vir’s seat into a bed and ditched the umbrella stroller. Read my full review here on the JetKids Bed box and Top items to travel with here

As we sat in our 1^st 23-hour flight to India, Vir deleted the you tube app which had all downloaded videos!! Awesome I said to myself while fearing the start already but hey I had a plan B – The Busy Bag rescued me.

Vir hardly saw the Tv in flight although he enjoyed pressing all the buttons. He slept most of the way to Istanbul and then to Mumbai. I packed lots of snacks that kept him entertained and full. I got to use the restroom once in flight and asked an attendant to watch over Vir and changed his diaper on the seat only when he was asleep to avoid all the hassle. (I did the same while coming back too)

BUSY BAG Ideas

Both the times are layover was in Istanbul and although it was tiring to be out of the plane and go through another round of security. We stopped at Starbucks to have some snacks and at the duty free to buy him a car. The new car was a reward for good behavior and hope for keeping him occupied in the 2^nd flight to our destination. This tactic worked on our return journey to Houston too.

Although on our way back Vir was more grumpy than usual, it seemed like his excitement for being in an airplane had faded away. However, I made sure we have ample number of videos and games on iPad to keep him busy. At one-point Vir was frustrated with the iPad and so I bought the WiFi in flight and allowed him to see some new cartoons. The person sitting next to me was kind enough to entertain him for an hour, so I could get a break from all the whining and it did help a lot!

How to overcome Jet lag with toddler

My only worry on this travel was jet lag and so I made sure we stayed longer in Mumbai for our first stop in the country to be well rested. It took Vir 5 days to recover and be back to a normal schedule. He would sleep at 6 pm and wake at 3am for the first 2 days. From the third day I started to push his sleeping time to 7pm, following by 8pm and 9pm and within 5 days he was started getting 10 hours of sleep at a stretch. His afternoon naps started off with 4 hours and slowly brought it down to 2 hours from day 3 of arrival. We tried staying in the sun most of the day. My brother’s society had an amazing open space, pool and play area for kids. In evenings we took short Auto rickshaw rides that my son was obsessed with. Staying active, eating sufficiently and really waiting it out with my son helped us overcome jet lag.

Honestly the first week I must have slept for an average of 5 hours daily.

Best way to travel within the country

Cars/ Uber/Taxis – I didn’t carry a car seat. And I don’t advice on not taking one. Please choose as per your comfort and discretion. We mostly took Uber within the country or auto rickshaws, carrying a car seat didn’t seem practical as we dint have our own car. My son sat in my lap and honestly it wasn’t as easy as I thought since we two weren’t used to it and he would try to stand up most of the time. I only traveled in cars when it was needed, but we stayed at home most of the time. If you are planning to travel to India for a long time and have your own transportation, pl do carry a car seat or buy one there.

Trains I love the Indian railways and I was so excited for Vir to experience it again. Vir has been lucky to experience the Swiss Golden Pass when he was one year old and now the Indian Railways. He just loved being in a train and watching the train tracks and engines pass by. We traveled by AC first as it was most convenient and safe from Mumbai to Kota. We took special care of sanitizing hands and avoided eating in train.

Adjusting to Co sleeping while traveling

My son slept on his crib since he was 3-month-old and we rarely co slept as that was the arrangement I wanted, due to my monthly work travels. This was the first time I traveled somewhere without worrying about having a crib or pack and play for my son to sleep in. I knew we were going to co-sleep and was looking forward to seeing how it went. Being a light sleeper, I woke up several times in the night when Vir moved, but within a few days we both were loving the cuddles and the idea of sharing the same bed. However, I can’t remember the amount of time I was punched and kicked while sleeping by a toddler!

Getting the kids back to original sleeping schedule at home

Once we were back, I made sure my son had the same routine. I sent him to school the next day and picked him up within 5 hours. It really helped get him back to sleeping at night for longer hours. I also kept the same bedtime routine of having a bubble bath right before he sleeps, our favorite story time and a body massage. All this prepared my son, that he will be sleeping back in his crib. Staying in his room and assuring him I am there helped him sleep in his crib from the very first day we came back. I stayed there for at least thirty minutes. He did wake up in the night and came to our room for the first few days, but I remained consistent and put him back in his bed. The key is staying consistent. Within five days Vir was back to the same sleep schedule of sleeping at 9pm and waking up at 8am.

Hope this post helps all parents travelling with their kids .

Please use the comment thread to share, ask or recommend anything related to the topic.

Have a fabulous trip !!

30Dec2018

Our Holiday Getaway to Texas Hill Country

Posted in Travel by The Snazzy Mom

Happy Holidays Friends! I love this time of the year as it is so bright and cheerful everywhere. This year my in-laws decided to visit us from India, making it an even more cheerful holiday season. I love it when our family visits us from back home. We miss them so much. These visits are even more joyful now because we get to see our son make lovely memories with his grandparents and learn couple of new words and sentences in our native language, Hindi.

