Mom's travel tips 101::

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Thursday is coming quick!!!

We leave for Florida on Thursday!!!!! You know that used to evoke a bit of a panic in my innards.....your know quivering, nervousness, anxiety. Either I am totally insane or we've gotten used to making the Florida trip. I hope it's the later. Even though it's only once a year, I think we've gotten the hang of it. Here are a few tips we use:

• Don't leave home without a portable DVD player and a new Never watched before video, as well as your child's favorites. This time I bought "UP". I've read good reviews about it, hope it's good!
• Especially these days pack your child's favorite snacks (and don't forget to deprive them of those the week before so they REALLY like them when they see them again! No I am not kidding about that!
• I always run out and get the kids a few new things they've never seen before...this time it was a new set of bendaroos, paperoni, an etch n sketch for Jonah and a little handheld educational game thingie for Ellie. Don't spend a lot of money, but a few new things really help!
• Hands on activities are a must! If you can manage it, a few coloring/cutting/glueing activities could take a few hours for my kids. This time we are studying the Pilgrims and their voyage to the New World, the First Thanksgiving......cornucopia craft time here we come! Also got a little playdough that came with a little hand held squeeze thing (very small and $2!!!) Of couse the classic coloring book and crayons are great, they even have these little magic pen books at Wal-Mart that the kids both love as well!
  
• New books (this time I found some that Jonah can begin to read himself) as well as a chapter book or two.....those are long for a reason! I'd rather read a long book than the same one over and over again for 7 hours! I think we are going to pack the Secret Garden this time...or another Boxccar Children (they really love those)!

The best part this time is the kids are big enough to carry their own backpacks! I am pretty excited about that! We usually have to carry everyone's stuff but this time they are thrilled to have their own bags! I am going to pack them up Wed night and hide things all throughout the pockets so it's a surprise when they find things! Our first flight leaves at 11pm so we're hoping they sleep the first flight and then we've only got 4 hours to entertain!

I also made these little tray table covers. I had this idea last year and when I googled them and found someone had already thought of them it was kind of a bummer...but hey, I still made them for us. I used whatever scrap material I had around and only paid $2.50 for the vinyl.......and here we are:

There are 5 pockets total, Two on one side have velcro to keep things in like pens and crayons, the three on the other side are open for sippy cups, juice boxes, snack bags etc....

The top is has a vinyl layer that is open so you can slide paper underneath and write with EXPO markers, or eat on the vinyl surface and wipe it off!

I added velcro to the underneath in case you have a different sized tray table you can adjust the cover!
Just pretend the box is a tray table!


It's hard to see the vinyl but....it's there!



All ready to load and go!

They really didn't take me too long to design and put together. Now off to that long long list of items to accomplish before we set sail....I mean take off!