Tag Archives: road trip

Essentials for a Motion Sickness Kit, Including Dramamine® for Kids

September 6, 2016TravelDramamine, Motion Sickness, road trip, TravelAlicia

This post was sponsored by Dramamine® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

My kids were blessed to get Tim’s good looks, Sebastian got Tim’s calm demeanor and my shyness, and Madelyn got her ‘happy crazy’ emotions from me, and motion sickness which can be a bummer because we love to travel. Travelling was easy with Sebastian. We grabbed paper, crayons, toys, snacks, a drink, and off we went. With Madelyn we’ve had to create an entire road trip departure routine that includes, but is not nearly limited to taking Dramamine® for Kids.

Over the years (she’s 10 years old now), I’ve had a couple of ah-ha moments during her bouts of road trip or amusement park motion sickness. One, was she was less likely to suffer motion sickness if we had cool air circulating in the car the entire road trip. The second most substantial ah-ha moment related to Madelyn’s motion sickness was “gosh, we ought to have a car-sick kit in the car”.

I’ve put all sorts of things in our car-sick kit over the years. It took a few years to figure out exactly what I needed in the kit and here it is…

What’s inside our motion sickness kit:

Dramamine® for Kids
Dramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals – for myself
Hairband – to hold hair back when needed
Pain medicine – Madelyn sometimes gets a headache on road trips
One-time use toothbrushes
Toilet seat covers
One-time use zipper bags
Tissues
Moist wipes
Lip balm
All inside a clear, sturdy zipper bag so contents are easily view-able

You never know when motion sickness will strike so I transfer our car-sick kit to whatever vehicle we travel in, and take it in my handbag when we go to an amusement park or on a boat. I was so glad I didn’t forget to take Dramamine® for Kids on our recent cruise! I wasn’t sure how the movement of the ship was going to affect Madelyn and while given she is affected by motion sickness easily in the car, the ship didn’t seem to have the same affect so she was generally well with the rocking of the boat. However, I quickly pulled out the chewable grape flavor Dramamine® for Kids a couple of nights when we really felt the swells. Madelyn felt better within minutes.

We trust Dramamine® for Kids because it works for Madelyn and is the only medicated motion sickness relief product formulated just for children ages 2-12 from the #1 Pharmacist recommended brand. If for some reason she doesn’t take Dramamine® before we head out on a road trip and then gets motion sick, it’s comforting to know what Dramamine® for Kids treats symptoms of motion sickness on the spot and prevents nausea, dizziness, vomiting and queasiness.

You can buy Dramamine for Kids at your local drug store, grocery store or Amazon.com.

Get $1.00 off Dramamine® products with this coupon.

Stay up to date on Dramamine products and get coupons when you Like the Dramamine® Facebook and Twitter pages.

Read my post about Dramamine Non-Drowsy Naturals here

Is Your Car Ready For Summer Road Trips? – Toyota Car Care To-Do Infographic

June 23, 2015TravelCar Care, road trip, ToyotaAlicia

It’s summer! Since having kids, by February or March each year we’ve planned our entire summer. A couple trips to the beach, a day trip or two to the lake, a vacation with family. Those are just a few things we do during summer vacation and I’m sure your summer schedule is similar. When planning for a road trip we often forget to give our vehicle a second thought. Before you head out on your next summer road trip, tackle a few technical “to dos” to ensure your road trip is safe.

June is National Safety Month, and Toyota is heavily involved in helping drivers and parents keep their families safe out on the roads so they’ve provided us with this interactive infographic to remind you what’s really important before taking off to the beach this summer!

If you’re in the market for a new car check out our latest Toyota and Lexus one-week test drive reviews including our recent review of the 4Runner TRD Pro.

[pdf width=”700px” height=”1800px”]http://www.themommyinsider.com/?attachment_id=20039[/pdf]

Can’t see the infographic above?

Below are a few of the road trip car care tips. You can click here to open the pdf infographic in your browser.

No tired tires. Before taking those tires on the road, focus on: air, wear and spare.

Air
A properly inflated tire can help you avoid a flat. Refer to the owner’s manual or a label inside the doorframe for the correct pressure and check tires when they’re cold (haven’t been driven on for three hours) for most accurate reading.
Wear
Take five minutes to inspect for excessive or irregular wear. If tread is worn to 1/16 of an inch, it’s time to replace. Irregular wear patterns indicate tires might need rotation or realignment.
Spare
Make sure the back-up has your back and run the spare through the same tests as your other tires.

