Avoid Kid Travel Headaches, Best Jeans, Sutton Eats
Let's Do This
Yes, You Can! Travel with Kids
My kids are now older, and more confident travellers. We are lucky that we have been able to travel fairly broadly with them. It also helps that my family is in Western Canada and we visit them every summer, so they are used to flying and airports.
However, I have DEFINITELY had very low moments. There was a flight when I was seated between both kids in a three row and they started throwing up… simultaneously. There was the very long flight to Vancouver where I had a migraine with a squirmy nine month old and we eventually all got an awful bug. But there have been more highs than lows. I am a careful packer and planner and here are some things that really saved me (or at least made things easier) for the many many flights we have taken.
Buy a roll of doggy poop bags for the flight (that’s their official name, right?). Then you can throw out all those scraps of paper, goldfish, wipes, snack bags, etc. and *not* have your area look like absolute trash.
Carry wipes, and disinfect the arms of the seat, the fold down tray and the screen. This may seem like overkill, but kids put their hands in their mouth a LOT. After everyone is lying on the cold floor puking and pooping their guts out due to a bug (see Vancouver trip above), believe me you will start doing this. I am sure our son got sick from touching something and putting his hands in his mouth.
Bring extra clothes for your kids AND you. The flight where my kids were constantly puking (+ pee accidents) we went through two full sets of clothes for each kid (putting the gross clothes in the doggy bags). I also had a spare shirt I could change into. Believe me, you could see everyone around us was holding their breath when I went into the bathroom with my puke covered child and looked beyond relieve when he came out in entirely new clothes.
Bring sippy cups or water bottles. Nothing like knocking over one of those full glasses of water and being wet for a flight. Fill before you board. After all those horror stories, I definitely won’t drink water coming from a plane’s hold tank.
Gravol and a full stomach. I get super nauseous the minute my stomach is empty and I’m travelling, so I make sure I have lots of snacks. Also, everyone takes a half or full kids Gravol, just in case. I know this is personal choice, but nausea is awful and any Gravol takes 30 minutes to kick in.
Don’t board first. When I used to travel solo with my youngest child, he was a ball of energy. We’d always wait until the very last minute to board and it was perfect.
Don’t forget food for your little one. I always carried food for my kids and never relied on what they served. I could see the flight attendants were always relieved by this. One told me that she once had a parent with a young child on a long distance flight who was shocked there wasn’t a special kids meal or toddler food options, and it was rough.
What tips do you have? Let me know and I’ll publish it in another newsletter.
Reader tips:
If you are travelling with a child under 2 in your group - you can bring whatever “they need” on board. So you can bring water bottles for your older kids, yoghurts, etc. Also - I always bring activity books (stickers, colouring, mazes, word search) - depending on the age. And a change of clothes for every member of the group (mom included) - Jacqueline Hopmeyer
Toys, colouring books and puzzles. The trick is to switch the toys every hour and not give everything all at once. - Sharifa
Bring a stroller and/or carrier. I actually really enjoyed having a stroller in Costa Rica. Baby is protected from the sun and it’s great for the walks along the beach. We love our ergobaby (very good back support, especially for smaller moms with big heavy babies) and stroller wise the Yo-Yo is great as it fits in the overhead compartment.
