A couple of days ago I posted "Survey Findings: How Parents Get Savvy About Summer Travel" a great article that I surely can relate to when preparing my family as we head out the door, especially when they were babies.
In conjunction with Evenflo's Savvy Parents Survey around summer travel One My Military Mommy reader will win the "Ultimate Savvy Parent's Car Kit" which includes:
- $25 Gas Gift Card, a little treat for mom and dad
- Moist Wipes, for quick car clean up
- Baby Mirror, to check out rear-facing baby while driving
- Soft Book, to secure safety of passengers when thrown during tantrum
- Kid/Parent Friendly CD, to inspire a family sing along
- Car Dustbuster, for hunting down cheerios between seats
- Window Shade, to keep the hot summer sun out
- Animal Crackers and a Snack Trap, to carve cravings
- Car Organizer, to keep it all arranged neatly
Giveaway will end July 19th at Noon!
I look forward to reading your comments! Have Fun!
19 comments:
I'm not sure how funny it is, but on our first family vacation to Disney World a pigeon flying by pooped on top of my head. I've avoided them ever since :) *Thanks* for the giveaway! { Cheryl F }
I don't have a funny story yet, because my baby will be born in about 2 weeks, but I know if I have a hard time buckling in my niece, this should be very interesting! :)
Bring enough wipes with you on any trips, you'd be thankful. Game/books are useful as well.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
My biggest travel tip is to pack extra bottles (already filled with water) and fill all slots in a formula container with pre-measured formula. You never know when you will be stuck in a traffic jam and have a hungry baby on your hands or when you will be clumsy and spill half of the formula outside the bottle. I learned quickly from experience!
I clip my child's nails while she is sitting in the car seat so she can't wiggle out!
I do ALOT of traveling my sisters live in Northern Va and I live in Iowa! So when I go home to VA to visit family its a good 14 hour drive! I just did it April by myself with 2 kids ages 2 and 10months! Here are a few tips that help me in the car:
1-Dual Dvd players-got these at Target at Thanksgiving sales for $88 with head mount! Pack lots movies for the 2 year old
2-I pack a basket of snacks that sits beside me so I can hand them back during the ride
3-I buy if I can't find about 2-3 extra pacifiers and put them in hte center console so when the little one drops it, throws it, or loses it i dont have to pull over for atleast 3 times:)
4-I pack a cooler for the front seat with about 3-4 sippy cups full of juice, milk, water whatever again so i can limit stopping for refilling a cup. Ususally a sandwich or two also with the little grab cups( so they don't spill everywhere) of fruit to avoid getting tons of fast food!
5-My 2 year old loves to color and at target they have a little set in the book section (we had mickey mouse) that has little coloring pages on one side and about 5 markers on the other side-its really small and can fit in your bag anywhere for entertainment!
6-Have a young baby that doesn't like cold milk-remember gas stations have microwaves!
7-Long road trip-Get on Mcdonalds.com and find a play place off the road of one of your stops so they kids can play for a bit and stretch their legs!
8-Keep wipes and extra wipes on hand:)
I always purchase a few new (cheap) toys when we travel and only bring them out when my kids have gotten bored with their items that they brought.
Kristina S
kikisdeals@hotmail.com
I have three kids and my oldest is 5, and we've spent lots of time on the road, including driving from Washington State to South Dakota last winter. Here's some of my favorite tips:
-Pack lots of water and snacks for the road to save time and money as you travel. You know those fabric bags with slots used for buying multiple wine bottles you can get at some grocery stores? Those are great for holding sippy cups, water bottles, and snacks on road trips.
- DON'T give your kids anything chocolate in the car...including trail mix, granola bars, chocolate chip cookies and candy. These things may seem like good road trip foods in the store, but you'll invite a giant mess, including chocolate smears all over the car and kids, and chunks of chocolate rubbed into the seat. We learned this the hard way... a few times. :)
- My kids are especially entertained by little toys that allow them to use their imaginations, like figurines, dolls, and cars.
