guest post: travel, with minimal whining (and wine)

Thanks to Liz, from According to L, for letting us use your experience so that ours is a better one. 


Granted I have not yet survived my week abroad with 5 other adults and 5 children, I have a few ideas on how to stay sane (thanks to tips and tricks from other travelers).  Again, these are only goals.  I'm not too proud to admit that I may not be strong enough to follow my own advice, or flag down the flight attendant at 9 AM for my in-flight "beverage."

However you can survive - we make no judgements.

Stay calm.
Kid are unpredictable and traveling only exacerbates that.  There will be tantrums, meltdowns and screaming fits.  And that's only between you and your partner.  The kids will bring it to a whole new level.  Expect the worse, you can only be pleased with your ability to predict your child's behavior, or pleasantly surprised if things go better than the shit-fit you were expecting.

Over plan.

Put thought into it.  I know we're all busier beyond our maximum capacity, but a little planning can go a long way.  I made a color-coded Excel document for our trip.  Things we would need on the plane, in our checked luggage... it never hurts to be over-prepared.  With my luck, there will be things where I'll go "Gah!  I wanted to get/pack/bring more of" but hey, the list knocks out at least half of those exclamations!

Dress for the occasion.

Search Pinterest for "travel outfits" and you'll find there's a theme for women:  slip-on shoes, comfy jeans or leggings, long sleeve shirt layered with a tank or tee, and a cute scarf and/or sunnies.  I couldn't agree more.  Dressing cute will help with your mood, not to mention everything mentioned is 100% practical.  Slip-on shoes for the TSA checkpoint; comfy pants because duh; layers for temperature fluctuations in the air and on the ground at your destination; cute scarf to act as blanket, pick-a-boo tent, cover for snoozing child and sunnies because, again, if you feel cute, you'll feel BETTER</ u>.

The same wardrobe rule applies for the kiddies.  Crocs are wonderful because they can be worn with or without socks.  A zip-up hoodie layered with a tee- shirt and a favorite blanket is a great thing to pack in their carry-on.  Plan for cold and hot air-travel, and things that can double as a pillow or light-shade for those naps you will pray for.

I guess you could also plan to dress your husband, but lord - if he can't dress himself at this point, you're all sunk!

Bring snacks junk food.  And lots of them.

I would prefer plan fruit, granola and water all day, but that's not always the best way to win over your audience.  Hit up the boxed movie candy at Target, or the grab bags at the dollar store and stock up.  Pack a giant ziplock full of sugar and have it ready and waiting to offer at the hint of trouble.  There's no shame in offering junk in trade for quiet.  

Involve the kids in the packing.

When it comes to the carry-on, you'll have your own tricks.  But allow your kids to bring some items of their own.  If it was picked by their own hands, there's a better chance they'll enjoy them.  Plus these little critters are eager to help and be a part of things.  Give them this task, even when it's small and closely monitored.  They don't need to know that.

Stuff the carry-on with new things.

A new app, game or movie can go a long way on a trip.  If it's something they've seen 100 times, a child may quickly lose interest.  Something new and fresh has a better chance of holding their interest.  Plan for multiples - again, the trip home will also be an ordeal.

We have a Mac and the $25 for Mac DVD RipperPro will pay for itself.  I'm not stealing movies - I'm taking those that I own and putting them into a format (i.e. compatible with the iPad, iPod, our own computer so we're not bringing 15 DVDs) so that we can enjoy them elsewhere.  You can try 5 "rips" and see how you like it before you buy it, but after the 1st I was sold.  Plus, it's not a bad idea to back things up as it is.

New things can include

* window clings for window seat fun
* Dollar Store coloring books (skip the crayons, they stink to high heaven)

* washable markers

* square/flat crayons

* a new DVD, game or app (or several)

* a booklet of coloring sheets and other activities {like these}

* memory games

* magnetic tic tac toe games

Bring disposable cups.

