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As someone who is so Type A and always planning ev As someone who is so Type A and always planning every detail of our trip, it was so nice to let the stress of planning go and let @JetBlueVacations handle everything! 

We bundled our flight, hotel and airport transfer and our local insider booked our excursion. I was finally able to relax before and during my vacation knowing everything was taken care of for us. My fellow planners, take a break and let JetBlue Vacations handle everything for you! 

Use code: HAMBRICK for $200 off flights + hotel!
Book by 12/10/23 for travel 12/15/23-11/1/24 Min. $3,500 spend & terms apply
Plus there were options to Johannesburg, Mumbai, S Plus there were options to Johannesburg, Mumbai, Seychelles, Hong Kong, & Manilla for like $250RT from not only JFK but Chicago, Dallas, DC, San Fran & LAX. 

Definitely the best flight deal I’ve ever booked but since then I have gotten some other amazing ones. $540RT to Sydney, $400RT to Marrakech, $60RT to Denver, $150RT to Guatemala. Love a points deal too, 70k Skymiles RT to Tokyo, 60k miles RT to Egypt & more!

So where can you find these deals?

Going: A subscription based site that emails you immediately anytime a deal pops up. It has 3 levels: Limited deals (free), Premium ($49/yr), & Elite ($199/yr). Comment LINK & I’ll send you a link for $25 off Premium or Elite!

Secretflying.com: For my international community this is the best site for you. They provide deals daily from every country in the world but you have to search for them.

Google Flights: You have to search yourself here by typing in the airport you want to fly from but you can put an entire region (Europe, Caribbean, Africa) and the dates you can travel and the map will populate with the prices in all those places so you can see the cheapest places to go.

Skyscanner: This site allows you to put your home airport, select anywhere as your destination to find the cheapest flights during the dates you can travel or you can put your home airport & destination you want to travel & find the cheapest dates to fly there. This is my favorite site to use for school/work holidays.

Theflightdeal.com: Just like secretflying but only for flights from the US.

What’s the best flight deal you’ve booked? Any other places you use to find deals? Comment LINK & I’ll send you a link for $25 off Going on their Premium or Elite levels!

#flightdeals #pointsandmiles
The thoughts that go through my head on flights ar The thoughts that go through my head on flights are irrational! Don’t even get me started on what happens if there is any bit of turbulence 😭😭.

If you sit next to me on a plane just know the likely hood of me grabbing your hand at some point is extremely high whether I know you or not 😅. 

I can’t be the only one, can I? And listen I will take all the tips because I have tried everything but seeking professional help, but maybe I need to!

Flight anxiety, fear of flying
Please do not tell me “but we’re only sleeping Please do not tell me “but we’re only sleeping there, we’ll be out all day”. When I get in after a long day I need to be comfortable and not afraid to touch things! In my 20s it did not matter but I’m too old now, I like what I like! 

Have you ever checked into a hotel and then got to your room and immediately checked out 👀?

1. Team book anything, I’m just sleeping there!
2. Team the hotel matters no matter how long the stay 
3. Team I’m somewhere in between

#hotelmatters #travelhumor
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!! Match It’s the most wonderful time of the year!! Matching holiday pajama time that is and @littlesleepies has picture perfect options for you to wear for your holiday card photo shoots! I love how soft they are and that they come in a wide range of prints and sizes from preemie to 3X. And yes they even have matching prints for your pets! Every purchase gives back to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a foundation for childhood cancer. Y’all know matching PJs sell out QUICK for the holidays so hurry up and order now! 

Use code TravelingChild15 for 15% off regular priced items. So when are you bringing out the holiday decorations 👀?

#LittleSleepiesPartner #matchingpjs #matchingpajamas
Everything you need to know about Rainbow Mountain Everything you need to know about Rainbow Mountain (save + share this post):

1. Rainbow Mountain is a 3 hour drive from Cusco. 

2. The majority of tours leave at 3am but I like sleep & booked with a company that has 7:30am tours. This was much better as when we arrived most groups were walking down from the mountain so when we reached the top the crowds were minimal.

3. Rainbow Mountain’s elevation is 17,000 feet. It’s imperative you stay in Cusco (11,151ft in elevation) a few days prior so your body gets used to the altitude. 

4. The hike is roughly 4.5 miles RT, most of it is flat but the last stretch is steep and you will get short of breath, needing breaks. I def thought I wasn’t going to make it!

5. Wear lots of layers. It was warm at the base of the mountain but towards the top & especially when the wind came through it’s cold! 

6. The best time to hike Rainbow Mountain is the dry season April-Oct.

7. You can rent a horse for the majority of the hike, but the steep part you have to hike yourself as horses aren’t allowed there. The cost is about 70 soles (roughly $17 at the time of this post).

