Hello Friends! Next week’s trip to New York is on my mind. I haven’t flown solo with a baby in ages — have any brilliant advice for me? I hope my seat-mates will think June is irresistible (and not get weirded out by nursing). While I work on a packing list, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
- Old-Style Apothecaries. I keep asking Ben Blair to grow his beard. It’s the nicest shade of red.
- Sneakers.
- A seamless room. I adore the drafting tables.
- Check out Ashley’s wire light fixture tutorial.
- Lisa’s journal idea is very cool.
- Marvel at this paper creation.
- Button thumb tacks.
- Music for Haiti. Such a great album cover!
- Cake bunting.
I write a daily post for Babble’s Family Style blog. Here are this week’s finds:
- A little whale mobile.
- Custom knobs for dressers and cupboards.
- A Spanish alphabet poster.
- Calendar in a can.
- Detox your home with good-looking cleaning products.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Audrey & Nic are coming to stay on Saturday and we hope to take them some place really yummy to eat. I’ll see you back here on Monday. I miss you already.
kisses,
Gabrielle
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Gabby,
Thanks for the link to your “stand in” source..if nothing else that web site cracked me up!
I flew when both my girls were 3 mts and i was also by myself. I sat with my left elbow out in the aisle..since its lefty that is the milk producer. Worked out great, nurse taking off and coming down, pretty much no one blinked an eye. I checked the car seat but our flight was short..just less to lug through the airport. Good Luck and i look forward to your posts!
Ooo! I love those button thumbtacks! And perfect timing too – I just purchased 12 corkboards to display family photos on. And both my mom and I collect buttons. What a great way to add some pizazz to the display with something we love.
Have fun! Are you going to the BlogHer Gala? If so, I’ll have a piece of jewelry displayed there. I wish I could go, but I’ll have to settle for your re-count. Take pictures! =)
Whenever I fly alone with my babies I always bring a stash of candy bars. I pass them out to those seated around me and it instantly breaks the ice. It’s kind of an advance sorry. But then, if your baby is good the people around feel like they totally scored. If, not they feel like you were at least trying your best to be considerate. Happy travels!
I love this idea! I’m totally going to use it when I fly with my 7 month old later this year.
Remember a blanket or coverup since most airlines have taken blankets off the plane. Also if you have your baby suck on something during takeoff and landing it will help her ears. Hopefully you’ll have a seat for her car seat on you flight… lot safer especially during this time of year with turbulence from summer storms.
We try to be so self sufficient but your hands will be full so why not get some help if it’s offered (or ask for it). I’m a better flight attendant now that I’m a mom, I understand how challenging it can be traveling with children. :) And hopefully you’ll have nice flight attendants who like kids and smile at you rather then give you dirty looks. I recently flew on US Airways to Costa Rica and had a flight attendant bark at me since I changed my daughters pull-up at my seat. She told me I should have used the changing table in the lav (I’m going to guess my daughter would not fit on that small changing table). :) Good luck.
Fabulous! Thank you! Just popped over and bought the Spanish poster. My partner is a native Spanish speaker and this poster is sooo lovely – the best one I’ve seen like it. Thank you otra vez.
I went to BlogHer Food when my baby was 9 days old. It was awesome. I had way more energy (good hormones) back then than I do now.
I so wish I was going to BlogHer in NY next week. Please keep us updated on all the great content.
oh and I took the baby with me. I nursed her in the back of the room next to a nice gentleman. I later realized that the nice gentleman was David Lebovitz and was super embarrassed because my baby was loud and messy. True story.
Dinner…have you tried Le Central (8th & Lincoln)? French, yummy, and affordable. Enjoy!
I’m sure you’re actually a pro at traveling with kids and just asking to help boost your confidence :) But I found wearing a baby carrier of some kind (a ring sling or an Ergo) helped a ton because I could use both hands to go through security, buy food, maneuver luggage, etc. I also used a pashmina-style wrap (that matched my outfit and carry on- score!) to cover us while we nursed. Gotta love a functional, stylish accessory! Flying when Tye was 2 months was easier than later at 6 months, and way easier than recently at 8 months. You and June will be great! And just in case, I love that candy bar idea. That or a Tshirt that says, “I don’t want her to cry, either.” :)
LOVE the button thumb tacks. I head back to a dorm room in 4 weeks, and those’ll be a great way to jazz it up a bit!
i always pack my bag with a bunch of earplugs for my neighbors. most people have ipods now…but just in case i offer a fresh box if my kids are acting crazy.
