Author: Keiko Zoll

Keiko is a mom after donor egg IVF in May 2013 to an epic little boy. She lives north of Boston area with her husband, son and their two cats. Keiko keeps her Caboodle well-stocked with lip paints and foundation at all times, firmly believes that leggings are pants and is a staunch defender of the Oxford comma (despite its absence here). As Editor for Red Tricycle's Spoke Contributor Network, Keiko is a digital media and content creation evangelist and occasional Slack custom emoji enthusiast. She has worked in digital media since 2011 and has written for Romper, Disney Baby, Babble, HuffPo and Rewire, among other print and digital media. Keiko joined the Red Tricycle team as Content Marketing Copywriter and Editor in 2017. Find her on @keikozoll on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Meet the Newly-Elected Moms of Congress Who Are Already Making History

By Keiko Zoll
Search more like this
  • step mother
  • single mother
  • girl power
  • native american
  • historic
  • class
  • female
  • office
  • adult
  • baking
  • bless
  • football
  • grandmother
  • kick
Read next

On Jan. 3, 2019, 435 representatives and 100 senators were sworn into the 116th United States Congress. What makes this class of congresspeople so awesome is the historic, record number of women in the 116th U.S. Congress. In the House, there are 102 women representatives, with 35 newly elected to office in 2018. The Senate now has 25 women senators, four newly elected in November. Of these 39 freshmen women representatives and senators, a whopping 26 are moms!

This is so much more than just girl power—it’s about parent power, too. With so many parents elected to Congress, the U.S. House now has its own on-site daycare. Here’s a look at all 26 of the newly-elected moms sworn in to Congress this week.

Rep. Cindy Axne (Iowa, 3rd District)

Mom of two teenage sons with husband, John and one of the first two women elected to the House from Iowa

 

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee)

Mom of two and grandmother with husband, Chuck, and Tennesee’s first female senator

 

Rep. Angie Craig (Minnesota, 2nd District)

Mom of four children with wife, Cheryl Greene

 

Rep. Madeleine Dean (Pennsylvania, 4th District)

Mom of three and grandmother of one, with husband, PJ Cunanne

 

Rep. Veronica Escobar (Texas, 16t District)

Mom of two with husband, Michael Pleters and one of Texas’ first two Latina Congresswomen

 

Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (Texas, 7th District)

Stepmom of two adult children with husband, Scott

 

Rep. Debra Haaland (New Mexico, 1st District)

Single mom of one daughter and one of the first two Native American women in Congress

 

Rep. Jahana Hayes (Connecticut, 5th District)

Mom of four with her husband, Milford and Connecticut’s first black Congresswoman

 

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (Pennsylvania, 6th District)

Mom of two adult daughters with husband, Bart

 

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (Arizona, 2nd District)

Mom of four and grandmother of two with husband, Roger Curley

 

Rep. Susie Lee (Nevada, 3rd District)

Mom of two with husband, Dan

 

Rep. Elaine Luria (Virginia, 2nd District)

Mom of three with husband, Robert Blondin

 

Rep. Lucy McBath (Georgia, 6th District)

Mom of two sons (deceased) with husband, Curtis

 

Rep. Carol Miller (West Virginia, 3rd District)

Mom of two sons and grandmother of five with husband, Matt

 

Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (Florida, 26th District)

Mom of two with husband, Robert Powell

 

Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minnesota, 5th District)

Mom of three with husband, Ahmed Hirsi, and one of the first two Muslim women in Congress

 

Rep. Katie Porter (California, 45th District)

Divorced mom of three

 

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts, 7th District)

Stepmom of one daughter with husband, Conan Harris and Massachusetts’ first black Congresswoman

 

Sen. Jacky Rosen (Nevada)

Mom of one daughter with husband, Larry

 

Rep. Kim Schrier (Washington, 8th District)

Mom of one with husband, David

 

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (Michigan, 8th District)

Stepmom of two with husband, David Moore

 

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (Virginia, 7th District)

Mom of three daughters with husband, Adam

 

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Michigan, 13th District)

Single mom of two sons and one of the first two Muslim women in Congress

 

Rep. Lori Trahan (Massachusetts, 3rd District)

Mom of two daughters and stepmom of three sons with husband, Dave

 

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (Virginia, 10th District)

Mom of two sons with husband, Andrew

 

Rep. Susan Wild (Pennsylvania, 7th District)

Divorced mom of two adult children

It’s amazing to see so many women, let alone moms, representing us on Capitol Hill in this historic Congressional class!

