Photo Friday: Give your Kid the Camera

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Beth Henry

Ella is now interested in taking pictures. Any time the camera is out, she asks to use it. I am really grateful that cameras are digital now after seeing the photos she takes. I have a “brilliant” close-up of a backpack, a picture of my foot, and a picture of my forehead. However, every once in a while I’m surprised by a good shot.

Last week my husband dropped Ella and me off at the airport. We set all our bags on the curb and said our goodbyes. Ella had the camera and got this picture of this goodbye hug. This is a photo I really love. I’m usually the one behind the camera, so it is rare to see any documentation of our affection. I guess it’s not such a bad idea to let her take a few pictures after all…

Saying Goodbye

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating. Don’t forget to follow ‘Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. We’re gearing up for another fun giveaway soon!)

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Lunch ideas for school (or the airplane).

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Beth Henry

Ella starts pre-K today. Only we’re not in town, so she’s missing 3 days and starting next week. The teachers don’t mind for this age. I hope in the coming years we can work out our schedules to keep the teachers happy. We always have traveled in September and October.

At Ella’s school they are requesting that we send paper sack lunches. I’m really unhappy about that because I wanted to get a cute lunchbox for Ella. Also because all of the cute, creative lunch ideas I see are in Bento boxes. Ella has never been interested in eating, so anything I can do to encourage her to actually EAT the food I send is good.

I’ve been seeing all kinds of fun posts on ideas for school lunches. Here’s a favorite I saw today from Obento Mama:

bento angry birds

How cute is that? And why can’t I ever come up with clever ideas like this on my own? This Mom has 3 kids—one a newborn—is in school herself, and still gets this cute lunch accomplished. I’m feeling a bit jealous of her creativity and trying to remember to not compare myself to others. I AM a good Mama, even if my daughter’s school lunches are boring. Smile

Obento Mama shared this great site with me: Biting the Hand the Feeds You. They share ideas for disposable Bento boxes in one of their posts. I think a lot of the ideas here can work for Ella’s sack lunches. I especially like idea of using strawberry cartons or egg cartons for a disposable bento box. The many clever ideas are shared in this post on eco-friendly disposable lunches.

Here’s one more that my fabulous source at Obento Mama shared with me. This one I KNOW Ella would gobble right up. It’s posted at BentOnBetterLunches.com and it is absolutely perfect for the airplane. Really, you would pay $10 for something like this (if they even had it) in the airport. Isn’t it nice?

We fly back home next Monday and I’m going to mimic this lunch for our flight home. I’m sure it will be a hit.

What about you? Are you sending school lunches in a lunchbox or in a sack? What do you use for inspiration?

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Travel Tip: Safety Briefing Card

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Beth Henry

I don’t know what the attraction is, but I’ve found that all young kids, from ages 3 months and up, are fascinated by the airplane safety briefing card. It a perfect 2-10 minute distraction (depending on the child’s age and attention span). Yesterday Ella pulled the safety card out to follow along with the safety video. She had fun finding each item being described. Here she is pointing out the scenarios where you should NOT evacuate: “if there’s fire, DON’T exit”, “if there are rocks, DON’T exit”. Not a bad way to learn some basic survival skills.DSCN9022

When you’re running out of things to do on the airplane, don’t overlook the “toys” that are already there. The safety card is a good one. Plastic cups can entertain babies for quite some time. We also love to look through the Sky Mall magazine. Yesterday Ella wanted to find all the pictures of dogs in the magazine. It didn’t occupy her for an hour, but it did give her something to do for 5 minutes and, well, that’s something. Smile

(This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating there. Don’t forget to follow ‘Cloud Surfing Kids on Facebook, Twitter, or by subscribing to email notifications of blog posts. We’re gearing up for another fun giveaway soon!)

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Bubbles

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Beth Henry

Bubbles Save the Day!

bubbles

Bubbles can give a welcome distraction to a stressful travel day.

(This post was first written on Aug. 25, 2012 and updated 3/27/2017. This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your shopping convenience. If you make a purchase through these links I may receive a small commission, which goes toward the operation of this website. Thank you for your support!)

