A few book "things" to share:
First of all, Karen's book is now for sale. She wrote In Etna's Shadow while living in Sicily and it is a vibrant and tasty read about her culinary adventures. Full of great photos, interesting history, market tips, and some delicious recipes....makes me want to get on that plane for Sicily today! A perfect gift for anyone who loves food and travel(and anyone planning to visit us in the next three years!).
Secondly, one of our favorite children's authors/illustrators, Grace Lin, is graciously doing a bookplate promotion. We love her picture books (Dim Sum For Everyone, Round is a Mooncake) and her chapter book series (Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat). Check out this link for more info on her beautiful book plates. And this lovely quote she used on her site:
A book is like a garden in one's pocket.
Chinese Proverb
And finally, visit the Sweet Thing(s) blog for an interesting post on blogging, mothering, comparing, struggling, and making it all work. Sarah and I have had some on-going discussions via e-mail about this topic so it was nice to see her post and the comments it elicited. In connection to that discussion, she is hosting a book give away. Looks like an interesting book. Leave a comment on Sarah's blog for a chance to win the book.
Hope your pockets/stockings are filled with good books this holiday season!
I am happy to say our most recent cross country trip to San Francisco went very smoothly and with it came a few realizations: traveling without diapers is very nice, charging us to check bags is not nice, and my two kids are traveling pros/troopers. I also realized that as my kids get older our list of travel necessities is changing so I thought I should update from previous posts on the same topic. So here are some things that worked well on our recent trip:
1) Pipecleaners: handy, small, lightweight and good for all ages. Can be used to make crowns, flowers, aliens, and many other twisty designs. Also good for wrapping around the handle of bags to distinguish your black suitcase from all of the other black suitcases.
2) Shoelaces: go great with sewing cards. We love this set and these, too (both brands have nice illustrations and durable cards). But I have also been thinking about making our own set with family drawings.
3) Velcro shoes: makes security lines so much easier. And dressing kids in sweat pants/knit leggings is also good for traveling. Comfy and easy to get of/on in tight airplane bathrooms. And even though my kids are older, I am so glad I still pack extra clothes in our carry on bags. We volunteered to get off one of our flights (got some nice travel vouchers for future flights) and ended up having to spend the night in Houston (yes, I am nuts to do this with two small children...but happily it all went well and now we have a free trip!)...anyway the extra set of clothes was put to good use.
4) Blank sketch books: good for drawing, tick tack toe, etc. Also, keep meaning to make some pencil rolls like these because they would be great for traveling.
5) Magnets and stickers: (or band aids, too!) keep little hands occupied. These sets are nice for air/car travel and also good for restaurants because they are so thin and lightweight.
6) Little things: Noah was thrilled to have some micro machines (thank you, Aunt Carol). Camille loves these animals. I always find myself stashing little figures, matchbox cars, etc into small bags in anticipation of upcoming trips.
7) Hand gel: I am a fan of the Bath and Body Works hand gel. Nice small containers and less harsh on skin. Baby wipes are also good to have on hand. Just never know when a mess will happen or when you might be someplace without quick access to soap and/or a sink.
8) Car Seats: We travel with our car seats so we don't have to rent them at our destination and for use on larger planes. The GoGo Kidz is a long time favorite for car seat travel. And here's a more recent favorite. Since my son is now in booster seat (which can not be used on flights), we went with a booster that could be folded and fit into it's own travel bag. Very happy with the Compass booster seat. Here are my other travel gear recommendations.
9) Books: lots and lots of paper back books. This book and this book continue to be big hits when we are flying. I also try to find books about the area we are visiting. I buy a few new books for each trip but mostly just go through our book collection and pick books that haven't been read in awhile. I also packed a couple of "blank books" (paper stapled or sewn together) so the kids could make some of their own on the trip.
10) Extra hands and extra time! I had my mom with me on the most recent trip which was a huge help, but when I have flown solo with the kids I have quickly learned to ask for help. I have also learned to book flights with enough connection time to get additional food, bathroom break, and run around/play time. I'd much rather have a longer lay-over than be rushing to catch a plane with two little ones in tow. And for military families, check out the airport USO (great for free snacks, computer access, help, and some even have areas for naps and/or showers). 
