Going Down in Flames

So I just thought I would write a note about my fine country's current economy...or lack of one. It's pretty doom and gloom here in the States. I was talking to Josh, who is currently in Peru, and was saying that Im currently trying to calculate how long it will be until we dive into a depression, arms flailing. I was only halfway kidding. It's looking pretty bad here. The stock markets plunged again with the word of another failed bailout. Everyone is pointing the finger at the other side and no one is solving anything. I think Josh and I will weather this fine but there are so many others out there who can't.

So what does all this mean? I think a lot of our Trunki traveler friends here in America are going to go on travel lock-down, which is a shame. I hate it that the greed of some people is taking the opportunity to experience the world from the rest of us. Hopefully, we can find a way to fix this but it will be a long time before we can claw our way totally out.

In the mean time, I will still stress the importance of trying to find ways of spending time away from the trials of daily life with your family. Even if it's just for a night. Pack up that Trunki like you're going to go on a trip and camp out in your backyard. Pretend, for one night, that your house is a hotel. Have your kids pack up their bags and "arrive" at your front door while you pretend to be the doorman. Check them in and take them to their "room." Maybe even post pictures of foreign lands in the windows so you can pretend you are in Paris or Rome. These are definitely scary times for Americans but we can't lose sight of the importance of family and finding ways to spend some special time together. Even if we can't afford to pack up the car and head out or take a plane trip to someplace, we can always travel to the furthest reaches of the world in our imaginations. So put some clothes, a few books, and your favorite teddy in your Trunki and go on a "trip" to someplace amazing.

When things go sour

Sour stomach that is! Yes my friends, I'm talking about air sickness. Even worse is air sickness in kids because kids love nothing more than to say "I feel sick" which is always instantly followed by proof that they do, in fact, feel sick. One of the worst culprits of air sickness is getting over heated. In planes where there's lots of people and even less air circulating, it's easy to get overheated. For children, whose bodies haven't fully developed the ability to regulate their temperature well, getting overheated is an easy task. Here are some tips for keeping that queasy feeling at bay:

• Keep a t-shirt in easy reach if they aren't wearing one already for a quick change if your child starts to get too hot.



• If they start getting that special feeling, put a cold, damp paper towel or wash cloth on the back of their neck.



• Look for warning signs of dehydration which can lead to nausea and overheating. Flush cheeks, sweating, and dry lips are all signs that your child needs more fluids.



• Keep some mint or ginger flavored items with you, both of which have been shown to help with nausea.

If the worst happens and your child gets sick, try not to despair. It happens to the best of us. Try to calm them down, take them to the bathroom if you can and try to cool them off. Check with your child's doctor beforehand to see if you can give them any over-the-counter medications in the event your child is suffering from food poisoning. If you can give them medication be sure to pack it in your carry-on so it's available. If food poisoning is the culprit, it is essential to give your child as many fluids as they can take as they can very quickly get dehydrated.

You don't need the kitchen sink...really

I was recently talking to a friend of mine who was stressing out a bit about taking his young son on a long international flight. One thing I told him about was my 8 hour rule. Take what you will need for the length of the flight plus eight hours and THAT'S IT. I'm also a big proponent of not taking too many toys and things. If it's your child's first flight they will probably be more interested in exploring their surroundings than playing with a bag filled to the brim with their toys. Toys are old, planes are new and everyone knows that new always trumps old with kids. Even if it's their second or third flight, they are probably still going to be more interested in the novelty of flying than in anything you take.

When Maya was a baby my carry on looked a lot like this

• One diaper for each hour of the flight plus 5 more (hey this is one area where less is NOT more)


• Two changes of clothes


• Three or four small soft toys (soft because they can be squished into small spaces)


• Toiletries for me (in case my bags got lost)


• A baby first aid kit (baby Tylenol, teething gel, band aids, itch cream, alcohol wipes, q-tips, Neosporin, etc.)


• A few bibs


• Pre-measured formula packets (each packet made 2 ounces of formula); enough for the flight plus 8 hours


• Unopened jarred baby food


• One feeding bottle with disposable bags, two nipples

This was pretty much it. Surprised the list isn't longer? That's because the thing to remember is that anything you need for your trip can be procured when you get to your destination and there's no reason to take everything on the plane with you. If you want to take more toys than this for your trip, pack the rest with your checked luggage or, if you all your bags are carry on, put them in the bag you don't plan to get into. You just don't need a lot of stuff because all it does is weigh you down and make everyone, including your child, miserable.

It's Survive a Plane Ride Week!

First, wow I have fans! Sometimes I thought I was writing into the great ether, but Im so glad to hear that at least some of what I've written has helped! Sorry it's taken me a bit to get back but things have been a changin here in the Young household. Soon after my last post we packed up and went to a wedding in Seattle, then Maya started kindergarten and my brain went to mush adjusting to having to actually think about fixing food for someone a day before they're going to eat it and making sure she hasn't squirreled anything away in her backpack. Darn you mommy brain!

In an effort to make the blog a bit more coherent Im trying out a new idea which is theme weeks. This week is Survive a Plane Ride Week because it is indeed something you have to survive through to get to where you're going, sometimes barely surviving. I've heard and experienced all kinds of horror stories about traveling so hopefully this week I can help you survive a few of those horrors.

My first tip of the week is a little something I like to call a "plane pack." One of the tips I always give to other parents is to put together a pack of toys, games, etc. into a small, mesh bag or other kind of bag you can quickly take out of your carry on and put underneath the seat in front of you. This keeps you from having to get into the overhead constantly which is both annoying and a safety risk. The size of your plane pack will depend on the length of your flight. Something like the one pictured below would be good for a flight of several hours...well for Maya at least lol.

This is Maya's plane pack closed up. I prefer to use mesh zipper packs so I can see exactly what I'm looking for. This is a small version. Maya has a slightly larger one that she takes on international flights that holds more but this will give you an idea of what Im talking about. This pack is about the size of a 5x10 photo so it's small but it has a lot in it.

As you can see, these plane packs can pack quite a bit. I can fit Maya's dolls (and yes, I have great personal shame for the brand of dolls *sigh*), a zippered bag of markers and crayons, a mini watercolor set, and a small pad of construction/scribble paper. It's enough to give her several different things to do while not taking up a lot of space.

Obviously, now that she's 5, Maya's needs are different than a smaller child but you can easily fill a plane pack with toys appropriate for any age. The key is having them in one pack that you can quickly take out of your carry-on. Believe me life is much easier when you dont have to have stuff all over the floor at your feet or up in the overhead where you have to scoot in front of the guy snoring away in his seat.

Later this week I'll have a video on packing your carry on and some more tips and tricks to get you through so keep reading!