Tamperseal Travel Essentials Blog - Tips and Trends from your Travel Experts

Tips for Flying with Babies

A close friend of mine recently took her two month old infant on several long flights from California to visit family in Michigan and Missouri. Her husband was unable to accompany her on this month-long trip to introduce the new baby to relatives and, as it was her first child, she was extremely nervous about managing him and all of their things while traveling alone. Not having any children myself, it was a problem I had never faced. However, it did bring up a good point: how do parents manage to travel with a baby, car seat, stroller, diaper bag and carry-on bag? Here we have provided a few tips for traveling by air with a baby.

Car seats. Many parents face the question of whether they should bring their baby’s car seat with them when they fly. If you are going to be using a car when you reach your destination, you will need a car seat and while you can rent them, you never know that quality of the rental. With a car seat, it is better to be safe than sorry – take it with you.

Purchasing a seat on the plane for your child. Most airlines allow any child under the age of two to ride in an adult’s lap. However, there is always the risk of the child being injured if the parent cannot hold on during severe turbulence. The safest choice is to purchase a seat next to you for your baby and use the car seat in the airplane.

Carry on bags plus diaper bags. The best option for managing all of the luggage you will be carrying on is to find a carry on bag that can serve as a purse and diaper bag.

Stroller. This is a must-have item for parents, as even the smallest child will become heavy after a period of time. Most infant car seats can snap into a stroller, which makes traveling with infinitely easier. Otherwise, a lightweight stroller with a carrying strap is an easy solution.

Gate checking and early boarding. Most airlines have early boarding for parents traveling with children, allowing you extra time to get settled. When you reach your gate, ask the attendant for a gate check ticket for your stroller, which you will leave at the gate or jetway before boarding and pick up again as you exit the plane.

Other options for carrying your baby. Baby slings or backpack carriers are also options that allow you to carry your child while maneuvering quickly and easily through the terminal. Keep in mind, however, that some airlines do not allow these carriers during take-off and that you may be required to put them away when you get on the plane.

Special gear for traveling. If you find yourself traveling a lot or, like my friend, have a long trip with many flights, you may want to consider investing in special gear to make traveling with your baby easier. If you don’t have one, consider purchasing a car seat and stroller combination. Look for disposable feeding supplies that you won’t have to clean during your trip. Consider getting an instant bottle warmer, which heats milk warm enough for the baby without having to worry about it becoming too hot in the microwave or when the crew heats the bottle in hot water on the plane.

To purchase an bottle warmer or other travel essentials for your baby, visit us online at TamperSeal.com.

Tips to Make Travel with Kids Easier

Let’s be honest: traveling with kids is rarely easy. Kids become bored easily, are in need of frequent pit stops, snacks, and may even plague you with the dreaded, “are we there yet?” But there are things you can do to make the time go by more smoothly until you reach your destination. Thanks to Smart Mom Style, we have provided a list of the top tips for making travel with kids easier.

1. Take the Less is More Approach. You will find that while traveling, you don’t use half of what you need. Stick with taking only the essentials and if you find that you do need something along the way, you can always purchase it at that time. Make sure if you are flying that you check everything you can and only take enough to entertain yourself and your children en route.
2. Naptime. Do not skip naps with the belief that the kids will then sleep during travel…it rarely works that way and you end up with cranky kids. Stick to your routine as much as possible and, if possible, plan to travel at the time your kids would normally be napping.
3. Entertainment. This is a big one, as kids get bored easily and will need lots of ways to keep them entertained. Bring along books, snacks, coloring books and crayons, video games, movies and a laptop, etc…whatever will keep them busy for the duration of your travel time. Get them a new toy for the trip, as it is likely to entertain them longer than the old ones. Also make sure you have a pillow and blanket, as planes can get cold. Buy them a children’s travel pillow that can be substituted as a fun new toy.
4. Relax. Do your best to just relax and take things as they come. It is not your fault that your children are upset or scared while flying and if they do cry, avoid apologizing repeatedly. Keep it to one apology and move on. Fellow passengers will empathize with your plight.

To purchase a children's travel pillow or other travel essentials, visit TamperSeal.com.

Top 5 Tips for Cruising with Your Kids this Summer

With the kids out of school and the affordability of cruising, you may find that taking a cruise is the best option for vacationing this summer. Taking a floating vacation does not have to be stressful, however. All it requires is a little planning and you and your family will be well on your way to having a great trip. Thanks to MSN, we have compiled this list of top 5 tips for you.

