Preparing to Fly with Kids.

My current project is airplane activities for our upcoming trip to Utah.

I am hoping that I won't have to use them.  You know, the boys will sleep the entire time, or they will just chill and relax (chillax as the cool kids say). 

However, there is the SLIGHT possibility that they are going to demand to be entertained the entire time.  Or until the last fifteen minutes of the flight when they decide it's time to sleep (no, not my kids).

In order to plan for the unlikely event they need to be entertained, I have been searching Pinterest, you know the go-to website for ideas of all kinds.  I have found some gems, including a list of fifty ideas to keep your kid entertained on flights.  However, I found this list was kind of ridiculous, as some of the ideas included some noisy, albeit entertaining ideas.  The list also included toys with small parts that can easily roll off the tray-table-in-front-of-you.  So I am coming up with my own list.  It is still a work in progress, but here is a preview of what I am working on:

Personalized coloring pages. Here is the link for the tutorial.

How cute are these boys?  Seriously cute.  

I made one of the entire family, and it is definitely not as cute. Kids can make anything look cute, not so much with adults.

Also, the other thing I suggest, call the airline, or use the website if you can, and request kids meals.  They still might not like the food, but there is a higher chance there will be something they like.

What has worked for you?

Preparation vs. Reality: Consumables.

As we are about to hit our six months in Sri Lanka mark, I thought it was time to comment on one of the things that gave me most stress before coming here.  Our consumables shipment.  In fact, I worked for hours trying to figure out what to bring, what not to bring, sending e-mails to every person living in Sri Lanka I had an e-mail for.  (I am pretty sure that I was labeled "crazy/hyper/annoying" before I even arrived.)  What could I do?  I needed answers because I had no idea what I was doing.  

Let me back up, for those who don't know what the heck consumables is- it is a shipment that we are given that is for food and other essentials that we cannot get in country.  Many posts allow this shipment, and Sri Lanka happens to be one.  We knew that once we arrived in Sri Lanka, we would be able to ship some things from the States (from Amazon.com and netgrocer.com), but things like liquids  (peanut butter is considered a liquid) would not be able to be shipped.  So we needed to make sure we had our supply ready.

Here is what we did.

1.  Asked everyone we could what we should take.  We were told that we could get just about everything once we moved here, to buy mostly brands that we liked.

2.  As soon as we found out we were going to Sri Lanka, I started making lists of how quickly we went through certain things, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, toilet paper, contact solution, peanut butter, diapers, anything we thought we would need.

3.  Once we got to Virginia, we asked some more people what we should get.  We asked some good friends with kids the same ages as ours, who had just come back from a place somewhat similar to Sri Lanka.  They told us the best advice we liked the best.  They told us a lot of the prepackaged stuff, cereal, treats, pasta, and crackers tasted like cardboard once it arrived to them, and it was just as easy to get it shipped from amazon.com after we arrived.   So we avoided buying a lot of those types of things. 

4.  We focused our purchases on things like peanut butter, sauces that we like, baking supplies- flour, sugar, baking soda, powdered and brown sugar, maple syrup, things that are difficult to find outside the US of A.  Toilet goods- paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates.  Toiletries- shampoo we like, toothpaste, all manner of soap, sunscreen and bug spray. 

When we arrived we saw that we really could get most things on the local economy or at the small store that we have at the Embassy (similar to a commissary).  I am grateful that we brought a lot of stuff, though, as some of the things we like are more expensive here. 

Now that we have been here six months, I can say that we are happy with what we brought and what we did not.  We do have a few regrets, but nothing major.  The thing that I wished I would have brought more of is vinegar.  It is expensive here (a small bottle is about $3.00), and since we bought a Costco size bag of Baking Soda, it would be nice to have the vinegar to go with it.  

I realize this post is a little...well...boring, but it would have really helped me when I was doing extensive research on what to do for our consumables shipment.

After six months, we are still really glad that we are here.  We absolutely love it.  We have made some most excellent friends, we love our home, and life is good.

Just so this post is not all words, I am throwing out some of my favorite random pictures from the last six months.

Preparation vs. Reality: Finding Make-up that Doesn't Melt.

Before moving here one of my concerns was what kind of make-up to wear in the heat and humidity that is Sri Lankan weather. I asked everyone I could, and everyone was extremely helpful, but the answers were pretty different depending on who I was asking. The answers I received told me I was going to have to figure it out for myself.

