Are We There Yet? Tools for a Successful Road Trip with the Kids from Stacks and Stacks Homewares

RICHMOND, CA, April 27, 2013 (Press-News.org) Road trips offer families a chance to reconnect, travel and experience new things together without the hefty price tags that go along with air travel. Simply put, when 3 or more people are involved, you get more bang for your travel-buck by staying low to the ground. Stacks and Stacks Homewares brings its organizing expertise into the car with you, offering advice for a stress-free family road trip!

Savvy Car Storage Tools - Make every inch count in your car with these tips:

1.Seat backs offer a great opportunity for organizing kids' car activities. A back seat organizer, hung from the driver or passenger's seat keeps all of their keep-busy tools within reach.
2.Under the carpet in the trunk, there is usually a spare tire with gaps of wasted space around and inside of it. This is a great place to keep items you don't expect to use on your trip, such as a first aid kit, tools and spare shoes.
3.Car racks that mount to the roof are ideal for camping gear. Flexible, waterproof roof racks are best as they take up little space when stored and can be kept safely inside the car while camping, or brought into the hotel with you as needed.
4.Pare down on luggage. Resist the urge to allow each kid a separate suitcase which is where the really unnecessary bulk happens. Children under 10 can share a duffel with each other (or even with you).

Size Down - Let's face it, kids are natural-born pack-rats. Keep their car-clutter to a minimum by swapping bulky items with smaller ones.
1.Start by giving them a backpack and telling them that they will only be able to bring whatever toys and activities that they can fit inside.
2.Next, help young kids make better decisions by explaining the process. For example, if they leave the stuffed elephant at home, they can fit a puzzle, a toy truck and a coloring book in its place.
3.Start Swapping: Paperbacks for hard books, small cars for monster trucks, paper dolls for baby dolls, and so on.
4.Un-package things: Board game pieces can fit neatly into a gallon re-sealable bag. Crayons in quart size bags. There is no reason to bring bulky boxes and packaging in the car when the fun is all about what's on the inside of the box.

Keep It Fun: Remember what Vacation is all About!
1.Save electronics for the last hour or two of driving. Being a good car-traveler takes practice. Kids are naturals when it comes to car trip fun, so handing them a video game from the get-go robs them of this experience and will only result in more whining and boredom down the road (literally).
2.Instead, play car games like "my grandma went on a picnic", find the alphabet in signs, or print out car bingo sheets which allow them to cross off things they see on the side of the road.
3.Have them follow your progress on a map with a highlighter. Many highways have exit numbers that even little ones can spot on a map and cross off.
4.Plan on stopping every two hours for a break. If you have more than 5 hours of car travel planned in one day, look up a park playground on your route ahead of time to stop at for a long picnic lunch and time to stretch those little legs.

And In Case of Emergency... Keep a few new toys, activities or even free printouts from the computer hidden under your seat for those really rough moments. And maybe even an ultra-long lasting lollipop. Because even the best electronics are only going to get you so far.

For more of these free expert organizing tips, Ask Our Organizer, Harriet Schechter, author of Let Go of Clutter (McGraw-Hill), and you'll receive her response within 24 hours.

Stacks and Stacks is an e-commerce company selling thousands of products for the home, garden and office please contact us at 510-214-4011.

Website: http://www.stacksandstacks.com