Tag: compact

Holiday Travel Done Right

We travel a lot.

My parents live on the other side of the state, and we try to see them at least once a month. With adding kids to our family, we’ve been trying to see them even more often.


November through December – we see them A LOT. It’s great; holidays are the travel inspiration to see family more frequently. Or even to relax! I have had acquaintances who visited Spain sometime recently and she was describing to me the beautiful culture of the country! So much so, that I even now know that there are transport websites (StressFreeCarRental.com and similar others tend to provide such services) that can take me around the country from the airport itself! I mean, who knew technology could make life so much easier, right? It sure would be amazing though, if I ever got the chance to travel with my family!


That’s why I’m tempted to do so now. I may even consider a private jet hire so that I can spend some quality time with my family all alone. Another reason is that I want them to have a luxurious travel experience at least once in their lives. Though I’m not sure if I can afford it, I’d give it my all. It is just as important to spend time with one’s family as it is to have a stable job. You won’t be able to stay deprived of them for long.

As many of you might know, traveling with kids can be tough, and private jet could be a convenient option in that case as well.

Anyway, there are a lot of packing struggles that I experience when getting our family ready to leave. The main issue that I come across is fitting all our stuff into the car (when you’re traveling by car). It’s hard! If you don’t think you can fit it all into your daily car, consider renting a party bus from Texas, it makes traveling roomier and more fun.

We have found a product that will make packing, and re-packing so much easier.

Meet: Lotus Everywhere Travel Crib by Guava.

This travel crib is seriously the best baby product I’ve laid my eyes on. Keep reading and I’ll tell you why I love it so much!

Guava is a family-owned company that offers high-end, top of the line baby products that are innovative and built to last. Their products are so unique, and they don’t like your typical baby gear.

Neutral is always better, in my opinion. Neutral products are great because they can be anywhere and not look like an eye sore. So many baby products are brightly colored and have bold prints on them, having any of the in the same place can be pretty distracting. I love how this travel crib is designed with neutral colors that won’t disrupt any space. Not to mention, you can use it baby after baby – boy or girl.

Even more than their products being neutral, I love that they don’t look like baby products. Everything that Guava creates and sells is designed to be simple, efficient, and elegant. What a great rule to live by. As parents simple and efficient are [like] what we live by. Throw some elegance in there, and you’ll turn heads.

Safety is very important to Guava, and they really do stand behind it. High quality materials and lots of testing ensures that the products are safe for your kiddo. Many third-party safety tests are completed on the Guava products to guaranty the safety of them. This really makes me feel good when laying my little(s) in their crib.

As previously mentioned before, traveling with kids is a challenge. There’s so much equipment and gear you [may or may not] need; always safer to be prepared, right? Having a place for baby to sleep is obviously a must. I love that this travel crib is lightweight and looks really sleek.

This Guava Travel Crib is so compact, it hardly takes up any space in the trunk. Folding up super easily and compactly, it’s nothing [or everything] compared to other travel cribs. With a few simple steps you can have the crib collapsed and in the bag in no time.

The small size of the crib allows you to pick it up and move it from room to room. Because of the small profile you can leave it open and move it – it fits between doorways! Weighing only 13 pounds, almost anyone will be able to lift it.

The mattress is easily attachable, and is easy to clean too. The clips latch very simply, and keep mattress flat on the floor. Because the mattress is supported by the floor, there is no weight limit. There is a height limit for the crib, though – 35 inches. My two year old son is much too big for this Guava crib; he can for sure climb out of it, and he could easily tip it over because of how lightweight it is.

The best part though? The carrying bag is equipped with optional backpack straps.

What?!

Seriously, an amazing feature.

Simply unzip the back pocket and pull the straps out. Connect, using the clips at the bottom of the strap, to the corresponding loop; and off you go!

A really unique feature the crib offers is the zipper opening on the front side. This is great for getting baby out of the crib. Instead of bending over to lift them up, simply un-zip the zipper and squat down to grab them. My son is one and I just un-zip the zipper so he can crawl out himself. My older son is also a fan of this feature. It kind of creates a fort-like feel, which is great for his age.

You can even lock the zipper so little fingers can’t open it on their own.