- Remember that winding roads (especially wet ones with glare) and books are a recipe for carsickness! On that subject, if your kids are prone to getting sick while traveling, bring gallon size Zip-Lock bags, because they are easy to hold open and you can seal them until you have a chance to throw it away (so you're not guilty of littering when the kid throws up in a plastic grocery bag in the middle of nowhere...)
- Sandwich bags are great for throwing away diapers in rest stops and other places that don't have a diaper pail...many other travelers and shoppers will thank you!
For a long trip, I always bring new toys that I bought at the dollar store. Every hour or so, I give my daughter a new toy. It usually keeps her occupied for quite some time.
If she's headed to a meltdown, we stop at a Redbox and get a DVD for her. But we try to save that toward the end of the trip if possible because once the DVD player comes out, it stays out (or we face another meltdown) and I try not to have her watching TV the entire trip.
Tonya C.
always carry something to "receive" wierd lunch combos in....and never let your kids order pancakes and lemonaide! What a big smelly mess.
I read this tip somewhere before and just used it for the first time on my last vacation. I have twin 14 month olds so I put each days worth of clothes (including the bow to match the outfit for my dtr) in a ziplock bag and just had to pull a new bag for each child each day. I had whatever they would wear for the entire day including pajamas in these bags. It also saved tons of room. I packed both of them and myself for a week in one suitcase. I will definitely keep doing this. ~Sherri M.~
I always bring a portable dvd player and the kids pack a small backpack with things to do such as bring their mp3 player, portable handheld games (ds, psp), books to read at least 3 and snacks and a cooler for drinks and for the baby I bring her gerber graduates snacks, juice and always bring a first aid kit
tabathia b
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I have a 3 year old that gets car sick and I would encourage any parent dealing with this to try Sea-Bands. They seem to work for her and don't have any side affects. I think some of it is in her head but whatever works!
I also like rice krispie treats for snacks because they aren't that messy
Here is my travel tip:
We have a 8 month old daughter (Scarlett) and she just loves to liste to a CD we made with ROCKABYE music! Its basically rock songs from Metallica, Greenday, No Doubt etc. turned into lullabye songs for babies! Its very calming for her and quite nice to listen to for us! We also make sure we have a new toy for her for the long drive! Besides that, always make sure to have burb cloths, wipes, diapers and enough bottles for the trip! :) For parents with older kids you should make sure to have some snacks and drinks for the little ones, maybe a DVD player with movies, games and a blanket so they can cuddle up into a little ball when youre traveling a night :)
Snacks keep a little one calm until the nearest restaurant or your destination.
DVD players keep their minds occupied.
Leaving early in the a.m. so your child can still sleep for the journey makes for a relaxing trip.
I have dealt w/ enough spilt milk that I only allow water. I don't care what that spills on.
kayshem@hotmail.com
We drove from North Carolina to California with a 2 1/2 month old baby. Luckily, we don't have any 'funny' stories! LOL but I do have a few tips!
*Keep an extra change of clothes (plus a hat, blanket, etc) unpacked and in a separate bag so that you don't have to go digging through 3 bags of luggage while you're trying to stop and see the sights.
*Stop every couple of hours at least and make sure baby is fed and changed and gets a little 'exercise'.
My favorite tip is to have a portable dvd player with Yo Gabba Gabba Videos and of course a change of clothes when the inevitable spill and mishap occurs!
Mari M.
runningmatey at hotmail dot com
Always pack lots of dresses.
Thats the main thing I learnt during our first car trip.
thabal628 (at) gmail (dot) com
When my daughter was almost one year old and was still riding facing backwards in her car seat...She and I were traveling and had it not been for the mirrors on my rear view and on the head rest she would have strangled herself trying to get out of the car seat...Due to her age she was smart enough to know how to climb out but her size wouldn't let her face forward...I know they can be flying objects in a wreck but they saved this little girl from sure disaster...Thanks for the giveaway...
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