We live for our adventures as a family, and we find ways of fitting little adventures into everyday. You will find us out and about with kids of all ages, sometimes the kids will be exploring with us, on their own or assisted, and sometimes they are rolling with things and napping as we are on the go. This has worked for us beautifully for almost a decade and I love the flexibility it gives us as a family instead of rendering us housebound every single afternoon and evening to accommodate sleep schedules and downtime.

Does it sound hard to go from sunup to sundown with kids in tow? Maybe to some, but for us it was absolutely necessary. So, we knew we needed to stay mobile and we needed to find the gear that helped us do it. The gear had to be multi-purpose, able to adapt to different ages and stages, and it had to be smartly designed so it didn’t become a burden that weighed us down. In our near-decade of on-the-go parenting, we have been stopped by hundreds and hundreds of moms, caretakers, and grandparents asking where we got all of our gear that helps keep us mobile, and complimenting how effortlessly we travel and explore with kiddos.

Want to see a peek into our smart parenting day and see what items keep up with our active adventures? You’ll see that many of our favorite items adapt for kids of all ages, so you might see multiple kids using each item to show how it works for all of our days – whether we just have our three or we are joined by all of our many little friends.

Here’s what you need to rock your parenting day:

smart stroller. This compact stroller is always ready to go in metro areas as well as off-road. You will love that the smart stroller is easy to push and navigate through town, even in tight quarters. And, even though it’s compact and narrow, it still manages to be well-balanced and doesn’t feel tippy or unstable while using. With amazing all wheel suspension, you can pop over curbs, roll over grass, bumpy sidewalks, and more as well as giving you a smooth ride when your little one needs to nap on the go. We also love that the smart can stand upright while folded, which is great for those of us who frequent teeny tiny cafes and/or need to fold our strollers up out of the way. And, since we are on the go with kids of various ages, I love the spacious 24″ seat height and 14″ seat width of the smart stroller. The smart is great for use around town, while traveling, and for all day comfort from birth on up to large toddlers, and it’s priced right as well as having tons of premium features that you just can’t find in low- or mid-range strollers.

lobster portable high chair. I can’t tell you how many cafes, restaurants, and friend’s houses we have visited that don’t have suitable high chairs. Instead of holding baby on our lap {and ending up with food everywhere as they grab everything within reach}, we loved the phil&teds portable high chair that allows you to feed your little one anywhere. Simply clip the lobster portable high chair onto the tabletop, island, or counter and baby can sit up with you on the go and it is super easy to clean once mealtime is over. When it’s not in use, you can simply fold it up and place in the bottom of the stroller, into a bag or backpack, or keep it in the trunk of your car if you are road tripping.

traveller portable crib. We love the traveller portacrib from phil&teds so much that we actually got rid of the traditional wooden crib and transitioned baby to it full time so she sleeps in it every single night, at home and away. For over 6 years now the traveller has housed my little travelers both at home and around the world, and we could not love it more than we do. It’s lightweight and portable, but still built to last the way all phil&teds products are. It’s the only portacot that’s lighter than the baby and rolls up smaller than a sleeping bag, making it ideal for plane travel, road trips, or even just visits to the park or in-laws. No more worrying that baby will keep you all up all night in an unfamiliar place because the hotel didn’t have a travel crib for you to borrow, and no more wondering how you’re going to enforce naptime while visiting friends because the traveller is so portable that it doesn’t make sense *not* to bring it. We like to joke that if our traveller crib had a passport it would have more stamps in it than most adult passports do, and we really aren’t incorrect. This little traveller has certainly gotten around, and it’s made it infinitely easier for us to travel as a family and stay on the go.

parade baby carrier. We love to hike and explore as a family and that means that baby has to be ready to hike, too. A few months ago, my little one outgrew her front pack carrier for long stretches, and we realized we needed a backpack carrier that would offer great support for long distances while helping to minimize the weight. The phil&teds parade baby backpack came to the rescue and helped us hit the trail and city in style with a toddler. And, when my little one feels like walking, there’s no shortage of little friends that are more than willing to hop into the carrier and give their moms a break while enjoying the hike forward-facing and part of the action. It’s comfortable for long stretches, both for parent and baby, and it’s common to see our little one napping in it for our adventures, exploring right along with us, and holding our necessities even when our little one decides to walk a bit.

universal travel bag. If you travel a lot with little ones, it’s not unheard of to have more than one stroller. One for home and one that you expect to get trashed when you travel with it. If only I had found the universal travel bag sooner, we would have saved the expense of having to replace our stroller after only a few years because the universal travel bag not only helps make bulky items portable, it also keeps them safe for even the most adventurous travel. Simply load in your favorite baby gear, add in any other necessities, and then fold it up so everything is enclosed and protected. Then you can wheel your travel bag around airports, train stations, and cruise ships, use it to transfer between cars, or you can store bulky baby items even when you’re at home. The universal travel bag can be used for most strollers, car seats, portacots, baby carriers, booster chairs and so much more.  As an extra bonus, if you’re gate checking your stroller the universal travel bag allows you to stuff heavy or bulky items inside without weighing down your checked or carry on luggage. 

poppy high chair. When we’re at home, we all love the poppy high chair that can grow from baby to child and from table height to counter height in just a few adjustments. My little one and all of her playdate guests love sitting up at the kitchen island and watching us cook and then joining us for informal meals as a family. When we’re dining at the table, we simply remove the extension pieces on the legs and the chair becomes table height for family meals around the dining table. But, what’s even cooler is that the high chair also becomes a great desk chair or decorative chair by removing the tray and the seat post so it fits kids on up to double digits. I love smart products that last from baby to toddler, but it’s even better when it can last throughout childhood.

Easy peasy adventures.

Traveling with babies and toddlers in tow isn’t as scary as it sounds. Invest in the best gear you can and you won’t have to worry about the necessities – you can push, sleep, feed, carry, drive, adapt (& survive!) your parenting day in style. Then you can spend your time planning more adventures and teaching your kiddo at a young age how to go with the flow and face the inevitable snags you will face with a smile. You will foster a love of adventure and travel and it will make travel easier even as they grow and become more independent. Want to save this? Use the handy pin below: