MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

OK...Brent and I found the coolest thing for Brennen and Kenidi the other night. When we were at Barnes & Noble (at the Coconut Point mall here in Bonita Springs), we stumbled upon what is called a "Message in a bottle" kit. Brent and I were looking for books over in the kids section for Brennen and Kenidi. We ultimately found this when perusing that area. Basically, the message in a bottle kit comes with a nice size glass bottle that houses a thick cork top, wax to seal the bottle & keep it water tight once you are done placing everything inside, a voyager map of the world's waterways, a record log which goes inside it, and a waterproof pen/marker to record everything which also goes inside it. There is also a nice ocean adventure book that comes with the kit which teaches you about water currents and other things pertaining to your bottle's voyage.

The gist to the kit is that you initially start out by naming your bottle. Then, you go to http://www.wheresmybottle.com/ and register your bottle. You have your child(ren) record all of the launching information in the log book. You write a message to whomever might find the bottle and record your location on the map on the back of the log book. You can also include a photo but make sure not to include anything personal about your child or family. You replace the logbook, message, waterproof pen, etc. all back in the bottle. It suggests decorating your bottle so that it can easily be seen in the water. And finally, you properly seal the bottle and then let it go in the ocean.

Once someone discovers your bottle, they then have instructions that tell them to go back to http://www.wheresmybottle.com/ and record where they found it at. They can then remove all of your items and do the same thing with their own family. The fun to the project is seeing where all your bottle has been in the world. You track its progress by frequenting that website to see where it has been. How fun, eh? This would make a great gift for kids - especially if you knew that they were taking a vacation sometime soon near an ocean. For $19.99, you just can't beat it. It's something totally different and out of the box. Brent and I plan to make this a family project one evening while we are here. I'll definitely get photos of the event and especially when we go to release it into the sea. What great fun!

I just had to share this new favorite find with you all. Hope you like it and can locate one for your own family should you desire. Hugs, Angie