Monday, June 5, 2017

Road Trip Bags

I can't believe it's been almost a year since we stuffed up my deceptively small car and headed to dance nationals. The girls did amazingly well on that road trip, even when we hit massive amounts of traffic that doubled our trip home. Honestly, they did better than I did.

I'm going to go ahead and take some of the credit. Our road trip bags, because they were held out specially and specifically for the trip, and because they were packed with well thought out activities, were a big reason why the trip was so successful. They had everything, personalized for them and neatly packed in an organized backseat. They weren't fighting, they weren't shrieking about lost things. Being prepared helped. A lot.

We're only a few weeks away from round two, and the added curveball is that we're not sure if Adam will be in the car with us. The timing is a little odd on this one. He may take the train and meet us there, he may drive with us but take the train home, he may be with us 100%. We're just not sure yet. But honestly, I'm not worried in the slightest. We just got the bags squared away, and I think they'll be a huge hit.

Here's what in this year's bags:
  • New Kindle - for various reasons, the girls have moved some of their allegiance from Apple to Amazon. I'm ok with this. We can expand the storage, they're small and durable, and the price is definitely right. We're obviously holding onto the iPads, and they do use them, but the Kindles seem pretty road trip friendly. I was able to get the new ones for a great deal when they came out, and I found some great cases and loaded them up with movies, books, and apps, but I'm keeping them secret until our trip. I think the novelty alone will buy us a LOT of quiet time.
  • Headphones - last year they watched movies together, but this year, movie choices tend to make us bicker. I did get a few $5 movies from Target that are new and fun, but I'm also making sure each girl has her headphones with her. 
  • Books and Magazines - I've been snagging their magazine subscriptions out of the mail and tucking them away so everything is fresh and new for the trip. I've also gotten a few new books. Madison is really into The Princess in Black, and Reagan still loves her Look and Finds, although she's graduated to the "big kid" ones. 
  • Sticker Books - they LOVE these this year. I had them each pick out a new one, specifically for the trip, and they can't wait to use them. 
  • Tiny Toys - they may seem hard to keep contained on a road trip, but we've figured out that small boxes provide a great space to play. Madison is still into MixieQs, and Reagan loves the mermaid Splashlings
  • Writing and Coloring - the Target dollar spot, and the sale areas at Michael's are perfect for this stuff. Each girl has her own zipper bag of crayons, colored pencils, markers, and (my favorite) multi color pens. They also have huge chunky pads to draw and write on - much more engaging than coloring books. 
  • Snacks - they get control for the trip. There's good stuff, and treat stuff, and once it's gone, it's gone. They love not having to ask, and we keep those water bottles ready for them (and the car potty in the trunk, just in case we don't make it to a rest area).
Car bags are pretty much my road trip saving grace! LOVE how easy they make the drive!








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