This Blog Has Moved
It has been quite a while since my last post here! I have been pouring my energy into my teaching printables business, Little Lifelong Learners. In the year and a half since I last wrote, our family has grown again — I now have a two-and-a-half-year-old and a four-month-old, and they keep me wonderfully busy.
These days I share play-based learning ideas and teaching inspiration for parents and teachers over on the new blog, along with plenty of sensory play favourites and other fun activities.
Our Experiences Flying With a One Year Old
We have just returned home from our first overseas holiday as a family of three, which also meant Lilly's very first plane trip. I was incredibly anxious about flying with her — our Brisbane to Auckland flight was only three and a half hours, but the thought of an upset toddler for that long genuinely worried me. After hours of research, I put together this post about what we packed in my husband's backpack to make the journey calmer and more enjoyable.
What Was Inside the Bag?
- A zipped lunchbox holding her sippy cup, packaged snacks and disposable bibs — the Heinz disposable bibs were a lifesaver.
- Several nappies, wipes, nappy bags and a full change of clothes sealed in a zip-lock bag, plus spare socks after a memorable nappy incident.
- Entertainment: her favourite board book, a zip-lock bag of mostly new toys, her beloved wooden worm, a dummy for chewing during take-off and landing, and the iPad (which she mostly used to press the home button).
- A thick, warm blanket for chilly cabins, which also gave me privacy while feeding her to sleep.
- Medicines for the what-ifs: her allergy medication, nurofen, bonjela for teething and my ever-present thermometer.
How Did the Flights Go?
Our first flight left Brisbane at 9:30am, right around Lilly's usual nap time. We let her sleep in the car on the way to the airport, kept her busy through customs, and let her crawl and walk around at the gate to burn off energy. Once on board she was ready for a big feed and a long sleep — she drifted off almost instantly under the blanket and slept for nearly the whole flight. We even watched an entire movie, and the passengers behind us never realised a baby was on board.
The second flight was less smooth but still a success. I held off her afternoon feed and nap as long as I could, though she dozed in the sling at the airport. On board she fed to sleep again as we left the runway, but woke 26 minutes into the movie. She stayed happy playing with toys and reading books, spent time with her Nana and Poppy, enjoyed dinner and even played a game on the in-flight entertainment. The final hour was tougher as she grew tired, but overall she was fantastic — she never cried or screamed once, and all my worrying was for nothing.
Lilly Turns One!
Lilly's birthday party was held last weekend and it was a beautiful day surrounded by people who love her dearly. I spent weeks preparing with zero stress — until the day before, when I realised how much was left to do! Thankfully our families pitched in and everything came together just as I had pictured.
Suppliers
- Birthday banner and pom poms — $2 shop
- Mini pegs for photos — Typo
- Cake — made by me
- Cake topper — Little Paper Stand on Madeit
- Quote in frame — designed by me
- Play dough tubs — The Reject Shop
- ONE letters — Spotlight
- ONE bunting on highchair — made by me
- ONE signature board — made by me
- Lilly's party dress — Upsy Bling
- Headband — Spotlight and Upsy Bling
Sensory Sunday — Pipe Cleaner Fine Motor Play
We tried this fun little activity when Lilly was eight months old, and it was a lovely way to build fine motor skills through simple sensory play.