Take-and-toss cups are great for so many reasons.  Avery is too little to drink from an open cup, and while Liv can, I would prefer to keep her as clean and dry as I possible.  These are perfect to stack, bring empty through the TSA check- point and then fill with whatever you can.  Even if they only make the trip there, you can always stash a fresh set in your checked luggage for the way home.

And a garbage bag.

A gallon ziplock bag can serve many purposes on a trip - garbage bag, barf bag, bag for messy clothes, bag for random crap you're trying to collect as the plane lands.  You can get 10 for a buck at the dollar store.  Well worth it.

Long Wait?  Layover?  Let 'em Run
Let's be honest; if it were social acceptable for adults to run, climb, cry and get the wiggles out while traveling, we would all indulge ourselves.  It may not be for us, but for our kids, let them have it.  Take a few laps through the terminal before boarding.  Allow a few extra loud shouts and wild wiggles.  Sure, it will be hard to fight back the "shhh" that creeps up inside you, but even the crabbiest of people would rather you let your kid run on the ground than in the air.  And if if you do get crabby looks - screw 'em.  You can't please everyone, and right now, your focus is your tiny brood.

Prepare for the Return Flight
ALWAY prepare for the way home.  Don't blow your entire arsenal on the 1st leg.  The trip home always promises to be worse.  This means stashing a few new books and games in your checked luggage for the trip home.  If you buy smart, abandoning a few dollar coloring books is a small price to pay to keep things fresh, fun and engaging.  And the same goes for snacks.  A box of granola bars so you don't need to spend $37 on snacks at the airport never hurts (though I do not shame anyone who indulges on vacation!)

Don't expect to relax

Perhaps the best advice I can give and one I hope to practice with the utmost grace.

You may have a new book that you're itching to dive in to.  Don't.  You're on duty, as much as that sucks to hear, but for now, you've got to get everyone to point A to point B.  The book will be there where you land.  If you go in with the expectation that all your plans will afford you 3 hours of quiet to enjoy a good read, you'll only be disappointed.  Children can sense when they're not being catered to.  It is then when the rebellion will rise.  Stay sharp, stay ahead of their plots.  You can beat them</ strike> this.

Some people travel with the greatest of ease and grace, like George Clooney's character on Up in the Air, whipping off their shoes, loading the x-ray totes and marching the terminals with the greatest of ease. 

And then there are the rest of us.  Realizing that it's just one day, a few hours, and that anything can be fixed with fruit snacks, ice cream or a glass of wine, you'll do just fine.  Take a deep breath, allow for some messes and meltdowns.  With a cute pair of slip-ons and a little prayer for in-flight naps you'll do fine.

Autumn Chopped Salad... by Hailey

I understand why this is considered an "autumn" chopped salad, but honestly, it's good any time of the year. It's so easy to throw together and perfect if you're trying to eat a little healthier (without giving up flavorful food!!). You can always switch out the pears for apples. Or pine nuts or sunflowers seeds for the pecans if you like. I also like to add some diced avocado. So good!

Autumn Chopped Salad

(Original recipe by Madison at espressoandcream.com)
(Printable Recipe)

 

(via)

 

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 medium pears, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
• 4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• Poppy seed Salad Dressing (T. Marzetti is recommended)
• Balsamic Vinaigrette (Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette is recommended)

Instructions
On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing: 70 percent poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette) If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.

Kids say!

Hey guys, long time no see!

Sarah here from Macon a Mess.  

Almost 3 year olds say some funny shit.

