North of Something

Family Travel Blog

Meeting David Buerge

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I had the distinct privilege of meeting David Buerge, author of Chief Seattle and the Town That Took His Name. He did a reading in a very full conference room at Aljoya, an event put on by the Mercer Island library, with some help from the Mercer Island Historical Society.

David Buerge was a lively speaker and gave us a full hour of highlights from his book–a topic he has studied throughout his career as a historian, educator, and author.

My favorite description of Chief Seattle in the book is by a man named Tolmie. He said Chief Seattle was “a brawny Soquamish with a roman countenance and black curley hair, the handsomest Indian I have seen.”

I will write a full review when I finish the book–I’m about halfway through right now. I’m loving the intricate details of Duwamish history told with lovely, almost whimsical narrative, and at the same time Buerge slips in matter-of-fact details putting everything into perspective.

Traveling with a Baby | My Favorite Gear

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Since my son was born six years ago, we have been on TWELVE plane trips, traveled to SIX countries, and stayed at countless hotels in many different cities. When my daughter was born last year she got to jump in on the fun, with an international flight at 3 months old and two other domestic flights since then. Now I am excited to share my favorite gear for traveling with a baby that have really made a difference in making trips smooth and relatively enjoyable for the whole family.

Please note: I paid full price for each of these products and I have not been paid to write this review; however, the following recommendations include affiliate links. Full disclosure statement can be found here. Thank you!

+ + +   Graco Travel Lite Crib, Alma

Many hotels have pack n plays available by request, but ewww. Some people would argue that the less you have to pack the better, but I really doubt they sanitize those things between each use, so I repeat, ewwww. My daughter slept in this travel sized pack n play, cleverly named “Travel Lite Crib,” from the time she was about one month old to about 6 months. There were a lot of hotel stays and other changes during that time and we never had any issues with her being in new rooms or environments because she was so used to her crib.

+ + +  Summer Infant 3Dlite Convenience Stroller, Hibiscus Pink

This is not the cheapest travel stroller on the market, but we liked it much better than the super cheap umbrella stroller we used with our son when he was a baby. I distinctly remember how terrible the wheels were on that cheap thing and how irritating that can be at airports or trying to hurry across busy sidewalks in a city you’ve never been in. Not worth it to save a couple bucks! This 3Dlite stroller has smooth wheels (although not for rough terrain) and the handles come up a bit higher than other umbrella strollers which is nice for taller parents. It also comes in black, if hot pink is not your jam.

+ + +  J.L. Childress Gate Check Bag For Standard and Double Strollers, Red

This is a handy little gate check bag to put your stroller in while it’s on the plane. You absolutely don’t need to put it in a bag; they will happily gate check your stroller all by itself and toss it on top of the rest of the luggage. But I like putting it in a bag because it keeps it clean, dry, and can help keep loose items from getting lost if you like to keep things like chapstick, wipes, etc. in stroller compartments and then forget about them. Just remember to put the gate check tag on the bag when they give it to you, not the stroller itself, otherwise you may end up putting the stroller in tag side down. Because I did that. And it was so annoying.

 

+ + +  Munchkin Arm & Hammer Disposable Changing Pad – 30 Pack

So clearly I’m a germaphobe, but I’m pretty sure airport bathrooms are the grossest, and changing tables in airplane bathrooms are used for more than changing diapers (again, ewww). I like to keep a few of these disposable changing pads in my diaper bag for airplane and airport bathrooms, or for the unfortunate, but likely possibility of having to change a diaper on the dang floor at some point. I know there are reusable changing pads, but I just don’t love the idea of using it on a gross surface and then putting it back in my bag… next to my things… Disposable changing pads for the win!

