The Traveling Red

MOTHERHOOD

TODDLER HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

With the holidays quickly approaching I’ve gotten so many requests for links to Charlie’s favorite toys, so I’ve decided to put together a whole gift guide for toddlers. If you have a toddler to shop for, boy or girl, here’s plenty of ideas at all price points. They are all from Amazon so they’re super easy to shop and they include free shipping for prime members. LEARNING TOYS Educational toys are always my favorite. I love that my daughter gets excited to learn and we have a great time doing it. Here are some of our favorites… SHAPE SORTER- The Melissa & Doug Take-Along Shape Sorter helps little ones practice their colors, shapes and spacial recognition. The best part is this one comes in a soft carry case and it’s only $17. Click here to buy it. STACKING CUBES– My daughter was obsessed with her stacking cubes. They taught her how to stack and her numbers up to 10. But I can’t lie, her favorite part was watching them tumble when she knocked down the full stack. This set is $15. Click here to buy. FOAM LETTERS & NUMBERS– This is the best bath time toy. These foam letters and […]

November 8, 2019

things to see in utah road trip itinerary

NORTH AMERICA, SIGHTSEEING

PLACES TO VISIT WHILE ROAD TRIPPING IN Utah

When planning our road trip, I was super excited to visit Utah. I had seen so many amazing pictures, so I knew I wanted to dedicate some time to that state. However, I never realized just how much time I needed to really see Utah. Let’s just put it this way, we would have needed to spend the whole 2 months in Utah if we actually wanted to see all of it. Instead we did what I call the highlights tour. We spent a day (max 2) in each place and only saw the best of the best and then on to the next location. Since we were traveling with a 2 year old, we couldn’t do most of the amazing hikes, so if you’re planning to visit Utah and want to do some incredible hikes, you’re going to need to factor in quite some time for it. Here’s a quick preview of some of Utah’s highlights. Bonneville Salt Flats The Bonneville Salt Flats are the remnants of a now dried up lake in Utah. The endless views of white are just breathtaking and can easily be confused for snow on the ground in a picture. It is home of […]

November 6, 2019

NORTH AMERICA

WHICH ISLANDS TO VISIT IN THE BAHAMAS

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that one of my favorite places to visit is the Bahamas. I visit at least once a year, every single year. A good Bahamas write up was long overdue, especially since I am constantly getting messages from people wanting to visit the places they’ve seen on my Instagram or here on my blog. So instead of providing this information one on one, I decided to put it into a blog. The first decision you have to make is which island you want to visit. Most people don’t realize just how big the Bahamas are. About a month ago I started writing this, but never got around to finishing it. In that time, Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, making this post even more important now. People have seen the devastation brought on by the hurricane all over the news, but what you might not realize is how much of the Bahamas were unaffected. The Bahamas are huge and super spread out. Just to put it into perspective, the Bahamas are comprised of more than 700 islands and cays encompassing 180,000 sq mi (470,000 km2) of ocean space. Although some areas got destroyed by the hurricane, […]

September 26, 2019

NORTH AMERICA, SIGHTSEEING, TRAVEL TIPS

MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOTS IN THE BAHAMAS AND HOW TO FIND THEM

If you’re dreaming of a trip to the Bahamas its probably because you’ve seen some amazing pictures. The Bahamas is full of Instagrammable spots you can’t find anywhere else. But the Bahamas are huge. Where are those amazing spots you don’t want to miss? I’ll share with you some of my favorite spots and how to find them. Swimming Pigs Probably the most Instagrammable spot in all of the Bahamas is Big Major Cay in the Exumas, home of the famous swimming pigs. This beach is better known as Pig Beach and is completely uninhabited by humans and only accessible by boat. As soon as you arrive, the pigs swim out to your boat hoping to be fed. Please be aware that the pigs are known to get a little aggressive. If you want to see them, you can go on a private boat or with a tour from another island in the Exumas. As of recently there’s tours from Nassau as well, but expect it to be a very long day. Stingrays at Honeymoon Harbour Honeymoon Harbour is a small uninhabited beach South of Bimini, famous for their clear waters and stingray encounters. The stingrays are used to being […]

August 13, 2019

KID-FRIENDLY, MOTHERHOOD, NORTH AMERICA, SIGHTSEEING

where to take your kids this summer in miami

This week I teamed up with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) to visit some kid-friendly places around Miami. I always forget to get out and explore in Miami because it’s my hometown. But the truth is that Miami is full of great activities for the whole family. If you’re a mom living in Miami that needs some new ideas to keep the kids entertained during what’s left of summer break or a mom visiting Miami with your kids, these 3 places are definitely worth a visit! Miami Children’s Museum Our first stop was at Miami Children’s Museum and I can’t believe we hadn’t been yet. I assumed my daughter was still too young (she just turned 2), but I was sooooo wrong. It is nothing like the museums I remember visiting as a kid. This museum was fun, interactive and honestly, just so cool! Miami Children’s Museum has 2 floors of exhibits, each with its very own theme. Our favorites exhibits were the Music Makers Studio, the Multi-Sensory Room and the All About Art exhibit. The Music Makers Studio has a huge piano that you play when you step on it. We spent quite some time running […]

