Moms Minivan Blog

Parade Magazine and MomsMinivan!

Road Trip Mom — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:54:18 +0000

MomsMinivan is in Parade Magazine this weekend! (July 25, 2010)

Look for it in the article called, “Fifteen Ways to Enjoy Your Summer“. It’s item Number 6: “Play a New Road Trip Game!” Check it out!

Also find it at their website at Summer Fun on the Road”

And with a picture of cutie Zack Efron on the cover to boot!

Look for MomsMinivan in Parade

Road Trip Mom — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:38:00 +0000

Does your local paper publish Parade Magazine in its weekend editions? If so, look for MomsMinivan.com in Parade Magazine this weekend! (The July 25 issue!).

Meanwhile, I hope your summer travels are filled with joy and adventure!

Oddities Attract

Road Trip Mom — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Stopping for a crazy road side attraction is something we love to do on a long car trip. Take a break and give yourselves something to talk about for the next leg of your journey. I’ll tell you where to find these amusing sights and how to make the most of your stops…

Read the entire article and see some of the crazy road side photos I’ve taken with my family at Oddities Attract – Side tracks Remind You that Half the Fun Is Getting There.

What weird roadside things have you seen lately?!

Your GPS is Wrong!

Road Trip Mom — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:45:55 +0000

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NAVTEQ. All opinions are 100% mine.

Yes. It’s wrong. It is.

Really.

Just accept it and move on!

I finally accepted it when I was driving through Knoxville recently, and we came upon a big sign in the middle of the road that flashed, “YOUR GPS IS WRONG! Keep straight for I-40.” I had already gotten “confused”, or “lost”, or thought I’d missed the exit the last two times I’d driven through that interchange, so it was a relief to know it wasn’t just me.

More than once, Silvia (the name I gave my minivan with the lovely woman’s voice on the built-in GPS) has sent me the wrong way, and I’ve had to rely on my wits to get back on course. Note — Helpful hint when traveling with children: If your kids ever ask, “Are we lost?”, do NOT answer “yes”!

So now, after much denial and resistance, I have come to the realization that it is time for me to give my GPS a much needed update. Basically, it is time to stop and ask for directions.

I recommend that you update your GPS maps too. Driving around lost with a car full of children is totally unnecessary. And, NAVTEQ makes it easy to get your updates no matter what your navigational system is, whether it is built into your vehicle or portable. Just head over to www.updateyourmap.com and follow their easy instructions.

Now if only Silvia could also help me navigate through my teenager’s bedroom.

Mobile technology and a Pool side office

Road Trip Mom — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:18:00 +0000

I am currently working at my “home” office while I write this blog entry, sitting next to the pool on a gorgeous summer day.

Have I mentioned how much I love my job?

Join me at PBS Parents!

Road Trip Mom — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:49:37 +0000

Once again I have been invited back as a “parent expert” at the PBS Parents website to answer questions and facilitate reader discussions! I’ll be taking questions for the next three weeks on their website.

We are discussing summer travel, ways to save money on the road with your kids , and creative ways to keep your family entertained in the car without emptying your wallet. …Challenges worth facing!

Please click over and leave a comment on their site, or join in the Q & A discussion!

Paper Plate Car Games

Road Trip Mom — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:50:27 +0000

More fun ideas for the road — check out this video of some travel games you can make with paper plates! Make them in the car, or make them at home to bring on the road with you.

Reader Favorites – Car Travel Activities

Road Trip Mom — Sat, 08 May 2010 19:26:23 +0000

It’s time to share some of YOUR favorite car travel activities!

“We enjoy passing around a fake mike, as we take turns being the solo singer to the radio or cassette tunes! Sometimes we will unexpectedly lower the sound to make the singers voice really stand out.” (Lin)

“A great car activity for children ages 5 (with adult help) and up, is to make a pot holder on a weaving loom! My 3 sons, ages 5, 10 and 12 all three enjoyed picking out their own colors and designing their own pot holder to give as gifts to grandparents and friends when we returned home from our trip! They also make neon colored material for the weaving looms. You can buy a whole bag for under $2!” (Johna)

“Whenever we hit the road, we are always sure to grab a bottle of bubbles. We turn on the car fan, hold the bubble wand in front of the vent, and voila! A car full of bubbles. The bubbles generally go straight toward the back of the car, and are barely a distraction to the driver. This is great fun in traffic, when we not only amuse ourselves but so many drivers alongside us. And their happy grins
are a great amusement in themselves!” (Elaine)

Thanks Readers! Keep sending in your ideas! ~~Laurel (Roadtrip Mom)

Backseat Rider

Road Trip Mom — Sun, 02 May 2010 12:54:18 +0000

Happy birthday to my darling daughter and one of my all time favorite back seat road-testers! She and her sister love to test new products and give me their opinions so I can share them with my readers! She’s pictured here road-testing Doodle Balls and the Kids Travel Back Seat Survival Kit From Klutz. Loved them both!

Happy birthday. Keep on truckin’!

Love, Mom

Paying it Forward

Road Trip Mom — Sat, 01 May 2010 01:43:02 +0000

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Lunchables. All opinions are 100% mine.

Fun trips for kids is what I’m all about, so naturally I jumped at the opportunity to share this tip with my readers. Lunchables is sponsoring an initiative called Project Potential with a contest called Field Trips For All where they will be giving away 50 class field trips to classrooms of deserving kids around the country. Their aim is to help children grow toward their full potential and have experiences that they might not otherwise get to have. Anyone who is at least 6 years old can enter and nominate a class.

Field trips can really enhance children’s learning experiences outside the classroom. But with money being so tight lately, field trips are almost always one of the first things trimmed from school budgets. So here’s a chance to give back!

My own children have seen some commercials on TV for this contest recently and were excited to see me writing about it. Naturally they wanted me to nominate their classes! And, I have to admit, that was my first thought as well.

However, after a little bit of consideration, I realized that my children are very fortunate to have access to many school field trips during the year. Their schools have very involved parents for the most part, and the financial means to make them happen. I’ve certainly chaperoned my fair share of class field trips.

So, I have decided to nominate a classroom that has a lot of special meaning for me. Many of my readers already know that I am a former teacher. For several years, I taught science at a public school in Memphis, TN. It is a school that struggles hard, and full of students who don’t have the financial means to afford luxuries like class trips. Still, I really enjoyed my time there and loved giving of myself to my classes. My students were so full of potential, and they had to really struggle if they were going to reach it.

So — I’m going to nominate my former classroom! I want the current science teacher at Sheffield Junior/Sr High School in Memphis, TN to win a field trip! I have never met the teacher who has my old job, but I know the students there, and no one deserves a class field trip more than they do.

Now, I don’t know if my former students will be as wide-eyed as the 5th graders on this field trip in the following video, but I know they would still relish the opportunity to get some field experiences.

Do you know a classroom who would deserve this opportunity? Please help me spread the word about this opportunity, and maybe even leave a comment below about who you would like to nominate. Do good!