MY FIRST WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY!

For a couple of months now, I have been reading the
Works-For-Me Wednesday carnival hosted by Shannon at
Rocks In My Dryer. And y'all...it is so awesome! Each week I find wonderful new tips for just about everything! I've longed to join in the fun; but it wasn't until this past Saturday that I was finally ready to take the big leap and not only remove a post from draft form for the first time ever, but publicly publish that post as well! After privately blogging (in draft form) since the Spring, I am gradually making all of "XBOX WIFE" public. It's a work-in-progress. :)

Now, I am so excited
to finally be a part of:

THE UPSIDE OF DOWNSIZING AND ADDING MORE WHEELS

This summer was a big traveling summer for our family. We took an airplane trip, as well as a long road trip.

Sometimes traveling with kids can be,shall we say...difficult!

They tend to get bored while waiting in line at the airport and hotel check-ins, making it an easy temptation for them to:
a)get loud, b)get whiney, or c)get lost by wandering away,
leaving you either angry, frustrated, or panicked (or all three) and wondering why you took the trip in the first place!

We found something that kept our forces of nature at bay this summer. And y'all, let me tell you, it made our travel time SO much easier! We gave each child their own suitcase. It's amazing what putting them in charge of their own set of wheels was able to accomplish. Not only did pulling their own luggage keep them occupied, it gave them a sense of pride and responsibility. They did NOT want any help, and they kept up with us in the airport. Focusing on their luggage kept them from being distracted by other things. They did not fight. They did not whine. They did not wander away from us. This held true in the hotel check-in lines as well, and it was wonderful!

Of course, there were additional benefits as well. We packed far less than usual. Each person was limited to their one suitcase. This made doing laundry so much easier when we returned home. Lastly, Mr. Brownstone and I were able to have a stress-free check-in at both the airport and the hotels because not only were our children cooperating, but we were also each carrying only one small bag. Long gone were the days of lugging a couple of large, heavy suitcases and several carry-on items, all while corralling in kids. We did each have one small carry-on item because their were certain things we wanted to keep on the plane with us. I had a large purse, and he had a backpack. These helped to occupy the kids after the luggage was checked.

We followed the same exact packing plan for our road trip. We do not have a large car, and the four small suitcases fit perfectly in the trunk. We kept the "carry-on" items in the backseat with the kids, so they could access them easily. It was easy to unload what we needed at each hotel, and it kept our children from all whirlwind activity.

I can definitely say that the idea of downsizing and adding more wheels Works-For-Me, and I hope that it will work for you, too!

**To see another thing that is working for me, click here!

HAPPY TRAVELING!

MY FIRST WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY!

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-first-works-for-wednesday.html