—Keiko Zoll

Featured photo: Nancy Pelosi via Instagram

 

RELATED STORIES

Yes, Senator Tammy Duckworth (& All Moms) Can Bring a Baby to the Senate Floor

These Mighty Moms Went Viral When They Brought Their Kids to Work

10 Celebs Who Took Their Kids Voting with Them on Election Day

Search more like this
  • step mother
  • single mother
  • girl power
  • native american
  • historic
  • class
  • female
  • office
  • adult
  • baking
  • bless
  • football
  • grandmother
  • kick

19 Baby Name Trends That Will Take 2019 by Storm

By Keiko Zoll
Search more like this
  • baby names
  • gender neutral
  • ancient egypt
  • disney
  • first child
  • hindi
  • royal wedding
  • zoo
  • letter
  • celebrity
  • gender
  • old school
  • charm
  • koala
Read next

If you’re a child of the ’80s or ’90s, we bet you can remember the sea of Jennifers, Jessicas, Michaels and Christophers you grew up with. Thankfully, the decades since have seen the rise of unique baby names from which to choose.

Whether you’re looking for trendy baby names, hot new takes on popular picks or something completely different, scroll on for our roundup of the biggest baby name trends to be on the lookout for this year.

photo: Cosmopolitan via Instagram

Royal Baby Names

The Royal Baby Watch is officially on as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—that's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to us commoners across the pond—are expecting their first child together in 2019. From the birth of Prince Louis to Meghan and Harry's dreamy royal wedding and Princess Eugenie's wedding in October, 2018 was totally the Year of the Royals.

According to BabyCenter, two of these royally-inspired names increased in popularity in 2018: Louis (up 17 percent) and Meghan (up 49 percent). We bet whatever Meghan and Harry name the newest royal baby will definitely top the baby name charts by year's end. Keep an eye out for Eugenie and Jack as popular choices, too.

photo: Courtesy of Skip Hop

Nonbinary & Gender-Neutral Baby Names

Gender conformity is so last year. The new hotness? Nonbinary names that aren't typically aligned with one gender or another, says Nameberry. Parents are raising gender-neutral kids more than ever before, whether it from shopping for gender-neutral clothing or shattering gendered playtime stereotypes.

Look for gender-neutral baby names to rise in popularity this year, with names like Briar, Campbell, Drew, Finley, Journey, Justice, Laken, Max, Revel, Robin, Royal, Stevie, Story and Tyler.

photo: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

Global Chic Baby Names

Nameberry predicts that 2019 will be the year of globally-inspired baby names. With the rise of inclusivity and representation of cultures and ethnicities in kids books, movies and TV shows, it only makes sense that we'd see a rise in names that hail from all four corners of the Earth. Nameberry has its sights on names like Acacius, Aroha, Cyrene, Jedda, Kiran, Lautaro, Lior, Niabi, Sena and Walken.

We have our eyes on names from popular kids' media that have made great leaps in representation over the last couple of years, such as Disney's Moana, Marvel's Into the Spiderverse new Spider-Man Miles Morales, Shuri from Black Panther or Araminta from Crazy Rich Asians. 

photo: Lanty via Unsplash

Baby Names with Eastern Vibes

While you can work your way around the world in 80 names, Nameberry also predicts that names from Eastern religious traditions steeped with mysticism will also cast a spell on parents-to-be in 2019. Spiritual names with origins in Hindi, Sanskrit, Buddhism and even ancient Egypt are expected to trend this year, including Asherah, Bodhi, Kali, Lakshmi, Manu, Osiris, Raiden, Rama, Tanith and Zen.

photo: Reese Witherspoon via Instagram

Baby Names with Southern Charm

Southern-inspired baby names are definitely in vogue for 2019, BabyCenter notes. So, what's the allure? Maybe it's the kindness of Southern hospitality—or maybe it's the hope that a name inspired by Southern slow living will make for a calmer baby! Look for names full of Southern charm, such as Antonio (as in San Antonio), Austin, Carolina, Charlotte, Dallas, Georgia, Macon, Nash (think Nashville), Raleigh, Savannah and Tennessee. 

