Travel with a Toddler

Last week, my sister, daughter & I hopped a plane to visit my parents for a couple days.  My parents often head west in November, but since they weren't able to do so this year, I decided to go to them.  We flew in Sunday to celebrate my mom's birthday, then headed back to Arizona on Tuesday.

It was a very quick trip, but we all had a great time and Lydia (2 1/2) enjoyed herself completely. She was an angel on the trip, but I thought I'd share a few tips that made our trip with a toddler easier (and a couple things I should have done!)

• Pack light, but bring extra outfits.  I packed one extra outfit, which we needed before we got off the plane on Sunday (she spilled ginger ale all over herself!)  I should have packed 2 extra outfits, but thankfully we finished the trip without needing another extra outfit.
• Pack snacks.  I always always always do this . . . but I didn't this time.  I'm not sure why, but I left without my usual stash of snacks in my purse and figured I would buy the snack boxes. On our flight out, by the time the flight attendants reached row 12, they were out of food to purchase.  US Airways doesn't even give out pretzels with their drinks, but at least we did get a drink.  We were all pretty hungry by the time we reached Grandma's house, but she had plenty of food to fill us up.
• Bring an empty, re-usable water bottle.  Security doesn't allow you to bring liquids through, so I carry a re-usable bottle.  Vendors charge $2-4 for a single bottle of water, so this way I can fill up the bottle and use powdered drink packets to flavor it.  
  
• Take advantage of opportunities.  At some airports, travelers with small children are able to go through a shorter security line.  The Milwaukee airport had a children's play area, which Lydia enjoyed playing in while we waited for our flight home.  Some airlines allow you to pre-board if you have small children. Pre-boarding allows you a little more room to get settled, and there's room in the overhead bins for your carry-ons to be above your seat. 
  
• Bring an iPhone or iPod or other entertaining device. My iPhone is loaded with toddler games (99% of which were free) and my sister had an entire season of Animaniacs on her iPod. I brought a pair of headphones that fit Lydia and she spent a good portion of the trip playing games or watching videos.
• Fill a row (if possible.) The three of us filled one row, which made travel easier as Lydia sat between us and had the freedom to move a bit more than if a stranger were next to us. If you are traveling by yourself with a toddler, I suggest sitting your toddler next to a window so they can look out the window during the flight.
• Plan for frequent bathroom breaks.  Even though the bathrooms on planes are ridiculously small, walking the aisle and having a break from the seat is worth squeezing into the small room. For a recently toilet-trained toddler, it's also absolutely necessary! I think we averaged about one trip an hour during our 4 hour flight. 
• Enjoy yourself!  I realized that traveling with one child is much simpler than traveling with 2 or 3, but no matter how many children you may travel with do your best to leave stress behind and enjoy the experience. 

Lydia had a great time, but isn't ready to hop on another plane just yet.  On Wednesday, we headed to the airport to pick up family that is visiting, and she yelled "I don't want to get on an airplane!!!!" as we pulled up to the airport.  I'm sure she'll be ready the next time an opportunity comes up!

Review: Ultimate Cloth

On Monday, I talked about our efforts to decrease the amount of paper towels we use.  A couple weeks ago, I received an Ultimate Cloth to try out and review from Ultimate Cloth America.

This cloth is great!  It is sturdy and thick, and cleans up messes like a dream! I simply wet it, wring it out tightly, then use it to wipe down my stainless steel (no streaks!), the mirrors (no streaks!) and big messes on the counter top!  I was amazed at how sturdy it was, and how well it cleaned.

A week ago, Bo thought Lydia was with me, and I thought she was with him. I heard Bo yell out, and went into my bedroom to find her perched on our bathroom sink COVERED in toothpaste.  Not only was she covered in toothpaste, but she had liberally painted the sink, counter top and mirror with toothpaste.  Bo whisked her into the tub to clean her up, and I started scrubbing at the toothpaste.  I was constantly washing out the rag, and scrubbing hard to get the toothpaste up when I remembered the Ultimate Cloth.