Take care for rubber wear

Inspect belts, hoses and wiper blades for blisters, cracks or cuts. All are susceptible to summer heat, so replace if not in tip-top condition. And make sure hose connections are secure.

Get plenty of fluids

Be good to your trusted steed and follow up on fluids: oil, brake, automatic transmission, power steering, windshield washer and coolant. And if it’s time to have the oil changed or coolant system flushed, just do it.

Light it up

Check headlights, brake lights, turn signals, emergency flashers, interior and trailer lights.

Be cool

AC working? Hope so.

See these Summer Safety 101 tips and more here (pdf view).

The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, Georgia: Perfect Winter Vacation Destination

November 24, 2014Travelgeorgia, resort, road trip, St. Simons Island, The King and Prince, Travel, vacationAlicia

As I turned onto Torras Causeway which connects the city of Brunswick, GA to St. Simons Island, GA, I felt a rush in my heart, then pure relaxation. I didn’t have a heart attack, I was home. Quite a reaction to home, right? My actual ‘home-base’ is in the northern suburbs of Atlanta but my home-away-from-home is The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, just a 5 hour drive from Atlanta.

GETTING THERE:
201 Arnold Road
St. Simons Island
Georgia, 31522

CONTACT
800-342-0212

CONNECT

Crossing the causeway I saw beautiful White Herons near the shoreline and in the marsh, stalking their soon-to-be lunch and possibly a Bald Eagle soaring above the trees which took my breath away. If it wasn’t unsafe to stop in the middle of the causeway, I would have pulled over to stare at and document the incredibly beautiful animals gracing me with their presence. Finishing my drive on the causeway I exited onto Kings Way, officially on St. Simons Island now, rolled the windows down and took in the sights, scents, and sounds of the island. Driving on Kings Way is like driving through a tropical rain forest with residential communities filling in the spaces. After about a mile I stopped at one of the few stoplights on the island, enjoyed a view of Pier Village, St. Simons Island’s place-to-be for residents and tourists alike. Knowing I had to get to my destination and that I’d make my way back to the eclectic yet quaint shopping and dining district later, I gently pressed the gas pedal when the light turned green and went on my way down Kings Way until it turned into Ocean Boulevard. Then, I felt it in my soul; I was almost home. Less than five minutes later, and no more than 7 minutes after crossing onto St. Simons Island from Torres Causeway, I stopped the car, opened my door, and took a deep breathe while looking up at the beautiful King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort that I and my family have become so fond of over the last four years.

Visiting The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort has become at least an annual occasion for my family so as I embarked on my most recent trip to the island, I wondered what I could possibly learn or experience at the resort and on the island that I haven’t already? I was in for a surprise! During this trip I received educational insight from local residents, historians, entrepreneurs, and artists including Curt Smith, Lighthouse Historian, Cap Fendig, life long resident of St. Simons and island host via way of trolley and boat, Cap’n Larry Credle, who runs educational shrimp boat excursions on the Lady Jane, a family MUST-DO! I listened in awe as Mr. Smith shared details of when, in 1941, Germans sank five Allied merchant ships off Georgia shores, Georgia’s closest brush with actual combat operations in World War II. The Naval Air Station Glynco in nearby Brunswick, GA was home to blimps that flew thousands of hours on coastal and maritime patrol. A visit to the St. Simons Lighthouse and Maritime Center are a must for families with children who want or need to learn about the Georgia’s rich coastal history. If your child, or yourself, is interested in history, a stop at the Lighthouse is a must-do!

The lavish accommodations make guests feel like royalty, even the young one’s receive a crown upon checking in. Mom can sneak away for a relaxing massage in the Royal Cottage with treatments starting at just $50 for a 30-minute massage. Dad can get away for a round of golf before setting out on a kayak tour of the marshes later in the day. After being treated like a King or Queen, the family can relax by the pool and enjoy light snack by the pool served by The Sea Shack Bar and Bites. ECHO, the resort’s restaurant, also offers patio seating near the pool area, weather permitting. The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort is the only beachfront hotel on St. Simons Island giving guests an exceptional view from any angle. Most rooms, villas, and rental homes on the property have at least an ocean view. For large families, the available rental homes provide everything your family needs for a week-long, or longer, stay including a fully supplied kitchen, plenty of seating, ample closet and bathroom space, and easy access to all of the resort’s amenities.

