Posts

Babymoon Destinations for Every Type

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The Tropical Babymoon: Hawaii

When I was toting a beach ball around my midline, all I wanted to do was relax in the sun, eating delicious foods, and dangling my toes in the warm ocean. Hawaii was the obvious choice for me. I spent a week on Kauai and this isle’s feminine energy and super laid back vibes helped me let go of my anxieties in this transitional phase of life.

Hanalei Beach Bump

I indulged in açai bowls daily, enjoyed pineapple smoothies in lieu of piña coladas by the pool and had fun exploring the North, South and in between of this ruggedly natural place.

Also, there’s nothing better than floating in the pristine waters when you are pregnant. You feel weightless!

Hotel Recommendation: Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort in Poipu

 

The Snowy Babymoon: Tahoe

Though most winter activities were off limits, I had an amazing time in Tahoe while pregnant. By taking skiing, sledding and skating off the itinerary, we had more time to really explore, relax and hang out. Northstar was idyllic because the village is so walkable, has cute stores (even a kids store!) and great eats. Plus the gondola goes right into town so I felt like I was on the slopes!

 

We cozied up on the cabins, made s’mores at the outdoor firepits of the Ritz Carlton Tahoe and we even did a yoga class. If you plan to go, I’d suggest trying to make a Mountain Table Dinner held on the summit at the Zephyr Lodge.

Hotel Recommendation: Northstar Lodging

 

The Good Eatin’ Babymoon: Austin

Austin is a central hub for hip hotels, cool neighborhoods and amazing food. Come here hungry because you might be trying to squeeze in a few extra meals. The atmosphere is friendly, the shopping is unique and the food is much more than just barbecue (though that is great too!).

Check out Torchy’s, Cafe No Se and Joann’s.

Hotel Recommendation: South Congress Hotel 

 

The Historic Babymoon: Martha’s Vineyard

For those on the East Coast, Martha’s Vineyard is a drive and a quick ferry ride, though this historical island feels like a world away. With several towns, Edgartown being my favorite, there’s a lot to do here but it’s also okay to do nothing at all. Take a drive, go for a stroll or watch the boats come into harbor–these are all acceptable day activities.

Edgartown is my absolute favorite. Its walkability, lighthouse views, shops and cafés and overall charm is captivating. Life on Martha’s Vineyard moves at a slower pace but with a lot of appreciation for the little things. On a babymoon, you might appreciate the calm, happy ease of MV.

Hotel Recommendations: The Harbor View Hotel and The Kelley House

 

The Euro Babymoon: Rome

Definitely a longer haul, a babymoon to Italy might be daunting. If you are earlier in your pregnancy or have a bit of energy, then I highly recommend it. I went at 22 weeks and felt great. There was lots of walking but always balanced by delicious food waiting at the end of each stroll. Definitely book a hotel central to the sites that you are most interested in so you never have to go too far. We didn’t take one taxi while there because we were in the heart of everything!

Rome The Roman Forum

Each day we just picked a neighborhood and just walked around, stopping for gelato, to shop or dine. I’d recommend not trying to pack in too much sightseeing and rather just enjoy the city. If you want to see some of the major sites, pick 1 per day so you don’t overwhelm yourself. We saw the Colosseum and Vatican with LivItaly Tours which helped us make the most of our time.

Hotel Recommendation: The First Roma Arte

 

Easiest Babymoon: Mediterranean

From the moment you step onboard, you don’t have to worry about your bags, your credit card or you daily itinerary. This type of stress-free holiday is just what the OBGYN ordered. The food onboard Viking Ocean Cruises is delicious, fresh and changes daily. I loved the main dining room, but the speciality restaurants were really what set it apart.

However, you will probably eating off the boat on whatever European itinerary you choose. Our “Iconic Mediterranean” itinerary took us through Barcelona, France, Monaco and Italy–so its safe to say that we ate well. For the times that you are on the boat, there’s a putting green, infinity pool, lounge areas, and a fabulous nordic spa.

The rooms are well appointed and the bed is oh-so-comfortable. Order breakfast to the room for the ultimate morning treat on your balcony.

