Airplane Goody Bags for Kids

Our dear friends are moving to Colorado in a couple of weeks :( Our entire family is heartbroken about it. I keep reading this quote I saw on Pinterest "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" but it's not really helping. They left this afternoon to find a house and school so we decided to make some goody bags to keep the kids happy on the plane. I found these re-usable vinyl bags at Walmart and thought they'd be perfect for the job.

I let each kid pick the items for their friend and they had so much fun. As you can see they picked coloring stuff, notepads, notebooks, a matchbox car, pen, a lollipop and a granola bar. Hopefully this kept them busy for at least the first flight!

I try to teach my kids a lot of things... one of the main ones is to be a good friend. I talk a lot about this with my daughter especially because she is older and more apt to understand. We talk about what a good friend is and how being there for someone when they need you is crucial for a good friendship. As both of my kids put together these bags we talked about how much they would miss their friends and I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I bawled the whole time.

P.S. My friend just texted me a pic of her boys enjoying their goodie bags on the plane- score!

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BlogHer Book Club: The Book of Jonas

Long time readers know that I love the BlogHer Book Club and truly enjoy reviewing books. However, I had a really hard time reading The Book of Jonas by Stephen Dau. Regardless, I still think everyone should read it. As citizens of the world we think we know about wars, but this brilliant tale brings to light many of the truths that we would rather NOT know about wars. As a mother of young children my heart broke as I got to know and love Jonas. And it further crumbled as I met Rose, a mother trying to preserve her son's memory.


Dau does an incredible job in describing the feelings of a young boy who has lost everything due to war and been shipped to another country. As if 15 isn't already a hard age, this young is thrown into a new culture and family with little support but that provided by a court-ordered counselor. It is this aid who helps put him in touch with the mother of the soldier who saved his life. And their meeting brings about a beautiful union of two lives that under any other circumstance would have never intermingled.


I found myself putting down this book and embracing my children. I was more thankful as a mom during the time that I read this book. I hurt for Rose's loss and it made me realize that no matter how much we hear about wars on television and in the papers we really don't know the full story. Perhaps it's a defense mechanism because our hearts would truly break if we knew everything that is really happening over there.

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Nest Cupcakes

These mini cupcakes were the perfect end to our Easter picnic last weekend. They are simple vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting. The three "eggs" add a whimsical touch of color and sweetness that everyone will love.

The kids are off school tomorrow and we're planning on spending the entire day at the pool. Have a great weekend!

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