Recently our family traveled to Savannah, Georgia for an immediate family wedding. A private celebration to honor my brother in law and his new bride to be Jena. The destination wedding turned into a beach vacation getaway since Savannah Beach (Tybee Beach) is located a close 20 minutes away. This beach is secluded with few chain restaurants and 1 grocery store in town. Everybody knows your name and conveniently, there's a Pirate Fest every year. Movies are filmed here and Sandra Bullock owns a house along the coast, it was our perfect opportunity to unplug and mentally prep for the holidays.
My kids travel well now that they are a bit older - 5 and 3. Of course, when traveling with kids, you need to have no expectations. Delays, illness and weather are always out of your control but packing a plenty is what every parent must do when traveling. I have a few favorites of #CEOJack and #VPBailey that kept them busy during all the travel chaos. Keep in mind, every kids is different and these are products that simply worked best for our family of four. They are all products that I have personally reached out to obtain and/or purchased for my family because of brand loyalty and trust.
Leap Pad 2 - Bailey watched some shows, painted, played some games and the flight was over!
Crocs - My kids live in crocs in the warm weather. They receive a new pair every Christmas because they grow like weeds and there's so much wear to them. They are perfect for easy/on off during airport security and can be quickly removed when you reach your travel destination. Get Free Shipping on their
website with orders $24.99+
Spbang snack pouch filled with Cheese-Its. This is a reusable snack bag that my kids love since it has an easy open/close latch. We had to take Bailey's in her ocean color, obviously! Dum dum suckers are a must and if you kids doesn't like to keep gum in their mouth for long, it helps with their ears.
Honest Company hand sanitizer. Nothing makes me cringe more than dousing sanitizer on my little ones hands that has alcohol contents in it. Honest has made a natural hand sanitizer that keeps moms at ease and is safe for kids.
Boogie wipes help clean up the messes and keep sticky fingers and noses from spreading germs.
Of course Bailey cannot go anywhere without her "b". She has the Merry Cherry lovey by
Baby Jack Blankets - one that I hand sewed for her and she has had since the day she was born. She managed to snuggle up on me during the plane ride and take a nap. I brought two loveys for "just in case".
Fast forward through an eight hour period of delays, missed flights, standbys and lost luggage. We have finally arrived at the beach!
Jack and Bailey are water babies. They have always loved bath time, swimming in their grandparents pool and spending time anywhere near water. Watching your child enjoying ocean waves will NEVER GET OLD. There is such a feeling of serenity watching the water roll in, a calmness and as a parent, hearing the screeching laughter of your kids makes the travel kinks a thing of the past.
I vowed to stay relatively unplugged for the time we were there - at least professionally - and I think I honored that. What I noticed about myself was when I was buried in my phone on the beach (reading my e-book of
Gone Girl) it appeared to Bailey and Jack that I was working; so I saved the book club for later after bedtime.
I took the time to give my kids 100% of my attention in large increments; something that is very difficult to do when you are working from home and building your own business. Don't get me wrong, I spend a lot of time with my kids but a "vacation" to me is having my husband nearby so I can get work done.
I decided to play. Building sandcastles, chasing seagulls, walks on the beach, fighting ocean waves and throwing a football filled my beachside days. I was a better mom, wife and person because of it. Work waited patiently.
Playing on the #beach requires prep and
great products. My #mominventor friends wouldn't let me head to the ocean without keeping my kids sun safe and equipped with some must haves for sand fun.
Bailey and Jack each received a new
Swimzip swimsuit that keeps their fair skin safe from the sun rays. We love this company because of all of their assorted prints of fashionable, chic and safe swimwear. Our kids do not venture in the sun without it - we even have them wear it during fourth of July parade viewing. Visit
www.swimzip.com to check out their goods and Fall Sale options. Get FREE SHIPPING on orders $50 and up with code “Ship50”.
Hello Beach is another favorite find of mine. These seashell totes are a must when collecting along the sandy shores. Each tote comes with the bottom created as a net to remove all sands. Eco friendly and a perfect size for little hands! Comes in a variety of sizes. Check out their
website on how to get $10 OFF!
Last time we went to the beach, my in laws purchased a lot full of beach toys, all items we had to leave at the condo unit because there wasn't enough room in our suitcase.
Packable Pails are perfect for stowing in your luggage because they collapse and condense. Bailey and Jack each received a pail and we made many memories with them.
