The ultimate Christmas gift guide for traveling families
For us, traveling families with babies/toddlers (either part-time or full time) there are plenty of options we can choose from. Either products which are meant to ease parenthood, or the ones that were designed to be your besties during traveling. Lucky thing if both are on the plate.
The following recommendations are genuine ones (I will also include if we own the product or want to grab our hands on it too). Don't forget that many shops/retailers have amazing deals under the "Black Friday" period. Additionally, there are a few options where I can offer you a discount code, so you will benefit from it too. Furthermore I raise your attention that for certain products I will get a small commission if you decide to purchase it through my link.*
* Amazon links will direct you to the US & UK Amazon stores, but they are not affiliate links anymore.
In order to offer you the ultimate Christmas gift guide for traveling families, I will list products from inexpensive to high(er) end range, also think about children, parents & family too. I hope you are going to find some inspiration for the upcoming holidays!
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Maybe we – Gen Y – are the last generation who can truly value hard cover books, but it feels so comforting to touch sometimes printed pages instead of looking at screens all the time.
So far this is my all-time favorite family photo book is OnceUpon. You can edit your own photo book either via their mobile app or on desktop. Also, you can customize it however you want & it will be delivered to your doorstep just in days. We have 8 books & I already have 2 in the making! If you subscribe on their site, you are guaranteed to receive some coupons on a quarterly basis. 🙂
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If we have mentioned books & phot albums, let's not skip photo printers. I'm a huge fan of BulletJournaling & often times I like to print out some memories - just like I did it when we traveled to South-Korea. Still today I love re-live these moments as I read my thoughts & look at those photos. ♥️ The one thing it stood out for me with the Canon Ivy2 is that you can use it as a "simple printed photo", but the paper has a sticky back, so it functions as a sticker too. 🙂
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! You can sign up on their website now to participate in their BlackFriday campaign starting on 18th of November!
Although there are many diaper bags on the market, we prefer to have our arms completely free. Besides, you don’t have to use a diaper bag per se just to carry your toddler’s stuff. Therefore, I let my husband chose a backpack he loves, making him comfortable with carrying it. We opted for Kapten&Son backpacks. Firstly, the smallest backpack for me (Vardo Small), a small (Arhaus Cream Black) for everyday diaper bag, secondly one big (Bali) for layovers & short traveling. I even chose a “office” backpack (Bergen) from them and finally my new favourite is this chest bag (Habo).
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Board games + family = fun time
There are plenty of board games that are tailor made for younger children, like Spot it kids (US Amazon, UK Amazon) or StoryCubes (US Amazon, UK Amazon). However there are plenty of for bigger children, like Dixit Journey edition (US Amazon, UK Amazon). I already see ourselves on road trips, playing boardgames in the evening.
Our current favorites are from PurpleCow. They have amazing magnetic games - easy to bring along, perfect for roadtrips.
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For outdoorsy families this eco-conscious accessory is perfect. Above all of the dozens of designs there is Travel edition Boc’n’Roll sandwich wrap, which I truly love. I’m especially fond of products which are sustainable, yet design is not sacrificed on the altar of functionality & purpose.
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Last year we were in Croatia & every other family had a wagon like this. At that time we didn't know what was all the fuss about it, but soon we recognized that we need one too for the next summer. Fast forward spring 2023 & we bought one. It's perfect for any beach holiday, by the pool, even good for big grocery shopping as well. 💦 Bonus: I cannot tell you how handy it was when we moved! 🙂 We ended up choosing Fuxtec & it was a really great choice!
partnership (link + code TRAVELFAM - 31% during Black Friday, otherwise 15% off)
! Due to BlackFriday they offer 31% discount with my code!
If you know me from IG, you know how happy I was when we discovered this hip seat earlier this year. Therefore this ultimate Christmas gift guide for traveling families wouldn't be complete without it. This is a perfect alternative for hip carrying. Your arms/back will thank you for sure! Firstly, the side pockets are big enough to store a diaper, wet wipe, hand sanitizer & a water bottle. Perfect for on-the-go mamas & papas & never-stopping toddlers. Imagine it like a tool-belt for parents. Secondly, cherry on top, how gorgeous design they have.
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We are summer people in our hearts. In other words, anything which involves water is a great option for us. But the hot sand, the rocky beach, the slippery pool are all the things I was worried for my daughter. Not only this shoe is lightweight, heat / salt / chlorine resistant, but it's easy to take on, and made of quickly drying softshell material. For the Canadian store click here.
own purchase (links included)
I especially love IG for connecting with likeminded families with who we share the passion of travel & parenthood. One product was recommended by our friends & we love it ever since. This snack cup (US Amazon, UK Amazon) is BPA free, and on top of it: your child most probably will not crumb the entire home, car, rental, airplane along the way. Genius!
In the last couple of months the anti-spill snack cup ended up being a permanent tenant in the car, while we have a new favorite in the backpack: SnackDisc (UK Amazon). The inside tray is spinning so it's like a lottery what the next snack will be. 🙂
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Before our Korean trip we bought 2 & thought it's gonna be 50-50% if it's going to be a smash hit or an epic fail. Guess what? All 3 of us used it! 🙂 We love this small & cute accessory! 🍩
partnership (link)
I want to come up with gift ideas which are pampering the mamas out there, as I know how challenging motherhood can be (also valid for daddies)! At first, I was skeptical with this noise reducing earplugs but I totally get the idea now. You can use it for events, in traffic, doing diy projects, while studying, but you can also use for traveling via car/plane etc. Above all, you can turn your children’s volume a bit down. Important: it doesn’t mute, just reduce. You’ll hear everything but in a more ZEN tone.
Last time I used on the ICN-BUD flight (12 hours) and it was like magic! 🙂
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! Due to BlackFriday you can shop on their website with 20% off the 1st item (BFCM23), 50% off on the 2nd item (BFCM50)!
Personally, I love jewelry. And I love love love traveling. And if I spot one that has something to do with each other, I just gravitates toward it. These custom map jewelry pieces are totally for your liking, as you are able to set on google maps which part of the map you want to have on the jewelry. You can decide if you want a necklace, a ring or an earring, as well as if you want to add marker to an exact location. I have my Seoul necklace & I couldn’t be happier about it.
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Another obsession of mine was this watch for over 2 years! I’m not even kidding. My Map of the world watch is made of rose gold plated stainless steel & waterproof. I just simply love how feminine, yet I can see the whole world. Ladies, this is your call!
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As I said earlier, being sustainable plays more & more important aspect in our everyday lives. I do have a few water bottles & my beloved ceramic coffee mugs from TheWholesomeStore x FrankGreen. Consequently I used them a lot, also ordered my to-go coffees in this cup & it returns the purchase price pretty quickly.
own purchase (links included)
Good gear gangs in wee bundles. We owned the big brother of this one & wow this mini JBL bluetooth speaker (US Amazon, UK Amazon) has volume. For instance it's perfect for family outings, on the beach, in the rental, anywhere. The only thing I wish we had done before is to “downgrade” sooner (in size).
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This is our next multi-purpose purchase. This portable pump (US Amazon, UK Amazon) is a pump, vacuum, flashlight, and magnetic. For example, these gadgets are the ones, you can use in a versatile way & will think ‘it totally worth the price’.
