A few weeks ago we had a
travel edition of our Thursday tips. In that post I linked to an idea for
activity binders to keep kids entertained while traveling. Since Sweetpea and I were flying together to our vacation, I was excited to try this idea out. Below are some photos of our completed travel fun binder with some specifics about what was in in it. I love how you can vary you content to suit the specific interests and age of each child!

Of course I couldn't resist making a fun cover sheet for Sweetpea's travel fun binder...

The original link for the travel binder included resources for several free printables. We had a couple of dollar store coloring books that I tore pages out of instead for this trip. In the future if I don't have extra coloring books laying around I will definitely print out my own pages. These pictures were taken after our trip, notice the stickers that Sweetpea used to decorate this particular binder sleeve. ;)

I picked up a couple of dollar store sticker books prior to our trip and cut out enough pages to ensure we would have stickers for both directions.

I included some favorite soft cover books that fit nicely into our binder - we read these on the plane and they served double duty as bedtime stories each night!

Another dollar store find - princess paper dolls! I also cut out some characters from various ads we'd been sent in the mail (see map from Dora the explorer peaking out from behind Cinderella) and some free coloring handouts we happened to have for this sleeve.

And last, but definitely not least, a dollar store puzzle! This puzzle was the perfect size to fit on our fold down tray on the plane. I put it into a Ziploc sandwich bag before putting it into the sleeve to help keep us from losing pieces.
I was careful to book direct flights to help ensure our travel was low stress, but this binder really helped keep Sweetpea entertained, and it was great for keeping everything organized!
What organizing projects are you working on? I'd love to hear about them! I'm still having trouble with Mr. Linky, so please leave any links in your comments.
I had a "going on vacation" post scheduled for a week ago Sunday, along with some scheduled posts while we were away, but blogger decided to go on strike for me right before we left and none of it would publish correctly! That said, it was nice to be unplugged for a bit over a week.
We had a fantastic vacation! Sweetpea was a champ on the plane both directions and we stayed in a great place right on the beach with lots of family friendly activities nearby. We returned home very late on Monday night - no one slept well that night, so I definitely feel like I've been in a fog since arriving home. Luckily we had a washer and drier at our condo, so there isn't a big pile of laundry hanging over my head, just the "to do before baby arrives" list to get back to.
I'm definitely feeling my body tell me to slow down and take it easy, though I'm still feeling really good. I'll be napping, nesting, enjoying some one on one time with Sweetpea and sorting through vacation photos the next few days. I'll leave you with this sneaky 33wk belly shot EmDee took at the kiddie pool a few days ago.
What have you been up to?

I don't know about you, but I like to keep several things handy for Sweetpea in the car - just in case we might need them. At any one time I like to have some diapers and wipes, a spare change of clothes, a towel, and a few toys. Depending on the season there might be an extra hat and mittens or some sunscreen and a pair of sunglasses...
Keeping this stash organized and in it's proper place was a challenge until I discovered an easy solution - a compartmentalized reusable grocery bag! Mine was free with a few bottles of wine I bought at Kroger. It's a bit smaller than a standard reusable grocery bag and fits wonderfully behind the front seat or tucks nicely in the trunk.
What kinds of things do you keep in the car with you? How do you store your emergency stash?
Mr. Linky's image links appear to be working - wont' you link up and join us this week?

As this morning dawned bright and beautiful I poured a cup of coffee, stretched and settled into the couch to take it easy for a few minutes before things got moving. As I turn another year older, I can't help but think about a line from
Brad Paisley's song Letter to Me, singing to his 17 year old self
Have no fear, these are no where near the best years of your life
My highschool years were nice, and my 20's were, for the most part, pretty great. But my 30's have been fabulous: I became a mom, experiencing the wonder of unconditional love for my child and delight in her development and that of this new baby growing in my belly. I've learned (or perhaps re-learned) what's really important to me, what I like and what I'd rather do without given the set amount of hours in a day. I've started blogging and met an entirely new and dear group of friends. I'm about to embark on a new and {hopefully} exciting chapter of my life as I've been forced to decide what I want to do when I grow up.
I'm looking forward to what this 33rd year has to bring, and as the day now draws to a close and Sweetpea and I finish baking a batch of cookies together, I can honestly say I love where I am in life! Thanks to all of you for being a part of it.
This week is mainly going to be an eating out of the freezer and pantry week, to clear things out before we go on vacation and make room for a stockpile for those first bleary new baby weeks. You might notice it seems a bit like a hodgepodge...that's because it pretty much is! Big T and I both have birthdays this week - with everyone's schedules we will be celebrating on Saturday. Here's what we have on the menu this week:
Monday: Turkey breast, mashed potatoes and biscuits
Tuesday: steak and veggie stirfry over rice
Wednesday: Brats with peppers and onions and oven fries
Thursday: Turkey hot shots
Friday: sweet potato banana pancakes and fruit smoothies
I'll also be making turkey and rice soup for the freezer this week, as well as a couple of
key lime pies (in keeping with my need to bring a birthday offering to work...) and Sweetpea and I will be baking some
oatmeal cranberry chip cookies to take on vacation with us!
What are your menu plans for the week? If you're looking for inspiration, check out
OrgJunkie for lots of ideas!