Road Trip Survival Part 2

Here is some more helpful advice on how to enjoy a road trip with your kiddos:

6) Keep a small cooler close by (limit unnecessary stops.....potty breaks stop us enough!) for easy access to snacks and for keeping certain food items cool (ie: cheese, drinks, lunch meats for sandwiches).

Take time to stop and take it all in

7) Bring along several empty containers (with lids for post-snack containment!) for doling out snack size portions from boxes and packages of food.....I just use the ziploc reusable kind .

8) Lunches should be easy to assemble on a travel plate, (I used a tupperware stacking set of 3 deep plates with a lid, they don't sell my specific plates anymore but it was something like this) as mess free as possible and allow you to avoid stopping the car (again!!) while nourishing your family with wholesome food instead of greasy, expensive fast food (save fast food for a special treat once in a while, a small french fries shared between the girls


was always a hit!). I would buy some all natural deli meat, buns or bread, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, cut up some cucumbers and cheese (great gift for the hubs is a Leatherman, I used the knife on this tool for any food that needed to be cut) with a squirt of mustard on the side (taken from the small cooler) and some fruit or a small cookie for dessert..... all contained on the travel plate and VOILA....a travel meal that has all of the food groups for a fraction of the cost of fast food! If the weather allows, stop at a park or rest area to stretch the legs, get your Vit D fix and have a family picnic.

9) For long car trips (over 4 hours) you may think about purchasing a portable DVD player....I know I know......GASP.....tv in the car? Believe me, I thought the same thing.....before I traversed the country in a van with 2 kids who were strapped into their seats. It isn't like it used to be for our parents or even us...I remember sitting on my mom's lap in the front seat while she read to me, or playing in the back of the van where there were no seats! So DVD's make more sense in this age of car seat laws. I don't think it is good to watch movies the whole time, just like I don't let my kids watch TV all day....but for a treat or when we have all had it with being in the car and have exhausted the toys, books, snacks and singing....a DVD is a nice treat for the kiddos and a nice break for me.....so....purchase some great movies (Veggie tales, Baby Signing Time, Cinderella) and enjoy a break for part of your journey.

The higher the better....

10) Don't let too many parks fly by without stopping to play! It is easy to be so focused on getting to your destination that we leave the 'fun' out of the road trip. If you see a cool park, pull over, jump out and burn some energy while having a great time with your kids. Who doesn't love a good ol' swing?

Remember, it's about the journey, not the destination! Have fun, take lots of pictures and at the end, you'll have a ton of great memories, a fun slideshow of pictures and a family who loves just being together, no matter where you are!

Enjoy the journey....

Have a great trip!