Who’s gearing up for summer?! Both hands up over here! The amazing weather this week has us already dreaming of long days on the dock, lake swims, and summer bonfires. Ahhhh the long lazy summer life…
We’re super lucky to have two cottages to visit in the summer months (both sets of grandparents live on beautiful lakeside properties in Ontario), and we do our best to spend as many moments as possible lakeside. While we try to embrace the chaos that comes with a life on the road in the summer months (Em’s getting better at sleeping in new beds all the time!), we’ve also learned a few tricks along the way that help keep things running smoothly (and keep mommy from consuming a bottle of ‘desperation wine’ every night). So what keeps us sane?
- Keep the comfort items handy. Emmett has a few things he sleeps with every night, no matter where we are. His Owl lovie, his sleep sack, and his sound machine are our constant travel companions. Even when the crib is different, these little guys help him feel right at home and adjust to the new space quickly. Pro tip: if you’re little one is extra-unsure about travel, use a sleep sack and lovie that they’ve slept with for a few nights already so they have the relaxing scent of home on them!
2. Make life portable and simple. Em eats and drinks like a champ. We’re lucky that he usually eats and drinks whatever is on hand when we’re not at home, but we have a couple of back-up plans that we keep on hand just in case. Snack pouches are always in the diaper bag – they’re an easy, portable snack that we know he’ll eat no matter what. And we keep a Philips Avent Natural Bottle (or two) on hand. Sometimes we’ll luck out and he’ll drink from whatever miscellaneous cup we find, but when he’s feeling extra unsure, or having a typical toddler meltdown, the Avent bottle gets our love. It’s super easy to clean (there are only like three parts to wash!), it’s made with BPA-free plastic (so travels super easily), and it’s been his bottle of choice since he was born. If you’re on the hunt for a bottle that travels well, and that your babe will drink from seamlessly, Philips Avent is your answer.
3. Stick to our routine. I may be the mom who’s toddler goes to bed at 7pm, while the older cousins are still out at the bonfire… and I may get some slack from family members (young and old) who wonder ‘Can’t he JUST stay up a bit later? It’s summer vacation!’ But here’s the deal. It’s taken me a while to realize, but I know this. Emmett and I BOTH do better when we stick to a routine. He knows what to expect, we have less meltdowns, he’s better rested and healthier, and I have more energy and fun during the day with him, because I KNOW I’m going to have some relaxing adult time in the evening. Summertime doesn’t change those things, so our bedtime doesn’t change in the summer. I stick to my guns on this one, and we’re both better people for it.
So have fun this summer, embrace the chaos, and find the little things that help you get through it. Oh, and drink a lakeside mohito for me!
Annnnnnnd for some extra fun – enter the contest below to win your own set of Philips Avent bottles!
Philips Avent Bottles Giveaway –
March/April 2017
Note: I’m part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador program with Philips Avent and i received compensation as part of my affiliation with the group. But trust us, we discovered the awesomeness of Avent products long before we were brand ambassadors – now we just get to spread the love!
