things i love // spring break

Even though it’s still weeks away, I am getting SO excited for Spring Break. Airplanes and beaches and glamorous cities were off the table this year, so we set our winter-weary sights much closer to home and we’re taking a little road trip to the Utah desert. It’s a place we’ve been to many times, but that could absolutely never get old. It’s one of my hands-down favorite landscapes on the planet and I have found in the past couple of years that my bones and very soul crave being there. The jaw-dropping scenery, the energy, the shadows, the flora and fauna...I love it all and it’s been too long since we’ve made the trek. So we’re packing up the truck and making our way West to take it all in with our BFFs slash most epic travel buddies. I’m giddy just thinking about it. So this week, I’m sharing with you my most tried and true travel gear; the things I never set out on adventure without (at least not on purpose). I hope it helps you prep for your upcoming adventures, near or far. And PLEASE tell me where you’re headed, I LOVE some good travel inspiration for daydreaming and future getaways. xo

I’VE TRIED just about every type of stainless steel water bottle out there. I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m a sucker for brightly colored powder coating [I am] or what, but I’ve given almost every major brand a solid test run and my little fam has settled on a hybrid combo of Hydro Flask (sksksks - are VSCO girls still a thing?!) and Yeti. We have Water Bottles, Tumblers, Mugs for hot drinks and Can Insulators for keeping drinks icy cold. I’ve given the Wine Tumblers for gifts because nobody wants warm Chardonnay, even out in the woods. Um, yeah, when I say that out loud it does sound like an awful lot of 18/8 stainless, which is why I felt like a bit of a heel spending $65 on yet ANOTHER bottle. BUT… the Hydroflask 64 oz Wide Mouth I bought last summer is hands-down one of the best travel purchases I’ve ever made. My husband first visibly rolled his eyes at me, but now is first to fill it up when we’re headed out.

WE USE this big boy on road trips short and long to refill all of our water bottles when they go dry. The water stays super cold, even in summer, especially if we fill it to the brim with ice. We’ve even come off of days-long river trips, all dry and hot and parched, to find cold, fresh water still chillin’ in the car. Those moments are life-changing and worth their weight in gold (or 18/8 stainless). This thing is HEAVY when it’s full, so not ideal for air travel or dragging around Paris, but for road trips, picnics, days at the beach or pool, kiddo sporting events or any other activity that gets your crew thirsty, it’s everything. And Hydroflask just keeps releasing awesome new colors, which just may be my excuse to buy another biggie so I don’t have to share.
// HYDROFLASK 64 OZ WIDE MOUTH BOTTLE $64.95 //

ONE OF the best things about Colorado is our gorgeous weather. We have 300 days a year of glorious sunshine and the brightest blue skies. But it’s also super unpredictable. It can be show-stopping 65 + sunny one day and fully snowing the next. Which makes camping and travel a constant crapshoot; you have to be prepared for just about anything. To that end, each member of my cutie family got a Rumpl Puffy Blanket for Christmas to take care of the possible chilly part of that equation. They call them ‘sleeping bag blankets’ because they’re basically just that. And like a sleeping bag, they pack down super tight into their own stuff sack, so they’re easy to drag along wherever we might be headed. They’re cozy by the campfire on a chilly night or wrap you up in warmth as an extra layer while you sleep. My guys hug them in the car on a long drive up skiing and at home on the couch. Even if you’re just hanging in your yard to socially distance with friends, Rumpl Puffy Blankets are super comfy. My boys have the Joshua Tree and Grand Canyon blankets from the National Park Collection, which felt special to them since they’ve visited both. But there are all kinds of cool prints and solids that would appeal to just about everyone. And this week they launched a really gorgeous new collaboration, called Teton Dreams, with Montana-based artist Rachel Pohl.

RUMPL is also part of 1% For The Planet, which means they donate 1% of their profits to environmental causes. They use 100% post-consumer recycled materials to make their blankets, diverting 5 million plastic bottles each year from the landfill. And they’re carbon neutral, offsetting their entire footprint with credits. So not only will you feel warm and toasty in your puffy blanket, but your heart can feel warm and toasty knowing that you’ve supported a company that’s passionately responsible for taking care of the planet.
// RUMPL PUFFY BLANKETS $99+ //

EVEN BEFORE I had kids, I always carried a giant “mom” bag. I’m just kind of a Boy Scout and like to have everything that I could *possibly* need right at hand. After I had kids, the collection of things I *had* to have to leave the house was more like a packing list for Semester at Sea. Then, the pandemic. The day I learned that we weren’t going anywhere for a while (who could’ve imagined how long), I took everything out of my gorgeous mom bag, put it away and pulled out the Aloha Collection Mini Hip Pack that I’d bought the summer before for hikes. And I never took it off. Seriously. I wore that thing for 8 months straight and couldn’t have been happier about it. It was like an extension of my body. I only reluctantly took it off in October because it started to look super weird with a jacket.

THE Mini Hip Pack is the best accessory for travel near or far and I found that I actually really don’t need much to be very happy out in the world. It holds my little wallet, keys, phone, hand sani, tissues and chapstick. And as it turns out, that’s pretty much all I need most of the time. It’s awesome for hiking and hands-free grocery shopping. I love it for camping + adventuring because all of my actual essentials are literally strapped to me at all times, so I don’t have to fumble around trying to find a tissue while I’m squatting in the woods (TMI? We’re friends, right?). And all of Aloha’s bags are “splashproof” so it’s ok if it gets super sweaty or you dribble a bit of water on it. Mine is still in excellent condition despite its sincere abuse.

