Travel Tip Tuesday

Whether you're a parent or not, everyone knows how much of a challenge it can be traveling with children (especially babies who are just beginning to explore mobility). This travel tip goes out to all the parents (or soon to be parents) who don't let life end after children.  There are many important things to remember when traveling with babies. Although you need to be prepared for anything and everything (diaper explosions, puke, boredom, runny noses, hunger, etc. etc.) it is equally important to remember that you still have to carry all that stuff through an airport and as flight attendants love to say, "If you pack it you rack it!'* One of the biggest challenges that I see parents face is the darn carseat. It's bulky, awkward, heavy, and your child doesn't always want to sit in it (when they are older they will wish that all airplane seats were as comfortable as that carseat was)!

*I'd like to take this opportunity to inform all reader that we (flight attendants) are not ALLOWED to stow your bags for you, were not just being lazy. Also, among many things that flight attendants don't get paid for, parenting your children (not yours specifically just as a generalization) is one of them. Please do not ring your flight attendant call light in the middle of boarding (one of our busiest times) to say "Excuse me miss flight attendant, but can you please tell little Johnny that he needs to sit in his carseat or he will be in trouble with the captain."

It is important that you show up to your gate in plenty of time so that you are present when they begin "early boarding for those traveling with small children or those needing extra time or assistance getting down the jetway." This is so important, here is why: Children feed off of your energy. In other words, if you are stressed, they feel stressed. Then they start crying and you get more stressed. You get more stressed and they cry louder. This goes on and on until everyone around you decides your child is the cheapest form of birth control! So for crying out loud (pun intended) show up to the gate for early boarding. Your only excuse for not being there is that your inbound connecting flight was delayed.

Now, there are a few products on the market that can also make traveling easier (I will do several tips for the traveling parents but I am just focusing on the carseat thing today). The 1st product I have seen out there is INGENIOUS!! It is a 5 point harness (required by FAA) that you strap around the actual airplane seat. This is awesome for a lots of reasons.
1.) It's small enough to put in your carryon (it eliminates the bulk and weight factor)
2.) Your independent child now feels like a big kid because they can sit in the regular seat.
3.) It sits them back against the seat which usually keeps their little feet just out of reach of the seat in front of them.
4.) You can then place your child in the middle seat because they do not block your access to the aisle in case of an emergency.
5.) From what I understand you can also use these in rental cars (please don't take my word on this, do more research PLEASE)

Such a well behaved little gent!

                                                To purchase this little life saver GO HERE!

The 2nd Is a set of wheels that attaches to the carseat. This is also awesome in its own ways.
1.) You can pull your kiddo through the airport, which frees up your hands (also reduces stress of loosing you kiddo)
2.) They're only about 5 lbs.
3.) If your child would rather walk (which I recommend to make them tired before the flight) This turns any non-roller bag (say a diaper bag) into a roller bag! Just place the bag where your chid would normally sit and WAH-LAH! ROLLER BAG!

look how much baby likes it!

                                                To purchase purchase this one GO HERE!

You can also find similar products all over the web.

PLEASE LEAVE ALL BOOSTER SEATS AT HOME!! These are good once you get to Grandma and Grandpa's house but until then they are not approved by the FAA (because they are not a 5 point harness) and must go in the overhead bin. They are bulky to lug around, especially when you find out your child cannot sit in them on the airplane.

A few little bonus tips:
1.) The most important tip is to always stay as relaxed as humanly possible when traveling with children.
2.) Make it fun and exciting for them.
3.) A little bribery goes a long way!
4.) If your child turns into a complete terror just remember you will probably never see these people again.

*For Michelle at http://simplycomplicated.me I touched on this topic first because they would make great baby shower gifts. Congratulations again!

How -45F and Tata Pasties Go Together

This morning Dylan had A hockey game at 8am UGH! Early morning. So, we decided to forgo church and watch a little hockey. By the end of the game I had come to the conclusion that my coffee had not done the job I had paid for it to do (I was ready to go back to bed).

On our way home we drove by the University temperature display sign. I made Waynester (the hubs) pull over so we could take our picture to send to my mom. He didn't want to (bad hair day I guess) but said he would take my picture. The lower the temperature drops the more popular this activity becomes.

Here's my G rated picture I sent to Mom

We jump out of the car and hurry over to snap a quick picture. As we're running back to the car we notice the people in the other car were wearing significantly less clothes than we were. I told the Waynester we had to wait and watch this. Naturally I pull out my phone and start recording. Waynester then came up with a BRILLIANT plan! I should be a nice bystander and ask if they would like me to take a quick shot of them all together?! So I jump out of the car and did just that! Next thing I know the girl in this group screams to me, "Ok, for this one I am going to be NAKED! I hope you don't mind." I didn't mind. Like I've mentioned before... it takes a lot to make me feel uncomfortable. Next thing I know she is ripping off her top to reveal a nice set of... Blue iridescent pasties over her tata's!!!

