When we were just in the beginning stages of deciding on taking this plunge into #downsizing and being a full-time family we were going between the North Carolina mountains & South Carolina coastal regions. We wanted one of these areas to be our home base since they both offer, very different, but beautiful views and excellent housing prices. Since we have not yet found what we are looking for in SC we are free to explore the NC mountains. Not having a home to maintain and working remote jobs that allow for easy mobility gives us the freedom we want and need to make this all work. This lands in the plus column of being all in! We are super excited to have just booked a condo for Christmas on #BeechMountain! This will allow us to check out the area and give these native Floridians a rare white Christmas. If it is meant to be we could be putting in an offer and finding our new home base.
We are excited at the possibilities that North Carolina offers. The cost of homes looks very promising which would give us even more financial freedom. In addition, we would get to experience all 4 season! Rather than summer, summer and more summer that we are used to in Florida. We are not holding our breathe because you never know until it is final but we are excited to expand our horizons. With all of this in mind we have another long #roadtrip ahead of us. We are very fortunate to have kids that don't mind being in the car/car seat, however, we already have made a few purchases that will hopefully make this trip smoother. We try not buying a lot of stuff since we are in downsizing mode but you also have to stay sane!! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, below are affiliate links.
1. Space saving cooler: Any experienced road tripper knows you need a cooler but ours was taking up way too much room. The only place it fit was in between our kids on the back seat. So it left no room for me to sit in the back during the occasional meltdown and was very hard to access when we needed something.
We are very excited to test out our new cooler bag! This will fit nicely on the floor in between the seats, rather than sitting on the back seat. Easy access for me to get to while driving. Downsizing bonus.....folds up really small when not in use. Easy to store is a must!
Rachel Ray Jumbo Chillout Thermal https://amzn.to/2ElnsU9
2. Kid storage: Stuff is going to get everywhere on a road trip, that is just a fact. Having some organization for the kids so every toy is not on the floor within the first 10 minutes was my goal with this next item. Austen already loves the play portion of the Christmas gift from Aunt "Holls" but I am in love with the #travel features. We will use it as a table for activities and snacks. Plus there are a bunch of zipper storage pockets to keep all kind of goodies for the drive.
We have done a trial run and so far so good! I just need to figure out an easy way to unclip mid-drive. Toddler Travel Tray https://amzn.to/2CcJuqE
3. Kids entertainment: We have purchased a MiFi (https://amzn.to/2PIk3B6) so that we can work as we travel with a good Wi-Fi connection. It has been wonderful! However, we try (I stress try) not to utilize this for tablet use while in the car. Austen loves 'I Spy' & the 'ABC Game' but those can only last so long for my sanity and the fact that she is only 2 (3 in January). After our last long trip I knew we needed more entertainment options. Being raised by a teacher and having a sister in the education field I always lean toward fun, learning activities. Luckily my sis has all kinds of great products that she uses and sells on her teachers pay teachers site, www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/Hunt-4-Treasure
I cannot wait for Austen to see her new ABC book. Waiting until we leave to give it to her so it is new and exciting! Ashlynn, is a professional at sleeping in the car. At night not so much! We have not had to worry about too much entertainment for her. Keep her diaper clean and she is pretty good to go for a car ride! If anyone has any good products to help her sleep at night we are all ears!
Here's to making the #journey part of the adventure! Meltdowns, diaper changes at gas stations, a 2 year old's excitement at seeing cotton growing in a field, and most importantly time with the people who mean the most.....#family
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