Travel & Vacation: Road Trip Snack Bins
Brina and Karlie’s Road Trip Snack Bins loaded and ready to go!
Our family loves traveling and going on road trips together. Road trips have always been one of the exciting adventures our girls look forward to every summer. It is pretty common for us to pack up the suitcases, snacks, and hit the road with the entire family. We have done several 40 plus hour road trips with the kids and they still look forward to them. We try to make the road trips a fun adventure for them. No we don’t take them to fancy restaurants, hotels, or amusement parks along the way…..we do this without adding a bunch of extra costs to our family. We pack picnic lunch / dinner so we can eat on the road. We bring along snacks, books, games, audio books, little goodies and more. We used to pack a basket full of snack items for the girls but it never failed that the basket was always out of reach for someone so that’s when we came up with the road trip travel bins for the girls.
Delicious treats ready to be eaten on our upcoming eighteen hour road trip.
The kids have LOVED having their individual containers of snacks that they can eat as we drive. The containers are smaller and snap shut so they can be stored right beside the girls seats in the car so they can always reach them. Each kid gets their own snacks and they can choose what to eat first, second, and so forth. The girls enjoy having the nuts with the shells to peel off and the majority of the time those are the first items they munch on. It is hilarious hearing them in the backseat cracking open a peanut! We try to give them a mix of sweet and salty items, nothing in the bins need refrigeration. Our kids don’t eat all of these items on a daily basis but when you are doing a 5, 10, 20 or 40 hour road trip it’s important to keep everyone in good spirits and this is an easy way to help.
Items that we packed for this road trip:
- Homemade Apple Chips
- Snoopy Fruit Gummies
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Foot Long Fruit
- Pack of Oreos
- Mixed Berry Granola Bar
- Cheese & Dipping Sticks
- Twizzler Stick
- Fruit Punch Powdered Drink Mix Package
- Mint Chocolate Swirl Marshmallows
- Pink Frosted Animal Crackers
- Pink & White Heart Shaped Marshmallows
- Chocolate Covered Raisins
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
- Multiple Flavored and Colored Miniature Marshmallows
- Sweetarts
- Box of Nerds
- Rice Crisps with Chocolate Drizzled
- Dried Fruit
- Raspberry Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Whole Shelled Peanuts
- Dried Cranberries
- White & Pink Flowered Marshmallows
- Pecans
It is a lot of fun finding a variety of items to fill the Road Trip Snack Bins. We fill it after the girls are in bed and stick them on their car seats to find when they get into the van and buckle in for the trip. It is a special treat and gives us a positive start to the road trip too.
Brina and Karlie’s snack containers ready to be put into the car!
When we travel we typically stop only for gas and potty breaks. We have most of the food, drinks, and snacks we need to eat in the car. Occasionally, we’ll use a coupon to get a free drink when we fill up with gas but otherwise we try to keep the costs to a minimum which make road trips more affordable and doable. The girls get to watch DVD’s, listen to audio books and we play games as a special treat. The trip must be longer than 5 hours for us to get out the DVDs! Here’s a little more information about the Road Trip Snack Bins and what to pack.
We picked up the containers at Walmart for a couple of dollars. The stickers were at Hobby Lobby in the scrapbook section and we used a 40% coupon. We have used these Road Trip Snack Bins for several road trips with our girls and they have held up well. Once the trip is over and they have finished eating the items in the bins all you have to do is wash them and store until the next family adventure. It is a blessing to be able to travel with our family. We have created many amazing family memories on the road together.
Travel & Vacation: We Made it to Bangalore! (part 2)
A little critter on their porch…..thankfully the little lizard is on the outside of the house! One of them did make it into our room but thankfully Jake and the kids were able to catch it quickly.
A little critter on their porch…..thankfully the little lizard is on the outside of the house (at the moment)!
Fresh watermelon stand, you can buy a whole watermelon or a slice from the box.
Burning the fields and underbrush, you see this often in India! You will often see a pile trash burning on the side of the road or paths.
A village near Bangalore
Monkeys on the side of the road!
A lady walking on the side of the road carrying a pile of sticks on her head. A common sight in India!
Two ladies carrying potted flowers on their head.
PVP Indus Day 2011 – 2012…..Respect, Love, Discipline, Empathy. The kids school put together an amazing presentation. It was really neat to watch all the performances that the kids had worked so hard on over the past couple of months.