(PS...Reese Witherspoon, if you're reading this—2019 is def your year to drop a Draper James baby collection.)

photo: 5712495 via Pixabay

Muted Color Baby Names

Pastels are anything but boring and according to Nameberry, some of the hottest names of 2019 will be inspired by muted color palettes. Look for muted color names like Ash, Fawn, Grey (or Gray), Ivory, Lavender, Lilac, Mauve, Moss, Olive and Sage to grace their way into Mommy & Me classes this year.

photo: Avantgarde Concept via Unsplash

Gemstone & Jewel Tone Baby Names

While muted pastels will be popular, so too will more vibrant complementary color names in gemstone and jewel tone colors rise in popularity in 2019, Nameberry predicts. Break out the color wheel and dial up the saturation for names like Amethyst, Emerald, Garnet, Jasper, Jet, Onyx, Opal, Peridot, Sapphire and Topaz.

 

photo: Kim Kardashian West via Instagram

Celeb Name Trends: Keeping Up with the Kiddos

Celebrity baby names are always popular every year, but the last few years have afforded us Hollywood stargazers a bounty of particularly unique celebrity baby names. Whether it's the Kardashians and the Jenners (Stormi, Chicago, True), Hollywood power couples like Chrissy Teigen and John Legend (with kiddos Luna and Miles) or George and Amal Clooney (and twins Ella and Alexander) new celeb moms like Hilary Duff (baby girl Banks) or Kate Hudson (baby Rani Rose), celeb baby names are seriously on fire right now.

photo: Victoria Beckham via Instagram

Celeb Name Trends: Last Names

While celeb kids are certainly great baby name inspo, so too are their parents' names...more specifically, their last names, according to Nameberry. Try these celebrity surnames on for size in 2019: (Victoria and David) Beckham, (David) Bowie, (Duke) Ellington, (Jimmy) Hendrix, (Angelina) Jolie, (Heath) Ledger, (John) Lennon, (Annie) Lennox, (Marilyn) Monroe and (Gene) Wilder.

photo: Rawpixel

Trendiest Letter: Fantastic "F" Names

2019's most popular baby names are sure to be fancy, fantastic and fabulous—especially with names that start with the letter F! Nameberry predicts F-names like Faye, Felix, Fern, Finnian, Flora, Florian, Frances, Frankie, Frederick and Frost will festoon plenty of baby name shortlists this year.

photo: John Wick Movie via Instagram

Trendiest Vowel: The Ever-Unique "U"

There's nothing more unique than the letter U, especially when it comes to vowels. As Nameberry notes, there are very few baby names that start with the letter U, but that doesn't mean you can't achieve that most luxurious vowel sound with other names like Eugenie, Hugo, Jude, Juniper, Keanu, Louise, Luca, Luna, Reuben, Tallulah or True.

photo: 1035352 via Pixabay

Trendiest Middle Names: Animals

Look no further than you local zoo if you're stumped for a middle name. Nameberry's menagerie of middle names includes everything from the cuddly to the fierce, like Bear, Falcon, Fox, Hawk, Koala, Lion, Lynx, Otter, Tiger and Wolf.

photo: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Trendiest Nicknames: Old School Boys' Names

Any new parent can tell you: it's not just about picking the perfect baby name—you have to think about nicknames, too. But even nicknames can be their own baby name inspo, and according to Nameberry, old-school boys' nicknames are making a comeback as first names.

Get ready for a new generation of Little Rascals with names for boys like Ace, Billy, Buddy, Buster, Hank, Ike, Jimmy, Johnny, Scout, Sonny and Spike.

photo: Liv Tyler via Instagram

Trendiest Name Length: 3-Letter Names

Kit, Ida and Van: each of these names are short and sweet. Unlike some of the other baby name trends for this year, monosyllabic names with just three letters are easy to spell and pronounce, which makes names like Hal, Jem, Koa, Liv, Lux, Rex and Rio such popular choices, according to Nameberry. 

photo: Courtesy of Amazon

Weirdest Baby Name Trend for 2019: Sneakers

If you're a famous athlete like Michael Jordan, you get a pair of shoes named after you. But in 2019, BabyCenter predicts the reverse will be true, as sneaker-heads could tip the scales on names like Chuck and Taylor (of Converse fame), as well as Nike styles like Cortez, Max, Monarch and of course, the ever-iconic Jordan. Adidas shoes like the Stan, Smith and Falcon are also possibilities.

We're pretty sure baby Manolo won't exactly top the lists, but BabyCenter seems to think Fila and Puma stand a chance in 2019.

photo: Aaron Mellow via Unsplash

Up & Coming Baby Names for Boys

The U.S. Social Security Administration keeps a fantastic database of baby names in America and breaks down the data in interesting ways, including baby names that are rising in popularity.

From 2016 to 2017, the following boys' baby names have shot up the charts, in order of rising popularity: Wells, Kairo, Caspian, Nova, Colson, Kace, Kashton, Koa, Gatlin and Bjorn.

photo: kelvin octa via Pexels

Up & Coming Baby Names for Girls

According to the SSA, the following girls' baby names have skyrocketed in popularity between 2016 and 2017: Ensley, Oaklynn, Dream, Oaklyn, Melania, Emberly, Octavia, Paisleigh, Yara and Kehlani.

photo: btchurch via Pixabay

Tried & True Classic Baby Names

Trends come and go every year when it comes to baby names, but these names have withstood the tests of time. According to the SSA, these are the most popular baby names over the last 100 years, in order of popularity.

For boys: James, John, Robert, Michael, William, David, Richard, Joseph, Thomas and Charles. For girls: Mary, Patricia, Jennifer, Linda, Elizabeth, Barbara, Susan, Jessica, Sarah and Margaret.

photo: Emma Watson via Instagram

The End of "Em" Names

According to Nameberry, it's the end—or is it the emd?—of an era. Names beginning with "Em" have sharply fallen in popularity in recent years. It's time to retire names like Emerson, Emery, Emily, Emma, Emmett and Emmy to make way for all the new names that will reign supreme in 2019.

—Keiko Zoll

 

RELATED STORIES:

The Most Popular Baby Names of 2018

Every Adorable Celebrity Baby Born in 2018

All the Celebrity Babies We Can’t Wait for in 2019

Can You Guess the Most Popular Baby Name of ALL TIME?

Stumped for Baby Names? Classic Baby Names to the Rescue!

The Newest Trend in Baby Names Could Be the Most Original Yet

Meet Kinder. It’s Tinder… for Baby Names & It’s Actually Pretty Helpful

Search more like this
  • baby names
  • gender neutral
  • ancient egypt
  • disney
  • first child
  • hindi
  • royal wedding
  • zoo
  • letter
  • celebrity
  • gender
  • old school
  • charm
  • koala

Which Stores Will Be Open on New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day?

By Keiko Zoll
Search more like this
  • new year's day
  • new year's eve
  • starbucks
  • ikea
  • club
  • party supplies
  • grocery store
  • aid
  • close
  • depend
  • location
  • morning
  • pharmacy
  • scramble
Read next

Life happens—sometimes you need to make an emergency run to the grocery store or an eleventh-hour Target run—and life doesn’t care that it’s a holiday weekend. Whether you’re out scrambling for last-minute NYE party supplies or need an extra bottle of Advil come New Year’s Day morning, here are TK stores open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 2019.

Photo: Jira via Rawpixel

Stores Open on New Year’s Eve (Monday, Dec. 31)

Note: all times local.

Aldi: Regular store hours; check your local store 1/1 closed

Costco: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CVS Pharmacy: Most locations open 24 hours; check your local store

Home Depot: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

IKEA: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Kroger: Regular store hours; check your local store

Lowe’s: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Party City: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Publix: All stores will close at 9 p.m.

Rite Aid: Regular store hours; check your local store

Safeway: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sam’s Club: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Starbucks: Most stores will be open, but store hours will vary by location

Target: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Trader Joe’s: All stores will close at 6 p.m.

Walgreens: Most locations open 24 hours; check your local store

Walmart: Regular store hours; check your local store

Wegmans: All stores will close at 8 p.m. 7am 1/1

Whole Foods: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Photo: Kevin Bidwell via Pexels

Stores Open on New Year’s Day (Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019)

Note: all times local.

Aldi: CLOSED

Costco: CLOSED

CVS Pharmacy: Most locations open 24 hours; check your local store

Home Depot: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

IKEA: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Kroger: Regular store hours; check your local store

Lowe’s: Regular store hours; check your local store

Party City: Most locations will be CLOSED; check your local store

Publix: Regular store hours; check your local store

Rite Aid: Regular store hours; check your local store

Safeway: Regular store hours; check your local store

Sam’s Club: CLOSED

Starbucks: Most stores will be open, but store hours will vary by location

Target: Regular store hours; check your local store

Trader Joe’s: CLOSED

Walgreens: Most locations open 24 hours; check your local store

Walmart: Regular store hours; check your local store

Wegmans: All stores re-open at 7 a.m.

Whole Foods: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

As always, your local stores’ actual holiday hours may vary depending on where you live, so be sure to check either the store website or call up the store before you head out.

—Keiko Zoll

Featured photo: Mike Mozart via Flickr

 

RELATED STORIES:

These Pre-Made Appetizers from Trader Joe’s Will Save Your Party

The 17 Best Finds from Target’s Huge After-Christmas Clearance Sale

Target to Expand Same-Day Delivery Option for TONS More Items in 2019

Holiday Return Policies for Amazon, Target, Walmart, Costco & 33 More Stores

The Best Times to Shop at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco & More Grocery Stores

Search more like this
  • new year's day
  • new year's eve
  • starbucks
  • ikea
  • club
  • party supplies
  • grocery store
  • aid
  • close
  • depend
  • location
  • morning
  • pharmacy
  • scramble

Grammy-Nominated Kids’ Albums to Add to Your Playlist

By Keiko Zoll
Search more like this
  • science
  • zoo
  • album
  • bazaar
  • jazz
  • meteor
  • sugar high
  • squirrel
  • nut
  • stem
  • soul
  • dinosaur
  • energy
  • sing
Read next

It might seem hard to believe, but there really are more than just three songs than those your kids listen to on repeat ad nauseum. The Grammy nominees for Best Children’s Album have just dropped they offer an awesome mix of new tunes to shake up your playlists for when you just can’t listen to “How Far I’ll Go” or “Shake It Off” one more time.

Scroll on to see who’s in the running for the best kids tunes of the year.

photo: Lucy Kalantari

All The Sounds (Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats)

Is your kiddo really just an old soul at heart? This album takes all the swingin' beats of the jazz hot era and combines it with delightful, inspired tunes. Think Squirrel Nut Zippers for the younger set. Get it here on Amazon.

photo: Tim Kubart

Building Blocks (Tim Kubart)

Tim Kubart's album has a total Postal Service vibe with catchy, upbeat tracks that were practically made for summer road trips. Get it here on Amazon.

photo: Falu

Falu's Bazaar (Falu)

This album is a musical tour of South Asia, with both Falu and kids singing along throughout the album. Your kiddo won't be able to keep themselves from dancing to super poppy Bollywood-esque tunes like "Tararum Pumpum" and "Bazaar." Get it here on Amazon.

photo: The Pop Ups

Giants Of Science (The Pop Ups)

This album takes trendy, space-y synth-pop tunes and gives it the coolest, nerdiest, science-y-est spin ever. With tracks like "Meteor Dinosaur" and "How Do We Know?" this album is basically an ode to all things STEM. Get it here on Amazon.

photo: Frank and Deane

The Nation of Imagine (Frank & Deane)

Is "hyper" a genre? If so, this frenetic, high-energy kids' album is chock full of tunes like a musical sugar high. Songs like "I Blew a Kazoo at the Zoo" and "Ants in My Pants" pretty much sum up the entire feel of this album: fun like whoa. Snag your copy from Frank & Deane's website.

Can’t pick just one? Check out these albums and more tunes from these Grammy-nom’ed children’s artists on our Spotify playlist below!

Happy listening!

—Keiko Zoll

 

RELATED STORIES

The Best Kids Albums on Amazon Music Now

20 Awesome Podcasts Your Kids Will Flip For

10 Albums You and Your Baby Will Love

Search more like this
  • science
  • zoo
  • album
  • bazaar
  • jazz
  • meteor
  • sugar high
  • squirrel
  • nut
  • stem
  • soul
  • dinosaur
  • energy
  • sing

Here’s How You & Your Littles Can Take Big Steps for SIDS Research

By Keiko Zoll
Partner Content
Search more like this
  • first steps
  • raise awareness
  • how to
  • sleep
  • sudden infant death syndrome
  • video
  • vote
  • institute
  • death
  • donate
  • milestone
  • stellar
  • disneyland
  • computer
Read next

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome—more commonly known as SIDS—is the leading cause of death among babies between 1 month and 1 year of age. While safe sleep guidelines have reduced the risk of SIDS, it’s a public health concern that desperately needs more research. Preventing SIDS requires big steps when it comes to that research—and here’s how your child’s littlest steps can help in the cause.

October is SIDS Awareness Month and the Aaron Matthew SIDS Research Guild of Seattle Children’s Hospital and the American SIDS Institute have partnered together for a nationwide campaign to raise awareness and funding for critically-needed SIDS research. Now through Jan. 1, 2019, the First Steps for SIDS aims to raise awareness for SIDS research funding by highlighting an important milestone: baby’s first steps!

Not only is First Steps for SIDS a nationwide awareness-raising campaign, it’s also a contest that features some pretty amazing prizes for some lucky winners, too.

Photo: Brittany Simuangco via Unsplash

Why It Matters

The American SIDS Institute, along with the efforts of other organizations, has helped to bring the numbers of infants who have died from SIDS to an all-time low—but more research is still needed, because as an American SIDS Institute spokesperson notes, “The death of even one more infant is intolerable.”

So, what can you do to help? It’s super easy to get in on the First Steps for SIDS contest: just upload, vote and share! Read on for all the deets.

First Steps for SIDS Contest & Prizes

If you want to help, simply upload a video of your child taking his or her first steps. If you didn’t catch that big moment on film, no worries—videos of early walking will also be accepted. The contest is simple: upload, vote and share. These videos of your kiddo’s first steps could make big strides in the fight against SIDS.

The videos with the most votes when voting closes on Jan. 1, 2019 are eligible for some pretty stellar prizes, including a Grand Prize trip for four to Disneyland in California! Other prizes include a Microsoft Surface computer, Xbox One gaming consoles and even REI bikes, each generously donated to help support this important campaign.

How to Enter

All you have to do is upload your child’s video to YouTube and then copy and paste your video link at the First Steps for SIDS website. From there, vote for your favorite videos at the First Steps for SIDS website, where your donations to SIDS research can unlock “blocks” of votes. The more you donate, the more votes you can unlock for your video. And of course, the more votes your video racks up, the greater your chance of taking home one of these sweet prizes! You can even share your video right from the site with friends and family to increase your chances of winning.

You can check out the First Steps for SIDS website for complete contest rules and eligibility.

—Keiko Zoll

 

RELATED STORIES

Losing A Child To SIDS: My Brother’s Story

New SIDS Research May Provide Answers

The Do’s and Don’ts of Baby Sleep Success

Search more like this
  • first steps
  • raise awareness
  • how to
  • sleep
  • sudden infant death syndrome
  • video
  • vote
  • institute
  • death
  • donate
  • milestone
  • stellar
  • disneyland
  • computer

8 Savvy Parent Tips to Help You Survive Any Family Road Trip

By Keiko Zoll
Partner Content
Search more like this
  • road trips
  • travel
  • how to
  • music
  • family travel
  • make memories
  • ready to go
  • sing along
  • tablet
  • homemade
  • journal
  • read
  • electronics
  • survive
Read next

In Partnership with Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablets

Ah, the family road trip: it’s practically a rite of passage. But parents know it’s not always as simple as gassing up the car, buckling in the fam and heading out for America’s open highways. You’re going to need a true road trip hero when the urge to pile into the car and hit the road strikes your fancy. Thankfully, Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablets are the perfect passenger for any road trip you have planned.

We asked four seasoned family travel bloggers to dish out their best tips about how to survive the family road trip. They all agreed that Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablets were definitely the superstars to making the most of road trips, but not always in the ways you might expect—after all, you want your little adventurers to soak up the sights and sounds around them, too.

Read on to find out these travel bloggers’ “been there, drove through that, have the souvenir t-shirt” tips for taking an epic family road trip this summer.

photo: Amazon

Bring Along Your New Favorite Travel Companion

Blogger Allie at Sugar, Spice and Family Life loved her experience with the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablets on her recent family adventures and has it as one of the most important items on her road-tripping checklist. 

"Bring along a favorite toy and my new favorites for travel, Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition and Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablets. These bad boys are the ultimate in keeping the kids occupied when you're tired of playing road games.

They allow the kids to enjoy their favorite apps, books, and videos at any time. They have fun apps and tools that let the kids do things like photo edit and draw so they can create their own travel memories. In addition, both tablets have parental controls, so you don't have to worry about what the kids are doing or how much of it they're doing."

Read Allie's post here.

photo: Amanda Fiveash, Our Homemade Life

Power Up Early & Often

Our Homemade Life blogger Amanda knows that making sure everyone—and everything—is ready to go is a priority before you hit the road, including charging up any and all electronics coming with you. Even when you're cruising along the highway, you want to have backup power sources, too.

