That time of year has greeted us in the blink of eye yet again, and as my mother would say, “Darling, it approaches quicker every year”. I must say that I agree with her wholeheartedly.

As I type this, the big day is only 2 weeks away and I have not commenced any of my Christmas shopping.  Delaying my shopping was a practice I enjoyed immensely when living in The Netherlands a couple of years ago.

The Northern Hemisphere is about to officially enter winter and I have nothing but fond memories of ‘late night’ shopping for gifts in open-air malls with snow gently feathering my face. Occasions when I could barely contain my excitement and I would be caught smiling like a Cheshire cat by the locals.

My children were babies when we lived as expats, however this is the one time of year their memories remain vivid. Walking home from Aldi with our plastic sled overflowing with groceries snuggly dressed as ‘Michelin Men’ or creating odd looking snow-persons or scraping ice from the windscreen and our fave – the home being a constant 24 degrees all year round.

If you are venturing out during the Christmas break the cold climate clothing requirements will mostly be nil (we did have a foot of snow up here in Guyra, NSW only six weeks ago). Here are a few short haul flying with baby tips to help you on your travels:

• Ensure baby feeds (bottle or breast) during take off and landing to alleviate inner ear pressure – a dummy may help if using one.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate – flying can dry you right out, so ask the Flight Attendant for a bottle of water (or a couple of glasses as they may get busy and not be able to return for a refill)
• If baby is old enough to be seated in an upright position consider using a Safety 1^st Quicksmart Stroller – I found these invaluable when zipping around airports as they can go on as hand luggage and be easily stowed in the over head lockers
• If a stroller is out of the question and hands-free operation is required – you cannot go past the baby slings, make sure it’s one you find comfortable wearing.

So, whether you are traveling around the country or across the globe, I wish you a safe, fun filled break and an adventurous 2013.