How to Save Money on Your Next Road Trip Before You Even Hit the Road

Expenses for family road trips can add up quick! Find out my #1 tip for How to Save Money on Your Next Road Trip Before You Even Hit the Road...

This post was created in partnership with Kroger. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

The end of the school year & the beginning of summertime always means one thing for my kids & I- it is the official start of road trip season in our home. Whether we are driving just an hour or two to spend the day hiking or embarking on a 6+ hour drive to a cabin in the Tennessee mountains, we are always game for a good family road trip. 

But when you factor in gas, stops for snacks, road tolls (ugh- am I right?), the expenses for those family road trips can start adding up pretty quick. That is why our local Kroger store has now become our first official stop on our road trips before we even hit the road. 

The 20 Best Audiobooks for a Family Road Trip

Keep every member of the family happy & content in the car this summer with these 20 Best Audiobooks for a Family Road Trip...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all mine.

Summer road trips with a preschooler and a teenager can get interesting at times. While my youngest would be happy spending an hour or two playing "I Spy", my oldest would be most content with his headphones on doing his own thing. I always try to leave the house well prepared for long road trips to avoid any major meltdowns, but the inevitable always happens- the dreaded "I'm bored".  And let's face it- sometimes even the adults get a little bored on the longer road trips. That is why I am glad for our Audible account, the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment! :)

We can connect up to four devices at a time to our Audible account which means every member of the family can enjoy their audiobook of choice from their laptop or MP3 player. And even better yet, you can connect up to 11 mobile devices using the Audible mobile app. The oldest can listen to his favorite audiobook from his laptop, the youngest from her tablet, and my husband & I can listen to our summer reading picks from our cell phones. 

So which Audible audiobooks are on my family's reading list for family road trips this summer? See below for mom's top picks, the preschooler's must-reads, dad's top recommendations, and the teenager's can't miss audiobooks for this summer...

5 Essentials for Your Road Trip Survival Kit

Ensure the survival of everyone's sanity in the car on your next family road trip with these 5 Essentials for Your Road Trip Survival Kit...

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media.

We are gearing up for our last big family road trip of the summer & heading to the Midwest next week (Be sure to give me on a follow on Instagram to discover exactly where we will be traveling to & to follow along with our travel adventures!). Our hotel rooms are booked, the route to our destinations have been plugged into the GPS, our itineraries are just about finalized, & I am starting to throw together our road trip survival kit. And yes, I said survival. Because it is ALL about the survival of everyone's sanity when there is a restless 5 year old in the backseat. ;)

In addition to the usual road trip must-haves (think coloring books & crayons, snacks, water bottles, headphones for each member of the family, etc.), I will also be adding the 5 essentials listed below to my family's road trip survival kit...

5 Tips for Curbing Road Trip Motion Sickness

Kick nausea to the curb on that next road trip with these 5 Tips for Curbing Road Trip Motion Sickness...

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

I think that it goes without saying that I love to travel. Whether taking road trips with my family or flying solo across the country for a foodie adventure, I love the thrill of exploring a new place. :) But what many people probably don't know about me is that I have suffered from some serious motion sickness ever since I was a kid. 

In fact, I still vividly remember the summer that my grandparents embarked with my sister and I on a mission to visit a different area of West Virginia each week while we were off from school. Though I love the fun memories we made that summer, I mostly still remember those day trips because of how many times I had to ask my grandpa to pull the van over because I felt absolutely nauseous. 

You see, we do not have very many straight roads on the back hills of West Virginia. In fact, there are a lot of hairpin turns on our roads through the hills and mountains. We have another name for those types of turns, but I will spare you that term since I like to keep things PG-ish around here. ;)

Motion sickness has followed me into my adult travels as well. Mountain highways still make my stomach turn. Rough waters while in a small boat leave me darting for the side railing. And I once even had to grab that little white bag as the plane was landing on the runway in Denver. Talk about a walk of shame as I exited that plane!