8. Vendors at the base of the mountain will stamp your passport for 2 soles. They actually do this at Machu Picchu too but I forgot to get mine stamped there.

9. If you traveled to Peru 10 years ago you would not have been able to do this hike because Rainbow Mountain was just uncovered around 2015. Prior to it was always covered by snow but global warming has caused the temperatures to rise & the snow to melt.

10. Most popularly called Rainbow Mountain the original name is Vinicunca, which comes from the native Quechua word meaning mountain of colors. The 7 colors of this mountain come from mineral compositions and depending on if it rained recently or not the colors vary in their brightness.

Have you heard of Rainbow Mountain? Would you do this hike?

#rainbowmountain #solotravels #bucketlistadventures
There are so many beautiful places on this earth t There are so many beautiful places on this earth to see. #VSP_Partner. Often, our eye health is overlooked, but it is important to keep your eyes top of mind so you can see the world through healthy eyes and clear vision. To help you see a new part of the world, I’ve partnered with @vspvisioncare to give away travel items to put towards your next trip:

✈️ $2,000 in gift cards to Hotels.com, Southwest, and VISA

✈️Two (2) pairs of sunglasses to wear on vacation

This giveaway runs from November 3–10, 2023 and the winner will ONLY be announced via DMs from the @vspvisioncare account on November 10, 2023. Be on the lookout for scammers!

How to Enter:

🏆 Like this post

🏆 Follow these accounts @vspvisioncare and @thetravelingchild

🏆 Tag two (2) friends that you want to take on this trip! (More tags = more entries.)

🏆 Fill out the entry form at the link in my bio. (Entry form will be hosted on Rafflecopter.)

*Eligibility: Must be located within the 50 United States and District of Columbia and be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. See full terms and conditions at the link in my bio.

#Sweepstakes

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Light Packing Tips

September 22, 2017      Trip Planning Tips

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

Packing light is key when traveling with kids and especially when you tend to city hop like we do. On our most recent trip to Europe we visited Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Brussels. Constantly on the move every few days and going up and down the stairs, as most apartment buildings in Europe do not have elevators, packing light was an easy way to reduce frustration. For this week long trip pictured below is all we packed. Had I chose to purchase diapers in Europe or if Kennedy was no longer in them I could have ditched the Dory suitcase as it was only filled with diapers and wipes.

suitcase against the wall

Child suitcases can become annoying really quickly. Jordyn loves to pull her own suitcase but sometimes when we are in a rush it slows her down or if she gets tired of course it then becomes your responsibility to hold it. I love that her Dory suitcase has a strap on the back that goes over the handle of my suitcase so I can push/pull both with only one hand. So how do I pack for a family of 4 for a week in one suitcase?

​Clothing
When deciding on our clothing for a 7 day trip I only pack 3 bottoms per person. Jeans, especially men’s are very heavy and take up a lot of space. You really don’t need a different bottom for each day, you can re-wear. I pick darker bottoms as they typically go with more tops and if I get a little dirt on them it’s not noticeable.  I pack 1 shirt for each day. If the weather is warm where you are going packing dresses for women and shorts for men over jeans will also save you space and make your suitcase lighter. Since we typically stay at Airbnb’s they usually have washing machines and I always pack travel size detergent or a few detergent pods so we can do laundry half way through the trip if necessary. If your thought is “I might wear it, let me pack it just in case.” PUT. IT. BACK!  Lol but seriously, it’s like the shirt you always want to give away because you haven’t worn it in years but you somehow decide in your head you will because you like it but then of course you never wear it. The same thing will happen with this extra outfit you’ve convinced yourself you need on this trip, just leave it at home. Remember the less options you have to choose from, the quicker you’ll be able to get ready and out the door to start your adventures.

clothing laid out to be packed in suitcase 

This is exactly what we packed in one suitcase for our week long Euro Trip. Details below on how we fit it all in one suitcase weighing 43lbs total!
​
​Shoes
Shoes can take up a ton of space in your luggage and they can be very heavy. I always coordinate our clothing so we can get away with wearing the same shoe with each outfit. This way we only have the shoes we are wearing on our feet the day we leave and we don’t require any space in our luggage to pack shoes. Worst case we will each have two pairs of shoes with the heaviest one being worn on our travel days to save weight in our bag.

Toiletries
We put all of our toiletries in travel size clear containers and I label with a permanent marker. The pressure from airplanes can cause items to escape so I always put each of them in a snack size zip lock bag to prevent spillage. I then put everything in one of our packing cubes.


