Planning for a long trip is both exciting and exhausting. It can be difficult to plan out which munchies you should make and bring and which ones you should buy on the road. I prefer to have snacks that do not crumble, smear or that are too wet. Remember, your children will be sitting in their car seat for a couple of hours at a time and you may not be able to clean them up right away.
One of the first things I purchased before our trip was an attachable snack and drink holder that attached to our car seat. It is one of the best things we purchased and are currently still using. One of the features that I love about this holder is that it can also attach to a stroller, which came in handy with our lightweight umbrella stroller that we took along with us to Disney. Another purchase I made prior to the trip was a bottle warmer that hook up to the lighter plug. I honestly only used this once and returned it as soon as I came home. When we got to the hotel, I would warm up a bottle of milk in microwave. It helped put my little one back to sleep in case he woke up on the shuffle from car seat to bed.
By: Karen Del Ben
I found the best snacks to bring from home were Gold fish crackers, Cheerios, Gerber Puffs. I had originally packed some fruit such as blueberries and strawberries, but as the trip wore on, I found these snacks to be more work than what they were worth. For example, the blueberries and strawberries are a great snack the first day of the trip, however, I over packed and each time we stopped I had to refill the cooler with ice or at night I had to remember to put them into the fridge. After this experience, on our trip back to Canada, when we would stop at a fast food place, I would pick up a pack of apple slices or a yogurt. This way, we always had a healthy snack with us.
When we arrived at Disney, I again packed snacks that were dry. We purchased ice cream at the park because it was a hot day, but still brought our own beverages from the hotel.
The key thing to remember is to always pack snacks are foods that are ultimately mess free. Sitting in a car seat for hours with a sticky mess is no fun for anyone. Plan sticky snacks for a rest area where you have the opportunity to clean up with water. Much easier and much cleaner for everyone!
Happy Couponing!
