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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I am so excited... but stressed... WHAT was I thinking? Planning a major vacation a few days after a major holiday. Oh yeah, and buying a new car last month. That was perfect timing for my bank account... NOT! Seriously, I am stressed but trying to focus on the positive things. 1. The cruise is paid for. With the exception of gratuities, tips, and extras I do not have a lot coming out of my pocket for the cruise. Good thing... pockets looking pretty EMPTY. 2. Hotel and parking are also pre paid. The two days pre cruise in Galveston will be fun! Out of pocket expenses will be food, gas, and fun. 3. There are inexpensive options for fun in Galveston. I will be posting more on that later. 4. I will be setting sail for the sunny Caribbean in the yucky cold of winter. I am not a winter girl, so this is a huge positive for me. 5. My daughter will get to see Mickey! I doubt she will take a photo with him or get very close but she will love seeing him! 6. Christmas... having less to spend forces me to focus on the important things. Jesus, making memories, and enjoying every moment with my children. This will be the first Christmas to have two grown up children coming home. 7. My car gets amazing gas mileage compared to my gas chugging van. 8. It is a Cruise. It is Disney. It is vacation. Food. Food. and more food. See, focusing on the positives has melted the stress away. We have returned from our cruise.We are broke, exhausted sunburned and ready to do it again in January! The entire trip exceeded our expectations and I can't even begin to express how impressed I was with my children. From the 21 hour round trip drive, to the massive amounts of walking we did, there were only minimal complaints and meltdowns.
We packed a lot of activity into the 6 day trip but we still had plenty of time to rest and relax. Some things did not go as planned (camp carnival, swimming on board the ship, & the dolphin encounter) but we managed to work around these little blips. I fell in love with New Orleans and I will dedicate an entire post to that later. The drive was not bad, although the last two hours of the return trip were less than fun. Cozumel was splendid and the boys loved the dolphin encounter. I have so much to share that it will take days (weeks?) to get everything posted and as I took over 380 photos, I will have plenty of photos to share as well. |
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