5 Tips for a successful weekend getaway with a baby under one
Before me and Nick had Miles we decided he would join the life we’ve built together and all the things we love to do, rather than let his schedule be the boss. We love a good weekend getaway, so we make them a priority! We’ve taken quite a few weekend trips with Miles this summer – Traverse City, Mackinac Island, and Beulah (who named this city lol). By no means am I an expert, but I want to share what I’ve learned from these trips to set you up for all the success on your weekend getaways! And to encourage you that you can totally still do them with a baby (it might just look a little different).
1. Realistic Expectations
My most important tip for your weekend getaway is to have realistic expectations for your schedule. I recommend picking one or two things you for sure want to do in a day and base the day around those. Leave a little wiggle room between activities and don’t forget your babe will need to sleep and eat between or during all your activities. It’s not realistic to schedule back to back to back plans (as much as I wish it was). It will be stressful for everyone involved.
This has been the hardest for me because I LOVE a good plan. Whenever I go on trips I love booking my day FULL. I want to do all the things. But a baby doesn’t care about your plans lol. You can set yourself up for success by still making all the plans! Just schedule more time for and between them so your baby has time to sleep and eat.
Being a mom is making me a better person. It has revealed a lot of selfishness in me and also control (but that’s for another blog post). I’m learning to enjoy the activities we do choose to do, and being okay with them taking longer than expected. Being less worried about getting to the next thing and being more present in the moment. Being considerate of other’s wants and needs and being okay with plans not going as planned (still working on this one). All good things.
2. Sleep
Prioritize good sleep for your babe on your weekend getaway!
My first tip for sleep is if your babe can sleep in the car (which ours definitely can) plan drive time during a nap time!! It’s so nice for them to be sleeping for at least an hour or two of the drive. Also, allow time for stops on the way. We stop every 1.5-2 hours on our trips (which Google also recommends). This gives Miles a chance to be free from his car seat, eat, stretch, all the baby things (I’m also here for an excuse to stretch my legs use the bathroom).
My second tip is everything pack n play. First and most important, make sure there’s room wherever you’re staying for the pack n’ play (we learned this the hard way). The baby needs a place to sleep (ideally not smushed against your bed). We also bring Miles’ crib sheet and a fluffy blanket to put under the crib sheet so his bed is comfy – pack n play mattresses are not soft. A comfy bed with his normal bed sheet allows him to at least feel a little more at home.
3. Extra Outfits
I do NOT like over packing. It annoys me to come home from a trip and not have worn half of the clothes I lugged around everywhere. I like to be strategic with what I pack. I think about the activities we have planned and try to coordinate all my outfits (which is really hard because how do I know what mood I will be in when the time to wear the outfit actually comes). Nick makes fun of me for how long it takes me to pack – he says I have a packing face lol.
Anyways. I‘ve tried to pack for Miles in the same way, but this just isn’t realistic. Especially because he’s eating actual food now (so messy) and soaks his shirts in drool every 3 hours (not comfy). I have to pack more clothes for him. On our trip to Beulah I forgot to pack his pjs (long story), but thankfully I had an extra long sleeve shirt he could sleep in! A proud moment. The moral of my story is not to pack your baby’s entire closet, but at least pack 1-2 extra outfits for the inevitable unplanned baby spills.
4. Toys
This might feel like a given but I have totally forgotten to bring Miles toys and it’s so sad! Toys are a great form of car entertainment, stroller entertainment, and all around living entertainment. They can be the perfect distraction for the 10 extra minutes you need to get ready in the morning. It’s also nice for your babe to have something familiar to play with when everything else is so new. I like to bring a book or two, some form of teething toy, and an activity toy.
5. Snacks
If your baby is eating real food, bring snacks!! Snacks not only satisfy their hunger, but are free entertainment. They’ve saved from meltdowns on many activity outings and drives (which you def have to be careful giving them food in the car seat). I also love them in restaurants before the food actually comes. You just never know what food you’ll have access to on your vacation, so I like to have options.
Some of my fav snacks to give Miles include long carrot sticks (he can gnaw on them for hours), mashed up avocado, hard boiled eggs, tuna and little pancakes I make with oats, eggs, and banana! Also yogurt melts are really nice for on the go! Some of these are messier than others, but all entertain.
If your babe isn’t eating actual food yet but you’re nursing, you are the snack so you just get to bring yourself 🙂
One more thought on snacks – pack some for yourselves too! This way if your baby is asleep on the road or in the hotel room (or wherever you stay) you can hold off going out for food until they wake up! Also, car snacks are also just the best.
A Note
There you have it. My takeaways from our weekend getaways with a baby under one. I will note, Miles is a very flexible baby (which I attribute to genetics (from his dad), our lifestyle of activities, and obviously Jesus). Flexing naps, new sleep environments, and car time will affect all the babes differently. What works for us may not necessarily work for you. But I hope this encourages you and gives you some things to think about for YOUR weekend getaway! I have full confidence you can do it!! And I’m here to share everything I’m learning to set you up for all the success. Let me know in the comments your fav things to bring/best tips for a weekend trip! Click here to read about my favorite top 10 baby products!
(By clicking the links and making a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
