Okay, so the part of the story I left out last night (not on purpose, but because I had apparently blocked it) shows the real me in action. So often I blog the final product and you don’t know how many times I cut something, etc.

I need to set the record straight. I DO love being creative. I DO hope to involve the kids in fun during our trip. I WILL be taking our double screen portable DVD player in the van on our road trip next week. I have purchased a new DVD for EACH of the children’s bags! Let’s not be ridiculous.

That being said, I did put together a fun little ditty today. I remembered reading on Jawan’s blog (ages ago) about a project she made called a “lookie loo”. One of Bubba’s FAVORITE things is the ISpy series and we play the game “I spy” quite often when we are shopping (helps keep tantrums to a minimum).

With this in mind, I went shopping earlier in the week for drinks that came in just the right bottle and drank them quickly so that I could wash them thoroughly. This project quickly became a family affair as Little helped me guarantee the bottles were dry with a hair dryer, Bubba found 10 alternate uses for them while awaiting my actual plan for their “lives”, and KB helped dye the rice today.  Honey’s role was to provide incessant compliments and he performed that role beautifully!

Necessary ingredients:

Just a few drops of food coloring:

A helper who is willing to take a break from her powdered doughnut just long enough to do some shakin’!

Little goodies from around the house:
(I’ll print this card and attach it to the bottle with yarn or packaging tape –

depending on my mood and time allotment)

Here are three of the four complete Lookie Loos. The objects are hidden in the rice and we’ll have two in the car on the way down and bring out the other two for the ride home. The plan is to leave the first two with the nieces so they can share the joy.

This was a seriously easy project if any of you are planning on driving any long distances soon. I think it would even be worth it to make a small one for your bag to pull out at the doctor’s office or something.

We are going traveling, as I have said. I emailed a large group of friends AND mentioned here that I needed help with what to do in the car. I am shocked (and a bit nervous) by how many of my friends suggested drugs – for me and the children. Mixed in with the drug references were a few good thoughts and I am grateful.

In the midst of making “Facebook payoff” gifts and goody bags for my kids’ trip, I made a little something for my nieces. They will be traveling for AGES and will leave Memom’s after we have been there for a few days. I thought it would be fun for them to have something that’s FUNctional and cute! I used things I already had and made a magnetic travel game for them.