Recommended Cruise line: Viking Ocean Cruises

How to do Easy, Fun, Local Trips with Babies

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

As new parents, you are home more than you’ve ever been. And if you are anything like me, you’ll get stir crazy. I also am very used to traveling a couple times per month, so this whole “staying home” thing gets to me quicker than most.

I’ve found that in lieu of longer trips, which take a lot of mental and physical preparation, as well as the return adjustment period; easy, local trips are the way to go. You want to avoid planes, time changes and long car rides–especially if you have a baby that doesn’t love being in the car (ours does NOT).

Find a Nearby Destination

For us, that means locations that are 2 hours or less in driving distance from Santa Monica. Luckily, we have lots of great options. We can do the desert, the beach, the mountains and lots of unique places in between. This is a major reason why we moved to California! Regardless of the distance, you need to be extra careful when driving with a baby. If you get injured in a vehicular accident, you may need to hire a car accident attorney Michigan to ensure that your rights are protected. Contact this Detroit car crash attorney if you need expert legal assistance. A motorcycle accident lawyer has the necessary expertise to ensure that your rights will be protected when filing a claim. If you’re from New York, you may consider contacting this New York motorcycle accident attorney. If you need the services of a Cudahy personal injury attorney, you may contact Martin Law Office, S.C.

 

So far for our local trips, we’ve taken Aurora to (not counting anything on a plane):

Venice (3 weeks)

Lake Arrowhead (2 months)

Idyllwild (5 months)

Huntington Beach (6 months)

Newport Beach (8.5 months)

 

Book an Upgraded Room

Okay, so you’ve found that perfect location but what do you now? Renting a hotel room works but realize that if you are going to share one room with your little one, you will need to have lights out at bedtime. This means, you also will either go to bed at 7pm or you will have to tiptoe around and hang out in the dark. Not the best option (though we’ve done that in Huntington and let’s just say, we ate room service in the bathroom… not awesome). If you are going with the hotel route, definitely upgrade your room so you can have a separate room with a door where your baby can sleep peacefully while you order room service in the other room.

 

Book a House

Usually more affordable option, and often more comfortable, is booking a house. Even if you book a tiny bungalow or a 1 bedroom, you’ll be able to let your baby nap in a separate room. This means that you can actually enjoy nap times and also, have a nice dinner, watch a movie and basically take advantage of all that sleeping time to relax with your partner. You also will have a kitchen, which is very helpful for baby food preparation and cooking in.

 

 

Get a Babysitter

Now I have never done this, but I imagine that if you feel comfortable with a hotel babysitter service or finding a local person to babysit, that is a great option for you to have a day or evening out. Personally, I would be a little hesitant to do this unless I brought someone with me to babysit. However, if it were a vetted person that was provided by the hotel, I would consider it. If this doesn’t feel comfortable to you, skip this tip and read below.

 

Go with the Baby’s Schedule

Like all travel now, it will revolve around your baby’s daily schedule. We are on the two nap a day schedule so for us, our day looked like this:

7am: Wake Up

7-10am: Breakfast for baby, cooking breakfast for parents, play time, coffee and hanging out

10am-11:30am: Nap time for baby/Parents could clean (yay!), relax, watch tv or one person could go out for a bit

11:30-2:30: Feed baby then out the door. We used this 3 hour window to explore and have lunch out. One day we walked around Balboa and Aurora got way too many presents at the toy store. The other day we took the ferry over to Balboa Park and checked out the silly rides, walked to the beach and found a playground and found a nice lunch spot.

230-4ish: Baby Naps somewhere in here. Parents relax or one person goes out. 

4-6pm: Sunset stroll. We either put her in the stroller or baby carrier and took a nice walk around the neighborhood. Afterwards, we brought her back for play time, dinner, bath and bed. *Note: the stroll is better with wine.

7pm: Bedtime for baby. Dinner and fun time for parents!

Sunset stroll

 

Have a Stay Home Date

On our recent trip to Newport Beach, I knew that we were going to be spending a lot of time in our Airbnb. We were staying on Balboa Island, which is pretty quiet anyway, so we were looking forward to our nights in.