Over the years, I have learned some methods and tips for helping to curb that motion sickness making for much more pleasant travels for all involved. The tips below are more specific to road trips, but you could employ almost all of these in any instance where you are experiencing nausea due to motion sickness...

5 Easy Tips For Making the Road Trip Part of the Destination

Who says the road trip itself just has to be a means to an end? Not these 5 Easy Tips For Making the Road Trip Part of the Destination...

Photo Source & License

Summer is almost here, and with it's impending arrival I start to get the itch to get out there and travel. Soon my son will be out from school for the summer, and our usually packed schedule will be wide open. :) I am ready to pack up the car, grab the family, and head off on a road trip... to Virginia wine country, or to Harper's Ferry to hike and visit the historical sites, or to head down south for a sunny and sandy beach getaway. But why should the road trip itself just be a means to an end? Who says that you can't make the road trip become part of the destination? 

Resist the urge to just jet it to get where you are going on your next road trip and instead try making the journey there part of the overall getaway. Just like the old adage says- Not all those who wander are lost. ;)

But how can you accomplish this? It's easy! Just follow and put into action my 5 fun tips for making your next road trip part of your destination...

The Best Resources for Planning a Summer Family Vacation

From deciding where to go, how to get there, & how to get the most bang for your buck, here are The Best Resources for Planning a Summer Family Vacation...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Scholastic. The opinions and text are all mine.

Another school year is quickly coming to a close, and soon the kiddos will be home for summer school break. Time for long summer days at the pool, s'mores around the fire pit, weekend road trips, and the annual summer family vacation. 

Okay, so maybe you hadn't really thought about that last bit quite yet. But there is no need to panic, folks. I gathered up some of the best resources for planning a summer family vacation to share with you all today. So whether you need a little help deciding where to go or maybe you just need some tips for the actual traveling part, I got covered in today's post!

Deciding Where to Go.

If you haven't already pinpointed just where you and the family will be packing up and heading off to this summer, then this is where you need to start. 

Now you can either close your eyes and throw a dart at a map (hey, I am not necessarily ruling that one out ;) ), or you can start by asking yourself a few key questions-

Big Country- Making Travel Dreams a Reality

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of U.S. Cellular. 

The opinions and text are all mine.

When I was growing up, travel wasn't a big part of my childhood. I remember a couple of family vacations to beaches that were within a day's driving distance, but that was about it as far as family travel went. Money was tight and neither of my parents were big on long road trips or flying in planes. The travel bug didn't really bite me until years later into my adulthood. I left the small West Virginia town I had grown up in and moved to a much bigger city. And then once I had overcome my fear of flying (I may have suffered a full-on anxiety attack on my first ever flight), I was hooked. I wanted to go and explore and visit as many cities and states as I could afford to. And when I became a mother, those travel experiences were something that I wanted to share with my children as well. I decided that travel would be a part of their childhoods. Not that we have unlimited expendable income for traveling, but we budget for what it is important to us- and the travels, the road trips, the experiences, and the memories we make together are a priority for us. Now I can't imagine my life or theirs without travel. But I had no idea what I had been missing or what my children would have been missing until I actually got out there and overcame my small town girl fears and started traveling. 

5 Ways to Save Money on Day Trips

Get out and about and explore without breaking your travel budget with these 5 Ways to Save Money on Day Trips...

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Brita, but all my opinions are my own.

Though we tend to travel and take little road trips all year round, summer seems to be when we really get out there and hit the road for a little family vacation time. My oldest is out from school for a couple of months, and we are pretty much free to pick and go when an opportunity or urge arises. 

But one thing that I have learned about summer travel is that the expenses of taking a trip- even what seems like a little weekend getaway- can add up fast. I can snag a great deal on a hotel or B&B. We can find the best price on gas and fuel up before heading out. But what I was finding is that those little day trips we took to get out and about and explore once we arrived at our destination were just eating up our travel budget. 