I wet the cloth, rang it out, then started to scrub.  The toothpaste came up with one swipe! I did rinse it out once or twice, but it quickly cleaned the mess -- including the mirror -- with nothing more than water.  My mirror was not streaked at all!

When I first tried it on my stainless steel refrigerator, it left streaks.  I read a tip on the website that the cloth has to be well-wrung before use, and when I made sure to squeeze out the extra water I stopped having the streaking problem.

The Ultimate Cloth is the first cloth to receive a patent in over 25 years!  It helps clean without harsh chemicals and without the waste of paper towels. 

The cloths are only $6 each, but would you like a free ultimate cloth of your own?  If you follow them on Twitter or Facebook, you'll have the opportunity to get one of your very own!  They'll release the details through those two sites. I think you'll be as pleased as I am.

Disclosure: I received a free cloth in exchange for my honest review.  This tour was arranged for Ultimate Cloth America by MamaBuzz. 

Tell Me Thursday - No Fear

My Wordless Wednesday photo was of my sweet baby girl flying down an inflatable slide.  For Colin's 9th birthday, we went to BounceU.  She had an absolute blast and was climbing and sliding and bouncing like kids three times her age!

She is a fearless child, who charges ahead and rarely looks back. She is the most independent of my three, and has a take charge attitude that will likely take her far in life. It's an inspiration to watch her fearlessly face life every day.

Did you play Wordless Wednesday?  Don't forget to tell your story at Tell Me Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday - No Fear

Money Saving Monday #33 - Reducing Paper

How expensive are paper towels in your area?  A lower-cost paper towel roll in my area costs around $1.50 a roll.  And, if I buy the lower-cost rolls, they fall apart and I have to use twice as many to complete the job, so they aren't really cheaper to use.

A couple months ago I decided to stop buying paper towels.  At Target, I saw a pack of washclothes that were $3.50 for eight. I bought two packs and put them in the kitchen drawer with my kitchen towels.  Then, I spent $1 and bought a small bucket to keep in the cupboard behind the trash can.

Instead of reaching for a paper towel, I reach for a cloth rag. When the rag is dirty, I throw it in the bucket, and then throw the bucket of rags in the washing machine every few days with another load.

I wish I could say that I completely stopped using paper towels, but we still do use them for things like bacon grease.  I have, however, significantly reduced the amount of paper towels we use!  Instead of going through 2 - 4 / month, we now go through 1 every couple months.

The next step for us is getting rid of paper napkins.  I have cloth napkins -- we just have to get in the habit of using them!

Review: Megazord

Nate was reading over my shoulder one day when I received an email asking me if I'd like to share some information about Power Ranger toys.  He was excited, and became even more excited when they offered to send me toys for the boys to review!

The first toy we opened was the Power Ranger RPM Deluxe Formula Megazord High Octane Megazord.  This toy looks like a robot, but breaks down into 3 fun cars (or Zords) for the kids to play with.  It was a big hit in our house -- not only with my boys (ages 7 & 9) but also with their friends.

Colin volunteered to record a review of the toy, so here is his vlog entry and review of Power Ranger RPM Deluxe Formula Megazord High Octane Megazord!



Disclosure: We received this toy from Bandai America in exchange for our honest review.  No additional compensation was provided.

Happy Birthday, Eldest Son!

Like every other parent, at numerous milestones, I find myself incredulous that my son turned 9 today.  WHERE did the time go? Didn't I just see him on an ultrasound?  Wasn't he just nestled in my arms while I fought the nurses to sleep with him in my hospital bed (instead of the bassinet?) Wasn't he just taking his first steps in our brand new home?

Well, if 9 years ago could be "just" then I guess it was just a moment ago.  Last weekend, we threw him a big party at BounceU, where he had a blast with his friends.   They loaded him up with Legos and other fun things, which he was very grateful for.  For his birthday from us, he asked for books and that's what he received today.  The long awaited latest Secrets Of Droon book.  The first book in another series by Erin Hunter.  Return to the Hundred Acre Wood (yes, my sweet, darling boy still loves Winnie the Pooh and has been eagerly waiting for the chance to read this one since he heard it was being published.) His aunt gave him a book that looks like fun - The Candy Shop War - and the Snuggie he's been wishing for.  And his uncle sent him more books as well as an audio book and a DS game!

We usually give gifts first thing in the morning, but I had the opportunity to teach today so gifts had to wait. After class, we all met up at the Desert Botanical Garden for the Chiles & Chocolate Festival and then we had a late lunch / early dinner at Pei Wei's.  Home for gifts (finally!) and cake.

My son is growing into a wonderful young man. He is kind, considerate, intelligent and loving.  He takes his role as a big brother very seriously and watches out for his younger siblings at all times.   He loves to read and learn new things.  His interests lately are Legos, dinosaurs (again), dragons and drawing.

I'm thrilled to be his momma, and can't wait to watch him continue to grow into an even more amazing person.

Training Conference

A few weeks ago I wrote about making excuses, and pursuing options. Today was the training conference that I was trying to decide if I should attend, and I'm glad that I realized I was making excuses.

Today, I attended the Phoenix Word Camp where a number of Word Press and blogging gurus were gathered together to share their wisdom with a crowd of people.  The conference was held at a nearby resort -- but under a very large tent rather than inside the resort.  I'm sure this helped keep the cost down, and it actually worked well to fit in the almost 500 attendees.

I met some very nice people (including one of the presenters -- John Hawkins) and listened to interesting presentations.  I found it amusing that some of the presenters completely contradicted the advice given by the others and it made me realize (again) that there is no single way to achieve anything -- including success.

Each of these presenters is very successful in what they do, and I'm sure that some of those that follow their advice closely achieve success as well.  But, there are so many possible ways to achieve the same results.  What I noticed most about all the presenters was their confidence in themselves and what they had to say. 

I picked up some good tips, and got some ideas for future articles, presentations and classes.  It was well worth the attendance fee!  I am grateful for my friend who took my 3 and her 5 kids to the zoo and wore them all out while I was off learning.

You can see my possible future blogger up there sleeping in the shirt I received today.  I don't think he'll be a 16yo protege like another of the speakers (Dave Moyer) but I know he'll rock the world in his own special way.

Review: Lakeshore Christmas

Thanks to Mother Talk, I had the opportunity to read Lakeshore Christmas (The Lakeshore Chronicles) during the last couple weeks. It is a very sweet romance set during Christmas in a small town.  Susan Wiggs has a wonderful way of writing descriptive paragraphs, so that you feel there are pictures in the book (although there are none.)  There's the requisite Christmas pageant, and cold weather, and characters who don't like each other but find themselves falling in love. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and found it sweet without being cloying.  The story kept me turning the page, and I tucked into my bag more than once so I could read while waiting in line or before a meeting.

The book is part of a series of books, but the story and characters stood on their own quite nicely.  I did like them enough to seek out the other books in the series, though, so I could get to know them more! This would make a nice gift for someone who enjoys gentle romances, maybe along with a nice mug and a canister of hot cocoa!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by MotherTalk on behalf of Lakeshore Christmas and received a copy of the book to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Tell Me Thursday - Football

You can see Colin ready to leap off the line during a recent football game. They lucked out again with an awesome coach, who is supportive yet challenging at the same time.

You often read about horrible parents and mean coaches -- but in the 5 years we've been involved in sports in this area, we've run into none of that. Baseball, Football and Soccer have all been great experiences that have allowed my boys to stretch their skills and learn more about individual sports and teamwork. Parents are encouraging and quick to cheer any good play, regardless of the team.

Local high school coaches always come out for the clinics and bring along some of their players to help the younger kids improve their skills. They have only kind words for the kids, and tell them how much they look forward to seeing them play for the high school teams in a few years.

Seeing the attitude of the high school coaches, I imagine we'll continue seeing good sportsmanship throughout the years. If you would have asked me 6 years ago if I saw myself spending 3 days/week, 8 months/year on a sports field, I would have laughed! Now? I cant wait to suit up Lydia and watch her play, too!

Did you play Wordless Wednesday? Then tell your story on Tell Me Thursday!