Moms Minivan Blog

Weird Stuff is Fun

Road Trip Mom — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:22:00 +0000

I haven't lived in Kentucky very long, so when a copy of the latest in the series of "Weird" states books was offered to me, I was more than happy to accept. Weird Kentucky is a travel guide to "local legends and best kept secrets" by Jeffrey Scott Holland.

It's a beautiful hard bound book loaded with huge clear photos of all sorts of good weird stuff that we love. It's divided into topical sections rather than by city, so it is a bit different from most travel type books in that sense.

Naturally, being a Road Trip Mom, my favorite section was the road-side oddities. I have already had the pleasure of visiting one of them recently -- Dinosaur World, which was weirdly wonderful to say the least. (I'll have photos from our adventure there posted on my website soon). After reading this book, there is lots more that I am ready to go see for myself, and when the Bible putt-putt golf course opens for the summer here in my own town, I will be ready and waiting to putt through Noah's Ark and right into the New Testament. My only disappointment is that there are a few items described in the book that no longer exist (and so we can't go visit them), and not everything is open to the public either. But it's good to know that these oddities exist (or existed as the case may be).

My kids love this book too, and it will be going in the car with us on our next few trips through Kentucky until we are familiar with everything weird we can find in our newly adopted state. I definitely recommend Weird Kentucky, and would recommend the "weird" book for your own state. There may be strange and wonderful things awaiting you, but you don't even know it yet.

Reader Mail

Road Trip Mom — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:08:00 +0000

I love fan mail! Who doesn't?! I got a really nice letter a while ago from a reader who had a great road trip. She sent me a list of some of the specific activities from MomsMinivan that were a big hit with her kids, and I thought others might like to know what worked well --

"I just wanted to thank you for your great ideas! We went on a roadtrip through Utah/Arizona in October - seeing 4 national parks and "4 corners" along the way. I prepared many things for the kids to do, but the biggest hits were:
Counting cows game - my kids still say "your cows are dead" whenever they see a cemetery, and finding a man with a peg leg has become a big family joke.
Fortunately, Unfortunately - they could do this all day.
Pipe cleaners! My kids made strange hanging contraptions all over the backseat of the car. They want more, more, more!!
Battleship - The kids love it, we even sent copies of it to a friend in Iraq to share with his soldier friends.
Thanks again - I love your site!!"

I'm so glad I could help! I wish you many happy travels! Readers, if you're looking for the list of where she got these activities, head over to the article with my big list of kids car games.

Road Trip Fun: The Green Game

Road Trip Mom — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:02:00 +0000

In honor of Earth Day, here is a car travel game invented by my 15 year old Cousin Ben while he was on a long road trip through California.

The Green Game:
When driving through towns and cities, look for a hybrid vehicle, such as the Toyota Prius. Then count to 45. Within 45 seconds you will see another one if you are in an environmentally friendly area. Play this to measure which towns are "green".

Friends at BlogHer

Road Trip Mom — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:00:00 +0000

My friend Devra from Parentopia got to meet Katie Couric last week in New York! Katie invited some of the Blogher attendees to her office for an informal meeting.

Check out the YouTube video that her studio posted about Katie and the bloggers she met! Here's still shot from the video so you can find Devra in the group. Go bloggers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEXOLbNhiQc

BTW, this now makes me only 4 degrees from Kevin Bacon.

*I am very good friends with Devra.
*Devra met Katie Couric in NY with the bloggers.
*Katie Couric was in "The More You Know" (1989) with Courtney Cox
*Courteney Cox was on The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards(2007) with Kevin Bacon

Stuff on My Mutt

Road Trip Mom — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:05:00 +0000

I'm a proud dog-mamma today because my old dog Oscar made it onto one of my favorite "pure amusement" websites: StuffOnMyMutt.com. In fact, he's on there twice.

You can see him here, wearing the big cone collar looking like a spokesmutt for Direct TV, and here is is again as the Stuff On My Mutt fan club leader. He has a rather goofy look on his face in that second picture, but I promise that he really didn't seem to mind the sticky notes. He's a good old boy!

And for the cat lovers, they have another silly site called Stuff On My Cat. We haven't sent in a picture of our cat yet, but you can see him in my cat post on MomsMinivan.

Dear RoadTripMom: Back Seat Bickering

Road Trip Mom — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:55:00 +0000

QUESTION: What's your favorite tactic for dealing with kids who start bickering in the back seat?

ANSWER:
Generally, the thing I recommend the most is to just change the activity. Make some suggestions to the kids from the ideas that you have hopefully prepared before the trip! More specifically though, my favorite tactic when nothing else seems to end the bickering is to put on some new music and start singing loudly! .....Very loudly!

The kids will either start singing along with me, or they will unite with each other to try to make the parents STOP singing! Either way, the bickering is over. It definitely helps to have a sense of humor about it. Sometimes I have even used it as a (humorous) consequence. For example, "You kids need to start another activity instead of bickering, or else I will be forced to start singing!" It works every time.

Join Mom's Minivan on Facebook!

Road Trip Mom — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:01:00 +0000

MomsMinivan.com now has it's own page on Facebook! Connect with me and with other MomsMinivan fans by visiting the MomsMinivan Facebook page and clicking "become a fan!". Post a note to my wall, send a message, or just share the site with your friends. Spread the word and join the Moms Minivan fans!

Advice: Flat Tire Fun (Not!)

Road Trip Mom — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:03:00 +0000

Some good advice I got from my father once -- Be familiar with your spare before you hit the road! (ok, I got it more than once -- I get it every time I got a new vehicle.)

Imagine being at the side of the road on a busy Interstate highway with a flat tire.... ...alone.... in the dark.

I found myself in this situation recently. I was alone and about 50 miles from home in the countryside on a dark interstate highway on a short 200 mile road trip. It was 7 pm in January so it was pitch dark and very cold. My tire went flat. I pulled off the road as far as I possibly could. Changing a tire by the side of the road is very dangerous and very scary. But I knew what to do. Do you? Read more Flat Tire help for some great advice so you don't get stuck!

Car Seat on Airplanes?

Road Trip Mom — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Should you bring your carseat on board the plane when traveling with your child?

Most airlines don't require it, but your child is always safer when restrained properly. There is a great new product I came across recently that is MUCH easier than dragging a car seat through airports and on board the plane. It's called a CARES (“child aviation restraint system”). It is the first and only FAA approved harness type child safety device.

It fits in your purse or diaper bag and keeps your child safe and secure aboard the plane. It's a perfect solution for the car seat dilemma when flying with small children (who are big enough to no longer need a rear-facing infant seat). Read more about it at Kids Fly Safe.

So, my current recommendation is to use a CARES restraint on board the plane and check the carseat through to your destination (you'll need that for the car when you get there). When checking your carseat with your luggage, ask that they put it into one of the huge thick plastic bags that are available at the airport (usually no charge). Without it, your carseat will be returned to you scratched up or smelling like jet fuel.

Without having to drag the carseat through security anymore, you'll have one more hand available to take care of your child, and one less item to knock innocent people on the head as you make your way to your seat aboard the plane. :-)

Advice: Back Seat Couch Potatoes?

Road Trip Mom — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Dear Road Trip Mom:
What is your viewpoint on electronics as a diversion?

So many parents pacify their kids these days with car-installed, or portable DVD players and/or handheld video games. Could kids be making better use of their time, or do you believe such devices have earned a place in roadtrip entertainment?

Answer:

I do think these devices have a place in roadtrip entertainment, but mostly as a break from other activities.

You just can't expect children to be actively engaged and play games for hours upon hours. At some point, they just want to take a break and rest. This is when a DVD player is appropriate in my opinion. Kick back and watch a movie, then everyone will be refreshed ready to be involved again.

A family car trip is one of the best opportunities parents have to spend a lot of time really talking with their children, and it's an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted. One of my website readers once wrote to me and said, "The trip there is half the fun because our vacation starts the minute we get in the car."

Road Trip Battleship!

Road Trip Mom — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:54:00 +0000

Momsminivan.com now has Battleship! Download these printable pages for your next road trip and then listen for the classic line from your backseat, "You sank my battleship!"

Using these battleship grids, kids take turns firing upon their opponent until they sink all of his ships. It's normally a two-player game for kids who are old enough to read numbers and letters, but you can also play in teams. This is a GREAT game for the car -- a road trip version of this game of war ships!

I also posted a javascript version of Battleship online so you can practice playing against the computer to get yourself warmed up for battle!

See the entire article and printable pages at http://www.momsminivan.com/battleship.html

Get Your Costumes Ready

Road Trip Mom — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 07:15:00 +0000

Today I'm a guest-blogger over at my friend Becky's blog Deep Muck Big Rake. Check out my post titled "Get Your Costumes Ready", where I have written about my adventures at Mardi Gras and the importance of being properly dressed in a Mardi Gras Costume.

I also wrote about other fun things to do at Mardi Gras like singing karaoke, or using a trash can. Try it. It's fun. Really. Are you still reading this? Get over there and read the post already.

Then get your costume ready.

Elf Yourself (or your Dog)

Road Trip Mom — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:07:00 +0000

Silly silly Christmas fun. We can't stop laughing at this. You can upload photos of your family's faces to an elf body and then they dance around a winter wonderland at ElfYourself.com. First I Elfed my kids . My adorable little angels are now goofy dancing elves. I am right there with them!