To make these nights a little more exciting, I decided that we should each take “charge” of a night. The person in charge had to come up with a theme, get the groceries ahead and cook the dinner. (Cleaning up is a bonus!) They must inform the other person of the theme and any “dress code.” Also, if games or movies are involved, be prepared!

Coconut Shrimp

My husband took the first night and went with a James Bond theme as he knows my obsession with Bond movies. We both dressed up, even though we were just in our rental home’s dining room, and drank shaken martinis and ate steaks. We washed it down with a Bond movie.

Night two was my night– I went with a tiki theme and made coconut shrimp, teriyaki pork and had a speciality rum drink. I brought some island decor and sourced local shrimp while down there. With the reggae on, we enjoyed a “tropical” evening, despite the fact that it was raining outside.

A little cheesy? Sure! But if you aren’t able to leave the house, you might as well mix it up and make the nights memorable and different from your usual nights in at home.

 

Try not to Bring a Lot

I say try, because I know that this is hard. It is harder to pack for a baby when you are driving because you are able to pack more! Here’s some advice after overpacking and being buried alive in the car a few too many times. Got involved in a distracted driving accident? Seek compensation with a trusted distracted driving attorney by your side.

  • Wash Clothes
    • If you have rented a house, count on the washing machine to save you from bringing too much clothes. If not, I brought dreft packets for some sink washing. However, if you encounter problem with your washer, then you can ask advice for every washing machine problem from a good place like https://appliancehunter.co.uk/washing-machine-repairs-faq/.
  • No tub
    • Check out the sink and bathtub situations and if you can avoid bringing a bathtub, do it. Those things are huge.
  • Bring a clip on high chair.
  • Limit toys.
    • Your baby will be in a new place so that is very exciting already and there’s lots to explore. I have lost so so so many toys on trips.
  • Bring outlet covers.
    • You can’t babyproof a whole hotel room or house, but I did wish I had a few extra things like outlet covers, especially now that we have a very fast crawler.
  • Bring pre-made baby food
    • I didn’t want to be blending my own baby food there and didn’t know what sort of kitchen utensils they’d have, so I brought a freezer pack that had all my own baby food ready to go. I made a few ahead and put them in these small food containers.
    • I also brought along my favorite freshly made purées from Yumi and these excellent fresh pouches from Once Upon a Farm. Both require refrigeration so be sure to get a good size freezer pack for the ride.

Trust me, these little local trips are worth it! They are good for your mental health, your relationship and it is good for your little one to see and do new things! I know Aurora was very excited the whole time and enjoyed all the “new” around her. The more you travel with them, the easier it gets for all of you!

Pienza Tuscany family trip

Baby Travel Essentials: How To Travel to Italy with a 5 Month Old

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Taking a 5 month old on a 13 hour direct flight trip, across many time zones, for 10 days should not be taken lightly. But I’ve dedicated my life to travel so I wasn’t going to let that intimidate me (re: I was intimidated but pushed through). Why did we decide to put ourselves through that?

Pienza Tuscany family trip

  • My husband had time off, which he rarely does.
  • I had the opportunity to stay at an amazing Tuscan hotel (look up La Bandita Townhouse if you like luxurious, historic hotels in charming villages)
  • Italy is a special place for me as my grandfather was born in a small town near Naples (where the Ferro comes from) so pasta and red wine are in my veins!
  • My husband’s first time was last winter on our babymoon and he fell in love with the country too
  • We figured, the earlier that we start traveling with the better, the easier it’ll become for our baby, and us!

Italy family trip

After having the good and the challenging (ahem, 26 hours of flying with a 5 month old), I can say that it was one of the BEST trips we’ve ever had. It was completely different than the go-go-go style of my old life, but I embraced this new type of travel and had so much fun sharing Italy with my little one. Here’s how we did it.

 

Serious Preparation

I read tons of blogs, polled friends and basically, had Amazon boxes at my door every day. There’s a lot that you can do to make your travel easier and I was prepared to find all the hacks. 

