Oh my friends! We have just returned from a fun fun (and RELAXING) roadtrip and I wanted to share a few tidbits with you--perhaps because I felt it was a success!
Definition of a "Success"-ful vacation:
Kids had fun
Kids weren't whining
Dad had fun
Dad wasn't whining
We jetted down to St. George, UT, a mere 4 hour drive south of home for us. St. George is a sleepy little retirement town that has GREAT shopping, HOT weather, and a gorgeous landscape. It's the kind of place that's great for a real vacation--because there's not a ton of activities you feel pressured to get out and experience, but enough to keep the kids happy (swimming) and mom and dad don't feel guilty laying about a bit and vegetating.
The car trip down was about the biggest challenge we faced, as going anywhere in the car with an 8, 6, and 1 year old can be exhausting. I wanted to make sure to accommodate all the anticipated wants/needs that may arise during the trip. My biggest help this time was to include my big girls in the planning.
Here's what I did:
I had each of them pick out movies they wanted to bring--both for the car and the vacation. Then they'd get to switch off whose 'show' they were watching. (Oh these poor poor kids with the DVD player in the car......if I had a nickel for everytime I 've regaled them with the stories of MY childhood car trips, where we were forced to play games with each other and read books to stay entertained!--Or worse yet, look out the window!)
Next-I had them each pick out all possible snacks they'd like to eat--first we did this at home out of our pantry. We go to Costco--we have snacks! I always like to keep the cost down as much as possible, plus I don't like all the junk we pick out at our kwickie mart dashes. It upsets all of our tummies, and is expensive!
I also make sure to bring some Culturelle Kids-it is a lifesaver with stomach upsets. My middle child has long been friends with Culturelle, due to the fact she has taken antibiotics for ear infections, and my doctor recommended it to keep her intestinal tract working smoothly. (It's also great for my big guy who tends to get traveler's stomach the most....perhaps the large bag of Doritos tucked away is the culprit?)
Lastly, I had the girls pick out any toys/books they wanted for the car ride and pack it in their own 'travel' bag that they'd keep by their seat in the car.
For my littlest one, it's a complete family effort to keep her happy and entertained. My bigger girls are such huge helps with their little sis! I have my oldest sit next to her, and she gives her snacks, drinks, toys for me, that are kept by her for easy access. She is not a big car sleeper, so I knew she would be struggling at times when she did get tired, but with all of our planning, it really made the car trip manageable!
We were able to spend REAL time with each other as a family, swimming every day, playing games, making smores, and hanging out. We love making memories together, and time well spent is the best way to do it.
(Best part of the trip -for my hair-styling friends--we had time to do hair videos! Lots of new cute girl's hairstyles coming your way!)
Do you have any awesome tips or stories from your summer vacation?
Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post and provided with Culturelle samples. All opinions provided are my own.
I love your post! It looks like you and your girls had a blast spending that time together. I love road trips because you get to have that bonding time with the family and it can be so much fun. I use my iPad all the time when we are traveling, because it is a full entertainment device for them. They can play games, watch movies, read, and watch TV through the Dish Remote Access app. A co-worker at Dish told me about this app and with the Sling Adapter hooked up to my receiver, the kids can watch live TV wherever we can get a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. The kids love to be able to watch all their favorite shows on the road and they like the same shows so they don’t argue over which movies to watch first.
ReplyDeleteAwesome idea! Thanks for the tips--any are welcome to help with process, right! It's all about keeping the kiddos happy. :)
ReplyDeleteHair Extensions, Keratin Tipped, hair store Remy Indian Human Hair,I Tipped, weave Fusion Hair Extensions, Keratin Glue, hair salons Seamless Tape Hair Extensions, Keratin Hair Extensions, European Hair extensions
ReplyDeleteOh, I like the Culturelle tip! I'm a big fan of probiotics, but I never thought to give them to my kidlets on vacay! I don't have any other tips to offer up (I think you got them all covered!) but I do want to say that you have a beautiful family! :-) I'm glad you were able to unwind and enjoy each others company!
ReplyDelete