Surviving 2 Under 6 While Flying Alone

We are going on our 7th snow day and I am finally feeling almost normal sick wise so I finally unpacked the last of our stuff from our trip to Disneyland.
I flew with my two boys (ages 5 and 2) alone and I prepared and researched activities, apps, and snacks for months prior to our flight. I OVER-PACKED AND OVER PLANNED! I had so much packed that my bag would not zip closed! 

I had:

•  2 coloring books
• 2 packs of crayons
• felt street Busy Bag with toy cars
• the pill box pom pom color game
• a Melissa & Doug Water Wow
• Travel pack Color Wonder
• a kid's tablet
• an old phone with baby games
• my Surface Pro
• headphones for us all
• a headphone splitter
• blankets for both kids (I wore a blanket scarf)
• packed breakfast boxes
• 2 kids' thermoses (I purchased a bottle of water, a bottle of apple juice to split, and a highly caffeinated soda for me once we got through security)
• a bag of suckers for the take off and landing
• extra snacks
• extra clothes (pants, socks, shirt for youngest and shirt for oldest)
• 3 times the amount of diapers and wipes I normally have (8 diapers and a full thing of wipes)
• both disinfecting wipes and travel spray
• travel flush-able wipes for my oldest
• 2 extra pacifiers (his Wuby pacifier with animal attached and extra pacifier)
• my wallet 
• my keys
• my IPod (which I forgot to charge) 
• pill box with medicine for us all
• an external battery pack with three charging cables
• the homemade bib my friend made me (since my youngest won't use the disposable bibs, he just stares them off)
• a wet bag in case I needed to change them
• my zipper pouch that had odds & ends (lotion, chapstick, tide pen, pouch food straw attachment, toy teethers, extra pacifier clip, band aids, diaper rash cream, sunblock stick) 
• and of course my stroller! 

Holy crap! No wonder the bag didn't zip shut! Even with my oldest carrying his own backpack and my youngest little backpack being clipped to the stroller... I still carried a diaper bag and a computer bag plus blankets. We did have about an hour layover both going and coming home but but the time we deplaned, found the bathroom to go potty and change the diaper, then find a store to get some snacks, and a Dr. Pepper for mommy and found our next gate we had maybe 20 minutes before they called us to board the plane so not very long. 

Everybody's kids are different. Some kids need a bunch of activities to keep them entertained and don't like to eat or snack all the time. I quickly found out I did not need half of the stuff I had brought with me:The toy cars were fine but I didn't need the street because there wasn't enough room to build it. The pom pom game got thrown on the ground under the seat in the airplane so that didn't work. My oldest liked his Color Wonder little pack better than the bigger coloring book with the small colored crayons because they easily got lost and the Color Wonder markers were easier for him to find and put away. My youngest didn't like either coloring option because he just threw the markers and colored crayons on the floor and tried to color on the seat. However he did really enjoy the Melissa & Doug Water Wow coloring system. 

It's cardboard with a little non drip water pain that you color on to reveal things in the picture. It's about 3 or 4 pages long, nice size pages that once you've colored them all you wait for them to dry and then you do it again! It kept him entertained the longest.

The suckers, although they were hit, caused both of my kids to become very very hyper and that's just not something you want when you want them to sit still and be quiet on a plane full of people! So for my kids coming home instead of the suckers on takeoff and landing, I gave them some medicine (Kid's Tylenol and Kid's Dramamine, not at the same time! Kid's Dramamine on take off so they would go to sleep and Kid's Tylenol, 1/2 their normal dose, little bit before landing). The pill box also had: Aleve, Sudafed, Pepto Bismol, Anti-poop medicine, Dramamine, Kid's Tylenol tablets and Kid's Pepto Bismol. 

On our layover they ate the breakfast boxes I made them which had: mini muffins, pop tarts, dried apples, yogurt melts for my youngest, cereal and breakfast cookies. They could eat whatever they wanted because they both had the same things (expect the yogurt melts) and it was a huge success making nose the only issue I had is I packed them vertically so a little spilled but not much. 