Be an Organized Packer

This a big part of the preparation. Every piece of clothing (yes, even tiny socks) was rolled and placed in a labeled Ziploc bag. This made it much easier to dress her each day and keep the suitcase organized throughout the trip. Used clothing went back in the same bag unless it was very dirty, in which it went into a bag labeled “Dirty.” All of this organization helped us to change her quickly and not lose things while in transit. 

 

BRING

  • Large Suitcase for Checking
    • Get a large checked bag where you will put all your heavy items, your own clothes and things that you or the baby won’t need in transit. For me this was where we packed the clip on high chair, breast pump, monitor, nightlight, extra bottles, toys etc.

  • All Bedtime Essentials
    • Gather all the things that help your bedtime routine & bring them! I packed a our nightlight, monitor, her own sheets, extra lovees and pacifiers so I could make her sleeping situation as close as possible to home.
  • A good Baby Carrier
    • Our Tula Baby Carrier was my favorite because it was so supportive and worked well for dad or mom. It was a lifesaver on our walks around cobbled towns where a stroller would have been impossible.
  • A Clip on High Chair
    • This depends on the baby. Aurora was too small for most high chairs at restaurants so having our own helped. However, if you baby can sit up well on their own and fits in most restaurant high chairs, don’t bring one. If you do bring one, this Inglesina one is what I recommend.
  • Stain Remover, Soap & Detergent
    • I brought small bottles of each stain remover and soap from my favorite all natural line, Puracy. This was great so I could wash bottles in the sink without worrying about what soap would be available there. I also brought the Dreft Laundry detergent sink packets which came in handy when clothes were very soiled. 
  • An Extra Lovee or 2
    • We brought 3 and only came home with 2. Lovees get lost and they are very hard to replace when abroad.
  • 2 Outfits + 1 Pajamas/day 
    • Generally, I feel like aim for 2 outfits per day + 1 pair of PJs and you will have plenty. Not all will be too dirty to rewear and you can mix and match to make new “outfits.” Be sure to bring a few things that work for the opposite weather, as you’ll never know. It was way colder than predicted so I was very reliant on the warm jacket I brought and heavy socks!
  • A Well Organized Diaper Bag
    • Forget my own bag, this is the bag that I used all day, every day. My favorite diaper bag EVER is by Pacapod because not only are they functional, with cute (ie. MAP PRINT!) pods to house your bottles and diapers but these bags also are so stylish. I was not embarrassed to be carrying the Fortuna bag around Italy. No one could tell it was concealing lots of toys, blankets, extra socks, teethers and diapers.

 

DO NOT BRING

  • Travel Crib
    • They are heavy and another thing to carry that you don’t have hands for–your hands need to be on the baby! Call your hotel and ask for a crib or if you are staying a hotel, look into services where you can rent baby gear.
  • Diapers
    • I LOVE our eco friendly, super thin yet absorbent Bambo diapers. But diapers take up a lot of room. I brought a bunch in her diaper bag a few extra in my large suitcase for the first day or two until I could get to a grocery store. In our town, the options were limited (and no, these were not dye-free or all natural) but it was a temporary solution and worked well. Plus, we saved a ton of space. Hey, your baby is “going local!”
  • Too Many CUTE Outfits
    • I was excited for her outfits and for photo opps, so I overdid it on cute clothing and Aurora never wore the same thing twice. In retrospect, she could have worn a few of those super cute outfits again. I would suggest packing only a few of those “special outfits” and stick with more of the comfortable basics. Tutus are not comfortable in a baby carrier.
  • Too Many Toys
    • I limited it to 2 books and one Ziploc of small, lightweight toys. I even think this was too many! We ended up buying her a few things and of course, she was most interested in every day things as we were out and about (like water bottles, spoons, plants etc).

 

Consolidate Your Big Gear

Did you know that you can find a car seat and stroller in one? You can and it is called the DOONA! We didn’t know about it until I talked to the veteran baby travel mama, Natalie DiScala. (This blog post from GQTripping also confirms the love of the Doona).