Then I couldn't resist, and I Elfed my dog and cat. I also included my sister's dog and mother's for more hilarity. You may have to reload these a few times to get them to play since the site is really busy this time of year.

I just wanted to share this and wish you a Merry Christmas. No road trips for us this holiday season, but we are heading out by plane for some family visits. If you're doing the same, check out my tips for flying with kids!

On the Radio in Akron, OH

Road Trip Mom — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:39:00 +0000

If you are in the Akron area, listen for me on The Morning Show on 1590 WAKR next Monday morning. I'll be doing a short phone in interview at 6:50 am - yawn! Fortunately I will already be awake (blearily scarfing down coffee and Lucky Charms) while the kids are getting ready for school. I'll get a chance to talk about fun things to do when traveling with your kids. The busy holiday travel season is almost here!

Cat Post

Road Trip Mom — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:05:00 +0000

This is a response to a cat post by Matt Cutts, a Google engineer who writes a blog generally for webmasters. He posted pictures of his cat this week while he is away at a webmaster's conference called Pubcon. I attended this conference a couple of years ago when it was in New Orleans. Matt's cat was eating his Christmas tree, and he also wrote about how it likes to squeeze in behind him on his chair while he works at the computer.

Our cat, Rocky, loves to lie right on top of my desk, preferably on top of my papers so that I cannot read them while I'm working. His favorite spot is right in front of the printer. He hardly even flinches when paper comes rolling out of it while it's in use. If I am not adoring him enough, then he walks back and forth in front of my keyboard for a view out the window at the birds while pausing right in front of my monitor for a nice sloooow stretch. Occasionally he even acknowledges the dog who sleeps under the desk by my feet .

Ok, bloggers, let's see your cat posts.

Aaaarrrrrrrrr We There Yet?

Road Trip Mom — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:38:00 +0000

After spending a day on the lake last summer pretending to be pirates, I was inspired to write an article about playing pirates on the road.

The time will pass quickly if you and your crew carry out your travels with pirate personas. Use your creativity and make every aspect of the trip pirate related. Speak like pirates. Sing pirate songs. Tell pirate jokes. Watch pirate movies. Wear pirate garb. Make pirate accessories. Basically, make like Roger and have a jolly good time in the car!

See the full article: "Pirates of the Caravan" for a bounty of ideas to get you started. If you know any good pirate jokes, please post them here and I'll add them to the article!

Pirates of Kentucky Lake

Road Trip Mom — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:05:00 +0000

Who knew there was treasure hidden in the Land Between the Lakes!?

The ship: A pontoon boat from a resort at Kentucky Lake.

The crew: Five adventurous moms (former college roommates), and 9 swashbuckling children (ages 3 to 13).

What's more: A real message in a bottle. A treasure map. A secret treasure chest!

Read the entire tale and see pictures of our family's adventure on the high seas: Pirates of Kentucky Lake. ARRRH!

Speak to Me, Silvia! (GPS Nav Systems)

Road Trip Mom — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:57:00 +0000

I love my Dodge Grand Caravan. It's silver. So we named her Silvia. She speaks to us via the built in navigational system when we are on the road.

Silvia: "Exit freeway in 1 mile"

Mom: "Thanks Silvia!!"

Kids: "Who are you talking to, Mommy?"

No more missed exits due to excessive Car-i-oke singing or intense Licence Plate hunting. Sylvia tells me where to go and when to go there. She also tells me the answer to a popular question, "How much longer?!"

If you aren't lucky enough to have a navigational system built into your vehicle, you can still get a portable navigational device. These have become hugely popular recently. Tip: Makes a great gift for dads (guys love gadgets) and then you can "borrow" it whenever you like.

It tells you where to go, and if you go the wrong way, it just re-calculates some new directions for you to get you back on track. Just think, it solves the problem many husbands seem to have regarding not wanting to stop and ask for directions. You can even change the voice on some of them. My friend Devra has the Garmin Nuvi 350 Pocket Vehicle GPS Navigator. She calls it "Lee". He speaks to her with an Australian accent.

Last summer Lee and Sylvia got to meet at the beach. How sweet. (Oh great, now I think I hear the soundtrack to Grease playing in the background). I only wish that Silvia could help me navigate through my teenager's bedroom....