​Packing Cubes
If you don’t have packing cubes you need to get some! My friend used them on our trip to Australia and I was amazed at how much she could fit in them plus how organized her bag was. I immediately ordered some and they are the best. Here’s why:

They help us stay organized! I ordered a different color packing cube set for each of us. This helps automatically know whose clothes are where in case of an emergency. I wish I had these in Australia because I was de-boarding a flight when Kennedy had an explosive diaper. Poop was all up her back and her pants and shirt were done for. When went through our bag I pretty much had to take everything out since her clothes were at the bottom. Had I had packing cubes I’d simply grab her color cube without disorganizing my entire bag and then having to repack everything.

They turn your luggage into drawers like at home! Everyone packs their cubes a different way. When we are traveling to multiple cities in one trip I will pack mine based on city, putting the outfits I plan on wearing in each city in one cube so I only have to open one and everything else stays organized. However, when staying in one place an entire trip I might pack based on item: underwear and socks in one cube, shirts in one, and bottoms in the other. Instead of unpacking everything I will just put my cubes in the drawers and everything is easily accessible but also stay together and organized.​

packing cubes laid out on a bed

​The black cubes have all my husbands belongings, the red has Kennedy’s, the yellow/black has Jordyn’s, the big yellow one has mine and the small yellow has all of our toiletries.​ Below they all neatly fit into our regular sized check in luggage.

suitcase packing using packing cubes 


Here is our bag with all of our stuff all under the 50lb maximum weight for a total of 43lbs!

suitcase being weighed at the airport 

​The packing cubes seen in our suitcase above are from eBags and you can get them here. However, I recently started using packing cubes from EzPacking. The reason is because I love that they too also come in various colors so we can each have our own set but I also like that they are completely see-through on the top so you can see everything inside. Most importantly I love that they are completely sealed which keeps the stench from your dirty clothes away from your clean clothes especially when traveling to multiple cities on one trip. Use promo code ‘thetravelingchild’ to save 15% off EzPacking packing cubes.

ezpacking cubes on a bed filled with clothes

 

​What packing tips do you have? Drop them in the comments below!

The Traveling Child is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

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Comments

  1. Elisa says

    November 4, 2017 at 11:42 am

    Ok you have me convinced on packing cubes. I seriously LOVE your blog. I travel at least once a month with our almost 7 month old, usually by myself and your blog has helped me so much. I recommend it to everyone! ❤️

    • Monet Hambrick says

      November 13, 2017 at 7:44 am

      Awww, thank you so much Elisa!!! That means so much to me and I am so happy it has been so helpful to you. Yessss, packing cubes are life, I swear by them now!
      Monet

  2. April Kitchens says

    November 14, 2017 at 12:28 pm

    Girl I need those packing cubes!! And definitely a ziplock for toiletries. Thankfully Target has a few of the brands that I like in travel sizes and I just refill when needed.

  3. Zuli says

    November 18, 2017 at 4:08 pm

    Ok! I just figured out what I’ll be getting us for Xmas! I like to do a family gift, and what better gift than the gift of travel?! I have so many ideas for road trips, and, hopefully, one big trip that will require a plane for next year, and these packing cubes will be perfect!

    • Monet says

      November 20, 2017 at 7:30 am

      Hi Zuli!
      Yes, the gift of travel is truly amazing. Packing cubes have seriously changed my life lol, I hope they make it easier for your family to pack light and stay organized as well!
      Monet

  4. Tiffany Haywood says

    November 20, 2017 at 6:48 pm

    You definitely have this down to a science and a skill I have not mastered yet. I will be adding this packing cubes to my shopping list for our next trip for sure.

  5. Stephanie Saint-julien says

    January 11, 2018 at 3:24 am

    Seeing this blog gives me life !!!! I swear because I live in Miami where I dream everyday of traveling especially with my 1 y.o. son Aiden and Boyfriend Tyree. This gives me the extra push to travel because I always wondered how in the world can travel with a baby it must but hard. But now looking at things in a different light I thank you for this great info. Hope to be on the same traveling path to.

    • Monet says

      January 11, 2018 at 7:20 am

      Hi Stephanie,
      We live in South Florida too!! I won’t lie it’s hard sometimes but that’s just being a parent in general so I’m like might as well have some of those hard days be in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Take advantage of the free flights for your son while you can!!!
      Monet

  6. Carmelita Watkins says

    February 11, 2018 at 7:02 pm

    Hello, I have a question…When you pack for 4 people is the luggage you used a carry on luggage or a check in luggage size?

    • Monet says

      February 11, 2018 at 7:07 pm

      Hi Carmelita,
      When it’s all four of us we use a checked luggage sized suitcase.
      Monet

      • Carmelita says

        February 12, 2018 at 1:45 pm

        Thank you!

  7. Orliande says

    May 31, 2018 at 5:28 am

    Hi
    I used different size bags that you roll to let the air out then zip and lay then flat. Takes up no space. I might get some cubes for toiletries and shoes

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Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

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