The well-reviewed Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is a great solution for traveling with a small child. Unlike most travel cribs and pack-n-plays, the Bjorn Travel Crib assembles with one movement. When not in use, it collapses into a compact carry case and weighs a mere 11 lbs. All fabric on the Bjorn Travel Crib (including the mattress cover) meets Oeko-Tex Standard 100, certifications so you can be sure your baby isn't sleeping on something containing prohibited, regulated, or harmful substances and chemicals.

The Bjorn Travel Crib lists for $280 but sometimes retails for as low as $235 on Amazon. It's on sale for that price now, but with an additional offer: Amazon is offering a free Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Fitted Sheet (a value of $40) with the purchase of the actual Travel Crib, and both items qualify for Free Super Saver Shipping. To utilize this offer just add both items to your cart. The savings will be reflected on the final order checkout page. - Jenn

When I was about six months pregnant, a coworker of mine told me a story about visiting her sister and newborn niece. In this story, it took five hours to leave the house for a grocery run. "Five hours?" I recall saying, incredulous. "Yup- I couldn't believe it, but it was that hard to just leave the house. She kept needing to do everything over and over again, and we just never could leave."

I decided right then that I would not be like that. I would not be a person that took a long time to leave the house with a baby. And so after my son was born I put a lot of thought into how to leave the house- the amount of time it takes, the supplies that are really required, and how to somehow make it easier.

Lately a very good friend who's baby is due next week has been asking for my efficiently-leaving-the-house technique. So here it is: Plan, pack, feed, diaper, and go!

Stop and think about what you need to bring. If it is a bunch of stuff, make a checklist and use it to stay focused. If nothing else: Diaper bag, snacks, phone, keys and wallet.

Pack the car/stroller/bike trailer with everything you need, except for the baby. This is made far easier if baby is in a sling, wrap, or soft carrier!

Feed the baby, or at least offer food. If the baby refuses, take baby for a walk around your living room and then try again. If the baby refuses to eat again, baby is probably not hungry, so go to the next step.

Change the baby's diaper (and clothing, if baby spat up). You know the drill.

Leave! Now! Decisively! If the baby screams, check the obvious (neck skin pinched by car seat straps?) and quickly fix, as needed. Do not let a fussy baby stop you. If there is no immediately fixable cause to screaming, just take some deep breaths and leave with fussy baby in tow.

The reason that you can just leave is that you know your beloved child is actually fine. You know the child is fine because you've just, right then, taken care of all its most important needs. The screaming is simply due to some disruption or stress from the act of leaving, and thus, trying to calm the baby will only result in another screaming bout when you try to leave a second time. By just doing it - leaving! - the baby learns that the hubbub and frustration goes away quickly, that the parent is remaining calm, and that screaming doesn't actually help. With practice, the screaming and fussing during leaving time will subside, and pretty soon you'll have a much, much easier time leaving the house.

I can't say that this will work for every parent and child out there, but it works really well for our household. I can proudly say that it has never taken me more than 45 minutes to leave the house (and about 35 minutes of that time is usually spent breastfeeding) and I almost always make it on time to lunch dates, appointments, and other time commitments. So remember: Plan, pack, feed, diaper, and then go! - Leigh G.

Babies are not fun to have on planes, trains, or sometimes even automobiles. But if you bring the right foods, you can make you life a little bit easier.

Wet foods like yogurt and applesauce are fine, but make sure it is plain or vanilla yogurt and plain applesauce, and bring a bib. Flavors, coloring, and fruit bits make for more rapid staining of clothing and upholstery, which doesn’t make for a happy flight attendance. I’d advise staying away from most other brightly colored fruits and veggies. One thing you probably want to avoid is the appearance, as well as the reality, of a baby covered in multi-colored vomit.

Dry foods that don’t crumb up really badly are also a good option. For instance, Cheerios are better than saltines. A single wayward Cheerio is easy to pick up, while a crumbled saltine turns to a pernicious dusty prickly nuisance.

Most of all, take extra of everything. The weirdness of travel might make your normally happy eater really picky. So what if you kid only eats applesauce for an entire eight-hour flight? Much better than a starving, screaming horror.

What have you found works for feeding solids while traveling? Share your tips in the comments!
- Leigh G.