The tablets were obviously a huge hit! I got a bunch of their favorite games and about four of their favorite movies downloaded to work in airplane mode. I also purchased $5 headphones per each kid. The problem was my youngest didn't like having his headphones on and my oldest headphones broke halfway during the trip so that meant no movies and Note tablet because neither one of them could use my earbuds. I wish we would have gotten these before the trip but for Christmas we got them headband headphones, it's exactly what it sounds like it's a soft headband that goes around their heads and it has built-in speakers that go over their ears. They're about 20 bucks each depending on where you buy them from, and they're perfect we should have purchased them before the trip because both my boys have fallen asleep in the car wearing them and my youngest no longer has an issue wearing them and they don't fall off at all. So if you have kids with tablets I highly highly recommend you purchase some headband headphones especially for your kids that are younger! They are a lifesaver and my youngest's currently stay in our diaper bag so that when he wants to use my phone at the grocery store I don't have to hear it anymore. Plus the headbands fold-up and the ones we got are washable, the speakers come out and we can wash the headband.

On Left: The new headband headphones we love! Plus they have a volume restriction so the kids can't turn up their tablets too loud. The old phone for my youngest and their shared tablet (although it's really more used by my oldest) and the headphone splitter under it and the cheap, always falling off kids' headphones on the right.

I limited the amount of fluids both my boys drank before getting on the airplane and since I gave them medicine on take off, they slept the majority of the flight. My oldest did not need to use the bathroom on the plane and he was very good at holding it till we got to the airport and found one. I could've pack only 3 or 4 diapers and would have been fine with a travel-size pack of wipes for my youngest instead of the 10 I packed and a full thing of wipes. It would have saved me a lot of room in my diaper bag! And although it's always nice to have extra clothes in your diaper bag, both my boys are older -they're not babies anymore so I probably could have left my extra clothes in my suitcase and not packed in the diaper bag. And I also didn't need my an extra clothes for both my boys packed into a Ziploc bag and my wet bag both in my diaper bag. I should have simplified my odds and ends pouch - I didn't need a sunblock stick in my diaper bag for the airplane. I didn't need 3 charging cables for the external battery pack, and I really should have charged my iPod the night before!

So the next time I fly with my kids I will make sure that I have a simplified packed diaper bag with:

•  3-4 diapers (Hopefully next time I will not need diapers at all)
• travel wipes
• still both travel-size disinfecting wipes and travel spray
• a zipper pouch (band-aids, food pouch attachment, chap-stick, diaper cream, travel lotion, 1 pacifier with extra clip)
• travel flush-able wipes
• the pill box with medicine for us all

Activities for my boys (in each of their backpacks):

• a charged tablet with a couple of their favorite movies
• headband headphones
• their favorite blankets
• Color Wonder travel set for my oldest and the Water Wow for my youngest
• 1 toy car each
• snacks

I added carabiner clips to both their backpacks so when I had to hold them, I could easily hook them to the stroller 

My tip for you Moms is - don't overthink it. You know your kids, and most likely you'll be the one carrying everything. You don't need to take everything in the kitchen sink just take what you think will entertain your kids the best and keep them well-behaved on the airplane.

 Happy Mommy-ing!

Diaper Bags for 2 Under 6

My kids are growing up so fast, it's not something I can stop. But as they can older, there is less and less that I need to have with me at all times. We are going to California in about a week and a half and I decided to go through my diaper bags to see what I need to bring along with us. In going through my diaper bags, yes I have three, I discovered that there are a lot of items that I had packed that I don't really need anymore because my oldest is in school now so it's really just me and my youngest most of the time and my youngest is not a baby anymore.

My Fully Loaded Bag:

This is my JJ Cole messager bag in Leaf Print with matching pacifier pod.

In the front pockets I have my oldest's flush-able wipes.

Sunscreen in stick form because it goes on better than the lotion kind and tissues.

Cardboard book, Monkey Mat, Mamga-Doodle and toy tethers

The blue toothbrush holder has bendy straws and the other container has eating out supplies.

Inside there are tons of pockets that I love! Everything fits perfectly!

I have sipper pouches with first aid needs.

Another zipper pouch with medication.

The back pocket holds my stroller straps that came with the bag and an owl that I loop around a cart for my oldest to have a place to hold on to and stay close.

Here's everything from my bag laid out!

 Top Row: Pacifier wipes, Boogies Wipes, Wipes, small Apple Juice, a clean onesie, a burp rag, a swaddle blanket.

Second Row: Arm and Hammer diaper bags, Clorox wipes, Marshall snack box, Lysol travel spray, toothbrush holder with bendy straws, eating out container, Manga-Doodle.

Third Row: Skip Hop Walk-Along Stroller Handle, diapers, Ipsy bag with medication, Monkey Mat, toy tethers, tissues.