+ + +  Planet Wise Wet Diaper Tote Bag, Quill, Medium

Speaking of diaper changes, there’s a good chance you will find yourself with a wet or soiled baby outfit. You can use this wet bag to keep a spare outfit and then swap it out if you need to. That way you won’t find your favorite soft, footie pajamas in an outside pocket of a suitcase, with poo stains, one month after your trip. Just sayin’. These are also super useful for storing used cloth diapers if you are brave enough to use them while traveling, and if so, good on ya. Also handy for wet burp cloths… anything wet… you get the idea.

 

+ + +  Premium Disposable Placemats – BPA Free and Eco-Friendly – Stick On Placemat for Kids


These adorable placemats stick right on to restaurant tables or airplane tray tables. Perfect for spreading out some cheerios or puffs and letting your older infant have a snack. Once your baby hits toddlerhood she will get curious and start peeling it off, but by that point you will just absentmindedly rub the surface with a baby wipe and then dump a few forkfuls of your own meal right on the table for them to play with eat.

Happy Baby Organic Stage 2 Baby Food, Spinach, Apples & Kale

Pouches! Every baby’s favorite snack to squeeze all over themselves at the worst time! But if you have a well-behaved infant, these baby food pouches are great to travel with for a quick snack. Baby can just suck the food right out of the container, or you can squeeze it into a small bowl and spoon feed them.

 

 

+ + +  Sugarbooger Flip & Sip Cup, Matryoshka Doll

 

For the babies who are passed the bottle stage, it’s nice to bring an empty sippy cup or thermos to fill up with water once you are through security. They can play with it, drink out of it, throw it at you, or point to the cute designs on the outside. Also convenient if you run out of bottles or finish breastfeeding right before take off or landing–you can just let them have a few sips of water to help with the pressure in the ears.

 

+ + +  Dr. Brown’s Pacifier and Bottle Wipes, 40 Count, 3-Piece

 

I like to keep some sanitizing wipes around for when baby drops a bottle, pacifier, or toy they are going to suck on. In a pinch they can also double as a hand wipe, cleaning off a surface for playing, or even cleaning up a small spill.

 

 

 

+ + +  Inglesina Fast Table Chair, Navy

This travel table chair is nice for bringing to hotels or staying with friends or family who don’t have high chairs. It can fold up relatively flat in a suitcase and takes about 3 or 4 minutes to get set up securely. I’ve even brought it to restaurants when my babies were still a little small for those larger wooden high chairs.

 

 

 



Bonus Recommendation!

+ + +  Pro Packing Cubes – 6 Piece Lightweight Travel Cube Set – Organizers and Compression Pouches System for Carry-on Luggage, Suitcase, and Backpacking Accessories

These packing cubes are seriously the best for family travel, even after the baby stages. We have sets in four different colors for each member of our family. That way you can pack everyone’s stuff in the same suitcase for a short trip and easily find what you’re looking for without digging through EVERYTHING. Or you can expand to 2 or 3 pieces of luggage and just pack the cubes however they fit best without getting everyone’s clothes mixed up. The cubes also keep things folded up nice and snug.

 

So that’s it, guys! I hope this list helps make your experience traveling with a baby as enjoyable as possible!

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Do you have any favorite gear must-haves for traveling with a baby? Please share in the comments!

How NOT to Miss a Call from your Spouse

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I have a new article up at Military Spouse Magazine! If you have ever had a spouse deployed, in training, or even out late doing a dangerous job (police, fireman, etc.) then you know the unique torture of being glued to your phone awaiting a call.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

When you get home from work, put your phone on the kitchen counter and test the ringer to make sure it still sounds like an air raid siren. The counter is a nice height and central location; if the phone falls into the folds of the couch or under a blanket, the ring could be muffled. Double check that you didn’t accidentally put it in airplane mode.

One can never be too careful.

As you plug in the phone to charge at night, make sure the screen is facing the bed so the light will wake you if the ring and vibration against the wood dresser aren’t enough. Wake up every few hours and sleepily swing your arm over to your nightstand and blindly knock over your water and anything else that happens to be upright as you squint into the bright screen.

