Why we travel the world with our toddler

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // September 24, 2015 // 10 Comments

A little girl in a big world.

She’s only 3. People have told me a million times that traveling with my kid is a waste of money because she won’t even remember it. I beg to differ. If you’ve never tried it, you really won’t know the difference.

Yes, it can get difficult – especially when they reach the age of meltdowns and tantrums. Yes, it is expensive – we started paying for her plane fare at 24 months. Yes, you will get those looks – most flyers want peace and quiet in a plane and don’t want to be seated next to a crying kid. But above all, it is a wonderful experience.

We started traveling with Jellybean when she was only a year old and we’ve done so two or three times a year thereafter. At her age, she’s already been to 7 international destinations and countless local ones. So why do we do it? Here are my top reasons:

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What are OECD visas and why do I need one?

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // September 4, 2015 // 7 Comments

If you’ve wanted to go on a quick visit to South Korea, Taiwan or Turkey, you may have heard of OECD member country visas. These are three countries we know of that uses valid or used OECD visas as supporting documents for visa applications for their countries.

OECD Member Countries

OECD stands for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. If you are interested in finding out which specific countries are members, you can visit: http://www.oecd.org/

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Traveling with a Baby: How to get a New Zealand Visa from the Philippines

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // September 3, 2015 // 8 Comments

New Zealand is one of the most peaceful and beautiful places in the world and is often found on many travel bucket lists. This scenic country is where most of Middle Earth was shot for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

If you plan on visiting this country located in the Oceania continent, you will need to get a visitor visa if you are a Philippine passport holder. Here are the steps we took to get ours. As with any visa-related post we have in this blog, it is based solely on our experience and maybe totally different from yours.

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Baby, JetSet, Go Review: Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival at Kia Theatre

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // September 3, 2015 // 2 Comments

Just got back from today’s run of Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival at Kia Theatre and we’re still on a musical high. I loved everything about that show — fom the songs, to the interactive elements and down to the perfect venue.

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Don’t Quit! You Can Travel Even with a Full-time Job.

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // August 25, 2015 // 7 Comments

I have to admit, there’s a hint of envy every time I hear that one of my 30-something friends quit his or her job to travel full time. After all, that has been my dream since my late teens.

But life happens.

I got married, bought a house with a 25-year mortgage and had a kid. Although that hasn’t stopped me from the heeding the call of wanderlust, I need to be a bit more realistic. I need my full-time job. In fact, I need the two full-time jobs that I have. They both pay well. I get to buy what I want and I get to travel often. So there really is no downside to keeping your job while enjoying an adventure-filled life. It’s really all a matter of planning.

So how do I do it? I set goals and invest what I make from my full-time job to build some expendable income for travel. Sounds simple? Not really. Haha. So let me break it down for you.

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Sneak Peek: Our Travel-Themed Condo Design

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // August 24, 2015 // 10 Comments

I’m no interior designer and I’d go as far as saying I have a pretty eclectic taste when it comes to home decor. My parents both studied interior design and that’s actually where they met. So my mom really took over the reigns when we bought our first house. So for our little condo in Makati, I decided to try fixing it myself for the first time. And what theme would be more fitting that travel?

Our little travel gallery is starting to be my favorite space. Instead of a TV, I put a Paris decal and some framed pictures.

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DIY Travel Activity Kit and Primomo Washable Crayons

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // August 23, 2015 // No Comments

Since my daughter is now three, keeping her busy in-flight or on the road takes a little bit more than just dolls or tag blankets. Now, we’re into coloring and other activities. I’ve been seeing some DIY activity travel kits on Pinterest and was particularly interested in the one that involved upcycling DVD cases for this purpose. So, I tried it myself and here’s what I came up with:

My DIY travel art kit in 4 steps:

Step 1: Get a clean DVD case and remove the raised part that holds the CD. You can use a craft knife or a cutter for this:

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Staycation vs Vacation (plus our Nobu Hotel experience)

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // August 18, 2015 // 3 Comments

Being a family that loves to travel, we are very intimately aware of the preparation it takes to go on trips with a little one. Aside from the actual vacation planning — from putting our vacation leaves in order to getting the flights, booking the hotels and making sure we have money — bulk of the prep work is getting the kid ready to travel. Packing for a baby or a toddler means knowing what part of the daily routine to keep or to break to ensure that my daughter is comfortable but we keep within practical limits. So, for times when we have something to celebrate but do not have the time to prepare for a big out-of-the-country trip, we choose to staycation.

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How to Create an Itinerary

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // July 27, 2015 // No Comments

There is no way to describe the excitement as you prepare for and look forward to a trip you have been planning. Naturally, you want to make the most of it by making sure that you devise the best possible itinerary.

However, if you pore too much on the details, you will likely just end up constantly running after the time and disappointed that you’d have to scratch the whole itinerary you have planned midway through the trip. Creating an itinerary can be simpler – and more realistic. Stop feeling overwhelmed and just focus on the adventures waiting just around the corner.

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Traveling with a Baby: How to get a US visa from the Philippines

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // July 10, 2015 // 26 Comments

In my opinion, getting a US visa is one of the more difficult visas to get when you have a Philippine passport. If you are planning to get one for yourself or for your child, here are some steps you can follow to prepare yourself. I am not saying that this will guarantee you a visa or that the steps I took were the right ones, I am just sharing my own experiences. As such, my US visa application experience might be totally different from yours.

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10 Things to Do in Boracay with Toddlers

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // July 9, 2015 // 14 Comments

Boracay truly is paradise. Imagine having 24/7 access to turquoise waters and powder-fine white sand. It is the most serene and relaxing place I’ve been to and even my three-year-old enjoyed our 5-day trip. While most of the water activities are really for adults or older kids – parasailing, standing paddle, helmet walk – there are still some things you can do to enjoy your stay in this island paradise. The key here is to enjoy the island for what it is and not overstuff your itinerary with activities. Even better if you could just throw your itinerary out the window and just spend time with your family at the beach.

Here’s what you can do with a little one when in Boracay:

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Travel Life with a Toddler Gets Easier at 3

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // June 24, 2015 // No Comments

We started traveling with Jellybean when she turned a year old. So far, we’ve been to six countries — 3 in Asia and 3 in Europe and we’ve done a lot of local travel. While the first few times was definitely nerve-wracking, I’m glad to say that the tension has died down a bit and we’re truly comfortable flying with her now.

We’ve been through a lot in the past three years — on-board breastfeeding, paying for her ride in full, in-flight diarrhea, major struggles with getting her to wear her seat belt in her own seat, traveling with the whole extended family and traveling with just mommy.
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Cebu Pacific Issue with Priority Boarding for Children

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // March 23, 2015 // No Comments

We just got back from our trip to Hong Kong (our review on that later), this is the first time we did two new things while on a trip with our 3-year old:

1) We flew from Clark International Airport
2) We used Cebu Pacific as the airline

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Baby, JetSet, Go! Destination Review: Hong Kong

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // March 19, 2015 // 14 Comments

The Hong Kong I remember from my first visit 10 years ago is very different from today’s version. A decade ago, when I first visited HK, the Handover ceremony from the United Kingdom government to China was still fresh in everyone’s mind. It was a very modern city that was super tourist friendly and had a lot of British accent. Today, they are less tourist-friendly and finding an English-speaker can be difficult. But nonetheless, it is still an enjoyable place for toddlers.

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How to Dress Babies for Spring Travel

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // February 26, 2015 // 11 Comments

Jellybean’s Spring Look for Hong Kong

If you are traveling to a country with 4 seasons, it is best to do your research for the current temperature so you can pack the right clothes and have the perfect start to your vacation. Spring is one of those seasons that can be difficult to pack for if you don’t check before your flight what weather to expect. It doesn’t have the sizzling summer heat or the biting cold of winter, but it has a little bit of both — warm during the day but cold at night. Then there’s the occasional rain shower to consider as well.

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How to Dress Babies for Winter Travel

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // December 20, 2014 // No Comments

February winter in Japan: Three layers on top and two on the bottom.

 

One of the most difficult things you can do when traveling with an infant is to go to a winter destination. While it can be quite lovely, especially with fresh fallen snow, younger kids are more difficult to dress during this season. Packing is an even more difficult task because winter clothes are extremely bulky. Here are our tips for dressing your baby for winter travel:

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Travel Tool Review: The Monopod

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // November 27, 2014 // No Comments

In the Philippines, owning a monopod seems so common. In fact, when it was first introduced here the price range was anywhere between P350 to P500. Today, you can get it online or in stores (like the ones found in Greenhills or Makati Square) for as low as P200. I got mine as a set with the automatic shutter for P700. I used to say that I would never own a device that feeds my vanity, but I soon found myself buying one for our Europe trip. And it was worth every peso invested and here’s why:

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How to Dress Babies for Summer Travel

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // November 17, 2014 // No Comments

Here’s our favorite look for Jellybean which she wore in Paris in June.

If you’re traveling with a baby, one of the first things you need to do during the planning phase is to find out what the weather would be like in your intended destination. Keeping your baby comfortable is key to having a hassle-free vacation. If your destination is in the peak of summer, you’re in luck! Its so much easier to travel and go out with small children during this season than it is during winter. However, there are still some considerations you need to take when packing his/her clothes. Here are some helpful tips on how to dress your baby for summer travel:

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The Art of Buying Pasalubong

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // November 7, 2014 // No Comments

These are usually small gifts taken home to relatives and friends. Translated literally, it means “to greet/meet/receive”. It could be anything from regional specialty food to key chains or t-shirts bearing the name of the destination the traveler has been to. While balikbayans or permanent residents in another country coming home to the Philippines, will find it easy to buy for their relatives in the Philippines, the case is different for those travelling on holiday. Vacationers in other countries may find it difficult to shop for relatives given the short amount of time they have in a particular country. Even more taxing is packing and ensuring weight limitations are not exceeded. Balikbayans, on the other hand, have the option of sending over their pasalubong in advance via a balikbayan box.

What to buy:

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GrabTaxi vs Easy Taxi vs Uber

by Jade-Ceres Dolor Munoz // October 14, 2014 // 18 Comments

Some parents are lucky to have cars so going around the metro isn’t a problem. My issue isn’t about having a car or not, I really dislike driving. Just the thought of getting behind the wheel scares me and stresses me out. So, for local travel needs, I usually resort to cabs. Of late though, there have been many many reports of criminal activities related to cab rides. Thankfully, many services seeking to offer a secure ride home have started cropping up in the Philippines:

So far, the top three in my list are:

• Uber
• GrabTaxi
• Easy Taxi

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