One of my favorite things to always have in my travel bag is a mini bottle of bubbles. They can even calm small babies (at least temporarily) and always bring joy to young children. Bubbles are one of the items that I always bring, rarely use, but am grateful that I have them in those “emergency” times. As a flight attendant, whenever I see a child in the airport who is fussing or crying, I walk over and blow some bubbles to give a few minutes of distraction so the parent can take a breath. I buy these bubble wands in bulk and carry a few with me on each trip. Then if I see a child struggling, I can give their parents the bubble wand so they can continue to use it.
bubbles

If a child is old enough to blow bubbles on their own, this activity is very grounding and calming. When you start to notice tension building, bring out the bubbles before an outburst, and most of the time you will notice your child begins to calm down. I also like bubbles for a distraction if your child is having difficulty with ear pressure. While bubbles don’t help with the pressure or pain, they do help provide a distraction, and sometimes that’s all you need to get through it.

Since bubbles are liquid, you’ll need to pack these within your TSA-approved Quart-sized Ziploc bag to carry through security. Once through security checkpoints I often transfer the bubbles to a more accessible place, like my pocket or the outer pocket of my lunch tote. That way it’s available “in case of emergency”.

Do you have any items you pack like this for “emergencies”? Share with us and other readers in the comments below!

This post is part of the Photo Friday Fun at www.DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other travel photos there as well!

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When Kids Help Pack

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Beth Henry

It’s always nice to let the kids get involved with the packing. It makes them feel important and helps them get excited about the trip. Just be sure to give some guidelines or the packing will be like this:

We need this…

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And this!

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The last thing! Now the drawers are completely empty! 

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Don’t forget the most important thing!

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So cozy! I’m sure the bag is still under 50 lbs. Smile

CIMG0529

A better idea: Give the kids an age-appropriate list of what to pack.

2 year old: Ask him to get 1-3 things (such as his lovey, one small animal, one small toy) and help you put them in the bag.

3 year old: Have her pick out one stuffed animal, one favorite shirt, and one small toy to take on this trip.

4-6 year old: Prepare a list of 5-20 items that you want packed and ask them to find those items.

6-10 year old: Give them a list with general items that you want them to bring (such as 4 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 5 pair of underwear, etc.) and let them choose the items to pack.

11 years and up: Let them set out what they would like to bring for you to approve before it goes in the bag.

For everyone (including yourself), it’s best to lay everything out on the bed before putting them in the suitcase. This way you can see everything you have and weed out the extra items that aren’t necessary. I always find that I can eliminate 2-3 outfits and minimize my load.

 

*This post is part of the Photo Friday fun at DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other fun travel blogs participating!

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Kid’s Night Lights for Travel

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Beth Henry

 

Circo LED Night Light

nightlight circo

We just got this from Target for Ella in a mushroom design. They don’t have the mushroom one online, but this cute flower can be ordered at  Target.com. They also advertise a cute ladybug, a truck, and a dinosaur as available in stores. This plugs in to charge but can be unplugged and work off the battery. It’s very light, so it’s easy to pack. The instructions recommend ages 6 and up because of small parts within the nightlight, so if you’re using it for a younger child you might want to be sure it’s out of reach. I like this for our current sleep stage because it’s a pretty bright light and keeps Ella (age 4) from getting scared of creepy shadows in the room.

Cloud B Twilight Constellation Night Light

cloud b turtle

This is one I haven’t tried myself, but have always thought it would be nice. It will take up more room in the suitcase, at 14” long, 5” tall, but doesn’t weight too much. This nightlight has an automatic timer and shuts off after 45 minutes of use.

Tranquil Turtle

tranquil turtle

Cloud B also makes the Tranquil Turtle, which projects waves and also has soothing sounds. The downside to me is that is also shuts off after 45 minutes, and I like to play sound (white noise) the whole night to help with sleep.

Mobi TykeLight GloMate Carry Along

mobi night light

This MOBI TykeLight GloMate is really similar to the Circo Mushroom Night Light I got for Ella. It stays cool, so it’s safe to be handled. It charges on a base and the charge lasts 10 hours. This one is fun, with four color settings.