Last Row: Wuby pacifier animal, zipper bag with first aid supplies, cardboard book, sunscreen stick and Flush-able wipes.

 That's a ton of crap! Here's a closer look at what I carry in the zipper pouches and containers:

First Aid Pouch: Pad, Diaper Rash Cream, Band-aids, thermometer, baby lotion, Neo To Go Spray, chap stick and teething gel

Medication Pouch: Gas Drops, Pain Reliever tablet, Pepto Bismol tablets, liquid Pain Reliever and dropper

Snack Box: I love this box! May gifted it one birthday and it's awesome! It's hard so snacks won't turn to crumbs. I keep a pouched baby food, crackers of some type, fruit snacks and cookies.

Eating Out Container: This was a Pin I saw to use a Crystal Light plastic container to hold things. At the bottom is a folded up napkin to keep the bottom clean. May found these toppers for the baby food pouches that screw on so it's easier for my youngest to drink them, toddler spoon and fork, water bottle attachments to make it easier for my kids to drink from and not spill, a fold up spoon that came with my husband's tuna pouches, disposable bib and regular bib. 

That was my normal, use everyday bag. I have a smaller bag that is easier to just grab and go:

I got this from my Aunt when we announced our pregnancy for our oldest! I love this little bag.

It holds just enough!

This is everything from my little bag laid out: Sunglasses for both boys, Ipsy bag, Swaddle blanket, wipes, tissues, toy cars, disposable fork & spoon set, toy tether, diapers, and Flush able wipes

Ipsy Bag: disposable place mat, disposable bib, fold-able spoon, extra pacifier, lollipops, boogie wipes, rash cream, medication for both me (pink case has allergy medicine, pepto bismol and Aleve) and the kids, baby lotion, band aids and a pad.

And finally, I have a back pack that is a cross between a diaper bag and my purse. I use it when we go to the zoo or hiking or whenever I don't feel like carrying 2 bags: 

This is my Thirty One Sling Back Bag and I love it! It looks small but it holds everything I need! On the sides are two mesh pockets that I put sippy cups in.

Inside there is a ton on room! 

The front pockets are perfect for the small stuff. 

Normally I have in this bag: an extra set of clothes for my youngest, diapers, stick sunscreen, tissues, pacifier wipes, hand sanitizer, chap stick, lotion, wipes, Flush able wipes, and my Ipsy pouch. I normally only need to add my keys and my wallet in order to take this bag.

Inside the Ipsy pouch: a pad, disposable bib, boogie wipes, pill case with pepto bismol & allergy medicine, a lollipop, Aleve, diaper rash cream, band aids, antibacterial ointment and kids' pain reliever tablets.

Those are my diaper bags! Next week I'll be posting my carry ons for our trip and in a few weeks, I'll post how I pack my Toddler diaper bag. 

Happy Mommy-ing! 

DIY Toddler Family Photo Album

We are going home a little over 30 days. I am going to be flying, by myself, with a 5 year old and a 2 year old... boy am I crazy! So in preparation for my journey home on at 6 hour plus, by myself with two young kids, I have been doing multiple posts on what I'm taking in my carry on (post coming later), and my "Busy Bag" items that I am doing for my kids. This idea came to me when I saw a Pin where a lady took a photo album and had alphabet letters like roads for her kids to trace with cars (link here). There's also tons of ideas on Pinterest making family photo albums that are kid-friendly [again link here].
Both of my sons have those Sassy books of "Who Loves Baby?". It's squishy, and you can put photos in but it only holds 7 pictures.

My mom made me a photo album of me with my grandparents and uncles when I was about five or six and I still have it to this day. I love it so I decided to make a version of it for my kids for on the airplane.
I found pictures on Facebook, Instagram and my phone of all are different family members from both sides of the family and even some pets, used my photo editor on my phone to put labels on it to say who the person was in the picture:

Uploaded them to Sam's Club to have a printed (cheapest thing $0.17 a picture):

I found a photo album for a dollar:

Filled it:

Added Scrapbook Paper to the front cover: 

Done! Plain and simple!
Now I can quiz my kids on who everybody is, especially our two-year-old. He kind of knows everybody but it takes him a little bit to get comfortable with everybody. He seemed to love it! And he learned a few new faces 😁

Restaurant Kit Simplified

So I am an over packer 😶 I am that mom that has something for any situation that might arise when it comes to my kids. Not necessarily a bad thing per say, however in my experience with my kids it doesn't pay to over pack. When I have too many options for them, they tend to misbehave more or go through the items more quickly in order to do every single activity I have packed for them. Too many options confuse them.

