Mom's Fave Five Series | Leslie Schmidt Shares Her Travel Faves
Leslie is the Director of Content for Koi-Fly Creative out of West Chester, PA and Owner of
Escaped Studios, a boutique lifestyle photography studio in Phoenixville, PA. Follow her
@lesler5 on Instagram
When I found out I was pregnant, I cried. Apart from being shook to my core I remember looking at my sister and irrationally saying “Well now I can’t go to Iceland”. Travel has always been a part of my life. Being a video producer and photographer lends a significant amount of exploring. That once in a lifetime experience into the new and different is soul feeding.
I mopped around for a few weeks, talked to all of my friends that were currently parents. I heard all the doom and gloom “get ready for your life to be over”, “you’re gonna be chained for the next 18 years”, “it only gets harder from here”. I was miz. If everyone was this unhappy, then why have kids at all?
It wasn’t until a regular day meeting, about 6 months after, that my perspective was shifted forever. The woman I was chatting with was very mattered of fact with me. “Leslie”, she said “the problem today is that people consider their child their whole world, which is isolating, the shift needs to be an understanding that your child is an EXTENSION of you”.
It was that day that I realized, I can do anything, go anywhere, travel, continue my life with a kid. If Sacagawea could do it - so could I! And that’s exactly what I did.
I’m often asked on Instagram - how are you able to travel so much with your kid? So below are my Mom’s fave travel five exclusively for ‘This is How We Stroll'.
Fave #1 The Inglesina Fast Table Hook-on High Chair
This was the key to our success. If it was meeting up at the local Denver brewery with friends after a day of skiing or an awesome beach restaurant on the Florida panhandle, a 2-minute pop up and we were all comfortable. Never had to wait for a specific table, perfect on high tops if the place was awesome but full. This seat was the greatest thing ever and collapsed down to fit perfectly in my suitcase.
Fave #2 The Ergo Baby
There are lots of versions of a child carrier out there, and most of them would be just fine. But this model was incredible. Washable, sturdy, lightweight and secure. It’s perfect for walking across a million gates at the airport, keeping baby asleep on the plane, for hiking, walking on the beach, or just feeling hands-free.
Fave #3 The Eddie Bauer Changing Pad
Anyone else mad sketched out by public restrooms? Yeah - me too. Having this available for all the public places you hit up when traveling was clutch (get it? ha!) It compresses down so perfectly, easy to wipe, and a fun trick - buy some doggie pee pads to put on top for faster changing and a quick getaway in a bathroom.
Fave #4 The Dohm Sound Conditioner
A lot of our travels have landed us with friends. So, of course, the wine and beer get a flowin’ and the decibels get higher and higher. Having this with us not only gave our daughter a drown-out of our happiness, but also was a familiar sleep cue. Getting her down in a random place was 10X easier and faster having this with us. It’s a game changer.
Fave #5 Graco's SnugRider Elite Infant Car Seat Frame
When we first jetted out, I brought our trusty BOB thinking it wouldn’t be a problem. And most of the time when we got to the gate, it wasn’t. But a good chunk of time I was hassled by check in that my stroller was too big, blah blah. Eventually, we broke down and got the SnugRider. Probably should have just gone with it in the first place. Super collapsible, car seat was easy to clip right in, and no hassles at the gate. It’s bottom basket is also big enough to stuff the car seat base in so you can scoot from terminal to terminal and jump right on the plane. We also really enjoyed is compactness when we were boppin’ around whatever city we were in.
You got this, go see the world Mama!
Leslie is the Director of Content for Koi-Fly Creative out of West Chester, PA and Owner of
Escaped Studios, a boutique lifestyle photography studio in Phoenixville, PA. Follow her
@lesler5 on Instagram
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