jl childress ultimate car seat travel bag :: a travelling must have {giveaway}

Don’t even get me started on travelling horror stories.  I have lived through them all.  My Facebook status from December:

3 airline carriers, 1 peanut allergy induced vomit, 2 sets of clothes washed in ladies room, 1 missing suitcase, one 30 minute mad dash through Chicago airport, 1 jetway put back and plane door reopened puts new meaning to “over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go”!

I am a self-proclaimed ‘travelling with little children expert’, but still learning too.  Jack, who is 4 years old, has flown a dozen times. Annabelle joined our travelling adventures 2 years ago.  Twice the fun with two toddlers, right?

My #1 piece of travelling advice is to remain calm.  Your kids will sense your stress and react to it.  My #2 piece of advice is to be prepared. (Extra clothes for kids and mom, medications, power cords for phone, snacks, easy to pack toys, IPods, strollers, diaper bag, car seats, and a car seat travel bag.)

J.L. Childress is the maker of the ultimate car seat travel bag.  I have had mine for 3 years (it’s logged more than a dozen flights with us and doesn’t have any visible wear) and it pays for itself in the first flight because you can check a car seat and not pay baggage fees.  Of course you should double check with your carrier before you fly to be sure that still holds true.  Car rental places will charge you $40 or more for a car seat. Not only can you check your car seat for no charge, but this bag has enough room for a week’s worth of diapers, 2 adult winter coats, and 2 sets of children’s snow gear (including boots).  It saves me one checked bag every time we fly.  Like I said, it pays for itself!  We have saved hundreds thanks to this bag!  I might travel with a car seat when the kid are 12 to avoid baggage fees.

My husband and I love the looks we get when we are wearing the car seat travel bag.  He will joke about it being his cello case on his back.  No bomb jokes, those are bad when traveling! 🙂 It has padded straps that are positioned perfectly so you don’t feel like the car seat is pulling you over backwards.  I tried a few other bags before I found this one and couldn’t return them fast enough.  Check out the wheelie car seat travel bag.  This model has come out since we got ours.  I could see the wheels being a nice alternative to carrying the bag.

I personally like to check our ultimate car seat travel bag when we arrive at the airport. No sense in carrying a car seat around that we don’t need until we reach our destination. When I was a newbie traveler I thought I HAD to have Jack in a car seat when he had his own seat upon turning 2.  Bad info, no car seat required.  Save your energy and check it. However, the car seat travel bag was the only way I could fly alone with a stroller, diaper bag, and a car seat.  One last thing, I fit my Graco infant seat in this bag too.  Doesn’t have to be an upright car seat. my SIMPLE star rating :: 5 out of 5

J. L. Childress wants to help one lucky reader be prepared for Spring break travels by giving away your choice of a travel bag.

• Ultimate Car Seat Travel Bag – Padded with backpack straps, provides “hands-free” carrying, great when checking your car seat as luggage               
• Wheelie Car Seat Travel Bag – elevated platform and durable wheels for easy maneuvering through the airport
• Elite Car Seat Travel Bag – the ONLY car seat travel bag available with wheels AND full padding. Fits Britax Advocate and Recaro car seats.
• Gate Check Bag for Car Seats – lightweight and compact, perfect for covering car seats and infant carriers when checking at the airplane gate

Check out and LIKE their Youtube videos.  Click HERE.

ultimate car seat travel bag ::

A SIMPLE GIVEAWAY:
One SIMPLE reader will each win their choice of car seat carrier.  Here is how to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*The product in this review was provided to me for the purpose of conducting this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.*