Ironically, around this time last year, I wrote a lovely article on tips for mamas traveling with children. And then my daughter entered toddlerhood. Forgive me for keeping it real, but honestly, traveling with a toddler in tow is about as exciting for me as a diaper blowout at 35,000 feet.

Probably because that has actually happened to me – twice, on the same trip.

I’m an extremely detail-oriented planner, always bracing for the what-ifs of life.

I can’t help it - it’s my nature.

I’m a New York girl with a lot of experience under her belt. Life until this point has prepared me for just about anything it seems, well, except for toddler airplane poop-fests.

It’s not that I don’t want to enjoy the beauty of traveling with my family – I do. I’d like very much for my daughter to see the world just like I have, but not until she’s out of diapers. If you’re anything like my family, and have the opportunity to get away only very rarely, you can bet your last diaper I want to make the event as simple and painless as possible.

Call me lazy – I don’t care, but I think I’ve figured out the best way to travel with a family in tow.

The staycation.