Tips, Tricks, and Accessories for Traveling with Kids

If you have kids then you know exactly how hard it can be to juggle taking care of the little ones, getting from A to B, while still enjoying yourself. Even though you love your children, having them around does make travel a little more stressful and little more difficult. With so much focus on your family, you might easily forget to take some time to take care of yourself and enjoy the moment. This is why we've created this list of tips, tricks, and the best accessories for making travel with kids simpler, more relaxing, and fun!

TIPS

1. Plan at Least 2 Weeks in Advance so you have enough time to gather everything you need before a trip. Life can be very busy, so giving yourself at least 2 weeks should be more than enough time to put the small details of the trip together. 
2. Make Lists: having lists to check off may sometimes help alleviate the stress of having to remember all the details of a trip. Because kids take so much care, you don't want to forget anything important at home, and having a list will help.
3. Visit the Doctor: If you are taking a relatively big trip to a foreign country, make sure you visit the doctor before taking your child along with you. Kids are very susceptible to illness so you should make sure your trip will be suitable for a child. 
4. Help Them Pack: If you have babies, then you will definitely be doing all the packing for them. However, if you have toddlers and older children they may have preferences on what they would like to take. Kids feel empowered and important when you let them make decisions on their own, and they will often be much happier on the trip if they know they chose to pack a particular item themselves. You should definitely guide them in the right direction and make sure all the necessities are met, but let them help decide what they might want to bring. It's also a good way for kids to learn what steps are taken when planning for a trip.
5. Talk Ahead of Time and Prepare Kids: It can be shocking for kids to just get put in the car or a bus or a plane and just take off to another place. Make sure the entire week before a trip you start to let your kids know where your going, when, and what types of things you might be doing. The day and hours before entering the car or plane, let your kids know what types of sensations they might experience, and let them know you'll be there to take care of them the entire way. Mentally preparing them might help them act braver about travel.

TRICKS

1. Snack Organization: There are plenty of ways to organize snacks, but we've seen a couple we really like. One way is to use a jewelry or bead box organizer to fit very small amounts of many different types of snacks. Another way is to just utilize ziplock bags with each persons name on it. If one kid wants a snack but not the other, you will know exactly which bag to pull snacks from. 
2. Activity Organization: Use a hangable amenities or beauty bag to store different activities for kids. These can hang on the back of the seat or from the clothes hooks in the car. For plane trips, the activity bags roll up to fit in a bag while still remaining organized. 
3. Hard Candy for Airplanes: Taking a hard candy like life savers on an airplane is great for kids because letting them suck on candy can often help with pressure equalization. Giving them a couple pieces during takeoff and a couple pieces during descent will probably do the trick. 
4. Surprise Kids: Keep a surprise treat or toy in your bag until part way through the trip and surprise your kids with something special. It will uplift their mood and feel like they just received a nice present. 
5. Separate Outfits in Ziplock Bags: Putting each outfit in a bag for each designated day or occasion makes getting dressed easier, and less fussy. 

BEST ACCESSORIES

1. The Travelrest Bundle: Travelrest's pillow, blanket, and memory foam cover are must have items for traveling with kids. Have enough for each child or person in your family so everyone can get some quick shut eye when they need it. Travelrest's sleep accessories for travel make resting simple, comfortable, and quick. 
2. Kids Backpack/ Luggage: Let kids take some of their own items in a small backpack or luggage. It will help keep their items separate and easily accessible to them. You won't have to worry about misplacing your kids items amongst yours since they will be toting some things themselves. Not to mention, offering them the responsibility of taking their own bag can make your kids feel like adults. Just make sure they don't leave their bag anywhere!
3. Snack Stackers: Stackable, portable, small snack bins that give you options and eliminate mess. We really like ZoLi's stacking snack dispensers. 
4. Tablet or Portable Media Player: Having a tablet or portable media player for your kids on long trips can help keep them entertained, while leaving you relaxed. Although you don't want to leave your child unattended with a media player in hand all the time, it can definitely make the car rides and airplane rides easier to manage. 
5. Books & Games: Don't underestimate the power of a good read or some simple board games. Kids can find entertainment and fun in simple things, so make sure you bring books and games for them to keep busy. 

Adventures of the TravelRest Blanket: Best Uses and Tips for Folding Back Up

The TravelRest blanket is one of the best travel accessories to have for people who need to travel cheap. Nowadays, airlines rarely provide blankets for customers unless you pay the premium to sit in business or first class. It can be very chilly while flying, and the TravelRest blanket offers a perfect solution. Despite its ability to store back in a fairly small carrying case, and the lightweight quality of the micro fleece, the TravelRest blanket keeps you plenty warm on flights and much more. So what can the blanket be used for and in what circumstances will you need it the most?