I started to try to find other options to suggest, but really I will have to say I recommend the Circo and MOBI ones the most. That is because of their small size and light weight. What do you use for a night light when you travel?

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Making Friends

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Beth Henry

One of my favorite things that Ella has developed from frequent travel is the ability to make friends everywhere. If she sees any girl, whether age four or fourteen, she walks up to her with a smile and says hi. The moment we walked into the airport yesterday, Ella met another girl named Ella. This Ella was as friendly as mine, one year older, and very sweet. She even invited my Ella to her birthday party (next year, LOL). She and Ella talked for about 5 minutes and then we took this picture of the new friends:

Two Ellas

I was so glad that we had lots of extra time before our flight, because Ella made friends with about 8 or 9 girls and that was BEFORE we even got on the airplane, where she met another 5 friends. One of the greatest things about traveling is meeting new people, and it’s great to give the kids this opportunity. 

This post is part of the Photo Friday Fun at www.DeliciousBaby.com. Check out the other great posts there for more fun travel blogs.

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Categories: Blog (Cloud Surfing Adventures), Photo Friday | 3 Comments

Managing Public Bathrooms With Young Kids

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Beth Henry

 

I have to be honest: I didn’t rush Ella into being potty trained because it was much easier to change diapers/pull-ups than to deal with using public toilets, especially when traveling. The way I handle public toilets is the squat method, but young children are of course too small for “the squat”. Here are the items I found useful for potty breaks on-the-go:

Potty Liners

potty protector

I have tried several different brands of potty protectors, and my favorite by far are Summer Infant Keep Me Clean Disposable Potty Protectors. The paper drapes over the sides, so your child can hold on to the potty for balance without touching all the yucky potty germs. Every type of kid’s potty protectors has little sticky tabs to keep the liner on the liner on the toilet. With many brands I’ve tried, the sticky tabs stick too well, so that when I remove the liner, the sticky tabs remain on the toilet. Very frustrating! This doesn’t happen as much with the Summer Infant Liners. On the airplane I set this up for Ella and have her use the toilet then leave it on for me to have a turn. Even though I still prefer “the squat”, it’s nice to have a barrier.

Travel Potty Seat

folding travel potty

From age 2-3, this was really useful to Ella. It’s a great folding potty seat. It stores in a plastic bag and folds up without you needing to touch any part that touched the toilet. It has handles for the kids to hold and offers a smaller hole so they won’t fear falling in the toilet.

Post-It Notes

post it notes

Isn’t it annoying when you’re squatting over an auto-flush toilet and it flushes? Of course it would splash up…GROSS! For a child sitting on the toilet when this happens, it can be especially frightening. I always put a small stack of Post-it Notes in my ready-to-go potty tote to use to cover the sensor that triggers the auto-flush. (I actually carry these whether or not Ella is traveling with me because I am so disgusted when the toilet flushes before I get away from it.) Of course the post-it notes can come in handy for entertainment when confined to the airplane seat. Decorate the tray table; make patterns with the different colors; re-design your clothes by covering with Post-its…Let your imagination run wild!

Diaper Wipes

huggies wipes

I think that all parents, once they have kids, realize the usefulness of diaper wipes. I don’t think I’ll ever again travel without them. I’m guessing that if you ever were a parent I probably don’t even need to include these on the list. But if your kids are older than 5 you might not remember to pack them without this reminder.

Hand Sanitizer

purell

Let’s face it, there are times when you won’t be able to wash your child’s hands as you should after a potty break. One example that seems to happen to me often is when I am just finishing up in the airplane lavatory and the seatbelt sign comes on as we hit turbulence. The priority is to get Ella safely back to her seat and buckled in. Once she’s buckled in I can pull out the hand wipes and make sure we are germ-free. Of course these are many other uses for these wipes on the airplane, starting with wiping down your armrest and tray tables when you first get on board.

Grab-And-Go Bathroom Tote

handle pouch

You could use a variety of items for organizing all of these things, but I LOVE the Go-Go Babyz Handle Pouch. In the main compartment I keep by Potty Liners, Post-it Notes, and Hand Sanitizer. You can see how I organize the rest of the bag in my review of this cool bag here.

