Kelly from New Leaf Wellness has put together a list of 31 gluten-free, dairy-free crockpot freezer meals. You can download her free printable that includes all of the recipes and a grocery list.
Summer Bucket List
Classic View
Grid View
Q&A: “What is your best time management tip?”
It can be difficult to reach your goals while also tending to everyday tasks and responsibilities. It is so easy to jump into multi-tasking mode, but I actually recommend doing the exact opposite!
Learn about my best time management tip in this video and how it can propel you towards reaching your goals.
Looking for more tips & advice? Sign up for my FREE 5-day How I Make a Full-Time Income From Home course!
The Best Birthday Present A Girl Could Ever Hope For
As you all know, I celebrated my birthday while we were in South Africa. It was one of the most memorable birthdays ever… and for a number of different reasons!
The day before we left for South Africa, our Monday Group planned a surprise Birthday Party for me complete with streamers, cake, candles, a birthday banner, balloons, a specially-decorated birthday seat, flowers, and brand-new grown-up coloring books. And then they ended the night by praying over our family before our South Africa trip.
It meant SO much to me that they’d go to all that effort for me and our family. The best part was that when we walked in and I saw all the decorations, I was feeling terrible that it was someone’s birthday and I didn’t know whose it was.
I thought I must have missed a text or something… And then they all hollered “Happy Birthday” to me as I rounded the corner and I realized that it was MY birthday this week!!
I guess that’s what happens when you turn 34. You start forgetting things right and left — including your own birthday!
The next day, we boarded a plane for the 15-hour flight to South Africa. It was not the calmest of flights — and we arrived in South Africa feeling tired and ready for bed.
But that night and the next morning were hard. As I blogged about before…
- I lost my really important bag with my medicine, supplements, glasses, and contacts at the airport. (They never found it and we can’t figure how or where it disappeared.)
- I had been up for a few hours in the middle of the night with very cranky, jet-lagged kids.
- I had tried to blow dry my hair and burned up the motor my blow dryer + flipped the breaker to a bunch of outlets.
- I was tired, couldn’t see (because of not having contacts), and my head was throbbing because I didn’t have my allergy meds.
Lisa-Jo’s parents had prepared this beautiful breakfast spread for us.
And they gave me this amazing print of South Africa that is now is a special place in our room.
But as you can probably tell from the photo above, I wasn’t feeling well. I was tired, my allergies were acting up, my head was throbbing, and I was feeling stressed about not having my medicine or contacts. I can’t see enough to really function without contacts and I will have throbbing headaches from allergies without my meds.
So I knew it was going to be a really, really bad week if I couldn’t find replacement contacts or medicine. I had soaked my contacts from the day before in contact solution overnight and knew I could probably get one or two more day’s use out of them, but beyond that, I knew I was going to be in trouble.
And then our kids were having a very hard time waking up. They had bad attitudes, they were crabby, and they plain just didn’t want to get going.
We finally all got out the door and then Silas threw up.
It felt like it was starting off to be the worst birthday ever. I had so looked forward to being in South Africa. We’d been planning this trip for months. I’d been giddy with excitement about bringing my family here. But honestly, I was trying so hard to choose joy, but wondering if maybe we’d made a big mistake in coming to South Africa.
I decided that instead of being frustrated over things I couldn’t change or fix, I instead was just going to trust God and rest that He was going before me in this. And it was beautiful to see how the day ended up being so much better than I could have ever imagined!
Our first stop was to visit this wood-working shop. I was utterly blown away. Like I wanted to squeal and cry all at once.
You see, when I was in South Africa in January, we had many discussions about the possibilities of helping the locals learn more marketable skills (most can’t think of jobs outside of being domestic workers or security guards or gardeners).
It was just a dream in January, now they have a real live work-working workshop, suppliers, trainees, and customers!!
And they have big, big visions of how this small operation might someday be a big scale operation making a huge difference in the lives of this very needy community!!
As I wrote when we were in South Africa:
This is Peet. He is spear-heading the new wood-working shop. I wanted to stay and talk to him all day long!
