Traveling with kids doesn’t have to break the bank. There are lots of ways to save money when traveling with kids (or without them, for that matter!) that I’ve learned, sometimes from my own genius mama, sometimes from my own trial and error. Not all of these will work for all kids in all stages, […]
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Who dreads returning home when vacation ends? It’s not just that you’re no longer away from all the stresses and cares of daily life. Readjusting to daily life can be a major challenge – especially if you’re a mama. We’ve just returned from the first of several family trips this summer, and I’m already struggling
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The kids are out of school at last – time for summer adventures. Which means it’s time to prep for all those summer adventures. Doesn’t matter whether that means elaborate summer road trips, car camping, or lots of day trips. Is your car ready for summer parenting emergencies on the go? Getting together your summer
Your Summer Car Essentials Cheat Sheet Read More »
Happy summer, work-at-home mamas! How goes that to-do list? Do you find that the kids being out of school is putting a massive crimp in your work output? Time to summerize your office for work-on-the-go. And to help, here is my list of your summer mobile office must-haves. As I draft this post, I’m away
Your Summer Mobile Office Must-Haves Read More »
Two weeks, one suitcase? No problem! Mastering the art of how to pack light takes some trial and error, but a few shortcuts can help. A week or two away from home with a single suitcase plus “personal item” is totally doable. I recently packed for three back-to-back trips simultaneously: an out-of-town meeting for a
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Need some stocking-stuffer ideas for Christmas? Or a “little something” to give to friends’ kids at the holidays? These super stocking stuffers are under $10 each, and are favorites in our house for family travel. And one of the best parts? There are no batteries or sounds involved! No fighting over electronics, running out of
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I have to admit, I was pretty proud when I dropped Kimmie off at her first sleep-away camp adventure yesterday. She’s there for all of two nights, and her luggage reflected this fact. Thanks to the family camping splurges we invested in last summer, she was one of the best-outfitted kids there. And also one
My Top 10 Family Camping Splurges, Part 2 Read More »
As longtime readers know, I’m not a fan of having stuff one doesn’t need. But if you camp often enough, these family camping splurges are worth considering. And many of them have uses beyond family camping trips. I added these things to our family camping checklist after three back-to-back camping trips last summer. While we
Family Camping Splurges: My Top Ten Picks, Part 1 Read More »
Do you have responsible kids on the road? Maybe you’re thinking, Hah, I can’t even get my kids to be responsible for their own stuff at home, let alone when we’re traveling. (I hear ya; it’s an ongoing struggle.) But take heart. Being away from home is a great time to mold responsible kids. You’re
Responsible Kids On the Road: My Top Tips for Travel Read More »
Overall, our first family camping trip went quite well. Still, though, I’m someone who’s always looking to improve things the next time around. So on the way home from our first camping expedition with kiddos a few weeks ago, I made a list of things I wish we’d done better. Sure, it would have been
Our First Family Camping Trip, Done Better (Learn From Our Mistakes!) Read More »
We survived our first family camping trip with preschoolers in tow. Not that there was ever any doubt – my husband and I have both loved camping since we were in Scouts – but still, we’re pretty pleased overall with how smoothly the weekend went. For the most part, our previous experience in planning camping
Must-Haves for Family Camping with Preschoolers Read More »
This weekend marks our first family camping trip. My husband and I used to camp (or at least hike) every summer, back in our pre-parenthood existence. The further away from home our car-camping and occasional backpacking trips took us, the better. We’ve been kept awake all night by the foghorns near the Bay of Fundy
Prepping for our First Family Camping Trip Read More »
My house is a mess of unpacking, my writing is behind schedule – can you guess that my family and I have just spent the past few weeks on various road trips? For many families, summer means travel. But the reality is that in two-parent households, parents can’t always coordinate limited vacation time with other
Sanity-Saving Hacks for Roadtripping Solo With Small Children Read More »
Are you sick of listening to your kids belt out the theme song from Frozen yet? Do you wish that the singing purple dinosaur had never been invented? Do you prefer some good music for a long car ride over hearing your kids’ dueling electronic toys in the backseat? Do you have a long car
Tunes for Traveling With Kids: Our Top 15 Road Trip Soundtracks Read More »
In an earlier post, I offered four tips on how to pack for traveling with kids, so you can learn from my mistakes and avoid some of the trial-and-error I’ve gone through in trying to streamline family travel. This post will focus on some of the hacks on what to pack that I’ve figured out
What To Pack When Traveling With Kids: My Five Must-Haves For A Better Trip Read More »
You probably have your own toiletry kit that you keep packed for travel (if not, I strongly recommend one that hangs, so you can hang it up high, out of kiddos’ reach). But do you also have a separate one for your littlest travelers? Keeping one packed, and reviewing its contents before each trip, is
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Taking a Car Trip With Your Kids: Basic Tips To Help You Plan Smart Next weekend we’re off to visit my in-laws. But instead of over the river and through the woods, our 21st-century car trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s house involves nearly 300 miles in my beloved Subaru Outback. At least most of it
Your First Road Trip with Baby: Smart Planning Tips Read More »
When you become a first-time parent to a newborn, you quickly learn that you just can’t leave home without a diaper bag. And that your diaper bag needs to contain several toys and clothing changes, as well as the diapers. But by the time I had two kids in diapers, I discovered something equally important:
Why Parents Need an Eating-Out Bag Read More »
to lChances are, if you’ve got a toilet training toddler or preschooler, you’ve found yourself far away from a potty seat or child-sized toilet at least once on this adventure. (Unless you never set foot outside of the house, of course.) My husband devised a simple but elegant solution to this dilemma when Kimmie was
The Mommy Potty (and Other Secrets to Toilet Training On the Go) Read More »