• On the way to school this morning. S- Mommy whats that blue truck?  Me- well that is a plumber, there is a man in there that fixes potty's and sinks. S- Eew why does he do that? Do he fix potty's and sinks and drinks and cars too? 
• S- Mom I don't want to go to school to grow my brain, I want to go to work wif you to get money for  my piggy bank.
• Me- Scarlet, wake up babe.  S(out of a dead sleep)- MY NAME IS NOT SCARLET, IT'S DIEGO! Me- my bad. S- Mommy why you bad?
• S- Mom I don't want to go teetee, my bottom is spicy.  (WTF?)
• S- Mommy I'm a girl Diego but when I grow up I am gonna be a big boy Diego and I am gonna have a big tail. (a tail you guys. a tail is what she decided her dad has when she saw him get out of the shower). Me- Well honey you are a girl, girls don't grow up to have tails (well some do), girls grow up to be women. (Thinking: holy shit, does she think she's a boy? what is going on? am I doing something wrong? should I dress her like a boy? shit shit shit).
• S- Momma your hair looks silly! Why you got worms on your head? (guess I should have flat-ironed my hair...) 

So moms, what do yours say that leaves you laughing?

(source)

3 year olds. ....by Jess

My third child turns three next month. 

She's a delayed, special needs kid. So I was thinking I was in the clear on the whole 'age three' thing. I assumed, quite wrongly, that when she got close to 3 she wouldn't turn into a complete shithead like my other kids did at age three. 

My oldest two kids are thirteen months apart. My oldest introduced me to age three, and when I survived that year I thought it was a fluke that she was such a horror. I thought 'okay, so terrible twos are for most kids, mine just happened to have them at age 3'. 

And then a month after she turned 4, and became the most amazing person ever, my son turned three. 

Then commenced another year of absolute horror. 

Because age 3? Three makes two look like rainbows and effing unicorns. Three makes the memories of infancy and sleepless nights a dream to look back upon. OH THE DAYS when my child could actually be comforted by my arms around him. When distraction worked. 

Two year olds are distractable. Yes, then have some serious tantrums, but they're DISTRACTABLE. 

A three year old? 

THREE YEAR OLDS ARE NOT EASILY DISTRACTED. 

Nope. A three year old likes to wrap that tantrum around herself and wallow in it awhile. Three year olds remember shit. They KNOW why they're screaming, and they're going to let you and everyone in a five-mile radius know it. They're no longer entranced by "ooooh, SHINY!". When a three year old is unhappy, they're committed to letting you know it. 

Really committed. 

Livie, my almost-three-year-old, is a super delayed kid. She doesn't yet walk, although she can finally climb stairs and cruise along the furniture. Although she can sign a little, and has a couple of words, because of her age she's considered nonverbal. So I really, really thought that she wasn't going to be a typical three year old. 

This morning? She laid herself on the floor and screamed at the top of her lungs for 20 straight minutes because I wouldn't let her go upstairs with the big kids. Occasionally, she'd stop and watch Blues Clues for 10 seconds, but then she'd resume wailing. She's got it down too, rolling around, flailing her body, and generally letting everyone know how miserable she is. 

It's not about lack of structure or discipline here, either, because I'm a pretty tough parent. My kids are generally really well-behaved kids. I can take them anywhere. 

Liv being delayed doesn't mean she gets special allowances for assholery. I take into account her needs, of course, but she still has limits and boundaries that I set for her. 

Those boundaries, though? Yeah. Three year olds don't give a shit about boundaries. Rules. Structure. Discipline. 

Basically, if they could write decently? Three year olds would rule the world. Because dictators everywhere would give into their concessions just to make them STOP FREAKING OUT. 

pack and play into a play tent...by Jess

(reposted from my personal site...sorry if you follow me both places)

Awhile ago I saw a pin about turning a pack and play into a toddler bed.  (edited to add: here's the original link, which I'd pinned but for some reason my pin made the link all wonky)

One day I was having a rough day with the babies, and they kept wanting to sit under the table at my feet while I worked, and I remembered the pin. I had a pack and play in the closet that we haven't touched in a year, and so I was all 'OOH TWO MINUTE CRAFT!'.

I set it up, and then cut the mesh out of one side. 

I left the other three sides intact, since Liv tends to fall over and Maddie tends to just throw herself into things. I felt like if the sides were open, I was just asking for frustration.

I put a regular-sized crib sheet on top to make a ceiling.