St. Simons Island offers endless opportunities to dine in local hotspots that combine fresh seafood with traditional southern cuisine such as the Shrimp and Grits dish complete with Andoyille etouffee and Sapelo Farms greens served at The King and Prince or Homemade Empanadas served at Del Sur, a new restaurant on St. Simons Island. The second morning of our visit, we enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast at the Sandcastle Café, where owners, Tim and Melissa, have operated for 26 years.

The King and Prince Resort, on St. Simon’s Island is the perfect secluded escape for busy parents in need of a relaxing vacation. Bringing the kids is optional but never have I taken the kids to The King and Prince and regretted that my husband and I didn’t have enough relaxing time. The beautiful view, resort ambiance, amenities, dining, and accommodations more than make up for the fact that the kids are with us the entire time. The kids are happy because there is so much to do at the resort and you know that happy kids = happy parents!

The King and Prince hosts fun events during the year, including culinary classes, taste of Thanksgiving, holiday cookie parties, and a New Years Eve party. You can follow along on their Facebook page for up to date event and activity information.

Do you see why The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort is my home-away-from-home?

Getting to The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort

201 Arnold Road
St. Simons Island
Georgia, 31522
(800) 342-0212

The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort is located on historic St. Simons Island in Georgia and is easily accessible by either car or air. Island exits from I-95 are just 15 minutes from St. Simons. The Jacksonville International Airport is just 60 miles away and the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is less than 70 miles away. Brunswick Golden Isles Airport is a quick 20-minute drive, with three incoming Delta Connection flights daily.

Connect with The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort Online

Two Ways Skype Helps My Family During Summer Travel

July 6, 2012Brand Ambassador, New posts, Summer Time Fun, Technology, Travelroad trip, Skype, summer, The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, Travel, Video ChatAlicia

Our summer has been go, go, go! Non stop planning, packing, having fun at our destination, unpacking, then planning the next trip. We started the kid’s summer break off with a 4 day stay Callaway Gardens in East Georgia, then we stayed at a beautiful beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama for a week, now we’re preparing for a 5 day stay at The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia this Saturday and then I’m going to New Mexico for a business trip for 3 days, then we’re going to Callaway Gardens again for 4 days again. A week after that trip I am scheduled to have surgery so I guess you could say that I’ve been trying to squeeze a lot of fun into a short summer break because my surgery is recovery time is cutting two weeks off of potential travel and fun time with the kids.

While my husband is not able to travel with the kids and I on all of these trips this summer and thus can’t read to her every night, which he and my daughter both love, I came up with the fabulous idea of using Skype to allow him to be right there with her in bed and read to her at night even though he’s hundreds of miles away.

Skype gives my kids the ability to see and talk to their dad while we’re away without him. Seriously, Skype is a life changer for me. Having my husband help put the kids to bed even though he’s hundreds of miles away is great and couldn’t be done without Skype.

Skype Tip #1: How to put a child to bed via Skype

I get my daughter all ready for bed. She brushes her teeth, flosses, rinses, goes to the bathroom and washes her hands and face.
Then I tuck her in bed.
Next, I put my laptop in the bed next to my 6 year old and connect to Skype.
After that we call her Daddy on Skype.
He picks up from wherever he is, via his iPhone or laptop.
He talks to her about her day then he asks her to pick three stories from her pile of books by the bed.
He reads the three books to her and then he SINGS to her like he always does at home.

This is just one way that Skype allows my daughter and husband to have a normal bedtime routine even during summer travel!

Skype’s new anti-shake video feature for iPhone makes video chats even more pleasant than they were before!

Skype Tip #2: Have a Skype group chat to help plan your summer vacation

Because our summer vacation trips often involve family members in other states, it is helpful to have a group ‘meeting’ before we arrive at our destination so everyone is on the same page regarding where we are going to go while we’re there, where we want to eat, etc. It’s a great idea to set up a time when all of the adults involved in the vacation can chat via Skype and go over the details of the trip. Skype Group Video Chat is available with a Premium subscription.

Here is a fun infographic that illustrates how 1,200 Moms think technology brings them closer to friends and family.

[simple_series title=”All posts in the Skype Series”]

More about Skype:

Disclaimer: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Skype. I received Skype credits to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

My Road Trip Survival Guide – How I Survived 8 Hour Road Trips Alone with Two Kids

January 4, 2012New posts, Traveladvice, family, kids, road trip, tips, travelingAlicia

My kids are 12 and 5 years old. They love each other but aren’t the best of friends. I’m sure you understand if you have kids who are far apart in age. My 12 year old hardly acknowledges that my 5 year old exists and when he does it’s often to correct her, poke at her, or ask her to do something for him.

