Last week my boyfriend thought it would be a good idea to take some time off and take a mini vacation. I was a little hesitant because we had never traveled longer than thirty minutes with Evan, and this would be a eight hour trip. On top of that we had nothing ready. I eventually gave in, that "you only live once" phrase can really get you into trouble. I quickly packed and we hit the road. I was nervous, scared, and curious to find out how Evan would react to such a long drive. Luckily I was prepared. 

Tip #1:  Leave around nap time: We left two hours before his nap time. He fell asleep for almost four hours, I was so happy because this never happens. I took advantage and took a nap myself. We were both well rested, which put us in a great mood. When he woke up we only had about two to three hours left on the road. This made our trip go by very fast. This worked like a charm for us. 
 
Tip #2:  Dress your babe comfortably- Loose clothing would be my number one choice. Evan wore a pair of sweatpants,T-shirt, and a light weight sweater. I knew the weather would be a little cool, but had a back up outfit just in case the weather changed. No shoes were necessary, only for rest stops. I had something comfortable on myself. I knew this trip would be a challenge and the last thing I wanted to do was dress us. Evan and I rode all eight and a half hours very comfortable. 



 Tip #3:  Pack plenty of snacks- Make sure you have a variety of options to give to your little one. I packed fruit, cereal, cereal bars, yogurt, drinks, and much more. We had a mini fridge and bag full of goodies. Evan would point at them constantly, we immediately knew he wanted a snack. He would be munching, singing, and dancing. Snacking kept him very busy. Make sure you pack plenty of munchies for your next trip.

Tip #4: Toys- We packed a couple of toys and books. The toys wouldn't keep him as busy as his books. To be completely honest, my plan was to put videos on my phone when he seemed annoyed or fussy. Luckily, we had no service and that option was off the table. I am so glad because I'm not a fan of my babe using technology. I'm not against it because, yes I do show him videos from time to time. This trip made me realize that none of that is necessary. I would show him different toys, point to objects out the window, and I even let him play with my make-up just to keep him occupied. They key is to keep your babe entertained.  


Tip #5:  Music- This should probably be my number one tip because he couldn't get enough of Didi Pop. He's always been obsessed with her music, and when he gets fussy on our car rides we always put on some Didi Pop. I pretty much have every single song memorized. If you are traveling play their favorite music. They will love it. Sing along and dance, show your baby you're having fun and I guarantee they will join the fun. I am so glad I discovered Didi Pop a while back. Check out her YouTube channel or website(link below). All of her music is superb.  

In all honesty, it can get frustrating, especially if your baby isn't use to long car rides. When nothing kept Evan happy we stopped for a break. We would grab a meal or walk around. Overall, our road trip went very smooth. Evan was such a good boy. We had such a great vacation. We all needed a break. Having no internet for a couple days was actually nice. Evan absolutely loved being outside pretty much all day, but we are glad to be back home. I hope these few tips help you out for your upcoming family trips. Xoxo