Being prepared for these moments can help to prevent or at least delay the impending meltdown. Here are 5 sanity saving items that you may want to pack in your purse, suitcase, or diaper bag. I am skipping over all the stuff we mom's already make use of and giving you a few lesser known items.
What do you do when one of those dreaded moments arrives on a family trip? You know what moment I am talking about. The Pre melt down moment that takes many forms. The line at the theme park is moving at a snails pace, their is no sign of the waitress in the busy restaurant, or you find yourself in stand still traffic when you still have 4 hours of travel time to go. Being prepared for these moments can help to prevent or at least delay the impending meltdown. Here are 5 sanity saving items that you may want to pack in your purse, suitcase, or diaper bag. I am skipping over all the stuff we mom's already make use of and giving you a few lesser known items. Bubbles are the perfect sanity savor for toddlers to pre teens. I like to pack the tiny bottles because they are space saving and it they spill the mess is minimal. Bubbles were the number one sanity savor for all the waiting we did on our Disney World Trip. I keep some in my glove box to help ease travel delays. At first glance these may not seem like a sanity savor but when you add the right items this classroom item becomes a travel must. The first thing I love about these is that they are see through. The second is that you can use a carbriner key chain clip to secure these to your stroller or bag. The third and most important things is that these are great for keeping all ages busy. For toddlers, fill it with safe snacks, bubbles, & age appropriate toys. For your school ages kids, toss in crayons, stickers, tiny toys and notebooks. Having a few of these pre made travel bags on hand can certainly save the day. An added bonus is that reusable items can be tucked back in the zippered bag for another trip and empty bags can be used for packing souvenirs for the trip home. This is space saving play anywhere story game that simply consists of dice with images. You simply roll the dice and take turns creating a story. Great family game for all ages that will get everyone involved and help pass the time. You could also create your own DIY version of this game if you want to save a little cash. Every trip needs a notebook! My kids have come to expect this. From the tiny spiral flip top notepads to cute embellished journals you kids will love having a place to scribble, draw or play tic-tac-toe. I like to attach a tiny gel pen with a string to the spiral type note books and include a sheet of stickers. You will love the moments of quiet this simple item provides. Headphones. Ear Buds. They are a must have sanity savor. So much so that I always pack a pair for everyone on longer travels. They are perfect for those moments when you just can't listen to another round of cartoons, kids fighting or to shield the rest of the family from the whiney toddler who just wont give it up and go to sleep. Yes, headphone are for the moms, dads, sullen teens, and cartoon loving kids. Of course, they only work when attached to some sort of media/electronic device but this mom is okay with that if it helps to save the day!
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We just got back from our Spring Break weekend trip. We had a lot a fun, a couple of meltdowns, and learned a little more about what works for us, and what doesn't. I am going to share a little about our favourite attraction from this trip - Medieval Times. I have been twice, without the kids, so I knew what to expect and I choose this because I felt it would be something all three of my travel companions would love. When you have a diverse age group, it is not always easy to find something that EVERYONE will enjoy. This one hit the mark. It was "grown up" enough for the 12 year old, involved weapons which was a hit for my 7 year old, horses for my pony loving 2 year old and food, which all of us get excited about. So first things first, we arrived. Way to early. The show started at 2:30, but the doors opened at 12:45. We ended up arriving at 12:00 and spent some time sitting in the van. We were NOT the only ones there that early. So, you would think that because we arrived so early we would have been one of the first people in line right? Nope. Because, just when were were about to get out and get in line, someone had to go to the bathroom. This meant we had to find a gas station. My GPS pointed me toward one, but as soon as we pulled out of the parking lot, we noticed one next door. We drove over, but we should have walked because... we ended up spending 15 minutes driving back to the parking lot. Someone may have missed the exit, twice. Lesson Learned #1: Don't depend solely on phone apps to find the nearest gas station. Open your eyes and look around first. We waited in line. The oldest complained, the tot wanted to swim in the mote and the 7 year old decided to hug me the entire time. Once inside, we had our photos taken with our paper crowns on, we shopped in the lobby area, checked out the horses in the stalls, and then sat down and watched kids sword fight (wooden swords $10) one of the employees. The 7 year old took two turns sword fighting, and the guy was nice enough to let him borrow a sword (saving us $10!). It was fun to watch, and I was glad we arrived early enough to do that. Although, if we go again, we will arrive no more than 45 minutes before show time! |
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