Time to #travel - here are two must haves!

My husband and I decided to take a quick trip to San Francisco with our daughter. This was pretty significant due to it being our first trip on a plane together. Once I wrapped my head around the one hour flight with a potty-trained nearly three year old, it was full steam ahead. 

If you haven't guessed by now- I'm a thinker. I have to stop myself from over-thinking, analyzing and being too type-A. So this family first was bound to be the ultimate test.  

I considered the basic traveling questions-weather, transportation and lodging. Then added the car seat, stroller, and entertainment components. Luckily, there are some great options on the market that made my planning easy. 

I researched the gate check options for our existing car seat - Safety 1st - Elite 80 Air Plus (which is no longer available but a phenomenal seat) & stroller by Britax, B-Agile. Both are  great for daily use but considered bulky in the travel world. So I weighed my options for renting a car seat upon arrival and purchasing an umbrella stroller. 

3 reasons to use my gear: 

• Safety - We chose these items based on their features. The alternatives were not comparable. 
  
  
• Functionality- The umbrella stroller is a cute alternative but as parents over 5'10 - it's unrealistic. 
  
  
• Seamless travel - Coordinating car seat pick up and installation did not fit into our schedule. 

Once we decided to take our gear, which was free to check on Southwest Airlines, everything fell into place. I ordered two travel bags (see below), reviewed a list of family excursions and prepared for an adventure. 

• J.L. Childress Gate Check Bag for Standard & Double Strollers 
  
  

• BRICA Cover Guard Car Seat Travel Tote

Big questions: Did the bags rip? NO. Wheels break? NO. Were they useful? Both were superb! Stood the up to the test with ease.