If I wrote all the things that were going through my mind at that moment, this would be a multi-page post. I was able (somehow) to keep a straight face and snap a few pictures (on multiple cameras). On the inside I was hysterically laughing (especially as I thought about the thoughts that must've been going through Waynester and Dylan's minds). As soon as my photographer services were no longer required, I quickly ran back to the car where I was safe to react to the events that just unfolded. Then, before I missed my window of opportunity, I pulled my phone back out to snap a quick picture of my own!  I would LOVE to post this picture, however, I fear I would get kicked off Blogger :(

This simple thing made. my. week. Boy did I need that! Not only did it make my week... it did the job that I had expected my coffee to do. I now felt awake, refreshed and rejuvenated. I'm not sure if it was all the cold, fresh air or my sense of humor being ignited but I felt so much better (nap postponed until later).

Happy Sunday All!

The little sh*t that made me fart

As a stepparent there are things that would normally be "normal" but since you did not raise the kids from birth there are some things (going to the restroom, farting, walking around half naked) that still demand privacy.

For whatever reason, my step-kids (particularly the oldest one) are always dying to hear me fart. Growing up I was the only one of my sisters (I have 2, both older) that felt comfortable enough and free enough to do this anytime. In fact, the more inappropriate the timing, the better.

Lucky for everyone around me (except I guess my step-kids) I eventually matured and learned there was a time and place to exercise those freedoms (the bathroom only). I understand that on occasion it may be a little harder to control but for the love of fresh air, we must all try.

The kids have literally told on everyone near and dear to them in an effort to make me feel more comfortable with farting in front of them. They have even tried to hide outside the bathroom door (thank you Meagan, my stepdaughter, for alerting me to this)! It's important to note, that I continue to stand my ground on this, and still do not "let freedom ring" whenever I please.

Since I first told the kids about this blog, Dylan, The oldest, has been trying to "create" material for me so I would blog about him. I could brag (i'll take a quick moment to do that) and talk about his goal streak that he's been on in hockey, or how he continually gets a 4.0 in school, or how he currently has 106% in biology, but I thought I would make him really proud (and take the wind out of his sales) and tell about one of his proudest moments.  The moment he forced me to fart in front of him.

The details are a little foggy, I believe I was cooking, if not, this is how I remember the story. I told Dylan that I needed to go to the restroom so please watch whatever was on the stove. Since he's 15, his ears stopped working about 2 years ago, so he did not listen to me. Instead he put his new, more adolescent, muscles to work, and forced me into a corner at the bottom of the stairs that separated me from the restroom. As he pinned me into the corner it was all I could do not to pee my pants right then and there (which I believe I threatened him I would do). This did not scare him, in fact I think in encouraged him. He had me laughing so hard, and I was trying so hard not to pee my pants that it forced me to fulfill his goal of nearly 4 years... I farted in front of him! You would have thought this kid just watched the Penguins (his favorite hockey team) win the Stanley Cup! He was so happy, and cheered so loudly that I almost completely forgot to be humiliated!

The 1 good thing that has come from this incident is that all the pressure is off (no pun intended).

I choose to tell this story and share it with you because:
1.) I'm pretty sure Dylan (the little sh*t that made me fart) would never expect it.
2.) In the same way we all put our pants on 1 leg at a time, we also all fart (even my 2 sisters).
3.) Now that I have told this story, nothing is off limits when it comes to what I can write about him!

The 3 indisputable perks of my job

I had an awful week, hence why I have not posted anything new for a couple of days. I had the worst week (I've had plenty of bad days though) in my 7 year career with "an airline." It was just flat out disappointing. Needless to say I was so happy to come home last night and walk through the door to the sleeping chaos.

When people ask me about my job I often tell them that every pro is also a con. The last few days I couldn't help but see every aspect of my job as a con. I kid you not, this is the first time (ok maybe the 2nd but for totally different reasons) in 7 years that the thought of hanging up my wings actually crossed my mind. So on the 5 flights it took me to get home yesterday I pretended like it was my last day... just to see what my feelings were. This time when I thought about my job I wanted to force myself to come up with some perks that in no way, shape, or form could be seen as negative.

The first is that I get to sneak in some time with my girlfriends that I normally may not have the time for (most of these times I'm also getting paid). The other day I was able to sneak in a much needed breakfast date with one of my dearest friends who is also a flight attendant. This week, that was just what the Dr. ordered. The second perk is that it has allowed my family and I to see and do things together that we would never be able to do otherwise. My father in-law has said, "If I took as much time off as you guys do, I would loose my job!" Mind you, my father in-law unfortunately works for a company that does not offer many fringe benefits (paid vacation). That brings me to the third perk. I get lots of time off. I do spend lots of time away from home, however it does allow me to have several long weekends a month. I rarely miss a hockey game or a Friday pizza and movie night.

I don't want it to sound like I am bragging about my job (it has plenty of negative aspects too) these are just the things I needed to remind myself of in order to get through this turbulence. So tonight as I sit and enjoy the chaos, I know that my days as a flight attendant may be numbered but I'm not ready to hang my wings yet.

