Top Ten Road Trip Tips for Entertaining Toddlers in the Car

So we are back from our family reunion trip to Utah, and I am pleased to report that it went very well! I had visions on screaming children and hours of headaches, but we only had a few tears and at the time I couldn't say that I blamed them. I was very ready to get out of the car too!

I was very worried that we would all be miserable the whole way there so I gathered and stowed away all sorts of things to keep the kiddos entertained and prevent as much misery as possible. Some items worked very well and were used multiple times! Some were short lived and then rejected henceforth and forever, and some items were never touched. Here is my list of what worked for us.

1. Movies! This was the all time winner for hours of distraction and happy driving! I bought Toy Story (1) and a couple Veggie Tales (we are Veggie Tales fanatics at our house), but the majority of movies we brought we already had. Wall-E was the most watched on the trip, and it is also the most watched at home. One trick I used was to put away some of the movies we already owned and them bring them out especially for the trip. So it was like they were getting a brand new movie! Yep, I had to think in advance for this one! :) You don't have to go out and buy a high end car DVD player (although that would have been really nice). We just used our laptop to play the movies.

2. Music was the second best anti-cry mechanism. I had a bunch of cheapo children's silly songs cd's (not to highly enjoyed by the adults, but very mich liked by the kids), a couple Veggie Tales cd's(liked by both kid's and adults), some Rozenshontz(I know I spelled that wrong), and some Brite Music. If the kids started getting cranky, just pop in one of these babies and revel in the absence of whining! Music is a great tool. Find some that both adults and littles can enjoy.

3. Don't forget to bring a favorite toy or blanket! I was worried about losing A's beloved Thomas the train(not cheap), but I was so glad to have him on the trip with us! He plays with it every single day, and I just know he would have been constantly asking for his Thomas. He was usually fine as long as he had his Thomas. Traveling and being out of their normal routine can be stressful and difficult for some children. Favorite toys or blankets are comforting.

4. Color books were great for my B.! He just discovered coloring a week or two before the trip and what great timing! He would color and color and color some more. Older kids might like color books with activities in them. A. doesn't like coloring. He would rather watch me color! I think the key is finding something your kids really like and adapt it for the car. A. loves his trains, but we can't set up a track in the car, so he just played freestyle with a few trains, cars and a new helicopter I found for him for the trip. New stuff is always good too. My sisier does the present method. She buys several things that she knows they will like to do in the car, and then wraps them up, and on the trip they open one whenever they need a little pick me up. I have heard of this working for other families as well. I did not do this for this trip because right now I can easily hide things and then just whip them out when I want. Most of the new things were color books, and a couple small toys and few movies. The movies were in the case with the rest of the DVD's, the color books were all together were they couldn't really see, and the toys were small enough you couldn't really see them amidst all the other stuff! So no need for wrapping this time around.

5. Sticker books are fun and different. The ones that have restickable stickers are the best! Magnets are also great for some kids. You can just use a small cookie pan or cake pan and break out a bag of magnets. It is super easy to make your own magnets out of those advertising magnets(I will have a tutorial on this soon).

6. Pointing out things that might interest them makes riding in the car more interesting. We saw numerous trains on our way and whenever we would point them out to A he would say in a hushed, reverent tone, "train!". He was so excited to see a real train!

7. Snacks are vital for the traveling toddler! Have things that they can feed themselves like cereal, grapes, carrot sticks, crackers, or raisnins. Maybe a specail treat of something you don't usually have as a reward for being so good in the car? We had cookies at the end of one day. Before out trip I bought the munchkin snack bowls that are suposed to be spill proof. There is a flexible lid thing that you can reach though and get you snacks. They worked great for A. (3 year old), but B. (16 months) had a little trouble getting his snacks out. So give it a try if you have an older toddler.

