5 Must Have Items for Traveling with Tots

Traveling with kids can bring the mightiest among us to our knees, but that doesn't mean we have any intention of staying home. Instead we try to think ahead for all the "what ifs" and make sure we're prepared. But, if all else fails, deep breaths and a few hugs work too.

Checking bags when you have kids is pretty much a given, but we'd never go anywhere without the essentials in our carry-on too. Put them in the stylish, easy-fill Silicone Carry-On Travel Bottles by Paul Koh. They not only look cool, they have a special silicone sheath to keep what's in the bottle inside it and not all over everything else in your bag. ($20 at Uncommon Goods)

Dwell Studio's Scribble Kit gives kids an easy-to-carry tote for crayons, scribble pad and some small toys to keep them occupied whether in the air or on the road. Plus it's small enough for them to carry on their own. ($36)

Lugging a car seat through the airport is no fun at all, but the Gogo Kidz Travelmate turns a cumbersome seat into a cool ride-on toy---with stay-in-one-place straps---for kids from 5 months to 5 years old. When it's not toting a toddler, this lightweight contraption folds flat to go into your overhead bin or rental car easily. ($89 at Giggle)

Make eating out of home a teeny less stressful with Phil & Ted's excellent Wriggle Wrapper whose straps secure the two-and-under set to almost any chair. It can even be used to secure a baby to a regular bed should that hotel-provided travel crib gives you the willies. ($49.99 at Amazon)