Walk around a little town or explore an area of a city, and you will find that there all kinds of ways to spend money around every corner. I soon discovered that those little day trips were eating up our travel budget for that trip quick, so I implemented a few changes over the past year or so. These changes have saved us hundreds of dollars. And money saved means more stays in our travel fund for the year which equals more trips and family time! :) 

So, what haveI done to save my family money as we explore and discover the areas that we love traveling to? I gathered up my five top tips for you all below...

The Best Way to Book Your Favorite Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Looking to save time, money, & a little sanity when planning that Pigeon Forge, Tennessee family vacation? Then be sure to check out The Best Way to Book Your Favorite Pigeon Forge Attractions...

This post was created in partnership with TripAdvisor. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

When you think back on some of your favorite family vacations & road trips, what is it about those particular trips that set them apart from the others? What made those vacations more memorable for you and your family? For myself & my kids, it is always about the experiences we had there- the things we did & saw, the one-of-a-kind attractions at that particular destination, and the memories we made while enjoying them all together. 

Obviously the getting there (road trip? plane ride? train ticket?) and booking a place to stay are also important when planning a memorable family vacation, but as soon as I have those two things squared away I start turning my attention to the must-do's & must-see's at that particular destination. That is where TripAdvisor's Things To Do tab comes in handy! :) 

Just last week my kids & I headed to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for a 3 day cabin getaway. A week or so before our trip date, I clicked on over to TripAdvisor to check out the reviews on some of the most popular attractions in the area & to book tickets for a couple of them in advance...

5 Simple Tips for Sticking to a Travel Dining Budget

Staying on a dining budget while traveling is easy with my 5 Simple Tips for Sticking to a Travel Dining Budget...

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Visa Clear Prepaid program and 

the Green Dot® Reloadable Prepaid Visa® Card.

If you happen to travel at all- whether it be once a year for a family vacation or you take multiple road trips throughout the year- you probably already know that dining out while traveling can really eat up (pun intended ;) ) most of your travel budget pretty quickly. 

Being a foodie and food blogger, experiencing the local food scene in a new city ranks right up there in my top priorities when traveling. And because of that, the dining out expenses can really start adding up. Mainly because I want to try it all. 

Since my family and I love traveling, we have had to find ways to keep our dining budget in check because going over it one too many times means less trips throughout the year as our annual travel budget is depleted. Savvy savings and sticking to a budget with our travel dining = more trips as a family for the year! :)

So what are my best tips for staying on a travel dining budget? I am sharing my top five with you all below...

Peanut Butter Oreo Cake Mix Cookies

These easy to make peanut butter cookies start with a cake mix and are loaded with chunks of chopped Oreos...

So, we are on like what? Day #1,525,123 of the stay at home/quarantine life now? And yes, like everyone else I am starting to feel a little restless and antsy & long for some of the normalcy from my life pre-virus...

For one, I miss my gym workouts something fierce, you all. Specifically, cardio machines like my beloved elliptical and stair climber. 

Yeah, I know I could go out and run, but A. I kind of hate running and B. Mother Nature hasn't really been cooperating weather-wise. I mean, one day it is sunny and in the 60's and the very next day it is flipping snow here. Or it is raining. Or just plain cold.

I also miss getting my hair cut. And since I went much shorter with my hair in the fall, I had been stopping in to see my stylist about once every 3 weeks before all of this went down. I made the decision a few weeks ago to just go with it and started growing it out. 

My hair is presently in that super awkward stage of having ducky feathers and sticking out in weird places, so I am super thankful for my stretchy, wide headbands right now. And baseball caps. 

And the fact that I can't go out socially (because no one wants to witness this, lol). But hey- what better time to decide to grow it out than now? 

