Questionable Choices in Parenting

Laughing at life as a parent so they don't commit me

Easy Ways to Save Money on Gas

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If the warmer weather has you wanting to get out and hit the road, you aren’t alone. Spring is the perfect time to drive to your favorite spring break destination, take a weekend road trip, or pile the family in the car and check out the beautiful flowers of spring. However, all that driving can really cost you at the gas pump. So if you are hoping to rack up the miles without racking up gas high gas prices, here are a few easy ways to save money on gas this spring.

  • Take advantage of gas points at your grocery store or whole sale store. Do a little research and find which stores in your area have points programs that go towards gas. You can easily save money on gas by spending money on the items you are already purchasing every week.
  • Use tracking apps like Gas Buddy or ITrackGas to compare gas prices in your area or when you travel. These apps are great at saving you money and some even have programs you can join to earn points towards free gas on future trips.
  • If you don’t want to download another app, check to see if apps you are already using will do this for you. Apps like Waze have this feature and if you are already using Waze, you don’t need to download another app.

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Everything you need in your car when your kids play spring sports

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 If springtime in your home means running your kids to practices and games for their spring sports, then you need to have your car ready for just about anything. From preparing for all different types of weather to making sure everyone has the equipment they need, here’s how buys parents can pack their car for the spring sport season.

Rather than tossing a number of items into your car and hoping that you can find what you need later, try creating individual kits and packing all of your kits in a large plastic container that you store in the back of your car. Now you’ll be covered, have what you need, and be able to find it quickly. Here’s a few ideas of the kits you can create:

Warm Weather Kit

  • Sunblock

  • Extra water bottles

  • Lip balm with SPF

  • Hats or visors

  • Sunglasses

  • Bug Spray

Clean Up Kit

  • Garbage Bags that can be stored inside a plastic container or an empty baby wipes container

  • A roll of paper towels

  • A few packages of wet wipes

  • Bottles of hand sanitizer

  • A roll of toilet paper and baby wipes

  • A roll of dog poo bags for small messes

  • Plastic Cups, utensils, paper plates for meals and snacks. Store all of these inside a gallon plastic bag.

  • Portable potty for younger siblings

Rainy Weather Kit

  • Poncho

  • Change of socks

  • Large beach towel

  • Umbrella

  • Stadium seats

Tech Kit

  • Rechargeable battery

  • Travel cords

  • Extra batteries

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Tips and Tricks for Traveling with Toddlers

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Traveling with toddlers can be tricky. To be honest, doing much of anything with toddlers can be tricky. So when you are getting ready to hit the road for a vacation or a road trip, sometimes you need to get creative to keep your little one a happy traveler.

  • If your stroller is taking up way too much space in the back of your SUV or minivan, try this hack. Grab a bungee cord and attach it to the back seat headrest. Then stand up the stroller and attach the bungee cord to the stroller. It will stay secure, take up less space, and will be easy to get in and out of your car.
  • If your toddlers want a snack in the car you can get a bit creative with yogurt tubes or applesauce cups. Simply pop a start into the tube or cup and let your kids “drink” their snack.
  • Toddlers are messy and you often need to change their clothes. Store extra outfits in small ziplock bags. You can fit an entire outfit in each small bag. Store them in the car for quick changes and toss the dirty clothes into the bag.
  • Stash toys in small container that you can situate next to your toddler’s car seat. This way they can reach down and grab all of the toys they want while you drive. This hack will hopefully keep them entertained on long and short car trips.

 

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Creative Hacks to Get Your Car Clean

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If spring cleaning has you in the mood to get your car sparkling from the inside out, then you’ll need more than a vacuum to get your car clean. Here’s eight hacks that will get every inch of your car clean and ready for spring.
  • A cheap toothbrush is perfect for cleaning cracks and crevices in your car. From the seats to small spaces, stash a toothbrush in your car cleaning supplies for quick dusting and cleanings.
  • A sponge paint brush will help you get inside those dirty air conditioner vents. Since you can grab one of these for under a dollar, not only are these a handy cleaning tool but an inexpensive hack as well.
  • If the inside of your windows need a quick clean up a baby wipe will do the trick in pinch. This is perfect or those times you have tiny finger prints or even nose prints from pets on the insides of your windows.
  • If you want to give your dashboard a quick shine, put a very small amount of Vaseline on a rag and rub the Vaseline into the dashboard. This hack is a great conditioner for your dashboard and will help keep dust off your dashboard.
  • Lingering smells can easily be erased by sprinkling baking soda on your car seats, floor, and mats. After you let the baking soda sit for about 20 minutes, vacuum up for a clean and fresh smelling car.

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The Best Apps to Download When Traveling With Kids

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We all have our favorite apps on your phones and tablets, even our kids. However, if you are getting ready to travel with your kids, now is the time to update and freshen a few of the apps that will keep your kids entertained while you travel.
Toca Life Vacation– This fun app has endless possibilities so your kids won’t get bored after playing the game for a few minutes.  All of the settings for the app are vacation-oriented an airport, airplane, a hotel, a beach, and sightseeing in the town. Kids can choose from many characters they can then move around and interact items. They can ride in the hotel’s elevator, sit in the pilot’s seat of the plane, put things through the X-ray machine at airport security, or shop for souvenirs. Your kids will love recording two-minute chunks of their own voice as they move things around on the screen. The app will ask permission to use your device’s microphone and to access the camera roll.
Sago Mini Road Trip– For this simple, rules-free app, kids take Jinga the cat on a trip and then guide him along the way in a number of adventures. So while you are traveling, so is Jinga. From driving, packing, and taking pictures, your kids will love this app. It’s simple to play are great for preschoolers.
This Is My Car Mechanics for Kids– Another fun app for travel, this one allows kids to play with the inner workings of their car.  This Is My Car helps to introduce and teach kids all about different car parts, how each part is connected connected, and even car safety. Who knows, if you have a little car trouble while on your vacation, maybe your kids can help with the new knowledge from this app.