Ways to Use the TravelRest Blanket

When the blanket is already folded up in the carrying case, it can be used for lumbar support and as a more traditional feeling pillow. Although smaller than a full sized pillow, it still offers the right amount of cushion and comfort to help you get some shut eye.

If you are someone who needs to place something soft between your knees while sleeping, then the folded up blanket can offer you relief.

When the blanket is expanded to its full size you can choose to wear it like a normal blanket, or you can use the hole in the blanket to wear it like a poncho. The poncho style is nice, because it keeps the blanket from moving or slipping after you fall asleep. This method definitely keeps you the warmest, as it creates the feeling of being tucked in bed.

When the blanket is folded in its carrying case, you can also attach it to the outside of your luggage or bag with the small snapped loop on the case.

Places to Use the TravelRest Blanket

1. Car: Long road trip? No problem! Leaving a Travelrest blanket in the car for long car rides, or for your family and friends to take naps in the car has never been easier. Because the Travelrest blanket stows away in such a small and storable case, it will take up barely any space in your car. 
2. Airplane: Like stated earlier, airlines rarely offer blankets anymore. The Travelrest blanket is perfect sized blanket to fit in any carry on bag, and if it doesn't fit it can snap to the bag handle. You'll never have to worry about being cold on a plane again.  
3. Train: Make short and long train rides more comfortable. Trains are often air conditioned and in the summer when you might hop on the train in shorts, having a blanket to keep you warm until your destination will truly be helpful.
4. Bus: Traveling around by bus? Buses can often be the most uncomfortable method of travel. Space is crammed, the seats recline very little, and you have no place to get up and stretch your legs. Having a Travelrest pillow could really help you sleep through the situation, and the blanket would be the extra touch of comfort. 
5. Home: the Travelrest blanket is the perfect stowaway blanket for the couch or living room. It will take barely any space and is great for curling up to read a book, watch a movie, or take a quick nap.
6. Camping: Curl up next to the campfire, or add an extra layer in your sleeping bag! Camping can get a bit cold at night, but no one likes carrying extra weight when they camp. The Travelrest blanket is a perfect solution. 
7. Wheelchair: people who have to use a wheelchair often don't conduct body heat very well due to the lack of body movement while sitting. The Travelrest blanket is great for those who suffer from lack of circulation and body heat. 
8. Beach: Use the Travelrest blanket to keep warm when the beach gets breezy.

Tips for Folding

Check out the video that teaches you to fold the blanket properly. It took me watching the video two times to figure it out. Here are my tips:

• When the instructor says to flip the pocket inside out, that means to make sure its flipped where the Travelrest logo snap is on the outside. 
• If you don't want to fold it nicely, you can simply stuff the blanket inside the pouch. It isn't as flat or comfortable, but it works. 
• After the pocket is properly flipped, fold the blanket along the seam of the zipper but make sure that after you lay it down the pocket is sticking up above the folded blanket like a top hat. 
• After this part, the rest of the instructions are pretty straight forward. 

Contact Us if you have any more questions about how to use the Travelrest blanket or if you'd like to share your most creative places and ways you've used the blanket!

Three NEW Products from Travelrest®

Travelrest® recently released three amazing products to help our customers get better rest while on the go. We released a sleep mask set, U-shaped memory foam pillow, and new memory foam and velour cover for the classic Travelrest pillow.

The first product we released is the Travelrest Tranquility sleep mask set. This kit comes with a sleep mask, earplugs, and satin bag to hold the items. The sleep mask is made of a soft material that contours to the face, has eye pockets for air flow, and room for blinking for a natural feel. If you are someone who likes keeping things orderly while traveling, this kit would be a great addition to your Travelrest Pillow. The satin bag keeps the earplugs and the mask together so you’ll never have to go fishing for them in your bag.

The second item we recently released is the memory foam neck pillow. For those people who enjoy the classic feel of the U-shaped neck pillow, our Travelrest neck pillow will meet every need you are looking for. The ultra soft feel of the outer cover, combined with the contouring effects of the memory foam will surely help you sleep comfortably. There is also a small adjustable clip that attaches the open ends of the U-shaped pillow, so the pillow never moves once you find that perfectly comfortable position.

The final item we released recently is the new and improved Travelrest memory foam cover. After many reviews of the old cover not fully meeting everyone’s expectations, we did a lot of designing and testing to find the perfect solution. This completely new cover is made of incredibly soft velour that anyone will want to cuddle up to. There is an added zipper to the cover running along the side that allows the pillow to easily slide in and out. The hole near the bottom of the cover fits snugly around the valve, and the hole at the top allows the drawstring to still be used. There are also two pockets inside the cover where memory foam pads can be added for extra comfort. Lastly, the extra stretchy and durable elastic at the bottom of the cover allow you to roll up the pillow without removing the cover, and still be able to attach it to your luggage. We tested the cover out for 4 months of travel and it didn’t disappoint even once! This new cover is definitely worth the $14.95 for the added bit of comfort while traveling!