We asked readers to tell us what items they would stock in the fabulous in-flight organizer- Tray Bien- on their next flight. Congratulations to Tim Wesemann and Amy Senior for their unique and beneficial entries! With their permission, we are posting them here:
Tim Wesemann from St. Louis, MO travels with his 13 month old daughter:
What will be stocked in my Tray Bien on my next flight?
· One dog-eared copy of Jet with Kids: Taking the Fear Out of Flying … With Your Kids.
· One copy of the latest Jet with Kids blog entry that I printed out the night before.
· One $8.49 (plus tax) bottled water, purchased while waiting at the airport gate.
· $6.00 to cover the charges to use the airplane pillow-blanket combo special and $12.00 for the charges to use the bathroom.
· One bag of sugar-free Gummi Bears® left over from our 2005 Easter baskets. The chewing action will help the little ears deal with the cabin pressure at take-off and landing. And since the bears are old and stale, each will take approximately 8 minutes and 36 seconds to finish, making it difficult for small mouths to make big, distracting noises. (Note: Five bears will cover almost 45 minutes of the flight.)
· Two Advil® tablets for the person sitting in front of my child after she kicks the back of his or her seat at least 13 times while trying to get the Gummi Bears® that are stuck in her baby teeth.
· A set of ear plugs … for the person sitting in the seat behind my child.
· Five Ghirardelli® dark chocolate with white mint filling squares – two for me; two for my spouse; and one to leave on the seat for the flight attendant — if he or she has been helpful and kind. If the flight attendant has not been helpful I will keep the fifth one for myself, hoping the attendant has learned a valuable lesson.
· Eye drops to use when I wake up from my nap only to find my daughter sleeping soundly on my lap (since take-off) and suddenly coming to the realization that all the nightmarish fears — the expensive water, need for Gummi bears, Advil, airline charges, and ear plugs – were all a part of a bad dream! All I really needed in my TrayBien was the Jet with Kids paperback and copy of their latest blog entry … and, of course, the chocolate!
Always good to travel with a sense of humor as well! Thanks Tim for the laugh…
Amy Senior of Port St. Lucie, FL supplied a list of beneficial items from her experience flying with her young daughter. When notified of her winning entry, she replied, “I JUST came home yesterday (11/4) from travelling alone w my 22 month old..flying from Florida to Boston and back again. I COULD HAVE DESPERATELY USED the TrayBien and will cherish it from every flight now on. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!”
Congratulations Amy! Here is Amy’s winning entry:
My TrayBien will be stocked with:
-Colorful animated childrens’ “Band-Aids’; they seem fascinated for long stretches of time with the peeling and the sticking and the characters.
-A small flip hand held notebook, again w a popular character (Elmo/Cinderella..) on the cover; available at Dollar Store or cheaper to stick stickers/bandaids/color (with washable crayons…).
-A small, easy to store book she hasn’t seen yet, with pop-ups or lift-up sections to “discover.”
-Water/juice in a color changing-with temperature cup (Munchkin)..so she can be distracted by the cold beverage poured in turning outside of cup one color to another, then back again as it warms.
-Disposable camera for her to take her own photos with; for her love of saying “Cheese!” to everyone around her (hopefully endearing those passengers skeptical of sitting near a toddler) and the sheer joy of the noise of turning the lil wheel after each pic is snapped.
-New (never before seen be her) vibrating, battery powered tooth brush w fave character on it…for both amusement/distraction and practical purposes.
-Staples such as moisturizing, foaming, colored alcohol-free hand sanitizer and baby/hand wipes; napkins; healthy snacks/hydrating fruits (cut up melon) & diaper changing pak w essentials including deodorizing diaper disposal bags.
-Suction cup bottomed small childrens bowls w lids, some w snacks, some empty for potential airline snacks, all to get suctioned (& not spill) to tray.
-A new light up (non noisy) toy.
-Small unwashed blanky from home’s bed (familiarity & comfort).
-Cool non slip thick socks or slippers maybe w lil characters on toes (to interchange w shoes she will remove once in seat to not kick chair in front of her).
-*(My fave)* a small photobook we made earlier of faces of people/family from home and people/family we are on our way to visit, to “study” everyone’s name and face for familiarity and recognition when we see them again or for the first time when we get to destination and/or to remember whoever we miss and left behind at home.
Amy adds to her entry after flying yesterday:
I just discovered on this recent trip that my daughter was very occupied and happy w a travel size (generic version of..) an “Etch-A-Sketch”…the little pencil cannot become detached and lost on the plane..the “coloring” is erasable on the screen,,no mess, no noise..perfect item for travelling and Tray Bien.
Congratulations Winners! For the rest of the JetWithKids community, Kathy Drury is offering a 15% discount until December 5, 2008. Just enter “JETWKIDS” when checking out. Tray Bien can be purchased at Jet With Kids or directly at the Tray Bien website. The coupon code will work both places.
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