1. Get your kids involved in planning. Your kids are as excited as you are, possibly even more so, and want to be involved in the planning process. Assign research for each family member to do as you compile information on different ports, local events that will be going on, must-sees, and “wanna-do’s.”
2. Get prepared. Make sure your kids understand what will be happening prior to boarding. Explain the itinerary for any flights and transfers to the ship. Make sure you have any snacks, toys, books, etc., both for the trip to the ship as well as on board. If you have flights planned, make sure you have blankets and pillows readily available for the cold airplane.
3. Attitude and flexibility. Let’s face it, things rarely go according to plan: flights are delayed, ports of call are cancelled, luggage doesn’t make it, etc. All you can do is have a good attitude and roll with the punches. Make sure you are prepared with the contact name and number for the port agent, on the off chance that you literally miss the boat. You might also consider keeping the contact information for your travel agent on hand, just in case something does go wrong and you need his or her help.
4. Lose your kids. Okay, not literally, but most ships have programs for children of all ages. You can sign up young children for supervised fun and leave others to roam the ship on their own while you spend time with your spouse. Make sure that your kids understand what is expected of them…and then ditch them for a couple hours.
5. Play with the kids. Spending time with your family is what this trip is all about, right? Participate in scheduled activities with your kids or spend time with them while taking advantage of some of the onboard amenities.

To order luggage or other travel essentials, visit TamperSeal.com.

Top 5 Tips for Traveling with your Kids

With the kids out of school for the summer, many of us have plans to travel with our families for the summer. Unlike those single-man business trips you may take during the rest of the year, these family outings require a bit more planning and preparation. With the help of TravelWithYourKids.com, we have compiled a list of the top 5 tips to help you get through your family trip as smoothly as possible.

1. It’s all a state of mind. Keep in mind that your attitude on this trip is going to be everything. Problems will occur, things will go wrong. However, if you take everything lightly and go with the flow, you’ll have fun in spite of any problems. Treat your trip like a big adventure and do your best to laugh off any frustrations and mishaps.
2. Don’t forget the must-haves. There are a few basic necessities that you should bring on the trip. These include:

• Medication: painkillers, cough syrup, an antihistamine, and any prescription medication that you need.
• Baby wipes: these are invaluable and can be used for cleaning hands, faces, toilet seats, spills, or a myriad of other things.
• Travel detergent: clothing will, inevitably, be spilled on and with this you will be able to soak items in a hotel sink.
• Nightlight: this can easily turn a scary hotel room into a cozy place for sleeping.

1. Strategically plan departure times. Try to plan departure times around your child’s naptime, increasing the likelihood that they will sleep much of the time you are on the road or in the air. You might also consider scheduling any lengthier, cross-country flights at night, when your child would naturally be sleeping.
2. Strategically plan flights. Consider the placement of your family in the plane and in the rows and whether you want everyone sitting together or if splitting up the family is more peace-inducing. Check to see if children’s meals are available in flight and if it is possible to board early to allow yourself more time to get your children adjusted and comfortable. It is advisable to bring along blankets and pillows, as planes often get cold and uncomfortable.
3. Choosing toys wisely.  Bringing your child’s favorite toys with a couple extra in reserve is a good way to entertain them for hours and keep them entertained. You may also want to consider bringing a new toy, something to bring out as a distraction in the event a total meltdown is about to occur.

To order travel blankets or pillows or to check out other travel essentials, go to TamperSeal.com.

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Written By Guest Author, EE

Ever wonder how you maneuvered through the airport without it?

Bag Bungee luggage attachment system

Securely attach your computer bag or carry-on to your roller bag with the bag bungee so that two items can move as one.

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• Item 12181

Would you visit a Nickelodeon-branded theme park?

We hope slime won't be involved... It seems the kids' network is teaming up with the City of New Orleans and Southern Star Amusement to bring a water and theme park to the southern city.

The planned park is part of the City of New Orleans' and Southern Star Amusement's redevelopment plans for a 65-acre lot once occupied by Jazzland/Six Flags in Eastern New Orleans.

Plans for the park include:

• water-based attractions
• renovation of existing attractions
• rides with major Nickelodeon character themes. (Think Dora the Explorer and Spongebob)

What do you think? We definitely have a feeling there would be tons of kids excited about this. It might be a great step toward bringing more tourists to the rejuvenated Gulf Coast city.

Read the full press release here.