I was so inspired and challenged by his passion, compassion, and vision. This wood-working shop is located in a very poor area of South Africa (Hammanskraal) and the long-term goal is to train and equip young entrepreneurs and provide a desperately-needed source of income for this community.
I wish you could have met Peet! He not only wants to teach South Africans craftsmanship, but he wants to help them develop a strong work ethic, a commitment to excellence, and an entrepreneurial spirit — three things that are not commonly taught or exemplified to the young people in this area.
As we left the shop, Peet handed me this beautiful tray that he had made especially for me. I was touched beyond words and cannot wait to display this new piece of South Africa in our home. It will serve as a constant reminder to me to pray for Peet and his family for God to richly bless their self-sacrificial efforts to make an impact in this community.
Next, we drove to Reagoboka — where a crowd of children had been waiting for quite a long while to greet us.
And I got to see the first on-the-ground glimpse at the two-room classroom that YOU ALL HELPED TO BUILD.
Again, I was blown away. Again, I didn’t know whether to cry or squeal. I had goosebumps and was overcome with emotion.
Because folks, it’s utterly humbling to think that God would use me — the girl who never went to college, the girl who was shy and insecure, the girl who still struggles with anxiety, the girl who is often a hot mess — to be a part of making this classroom possible.
There aren’t adequate words to describe how humbling and exhilarating it feels. As I wrote when we were in South Africa:
Each of you who bought a copy of Make Over Your Mornings the day it launched helped pay for the bricks and the concrete and the local labor and the classroom supplies to build this brand-new two-room classroom!!! And we got to unveil it to the teachers and children this week.
It. Was. Amazing!!! To think that all of us together are having a little part in making a BIG difference in this community of very vulnerable children — it’s surreal, humbling, and goose-bump-inducing.
THANK YOU for partnering with me to be the hands and feet of Jesus on this project!!! I wish you could have been there to share in the excitement and see and hear the gratitude they expressed to us.
And then there were no words to describe how beautiful it was to see my husband and kids falling in love with everyone in South Africa, too.
Be still my heart.
My boy, Silas, was very nervous about this trip. He doesn’t do new or change or different very well. He’s shy. He introverted. And he would usually prefer to be right next to his mama when we’re in unfamiliar situations.
So when I looked over and saw this, my mama heart just about broke in two.
These boys put their arms around Silas, held hands with him, and embraced him — like they knew he was awkward and shy and they wanted to make sure he felt welcome and one of them. It was beyond beautiful.
Seeing my kids face their fears, jump outside their comfort zone, and love beyond language barriers was one of the greatest gifts I could ever have been given as a mom.
And just as I suspected, they fell madly in love with these kids — just like I had in January!
Brian, my manager and friend (who came with us on this trip) fell in love with these kids, too! As I knew he would!
After spending time with the kids — singing and dancing and hearing them share some special songs, it was time to get the classrooms ready to unveil to them.
We had brought a number of special items to outfit the classrooms (all that your contributions helped to pay for — including furnishings, school supplies, and more.)
We all helped to get everything situated so that we could unveil the classrooms.
We took a before picture — this is the classroom that all of the kids had been squeezing into and taking turns using. I’d say the may have outgrown it just a bit. 🙂
These pictures don’t really need explaining do they?? I can’t begin to tell you how excited the teachers and kids were. It was SUCH an amazing experience!!
Truly, the best birthday gift a girl could ever wish for. I kept feeling like pinching myself thinking, “I can’t believe I’m really here! I can’t believe this is really happening!”
Aren’t these classroom colors so fun??
We brought some fun toys and dress up clothes for the kids — which they had a blast trying out and trying on!
And then we all put our handprints on a poster board that they are going to paint and put up in the classrooms… so that we left a little piece of us back in South Africa! 🙂
That night, they had planned a beautiful party for me. And while the day started on such a bad note, by the end of it, there were no words to describe just how blessed and happy I felt. I think this picture speaks a thousand words.
It was worth all the effort to get to South Africa. It was worth the tiredness and the mishaps and the throw up and the cranky children.
I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And it truly was the best birthday a girl could have ever hoped for.
15 Money-Making Hobbies
Guest post from Laura
Earning money doesn’t need to be an exercise in drudgery. If you are creative and open-minded, you may be able to make cash doing something you love.
1. Start a Blog
If you have a computer and a passion for just about anything, you have the potential to make money by starting a blog. There are two ways you can go about doing this. The first is to create your own blog and draw advertisers. The second is to find other websites who pay guest bloggers to write posts.
2. Arts and Crafts
This is a great way to get kids to develop artistic skills, and put those skills to use. Don’t worry, you don’t need a future Rembrandt in your home to make money. There are many people earning very nice sums of money selling crafts (such as bead bracelets) on websites like Etsy or at local flea markets.
3. Photography
If you or your kids are constantly taking photos of anything from food to animals to beautiful scenery, you may have an income source hiding in your image files. Why not post those photos to a stock photo website. If people use your pictures, you can earn a bit of cash.
4. Keeping a Garden
Growing a garden helps kids learn about nature, good nutrition, and it gets them outside. It can also provide a little extra spending money. If you are near a local farmer’s market, rent a stall and sell your surplus.
5. Baking
Do you look forward to marathon baking sessions with your family during the holiday season? Well, this may be hard to believe, but there are others who dread the obligatory holiday baking. Good news, you can create a win-win situation by taking over this chore for a fee.
6. Shopping
Much like baking, shopping seems to be a love-it or hate-it activity. If you or anybody in your family happens to love it, try posting a few ads on Craigslist, or other internet bulletin boards, offering to shop and deliver goods for others.
7. Foraging
Did you know that there are plants and fungi growing around you that can be eaten or used for medicinal purposes? Some of these items, such as dandelion greens and morel mushrooms are in high demand from chefs. Others, such as goldenseal are wanted by herbalists and health food stores.
8. Video Production
There are multiple ways to make money with this hobby. The first is to produce a video that is either funny, touching, exciting, or interesting enough to go viral. The second is to offer your services to others. You may not be asked to film weddings as an amateur, but you can get your foot in the door filming school theater performances and sporting events.
9. Officiating Sports
Are you a football or baseball family? Maybe another sport is your passion. If you know the rules of the game, try contacting the local or state level that runs leagues and tournaments near you and offering your services. The kids can even get in on the action as many little league sports will accept officials as young as 14.
10. Canning Food
If you keep a garden, your ability to earn money doesn’t stop when the weather turns cold. You can continue making money if you turn your produce into jams, jellies, pasta sauce, and other home canned treats.
11. Pet Sitting/Dog Walking
This is perfect for a family who loves animals, but cannot keep pets of their own. You can get your daily animal fix by walking, playing with, and caring for pets, while also earning a bit of extra money.
12. Starting a Collection
Antiques, stamps, coins, comic books, figurines, etc… These are just a few items that you and your family can collect for both fun and profit. You’ll enjoy the thrill you get when you track down that perfect item for your collection, and you’ll get a kick out of the money you earn when you sell these highly collectible items for a profit.
13. Hair Styling and Makeup
This is a great hobby and money maker for a style conscious teenager. When prom and homecoming seasons roll around, there are many girls who cannot afford to pay $100 or more to have their hair and makeup done professionally. Offer these services for $50 dollars and under, and your teenager can easily earn a few hundred dollars.
14. Tutoring
Tutoring isn’t limited to academics. If you are passionate about computers, furniture refinishing, arts and crafts, or even auto maintenance, you can earn a bit of money by passing that knowledge on to others.
15. Journalism
Are you passionate about local art, music, sports, or food? If you are, and have a knack for writing, contact a few local publications. They may accept submissions for articles, or even have an opening for an occasional field contributor. You may also be able to work directly with artists or venues if they need help with press or promotions.
Sounds good? Even better, many of these opportunities also work well as a family activity.
Laura Callisen is a devoted mother, writer and sometimes traveler. Today she works as a freelance blogger and writes everything related to self-growth and motivation at Grab My Essay.
I Used to Be So Organized (Part 1)
Are you joining us for this week’s Book Club Book?
Today, we’re reading Section One of I Used to Be So Organized (chapters 1-3, pages 17-43), which talks about why you might be feeling overwhelmed and disorganized. I loved how Glynnis addresses the heart behind disorganization.
Honestly and truthfully, my life has felt kind of out of control much of the time the past few months. I’ve had too much on my plate, I’ve been juggling too many balls, and I’ve felt like I’m just barely getting everything done by the skin of my teeth. I’ve been late, behind, and overwhelmed more times than I care to count.
Some of this is related to launching a book, training a new team member, being in the middle of some big decisions with our business, dealing with difficult situations close to me that are currently requiring a lot of extra time, thought, and investment, and just also the normal stuff of being a wife and mom.
Things came to a head on Friday when I was super late for an appointment and because I was so stressed about being late, I took two very wrong turns and ended up lost… which only added to my stress levels. That day, I drew a line in the sand to say, “I don’t want to live like this anymore!”
I took the weekend off and spent time just thinking through what was and wasn’t working, what I could change, and how we could change our schedule so that I stopped living life so much in the frantic and panic zone.
I tweaked some things around on our daily schedule and picked two areas that I really wanted to work on this week:
- I am not going to check email until after 12:30 p.m. each day. I’ve been training, Meg, my new virtual assistant, in the last two months and she’s now overseeing my main inbox during the morning so that I can fully focus on homeschooling and my family. I was still checking in on my email early in the morning, though, and getting distracted by to-do’s and projects. So I’m committing not to check email until after 12:30 p.m.
- I’m going to aim to be on time for my Periscopes each day. As I mentioned in my scope this morning, I’ve been late for a LOT of things recently — not only deadlines and appointments, but also my scopes. They are supposed to be at 7:30 a.m. CT and 3 p.m. CT and well, I’ve been 10-20 minutes late almost every single day. This is usually because I didn’t plan well ahead of time. I wait until the last minute to plan my scope and get ready for my scope… which always takes longer than I guesstimate! So yes, I need to work on that!
I’d love to hear from YOU. What 1-2 areas in your life do you want to work on this week? Leave a comment and let us know so we can be accountable to each other this week.
5 Things I’m Loving This Week
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done a 5 Things I’m Loving post and I’ve missed it! Here are 5 things I’ve been loving this week:
1) Personalized Promises from Scripture
This little Scripture card holder showed up in my mailbox weeks ago and it’s been an incredible blessing and encouragement to me. It’s filled with Scripture promises that have been personalized with my name.
I have it sitting on my dresser and I usually pull one out and display it every few days. Usually, it’s the exact verse that I needed to hear right then. I’m so grateful for God’s Word and how it comforts, encourages, challenges, and feeds my soul. {The cards were a gift from Jennifer from SweetAsHoneyCards.com.}
2) Rooting for the Royals
Our beloved Kansas City Royals are in the playoffs and we are so stinkin’ proud of them. We don’t have cable, so we’ve not been able to watch all of the games, but we are loving when we’re able to catch a game on our non-cable TV.
And we’re contenting ourselves to follow the stats on MLB.com and listen to the radio broadcasts when we can’t watch the game live.
(Silas is working on loom band projects… His creativity and designs with loom bands is getting really impressive! Also, we may have a bit of a cord situation going on. If you’re kind of OCD about that stuff, you may just need to scroll away quickly!)
3) Hanging Out With Joy
My friend and manager, Joy, was in town this week for two days. It was SO fun for us to get to swoon together over my new book and how beautiful the finished copy looks!
Joy is my manager, but more than that, she’s one of my dearest friends. And she’s poured a LOT of time and energy into helping me take this book from concept to finished product. I’m so grateful for her and for all she does to not only serve as one of my biggest cheerleaders, but also to take so much off of my plate so that I can focus on my greatest priorities.
4) Downtime to Rest & Refuel
The past 7 days were really, really full. I kind of felt like I was drowning multiple times — in a sea of projects, to-do’s, and needs.
So it was such a gift to have a very, very quiet weekend. This morning I lounged and caught up on some writing, blogging, and emails (from bed!), listened to podcasts and periscopes, snuggled with my people, and drank this Dairy-Free Iced Coffee that Jesse made for me.
It was such a blessing to be HOME all day today and to get to soak up the opportunity to have Comfy Pant Day! I’m a big believer in taking time to rest and refuel — especially during busy seasons and today was a special gift.
5) The Scoop on Scope
During my downtime today, I had a chance to read this new book by my new friend, Kristi Clover. She and I met at a conference I was speaking at earlier this year and I was so inspired by her that I went home and checked out her Periscopes, followed her, and have been so inspired by her ever since.
So I was thrilled to get to buy her brand-new book that just released TODAY! If you are wondering what Periscope is all about or you are a blogger or a business owner who is thinking about signing up for Periscope and trying it out, I think you’ll find her book so helpful! I learned a lot of great tips and suggestions for ways that I can improve my own scopes.
(If you’re not following me, I’m @MoneySavingMom on Periscope and I usually scope at 7:30 a.m.-ish and 3:00 p.m.-ish CT each weekday. My Morning Motivation scope is inspirational, upbeat, and focused on encouraging you to live with intention. My afternoon Money-Making Mom scope is all about building a business, increasing your income, and keeping a healthy balance in the process. I’d love for you to join us!)
What are YOU loving right now? Tell us in the comments!
Q&A: “I want to start a business, but I’m so scared!”
I have wasted SO much time and energy on fear. In the past few years I have been challenged to punch fear in the face and step outside of my comfort zone, and I want to encourage you to do the same! Fear paralyzes, but faith frees.
The very worst that can happen is that you end of failing, but failure is not all that bad. Really — it is best to stop fearing failure and instead learn how to embrace it as a learning experience!
Looking for more tips & advice? Sign up for my FREE 5-day How I Make a Full-Time Income From Home course!
I’d love to meet you in Franklin, TN on October 21, 2015!
I’m excited because the MOMS group of Harpeth Christian Church here in Franklin, TN is hosting me as a guest speaker in October as part of their Fall 2015 series.
You can attend this event for free, even if you’re not a member of the group. Call 615-790-0104 for more details on the event and on childcare.
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Harpeth Christian Church, 1101 Gardner Drive, Franklin, TN 37064Read more about the Harpeth MOMS group here.
The MOMS group gathers on the first and third Wednesday of every month. The meetings include great food, fellowship, informative speakers, fun crafts, and childcare. Their goal is to help you experience authentic community, personal growth, practical help, and spiritual hope!
Do It Yourself: Thrifty Educational Center Activities
MissMaesDays.com shows you how to put together some thrifty educational center activities using mostly dollar store supplies.
Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Shared Oct 16, 2015
comment
Brigette’s $55 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $55 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
1 3-ct pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.99
1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.49
1 2-lb bag Red Grapes – $2.38
1 Cauliflower – $1.99
1 4-ct pkg Zucchini – $1.99
1 Spaghetti Squash – $1.99
1 3-lb bag Honeycrisp Apples – $2.98
2 cans Green Beans – $0.98
1 3-lb bag Boneless Chicken Breasts – $6.69
1 head Cabbage – $1.29
1 bunch Bananas (2.62lbs @ 0.43/lb) – $1.13, plus receive $0.25 back from Checkout 51 – $0.88 after rebate
1 2-lb bag Pears – $1.58
1 16-oz container Egg Whites – $2.59
2 1-lb bags Baby Carrots – $1.98
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.29
1 bag Spinach – $1.79
1 container Artisan Baby Lettuce – $1.99
I Gallon Milk – $2.99
Total: $41.86
Harris Teeter
(Super Doubles this week – wahoo!)
2 18-ct cartons Eggs – $3.96
2 boxes Celestial Seasonings Tea – $5.00, used 2 $1/1 Celestial Seasonings Teas, exp. 1/4/16 (SS 10/04/15 R) (doubled) – $1.00/2 after coupons
4 45-oz jars Ragu Pasta Sauce – $6.58, used 2 $1/2 printable (doubled) – $2.58/4
2 24-oz Hormel Always Tender Pork Loin (B1G1) – $11.99, used 2 $2.00/1 printable (doubled) – $3.99/2 after coupons (If anyone has any great recipes using pork loin – let me know! Since they usually cost $12.00 EACH, I figured this was a good deal. :))
1 bag Braeburn Apples, reduced (about 3.5lbs) – $1.00
1 12-oz pkg Sorrento String Cheese – $3.50, used $1/1 printable (doubled) – $1.50 after coupons
2 Yakisoba Japanese Noodles – $1.60, used $1/2 Maruchan Bowl or Yakisoba, exp. 12/31/15 (SS 08/16/15) (doubled) – FREE after coupons
2 4-ct pkgs Dannon Activia Yogurt – $3.98, used 2 $1/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons
4 International Delight Coffee Creamers – $6.67, used 2 $1/1 printable (doubled), and 2 $1.00/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons
2 Challenge Butter (B1G1) – $2.99, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled), plus receive $0.20 back from Ibotta – $0.20 MM after coupons (It’s not every day that I paid to buy butter! :))
1 32-oz Tazo Chai Tea Latte Concentrate – $4.29, used $1.50/1 printable (doubled), plus $1.50/1 evic – $0.21 MM after coupons
Total after Coupons: $13.60
Weekly Total $55.46
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Oatmeal with Fruit (from the freezer) x 3
Eggs and Toast x 2
Cereal x 2
Lunches
Yogurt, Carrots, Apple with Peanut Butter
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrots, Bananas
Tuna Fish Sandwiches, Peppers, Pears
Build-Your-Own-Tossed Salad, Cheese Sticks
Leftovers x 3
Dinners
Venison Roast with Carrots in the Crockpot, Baked Potatoes, Biscuits
Homemade Cheese Pizza (trying this make ahead sourdough recipe for the crust), Tossed Salad
Chicken Noodle Soup (with homemade noodles), Easy Whole Wheat Muffins
Spaghetti, Homemade Dill Bread, Roasted Cauliflower
Chinese Chicken Stir-Fry, Brown Rice, Grapes
Hotdogs, Relish Plate, Chips, Apples (campout)
Leftovers
Snacks
Easy Whole Wheat Muffins, Apples with Peanut Butter, Popcorn, Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
10 Things You Should Bring on Long Flights With Young Kids
As you all know, we recently flew to South Africa and back, with three kids in tow. We flew Delta from Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa — a 15-hour flight each way!
The longest flight any of our kids had been on was a 5-hour flight, so I was a little concerned how they would do — especially since they were quite nervous about the flight.
As a result, I tried to do the best I could to prepare well for the flight. We learned a lot about flying with kids, and I wanted to share 10 things you should bring on long flights with kids. Or, at least 10 things we found were very helpful to have:
1) Backpacks for Each Person
We packed backpacks for each person with a change of clothes, Dramamine, socks, a neck pillow, a blanket, a few activities, snacks, headphones, and a few other items. This made it so nice for everyone to have what they needed with them. It also simplified things since every one was responsible for their own items.
2) Wet Wipes
One of my readers recommended this and it turned out that these were a lifesaver. We used them to wipe off our seatback trays, wipe down the video screens, wipe down dirty hands and mouths, and even to clean up a big bloody nose one child ended up having.
3) Extra Clothes
We had all of the kids pack an extra pair of clothes and socks in their backpacks, just as a precaution. We ended up not needing the extra outfit for anyone (gratefully!), but I was so happy to have them just in case.
We also had everyone bring a sweatshirt and wear very comfy PJ-like clothes for the flights. You want to be as comfortable as possible when you’re going to be on a plane for that long!
I had the kids take off their shoes as soon as they were all situated in their seats and put on comfy socks. This helps your feet circulate better and is just more comfortable, too! I also brought slippers with rubber soles for me to wear and loved having these on during the flight.
4) Dramamine
It’s possible we may have stocked up a little too much on the Dramamine, but I didn’t want to take any chances seeing as I had thought I’d be just fine without Dramamine on my January trip to South Africa and quickly discovered I wasn’t quite so fine.
We discovered that Dramamine actually sort of hyped the girls up, unfortunately. But it was perfect for Silas. And Jesse and I took some for the middle part of the flight, too, so that we were able to sleep and our upset stomachs were quelled.
5) Good Headphones
Good noise-canceling headphones were such a lifesaver. We brought a pair for each person and they were each a different color.
The kids not only loved having their own color-coded headphones, but they were great for listening to music and watching movies. Plus, they wore them to cancel out the noise so they could sleep.
6) Neck Pillows & Blankets
If you’re going to try to sleep on a plane, having a great pillow can make all the difference. This is my favorite travel neck pillow and it’s the only thing that allowed me to get hours of good sleep on the plane.
You have to fuss with it a little bit to get it situated just right and I propped a blanket up on it to help give me a little extra support, but if you get it just right, it’s SO comfortable.
You’ll get a thin blanket when you board a long flight, but it’s still nice to bring your own — in case you are really cold or to serve as an extra pillow. I love this blanket especially.
The girls being silly before our flight took off! 🙂
7) Eye Masks
Eye masks are another must. You never know what the people around you will be doing — they might have their light on for most of the night (as did the lady sitting next to Silas) or their TV or iPad might be shining right in your line of sight.
Eye masks helped our kids be able to fall asleep and sleep more soundly. By the way, they usually give them to you for free on longer flights.
8) Snacks
We found the food to be fairly decent on the plane, but it was nice to have some extra snacks for one of the meals that was less than appetizing. Plus, it was a nice treat to enjoy when the flight was feeling especially long.
9) A Sense of Humor
Do not try traveling with three kids on over 30 hours (total) on planes without a complete sense of humor. Laugh at everything you can laugh at — including yourself!
On the first flight, the last hour or so was grueling. The kids hadn’t slept much (more on that in a bit), everyone was so ready to be off the plane, and I was just tired of trying to redirect and correct bad attitudes.
I tried to come up with anything and everything we could to laugh about and distract ourselves from the fact that we had been on a plane for over 14 hours. And it helped make those last 60 or so minutes not drag by so slowly or painfully.
10) Lots of Patience & Empathy
You’re going to need lots of extra doses of patience to survive a long flight with kids. So pack as much as you can to bring with you. 🙂
I tried to get extra sleep ahead of time and come to the flights with very little expectations other than that we would make it to our final destination in one piece. I also went into the flights remembering that my kids were scared and anxious and that this would probably play into their attitudes… and it did.
So when they were reacting in an irritated way, I tried to remind myself that, yes, those attitudes were not good, but I needed to give extra grace to them because they were stepping way outside their comfort zone in this. So instead of correcting them as firmly as I may have in another situation, I tried to ask them questions like, “How are you doing?” “How are you feeling?” Because I knew that more than stern correction right then, they needed love, empathy, and reassurance.
Since this was our first big trip with kids in tow, we learned a lot. Here are three of the most important lessons:
3 Things We Learned
1) We needed to set boundaries ahead of time. On our first 15-hour flight, we sort of had an anything goes attitude. I just wanted to survive and I was happy with our kids doing whatever it took to make it through with decent attitudes.
The problem was that I didn’t set any boundaries ahead of time: like on when they needed to have lights out and movies shut off. So because we didn’t have boundaries set in place, they just wanted to watch movies for hours. Which meant that they didn’t want to sleep. And this made for very grumpy kids.
On the way home, we set the boundaries ahead of time, reiterated them, and took away the headphones and we turned off all of the electronics during a long stretch of the nighttime. This worked SO mu
ch better and the kids actually ended up sleeping well and the flight went very smoothly.
2) Delta has different rules than South African airlines. I don’t know why I assumed that an international flight with Delta would be exactly like it was with South African airlines, but I did. And I quickly learned that wasn’t the case.
When I flew South African airlines in January, they had a “blackout” time during the night — I’m not sure what it was officially called, but for what felt like 10 hours, no one was allowed to turn on their overhead light, talk above a whisper, or do anything other than sleep, quietly get up to go to the bathroom, or watch a movie or read on a device.
I wrongly assumed it would be the same on Delta. So I assumed it would be no problem at all for our kids to fall asleep and stay asleep for at least 8-10 hours.