When you find yourself hating aspects of your life, how do take yourself out of the situation enough to recognize the positive? Especially if the negativity is being injected by other people (dishonest people).

What I wish other people could learn from my bad week:
Always be aware of how your actions affect the happiness of others. Do what is right even when it's difficult. In the end, it is better for everyone and it speaks volume for your character. In other words: In order to expect people to take responsibility for their part, you must take responsibility for yours.

Travel Tip Tuesday

Complaint: "I hate sitting in the middle seat!' 

Who can't relate to this one? It's the reason we all leave gaps of seats between ourselves and other people at the movie theatre! We all love our personal space and when you get stuck in the middle seat you are robbed of all things personal (including a place for you to rest your tired arms). You look at the person sitting in the window seat and they are sound asleep with a place to lay their head. Then, you look to the person in the aisle seat and they have their leg stretched out into the aisle and their arms are resting so comfortably that you can almost hear them snore (I know arms don't snore, Im trying to illustrate how comfy that person is). Then you do a quick self evaluation and realize it feels as if you're giving yourself a big bear hug (bears don't hug either, see how that works). No place to lie your head, nowhere to stretch your legs, and surely nowhere to put your elbows. 

photo credit deborahfallows.com

Tip: This tip is not so much for the person in the middle seat (although I am your biggest cheerleader, use your elbows!) but rather the folks in the window and aisle seats. Let the person in the middle seat have an armrest BOTH armrests. To me, this seems fair. The person at the window gets the window + a place to lay their head. The person at the aisle gets a place to stretch their legs + they can get up whenever they want without feeling bad. Then YOU, the person in the middle, get 2 armrests. This makes everyone (in my idealistic mind) Happy, Happy, Happy (I'm a duck dynasty fan :D). Now see, we are on our way to happier travel already. 

Come on peeps, in the comment section leave me your complaints and your gripes. I know you all have them. Also, if you have any other tips regarding sitting in the middle seat share them with us in the comments section. 

Bring me your travel complaints, I'll give you my tips

Tomorrow I am going to be starting a series of blogs called Travel Tip Tuesday. I want to hear your questions, complaints, pet peeves, rants, anything. Hopefully from issues you have when you travel, on top of things that also annoy me, I can publish lots of ideas to make us all a little happier when we travel. In the comments section of this blog let me know what you hate most about traveling. Then check back every tuesday to get solutions to your problems as well as find out what bothers other people. I want people to be brutally honest here. Remember that the views and opinions posted here are mine and do not reflect the views of my employer.

photo credit smh.com.au

$10 to more responsible kids

My step-kids are ages 15, 13, and 11. This means 3 things for our household:

1. There are hormones flying around like crazy

2. There are lots of people that THINK they know EVERYTHING

3. We have "NO FOOD!"

At the start of the new year my husband and I resolved to building up our savings, however, the kids were literally eating us out of house and home. I was talking about this at work one day and someone asked me, "why don't you charge them?" At first I laughed, then I started thinking... It seemed a little harsh to charge them (even for a step-parent) especially since none of them have steady jobs. We expect the kids to do chores and help out around the house and have never paid them for it, but that was now becoming part of the plan (muahahaha).

Here's how it works:

photo credit biz setup.wordpress.com

1. They each have the potential of earning $10 a week for doing chores

2. If the chores are not done to our standards (in other words correctly) there will be $1 deducted from the $10 pot for each thing not done, or not done correctly (plus they have to do it again).

3. On Sunday they will receive the chore $$ payout.

4. That $$ must, and can ONLY, be used to buy snack food

5. They can buy whatever snacks they want but it must be within their $10 budget

6. If they get caught eating someone else's snack without permission they must pay that person $1 from their own snack money the following week.

7. The only food they are allowed to snack on ALL week is what they were able to buy with their snack money 

When I first presented this idea to the family (including the hubs) it did not go over so well. My husband and I talked about it breifly before we took it to the kids and we'll say he was more than hesitant. I begged him to trust me and pretend he fully supported the idea in front of the kids. If it was a disaster after the first week, we would consider other options. However, it worked amazingly even with our oldest, most opinionated, kid that knows everything (insert eye roll here). 

Here is what they have learned:

1. Food actually does cost money (aka the value of a dollar)

2. Different foods can keep you fuller longer

3. Trading and sharing can be awesome

4. They can make money off each other (this was a surprise, even to us)

5. How to budget $$

6. Just because you're hungry doesn't mean you HAVE to eat!

7. Generic doesn't mean gross 

8. It pays to do things right the first time

9. How to comparison shop

10. How to make tough decisions

This helps us out by putting a cap on how much were spending on snack food and also ensures that the groceries I buy with a purpose (all of them) stay in the cupboard until I need them. We have been doing this for several weeks now and the kids are still loving it. If you try this or something similar leave me a comment with any other ideas you have (or if you just want to tell me how genius this idea is).