The whole crib is washable, which is such an important feature for a kids product. Simply un-zip the fabric cover, wash in a cold water cycle, and dry on delicate cycle.

Be sure to click the link to see what other products they offer. We stand behind Guava and their brand and would love to see our readers repping their products! Their products are top of the line and so safe for your baby. No toxic materials, and no flame retardants; that ‘s something all parents want to hear!

Easy Breezy with Air Stroller

When I planned to write this post I was pretty giddy because I was getting the chance to write about a few of my favorite things!

Traveling and OXO!

If you haven’t heard of OXO, then you should definitely click over to our Mama on the Move blog post where I included a little history and company mission on my review of OXO tot products. To say the least, MamatheFox has been impressed with OXO’s innovative and universal design.

Connect with OXO

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If you didn’t know, my husband I were expats in China for 4 years. We had both our kids overseas and spent our first 2.5 years of parenting in a giant foreign city. It wasn’t until after we had our son that we actually felt comfortable enough with the language and culture to start traveling.

And travel we did!

By the time our son was 2.5 he had been on over 30 airplanes, uncountable number of fast trains, and weekly rides on public transportation. While we lived in China we bought an amazing compact stroller that quickly became our BFF. It was light weight, easy to use, and small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of a plane. However, it was very cheaply made and when we relocated to America we didn’t find it worth transporting.

My family and I moving to America

For a while I thought I didn’t need a compact stroller since I was in America with a car, had a running toddler, and loved my baby carrier. However, after a few difficult situations of the kids hating the carrier, the Baby Jogger being too big, or my toddler hitting his walking limit, I started looking for a compact stroller. I struggled to find a stroller that met my standards after having the best compact stroller in China. If you are finding it hard as we did. We found
https://www.mamma1.com/ to be pretty handy. You could check them out if you have time!
Then as if OXO tot heard my design cries, they released the Air Stroller this fall.

Why the Air Stroller is amazing

Compact

This stroller will not slow you down, but rather keep up with your fast pace life. Its compact built and slim design makes it easy to maneuver through crowded streets and in and out of stores. I’ve already loved using our Air Stroller to squeeze through the local library aisle and to trick or treat on crowded sidewalks down town.

My mother in law was even able to fit our opened Air Stroller it in her car trunk. When folded, the stroller is roughly the size of a back pack. Making it less bulky when carrying and easy to store. We leave ours in the trunk because it takes up minimum space and is always ready to use on the go.

Travel Friendly

Only weighing in at 11 pounds, it’s light enough for me to hold a kid and stroller at the same time. When I used public transportation in the city I had to do this all the time up stairs and on and off buses. It is certainly designed fuss-free as the stroller locks without any extra levers or snaps. It simply unlocks by pushing toward the ground before squeezing the release handles.

Included is a convenient carrying strap that allows carrying the Air Stroller hands free. The strap is easily assessable once the stroller is collapsed. I was reminded of how great a strap is when trying to carry my squirmy toddler and stroller down subway station stairs. The Air lets you focus on what’s most important while bringing along your gear. I especially appreciated when the stroller is folded the wheels lock away from the fabric, keeping all the nasty germs collected on the wheels off your little ones.

The expandable UPF 50 canopy makes this stroller perfect for outside activities without the fear of sun exposure. The adjustable feature lets it go low enough to protect my youngest from the sun but high enough to give my toddler optimal view.

On the back of the canopy a secret parent pocket has been placed. When traveling, this is ideal for an easy access spot to hold your passports, tickets, and phones. For every day use I like to put my phone, wallet, and sometimes a hidden mama treat inside.

And for any mama with visual concern, the canopy has a mesh peep flap. It is always great to be able to see what your child is doing or for my youngest, assure her mama is still there.

It also includes an easy access storage basket that is very roomy; great for holding a diaper bag, snacks, toys, and more. Finding an adequate basket on a compact stroller is such a rare find. I love how easy it is to get stuff in and out and weight doesn’t drag the basket down.

Durable and Safe

The Oxo Air Stroller is built to last and endure constant use. The front wheels navigate quickly and withstand curbs and uneven pavement.

I felt like I could maneuver with ease and my kids were buckled in securely with an adjustable 5-point safety harness. Again, OXO designed this buckle to be fuss-free, a truly rare find in strollers! Although it has 5 points of security, it only takes three simple pieces to lock.

