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Positievely Oakes knows the challenges of traveling with a little one.

We understand the troubles and frustrations that come with traveling with a kid in tow. From juggling your bags with a squirmy child to opening and closing a stroller on the run, getting anywhere can be a challenge. In true OXO fashion, we looked at this common pet peeve as an opportunity to make cruising around with your little one better.

It’s that glorious time of year in Seattle: the days are long and hot and it’s hard to focus on work when the beach or hiking trails beckon. My husband Sam makes a mean sun tea that’s in heavy rotation and we survive on big green salads, soba noodles, and anything that can feasibly be thrown on the grill.

Traveling with kids can be a wonderful experience, but active toddlers and moody kiddos can make it pretty stressful, too. While we love traveling, this summer we’re sticking close to home and have a few ideas for a staycation.

My husband and I are both active people, and while we’ve realized that with a toddler in tow, eating out at nice restaurants as a family is off the list for a while, there’s no reason hiking should be. We’ve taken our 19-month old son Oliver on a number of hikes this season, and I’ve got some great tips on what’s worked for us and how to plan the best, most enjoyable outing – for everyone.

While there are certainly moments when I miss the languorous uninterrupted pool time that characterizes a vacation without kids, I find family trips are so much richer and more interesting, and I love seeing new sights through my son’s eyes. That being said, there are definitely some things to keep in mind to ensure that your entire family (including you!) have a great time away. Here are a few tips that have worked for us.

During the winter months, getting to spend the whole day outdoors is often a luxury. When the weather cooperates, we love to head out and explore our neighborhood, stop by our favorite coffee shop, and fit in a visit with a few friends. Now that our little guy is a toddler, we have a bit more flexibility in terms of leaving the house – but it still takes some planning and prep. Thankfully our

At OXO we apply our “question everything” philosophy to every product we develop. When it came time to design our first line of baby strollers, we knew we wanted them to be lightweight and easy to fold, but also address pet peeves we experienced as parents and questions we had about strollers. We interviewed nearly 1,000 parents, both first-timers and old pros, met with baby store staff, and pored over hundreds of online reviews, to discover what people loved about their strollers—and what drove them nuts. Those pet peeves

Feeling cooped up is an inevitable part of the winter months. The days are short and dark, and our typical trips to the beach or neighborhood playground are often thwarted by less-than-desirable weather. So it’s easy to fall into a rut, and last year we found ourselves spending more time staring at one another indoors than we would have liked. So here are a few ways to beat the blues this season, baby in tow.

Our son just turned one and we wanted to mark the occasion with a small party, but as soon as we sat down to make a list of family and friends, things started to spin out of control. Should we hire a photographer? Should we rent out a space? After a bit of discussion, we decided to keep things simple, giving us a chance to actually talk with our friends and allowing the babies lots of time to crawl around and bat at each other. Here are a handful of ways we pulled off a mellow first birthday party with minimal stress and a doable budget.

The holiday season comes on strong in early November with the inevitable Thanksgiving plans, Christmas card writing, and holiday gift lists. Add a baby (and not as much sleep as we’d like) into the mix and you’ve got a potential recipe for a very stressed out family. So this year, my husband and I sat down to scheme up some strategies to avoid that stress and simply enjoy more time together as a family.

The holidays were big in my family and ritual and tradition were always important. So when we had our son last year, I knew I wanted to keep some of those traditions alive, but even more importantly, I wanted to create our own. Of course, time is scarce with a young baby and the holidays come and go in a blur, but there were a few things we found helpful that we’ll be sure to do again this year: