travel pouches for a baby and preschooler

Last month we were lucky enough to take a nice family trip to Maui. As excited as I was about the trip, I was also a tiny buy worried about how my 9 month old and almost 6 year old would do on a plane. I searched a bit for things to keep kids busy while traveling but the big challenge for me was that as much as I wanted to put something together for each of them, I didn't want to go overboard. I didn't want to take little games that had a bunch of pieces or toys that made annoying noises or anything that would get my kids "too" excited. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible, yet give them something to look forward to. 

I found these adorable little pouches at Daiso for $1.50, they couldn't have been more perfect... with the words "Have Fun" printed on the front. And this is what I put in them:

For my 9 month old baby:
teething toys
wrist rattle
plastic bear that moves it's arms when you push the tummy (Daiso)
fake phone that makes very little noise (Dollar Tree)
snacks
and leg warmers (BabyLeggings.com)

For my 6 year old son:
Giant activity book (Dollar Tree)
Pedometer, for our Maui hikes (Daiso)
Book with Game (from a Happy Meal a few months ago that he never opened)
snacks
pencil, crayons and blank paper so he can practice writing

So did the kids love them you ask?! Well Our little princess is like any little baby who loves a new toy for about 5 whole minutes. The snacks were probably her most favorite thing and kept her quite the longest. And Babe was initially very excited about everything in his pouch but was much more interested in the plane blankets, free juice and watching movies. 

Which just goes to show you how different kids are and you might not need to worry about "things to keep your kids entertained while traveling", but I would take a backup... just in case.

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march book

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

I realize my March book is being shared WELL into April, but... it took a little longer to read than I had hoped. I know that I am not a "Young Adult" but WHY are the young adult books always so good. So good that you get teary eyed when you realize you are reading the last page, and not because it's a sad last page but just because it's the last page, period. 

From Huntley Fitzpatrick official site:

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them…until one summer evening Jase Garrett climbs her trellis and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love and stumble through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first romance, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own—even as she keeps him a secret from her disapproving mother and critical best friend. Then the unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

One of my favorite things to do when reading a book is try to predict the ending. I got so caught up in the love story of Sam and Jase that I definitely wasn't expecting certain events to happen. I loved everything about this book... young love, keeping secrets from people you love, feeling like you don't know the person you have been best friends with your whole life and finding comfort in something so opposite from what you are accustomed to. I was imagining this as a movie in my head the entire time. Also, I love a book that HAS an ending! I hate "guessing" what happened, so kudos for giving me that satisfaction.

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