8. Story books are great if you can read in the car. I cannot read in the car for very long because if gives me a headache and then the headache makes me nauseous. The books I brought were mainly for bedtime, but I read a few in the car and the boys really liked that. I wish I could have lasted longer. It was easier to read books that I had read to them over and over and over because I knew them by heart so I could look out the window and just turn pages as needed.

9. Have a little down time in the car too. I found that it was nice for everyone to have a break from the movies and the books and hubub for a while. Just look out the window. Maybe put on some realxing music(but not too relaxing music-gotta keep the driver awake!).

10. It is very important to have some run around time as well. Whenever we would stopp to fill up on gas or grab a bite to eat, we always let them run around as much as possible. Get those wiggles out while you can! Everyone will be much happier!

In the Works

Well, I have a few things in the works at the moment. Some projects to share with you in the near future and preparations for a family reunion trip are under way! I will be doing a top ten list of things to do with toddlers on a road trip. Updates on potty training, and my various other painting/sewing projects. And maybe a tutorial or two! I am feeling very ambishous! Everyone is healthy and the house is clean (mostly), so I'm ready to dig in and devour my "to do" list!

Life Goes On!

So much has been going on for me! We have been dealing with a lot of illness at our house, and that has made it difficult to get anything done. I can hardly keep up with the laundry! I was about to take a shower today, and I could't because I didn't have any clean underwear, so I have to wait until later for that load of laundry to finish because I don't want to put on dirty underwear. Gross! My husband has been experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety that is interfering with his day to day activities and his enjoyment of life. I feel like EFT (go to www.emofree.com to find out more about Emotional Freedom Tecnuiqe)would really help, if not solve his problems, but his I don't think he really trusts me that it will, and he trusts doctors so much more. I have had EFT help me on numerous occations so go check it out! More of this subject in the future!

Women's International Summit for Health

If there is anything you should do TODAY, do THIS!!! Go to www.wishsummit.com and sign up to hear interviews from amazing people! There is soooo much informations in this summit! And it's FREE!!!! It is put on by two wonderful women from www.rawmom.com. There are only a few more days left, so get started so you can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn and grow! BE PREPARED TO BE ENLIGHTENED!!!

Pamper Yourself

Ladies, we all know we should spend a little time on ourselves, and we may say we don't need it, or have time for it, but I think we all know that deep down, every woman needs a night of a little something special just for her. So lets not be stingy on the pampering ladies! We totally deserve this! Of course, your idea of pampering my not be slathering mud on your face and sticking vegetables on your eyes, but you must do something to honor yourself! Find that something that really helps you to relax and feel down to the depths of your soul that you are a Queen!

Top 5 tips for Starting a Juice Cleanse or Juice fast

Today I am starting yet another juice/water cleanse/fast/feast. I am following Dr. Christopher's 3 day cleanse program for the most part, without the prune juice in the morning and also adding in some of my own homemade mixed juices like you would use in a juice feast. This will be the third time of following his program and the fourth time doing a fast/feast. I have lost a total of 10 lbs. since starting the cleanses in December. So about 10 lbs in about a month. I still consider myself a newbie to the fasting world, but have learned a few tidbits I would like to share with you if you are going to embark on a cleansing/fasting/feasting journey of your own.

1. If you back way off or eliminate totally sugars and other things you are addicted to, it will make your cravings so much more bearable when you start to cleanse! I thought I would squeeze in one last sugar binge before one of my fasts- bad idea!

2. The day before add in as much raw food as you can or go totally raw. This basically is a spring board in to the cleanse. It will give you a head start.

3. Up your water intake the day before as well. This will also give you a head start, and will prepare your body to release junk. If you start out your cleanse dehydrated, some of the fluids you take in during the cleanse will go toward rehydrating your body. You want your liquids going towards cleansing and flushing out the yucky stuff and fatty stuff. Your cleanse will be more powerful if you do this.