Here is my old restaurant kit (link to full post here)

This kit was great! It held everything and anything my kids would want in order to keep them happy while we were dining out. I will keep this kit in my car but I wanted a smaller, simpler version for when it is just me with my youngest. Something compact that I could grab and go with a few diapers in my purse. A bag of some sort with snacks and distractions to get through a lunch with a friend.
Pinterest has tons of ideas but the one idea that I fell in love with was making a kit using a make up bag! Those bags in the Pins looked like this:

However this type of bag retails for 25$ or more! For a bag I was just using once in a while, I couldn't bring myself to spend that much of it. Luckily I stumbled upon this bag:

On clearance for only 10$! Score! That was too good to pass up so I got it! I was disappointed in the fact that it doesn't have a middle section like the ones in the Pins did. I was even trying to figure out how to attach one to it...before I started filling it! I didn't think it would hold what I needed because I'm so used to over packing. But I was wrong! This little bag holds the perfect amount of items! Everything fits perfectly with room to spare! 

On the Left: I decided to store eating items and snacks. Things like cut down bendy straws, kid sized utensils, a throw away bib (not that my youngest wears them, he pulls them off) and a throw away table topper.

 Next to the eating items I packed this thing full of tons of snacks to keep my youngest happy. His favorites are Gerber Grabbers and Organics Happy Tot pureed pouches. If I allowed him, he would eat 10 a day! I limit them to one or two a day depending on what we are doing. Both my boys love applesauce pouches as well. Other favorites are fruit snacks, cereal bars and Goldfish crackers. Recently I purchased Simply Balanced fruit leather bars from my local Target, hoping they would be like the Fruit Rolls they had in the produce section from my childhood. Although tasty, they sadly were not like the Fruit Rolls I remember; this brand was more sticky and not as dry and textured as the Fruit Rolls. Still good and something my youngest and myself like (hey we moms need snacks every once in a while, see the Fiber One Bar, when the food is taking too long to come or it's been awhile since you last ate while you are out running errands, it happens and nice to be prepared!) 

Now these are all non perishable items that I can pack up and leave in there until I need them which is a mom's best friend in my opinion...I like having things packed and ready to go instead of running around last minute packing things and forgetting half of what I needed. I have 3 diaper bags packed at all times for various outings but that's another post coming soon 😉 so back to the kit:

 On the Right: I have a Fun On The Go Finding Dory coloring kit (stickers, coloring pages & tiny markers), a Zootopia mini coloring book from a Play Pack, scented Crayola twist-able colored crayons, a Hot-wheel, Giant deck of cards in Finding Dory and a Finding Dory cardboard book (Gee can anyone guess as to my youngest favorite character right now?!). 

Very simple and non confusing for my youngest. As a back up for in the event he wants nothing to do with anything in this kit, I have apps on my phone to entertain him. I also always have my portable highchair/cart safety strap/walking harness in the car because it's amazing and a must-have when I go out to eat with my youngest (since he throws the biggest fit when we put him in a highchair and will not stay seated in a normal chair, which leaves me holding him. No thank you!).

We went out for my youngest birthday and that was the first I used this new kit and it was a mild success 😕 I don't know if it was because my youngest is not feeling well, he was upset by the fact that I put him in a booster seat that was very similar to a high chair or if he just didn't like the kit. He played for a little bit but once the food came (I ordered his as soon as we were seated so it came out sooner) he went nuts! He wanted to color and eat at the same time, he was eating pancakes with syrup so his hands were very sticky and I didn't want the crayons getting super sticky too.

Things I will doing differently the next time I use this kit (that very well may be when we fly to California) I will be adding: Suckers with plastic sticks and more fruit snacks. He ate all three fruit snacks and I believe if I had packed a sucker, he would have sat there and not cried or tried to get down. It's the little things that count!

Every mom should have her own version of a kit that they can use to hold snacks and entertainment items for a stress-free, well maybe less stressful, outing with their toddlers...This kit is a "Busy Bag" in itself and as such is ideal for restaurants, doctor's offices, dentist offices, eye doctor's, DMV, income tax appointments, Heck anywhere you need to keep your little monster in one place and happy.

HAPPY MOMMY-ING!