Rachel dressed as the wind!
Erica all pretty in her beautiful costume!
David up on stage
Mike up on stage as a panda bear….his class did Noah’s ark!
Rachel on stage as the wind!
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Song: “The Marriage Prayer” by John Waller
This week Jake and I celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary! YAY! It is hard to believe it has been 12 years it has gone by so fast! We have created so many amazing memories together and I look forward to making many more as we journey through the years together. God has been good to us and faithful even in the storms. I am very thankful for a wonderful husband. Jake has been extremely loving, kind, and patient with me even when I don’t deserve it. I am very blessed. As I was thinking about all our years together I wanted to find a song in celebration of our anniversary week. I want both our marriage to continue growing stronger as well as our personal relationships with God and this song says it well.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
The girls are excited about getting to go to Grandpa and Grandma’s VBS program. We are all looking forward to spending some time with family this week at the family reunion.
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
Read regularly to the girls and have them read to meParticipate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the KidsGet to the Final Goal Mark (2000 minutes) on the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes)Spend time with extended family- Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get – still working on it
Personal Goals
Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day- Work on My Summer Organizational Schedule – didn’t get much done with all the travel last week
Pack for upcoming family reunionPay all upcoming billsClean house prior to traveling
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork on projects with the family business
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – will work on it more once the car is purchased
- Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – still saving for a new vehicle
- College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – on hold temporarily until we purchase a new car
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Attend Family Reunion
- Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
- Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
- Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
- Spend time with extended family
- Narrow down what type of vehicle we want to get
Personal Goals
- Spend extra time helping and making memories with my extended family
Home Management Goals
- Put mail on hold for when we are away
- Line up someone to come by and check on the house / pets while we are away
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work on projects with the family business
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
- Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
- College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Talent is God Given….
Book: “Am I Messing Up My Kids?” by Lysa TerKeurst
I recently finished reading the book Am I Messing Up My Kids? by Lysa TerKeurst. This is one of the books that I picked up a couple years ago at the eWomen’s conference in Greenville when I met Lysa TerKeurst in person and got the book autographed. The book has traveled many miles with me and got a little messed up when the van got totaled but thankfully was still readable as there were several topics Lysa discussed that my heart needed to hear.
The book discussed many of the feelings we as Mom experience. Lysa talked about focusing your heart on Christ and not on everything else, including our spouse or children. When your child makes a mistake it doesn’t mean your a horrible parent. She talked about how we often compare ourselves to the “super moms” that we see around us. At the end of each chapter there is a section called “Refresh My Soul” with scripture references to read regarding the topic that was being discussed and questions to help you dig deeper in the issues of our hearts.
Some of the topics discussed in the book:
- Being a Mom is Tough
- This is All I have to Give
- I Trust You to Fill In the Gaps
- This Child is Yours First
- Thank You for the Privilege of Being a Mom
Here are a couple quotes that I enjoyed:When you aren’t depending on your husband to fill you up, then he can make mistakes and you are still okay…..He can be your partner and your friend, because he does not have to be your Savior.When you are living in the fullness of Christ, your children are being sloshed with His grace and tenderness.
Make A Head Recipe: Egg Breakfast Cups
The only day Jake and the girls headed out early to work in the yard, when I asked what they wanted the answer I got was eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. Well, this recipe which I discovered on The Little Birdie Blog included all of these ingredients. I did have eggs but no bacon or shredded hash browns but I did have ham and tator tots. I altered her recipe slightly and it was a huge hit with the family. Karlie told me “Mom you always make the best food!” I made the several extra to test and see if they would be good to reheat out of the freezer and they turned out well. These would be a great recipe to “make ahead” of schedule to pull out after your guests have arrived. I froze some of our Egg Breakfast Cups in a ziploc baggie, each cup was individually wrapped in saran wrap. All you had to do when you were ready to eat it was pull it out of the freezer and bake for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Egg Breakfast Cups:
- 1 – 24 oz. bag of shredded Hash Browns or Tator Tots cut up
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 cup diced Ham (or bacon)
- Eggs
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Take your bag of hash browns or tator tots ( cut up if tator tots) and mix in the salt, pepper, oil and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
- Grease jumbo muffin tin and divide the hash browns amongst the cups in your muffin tin.