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Categories: Packing, Travel Tips | 4 Comments

Giveaway! Tasty Drinks To Go!

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Beth Henry

And the winner is……….

 

BECKY GERE!!!

Becky lives in Colorado and is mother to two beautiful “Cloud Surfing Kids”  Her favorite drinks are parcha (passion fruit), root beer, and flavored lemonade. She says she “never wins” contests, but she is a winner now!!! Congratulations, Becky!

(This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!)

 

Flying with kids can be fun, but rarely do you hear anyone claim it’s easy. It takes a lot of organization and effort, especially if your children are very young. If you’re like me, as soon as you make it through security you’re thinking, “Where is the nearest Starbucks, and do I have time to get anything?” Of course, if you do get something you then have something to add to what you are already juggling. The chances of you dropping your treasured drink are high. Here’s a solution:

Pack a nice coffee tumbler (empty) in  your carry-on bag.

starbucks cold cup

Pack some very tasty Starbucks Iced VIA. Buy a bottle of water in the airport (you should do this anyway, whether or not you’ll use it for your coffee). When they beverage cart comes by, just ask for some ice to fill the cup, mix your own VIA and water, and you’re set! You can relax…or pretend to relax…while sipping your delicious iced coffee. You don’t have to worry too much about spilling since the tumbler has a lid. Happiness!

via

This week we are giving away this Starbucks Iced Tumbler and a package of Starbucks Caramel VIA Iced. For the kids we’ll add a box of Special K Pink Lemonade packets. Features:

  • 7 packets of Special K20 Protein Pink Lemonade water mix powder
  • Adds fun pink color and satisfying lemonade taste to water
  • Each packet contains 5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber
  • 30 calories per serving; each packet flavors up to 20 ounces of water
  • Designed for easy portability and quick blending in cold water

pink lemonade

I really like this mix. It makes staying hydrated a lot more fun. (It’s a pretty strong flavor. I would probably just mix half a packet per 16-20oz  water bottle.) Of course, you can save this for yourself too and make the kids stick to plain water or milk. Winking smile

 

Step 1:

“Like” us, CLOUD SURFING KIDS, on Facebook:

facebook-like-button

 

Step 2:

Comment below THIS POST telling us your favorite (non-alcoholic) beverage. Your comment will be your entry.

The total giveaway package includes a 16 oz. Starbucks Iced Tumbler,  a 5 pack of Starbucks Caramel VIA Iced, and 7 packets of Special K Protein Water Mix Pink Lemonade. The Giveaway starts July 5, 2012 and entries will be accepted through July 15, 2012 at 11:59pm EST. Only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be deleted.. Open to US residents only; must be at least 18 years old.

Terms and Conditions:
This promotion is solely sponsored by Cloud Surfing Kids and is not sponsored by or otherwise affiliated with Facebook, Starbucks, or Special K. There will be one winner per promotion who will be selected at random by Cloud Surfing Kids via WordPress PlugIn “Pick Giveaway Winner”. By submitting your comment, you will be eligible to be randomly selected for this promotion and you agree that Cloud Surfing Kids shall have no liability and shall be held harmless in connection with any aspect of this promotion. In case of technical difficulties, the giveaway will be re-run after notice is given on this blog and on Facebook and Twitter.

If a winner does not claim their prize within 5 days of time of notification of winning said prize, said prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be selected at random. Winner will be announced July 16, 2012.

*Don’t miss any of our posts or giveaways! Subscribe to email notifications. There is a link just to the top right of this page where you can enter your email address for updates.

Who’s THIRSTY??? Smile

starbucks cold cup

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Happy Independence Day!

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Beth Henry

I promised another giveaway by now, but I hope you’ll forgive me and allow me to post it tomorrow instead. I’m spending family time this 4th of July, which I hope you are able to also. To make sure you don’t miss it, subscribe to receive email notifications of new blog posts. (You’ll find the place to enter your email address just to the right of this post.)

Here’s a flashback to one of my favorite 4th of July pics of Ella. I love her enthusiasm which has not dwindled a bit since this photo 2 years ago:

independence day

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