August 2, 2019

NORTH AMERICA, TRAVEL TIPS

Tour of Our School Bus turned Tiny Home – 2 Cool 4 Skool Bus

I haven’t been as active as I would like lately, but it’s for a really good reason. My husband and I have been working on converting a school bus into a tiny home so we could travel in it during the summer. It’s finally ready to share with you, but first let me tell you the story of how this ever even happened…. Last summer my hubby and I discussed planning a road trip the following summer. He looked into buying an RV but I wanted to remodel it and “make it pretty”. One night he gets home and says, “What do you think about buying a school bus and turning into a vacation home on wheels?” I kinda laughed at him, but said I would consider it. The next day he asks me if I wanted to drive up to Tampa, Florida just to check out some school buses. We were going just to look and see if he would even fit in them (he’s 6’2), or so he said. Well I packed a duffle bag and loaded the baby into the car at 8pm to drive up to Tampa. The next morning we drove around, saw some buses […]

June 13, 2019

MOTHERHOOD, TRAVEL TIPS

Traveling with a Baby: My 5 Essential Items for the Flight

If you’ve been following me on Instagram (@TheTravelingRed), you know by now that my 1.5 year old daughter has flown a lot. With over 20 flights under our belt, this mommy has learned what we need for flights and what we really don’t. Here are my 5 travel essentials for flying with a baby. # 1 – An iPad with a babyproof case (buy a similar case here). Her case has handles making it easy for her to hold, it stands up on its own and it offers protection in case it falls. However, just an iPad isn’t enough, you have to stock it up with stuff to watch and games to play. Since there isn’t always wifi available inflight, I downloaded the Wayo app and purchased Little Baby Bum videos. If you’re not familiar with Little Baby Bum, it’s a series of nursery rhymes for kids and my daughter loves them! You can purchase and download videos that are about an hour long (purchase them here). These save us when there’s no wifi available. # 2 – A harness for the airplane to keep her safe. Often times I buy my daughter her own seat, although I don’t need […]

March 7, 2019

ASIA, TRAVEL TIPS

5 reasons you should visit Jordan now

This past summer I visited Jordan for the 2nd time and fell even more in love with it. It has quickly become one of my favorite places to visit and I cannot wait to return. If Jordan isn’t on your bucket list, here’s 5 reasons why it should be… 1- Jordan is one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited, and there’s so many things to do. In Jordan you’ll find busy city life, incredible dessert views and lots of fun beach days. During our last visit, we spent some time in the city (Amman), floated in the Dead Sea, drove all the way down to the Red Sea for some beach days in Aqaba and enjoyed the stunning dessert views in Petra. I chose to skip the overnight stay in a luxury tent in Wadi Rum because I had my 1 year old daughter with me, but I am definitely going back just for that. 2- Jordan has the Dead Sea and everyone should float in the Dead Sea at least once in their lifetime. The Dead Sea is a salt lake that’s nearly 10 times as salty as the ocean. The high salt content makes your body […]

January 25, 2019

HOTEL REVIEW, NORTH AMERICA

Hotel Review- Beachcomber Cottages on Vilano (St. Augustine, Florida)

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, I hate to admit that I had never been to St. Augustine. Just a 5 hour drive from home, one of the oldest cities in the United States, is such a great place to visit. During our new years trip to the mountain, we decided to stop in St. Augustine for a night and I was pleasantly surprised. I booked a beach cottage in Vilano, which is right over the bridge from St. Augustine. The Beachcomber Cottages on Vilano (link to the hotel’s website) are a hidden gem. A beautiful private beach, a charming little cottage, impeccable service and attention to detail, all just a 10 minute drive from historic downtown St. Augustine. It’s really the best of both worlds! We stayed in the Sandpiper Suite, a beautiful room with every amenity you could ever need…. king size bed, dining table, fireplace, little kitchenette, coffee maker and an amazing bathroom. What I loved most about this place was the incredible attention to detail… our bathroom was stocked with plush bath towels (they might be even better than what I have at home), makeup wipes and even a black makeup towel. Right outside our door […]

January 14, 2019

MOTHERHOOD, TRAVEL TIPS

Traveling with a Baby: Packing List

Moms are always terrified about a baby’s first flight, because we all know how disastrous it can be. If you follow me on Instagram (@thetravelingred) then you’ve noticed that my 1 year-old has traveled quite a bit. I get asked about traveling with her all the time. By 14 months old my daughter had been to 4 continents (yes, continents) and on a total of 16 flights… so I would say she’s a fairly experienced traveler. Being properly prepared for a flight is crucial if you want it to go well. Here is my packing list, split into 2 categories: what I carry on and what I check in. Even if you don’t check in a bag, I would suggest keeping the carry on items separate, so you can put that bag under the seat in front of you. You want these items to be accessible during the flight. WHAT TO PACK Carry On Bag: Entertainment: small toys & iPad Diapers Wipes Changing Pad Disposable Bags Food & Snacks Feeding Essentials: bib, nursing cover, bottle/formula, baby spoon, etc. Drinks: bottle and/or sippy cups Change of Clothes (for everyone) Swaddle or Blanket Medical Items: medications, thermometer, nose aspirator, diaper rash cream, […]

December 4, 2018

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