And then I folded a blanket to keep on top of that in case they want to play with the tent 'closed'.

I let the blanket hang down over the front, and they think it's their own little house.

It took me about five minutes to put the whole thing together, and they play in it daily. It's more sturdy than a play tent, so it doesn't fall over or get smushed. It doesn't move, really.

That may have been the best five minutes I've spent all year.

***

A couple of pointers. 

If you have the mobile, it would keep the crib sheet from hanging down. I couldn't find ours, but the babies don't care.

I put a small blanket under the mattress to hang down over the front, because they kept trying to put things under there. 

When you're cutting the mesh, you ONLY cut the white part. If you cut the sides (the brown on mine), you're going to mess with the stability and it'll start to fray.

"You Rock!" Good Behavior Jar...by Sarah

Because of the holidays and a death in the family, today is our first day doing homeschool in about 3 weeks. While we were getting ready to start, Logan said that he was actually excited and Ethan said he couldn't remember why he used to not like school. I guess a break did us all some good :)

...

And then reality hit! 

After writing those words I had to stop to break up a couple of arguments and a temper tantrum. You would probably guess that it was my 4 year-old that had the tantrum.  You would be wrong. After I asked my 9 year-old to "add just a couple more sentences" to the book report he was writing, he lost it. He went up to his room, laid in his bed, and acted like a 2 year old who dropped his ice cream cone! Complete with crying, screaming, and pounding his fists! 

After a few minuets I went up stairs and told him that his behavior was not acceptable. Crying when you're upset is one thing, but acting the way he did was not! He seemed to understand.

Then it was back down the stairs to find another child playing instead of doing math.

Three weeks is too long to be away from our routine. The kids need some re-adjustment and I need some new tricks.

                                                                  Good Behavior Jar

I saw an idea like this on Pinterest and thought I'd try it. It's a little old school but sometimes that's the best stuff!

I made it by putting some stickers that say "you rock" on a small vase and using decorative rocks to keep track of  the good behavior.

I told them that when the jar is full I will give them a surprise. I'm thinking something like a trip to Chuck E Cheese

I want it to be all positive so I won't be removing rocks for bad behavior. Rocks will be added when I catch them doing things like:

• Being kind to someone
• Being helpful
• Saying nice things to their siblings
• Doing things without being told 

etc.

When I explained the rules they asked if they could have a smaller reward if they just fill it half way...Doesn't sound like they're too optimistic :/

I'll keep you updated.

easiest way to transfer photos from your phone.....by Jess

I take a lot of pictures with my cell, as we all do. Moments that I want to grab and hold onto, and my phone is there more often than my Nikon.

Right now I have about 1200 photos on my phone, all of which I want to save on my computer, so I can back them up.  Except. Backup up phone pics? Not the easiest thing.

There's Dropbox, where you can upload your pics, and then download them, but it tends to be cumbersome and time consuming, and dropbox only gives you a certain amount of storage unless you pay for it.

I've tried uploading directly from my phone to photo sharing sites, like Picasa or Photobucket or Flickr, all of which also work well, but in order to get them on my computer I still have to complete the second step of downloading them.

The thing about photos? Each time you upload/download you lose resolution. Quality. So if I upload, then download to my comp, then save them to a CD or USB, or print them? I've lost some of the quality that isn't amazing to begin with.

So then there's the whole plugging your phone in and transferring files, which works fine, if I remember to grab the cable.

Enter Photo Transfer App.

It works a couple of ways.

1. Transfer files to your computer using bluetooth/wireless.
2. Transfer files to another user who also has the app.

Both are super easy. At this moment my phone is uploading all 1200 photos to my laptop, using bluetooth so it's not bogging down my computer.

Since it's s direct file transfer, rather than an upload/download situation, I'm not losing any photo quality. It took less than five minutes to transfer all the photos and videos, and now I can back everything up on my usb or upload them to where I want for storage.

**I wasn't compensated or sponsored in any way to write this post. I just like this app.