Cottaging with Baby
Cottaging is synonymous with Summer in Ontario. Being a relative newcomer to Muskoka through marriage, I've come to accept that Fridays and Sundays will be spent on the 400 and have learned to love the reliance on Weber's burgers and Tim Hortons iced coffee to get us through. The glittering lake, fresh air and endless grilled meats makes the sometimes mad-dash out of the city worth it.
Pre-baby, Matt and I had our evacuation plan down to a science. This was greatly aided by the fact that we are chronic under-packers, and leave as much as possible at the cottage. Things get exponentially more complex when you add a small person to the mix. They need special sleeping quarters (and schedules! And clothing! And cuddly things! And blankets! Yeesh!). They need responsible outdoor gear. They need entertaining beyond beer/frisbees/gossip mags. Shit, it looks like I'll have to start actually packing in advance.
Being a summer babe, Finch has been cottaging since the ripe old age of 9 days. It was a bit easier when all she required were boobs and a clean diaper...this year it's a bit more involved. It would be so easy to throw up my hands and say, "Nope, we're staying home!' but then how would she ever learn about the importance of bathing naked in the lake? Or eating chips with soggy fingers? Or forgetting all her underpants and wearing a bathing suit bottom all weekend...wait...that's just me.
In my experience, these are the necessities for cottaging with Bebe!
1. We decided on the Mesa, and the entire UppaBaby Vista system, before Fin was born. The self- levelling base, and cool touch fabric, make this a safe and comfy ride for those long stretches up the 400. If you're expecting, order this carseat NOW. Its Sold Out everywhere! I know this personally, having spent hours trying to track down a replacement after a WestJet mishap.
2. Because we are on the go so often, we like to have a consistent sleep environment for Finley. This works super well 90% of the time. The 10% of the time it doesn't work, everyone wants to kill each other and she is happy as a lark. Go figure. We have this sound machine at home, not to put her to sleep, but to camouflage all outside noise (cars, dogs, doors, kitchen dance parties). This means we can keep on keeping on, without worrying about waking her up.
3. Don't be dumb. Boat safety is no joke. Put your kid in a life jacket, no matter how well you think you can drive a boat. This baby life jacket from MEC is great and grows with baby until they are ready for a big kid life jacket.
4. Even though we grew up getting sunburns after a day at the beach, we all know better now. There is a fine line between cute tan and disfiguring skin cancer. Keep your little one covered as much as possible, and use this gentle, mineral based sun-screen everywhere else. Bonus points if you actually apply it to yourself a few times too.
5. Matt typically indulges my hippie tendencies, but cloth diapers were his breaking point. I did however convince him to use these cute reusable swim diapers now that Fin is a bit older and more predictable. Also, the less garbage we have to schlep to the dump on a Sunday evening is always a bonus.
6. I finally caved and bought a video monitor when Finley was about 7 months old. I held off because I didn't want to be a crazy mom watching her kid sleep...brb, I think I hear her moving around in there. But seriously, a video monitor is super liberating if you want to join the other adults for dock drinks after bebe is asleep. Go ahead, look at that cutie, I know you miss her when she's sleeping.
7. Having a baby in tow shouldn't exclude you from getting your (safe) tan on. Just pop up this beach shelter, toss in a few toys, a sippy cup of water and the occasional Mum Mum and you're golden, literally.
8. Burying our parents in sand, building castles, and digging obnoxious/dangerously large holes is part of childhood. Start your little off right with their own tools!
What are your tried and true must haves for cottaging with bebe?
