Rubbishriot Product'ns: First Flight with a Toddler, Visiting San Francisco

The contents of this particular blog post is a couple of useful insights on traveling with a toddler, and the joys of San Francisco.
This past week, I went to San Francisco for a family event. Since this was to be our first flight together, I did some research and found out I had 2 options. Purchase a seat for my son, or have him on my lap (option available until he is 2 years old). I opted for the latter (lapseat) and purchased a ticket for someone (his dad ;)) to accompany me and help babysit my son throughout the whole journey instead. Travelling by myself would have been nightmarish.
In terms of packing, toys always take a bite out of my luggage space. So I called my sister ahead and asked for a couple of *used* (and washed) toys to greet us during our visit. I packed very lightly because I wanted to save room in our luggage for purchases, since I always like to purchase new wardrobe item/s during vacations.
In retrospect, I recommend checking in all carryon except the basic essentials (2 diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, snacks and minitoys) and bringing an umbrella stroller.
I also prepared my Ipad ahead of time for applications to play with during a long flight. I recommend I write words. My son learned the letter "C" and "Cat" during the flight.
I was tempted to put my son to sleep during the flight but followed the warning on Benadryl's box. So I took the non-pharmacologic route and purchased a vial of Motion Eaze--good stuff. This aromatic vial was so relaxing and useful. It even worked on the trip back when my son had stuffy nose. Additionally, it's like gum--easy to offer to a fellow passenger. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a friendly seatmate.
I also had a couple of goodie bags--a bag full of never-before-seen small toys, and a bag of favorite snack treats.
All these preparation helped minimize the stress of travel. Thus, I can enjoy sharing photos of our wonderful journey :)