"Although we didn’t have electronics when we roadtripped as children, they certainly do make the time in the vehicle much smoother. Prior to leaving, we gather everyone’s Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet to charge. When they are fully charged, the battery can last up to 8 hours. Since we have four tablets, earbuds are a necessity to sanity!

When driving a short day, the tablets last the full day, but if we happen to drive longer, sometimes they need a recharge. Having portable chargers available to use (that are also charged) can prevent meltdowns."

Read Amanda's post here.

photo: Pete Reese, with permission

Don't Forget the Headphones

Pete from It's a Lovely Life knows that the secret to keeping the family sane is a good pair of headphones—and, if there's more than one tablet riding along with the kiddos, make sure they each have their own pair of headphones, too.

"If I'm being completely honest, these [headphones] are for both my benefit and for Emmy. She loves being able to concentrate and headphones help. I just like being able to listen to music without having to compete with her tablet. It is a win-win.

The teens like to listen to their own music, so they too have headphones on. Heather and I have actually had some pretty decent conversations over the years on road trips because of headphones. They are the unsung hero of our road trips."

Read Pete's post here.

photo: Jen Burg, The Suburban Mom

Crank Up the Fun!

Jen at The Suburban Mom has figured out the unique opportunity that a road trip with family provides: it's the perfect time to introduce your kids to the songs of your youth! 

"Don't be afraid to crank up the radio and have a jam session. This is your chance to be silly with your kids. Sing along to your favorites and impress (or embarrass) your kids with your amazing recall of every word from your favorite '90s songs.

Whether you create a playlist before you go or surf the radio, let everyone take turns playing DJ and picking the next song."

Read Jen's post here.

photo: Pete Reese, It's a Lovely Life

Snacks, Snacks & More Snacks!

Pete of It's a Lovely Life knows that his two daughters not only need to have lots of snacks for road trips, but it's important to get them involved in the process of packing snacks before they ever leave the driveway.

"Always let the kids pack their own road trip snacks. We have found that this gets them extra excited for the time on the road, and we are almost guaranteed that the kids will like what they pack as opposed to what we pick out for them."

photo: Amanda Fiveash, Our Homemade Life

Prepare for Plenty of Pit Stops

Allie knows that pit stops are inevitable, so she takes a more proactive approach when she's road-tripping with her kids.

"Don't forget, children's bladders are smaller than ours, so frequent pit stops are a must. I make it a rule to stop at least every couple of hours to ensure that my kids never have an in-car emergency. All bladders are different so your mileage may vary."

photo: Jen Burg, The Suburban Mom

Make Memories with a Road Trip Journal

Jen reminds travelers that ultimately, road trips are about creating lasting memories with the family. Here's how she captures the spirit of their family journeys after they come home.

"The whole point of taking a road trip is to make family memories. Why not put the kids in charge of recording those memories? There are tons of ideas on Pinterest to help you make a road trip journal so kids can record their special thoughts—in words or pictures. It gives something to do and is a great way to preserve family memories. 

Thanks to the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet, they can even take photos and videos. Just be sure to actually have the photos printed when you get home so they can go into the road trip journal."

photo: Amanda Fiveash, Our Homemade Life

Embrace the Unexpected

In the end, Amanda offers some down-to-earth advice that could be applied to anything from road trips to just about any other kind of family experience, too. 

"Seriously, if you are traveling with young children, really even without, road trips don't always go as planned, expect that and be okay. It's great to have a plan, but knowing that it will be okay if it doesn't and when it doesn't, don't allow that to ruin the trip."

With these awesome tips in your parenting arsenal, you’re ready to buckle up the fam for just about any road trip adventure you have mapped out this summer.