Therefor, I was pretty nervous about driving the kids to Florida (from our home in Atlanta) alone as I’ve never driven the kids to Florida by myself before and I never know when they are going to be at each other’s throats. Well not really but you know what I mean. My husband and parents didn’t want me to drive the kids by myself in case something happened with the car or the kids during the drive. And me being the paranoid girl that I am, I think about the kids getting car sick (it’s happened before!), getting a flat tire, accidents, traffic, the rushed need for a restroom when there’s none around, etc and those thoughts usually consume me. However, I didn’t let those thoughts consume me this time. Mostly because I was consumed with the fact that my 5 year old and I had just gone to urgent care the day before our trip and I found out that I had a sinus infection requiring anti-biotics and steroids and she had something that required anti-biotics. I was just hoping to get there and to feel better the next day. Little did I know that 7 days later, I’d be fighting a different infection and working from bed.

Here are a few things that I did to ensure that I and the kids had a fun, safe, happy, and successful 8 hour road trip to Florida and back last week:

Keep them Fed!

Packed lots of cups of water
Brought pre-portioned Snacks
Included fruits & veggies in their snack bags
Plastic plates and utensils

Keep things Fun!

Activity Tray for each child
DVD’s that they agreed on before hand
iPad – full charged with a few new apps installed
Blank paper to color and write on
Pencil box with crayons and colored pencils
Sticker books (for my 5 year old)
Nook Color (for my 12 year old)
Wireless headphones for kids

Keep the kids and car Clean!

Trash bag for each child to use
Paper towels
Tissues
Baby wipes
Hand towel for each child
Full size towel for each child (cover with while eating)
Toilet seat covers (a MUST for rest area and restaurant restrooms!)

Keep the kids Comfortable!

Pillow Pets
Sun Shades
Blankets
Dramamine (my daughter gets car sick)

Preparing for the trip:

A week before departure:

Had oil changed and tires rotated
I signed up for AAA
Made sure I had all necessary safety equipment and manuals in the car
Talked to my son about being responsible for his sister while I was driving and what that meant. My son is a Boy Scout and prides himself on being able to handle many emergency situations (which he’s had to do in the past) so my family and I felt comfortable that he could help in the case of a flat tire or other minor vehicular emergency but I needed to make sure that he understood that I wouldn’t be able to stop when my daughter needed a drink, snack, or a toy and that he needed to help out with her while I was driving.
Bought sun shades for the kids windows
Bought activity trays for the kids to use during the trip

Two days before departure:

Pack clothes
Pack each child a bag with activities to do in the car
Washed and set out two cups for each of us to use during the trip
I chose and packed DVD’s for the kids to watch in the car
I downloaded podcasts (love Leo Laporte’s tech podcasts!) for me to listen to while the kids watched a movie (via their wireless headphones)
Pack medications
I packed a ‘throw up kit’ containing a tupperware bowl, extra clothes, and wipes. My daughter gets car sick.

The night before departure:

Pack toiletries
Pack kid’s bedtime books
Put everything in the car
Programed our destination in my iPhone GPS app
Pack important daily medications

Morning of departure:

Put kid’s blankets and pillow pets in the car
I put a DVD in the player so I wouldn’t have to pull over to put one in
Filled one cup with ice and water for each of us
Filled the cooler with fruits, veggies, cheese strings, ice, and drinks
Packed chargers for phones, camera, and iPad

Off we went!

The trip started with a few games of I Spy and then we listened to some Kidz Bop. The kids didn’t ask to watch a movie or play on the iPad for the first hour and half.. almost two hours. Impressive for a road trip if you ask me. To be hontest, I was just waiting for them to We stopped three times. Twice at rest stops and once at a McDonalds. I was bummed that I couldn’t find a Chick-Fil-A around lunchtime so next time I will plan our lunch stop before leaving the house. My son slept on and off during the trip but my daughter who is not a fan of sleeping during road trips finally fell asleep about an hour from Orlando. She played with her sticker books and watched quite a bit of Curious George but she was happy and I was able to drive safely and distraction free, getting us to our destination safely.

I hope my road trip survival guide helps you on your next road trip adventure whether you’re travelling alone or with a spouse with your kids.

Do you have any road trip tips to share with our readers? Tell us in the comments below.

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