Road Trip

Image by -Snugg- via FlickrGood morning folks.  Today will be a road trip.  Not far, just taking the Grandbabes back home.  But College Girl is going to join us on this one.  I love that as the conversation becomes so much more interesting. She has a quick wit and inquisitive mind.  Makes it all the better!

I love these  lil road trips.  Yes, we know the way and have seen the same sights time and time again.  But have you noticed that once your in the car how conversation flows.  Well it does for  us.  We giggle so much then, madness seems to take over.  And before  you know it we are all laughing at the littlest things.

Oh and then there is the music.  You plan what music you taking for the trip?  Will it be hard core rock n roll?  Sweet tunes crooning away.  Showtunes we call all sing along too?  Anything but the kids rock, right!

And never forget the food.  Yes, my hinney hits the seat of a car and all of a sudden I am hungry.  Dear Hubby knows this is going to happen every time.  So we prepare for all the important things.  Like stopping at Sonic before we ever leave town for a big ol cranberry sprite.  Then it is donuts from the best place ever 3 towns away if it is a morning trip.  If not then lunch where Elvis use to sit and grab a burger with his army buddies.  Gotta love road food.  I wanna be the female version of Guy on DD&D, just melting over the yumminess of it all.  (Is that a word?)

Last but not least it is the getting there.  Hugs for the family.  Catching up on the latest news.  Kissing the grandbabes once again.  And then heading back home for the day to day routine.  Not a bad thing to do with a day off.  Wanna go along for the ride with us?  If so....think I will tweet it today.  So pop over to @CrazedMind on twitter and see how it goes.  Maybe  you will be able to get one of the apple fritters from breakfast?

Spontaneity is in the Bag

Summer fun is coming up.  We are gearing up around here for time with our grandbabes, Princess Emma and the great nieces and nephews to visit.  Of course we do not have kiddos in the house every day so there are a few things we need to plan for.  Along with lil road trips that we will get to do from time to time.  I have been so lucky as to have some great ideas shared with me.  So of course, I am going to share with you too. 

First I loved getting a spontaneity bag ready for the car. Convert a hanging travel cosmetic case into a case full of fun and hang it from the seat back in front of the kids’ seats.  We filled it with travel packs of crayons, coloring books, mini toys (like from the fast food joints), snacks that can handle hanging in the car and bottles of water with sports tops on them.  Some of the snacks I included were Twizzlers Candy or Twizzlers Nibs Candy since they are one of our favorite non fat candies.  There are also Lances Peanut Butter and Cheese Cracker packages too.   I have to giggle as I have seen the grandbabes trying to make different 'works of art' with the pull n peel Twizzlers.  Have you ever done this?

I also have short day trip ideas on a note pad in the glove box.  There are kites in the trunk along with some great kick balls.  I have looked up online all the different things we can do in this area.  So yes, there is the local park.  But we can also do the lake for a day swim trip.  Pop over to a local dairy to see how it works and they also make cheese there.  We have a several big game sites in this area too where we can see wild animals that are uncommon for the area.

Parenting expert Colleen Burns was kind enough to talk to me recently.  It was even video taped.  So I will let you see her great tips for yourself.  She was willing to answer my questions for simple games and outdoor activities on a budget.  Colleen also explain how to prepare a “spontaneity bag” for spur-of-the-moment summer fun and she  gave tips for getting my kiddos out into nature whether it’s in the backyard, the neighborhood or off the beaten path.  Thankfully we currently have all the grass out of our front yard.  So it is a massive dig site for the kids.  Tons of buckets and shovels are on the porch with the ever present sidewalk chalk and bubble toys.

Here is Colleen.  Yes, that is my funny twangy voice on the phone with her.  If you want to try and win your own Lance sponsored Spontaneity Bag, pop over and share your own tips with them.


By the way I am entering a contest for a Twizzlers Landmark Summer promotion prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.