Fun for the Road: Treasure Bottle

Road Trip Mom — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:34:00 +0000

Prepare this one ahead of time. Use a large soda bottle or a large clean peanut butter jar. Fill it no more than 2/3 full with uncooked rice or birdseed. Then put in about 20-25 small objects (for example: safety pin, plastic bugs, button, M&M, nut, bolt, paper clip, penny, bead, piece of macaroni, tiny lego, and other misc. toy pieces or stuff that is probably rolling around in your kitchen junk drawer.) Keep a count of the items and write down the number of items on the outside of the bottle, or make a list of the items. Put the lid on tight (you may even want to superglue it shut).

Let the kids take turns rolling the bottle around in their hands until they find them all. You can also make more than one treasure bottle so kids don't have to take turns - put different items in different bottles. Kids of all ages love this game.

This activity is now included on the Car Games for Big Kids and the Toddler page!

Trip to Alaska

Road Trip Mom — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:03:00 +0000

This past July I had an opportunity to see Alaska! My cousins put me up (and put up with me) for a week at their home. We toured glaciers, hiked, fished, went moose watching, and participated in local Fourth of July festivities. Here I am at the top of Flattop Mountain (and on top of the world!) in Anchorage, Alaska on a beautiful July Afternoon.

Take a look at the video I shot of our fishing group while we were charter fishing with Alaska Northern Outfitters.
It only took me about 15 years to take my cousin up on her offer to visit her in Alaska. I have no idea what took me so long. I can't wait to go back and bring the kids next time. Best travel tip ever: If you have family living in cool places, go visit them!

Hot Mom on Board

Road Trip Mom — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:17:00 +0000

Here's a cool freebie that I came across and wanted to share with all the "hot moms" who are behind the wheel schlepping their kids around town to practices, scout meetings and playdates. It's a promo for a new tv show -- a free magnet that says "Hot Mom Driving".

Hey, if the LA Times says that I'm hot, then I'm not gonna argue (tooting my own horn here!). If you're a hot mom (and aren't we all?!), then go request a magnet for your hot self! Mine is going to go right on the back of my minivan. If you don't stick yours on your car, then you can always use it to stick a hot picture of yourself to the fridge.

(Please note that their offer says, "while supply lasts". They do not indicate if they still have any available, and it's possible they are just leaving up this promo to get free traffic to their website. I hope not! Still, it can't hurt to try, and it'll be a fun surprise if it really shows up.)

Cootie Catcher

Road Trip Mom — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:44:00 +0000

I have updated the article on How to "How to Make a Cootie Catcher"! Most kids really enjoy making these from scratch; however, I've had a few requests for a pre-fab version, so I have answered the call. My own children are often the test subjects for new material at the website, and I'm happy to report that they were very pleased with my printable cootie catcher creation.

They especially liked that I offer two versions. One is all inclusive and complete. The other version has the "fortunes" areas left blank so you can fill in your own fortunes. Please enjoy these PDF files which are now part of the cootie catcher article, and also posted on the Printable Car Games page with all the other printable goodies.

Printable cootie catcher (pdf file) (complete with fortunes)
Blank cootie catcher (pdf file) (write your own fortunes)
images ©2007 MomsMinivan.com

Another Minivan for Mom

Road Trip Mom — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:30:00 +0000

A couple of years ago I reached out to my readers to help me fix the air conditioning in my aging minivan. Earlier this summer I finally fixed the entire van by replacing it with a long overdue and much needed newer van. (Read about the history of all my minivans here.) It's a slightly used 2006 Grand Caravan "Special Edition". And it's special indeed - loaded with goodies like a sun roof, leather seats, and a built in GPS navigational system. A real Mom's minivan.

My three kids wasted no time at all helping me "Mom My Ride" (see video below) during our first road trip in the new van - a 9 hour drive to NC for a week at the beach in July. We filled it with dog hair (on the way to the kennel), crumbs, sunscreen, wet towels, leaky coolers, and lots and lots of sand during our stay at the beach.

My ride definitely says, "Don't even think about it, I've got kids". Although, I prefer to think of it as saying, "Happy family on board!" or "Another successful road trip completed!"

"Mom My Ride"

Welcome and First Post

Road Trip Mom — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:16:00 +0000

Well, it's about time I got on the blog bandwagon. I actually had a personal blog that I kept for about year which chronicled my family's evacuation and return home after Hurricane Katrina. It was wildly popular for the first couple of months after the disaster, but it seemed to run a natural course and I ended it when we moved out of the New Orleans area. It's on to greener pastures and minivan road trip adventures for us!

My friends Devra and Aviva enjoy writing to their blog at Parentopia and have been subtly kicking my butt to get blogging again so I can attend Blogher conventions and other adventures with them. Even without their encouragement, I'm long over due for my return to the blogosphere, so here I am.

The plan for the MomsMinivan Blog is for news and updates about my website Momsminivan.com, new car games to play, and possibly some of our family's travel adventures. Thanks for reading along...