Since the schools were closed and we were able to take few days off from work, me and my husband planned to take our family for a mini getaway out of Houston. We skipped hopping into flights and avoided the holiday airport madness for a 3 and half hour road trip to Texas Hill Country. The Upscale Horseshoe Bay Resort resting on the shores of lake LBJ was our home away from home for 2 days.

We had already been to this hill country retreat last year in summer with our friends and so it seemed perfect to also enjoy the hospitality in the winter months with our family. We are obviously big fans of this place and in this post I wanted to share with you all, a glimpse to our fun getaway.

Stay: We stayed in the 2 bedroom and 2 bathroom Palm Villas. It is perfect for families and groups looking for more space. The villas have contemporary decor and comfortable living, sleeping and dining areas. A full kitchen is always crucial for our trips especially because most of us our vegetarian and prefer to cook few meals and breakfast. Me and my mom in law were very pleased with the huge kitchen .Throughout our stay we also got to enjoy the resort’s amenities and concierge services, as well as the restaurants, lounges, finesses centers , pools and more.

Activities: The most important reason why we chose this stay cation was for the number of things to do within and around the resort. Apart from enjoying the heated pools, tennis courts, golf course and dock fishing, I love that they had so many activities for kids and families. Our favorite this time of the year was the 18 hole Whitewater Putting Course. Vir enjoyed the experience and so did my in laws. The scenery is beautiful and I highly recommend this activity. The resort also has beautiful trails one can’t miss, we loved walking around the resort on a crisp sunny day and spotting some turtles, ducks and birds on our way.

The resort also has large fire pits where they host camping with s’mores events , I saw it was huge hit with kids especially after pool time. Make sure to look at their events calendar before booking. We missed out on sampling some of the amenities like the Spa and water sports due to weather and time. Definitely on my list to do for next time.

RESTAURANTS. The restaurants at the resort are fantastic. There are upscale restaurants like the Yacht Club with gorgeous lake views and outdoor seating. You need to make reservations here and also note there is a dress code. The other Family friendly restaurants like Lantana and Cafe Del Sol have large tables and patio seating. There are gigantic TV’s scaling the walls and outdoor seating to which helped our son relax and enjoy lunch/dinner without a fuss. Also they had heaters everywhere to keep it warm and cozy. You can explore more restaurants and sports bars here.

The Jungle Kids Club

This place was one of the new additions from our last visit and an excellent one ! The Jungle Kids Club is a two-story jungle gym featuring a tunnel slide and is included as one of the room amenities. Vir loved it and spent more than an hour playing here. He also tried the rock climbing wall finally. I saw some older kids enjoying the art, craft and block activities with the staff. BTW you can also reserve a kids night out here !

Special Events

RING IN THE NEW YEAR AT HORSESHOE BAY RESORT. On 31st Dec at 9:30 pm, the ballroom at the resort will open and The Argyles will keep the dance floor packed all night with an incredible live music performance to ring in 2019!! Find more information here . Highly recommend it for families as you can drop off your kids at the Kid’s club for their own party while you enjoy yours! I really hoped we could stay for this one, but my in-laws fly out on 1st Jan and so we had to head back home to finish a few things.

Local Must See :
Sunset Cruises- Definitely recommend the Sunset Cruise on the beautiful Lake LBJ. You can also get your own wine and some snacks.

Explore the Vineyards-Take a tour of wineries, taste world class vintages, and discover the rich wine making traditions of the Texas Hill Country. Best is to drive up to the local vineyards.

Head to Fredricksburg-On our way back home we took a short detour to Fredricksburg. An hour long drive from the resort we visited the Main Street in Fredericksburg. I love the window shopping here and the German vibe. There are some great wine tasting shops where you have to stop. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas and also had 30 ft Christmas tree and ice rink this time of the year

Have a fantastic 2019 everyone!

3Dec2018

Our Memorable Fall Family Getaway: Apple picking & day trip to Martha’s Vineyard

Posted in Travel by The Snazzy Mom

I learned on this trip, there’s no better reminder to live in the moment during those too-short childhood years than a special vacation just for you and your son.

My son and I hopped on a flight and traveled to Boston, Massachusetts recently. Diwali was just the perfect time to introduce him to his cousins and make some lifelong memories. He is now two and half, and is very aware of all the festivities around him. So I thought it was apt to make this trip, as kids at this age start remembering names, faces and start building relationships with people around them. I was very excited to travel here during the fall months and was looking forward to experiencing the fall colors, overcast foggy crisp days and some peaceful walks with my toddler.

Apart from reuniting with my cousin sisters and their families, I was lucky enough to finally get to celebrate Diwali out of Houston after 8 years and get a four-day break from my regular life. My official travels have been keeping my schedule booked for the entire year and it has been very hard to find a suitable month and time to plan any family travels. I finally found the perfect window and opportunity and was able to book our tickets almost a week prior. Although, I have been to Boston thrice before, this was the first time we explored places outside the city.

