I love a good road trip and, thankfully, so does Iris. We are freshly back from our third annual beach vacation, which means we spent 14 hours in the car with a 4-year-old (each way!). Now that we’re somewhat experienced family road-trippers, I thought I’d share some of the kid-essential things that I’ve learned to pack on our journeys. I’ve also teamed up with Whole Foods Fayetteville to share some snack alternatives to the typical gas station junk food. Because, let’s face it – besides the destination, food is the one thing you really can look forward to on the road. And if you’re local, be sure to check out my Instagram where I’m giving away a $50 gift card to Whole Foods Fayetteville (more info after all the pictures). I’ll post a complete trip re-cap post soon, with tons more pictures of our vacation.

+ Shoes that are easy to put on/off. There’s nothing worse than when you really have to pee and you finally stop, only to see that your toddler has taken off her sandals with the double buckles and now wants “to put them on by herself.” I love a good, easy slip-on shoe that I can toss her way before we exit the interstate.

+ Kiddie potty. Speaking of bathroom breaks, how do kids have such a knack for needing to pee when the nearest bathroom is miles and miles away? Iris is old enough to not need this anymore, but when she was newly potty-trained, we would travel with a her kiddie potty so that we could just pull over in a safe spot when she really had to go.

+ Back pack of fun. We always keep a back pack full of toys and books in the car which we mostly bring to restaurants when we go out to eat. It’s a great, device-free way to keep Iris entertained so that we can take our time enjoying our food and beverages. It works wonders in the car when you hear the classic, “I’m borrrrrred.”

+ Headphones& iPad. This is a big “DUH!” but whatever you do, don’t forget the car charger!

+ Blanket & Lovey. Naps on long road trips are essential, but often difficult to make happen. Bringing Iris’ favorite blanket and lovey gives her that little extra comfort so that she can drift off to sleep.

+ Surprise activities. Before we leave on a trip I swing by the dollar store and grab a few new coloring books and maybe a new, small toy. I hold out for as long as possible, but I pull out these surprises when Iris really starts to get antsy.

+ Wet wipes & tissues. Even though Iris is past the diaper stage, I’ve learned to always keep wet wipes handy. I can’t believe it took having a kid to realize just how awesome it is to always have them nearby.

+ Road trip scavenger hunt. Iris loves playing “I spy” and this version drags it out a little longer. There are lots of printable options online, like this one.

+ The Waze app: While not for kids, this app has helped navigate us through some major traffic jams. No one wants to sit stuck on the interstate for hours, especially with a kid because… You know that’s when they’ll have to go potty.

+ Snacks & drinks. Special thanks to my new second home, Whole Foods Fayetteville, for gifting us some fun snacks for our trip. The store has only been open about two months, but I’ve been there more times than I can remember. They hooked us up with some of our favorites, as well as some things that we were excited to try.

What stood out the most? Well, the peanut butter Barnanas are a little dangerous – sooo good I had to stop myself from downing the whole bag. Same with the Chocolate Chevre by White River Creamery, which is an amazing local chocolate goat cheese spread (although, Iris ate it by the spoonful). Since this is the first Whole Foods in our area, I’m just now getting to know the 365 Everyday Value brand. We especially loved the 365 hummus, naan chips, pretzels, trail mix, and cookies. I was very grateful for the cold brew coffee, too.

The best part is that the treats lasted well into our vacation, meaning we had some steller beach snacks and drinks.

Clearly celebratory wine is necessary once you get to your destination.

I fell in love with reusable bags by Blue Avocado (also available at Whole Foods), while Iris fell in love with the 365 Honey Graham Bear Cookies and fruit strips.

Giveaway time! If you are in the Northwest Arkansas area, visit my Instagram for a chance to win a $50 Whole Foods Fayetteville gift card, along with a reusable Arkansas gift bag. All you have to do is follow myself and @wholefoodsfay, and tag as many friends as you’d like.