Thursday, August 07, 2014

7 on the 7th: road trip essentials

Who doesn't love a road trip or vacation? Today Dustin & I are returning from a trip to Florida. Technically, it was a work trip for him but we had such a fun, relaxing time. There's nothing better than the sun, sand, and salty air at the beach! For this month's 7 on the 7th I am sharing my road trip essentials!


1. A roomy bag
Whether your flying or driving, a nice large bag is great for storing your must-haves & souvenirs. I snagged this lovely while we were in California in May for my brother's wedding. I thought I was saving space by not taking a carry on & ended up making our checked bag over the weight limit! Yikes. Once we landed in Cali I was on a mission to find a nice large bag to carry home. I fell in love with this LL Bean lookalike and the fact the shop would monogram same day! Y'all know how I feel about monograms! This bag is the perfect weekender, carry on, or road trip bag!

2. Snacks
As much as I love stopping on the side of the road at little mom & pop shops or scoping out the route for a Chick-Fil-A, sometimes the goal is to reach the destination as quickly as possible. In those cases, easy snacks are must haves. I like keeping fresh fruit and nuts on hand for healthy snacks. The combination of carbohydrate with healthy fat and protein makes this dietitian happy.

3. Water
Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! Water is my go to for hydration. Bypass the sugar laden beverages and be sure to drink some good ol' H2O.  I love this glass bottle I picked up at Target because I can add my essential oils to switch up the flavor. Lemon or Citrus Fresh are my favorites to add.

4. Essential Oils
Speaking of  EO, I don't leave our home without them. I take my collection with me. Lavender to diffuse at night and also use to calm sunburned skin. Lemon to add to my water. Peppermint for car sickness or headaches. Thieves in case we start to feel ill. I also packed my diffuser since it is pretty compact & I like making a hotel or condo smell nicer.

5. Games
I can't remember a family trip or get together that does not include playing some sort of game. Someone always has a deck of cards, Phase 10 cards, or a board game. As kids we played the Alphabet Game on road trips. Don't you remember how difficult it was when you got to X?!

6. A hat
Whether you have had too much sun or want to go another day without washing your hair, hats are essential for road trips. Plus it's always nice to support your favorites.

7. Reading Material
No trip is complete without some reading material for the car/plane/pool/beach. I saved my copy of SL until we left for Florida. Confession: I also enjoy walking through the airport or on the beach and seeing what everyone else is reading.


What are your road trip essentials?