NAPPY BAG LADY !! YOU BACK ON MN??

[BareFootAngel]

have been reading your dhs blog re your trips..you seem to have had a great time ..take care and nice to see you back !!

yup I wanted to say how fab it was reading your blog and your experiences in Aus - your dh is quite the writer... had a few chuckles.

hope you enjoyed it and felt it was worthwhile.

Yeay I'm back. Had such a great time, still can't quite believe that we were mad enough to do what we did.

Have lurked on MN a bit since I got back but been a bit too spaced out to write anything. Tim the travel writer (secret MN addict) spotted my name in lights and told me I'd better get back on the keyboard.

Am still mulling over our adventures. Would love to somehow use our experiences to help others planning a hol/big trip but not sure where best to put it on MN. Have loads of top tips and things to avoid (bloody tiny camper van, mutter, mutter...). I seem to have come home as a bit of a hippy and feel that I need to spend a bit of time reflecting on our experience.

Anyway, enough blathering on. I'm back. Glad to be back but had THE BEST time. Thanks to everyone on MN who offered advice and encouragement before and during.

And if you've no idea what this thread is about look at this
or the earlier thread

Fan-bloody-tastic! I would love to do something like this...just need to convince DH.

How did you afford it? (rude Q!?) I suppose you have to save up quite a few grand? (How much did it all roughly cost - don't worry i'm like this in rl too!)

Have been thinking about your trip Nappybaglady as we are about to embark on 2mths around Eastern Europe dh, myself and dd who will be 18mths when we leave. What toys etc did you pack to entertain your youngest. We are probably a bit more limited for baggage than you and are trying to get 4 outfits in each and share one backpack. I thought one of those 'soft gym style bags' might be tied on to the pack for carrying and detatched for train/bus rides etc for entertainment.
Thinking at the moment of a couple of books, maybe some children's cards that kids can do pairs with but maybe we can make up stories, noises etc with them. A token small soft toy and a water draw thing with water pens for her to draw on.
Any other ideas?

WELCOME BACK!! how you feeling? were off to port douglas in just under 2 weeks....

AAA have posted on a couple of your threads and will email later in week/next week

Kids awake (still sleeping off the jetlag)now so will pop back another day

ok hun ..byeeeeeeeeeeeee for now

chuffed - we were pretty tight for luggage too. Took 2 large soft bags (kind of barrel shaped things) plus travel cot(!!!!), pushchair and 2 small rucksacks/changing bag. Top tip is to get laundry nets - the things you're supposed to put your undies in for the washing machine. Put each persons clothes in one of these then pack them. Keeps stuff together, less creased and less fiddling about at bottom of bag to find your knickers. We got ours at one of the Lakeland shops but I think I've seen them in supermarket. they will now be part of our luggage wherever we go - invaluable.

Re toys. Take less than you think you'll need. You will easily be able to buy stuff as you go. 2 or 3 favourite books. Something squeaky or noisy (I'm afraid you can't get away from the noisy toys just cos youre going away)and something comforting. We took an inflatable globe to use in pools/as ball/for navigation. also had inflatable bat and ball thing. For long journeys I had a little box of treats - the sort of things you get at supermarket for party bags. This included tiny plastic planes little puzzles and those noisy party blowers - anything that would keep them amused for a while but was pretty disposable (until DS became totally attached to his little red plane)

As long as your DD has mummy and daddy and somewhere new to explore she really won't need many conventional toys. Have a great time

Starrynight - bloody fortune
Spent all our savings and have few thousand on credit card. hard to say exactly what it cost because most of the money wrangling involved leaving enough in our normal accounts to cover normal monthly payments until end of august when we get paid again. flghts were £5000. budgeted £100/day for rest of transport/accom/food/trinkets. didnt get many trinkets!

will probably never work out how much it cost but the experience was priceless

Thanks for that! Think it will be a few more years of saving for us. I can imagine how fab it was - something I have been longing to do for ages.

NBL, I am in awe of you and your family.

Green with envy and massivley disappointed that I'd never be able to convince DH to do the same.

What a fantastic thing to do and what an experience for your little ones.

I bow at your greatness

thanks nappybag lady - good advise on the nets.
Inflatable toys great idea.
Soooo excited!

emmatmg