We purchased Natalie’s Doona car seat/stroller as her son had outgrown it and it was a game-changer for us. This nifty little stroller folds up compactly into a car seat and was key for getting us in and out of the car quickly. We saved space in our trunk and didn’t have to deal with a stroller and carrying a car seat at the same at the airport. Aurora never loved being in the car but I felt that she didn’t HATE this car seat as much as others.

Also, I still use this a lot now for quick trips when I don’t have our car seat, and just used it on a recent trip home for the holidays. Aurora was very comfortable in it and even slept in it a few times. Anything to cut down on the big gear makes traveling easier. You can find it here on my travel tips list on Amazon. 

Pienza, Tuscany

 

Use a Baby Carrier

I mentioned this already, but the quickest and easiest way to move around a new destination is with the baby strapped on! My girl loves it especially now that she can face out and see the world. This kept her engaged and happy as we toured through towns. My husband ended up wearing her more because he liked it.

We’ve used 4 different carriers and this Tula is my pick for Aurora’s weight (16lb) and for wearing a baby for a long time. It is more supportive than the others and the baby feels very securely fastened. I also like that it has a little pocket for your phone or wallet in the front. She seemed very comfortable in it!

 

Stay in One Spot

Before baby, my trips were FAST PACED. I’d spend a night or two in spot and then move on to the next place. I’ve even done two week long work long trips where I’ve moved hotels EVERY night. Not ideal, but totally doable… without a baby.

Now with Baby A, we decided to find ONE home base. Be careful when choosing this location as you will be spending a lot of time there! It will be your jumping off  for day excursions (and it’d be nice if you can walk out your door to things. I loved that we could walk to happy hour with the baby, or I could jet out to shop while she napped and my husband stayed in.

Keeping your new “home” in one spot, will really help your baby to adjust to the new environment, schedule and time zone. She will get used to the new rhythm and her new space. Plus, you’ll save yourself the headache of packing everything up, transporting your family and then unpacking again if you limit it to one spot.  

Once you are settled, you can enjoy more!

We chose Pienza, a small but not too small village in Tuscany, that was smack in the middle of the picturesque Val D’Orcia. This region is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its stunning rolling hills, farmhouse and cypress trees. It is exactly what you picture when you hear “Tuscany.”

Pienza also happened to be about 15-20 minutes from many medieval villages and famous towns like Montepulciano and Montalcino, which was the perfect length for day trips.

Note: Some babies like the car and won’t mind longer car trips. For us, Aurora hates the car so we really could only handle 30 minutes max in a car as it was often a loud, stressful ride…

 

Consider Your Accommodations

We got lucky that our incredible boutique hotel, La Bandita Townhouse, almost felt like our own swanky Italian apartment. We had a magnificently modern suite, with a separate room for Aurora. This meant that nap & bedtime, we could close the door and read, relax or even one of us could go shopping (guess who that was… :).

It also had a lovely lounge and honor bar, just outside our door and our monitor reached here! This meant we could both sit in the lounge, listen to records, have a glass of wine and plan our next day, all while baby Aurora snoozed peacefully just steps away.

Another huge benefit of this hotel was the location. We were literally on the best street in town, so we could walk out the door for coffee, a snack or just a stroll, without ever having to get the car. This made us feel much more free and allowed us to use our windows of awake time with Aurora wisely.

Not all hotels will be this baby friendly. Having a separate room is crucial, so looking into rental houses or apartments, would be very wise. Also, having a kitchen would have been great. We managed just fine with a mini fridge and espresso maker, but a kitchen is certainly important when your baby is moving onto solids too.

Put Your Baby on the Right Schedule for the Destination

We decided to make Aurora’s schedule 9am to 9pm to accommodate the Italian lifestyle and allow us to go out to dinner. As were crossing time zones, her time was all messed up anyway so it was almost easier to do this than force the usual 7 to 7.

Do One Big Excursion Per Day

During the day, maximized her awake and napping time. In the morning, we always did breakfast at our hotel then a quick walk outside. After, we had a little floor time in our room so Aurora could stretch her legs, then it was nap time. During the first nap, one of us would go out and explore town while the other plotted where we’d be off to when she woke.