—Keiko Zoll

RELATED STORIES:

5 Reasons to Love the Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablets’ Easy Parental Controls

8 Easy Ways Your Kids Can Give Back All Year Round

Your Summer Reading List Is Here

 

8 Savvy Parent Tips to Help You Survive Any Family Road Trip

Search more like this
  • road trips
  • travel
  • how to
  • music
  • family travel
  • make memories
  • ready to go
  • sing along
  • tablet
  • homemade
  • journal
  • read
  • electronics
  • survive

Here’s How You & Your Littles Can Take Big Steps to Fight Against SIDS

By Keiko Zoll
Search more like this
  • how to
  • enter
  • fight
Read next

Here’s How You & Your Littles Can Take Big Steps to Fight Against SIDS

Why It Matters

The Contest & Prizes

How to Enter

 

Search more like this
  • how to
  • enter
  • fight

The Conversations We Need—Now More Than Ever (A Spoke Writing Contest)

By Keiko Zoll
Search more like this
  • writing challenge
  • school year
  • social media
  • original post
  • feel free
  • humor
  • win
  • storytelling
  • winner
  • sound
  • winter
  • fall
  • school
  • hearing
Read next

Photo: Eye for Ebony via Unsplash

We’re heading into that time of year when the days get shorter, as families gather together more. It’s a time when, now more than ever, we need to press pause. If not for our own sake as parents, but even more so for our kids’ sake.

It is not an easy time to be a parent right now, on so many levels. On one level, the school year is in full swing and the rush of fall and winter holidays is upon us. Before we know it, we’ll be saying hello to 2019 wondering how 2018 managed to slip by us so quickly. Then there’s the much bigger level of trying to parent during a divisive political season, with kids hearing passing sound bites on the TV, on their social media feeds and in their school hallways.

It’s a great time as families to talk—and listen.

Let’s Talk: Theme

For our next Spoke Writing Challenge, the theme is “The Conversations We Need.”

Think about conversations you’d have with your kids or the conversations they’ve had with you. What do your kids need to hear from you? What do you want to hear from your kids? What are the conversations kids should be having with each other?

These conversations don’t have to be heavy or serious. Sometimes even the most important conversations we can have as parents could also be our funniest—or, at least, hilariously awkward. (Hello, the “talk.”)

Feel free to write about whatever you’d like as it relates to this theme, and make sure your post fits into one of our three Storytelling Categories: Real Talk, Rockstar Parenting and Parenting Humor.

The Deets

Three winning posts will be selected by our editors and based on quality, originality and page views. Each winner will receive $100 each for their original post. (Remember, only original posts are eligible for Writing Contest prizes.)

Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific by Nov. 15, 2018.

Winners will be notified and announced the first week of next month.

Tell Us Your Stories

To enter, please use of the following Red Tricycle Article Code with your post: #conversation2018.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with for this Spoke Writing Challenge theme.

—Keiko Zoll, Spoke Contributor Network Editor

 

Search more like this
  • writing challenge
  • school year
  • social media
  • original post
  • feel free
  • humor
  • win
  • storytelling
  • winner
  • sound
  • winter
  • fall
  • school
  • hearing

Join Our September 2018 Spoke Writing Contest & Win

By Keiko Zoll
Search more like this
  • storytelling
  • write
  • winner
  • notify
  • category
  • feel free
  • humor
  • wait
  • select
  • enter
  • use
  • base
  • follow
  • red tricycle
Read next

Photo: LinkedIn Sales Navigator via Pexels 

Spoke Writing Contests are back! From now and through the end of September, we want to give you some wiggle room to get used to our new Storytelling Categories. Feel free to write about whatever you’d like as it relates to parenting and your personal experience—but make sure your post fits into one of our three new Storytelling Categories.

Here are all the deets you need:

Let’s Talk Prizes

There will be one winner for each Storytelling Category: Parenting Real Talk, Parenting Humor and Rockstar Parenting for a total of three winners.

Each winner will receive $100 each for their original posts, selected by our editors and based on quality, originality and page views.

Let’s Talk Rules

Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific by the last Friday of the month.

Winners will be notified and announced the first week of next month.

(Remember, only original posts are eligible for Writing Contest prizes!)

Let’s Make It Happen

To enter, please use of the three following Red Tricycle Article Codes with your post: #realtalkcontest, #humorcontest or #rockstarcontest—please use only 1 code per post!

What are you waiting for—submit your awesome Spoke story today and good luck!

—Keiko Zoll, Spoke Contributor Network Editor

RELATED STORIES:

Telling Your Stories for the Spoke Contributor Network

Write for Red Tricycle! Join the Spoke Contributor Network

Frequently Asked Questions about Spoke

Search more like this
  • storytelling
  • write
  • winner
  • notify
  • category
  • feel free
  • humor
  • wait
  • select
  • enter
  • use
  • base
  • follow
  • red tricycle

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience possible. Accepting the use of cookies enables important site functionality including personalization and analytics.

Accept
Decline