What are the most important things to remember when taking the little one out in the holiday rush?

I don't know about you, but we do the “holiday shuffle” in our house.  We spend Thanksgiving morning with my husband's family (an hour away), and then travel to my aunt's house (another hour) for the evening with my family.  It leaves a lot of driving time open, and a whole lot of stimulation for baby.

Things I found that worked best …

- take LOTS of diapers.  In all honesty, I kept a box of diapers in the back of my car at all times.  My youngest had a sensitive tummy and over stimulation seemed to make it worse … you can never have TOO many diapers!

- warmer and cooler clothing.  You take advantage of the fact that your house is typically set at a certain temperature all the time, but when traveling from one home to another, you may find that it's cooler in some homes, and warmer in others.  My inlaws keep their home too warm for my comfort, so I always make sure to pack short sleeves for the baby.  Blankets and sweaters help for the brief trips to and from the car and are great for cooler homes.

- toys for the older baby.  My family doesn't have a alot of baby friendly items in their homes, so I make sure that I bring a few favorites with me … be it for entertainment or comfort.  Pacifiers and special blankets are also very important to have on hand if the baby becomes needy of them.

- feeding is important!  of course, make sure to pack up the formula (if using) and bottles, but one thing I found is that my kids handle to overstimulation much better if they get a little alone time tucked in there.  I took feeding time as the best time to get them calmed down and relaxed.  I know it's hard when relatives want to take a turn with the feeding, but for me it has always proved much more beneficial if we BOTH got a break from the stress.

Of course, I have limited this list to day trips, but what else do you make sure to grab or do when heading out with baby??