So here is what I figured out.

I keep my routine pretty simple, and this is how it usually goes. I don't feel like putting makeup on, but I need to put on sunscreen. I think, if I am already putting on sunscreen, I might as well put on tinted moisturizer. If I put on tinted moisturizer, I might as well put a little color on my checks, and lips. Then I think, I have already gone this far, a little eyeliner would be perfect. That's how it goes most days. Sometimes, I really do stop after the tinted moisturizer and head out the door.

These are the products that I have found work well for me.

1. Urban Decay eye primer. Love it.

2. Garnier eye puff roller. I love this, especially on long flights. My eyes instantly feel better.

3. Garnier BB cream. Apparently it is tinted moisturizer 2.0. I haven't really noticed, but it stays on and provides coverage, so I am happy.

4. Stila lip/cheek stain- coconut crush. This multi-tasker is fantastic. The color lasts all day and I can use it on my checks and lips. Oh, and it smells good.

5. This is my favorite lip gloss. I usually put this on on top of the stain for a little shine. This one is Make Up Forever I don't know the name, but the color number is S2.

6. The Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in a creamy powder. I just have a sample, but it is awesome. I don't know if it has a SPF, but the coverage is AMAZING.

7. Last, but not least, pot of eyeliner and brush. I have tried all sorts of eyeliners, including waterproof, and they left me with terrible circles under my eyes. This one I bought at Target in the Boots section.

*I only put eyeliner on the top lid, it is the only way- if I don't want raccoon eyes. I sweat too much.*

 

If I feel like being fancy, here is how I add to my routine.

1. Mascara. I don't have a favorite, I just use whatever I have. This one is Cover Girl, has an awesome brush, and works well.

2. Nars bronzer/blush duo. This one is Angelika and Laguna.

3. Eyeshadow duo. I have a few of these and it makes it easier to know what colors to put together.

4. Erase paste by Benefit. I use it as an under eye cream and concealer. Oh how I love this, but I don't wear it everyday because it melts quite easily. However, if I am going somewhere fancy that will have air conditioning, I wear it.

There you have it. My humidity friendly make-up routine. I hope this helps if you are coming to visit :) or just looking for something new to try.





Do you have any favorite products that you don't want to live without?

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Preparation vs. Reality. Cooking edition.

Do you remember about a year ago I started posting the ways I was preparing for our Sri Lanka adventure?  It started here, continued here and here.
In case you don't want to link to those pages, I will tell you I talk about cooking, make-up, Marine Ball dress, driving, and getting my "woman-stache" taken care of.  

Now that we have been here a few months, I thought I would report back and tell you how/if my preparation has paid off.  Shall we start at the beginning?


Cooking.

Yes, friends, I have been cooking.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Almost daily.  I have actually mastered a few recipes, and we have a few family favorites.  I have to find substitutions for some of the ingredients, but for the most part, it has been fun to cook and try new things.

I have even cooked a whole chicken.  I accidentally cooked it upside down, but it turned out fine.

Thanksgiving turkey- here I come.

One thing I have learned is that cooking is A LOT easier when you have the right tools- plenty of measuring cups/spoons, thermometers, and bowls.  It is also a lot easier when you have someone to help do the dishes.  Especially since we don't have a dishwasher.  Well...technically, we have a dishwasher, but it is in another room (not the kitchen), so we don't use it.

Some of my failures:  I made bread, but forgot to add the salt, so it was disgusting.  I also made some pasta carbonara in which I measured the pepper incorrectly (way too much), and it was not so good.  I am sure there have been more, but these were the most recent...like Monday.

Overall, cooking has been great.  It has been a little tough to get used to cooking everything on my own.  The connivence of prepackaged foods is such a huge time saver, however, it is certainly more gratifying when I have made an entire meal from scratch.  I do find, however, when I make a huge meal, the next day my desire to cook is seriously diminished.  In order to overcome this, I just try to make one or two really nice meals a week, and something simple the rest of the week, have leftover night, or have "take-away".

For recipe ideas, I have become really familiar with Pinterest.com, and have actually made a lot of the recipes I have pinned.

In case you are interested, here are our favorites:


Blackened chicken with quinoa and an avocado sauce

Thai food- chicken (this we make at least once a week- usually more.)