This trip felt like a mini vacation. I needed this time to enjoy and bond with my family. Watching our kids play, dance, fight and enjoy themselves brought back fond memories of our childhood days back in Kota, Rajasthan, where me and my cousin sisters grew up. This also made me realize how old we are getting, and time does fly! Being away from our families in India has not been easy, I miss the support system, the festivities, the love, the food and so much more. But every year me and my cousins try to visit each other when we can. Last time they visited us in Houston and so this time it was my turn to pay them a visit.

The first 2 days we stayed in and let the kids bond. I was pampered by my sisters and brother in laws with great hospitality and food. We chatted for hours, face timed with our families in India and prepared for Diwali celebrations at home. Here are a few pictures from the Diwali celebrations.

With my cousin sisters in Boston

2nd generation of cousins

Apple Picking and Farm activities

If you have been following me for a while on my Instagram, you might know I love to explore any place I visit, and we made sure we were able to do some fall activities in this short trip. So, we packed up our kids and headed for Apple Picking at Honey Pot Hill Orchards, an hour’s drive from my sister’s house.

Guess Moms had more fun

His dream came true that day !

This was one of the most exciting activity of our trip. It was our first-time apple picking and we all had the best time. Even though it was very cold and windy that day, the beautiful fall colors, the excitement of exploring the orchard and getting to feed the farm animals kept us all charged up, especially Vir. He had 2 full apples at the orchard, sang “Old Mc Donald” to the sheep, goats and rabbits, sat on the tractor and harvester at the farm and guided everyone which way the maze would lead to exit. I was so proud of him all the time and it brought me so much joy to see my mini me enjoy the little things. It felt like I was reliving my childhood with him.

Feeding the goats at the farm

Martha’s Vineyards

The next day we left for Martha’s Vineyards at 6:30am, it was a 2-hour drive and then a 45 min ferry ride to the island. The kids did very well in the car, they snacked all the way and even watched some cartoons towards the end of the drive. (the ipad always saves the day)

The ferry ride is a fun experience on the way to Martha’s Vineyard

End of October is not the best time to visit the island as it is very cold, and the island is usually a summer getaway, but hey! We had to go because I wanted to 😊 and it had been on my list for a while. Even though most of the tourist places and restaurants were closed, we got to explore the beaches, lighthouses and the ginger bread houses, one of the main highlights of Martha’s Vineyards. Thankfully we had a lot of sunlight the entire day even though it was cold and windy, the sun was very soothing.

My favorite ginger bread house , the kids spend 30 minutes playing here

So happy !

Ginger Bread House at Martha’s Vineyard

We spent most of our time exploring the Ginger Bread House at Oak Bluff camp ground and I highly recommend going here. A tour through the Wesleyan Grove National Historic District known locally as the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association can make you feel like you have stepped into a fairy tale, or even a game of Candy Land. In this district are some of the most photographed and admired homes in all the nation, and with good reason. Loved how whimsical the place was. The bright, painted colors of the tiny houses, reminiscent of the vivid hues of a candy aisle, popped against the gorgeous fall backdrop. There are around 300 gingerbread houses at this camp site and BTW you can also rent them and stay in a few.

There is no surer way of connecting with the Island’s maritime heritage than by taking time to pay a visit to one or all the Island’s five lighthouses. After spending couple of hours at the ginger bread houses and taking hundreds of pictures we headed to the Edgartown Light House. We spent an hour around the light house and the beach. Vir and his cousins kept themselves entertained by throwing pebbles in the sea.

Edgartown Light House.

After the visit to lighthouse we grabbed some cheese pizza for the kids and had lunch at a Thai restaurant called Bangkok Cuisine. Props for the place for being open in off season. The kids caught a 1-hour nap in the car and we had a few more hours left before we could take the ferry back. We quickly searched our phones for a closer place to visit and came across Island Alpaca. At first, I couldn’t believe it as these animals are present only in South America, but then soon I realized they are also present on an island in Massachusetts. We dropped our plan to see another Lighthouse and used our time to head to the Alpaca farm. Vir was so happy to see the alpacas and kept going to each one of them and saying “Hi Paca! How are you”. Some of the alpacas had hairstyles from afro puffs to spiked punk attitude after their shearing. I also got to touch a few who had maximum fluffiness and then we did see them spit on each other. For few minutes I was transported back to my trip to Machu Picchu where I saw the lamas and alpacas on my hike. There is also a small gift shop where you can buy the softest alpaca blend hats, scarves, scarfs etc. Oh BTW you can also buy an alpaca here.

Vir: “Hey Paca”

Mama and Babe

In the end all I can say is life with kids is busy, As I learned on that first trip, there’s no better reminder to live in the moment during those too-short childhood years than a special vacation just for you and your son.this trip was the perfect bonding experience for me and my son. Spending time with my son out in nature helped increase my emotional health and our physical well-being. I believe family travel doesn’t have to be all about finding the most amazing places to visit but instead focusing on your FAMILY and what each one of you loves to do. Kids love to have special time with their parents, it doesn’t need to be a getaway only. Scheduling an outing that is just for the two of you. Whether you run out to get milkshakes or just go walk around the mall, being together and having one-on-one time brings you closer.