You can bring as much water/ liquid/ fruit pouches as you want while flying with a baby. My 2nd was bottle fed with special formula and we never had a problem. We had over 1.5l of boiled water with us and over 10 fruit pouches. Just to note: they check EVERYTHING. Every single pouch will be checked for drugs… it takes time but it’s allowed. - Anna
From top left counter clockwise: Kendrick Lamar in Celine at the Super Bowl Half Time Show, Madewell Straight Leg Jeans, White Jeans at Fashion Week, Barrel Jeans from Everlane, Flare Jeans from Zara, Denim Skirt from Sézane
Jeans, Jeans, Jeans
Michelle asked me to write about denim fashion trends for spring… and here we are. Now, let me just say, I have a complicated relationship with trends. They’re like that risky first date—you’re never quite sure if you’re about to hit it off or end up in a cringe-worthy disaster. But hey, when they’re good, they’re really good. A fashion trend is just a style that becomes popular for a hot minute before being replaced by something new (and let’s face it, usually, it’s cyclical, so what’s out now will probably be back in ten years). This spring, we’re seeing a blend of old-school hits and fresh new faces. Let’s get into it:
The Barrel Jean – Oh, look who’s new to the party! These bad boys are like the cooler cousin of your regular skinny jeans, with that perfect balance of comfy but still stylish. They’re sticking around, so get used to them. I love these.
White Jeans with Everything – Yes, you can wear white jeans with literally everything this spring. We’re talking full-on “I woke up like this” vibes. They’re back, and they’re here to make your life more chic.
Flare Jeans – Oh hey, 70s, nice to see you again! Thank you halftime show for resurrecting this blast from the past. It’s basically your invitation to strut like you just stepped out of Boogie Nights. Check these and these.
Here are a few honourable mentions: wide-leg jeans (loose, easy-breezy vibes), classic straight-leg jeans (because sometimes you just need to keep it simple), and the denim skirt (because who doesn’t want to channel their inner cool girl?).
P.S. Is it spring yet? Because my backyard looks like an Arctic tundra and I’m just over here waiting for it to thaw.
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Amanda Eaman is a Montreal based stylist and interior decorator.
Have an upcoming event? Travelling? Need to source something? She can help!
Looking at your closet and feeling lost? Hate all your clothes? Need to find more ideas with your clothes you have now? She can help!
Need to refresh your interior? Hate the way your kid’s room looks? Need a new vibe in your bedroom? She can help!
Her services include styling, client wardrobe help, personal shopping and interiors. Her services are also included in my photoshoots. If you’d like to reach out to Amanda for advice or enquire about her services you can contact her at amandaeaman@gmail.com
Good Eats in Sutton
In our continuation of good places to eat outside of Montreal my friend who has been going to Sutton since she was a kid offered up her favourite places. Sutton is also fantastic in the summer, and is not far from Chateau Ste-Agnés.
Mollies - Café - Dinette - Buvette
Heading to Bromont? Here is a list of places there.
Apple Invites is a brand new app from… Apple.. to organize trips, events, etc. Has anyone tried it? I’m curious. I could definitely see myself using it… or at least trying it?
Do you have any recommendations for great Canadian fitness wear? Besides Lululemon, Lole and Left on Friday. Do you have any recommendations for any great fitness wear that isn’t Canadian? LMK.
Past Post Love: Oof - Awkward Dinner Party Questions Solved
All my mugs seem positively bland after this stellar post on the best mugs. Even if you aren’t looking to buy a mug for yourself or a friend, please look at it just for the visual pleasure. I was also recently in Zone and was blown away at how lovely their kitchenware is.
I’m thinking about these for my next trip (or daily life?)
Most of these recommendations are on the luxury end of the scale, but we can dream right?
As someone who is into visuals, I found this look at Kendrick Lamar and his use of visuals to convey story fascinating.
How am I just discovering this super cringy hilarious comedy series?
Sephora is opening a second location downtown between Drummond and de la Montagne.
Photography Update: If you are at all interested in Motherhood Mini Sessions, booking will be opening via my other newsletter soon.
I’ll be taking a break and the next newsletter will not be until March 24th. As always, anyone interested in contributing should get in touch.
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Michelle Little is a photographer who specializes in family, maternity, newborn, headshots and boudoir. I offer studio, in-home and outdoor photography. You can see her website here and get in touch here.
I also have an insanely popular photography newsletter you can sign up to here for news, mini session announcements and more. Once a year I giveaway a free studio session to a lucky subscriber (maybe that’s why it’s insanely popular?)