ALOHA is a Hawaiian company that’s all about prepping you for travel with a beautiful, tropical vibe, even if you’re headed to a decidedly less exotic locale. Their awesome pouches, duffles and totes are equally comfortable and useful globetrotting in far flung places or at a park playdate. They’re lightweight, durable and easy to clean, which is everything right now. If you’d prefer a more refined hip pack, by elke’s Veg-Tanned Leather Zip-Top version is stunning and functional. If your t(w)een is in to them, Stoney Clover Lane makes adorable Fanny Packs in a bazillion colors that would wow just about any kiddo.

I WILL never completely abandon my love of giant bags, especially for travel, and have been eyeing Aloha’s giant reversible Holo Holo totes for a someday-soon-I-hope beach vacation or even our neighborhood pool. But for our upcoming desert wander, you can be sure I’ll be busting out my old Hip Pack, just in case I need to duck behind a cactus.
// ALOHA COLLECTION MINI HIP PACK $40 //

HAPPY FART Out Loud Day! JK. Sort of. That’s just one hit single from our family-favorite kids podcast, Story Pirates, because anything to do with bodily functions is obvs funny. My older son gets SUPER car sick (not as funny), so long road trips are kind of torture for him, which is very unfortunate because we take them all the time. Thank goodness, over the years and miles, we’ve found some things that work pretty well to help pass the time while he stares out the window trying not to vomit. We bring loads of fidgets, a whole box of crackers just for him and we listen to fun podcasts to distract from the nausea.

WE DISCOVERED the Story Pirates podcast when it was brand new and the whole lot of us was instantly hooked. It’s a group of improv actors and musicians who take stories that real children write and turn them into hilarious songs, which they then perform. It’s magic. They don’t try to edit the kids’ charming stories to make them more polished or less silly, in fact the more fantastical, the better. Some of our favorite episodes include The Chess Master, Fart Out Loud Day and All 8 Unicorns, but there are countless other just exceptionally fun performances. It’s appropriate for all ages and is so entertaining. I especially love the epic stories written by the littler kids, they’re just so sincerely off the wall and delightful. There’s also some banter and a little storyline that happens with the actors in between songs that’s silly and keeps the pace. You def don’t need to start at the beginning of the series, but some of our favorite episodes are from the early days, so if you have a l o n g road ahead, I’d throw it way back and settle in.

AND IF a silly form of musical theater isn’t really your gig, we also love The Big Fib (now also a show on Disney+). It’s a riff on two truths and lie and it’s also super engaging. Each episode has a theme that ranges from Skateboarding to Dolphins to Caves (so something for everyone) and a kiddo contestant has to try to figure out which of two supposed experts on the topic is telling the truth and which is a liar. It’s entertaining and super fun to try to guess who the liar is along with the kiddo on the show. There’s also a robot sidekick that brings the laughs, keeping the pace so minds don’t wander.

MY SON still feels woozy while we’re driving, but off-the-wall entertainment helps, so we’ll keep it going until the boys say ‘uncle.’ It def beats hearing the same 9 songs repeated on The Pulse for 7 straight hours.
// STORY PIRATES PODCAST //

OK, LOVELIES, I’m going to let you in on one of my greatest mom [and gift-giving] secrets. If you haven’t already met one of my best friends, Plus Plus, I’d like to introduce you. Plus Plus, this is my lovely friend. Lovely friend, this is Plus Plus, one of the greatest [travel] toys of all time and saver of so many restaurant meals I could never try to count. I have been dragging them with us wherever we go for about 7 years and I kid you not, I’ve never seen my boys make the same thing twice. Total strangers approach our table, initially drawn to the spectacular mix of brilliant color, but then they get sucked in to examining the boys’ magnificent creations. Even when we’re out with other kiddos, the whole lot of them get totally engrossed in building, looking up only to trade colors with the kid next to them.

MADE IN Denmark, Plus Plus’ tagline is “one shape, endless possibilities,” and I can totally attest to that truth. They are so simple in concept, but just brilliant in execution. They make sets of varying sizes and “themes,” but we just dump ours all together in a big, colorful mess and have at it. I put a heaping pile + a baseplate in a reusable bag for each of the boys and I ONLY bust them out at restaurants or traveling (that is part of the trick to keeping them exciting for 7 years). My boys have made epic battle scenes, robots, animals, machines, guys and a hundred other things. It’s just awesome to see the magical creations that come out of their expanding brains. They also have a biggie size for little hands. The colors are just so appealing and they’ve also introduced metallic, glittery and glow in the dark pieces, making it nearly impossible to resist buying *just one more* little tube even though we already have SO SO many. They’re a perfect gift, gift topper, party favor, stocking stuffer, Easter basket filler or travel surprise.

PLUS (can’t resist) the Plus Plus factory in Denmark uses 100% wind energy, has a zero-waste facility and both the toys + packaging are totally recyclable. So huge win there. They are also super easy to wash when they get dribbles of soy sauce or ketchup [or germs] on them. So, if you haven’t already met, I highly recommend getting to know my friend Plus Plus before your next adventure or when you just need a few solid minutes of quiet time.
// PLUS PLUS $7.99+ //