 

After she woke up, we’d take a bottle for the road and drive to a new town for lunch and exploring. Lunch was our big meal out as she was rested and happy. We’d walk around the town, maybe make another stop at a farm, vineyard or village on the way home and then get her back to the hotel so she could get a solid afternoon nap.

Very few times she fell asleep in the car, and in those instances, we’d continue to drive around the beautiful valley. We never strayed too far from home though just in case we had to get back right away.

After her second nap, we’d go out for a happy hour drink or a sunset stroll. Then, play time back at the hotel and a cat nap. She’d wake usually around 630pm so we’d get her ready for an early dinner in town. We always just walked to a nearby spot, which was a huge benefit of our town and hotel. The Italians did think that we were crazy wanting to eat dinner at 7pm or 730pm and often we were the first people in the restaurant–but at least we got to eat out!

 

Just Roll With It

There were many times were the schedule did not go so smoothly. She’d miss a nap or wake up early, or just fuss her whole time awake. That happened and though it was stressful at the time, we still reminded each other how awesome it was that we were even there. A little relaxation with Golden Bloom Brand Gummies helped keep things in perspective. Sure, she was fussing but we were in Italy, eating amazing food, seeing beautiful things and we were together, so felt like it was all worth it. I’d rather be with a fussy baby in Italy than a fussy baby at home, right?!

One night in particular while we were out at the one dinner we had to drive 10 minutes too in Bagno Vignoni, Aurora was especially cranky. She wouldn’t be contented, no matter what we did–walked her around, held her, bounced her etc. It was very stressful as this was a very nice restaurant and it also was…very quiet. Not a great combo for a cranky baby. As a parent, one can utilize products such as the CBD Oil in order to release some of that stress.

The older Italian couple at the table nearby turned to us and said, “We’ve all been there. Don’t even worry. She is perfect.”  They even offer to hold her, which we took them up on. She was giggle and we exhaled. In those heightened moments, it was the perfect reminder that babies will be babies and most people get that and aren’t bothered as much as we were.

 

Trust us, it is worth it!

Each day was an adventure but each day was so special and memorable. I know Aurora might not remember the piglets she petted or her first taste of mozzarella or Tuscan bread, but I do think it impacted her ability to be versatile and open-minded to the new. She smiled at strangers, looked intently at everything from her baby carrier view and settled into her new sleeping situation and timezone faster than we could imagined.

 

The biggest hurdle was of course, the flight, but I need a whole other post to talk about that…coming soon!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What are your tips for traveling with a young baby? Please drop your comments below!

 

Xoxo

Kelley

 

Traveling to Sonoma, California with a 4 Month Old Baby

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

In California, I think the best place to experience the fall season is in Sonoma County. I was craving a little bit of that crisp air, auburn hues and autumnal feeling so I decided that Sonoma would be the perfect getaway with my mother and my 4 month old daughter.

Baby at SFO

Sleepy baby at SFO

TRANSPORTATION: Flight + Rental Car

Just a quick one hour flight from Los Angeles, we landed in SFO and had a two hour drive ahead of us to Sonoma. All things considered, this wasn’t too bad of a commute! I made the mistake of booking an off-site rental car company, but besides that hiccup, we were cruising north, crossing the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and admiring the countryside in no time.

Tip: Call your rental car company, who may have ordered some cool car tech accessories, and ask for a child safety seat to be added. Ours was only $42 and well worth it since we didn’t have to carry a heavy car seat. Call Car’s Cash For Junk Clunkers at 2300 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37919 (931) 295-9695 if you need cash for cars that are broken.

baby with wine!

TOWN: Healdsburg

We chose Healdsburg as our homebase. I had visited only once before for the day but was immediately smitten by the quaint town green, the charming mom & pop shops, along with the fine restaurants and posh hotels. This town has the right mix of class, charm and dose of energy to keep it interesting. It also happens to be smack in the middle of some of the most picturesque areas of wine country.

Tip: Make sure you are in walking distance of a main town so you can pop in and out of the hotel for food, shopping and groceries. It’s great not to have to drive!

