Liz + Lizzy's Travel Essentials

"When traveling with James (2.5yrs), I rely heavily on my zip pouches to keep me organized. Most recently, he threw up the entire 4 hour flight, and I had everything I needed to help him (and myself!)–at my seat, with a quick reach. The big zip pouch is dedicated to James’ messy side–all the things needed to soothe, wipe, clean, change, + discard a diaper or use for the surprise upset stomach. The medium zip pouch is for the fun stuff: a little notebook + crayons, stickers, a toy car, a koosh ball (my favorite airport toy bc it doesn’t roll away!) and some snacks. Lately, it’s a box of raisins for him, yogurt pretzels for me. The small zip is for all my little stuff: lip Balm, apple airpods for watching all the crap shows on my ipad (because I’m a nervous flyer, and their banter puts me at ease) AND cord headphones (for airplane tv, just in case), gum, + compression socks that keep me feeling more energized after a long flight."

 "Josh makes fun of my giant tote bag when we travel. It’s an abyss, but it’s almost impossible to travel with two young kids with less. The thing that keeps me sane is staying organized in our pouches. The most obvious things packed are changing needs. In my big pouch I always have a few diapers for Major, Aquafor for any sudden redness (or rough cheeks in winter !), a change of underwear + pants for India + a full change for Major, burp cloths and a big package of wipes (not only for changing M, but for wiping down all of our seats, TVs, tray tables, + arm rests before we’re situated). All of this, plus a thin changing pad, fit! Oh, I also keep a roll of doggy poop bags in there for stinky diapers or dirty clothes. My medium pouch is dedicated to snacks and toys. Some favorites that are good for packing + not too messy are walnuts, these bars (the lowest sugar count I can find in a kid’s bar), string cheese, something M can hold + chew on, and always stickers + crayons for India. And while we try not to give India too much sugar, these are my ultimate, always work as a bribe, treat. The tiny pouch houses everything that would be lost like socks in a dryer without a dedicated home: extra hair ties (both India + I use these--I love that they’re small + don’t rip hair), pacis (always Mam), chapstick for me (usually a mini we get from the dentist), and always a nose frida, just in case. In all honesty, since there have been two I’m packing for the last few trips, there is often a 4th pouch just for me with things like my glasses, hand santizer (while I’m not generally a fan of it, I’ll try anything after a plane bathroom), lotion, + gum… In another life I packed plenty for my own entertainment, but the truth is at the moment, there is no time for that!"