Maps, Snacks and Naps.

There's something about summer that entices excitement and welcomes change.  Maybe it's the lure of the open road, the promise of a change of scenery or maybe both, that makes us want to load up the car and just get out of town. With our upcoming adventures to Ohio (from New Jersey) for the Fourth of July weekend, we are busy planning and preparing to make our trip as painless, as possible. Traveling with two little ones, Zhoei, 11 and Preston,18 months, can be a large feat and we are locked and loaded with our checklists and plenty of gidgets, gadgets and toys to keep us all happy. 

From maps, snacks and naps, check out some of our road trip must haves:

Smartphone (and portable charger):  I never leave home without it! It's a phone to keep in contact with family and friends along the way; a camera to capture those impromptu, silly backseat moments; a juke box for our favorite music playlists and an organizer for our travel itineraries, tickets and checklists.

Food Fuel:  Snacks, snacks and more snacks! Our little ones seem to always get hungrier faster, when we are on the road, so to pack plenty of easy to grab, dry, nonmessy snacks and juice boxes. Remember to pack things that don't require chilling; considering space is at a premium and the ice chest takes up lots of room.

Towels: Towels can be used to just about anything! We've used them to clean up spills and wipe dirty faces and hands, folded them in to pillows for nap time and even covered up with them, when chilly.

Entertainment: Be it reading materials, the portable DVD player (don't forget the headphones) or activity cards, we have to ward off that infamous question "Are we there yet?"

"Traveling in the company of those we love, is home in motion." -Leigh Hunt

Ziploc Bags: I use them for everything! They're great for storing snacks to wet swimsuits to crayons, markers and colored pencils. The side pockets of our diaper bag are full of extras, in all sizes.

Cookie Tray: Confused are you? A cookie sheet makes a great tabletop for playing with little roll away cars/toy or coloring, while riding. And the turned up edges are great for catching roll away items.

As their mom and her wife, Domonique uses ManiK Mom to write about love and family, style, food and her life’s passions - all accompanied by photos of her family – in her all-inone blog. After becoming a mom, the second time around, the former plus-sized model and designer, started the blog as a way to celebrate, vent and educate her readers about being a mom to a middle schooler and toddler, as well as, married to wife, Beth, who has an incurable disease, all while keeping her sanity. On her blog, nothing is off limits, making her posts passionate, real, and thought-provoking. Be sure to follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.