The straps are also easily adjusted and made to grow with your little one. The soft shoulder pads prevent chafing on the neck while the buckle pad prevents squishy thighs from accidentally getting pinched…a mega issue for my 1 year old!

The seat is very roomy and easily fit my 1 and 2 year old children. I liked that there was some recline in the seat position that prevents my toddler from leaning forward. The biggest trouble I have found in light weight strollers is the easy ability to tip from rocking kids or sharp turns. My son literally flipped our old compact stroller while sitting in it. The Air Stroller weight distribution makes this stroller unbelievably sturdy. Even with squirmy kids and zig-zag paths I always felt in complete control. It is recommended for babies starting at 6 month and children up to 55 pounds.

I loved the machine-washable seating and easy to clean material because my kids are always eating on the go, not to mention this stroller is bound to be hand me downed through a number of children and go on multiple vacations. OXO tot sells the Air Stroller in a variety of bright vibrant colors that will match your style.

When I say I know traveling with kids I mean it, and when OXO promises high quality products they deliver. Don’t let your life be slowed down by how you haul your kids around. Go live it up with the easy breezy easy to use Air Stroller.

When your little girl gets older, she may become interested in dolls as she tries to emulate what she sees mommy do. Play Like Mum’s range of dolls’ prams are a great way to nurture this bond between you and your child who looks up to and wants to be like you. It fosters creative imagination and introduces a new way to play with their favorite toy.

Get Smart with Baby PhD

Just a few weeks ago my husband, me, and our son took a trip to see my family. The county fair was going on and I just love it. Spending time with my parents and siblings is always so great, but the fair weekend made it even better. Why? The food of course!

We spent most of our time out at the fair eating, people watching, and checking out the animals. My parents live out in the country so going to their house is always quite the change from our faster paced suburban living life. The fair is smack-dab right in the middle of farm country. What I’m getting at is that it’s super dirty.

I was going back and looking at photos I took while we were visiting and I came across the one on the left. One of my first thoughts was – man that table must have been really gross and dirty. That is probably why my husband is feeding my son french fries out of a bucket! Tons and tons of people ate off the table before we sat down and – germs galore!

Normally when we go out to a restaurant I clean the table pretty well with sanitizing wipes, but I didn’t even think about doing that in this situation (not smart, mama). I was hungry and ready to take a break! So we sat down and ate our food, dirty table and all.

 

If only there was a solution to this messy, dirty table problem!

 

Well mama’s, there is!

 

Check out Baby PhD. This company creates disposable, peel and stick table top placemats for kids that truly are a game changer at restaurants (or fairs!). These mats are not only perfect for keeping the germs away from baby but even entertain AND educate them as their sitting!

 

Bet ya didn’t see that comin’.

 

Measuring in at 12 inches by 18 inches the mats cover a good amount of space on the table. This ensures that all the food will stay ON the mat and OFF the table – just what we want! I love that I can keep the space baby is eating off of clean and safe with these Baby PhD mats. The placemats are BPA and Phthalate free too, so baby will be completely safe eating off of them.

With three educational designs of colors, numbers, and letters, you can help your child learn [and keep busy] as you’re sitting at the table. I thought that these mats may be too advanced for my 16 month old son, but I was wrong! He loves to look at all the colors and point at all the “things”.

 

 

These mats really are great. They are super easy to use – even your husband can figure it out 😉 Just open the mat, peel off the small strips covering the stickiness, and place the mat on the table. I recommend pressing down around all four sides to be sure the mat is completely stuck. With the four sided sticky strips the mat stays in place until you’re ready to peel it off the table.

 

 

 

One of my favorite features of the mats is that they fold up so small – they hardly take up an space in the diaper bag. They come individually folded in the package, so you just need to pull a few and place them in the diaper bag. Then you’re all set and ready to pull them out one at a time. They hardly weigh anything too, so no need to worry about adding extra weight to the diaper bag!

 

 

Not only can you use the mats at a restaurant, but you can use them whenever you’re out and about. From the fair to a restaurant or from the comfort of your home, keep these mats easily accessible to create a clean-up free meal. They’re great to keep at grandma and grandpas house too!

 

 

 

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