I was so excited to plan a trip with our two-year-old toddler since it was our first official family trip. However, I think I was more anxious and worried leading up to the day than anything else. Like most moms, a lot of negative thoughts were going on in my head about traveling, making it hard to completely look forward to the trip. I was most concerned about the flight and how my 26 month old would react on a six-hour flight to Hawaii. Would she scream the entire time? Would she be comfortable enough to at least take her nap? Will my picky toddler eat outside food for a week without anything homemade? In the end I just have to say, I am so glad I didn’t let my worrisome thoughts stop me from enjoying one of my favorite memories with our Ella thus far.
The amount of hours I spent researching what to take and what was unnecessary to take when traveling with a toddler was endless lol. I really wanted to be prepared because I had no idea what to expect traveling so far with her for the first time. To keep her busy on the flight, I got her a 1000 Sticker book, most of which she stuck on daddy’s shirt lol. I downloaded some of her favorite shows on Netflix and played some for her on the iPAD during the flight. Even if your flight has Wi-Fi, I suggest you still download shows or movies just in case the Internet is down for some reason. She used her headband headphones to watch her shows & it was the cutest thing. Although, my favorite purchase for the plane were the Gel Cling stickers that she put on the plane windows. It was a huge hit and she loved placing the stickers and removing them repeatedly. She even used them at our hotel balcony door. I wanted to make sure she would be comfortable enough to take her nap on the plane so we could enjoy our day once we landed. I made sure her pillow and favorite blanket were on the plane with us and she was in her comfy pajamas. I purchased an inflatable travel pillow for her to put between her seat and the seat in front of her to have enough room to lay down and nap just like at home ☺ I will share links of this and everything else I mentioned at the end of the blog – they were all purchased from Amazon. Lastly, you never know when they will have a stinky diaper, I didn’t want anyone around to smell that so I got an Arm & Hammer diaper bag dispenser bags for any dirty diapers and they really helped keep any odor inside.
The flight was a huge success and my husband I were so proud of her, she was even dancing and shaking when there was turbulence lol. Maui is one of the most beautiful islands in Hawaii and we really had a great time. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa and it was kid friendly with many amenities for kids all ages. They have six free-form pool areas including interactive children’s pool, penguin and koi fish feedings for kids to enjoy. The first few days of our trip, Ella wasn’t eating much and that was starting to worry me but after that I guess she got used to the atmosphere and starting trying things. Just to be real, it’s not much of a “vacation” with a toddler because you are constantly doing things to accommodate them. But seeing how happy Ella was and how much fun she was having, this trip really stood out for me as one of my favorites. I let her break the “regular rules” we had at home and just wanted her to enjoy as much as possible. There were days she was having so much fun she would forget to nap lol or she would go to bed late and I was totally ok with it. The adjustment period when we came back was a different story lol but still worth it. Take your waterproof phone case with you because you will be capturing so many beautiful photos with them and ENJOY ☺ I hope this gave you some insight if you are planning to travel with a toddler, especially if it’s your first official trip.

JesPlay Fantastic Farm Animals
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KRMB94D?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Bag
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QKDI48?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

1000 Stickers (Sticker Activity Fun)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312504926?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Caitin Kids Swim Slippers Water
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CGLNZYG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Inflatable Travel Foot Rest
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DQBY83F?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

CozyPhones Kids Headphones Volume
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K8U9MCI?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share