Instead, Delta had no such “blackout” time and many people had their overhead lights on all night — including one lady right next to Silas — and people were constantly up, talking, congregating around the restroom, and so forth.
It wasn’t incredibly loud, but it was quite distracting for my kids and kept them from being able to sleep as much — especially on the first flight since they were already so nervous.
3) Always double-check your seat when you leave. Oh how I wish we had done this! My bag with all my medicines, vitamins, supplements, my contacts, my glasses, and deodorant didn’t make it out of the airport with us when we arrived in South Africa. And it made the first few days of the trip especially hard as we had to try to track down replacements for the can’t-live-without items.
We know that I had the bag on the plane and we think I possibly left it under the seat. I didn’t double-check as thoroughly as I usually do (probably because I was just so ready to be off the plane!!) so we’ll never know.
(The airline checked multiple times and didn’t find it on the plane, so we’re not sure what happened to it. But had I checked thoroughly around my seat before deplaning, I may have found it and saved us a lot of headache in the beginning of the trip.)
What tips and tricks would you add to my list? Anything I forgot or any other questions you have about the plane rides? I’d be happy to try to answer them, if I can.
48-Hour Giveaway: $25 BeautyCounter Credit (10 Winners)
Do you feel like you need some sort of new skin routine and you don’t know where to start or what to use? If so, you’ll want to check out this giveaway!
Stafanie, a consultant with BeautyCounter, is offering 10 $25 gift cards to her site to readers here this week.
She sent me some samples of the BeautyCounter products to try. I especially loved this Countertime Nourishing Cleansing Balm.
If you’re looking for skin care products that are made with purer ingredients, you’ll want to check out BeautyCounter and be sure to enter this giveaway! If you’re looking for a way to make money from home, they also offer the opportunity to become a consultant.
Beautycounter is a mission based company, aimed at getting safe products into the hands of everyone. It’s about progress, not perfection because every little bit helps!
BeautyCounter is a chic, stylish beauty brand that is committed to the highest standards of safety and performance. They have what they call their “Never List” is made up of 1,500 ingredients that are linked to human health problems that they’ve committed to never use. Read more about it here.
Unlike many other companies we are fully transparent. Every single ingredient is listed, there are no mystery “fragrances” or hidden preservatives. (We test our products on ourselves, never animals.)
Knowledge is power: To check what’s in your current products go to ewg.org/skindeep (The Skin Deep database from the non-profit Environmental Working Group). Be sure to check any “natural” and “organic” products too!
Would you like to enter to win a free $25 gift card to BeautyCounter? Click on the link below to type in your name and email address to be entered to win. This giveaway ends Friday, October 16, at 11:59 pm, CST. 10 winners will be chosen and posted next week.
Next Week’s Book “Club” Selection: I Used To Be So Organized
Thank you so much to those of you who voted on the next title for our book club!
I’m excited that we have a winner… it’s I Used To Be So Organized by Glynnis Whitwer. This book looks so good and has come highly recommended to me!
If you’d like to join us, you can borrow or buy a copy in the next few days and then plan to join me on Monday where I’ll be scoping and blogging through the book each weekday next week.
The Benefits of Being Uncomfortable
The (in)courage blog is hosting a Better Together series right now that is focused on what it looks like to do life in a way that reflects the timely truth that we are better together.
Each Wednesday, they invite different writers from the community to share what doing life Better Together has looked like in real time for them.
I’m honored that this week, Lisa-Jo shares some of my thoughts about going to South Africa and the benefits of being uncomfortable. Here’s a snippet:
My friend Crystal Paine had never traveled further abroad than the Dominican Republic when she took an 18-hour plane ride with me to South Africa.
She was coming to see first hand the community center, water point, and vegetable garden our blog readers had built together through our partnership with Help One Now in South Africa.
It was hot and often uncomfortable. There were plenty of awkward moments. Because anytime you open your door to your neighbor, whether they live across the street or across the globe, it can get bumpy.
I asked Crystal if she’d share some of those moments with you all – a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to walk around in someone else’s shoes and someone else’s story that is so totally different than your own.
Because sometimes that’s the best way to discover what we have in common.
