Mommy's travel companions.

All of our luggage and the stroller at the Singapore Airport.

There are a few things a mom needs in order to travel overseas with a one-year-old... patience, treats, and a glass of wine. While I made sure I "packed" those three things during our trip to Singapore and back to Minnesota, I also had help from a couple products that made a night and day difference in our three-month adventure to Asia.

Linna in her Britax, and a piece of our
Eagle Creek luggage at the Singapore
Airport in August 2012.

I went back and forth on what kind of stroller I should bring with us to Singapore. We were going to be there for three months, so I wanted something comfortable for Linna and I, as well as something that traveled well. I decided NOT to purchase an additional smaller and lighter (cheaper) umbrella stroller, and I am SO happy I made the decision to bring our everyday Britax Eclipse B-Ready Stroller. If I would have brought a "cheapy" little stroller to simply "get us by" in Singapore for three months, I wouldn't have been able to do any grocery shopping, as I had no car and had to walk to and from the grocery store with Linna. Our Britax stroller was literally our means of transportation in Singapore, so I'm happy I went with something reliable, strong, and easy to maneuver. Store aisles in Singapore tend to be a bit small, so yes, there were times I wished I had a smaller umbrella stroller, but I quickly changed my mind after watching all the moms hunched over, pushing their umbrella strollers around the city. Our Britax was easy to get through security at the airport, and made it back to Minnesota in "like new" condition. We used this stroller every day, so I wonder how many miles we put on it during our three months in Singapore.

AJ and his Eagle Creek Carry-On, boarding the plane to Thailand. We each
took one carry-on for our weekend trip to Phuket, so we didn't have to check
any luggage. Perfect amount of space!

I'm also so happy we decided to invest in some quality luggage. To pack all of our clothes, toiletries, etc., we got three four-wheeled upright suitcases, and three four-wheeled carry-on suitcases from Eagle Creek Luggage. Both my husband and I have gone through so many cheap suitcases and bags, and have probably spent thousands of dollars on luggage that just ends up breaking. We always end up having to throw it away. Since we're "older" now, we decided to get some good pieces of luggage, especially since we're traveling internationally. We got a different color set for each one of us (black, orange, and green). We checked all of our bags except Linna's diaper bag, her travel bag, and one carry on. I did some research online, and after reading a review by Good Housekeeping Magazine, we decided to go with Eagle Creek Luggage because of their great review. This luggage set literally had NO damage after a 19-hour flight from Minnesota to Singapore (with one transfer in Tokyo), a 1.5 hour flight from Singapore to Thailand, a cruise of the high sea in Asia, and back! It was incredibly easy to maneuver our luggage through airports, even while pushing Linna in her stroller. The carry-on size bags basically move themselves. When my parents visited us in Singapore, they brought their inexpensive luggage from Kohls. As we were walking to our condo, the wheel of my mom's luggage fell off and she basically had to drag it behind her in the 90-degree Singapore heat. If I had to do that with a baby in tow, I would send that luggage flying into the street. Eagle Creek offers free shipping on orders over $99, and that's what we took advantage of. It was so convenient having our luggage arrive on our doorstep a couple weeks before our trip. They also offer a "No Matter What" and Lifetime Warranty, so they'll replace or fix our luggage should it become damaged. Very thankful that we finally have a reliable set of luggage that will last a lifetime for our little family of three!

AJ with Linna, the Britax, and our Eagle Creek
Upright Suitcase on a Star Cruise in Singapore.
One bag for three people worked very well!