Just take a look at this retail display of beach goods. Packable Pails makes everything clean, organized and it is a must have for traveling. Personally, I think these should be sold in every toy store and take over all the other cheap versions of beach toys. Not only mom loved, but this is #CEOJack and #VPBailey approved!
Now is your time to WIN 1 of 3 Packable Pails. To enter, do the following:
1 - LIKE our #beachbuys Facebook post & Packable Pails Facebook page.
2 -SHARE by CLICKING the Facebook icon below this blog post. Must be shared via Blogger.
3 - COMMENT on our Facebook post or blog with your favorite travel items!
Winner announced Thursday, October 23rd 2014. Good luck!
So there you have it, my favorite finds for traveling and parking it at the beach. Stay tuned for my next post to see which CELEBRITY MOM I met on the island and details on the custom creation I am currently working on for her daughter...
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| Jack and Bailey patiently awaiting our goods from over seas! |
Having such an emotional connection to an item is something that Budsies and Baby Jack strive to give our customers. By creating something that brings comfort and smiles, we are spreading love one creation at a time. 
The set up was a two person job as Macie disliked the process of attaching the floatie around her neck. Both her parents were skeptical but were immediately comforted upon seeing her happiness after being placed in the water. The Otteroo's cushioned chin rest poses no threat to baby and as always, children need to be monitored while playing in water. 
Parking Pal Car Magnet - this has been a life saver (literally) for when we drop our kids off at school. To ensure that nobody is running into traffic, both kids "high five the car" and wait for mom to take their hands. Parents are typically running late to drop off and it keeps my kids safe and within my reach. 
Kid O A to Z Magnatab - During our travels to San Diego, we visited with toy store Gappetto's and found this to bring back to the kids. Since April it has been a hit and a great way for Jack and Bailey to learn how to properly draw their ABCs with the bead filled magnetic board. They even have a lower case, cursive and shapes / numbers version too
No Dust Chalk and and Mat by Jaq Jaq Bird - Any parent knows how dirty chalk is and how much kids love to write with it. This was another purchase from my San Diego visit at the Kids Expo - it was flying off the shelves since it literally does not leave a mess. My kids have been drawing on their roll up chalk mats and it is easy clean up. Also a great way to keep them entertained when out to eat!
I am elated that US Cellular would bring Shark Tank Casting Calls to #Milwaukee. They sponsored this year's open casting and having it in our backyard at the Milwaukee Art Museum made this mom's audition with kids in tow an easy task, less of a frenzy and a beautiful view. Why not!?
I didn't have a lot of time to prep - mentally. I was flying to NYC with my mom and mother in law for a business trip - we were attending a VIP baby shower for bachelorette Ashley and JP (we created a custom blanket for them) and used this opportunity to explore the city. On the roundtrip flight, I filled out my 24 page application equipped with essays about how we came up with the idea, our growth and our business plan. Printing the 24 pages the night before and getting a good night sleep for myself (and kids) was the plan, then we were off! 
The producers and casting of Shark Tank ABC were beyond accommodating. They were literally excited for you, cheering you on and wanted to know about your story. I was sought out while standing in line as they must have known about my business from social media. They asked about my product, my pitch and where we want our business to go. I tend to send random tweets and hash tag like crazy and we also we received some great mentions / coverage from WISN prior to the audition so I assume that is how they heard of us. 
BACK TO THE TANK...3PM we returned to the Milwaukee Art Museum for a post pitch interview. I figured it was an opportunity to talk about being an entrepreneur, building business and balancing it all. This time, my daughter #VPBailey (3 years old) came with. En route downtown, Jack was prepping her about Shark Tank and how you "do not actually touch Sharks" and that you "talk about blankets, take pictures and that's it." said Jack. "It's not hard. You can do it Bailey". 
Honestly, I was a skeptic that the coolness of the Parking Pal Magnet would wear off, just like chore charts and Disney jars do in my home. I assumed my kids would be interested at first and no follow through. It has been about eight months and they still actively use the Parking Pal Magnet and my blood pressure is lower because of Denise and her thoughtfulness to keep kids safe from harm. It goes to show how much I like this product when I was in a panic to find someone wrongfully stole them from my car; Denise immediately sent me two more. 
Cover My Heart is the only nursing scarf you will need to buy after seeing the versatility that this mom invented product offers. 
These products are great but so is the brand and marketing concept comparing to the competitors. Each character is uniquely designed with a child in mind having its own personality and identity. Having an actual foam/plush toy in the tub vs. a washcloth with a head makes the experience more realistic and interactive. Also, they dry overnight! No more crusty, dry washcloths to deal with! 