Harmon Guest House

HOTEL: Harmon Guest House

The hotel is always very important to me but this time, it was EVEN more important as I knew with a young baby, we’d be spending a lot more time in the room. I also wanted a hotel that was very close walking distance to the town center so it’d be easy for the three of us to get out quickly or go to a nearby restaurant.

Hanging in Healdsburg

I was very happy to discover the brand new Harmon Guest House. The sister property to the well known, high brow Hotel Healdsburg, the Harmon Guest House was just a block away and boasted large suites and a rooftop restaurant. I was definitely interested in a suite as with a 4 month old, bedtime is around 7pm but that doesn’t mean that my mom and I wanted to go to bed then either. Having a separate room allowed us to put her down for bed, then order diner and have a glass of wine together.

Tip: Book a suite or a room type that has two separate rooms. You don’t want to be forced to have lights out at 7pm and you don’t want to put your baby in a bathroom for bedtime!

We opted for their Founder’s Suite. It came with a private outdoor terrace, which was surrounded by bamboo and greenery which helped to make it feel more private, even though it faced the glass hallway and other rooms.

The suite was quite spacious with the living area that had a coffeemaker and sink, refrigerator and countertop area. You can visit website to learn more about the material used on the countertop.

There was a small desk and a rather small couch and coffee table. Given that there was a lot of empty space, I felt the furniture was a little small in comparison to the room. There was also a bathroom (no shower) out here.

The bedroom as large and had a very, almost too soft, feather bed. There was a tub that worked well for bath time with Aurora, though I had to get in too! The outer sink and vanity area was lovely and the shower/toilet shared a very large separate space. It could have almost been another bedroom, it was so large!

A gift for Aurora from the hotel 🙂

Little details like daily coffee and pastries, sparkling water on tap in the hallway and the rooftop just above, definitely made this stay very comfortable. I have to say, the staff, from the valet to the front desk, went above and beyond to help us in all ways–and felt genuine and sincere in doing so.

TIMEFRAME: Midweek!

We traveled mid week to minimize the crowds even though we were in the high season. The Crush as it is known, draws lots of tourists from the Bay Area and beyond and for good reason. The scenery, the golden light and the activity on all the vineyards made this prime time to visit.

Tip: Travel to Sonoma during the week makes the rates much better and it is far easier to get around. Weekends get hectic!

ITINERARY: 1 Destination per Day

We picked up one big adventure per day and aimed to do that after her first nap. With one good nap down, we at least knew that we were in better shape for the rest of the day, even if her second nap wasn’t as great. Sleeping in the car is hit or miss for our girl, but for others, they can use a car ride for the first nap and get them to their destination sooner.

Cuties

I had a list of vineyards to check out and we stopped at many of them. However, we didn’t stay at all of them. Some were not kid friendly, not as scenic as we thought or were just too quiet. It is hard to gauge that until you see it for yourself! The ones we did stay at though were fantastic. After our wine tasting, we would either have a picnic there or stop somewhere for a bite, before heading back home for an afternoon nap. My mom enjoyed some shopping in Healdsburg while I put the baby down for a snooze.

DINNER: Takeout to the room

Unless you have someone like a nanny or babysitter, you will need to be in the room when baby goes to bed. For us that meant we would start bedtime at 6 or 6:30 and she’d be asleep by 7-7:30pm. So our evening outings were limited! We were able to sneak in a 5pm happy hour here and there, but mostly, we either grabbed food to go at 5pm or one of us snuck out after the baby went to bed to pick up food. As long as you have good food options nearby and a separate room to enjoy them in, it’s actually kind of cozy!

Tip: Choose a hotel that is close to restaurants with takeout options–ideally walking distance!

Hotel Healdsburg

 

Below I have rounded up the most scenic and BABY FRIENDLY stops from our trip to Sonoma:

Arista Winery

You turn off the main road into this stunning property, and wind your way up a hill past rows of grapevines glistening in the sun. At the top, there is a small tasting room that is very elegantly decorated. Though reservations are needed, and we didn’t have one, the obliging winemaker allowed us to sit outside, which was our preference, and conducted a personal wine tasting for us before the reservations came. This was ideal as we could sit and entertain Aurora and not have to worry about her disrupting others.