Coconut Chicken (we also love this with shrimp)

OH, and for dessert, Pioneer Woman has the most incredible Texas sheet cake recipe (Thanks Anne, for the recommendation) - this recipe is great because it calls for buttermilk, which I have not seen here, but gives instructions on how to make your own.  Super helpful!
 

If you have any favorite recipes, let me know...I would love to try them out.

Preparation: Not thinking about it.

Moving is hard.  No matter how many times you do it, there are always some challenges.  Not to mention leaving awesome friends, not knowing when you will see them again.

This move is no different.

In order to take my mind off the frustrations and the sadness, I find as many things I can to take my mind off moving.

This time I have several things:

1. Christmas.  Nothing like buying more stuff to pack up to take my mind off of moving.
2. Going on home leave.  We get about a month to go "home" and spend time with family and friends. This time, for part of our "leave", we get to go to Seattle to see my parents.  Neither Ben or I have been to the area, and we are so excited!
3. On our road trip across the USA, we are going to be able to see my sister and her new baby!
4. We have a few months of training, and we are going to try to make it up to New Jersey to see all of our Jersey friends.  That, and some time in NYC!
5. This is the best one:  there is a good chance that we will be able to go to Paris on our way out to Sri Lanka!

Ben and I have wanted to go to Paris together since Jack and I went (without Ben- because he was in training).  Paris.  Even if just for a day, it is something to look forward too.  Even if we are all jet-lagged and tired.  Even if we only get a few hours.  That is all we need to go to a few spots, take some pictures and eat some good food.

Now if we can figure out a way to have a babysitter in Paris...

Pictures from the trip Jack and I took to Paris in 2007.  

We went with my parents, one brother, and two sisters.  

It was an awesome trip, and I am excited to go back.
(Can you believe how little Jack is? ) 

The great thing about looking forward to something is even if it doesn't work out the way I have it in my mind (which is almost certain), it is getting me through the next few weeks.  

For right now, that is what I need.

Preparation: Organizing.

Yesterday I felt overwhelmed by my closet, and I decided to get it organized.  I took everything out of the closet, drawers, did all the laundry and piled all my clothes on the bed.  After thinking it through, I tossed all the clothes on the floor so that I could make piles on the bed.  It took a lot longer than I anticipated, but I was able get everything organized.  Now I feel a lot better about life.  

On to the rest of the house.

The next step in preparing to move is to plan for home leave.  

We are spending a few weeks in Utah, and we have to figure out where to stay.  Hotels are expensive and I think spending the entire time in one place is a lot to ask of any our friends and family.  What is the saying about visitors and fish, they both start to stink after a few days?

We don't want to impose on anyone for more than a few days, and are now accepting offers.  

To sweeten the deal:

 I will make breakfast and dinner, and the children are pretty good at windows and dusting.  

I'm just saying, it could be a pretty good situation.

Think about it.

Preparation: "The Dress".

Every year in November, the Marines celebrate their "birthday".  In order to celebrate, all over the world wherever there are Marines, there is a party.  In the case most of the Embassies around the world, it will be a Marine Ball.  It is a BIG DEAL.  Dressing up, dancing, dressing up.  Sunday best is not good enough for this soiree, no sir.

Finding a dress for this event is a big deal.  I have heard of women buying dresses appropriate for the red carpet.  I have seen pictures of lovely ladies dressed in extremely glamourous dresses.

Buying a dress for the Marine Ball is something I have thought about since Ben got this job.  Seriously.  I am excited for a Marine Ball.  I love that I have an excuse to buy a gorgeous dress.

The problem is finding a dress.  I need something modest.  However, I want to be sexy, glamourous, and gorgeous, without looking like the Mother-of-the-Groom.  You know what I am saying?  I realize I am getting older, but not old enough to give away one of my sons in marriage.  Certainly not old enough to dress like I am.

For my dress, I require sleeves, a back, and my cleavage (what little I have) to be covered.  This is difficult.  I have found many, many dresses, but they are usually missing one key requirement.

I realize that there are options to make an immodest dress modest, but I don't want to.  Adding a jacket, bolero or other cover can often take away from the beauty of the dress.  I want a dress that is whole and complete.  As is, if you will.

Now, it is not all bad.  I have found a few options, but the options are extremely limited.

This is the next thing I am doing to prepare.  Searching for a modest gown that is glamourous, sexy and will take away Ben's breath when I walk in the room.

That and I need to buy some SPANX.

I would love suggestions if you have some.