Road Trip Tips-Eating On-The-Go With Your Family

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When you are hitting the road with your kids, you may need to take a break from driving to feed your family. However, eating out with kids is not always smooth sailing. So to make sure everyone is fed and that you avoid restaurant meltdowns, here are five road trip hacks for eating out and snacking on-the-go.
Check Please- If you stop to eat at a restaurant, try this hack. As soon as your food arrives, ask for the bill and for to-go containers. This way you can make a quick exit if you are in a time crunch or your kids are melting down.
Cooling Down Food – Save yourself from passing out from blowing on too hot food by asking for a separate plate to come with your child’s meal. Usually the side plates aren’t hot and you can cool the food faster on another plate–a few ice cubes help too. You can also do this if you are eating in the car.
Order Dessert- I was never a fan of having my kids’ meals come before ours until I started ordering their dessert to be served the same time as the adults’ entrees. Now they’re happier because they get their meals sooner, and we’re happier because we eat our meals in peace because they’re digging into their yummy dessert.

Simple Car Maintenance Tips for Busy Parents

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Any busy parent likely spends a lot of time in their car – from school drop off and pick up to shuttling the kids to their activities and a million other chores. But even if you are packing on the miles in your car, it can be really easy to overlook routine car maintenance. So knowing just a few easy tips and reminders can make sure car troubles never slow you and your family down. Here are five tips to start you and your car onto long journeys together.

1. Turn Down the Tunes-  This one is easy because all you need to do is turn down the volume and take a listen to your car. Do you hear a squealing when you hit the breaks or when you apply the gas? Do you hear or feel a vibration? What about when you turn the steering wheel? Any sound is a clear sign that something needs to be fixed or adjusted.
2. Let the President Check Your Tires- Take a penny and place it in the grooves of your tire. If part of Lincoln’s head is always covered, your tires are in good shape. If you see the top of Honest Abe’s head, you need to get your tires replaced ASAP! Bald tires are no joke. This quick test can also tell you a lot about your car’s alignment and give you clues to bigger issues.  Try this on all four tires and in different spots of the tread.
3. Wait a Minute Mr. Postman- No matter how long you’ve had your car, it can have a recall. Don’t ignore these recall letters and be sure to care of these problems now so you don’t have bigger problems later.

Things to Include in a Travel Goodie Bag for Your Kids

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If you’re planning a road trip with your kids, you’ll need to pack more than just a few suitcases and grab directions to your destination. Kids get antsy in the car. Even though electronics and snacks will get you and your kids pretty far, why not pack travel goodie bags.  With a little prep, you can create a few goodie bags that will ensure you and your kids arrive happily to your destination. Not sure what to pack in the goodie bags? Here is some inspiration that is inexpensive, easy to put together, and that your kids will love to play with while on your road trip.
A few tips when planning the goodie bags:
Start with small paper bags that you can fill with goodies. These bags are also great for holding all of their new treasures but are perfect for quick cleanup as well. Be sure to create bags for both legs of your trip-to and from home. If you and your kids will be in the car for many hours, you may want to break up the trip with multiple goodie bags. Pick a few destinations along the way. When you pass these destinations, the kids can open their surprises.
Here’s what to put in the bags:
Head to the dollar store and grab a few of these items to pack in the bags.
1. Travel games and card games
2. Small Lego sets
3. Beads and strings to make necklaces and bracelets.
4. Notebooks and pencils to journal and draw pictures while you travel.
5. Word search  and crossword books
6. Coloring book and crayons
7. Window clings to decorate the windows in the car.
8. Flash card games for preschoolers and older kids
9. Dry erase boards and dry erase markers
10. Snacks and special yummy treats

Apps for On-the-Go Parents

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From managing your kids, your home and your work-things never stop for busy parents. So you need apps on your phone that will make your life a little easier. From saving money, managing all of your to-do lists and finding the best places to take your kids to burn off some energy, here are five apps busy moms and dads need  to download today.

Yowza!!– This money saving app actually sends you coupons and other deals right to your phone based on your location. So wherever you are-you’ll be able to easily save money. According to the app, most coupons come directly from the manufacturer so you can expect to save big. Coupons can be scanned from your phone, so there is not clipping and holding onto paper coupons involved.
Remember the Milk– If you are always making to-do lists, then you need this app. Remember the Milk helps you create and manage multiple to-do lists. From daily to weekly tasks everything is easily organized and you can even receive reminders when you have an event of activity coming up.
Kids Meal Deals– If you are on-the-go with your kids, there are plenty of times that you will need to stop and grab some food for them. However, this app will help you save money on their meals. This app will show you all of the restaurants with kids’ meal deals near your location. This also includes the restaurants where kids eat for free. The app is often updated so you have all of the current deals and can compare the offers. This is a great app to use in your hometown and when you travel.