Are we there yet?

Sweet Tea Jewels, my and my husband’s business, was asked to be a part of this year’s Oscar’s celebrity gifting suite in Los Angeles. We were so shocked and honored to be blessed with such an amazing opportunity. We soon began the process of planning and booked our trip.

We decided to fly out for four days and mix business with pleasure. I nor the kids had ever flown before, so I immediately began researching about traveling with kids. I tried not to over pack us because traveling through the airport is hard enough with bags, a stroller, and two toddlers.

The first things I grabbed for myself were an organic Suja banana probiotic smoothie, my Sweet Tea Jewels bangles, and a Young Living essential oils blend in a roll-on bottle. We had to arrive at the airport in the early morning, so I ran in Target and grabbed a few snacks for us. Being a breastfeeding mama, I have to make sure I eat a well-balanced nutritional meal so Harper and I can reap the benefits. The Suja smoothie is packed with ingredients like kale, bananas, and almonds, so it kept me full until we got to the Atlanta airport where we grabbed lunch before our next flight. Derrek isn’t a breakfast eater, so he opted out til lunch. I got Nolan a Chobani squeeze Greek yogurt, and Harper had a Plum Organics food pouch. I wore my bangles because I feel naked without a little arm party going on. I am so glad I did because they were a huge conversation starter. Numerous people around us talked to me about them, and I even gained a few customers! I also used them to entertain Nolan. He loves Mama’s “bengulls,” and we talked about the colors on them and the gemstones. His vocabulary is evolving daily, so I make it a point to talk to him about different things every day. When we booked our plane tickets, I knew I had to get over my feelings about flying. My dad was in the Air Force and always asked me to go flying with him, but I have always been so nervous about it. I made an essential oil blend of Young Living’s Cedarwood, Peace and Calming, Valor, and Thieves oils to combat my nerves, calm the kids down, and protect us from the germs of other travelers around us.

On trips, I pack Nolan’s Skip Hop backpack with toys and snacks for him and Harper to help pass the time. Most kids get unruly out of boredom, and I did not want my kids to be “those kids” when we were traveling. Some of the things I packed were a hit, and some could have been left at home. Surprisingly, the toy that was played with the most by both of the kids was actually the cheapest.

I found these stackable cups in the dollar section at Target before our trip, and we played with them in many different ways! We hid items underneath them, counted them, named their colors, stacked them high, and knocked them over countless times!

During take-off and during landing, Nolan was glued to the window and talked about how he was flying “so high, I touch the stars.” Nolan also watched Finding Nemo on a travel DVD player my mom sent for him. He loves fish, so he was entranced by the movie!

He played on my tablet which I stocked with games, and to continue the fish theme, he played pop the bubbles, and match the pictures and puzzles where he had to place fish in the right places. I also packed crayons and coloring books and silly putty, but the crayons went flying within the first twenty minutes and the silly putty got stuck under my shoe when it dropped on the floor. Some of the toys didn’t end up serving a purpose, but you live and you learn! Harper and I played peek-a-boo, and she flirted with the people around us, but for the most part, she slept.

When my family napped on the way to L.A., I rented the movie The Best of Me on the plane and cried my eyes out. Nicholas Sparks’ movies always get me! During take-off and landing, Harper nursed and Nolan chewed gum to help with the pressure in their ears.

I wore Harper in the Ergo when we walked through the airports so I could have my hands free to pull the carry-ons we had packed with jewelry for the event. I cannot say enough how much easier it is to travel when you are babywearing!

We were complimented so much on how well our kids did on our flights, and I honestly think it was because we had prepped and brought toys, snacks, and boob juice to pacify them until we landed at our destination. I think that traveling across country needs prep if you have kids or not! You want to make your time spent in the air as comfortable as possible!