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 33- The Summer of the Staycation

Financially speaking, this little family is in rebuilding mode this summer.  Last fall, my husband lost his job and we had some financial setbacks from that.  Fortunately he was able to find another job within a few months.  A job that also happened to bring us back to our hometown and to our family.  We also went from a two income (granted, I wasn't bringing in all that much) to a single income family a month and a half before our baby girl was born.  My husband and I knew from the day we found out I was pregnant with my daughter that I would be a stay-at-home mama no matter how much we had to budget and scrimp to make it happen.  


So, this summer there will be no week long relaxing vacation to a warm and sandy destination.  (Though we are already formulating a plan for saving for just such a trip for next summer.)  
Instead this summer we will be taking a few fun day trips and maybe even a few road trips.  We have a day in the big city planned next weekend, complete with a major league baseball game and dinner out.  We are also planning a trip to a nearby amusement park and an overnight camping trip.  
This is the summer of our first ever Sand Pail List!  It was fun to come up with our list, and it has been even more fun to cross things off that list. :)
  
To see my family's Sand Pail List, click here.
To read all our updates on our Sand Pail List adventures, bookmark this page!

How to Roar & Explore in Columbus, Ohio

Not only is the fun-packed Columbus Roar & Explore Getaway budget friendly, but it also offers a little something for everyone in the family from the preschooler to the teenager to the adults...

My family & I were were offered the Columbus Roar & Explore Getaway package to review courtesy of Experience Columbus. 

As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

My family & I have deemed the summer of 2016 as the summer of our family weekend road trips. Instead of going on a longer week long vacation to just one destination like we usually do in the summertime, we are opting for 2-3 days visits to 3-4 different family friendly spots instead. First on our family summer road trip list was the Columbus Roar & Explore Getaway. Not only was this fun-packed getaway budget friendly, but it also had a little something for everyone in our family from the preschooler to the teenager to the adults.

We started our visit to Columbus, Ohio with a little Roar first and headed to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell...

A Summertime Travel Guide to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

From battlefields to ghostly tours and tales of hauntings, to a vintage baseball tournament, to a constantly expanding local culinary scene, Gettysburg has a little something to offer everyone during the summer season...

This post was created in partnership with Destination Gettysburg. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

Summertime was just made for weekend road trips. For my family and I, anywhere within a 4-hour drive is game. We pack our bags for a 2-3 day stay, load up the car, and hit the road. One of our favorite destinations for a quick and fun getaway is the historic city of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It is just a short 3 1/2 hour drive from the Pittsburgh area.

Last summer, we had the pleasure of teaming up with Destination Gettysburg to plan the perfect 3-day family getaway. From battlefields to ghostly tours and tales of hauntings, to a vintage baseball tournament, to a constantly expanding local culinary scene, Gettysburg has a little something to offer everyone.

Spring Into Summer Canon Rebel T3 & Lens Giveaway!

Spring is here & summer is just around the corner, folks! :)

I don't know about you all, but I am so looking forward to warm evenings on the back deck & summer road trips and a beach vacation...

This week, myself and a few of my blogger friends are giving one of you all the chance to win a brand new Canon Rebel T3 & 50mm lens! Just in time to capture all those summertime memories. 

Easy Banana Cinnamon Peanut Butter Waffles

You all won't believe how incredibly easy it is to whip up these Easy Banana Cinnamon Peanut Butter Waffles...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. The opinions and text are all mine.

One of my longtime favorite flavor combinations has always been peanut butter with banana. I love adding them both into smoothies or enjoying them together over toast for a quick snack. But I am here to tell you all that Jif has managed to take my peanut butter/banana obsession to a whole other level of peanut butter happy with their new Jif Cinnamon Peanut Butter. :) You heard me right, folks. Cinnamon + peanut butter + bananas= my new #peanutbutterhappy.

You all won't believe how incredibly easy it is to whip up these Easy Banana Cinnamon Peanut Butter Waffles using my new favorite Jif flavored spread...

