Question:

Are there any tips on selecting baby toys?

Packing for a trip/vacation with the baby

Now that you have a baby, packing will take on a whole new meaning! No doubt you'll need to take much more stuff than you did before baby arrived. The important thing is to learn to pack the right items so that you don't end up looking like a pack mule when you walk out the door.

First, if you are going on a trip to someone's home, as that of a friend or family member, you want to be sure you have the basics. A place to sleep, a place to eat and a place to hang out and play.

Some things to consider taking or to get once you get there:

• Crib


• Pack-n-play


• Baby tent


• Diapers


• Wipes


• Toys


• HIgh Chair


• Blankets


• Clothes


• Bibs and burp cloths


• Any medicines you may need, such as teething gels or Tylenol


• Feeding items - bottles, formula, food jars, baby snacks


• Extra pacifiers

If you are going to a hotel then you will need mostly the same items, but you can request a crib when you make your reservation, so you won't have to worry about a sleeping place for your baby. But bring a couple of baby's blankets just in case. You really won't need a high chair either, since you'll most likely be eating at restaurants and they all provide them for you.

Things like diapers, wipes, baby food and formula can be found at any supermarket, so you don't necessarily have to take those if you don't want to, especially if going by plane. Just take enough for your trip and then stock up when you get there.

An exception, however, is if you are going out of the country. You may not want to rely on what's in the stores when it comes to formula and food in some foreign countries. Europe is more apt to having trustworthy baby products, but some less advanced countries may not. So use your judgement and do some research before your trip. make sure you know what you should take and what you can purchase safely overseas.