Traveling with the whole family can be stressful and not as enjoyable as we tend to envision it.  There’s tons of planning and preparing to do in order to ensure that your family has everything they need to be comfortable, safe, and entertained on the road.  I’ve put together some family travel tips that are sure to help you keep your sanity and make road trips more enjoyable for the whole family!

10 TOP FAMILY TRAVEL TIPS:

1. Prepare your car for travel- Make sure your vehicle in in tip top shape by getting a car inspection and getting an oil change/tune up if needed.  It’s also a good idea to pack blankets, gallons of water, flashlights, extra batteries, cell phone, jumper cables, jack, lug wrench, flares, and reflectors because you never know when you might need to make repairs on the road.
2. Be prepared for emergencies- In most cases, a well stocked first aid kit will be all you’ll need to take care of any boo boos, illnesses, and unexpected injuries on the road.  Make sure your first aid kit includes basics such as band aids, antiseptic wipes, hand sanitizer, antibiotic cream, gauze pads and rolls, first aid tape, aloe vera or burn gel, latex gloves, scissors, cold pack, cotton swabs, cotton balls, tweezers, thermometer, cortisone cream, and first aid guide.  Be sure to also add pain relievers/fever reducers such as tylenol or ibuprofen, cough and cold syrups, throat lozenges, saline nose drops, motion sickness medicines/bands, and other medicines/prescriptions you or any other family members may need.
3. Plan family activities on the road- Belt out silly road trip songs and play car games.  Songs like John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, 99 Bottles Of Rootbeer On The Wall, and On Top Of Spaghetti are sure to be fun and get laughs from your kids.  Games such as a Road Trip Scavenger Hunt, I Spy, and License Plate can bring many miles of entertainment on the go.  I also like to bring along kid friendly music and audio books four when the family is tired of belting out tunes together or playing road games.  Another boredom buster is to put together a family travel journal to record the journey to save as a keepsake.  Don’t forget that teaching kids the history behind landmarks and other cultural places you may stop at or pass by is also a wonderful and fun learning experience.
4. Bring plenty of snacks that are healthy and don’t require refrigeration-  Chances are, your cooler will already be packed to the brim!  Some excellent choices are granola bars, beef jerky, dried fruit, trail mix, and fresh fruit.  Not only will they keep well without refrigeration, but will help stave off hunger until meal time.
5. Pack a few travel toys to keep little ones occupied- Toys such as Etch A Sketch, Aqua Doodle Travel N Doodle, and Crayola Color Wonder are great for their creativity and can keep them busy for hours with little to no clean up.  Travel games and books are also good ways to beat boredom on the road.  I also love Zoobie Pets for traveling as they serve as a stuffed animal, pillow, and blanket all in one.  Don’t forget to bring their favorite toy (providing it’s not too big) or their lovey if they can’t live without it!
6. Contain the mess- Be sure to put together a clean up kit so you can control messes on the road.  Items like trash bags, plastic baggies, surface cleaning wipes, wet wipes, a small bottle of dish detergent, laundry stain stick, travel size laundry detergent, and paper towels will go a long way to keep messes at a minimum and help keep stains away from clothing and your vehicle’s interior.
7. Plan smart driving times- It’s much easier if you can drive during kids sleeping schedules so you won’t interrupt their rest time and plan restroom stops and breaks around nap times and meals when possible.
8. Save on Gas- Driving the speed limit and using cruise control on long stretches can help to keep your fuel usage to a minimum.  Things like ensuring your tire pressure is at optimum levels and maintaining constant speeds on the road will help cut costs on fuel.
9. Pack Smart- As parents, we tend to pack more than we need.  Sometimes simplifying what we pack down to bare necessities makes traveling much more efficient and enjoyable.
10. Bring a Powermat Travel Charging System- This tool allows you to simultaneously charge up to 3 mobile devices wirelessly without having to drag their charging cords with you.  This saves space and helps to not have to find enough outlets and have to charge them separately all over your hotel room.

I hope you found these travel tips useful to your family!  Our family especially likes the Powermat when we’re on the go.  It is very useful to help eliminate the need to bring extra charging cords and keep mobile devices charged in one convenient spot.  It’s fast and easy to use by inserting the right Powercube tips into our cell phones, iPods, and gaming systems and dropping them in the Powermat base.  It charges automatically and it’s extremely reliable to ensure our electronics are fully powered when we travel.  When we’re on the road, the travel case is handy and stores the Powermat and tips we need in a compactl space so it’s easy to find at our next destination!

Deal Alert: You can save 20% on Powermat purchases using coupon code, BTS2010, until September 15, 2010 at www.powermat.com.

Giveaway Time (required entry): A lucky Blessings Abound Mommy reader will win a Powermat  Travel Charging System that includes mat, travel case, Powercube, and 8 Powercube tips which will charge nearly all mobile devices ($99 arv)!  All you have to do in order to be qualified for a chance to win is to leave a comment with what mobile devices you’d charge using the Powermat Charging System or leave a comment with another great family travel tip!

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One winner will be chosen via Random Drawing.  Winners who I am unable to contact and who doesn’t claim their prize within 48 hours of being sent their winning email notification and me posting the winner of the prize in the winner’s section will forfeit their prize and prize will be held in a live contest following failure to claim.  Please follow directions or you will be disqualified!  This Blessing is open to bloggers and nonbloggers alike. You have from now until September 20th at 11:59 PM (Alaska time) to comment and be entered for a chance to win.  I will randomly pick one winner and announce it here on my blog shortly after September 21st!  Blessing open USA only!

*Product was provided free of charge in exchange for review and giveaway from Powermat and doesn’t affect my views or feedback of the product or service.  This post is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.