4. Plan ahead!!! I have found this to be so vitally important! If you have to cook for your family, plan meals you don't like or plan things that are quick fix, so you aren't standing in the kitchen for an hour smelling food. It is wise to make something that is not too strong smelling. Also plan your cleanse around your schedule. It is better to do a cleanse on days that are not very busy and on days you can stay home. Certainly it's not impossible, but I like to stay home. I think part of that is that there are more food temptations outside the home, and I don't really want to explain myself to other people.

5. My last tip for starting a juice cleanse is to go in to it with a positive attitude. Don't look at it as not eating or not being abble feed your hunger or addictions (to sugar, chocolate, soda or whatever). See your cleanse as an opportunity to grow and become a stronger person. This is a chance for you to heal your body of disease and obesity! How great is that?! See it as an adventure! Don' be down on yourself if you slip up. Stick with it and know that you have still benefited- even if it was only avoiding a white flour bagel for breakfast! You still are one step closer to a healthier body!

There are so many great resources out there on cleansing, but these are the things I have learned in the short time I've been cleansing. Hope it helps you some in you journey to a healthier life!

Weight Loss Update

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone! Hope it will be full of love and joy and lots of other really great things for you!

I haven't really thought a lot about resolutions, because I don't really make them. Why make a resolve to do something just because it is the new year? Or because everyone else is doing it? I prefer to make my goals whenever I am working towards something specific throughout the year. You don't have to have a new year to have a new start! You can have a new start every day when you wake up! Every day is a new beginning of your life! There is no need to await the next new year to start something, and it is stupid to stop trying to do something when you happen to fail a month after starting your resolutions/goals. Be a strong individual. You are the master of yourself! You have the power to achieve anything you

1. desire
2. plan
3. work hard enough for
4. are persistent at

If you follow these steps, you most likely will achieve what it is you are working towards.

Many people are great at number one! Anyone can desire something. Come on, admit it- you daydream too! We all desire SOMETHING. To loose weight, to make more money, to be a better parent, so be healthier- whatever! So pick out a desire you have, and then move on to step number two!

Planning is key to many goals. If you don't have a game plan, you will almost certainly fall flat on your face. If you want to organize your house, for instance, you would want to break it down room by room. Then you might even break down each area in each room. and plan to knock off one area a week, or one room a month. You might plan a time of day or a day of the week that will be cleaning/organizing day. Or you might plan to use a timer, and set the timer for 30 minutes a day and go crazy at organizing whatever you can for those 30 minutes.

Next comes work. Many of us in America are lazy, or work too hard at our jobs/with the kids/house, that we feel too tired to do anything at the end of the day. This is when we have to push ourselves past that wall and make ourselves do the work in our plans. If you can push yourself to do it, it will become easier for you to do each time. And when you begin to see those results you were after, it will be even easier!


Last, we must be persistent. Sometimes we don't see the results we desire and quit thinking that we are not making and progress(weight loss especially applies here). The thing is, we probably are making progress, but it is only finger nail progress- progress so slow, that we don't even know it is happening until one day we look down at our finger nail and see that we have dragon claws! What we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Be persistent! Stick with your goals.

You can do it!

Yummy Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup

I kind of made this up as I went along, so the measurements aren't exact, but it was super yummy, so I just had to share it!

Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup

1 onion, chopped
a couple Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic. cut up very small

Now put all this in your big soup pot and cook until tender. Then add:

several sliced carrots
a large sweet potato, cut up
a couple stalks of celery, chopped- some leaves are good chopped up in there too

Cook this for a bit then add:

about 8-9 cups chicken stock
a bunch of salt to taste
a bunch of pepper to taste
shake in a bunch of ground coriander(this is what made the soup!)to taste
I can't remember if I added a bay leaf or not, but you could

Then bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes or so until the carrots and potatoes are fuly cooked. Then add:

about a cup to 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken( I cooked mine in the crock pot with a bay leaf, salt and pepper, a little fresh basil, and some dried oregano with a squeeze of lemon over the top)

Then you just cook this until the chicken is warmed up and devour!