Our Top 5 Summer Travel Essentials
A countdown of our favorite summer essentials in partnership with Scout home security
Our summer is in full-swing and we are so excited to be talking about our top FIVE essentials for summer travel. We recently hit the road for a weekend in Chicago, and the five items below helped us have a successful trip!
1. SUN PROTECTION
We’re talking rash guards, sunshades, hats, sunscreen and more! We try not to leave the house unless we’re ready to be out for the day and always try to make sure our skin is protected. As children of the 80’s, we grew up baking in the sun and not thinking about the long-term effects. Now, as older, wiser parents, we do our best to protect our skin and Liesel’s from the damaging effects of the sun’s rays, but still enjoy as much time outside as possible! (Parenting pro-tip: if you can get your kiddo used to wearing a hat and rash guard from Day 1, you don’t have to worry about lathering up a wiggly baby ever 30 minutes!)
Snacks for the win… every time!
2. PLENTY OF SNACKS
Snacks are always a huge part of setting our day up for success. Before we leave on a road trip, we try to stock up on fresh fruit that travels well like apples & mandarin oranges, pureed fruit pouches, goldfish crackers, etc. Once we get to our destination, we hit the nearest grocery store to make sure we have all the other items we’ll need! We also all pack our water bottles too. This helps us use fewer plastic water bottles as we travel.
Liesel always feels right at home with her trusty Doggy
3. A FEW COMFORTS FROM HOME
Our nights go a lot better when Liesel feels safe and secure. The best way for us to achieve that is to bring a few familiar items from home. We usually bring the trifecta of favorites: stuffed animal, blanket, and books. Keeping some of her favorites from home with us as we travel helps us create a sense of routine and consistency, especially when we’re getting ready for bed. And if Liesel is set up for a good night’s sleep, we’re ALL set up for a good night!
There are a lot of Chicago miles on this little red wagon!
4. A WAGON OR STROLLER TO HAUL IT ALL
It’s so funny to us that we are THAT FAMILY hauling a wagon around the streets of Chicago (and up and down stairs!), but it works for us! We use our wagon as a way to transport all our gear. And, at the end of a busy day of exploring, Liesel is more than happy to snuggle up and take a nap in it. Carrying her in our baby carrier is still my preferred method of transport, but the wagon allows us to keep more of our essentials close at hand!
The comprehensive Scout home security system
5. A SCOUT HOME SECURITY SYSTEM
The single biggest, best thing we did before leaving for Chicago was installing our Scout home security system. It gave us peace of mind while we were away. We knew that our house (and beloved cat) were protected while we were gone, and if we were curious, we could easily log in and check on the status! Scout armed up our house like a fortress with noise detectors, motion sensors, and an indoor camera. It looks sleek inside our house. The motion sensors blend in to corners and the cameras sit on top of shelves without looking clunky or conspicuous. The system was super easy to set up straight out of the box with minimal instructions. The app is also easy to use and we love that you can arm or disarm your system from the app in case you forget to do it at home!
Clockwise from top left: Scout home security lawn sign, door panel RFID, indoor camera, motion sensor