Sunday, April 14, 2013

So, you want to travel...Internationally...with kids?!

Noah is about to start kindergarten, Gigi is about to turn 2, Josh was able to secure a bit of time off, and I NEED A VACATION!
Of course we considered many possibilities, some more reasonable/practical than others, and in the end we chose to leave practical and reasonable in the dust and head to Italy!
Josh and I visited Italy a year before Noah was born (almost 6 years ago) and we have wanted to go back ever since!
We are especially excited to share the experience with Noah and Gigi...
Now you may scoff at the idea, but we are no novices to traveling with children, Noah traveled with us to Alaska, Ireland, and Hawaii all before he turned 2!
And when Gigi was 6 months old we crossed the "pond" to visit England!
(I should interject here that compared to my sisters-in-law, one of whom lives in England, and the other in Turkey, I am a novice in the traveling with kids department, but I do have a few tips and tricks to share!)
Tip #1 seems pretty obvious, but is probably the hardest to accomplish...Pack light!
This means, pull out everything you think you will need then cut it down by 1/3!  You can do it, remember, almost anywhere you plan to go they will have stores where you can purchase items you may run out of!
This pile represents the sum total of our gear, and that's for all four of us!
Choose bags that are sturdy, roomy, and can roll or have back pack straps for versatile carrying.
This duffel is a back pack which leaves Josh's (yes the heavy bag is his responsibility ;) free to carry other items or corral children...
But packing everything in one large bag can create a real problem when it comes time to get dressed since everything gets mixed together...
My solution is somewhat primitive, I pack each individual into their own grocery bag.  You can purchase fancy bags made for organizing just this way, but grocery bags are free, and are also useful as dirty laundry bags as you go along!
So that solves the problem of finding your larger clothing items, but what about socks and underwear?  
For the small and sneaky items I pack pouches, brightly colored, easy to find, and since they are all different, easy to match to the individual in need!
So now you've taken care of your main bag, but what about a carry on?
You are allowed to have two carry on bags per ticketed person plus an extra diaper bag if traveling with an infant, but if you bring that much you will look like crazy bag people stumbling through the airport and worse...through security!
So we bring 2...
The first carry on bag is our camelback which will also serve as our day pack once we arrive at our destination, holding essentials like snacks, jackets, diapers, etc. and it can hold several liters of water eliminating the need to carry bulky water bottles!
The camelback will hold non-essential items for the flight including non-liquid toiletries, guide books, and the emergency kit...
Sidebar: the emergency kit contains Motrin, band aids, nail clippers, toilet seat covers and neosporin!  
The primary carry on holds all of the things you will need to get to frequently during the flight, like wipes, diapers, entertainment devices...
And snacks!  (They feed you on international flights, but kids especially tend to eat more than the average box of flight food provides!  Be sure your snacks are contained in a zip loc and can be squished if necessary, and don't pack liquid snacks or you could face the wrath of the powerfully ridiculous TSA...
This bag should also hold the liquid toiletry essentials...
You want to bring your toiletries on board with in case of lost or delayed luggage, so I also ways pack them into the carry on.  
By keeping all the liquids together in one easily accessible bag, I make going through security much easier...
Don't get me wrong, people see you + 2 children coming and their eyes will still roll, but by following this simple organization method you will shock them with your efficiency!
You also want to have all passports and IDs in one easy to access location (this is for moving through the airports, once you reach your destination you can decide on the safest place to carry such items)
Knowing exactly where your documentation, tickets, and IDs are at all times will also aid in the efficiency with which you glide through security...
And remember, technology is your friend as far as entertaining the kids in flight.  Tablets, Ipods, and Iphones are excellent ways to bring books, games, and movies along while taking up minimal space!
So now we are packed and ready for 10 days of pasta, fromaggio, and Vino!
Chow!


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Want to hear a secret?!

The secret is...
I'm a genius!  Ok, not a genius, but the tip I'm about to share certainly rates a cheer, or at the very least a round of applause!
I have a microfiber couch...
I also have two amazingly, cute, amazingly messy children...
It's the combination of couch and children that creates the problem,
and the problem is that the microfiber couch is very sensitive to liquids...
 even a single drop of water leaves a mark!
It's embarrassing!
I have a system for cleaning the couch that is effective, involving a wet cloth, Resolve foaming cleaner and a ton of elbow grease, but it leaves the couch wet and unusable for hours!
I have also tried with limited success a cleaning system involving alcohol and water that I saw on Pinterest.  I went back to my resolve system.
BUT!  I have discovered an alternate solution...
Baby wipes!!!
Specifically, Huggies brand wipes, which tend to be a bit more durable!
Grab a handful, and start rubbing the spots away using a back and forth and round and round combination!
You also will want to "blend" out the wet edges so that you don't create new water marks...
It's a little disturbing, and a little exciting to witness how much dirt you scrub off the upholstery, but really, I challenge even you non-microfiber couch owners to wipe your cushions with a baby wipe and see what comes up!
I'm not going to lie, it takes a fair amount of wipes, but once the area has been scrubbed, it only takes about 15-20 minutes to dry completely!
And, while the results aren't professional grade cleaning, they are definitely impressive!
So, children, play away...spill water...drool...you don't scare me!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Happy Easter!

This year, our Easter celebration was combined with birthday celebrations, and the whole family was able to get together!
So, of course there was cake, covered in fondant per the birthday girl's request...
She seemed pleased... 
There were egg hunts...
And lots of time for playing around...
And anytime the grand kids are all together it's time for everybody's favorite game...
Let's try to take a picture!
I think this one is as good as it gets...
We like to keep it real!