6 Tips for Flying with a Toddler

This is quite a lengthy post, but it is so helpful if you are flying with toddlers!


We’ve taken 3 trips since our son was born, 2 domestic and 1 international. The domestic fights had 1 layover while the international trip had 2!! Before our big international trip to Vietnam, I read so many blogs and quickly became overwhelmed. Each blog seemed to offer different advice, so I ended up packing what I thought we would need. Yup, I didn’t take ANY of the advice. And, we survived! Today, I want to share 6 tips for traveling with toddlers. Take it as you will!

1) First, you need to know that you WILL survive! Your children may act a fool in the security line, and at the gate, and before the plane even leaves the gate, and during takeoff, and and AND….The chances of you ever seeing anyone on your flight again are slim to none. Most people have flown with young kids themselves and aren’t thinking, “I wish they’d just shut that kid up already!” Most people know how embarrassed you are and some may even try to distract your child by playing peek-a-boo. If you are at least trying to calm your child down or keep them from kicking the seat in front of them, most people won’t say a darn thing! Believe it! It’s so true!

On board our first flight from Chicago to Tokyo.

2) Pack WAY more diapers than you think you’ll ever need in your carry on! If I would have packed just enough diapers to get us to Vietnam, we would have run out of diapers in Tokyo! We ended up being stuck in Tokyo for the night and then had another 9 hours of flying and 1 layover ahead of us. Yikes! So, don’t be stingy on the diapers! When you think you have enough, pack some more!! This leads me to point 3.

We found the "Boardwalk" in Destin, FL!

3) Pack a change of clothes for the whole family in your carry on! You never know when you’ll face a blowout, vomit, or even an unexpected delay. The last thing you want is to smell like vomit or #2 while stuck on a plane for hours on end!

Our hotel in Tokyo had the coolest wall!

4) If your child need milk, you can purchase 2% milk from Starbucks (ask the cashier) once you are past security. This ensure you won’t have a puking toddler on the plane from drinking spoiled milk (this may or may not be a true story)! Take said milk on the flight for take-off and landing to help their ears pop. Bonus: We also bring a pacifier on trips with us in case our son wants to suck on that instead of a drink. He will usually take it because we don’t let him have them at home, so they are new and exciting!

My in-laws, hubby, and son in Vietnam!

5) Toys. Bring smaller trinkets that are brand new, but don’t over pack toys. Don’t offer another toy until they have completely lost interest in the first toy. We don’t watch a lot of TV at our house, but we bring our iPad mini with downloaded shows or movies on Netflix – you can now play them without wi-fi! I only bring the iPad out in emergency situations, but to each their own!

These boys LOVED playing in the sand in Destin, Florida!

6) Bring your child’s favorite blanket and/or stuffed animal or doll. Familiar things from home will help calm your child down and help them realize it’s nap time or bedtime. Our son slept 9 out of a 13 hour from Chicago to Tokyo! I can almost guarantee it’s because we purchased a seat for him and brought a car seat on the plane, had jammies on, and gave him his blanket and stuffed lamb he sleeps with every night. Okay, maybe the noise of the plane itself helped lull him to sleep, but I’m positive the other things helped! On the domestic flights, we didn’t purchase a separate seat for him, he flew free as a lap child. After experiencing flights with and without a car seat, I would recommend purchasing a separate seat for your child if they can walk and if the flight is over 4 hours. Though, it is always safest to fly with a child restrained in a car seat!
At least someone can smile as we try to track down our lost luggage in Vietnam!

One last piece of advice: there are babies all over the world, so if you forget something at home, chances are you will be able to find it in another country!

I hope you find this information to be helpful for your upcoming summer travels! As of now, I don’t have experience flying with multiples, so I’d love to hear your advice on that as well! Leave your tips and tricks in the comments below!

The EASIEST Hard Boiled Eggs

After weeks of anticipation, my recipe for the EASIEST hard boiled eggs is here! Not only are these easy to make, but the peeling process is even EASIER. Can I get an Amen?! 

Please tell me I'm not the only one that gets frustrated when trying to peel hard boiled eggs? It is so discouraging when half of the egg ends up in the trash. And, don't even get me started on trying to use those eggs for Deviled eggs! Once you try this  method, you will never look back.


Here's a look at the end result. Aren't these the cutest hard boiled eggs you have ever seen?

This first step is completely opposite of what my Grandma taught me. I'm pretty sure Grandma's everywhere have been teaching their daughter's and granddaughter's this method for generations. Now we know there's an easier way!

Bring a saucepan of water to a rapid boil, then gently lower the eggs into the water. Side note: You want your water boiling harder than in the picture below.


Once all the eggs are in the saucepan, reduce the heat until you get a gentle simmer. Again, a gentle simmer is a littler harder than the above picture. 

Cover and cook for 14 - 18 minutes, depending on how you prefer your eggs.


Once the eggs are done cooking, transfer them into an ice bath for 5 minutes. This immediately stops the cooking process and will allow you to peel the eggs right away.


Roll the eggs using the palm of your hand and a hard, flat surface, such as a counter top. This results in large pieces of shell that peel right off. It truly is AMAZING!


You can store peeled eggs in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Family & Micah's One Year Pictures {2016}

Coincidentally, Micah's one year and our family pictures fell on the same day, one year later, from the day we had Micah's newborn pictures taken. I honestly did not plan it that way, it just happened to be the best day for both our photographer and our schedules. Our pictures were taken at dusk at a local county park in the Nature Preserve and it was absolutely gorgeous. Our photographer was the talented Kathryn of Kathryn Bessette Photography. She is the sweetest nurse turned stay-at-home mom to three who started exploring photography when her first son was born. Such a cool story! 
Prepare yourself for a dump of pictures, but I couldn't resist.

Family Pictures

This first one is my absolute favorite.


I'm so lucky to spend forever with this man right here. He knows me like no one else and still loves me unconditionally.


I could kiss these chubby baby cheeks for ever and ever.


Little man was intrigued with the electrical wires above our heads. So cute!



Momma's got dimples and baby's got smiles.


This is Micah's inquisitive face, his favorite face to make. I keep telling him that his face will get stuck like that, but he doesn't seem to care much. Ha!


Baby smiles, baby teeth, baby suspenders. Enough said.


I love this surprised face. Daddy looks pretty cute here, too.


Micah's One Year Pictures

Oh, this stuff is yummy!


I lovingly refer to this pose as "Grandpa's stance" because Khanh's dad always sits like this. When I tell Micah to sit down, he thinks this qualifies and won't actually sit on his bottom. I find it hilarious! 


That bow tie though!


He conquered the cake!


If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!


I can't say enough "thank you's" to Kathryn. If you live in the Metro-Detroit area, I would highly recommend Kathryn Bessette Photography as a family and kid-friendly photographer.