We liked that the wine tasting was an abridged version so we got the “cliffnotes” on all the wines. Also, we were outside and enjoying the Japanese inspired landscaping while two of us were on sipping delicious wine and one had a her own lovely bottle.

 

Dutcher Crossing Winery

Aurora had fallen asleep in the car and not wanting to wake her, I actually went in, explained the predicament and they allowed me to shuttle a wine tasting outside so my mom and I could enjoy together, even though we were in a parking lot.

Eventually the curious little bugger woke up and we all went into the tasting room. It was bright and airy, but the real selling point here is the well landscaped vineyard. You can tell they take great pains to keep every detail in line. It was truly breathtaking. The wines happened to be big, bold and wonderful as well. We had a great winemaker, Collyn, guiding us through the tasting in an unprententious and fun way. I ended up joining the wine club and now when I sip those special bottles, I am reminded of such a wonderful afternoon with my best girls.

 

Dry Creek General Store

This is THE place to get lunch in the area but guess what, it is actually delicious. We checked out the funky shop that is a mix of old time general store and fancy provisions, while we waited for two excellent sandwiches. My barbecue chicken was the perfect to go meal for lunch at a winery. It’s also well located right in the middle of a lot of great vineyards and just 15 minutes from Healdsburg.

 

Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves

At the very end of a lovely road is Bella Vineyards, famous for its tastings in the wine cave. The cave goes into the side of a mountain and is very interesting inside, but I loved the outside even more. The farmhouse, the views and the laidback atmosphere made this a place you wanted to linger.

MacRostie Vineyard

Perched on a hilltop with unobstructed, sweeping views, this one called to us every time we passed it. We finally stopped and while we loved the greeting with a taste of chardonnay and the intimate setting, we didn’t stay as it was too quiet and a bit serious for a baby. We were going to loud, up and down, singing songs and playing with toys and we felt the other guests there would be bothered by that…

 

Other favorite spots in Healdsburg…

 

Hotel Healdsburg

We came here for happy hour and enjoyed it at their modern, ivy clad outside decks. It was just a few steps from the Harmon Guest House so it was perfect for a quick drink before bath time!

 

Campo Fina

You’d never guess that this a bustling bar, bocce court and outdoor seating if you stepped in the front door. But clearly, word got out as when we got there around 5:30pm, the back area was packed. We grabbed a drink and ordered takeout to be enjoyed later at the room. It was really a delicious meal and fun atmosphere.

 

Pizzando

We had take out from here two times in our four nights and we were glad we did. The pizzas and pastas were incredible–I especially loved that bolognese. Their arugula salad had a tasty lemon dressing too. Perfect for an easy meal in the room.

 

The Shed

It might be overhyped but we did stop by to grab some bread, cheese and a cupckae for a little late lunch on our suite’s terrace. The bread was fantastic but that cheese.. I still think about it.

 

Oakville Grocery

We grabbed salads here and took them to go, to be enjoyed at a vineyard! They had a lot of great wine and some nice local products as well. When it comes to local products, ensuring they have impeccable packaging is crucial, which is why I recommend visiting this site here for more information.

 

The Toy Chest

I had to include this back-in-time toy store as a must stop for anyone traveling with kids. They had a great mix of modern toys and old-time classics. I love family run toy shops and it was nice to see one in action!

 

Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar

The pumpkin ice cream was out of this world, and all the other flavors at this artisanal ice cream shopped looked amazing as well. The apple pie wasn’t our favorite but definite come her for some ice cream!

Overall, we felt Sonoma County was very baby friendly since it was relaxed, very welcoming, and had a nice, slow pace. Many of the streets we drove on were so breathtaking, we had to pull over just to admire the beauty in all directions. I am so happy that we did this trip and though we couldn’t see and do everything at the fast pace we wanted too, it was nice to slow down and appreciate the simple beauty all together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~