Bloglovin Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Good morning, friends! So, who wants to win a Kindle Fire HDX this week? ;)

Myself and 24 of my fun blogging buddies are coming together to give away one Kindle Fire HDX to one of you all! And the entries couldn't be easier.  In fact if you are getting notice of this giveaway via Bloglovin, you have already earned at least one entry.  That's right! We want to award our readers who are already following us on Bloglovin, and encourage those of you who haven't jumped on the Bloglovin bandwagon to come on over and join us! :)

Spicy Almond Cold Soba Noodle Salad

This Spicy Almond Cold Soba Noodle Salad is full of flavor and amazing textures- crunchy almonds, cucumbers, and red bell peppers, soft and slippery noodles, all tossed with a spicy almond butter sriracha dressing...

This is a sponsored post by Babbleboxx.

I am all about easy and simple when it comes to cooking and entertaining in the summertime. I love quick and effortless pasta salads and dishes that work well not only as a light and healthy lunch idea, but also as a flavorful, make-ahead side dish for a backyard BBQ or a summer potluck. The Spicy Almond Cold Soba Noodle Salad recipe I am sharing with you all today easily meets the requirements for both. 

Seriously, you all. This recipe comes together in just 15 minutes and can be easily doubled or quadrupled. And thanks to Roland® Organic Soba Noodles and RECIPE 33 Infused Almonds, this cold noodle salad recipe is packed with flavor and amazing textures. 

Before I share the actual recipe with you all, let me tell you guys about a few of the products I am loving this summer for cooking and entertaining...

Banana Split Ice Cream Pops

These cool & creamy Banana Split Ice Cream Pops are made with just 3 simple ingredients- vanilla ice cream, cold milk, & fresh fruit. A perfect frosty treat for summertime!

This dairy packed recipe was created in partnership with the ADA Mideast. As always, all thoughts & opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

The countdown to summer break is on in this house! My youngest has less than a month left of school & then the summer fun will officially begin. 

We have road trips, lazy days at the local pool, tennis camp, and nights by the fire pit making s'mores already on our summer break agenda. I also see lots of fun homemade popsicle making in our summertime plans starting with this recipe for these layered Banana Split Ice Cream Pops. 

This cool & creamy frozen treat is made with just 3 simple ingredients: vanilla ice cream, cold milk, & fresh fruit. And they come together in no time at all with a little help from your blender. 

Not only are these ice cream pops fun & 100% kid approved, but I can also feel good about treating my kiddo to these thanks to the high standards of safety & quality being enforced by our local dairy farmers. 

In a world where we seem to be constantly hearing about contaminated foods & recalls, it is reassuring to know that dairy foods are the among the safest & most highly regulated foods out there.

Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunsweet Growers for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Need a mini escape to the tropics now? You can't go wrong with these crunchy Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters infused with sweet tropical flavors... 

It has been in the single digits & teens around here this week, and these cold, frigid January temps have me daydreaming of a tropical paradise escape. I mean, it has been so cold that it literally makes my face hurt. And to quote that popular meme, "Why am I living where the air hurts my face?" It could be worse... I could be living in Fargo, or in Buffalo bracing for lake effect snow, or even the Arctic, right? ;) So, I will just bundle up, bake up some tropical paradise inspired granola clusters, and dream that I am enjoying a big bowl of these while swinging in a hammock on a white sand beach.

These Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters are so simple & easy to make with a little help from the new Sunsweet Philippine Tropicals flavors- Philippine Green Mango & Thai Coconut Chip. And for good measure, I added in some of their dried Philippine Pineapple to the mix. ;) Sunsweet does want to help you Find Your Paradise with an amazing sweepstakes to win a tropical paradise getaway (more on that at the end of this post.) But if you happen to be stuck in the bitter cold of winter (like me) and need a mini escape to the tropics now, you can't go wrong with these crunchy granola clusters infused with sweet tropical flavors...