Groovy new Grip – Flora is probably too young yet but when she is old enough for a Rusk or finger food try the newly launched ‘Groovy Gripper’, it is fantastic for travelling as well as general out and about. It holds the Rusk or finger food securing while she holds the handle. If she drops it, and all babies do, then the cord and clip that is secured to her clothing or wrist will prevent it from dropping on the messy plane, train, sidewalk, cafe, hotel floor.
Clean, secure and a life saver if that dropped rusk was the last one in the Nappy Bag and she is still hungry. Just an idea – have fun in NY.
I flew with a two month old. I needed twice as many diapers and changes of clothes as I thought (and I had already packed TWICE as many as I thought LOL). Every time the plane changed elevations…you guessed it. And that was only a 300 mile flight.
The first time I flew with Penelope, I had NO idea that you should bottle/breast feed during take-off & landing. Thankfully, the guy who I sat next to had traveled a lot with little ones & shared that brilliant advice with me. I’m always so grateful for the kindness of strangers in airports/airplanes.
I can’t wait for New York!! EE!! Hope to run into you!
I am a flight attendant and a mom. Here is what I have to say. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE for the SAFETY of June buy her a seat and bring her carseat. Airplanes taxi at a rate of approximately 25 mph, airplanes take off and land at speeds between 125-190 mph. Incidents at these speeds are survivable for passengers wearing seatbelts. However if something happens and the pilots need to slam on the brakes at these high speeds there is no way you will be able to hold onto your her. The same goes for turbulence inflight. The number one cause for flight attendant injury is turbulence, because we aren’t wearing seatbelts during the flight. When you are holding your baby she has no protection from turbulence. She can bounce from the ceiling to the floor to the ceiling in seconds. I’ve been told that Boeing engieneers refer to lap held children as “projectiles”(that scares me).
Get to the airport early.
Use a backpack ( I know they are ugly, but very practical) and a baby carrier. Baby on the front, stuff on the back and still two free hands. If she is using a bucket type carseat bring the stroller all the way to the gate and gate check it. The stroller will be brought to the aircraft when you land and off you go. If she is in a convertable carseat go to http://www.gogobabyz.com/products-c26-gogo_Kidz_Travelmate.aspx and turn her carseat into a stroller.
If you are worried about her ears during take off and landing. This is what I do. I get to my seat, strap the carseat in, stow my stuff, breastfeed. Pop a pacifier into baby and carefully transition woozy baby to carseat and strap her in. Lower window shade, stroke, nuzzle, sing whatever it takes to seal the sleep baby sleep deal. When we get to the end of the runway and throttle up for take off I rest my hand on baby so she is assured that all is well and no need to wake up.
Ask the flight attendants for help, make eye contact, smile at us. We want to help you (with your baby, not your bags!) Most of us are parents. We understand. We’ve done this before and we see people do it everyday.
I absolutely love the cake bunting and the old style apothecaries. My grandfather was a barber and it totally reminds me of walking into his bathroom at home (shaving supplies) and his barber shop in downtown LA. I loved spending the day with him there while he worked.
Love the links, and the advice from fellow readers. We are moving to Japan (tomorrow!) and will be on a 13 hour flight with our 1 year old daughter. I kind of wish I could buy a shirt that said “I wish she wouldn’t cry either.”
Off topic:
I had a dream last night that you were here and we went to the Alma Water Park. (A little local water park here in AR.) It was funny b/c I couldn’t stop saying Betty Blair because of the way it tickled my mouth. :) I have no idea what prompted this dream but it was nice to have you over.
The pjs are so pretty. Love the thumb tack idea-so easy and so darling!!
I always felt that people would always prefer to see a baby happily nursing than crying. I always tossed the schedule and nursed whenever I thought my baby wanted to
Take tons of diapers and a few changes of clothing for her
I totally agree with the backpack/carrier method of getting through the airport
Best of luck!!!
A friend brings a cheap canister of earplugs with her and hands them out to everyone around her seat as they board. It’s kind of a joke, but it lets her plane-mates know that she’s not any more excited about a crying baby than they are. She’s said it’s definitely made them more sympathetic to being seated near an infant. Oh, and if you’ve got a backup bottle for Baby J, be careful opening it up in the air – or when you land. It’ll soak everyone when it explodes from air pressure. It did NOT look cool dripping down the hair/face of the already-sulky-looking-and-perfectly-coiffed-manicured-dry clean only lady next to us :-s
I absolutely love the button tack idea! I might make some myself, now =) I also love the custom knobs. I’m refurbishing a dresser for Logan’s room and I want to add knobs to it so this is definitely a site I’ll be looking into! The calendars are mighty cute too!! Hope you had a great weekend!