No Fuss Travel Tips and Tricks for Moms

Courtesy of Amy Tara Koch

Holiday travel sparks anxiety in the most unflappable parent, so we chatted with style expert (and mom of two!) Amy Tara Koch.

Her trick to keeping it all together? Patience, and packing like a pro.

Check out her picks and tips to keep you looking and feeling good while you travel during the holidays.

Keep It Chic. Forget sweats! Fashion meets function (and comfort) with the perfect pair of black leggings. I just love the version ($10) by Norma Kamali for Walmart — they’re affordable and super soft!

Keep On-the-Go Snacks Healthy. Unless you want to fall victim to lousy airport food and high-priced hotel breakfast, stock your carry on and suitcase with easy-to-transport snacks and breakfast options. Best bets include Cream of Wheat‘s yummy Cinnabon flavored instant cereal, raw almonds and Kashi snack bars.

Keep Them Busy. Occupied kids are quiet kids. Interactive games will keep children 2 and older engaged for hours. My fave is the V-Tech‘s V-Reader ($63).

Keep It at the Ready. The name of the travel game is to be prepared for every situation: delays, congestion, spills/stains and bad behavior. My mommy must-have list includes Tide-to-Go‘s instant stain removal pen, Duracell‘s USB Charger for cell phones and PDAs, Tasty Brand‘s organic fruit gummy snacks for kid-friendly bribery and EarPlanes‘ ear plugs to relieve ear pressure.

Keep It Clean. To defend your family from the brazen germs lurking on every surface, build your anti-cootie arsenal with toilet covers, multi-use pads and anti-bacterial wipes.

Comments

Jacqui on December 21st, 2010

Not everybody looks “chic” in leggings!

Savannah Hernandez on December 21st, 2010

You don’t really think about these tips but they are so true! Good article!

xoxo,

Mommy Appelseed

IndieMom on December 21st, 2010

The perfect checklist for travel with kids – I love it!

Sean on December 21st, 2010

Great post. I have all of that in my stylish daddy carry-all. (Or as it is called in my house) Snacks are the key!!! Getting some small toys that the kids like, or books they like to read helps to calm them down. As an aside, I’ve seen Amy in very chic leggings, its all about how you put the rest of the outfit together.

Anonymous on December 21st, 2010

i was expecting another dumb list from a know-it-all “guru” but this list was actually really helpful. as far as the leggings, i disagree with jacqui. it all depends what you wear them with. everyone looks cute wearing a tunic top and leggings with boots, flats or sandals. i’ve seen women look horrendous but its not the leggings, its the choice of top.

Baby On Board Apparel on December 21st, 2010

Totally agree – keep the kids occupied, be prepared for anything and everything and of course look good doing it.

Marla on December 21st, 2010

This seems like a ginormous product placement/sponsored article.

Shannon on December 21st, 2010

Um this should be common sense! lol

Mrs. R. on December 22nd, 2010

I agree with the Keep kids occupied, but we’re frequently traveling from coast to coast with 2 kids under 4, and we have YET to rely on any electronics to keep our kids busy.

We are just as capable of keeping them busy with coloring books, little games (including hiding a toy under one of 3 airline coffee cups) and I Spy.

My husband and I keep our kids quiet, out of trouble, and out of people’s way just fine without having to resort to plugging them into something.

I think it’s kind of sad when I see a kid on a plane for 6 hours staring at a DVD or a game player. It isn’t healthy for the kid, and it means that the parent has lost 6 hours of potential quality time creating a memory.

pdg on December 31st, 2010

good, solid tips. always need to be prepared and relax the rules a little when travelling