You will need reassurance that you didn’t miss a call in the night.

You can check out the article HERE and please share if you like it!

The Louvre Through the Eyes of a Four Year Old

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On July 16th, 2015, our first full day in Paris, we took a taxi to the Louvre Museum. We were a little nervous bringing a four-year-old into what is arguably the most incredible museum in the world, but it actually went really well and I’m excited to share the experience!

First of all, I wasn’t sure if my spirited, energetic son would actually enjoy any of the beauty and the history or simply endure them. If you don’t know my son …. he likes to jump, he likes to yell, he likes to run, and he LICKED A WALL in downtown Paris. So I popped a sucker in his mouth to keep it occupied and held his hand the entire time, and crossed my fingers he would at the least not destroy anything. But I was so hoping he would grasp some of the greatness we were about to see.

We started by looking at the sculptures, which took up nearly an entire wing of the museum—some were large, some small, but all were very old and intricately designed.

Knowing how old these sculptures were, I wanted my son to have some sense of awe and respect for them, but I had no idea how to show him how beautiful they were.  Luckily, my son began the conversation: “Look at this one—it’s a mommy with her sweetie!” It was then that I realized the best way for him to connect with them was to see each one for what they were really trying to portray. “Can you see how much she loves her baby by the way she’s looking at him and how she’s holding him?” I asked. My son’s face exploded into a smile and he nodded. After that we stopped at every “mommy with her sweetie” sculpture and my son wanted to give me a hug and a kiss at everyone, because the sculptures were making him feel something – exactly as the artist intended.

There was one statue of a man holding his son, which we spent awhile just looking at. He saw the love in the faces carved into marble and stone and it reminded him how much his mom and dad loved him and how much he loved being close to us.

“Mom, why is the lion biting his butt?” Good question!

We also saw sculptures of large snakes with swords and shields and we talked about who was winning the battle and why. “Mom, this one has knights and fairies and man-babies,” he said. “Those are actually called cherubs, but they def look like man-babies,” I told him. Ha!

There were quite a few sculptures of kids and he was cracking himself up imitating some of them. “Hey mom! Look at me!”

On the way to see the Mona Lisa exhibit we saw many other paintings. Some were ginormous — it was awe-inspiring.


Holding hands, we didn’t stop to read the silver and bronze plaques; how old they were or who painted them, but we paid special attention to the paintings with kids and animals. We had fun  finding hidden puppies, bunnies, turtles, and cats in murals that were as big as an entire wall.

Many of the paintings were larger than life-size. Some were bright, realistic colors and others were dark and ominous looking. We spent a long time looking at a smaller portrait of a man’s face. “I think he looks angry. What do you think he’s feeling?” I asked my son. He thought the man looked both mad and surprised. I hadn’t noticed that he looked surprised, but when I looked closer at his eyes, I agreed. We saw portraits of mothers breastfeeding their babies and families eating dinner together. There were sheep and goats on a mountain in one, musical instruments in another. My husband waited in line to see the Mona Lisa while my son and I rested on a bench and played with some small Star Wars toys we had brought along.


Without a tour guide or even reading most of the plaques, I still got the deep feeling of my small place in the universe and how life can be so similar to the lives of people who lived so many centuries ago. Happily, I also felt that my son enjoyed the depth of how old the pieces were, and he also realized how like us all these people were: with their happiness and their fear, the mother’s love and the father’s protection. The brave, the happy, and the dead all mixed together. We only spent about two hours at the Louvre before my son was bored and hungry and wanting to wipe his fingers on all the walls or kick something, but I felt like we really made the most out of our time there.


This experience at the Louvre showed me that it is possible for a young and wild boy to feel both wonder and empathy looking at artwork. What more can anyone hope for when experiencing art? As a mother, it is heartwarming to know that my son is capable of exploring his feelings through art, and at such a young age. He is almost six now and whether or not he remembers the details years from now, I think he is on the right track to appreciating art as life.