Shelly Rivoli: Travel Expert
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Shelly Rivoli is the author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children. She has the proud distinction of having changed diapers on four continents and a handful of islands. Together, her family has made its way by airplane, elephant, subway, train, cruise ship, taxi, and long tail boat—all with a baby in tow.
Shelly’s family travel tips and advice have appeared in national parenting magazines, including Parents, Parenting, Pregnancy, and Nick Jr. Magazine, and on popular parenting websites and blogs including Babble.com, Urban Baby Daily, and aParentlySpeaking. Shelly has also made radio and TV appearances on The Happy Housewives Club, Childhood Matters, and ABC’s The View from The Bay.
Shelly travels as often and as far as she can with her husband and two young daughters. The rest of the time, she hangs her hats as mother and writer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Find her online at TravelswithBaby.com.
Shelly’s family travel tips and advice have appeared in national parenting magazines, including Parents, Parenting, Pregnancy, and Nick Jr. Magazine, and on popular parenting websites and blogs including Babble.com, Urban Baby Daily, and aParentlySpeaking. Shelly has also made radio and TV appearances on The Happy Housewives Club, Childhood Matters, and ABC’s The View from The Bay.
Shelly travels as often and as far as she can with her husband and two young daughters. The rest of the time, she hangs her hats as mother and writer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Find her online at TravelswithBaby.com.
REVIEWS
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Road-tripping with a baby can be a great way to spend some quality time together, so long as you don't spend the bulk of your vacation sitting in the car. For the hours that you will be on the road, consider these tips:Read More »
1. Have one parent ride in the back seat with the baby to help keep her entertained and comforted, while allowing the driver to focus on the task at hand. Since she'll be riding rear-facing, she'll especially appreciate the face-time with you during drive times.
2. Whenever you need to stop and stretch your legs, make sure that your baby gets some physical activity, too, whether that means stretching and rolling on a blanket, crawling on a park lawn, or practicing walking laps around a restaurant. Her sleep schedule, digestion, and disposition will be better as a result.
3. Avoid the temptation to plan an overnight drive “while the baby sleeps.” Few people start a road trip as tired as parents with a baby, and you'll likely have a hard time making up the sleep lost during your vacation. What's more, your baby might end up surprising you by NOT sleeping as much as you expected in the car at night — those bright headlights behind you can be pretty distracting to a rear-facing baby over 4 months old.
Whether you'll be crossing the county or crossing the country in your family car, here are the five top products you'll find to help make the most of your adventures. -
While road-tripping with a toddler may sound like the opposite of a vacation to some, it can actually be a great way to travel for many families, particularly those who are well prepared for it. Consider these tips as you plan your grand adventure:Read More »
1. Plan “meaningful stops” along the way every 2-3 hours of your journey, where everyone can get out of the car and get some exercise, a change of scenery from the interior of the car, and a chance to use the bathroom (or at least get a fresh diaper). Even a 10- or 15-minute stop can be “meaningful,” if you plan it right.
2. Pack a small ball to chase around at rest areas and parks, or a kite to fly at beachside turnouts. Either one takes up little space in the car, helps burn off energy, and has great entertainment value for kids.
3. Create playlists of kid-friendly grown up music you can all enjoy and even sing along to — without driving yourselves crazy.
In addition, consider these innovative products that can make your time on the road as pleasant and fun as possible. Here are the five best: -
Just when you've mastered the art of flying with a baby, in walks your toddler traveling companion. He's got his own likes, dislikes, and distinctive temperament, not to mention he's mobile! Not to worry. You can still enjoy air travel with your child - even long-haul flights and layovers. Here are the five best items you'll find for air travel with your toddler.Read More » -
There are many products touted as “travel gear” for babies, but few that really go the distance when it's time to catch a flight. For example, the many so-called travel systems that include an infant car seat bundled with a stroller that folds to the size of a small station wagon (and weighs nearly as much). The best items for air travel with babies truly ease your transitions from curb through check-in, security through boarding, and take-off through landing. Here are the top five.Read More »