- Bake at 425 for 15 to 18 minutes or until toasty
- Once they’re finished, take them out and lower the temp of the oven to 350 degrees.
- Crack an egg into each of the cups and break the eggs a little bit.
- Top with ham (or bacon) and a sprinkle of extra cheese
- Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes (or until the eggs are as firm as you like them).
- Slide a knife along the edges to remove from pan when cooled.
Mix together the cut up tator tots, salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup cheese
Baked hash browns, salt, pepper, and cheese
Add the egg on the top of the baked hash brown.
Break the yokes on the eggs
Add the sliced ham on top of the egg & cheese cup
Cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.
Recipe Egg breakfast cup
Travel & Vacation: We Made it to Bangalore!
Shepherds herding a large group of sheep on the road.
We had the opportunity to spend a few days with Jake’s cousin Matt, his wife Jen, and the rest of the crew in Bangalore, India! It was so much fun to catch up with them and explore the area. We had a wonderful time with the whole family.
Jen took us shopping downtown Bangalore! Lots of cool stores! We found some cute outfits for the girls!
Super neat toy store near downtown Bangalore! The girls would have loved it! 🙂
I think he is a little loaded down with sugar cane!
Aw….such great food!
Our home away from home for the next few days in India. Thanks Matt & Jen for letting us hang out with your family!
Jake on vacation but taking a few minutes to check in with work!
Michael and David were the first ones to hit the pool!
David performing under water for the camera!
Hey Michael! Having fun at the pool!
Erica swimming through Jake’s legs in the pool
View from behind the water fall at one of their many pools!
Erica was a great guide, she wanted us to check out all the pools in the area! It was pretty amazing seeing all the cool places to swim. This picture was taken in the kids area.
We had a blast hanging out with the whole family. We met some of their friends in the area, went swimming, grabbed a ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins, ate delicious food, and so much more. I will be sharing more on our adventures over in India soon. It was an amazing trip and we are thankful for Matt & Jen’s hospitality while we were there.
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Creative Kids: Fun Pixos Craft
The girls are having fun building cool designs! The globe like object holds a variety of colored balls that swirl down and pop out when selected. The red topped bottle with a lid on the right side in the back is a water spray bottle to dampen the balls which makes them stick together. You use red pen shape tool in front of the spray bottle to pick up the balls and place them on your tray. The purple hose on the left side used is to blow air on the balls to dry and seal them together.
Karlie was excited to make a United States Flag!
Even though it’s a skunk it looks pretty cute! 🙂 Love watching the girls do a craft, not to mention that it’s great for the hand-eye-coordination!
Sweet little snail!
FREE RedLaser Smart Shopper App
I am super excited to share with you the RedLaser Smart Shopper App! I love it when I find a phone app that is free, useful, and will help me save time as well as money when I am shopping! This application can be used on an iPhone, Android or Windows phones. RedLaser allows you to easily scan or search for item information, details, ratings, and price comparisons so you know you are getting the most “bang for your buck”!
This application has come in handy several time while traveling with the family over the summer break and as we start to prepare for another school year. The app is free but you could save a lot in just one week while using it. Plus you can check to see if the item you want is in stock at your local store prior to even leaving the house (therefore saving you once again gas and time)! If you use up the last of the shampoo and want to make sure to pick some up while your out you can scan the shampoo, find the best price for it, and where to pick it up same goes for grocery items and any other household products you use regularly. You can easily create and share shopping lists using this application. When you pull up a product you can even see the ratings and reviews before you even purchase it.
Some Features of RedLaser:
- Scan and search for products using the bar code scanner.
- Compare prices online and at local retailers, so you’ll know you’re getting the best deal.
- Find out which stores stock what you’re looking for by searching
for a product locally. No need to drive around town searching for what you need! - Browse product reviews and ratings.
- Buy directly from your phone using PayPal mobile express checkout and you can pick up your item in a nearby store.
- Create shopping lists (or wish lists!) and easily share them with friends and family via email, SMS, Twitter and Facebook.
- Scan a food item to get allergen and ingredient information.
You can get more information about RedLaser and how it can help save you money at the following locations:
- Website: RedLaser
- Free App Download: RedLaser App
- Twitter: @RedLaserApp
- Facebook: RedLaser
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks and RedLaser. The opinions expressed in this post are my own. A special thanks to SheSpeaks and RedLaser for providing the information to review this awesome phone app!
