Our Tips to Traveling with Kids During the Holidays (11 sarcastic ones and our real ones too) with the Best Food Idea Ever!

Based on our experiences with our recent trip to California to celebrate the holidays, we are now experts (I have 11 sarcastic tips and 2 real ones)… here are a few of our tips for taking trips during the holidays with kids!

This post is sponsored by UberEATS (sarcasm aside, it’s the best idea ever if you love good food).  I have a great deal for you to use to try out UberEATS for yourself!

Here are our tips for traveling with kids during the holidays:

1.  Plan to get off the road after a few hours of driving to make a pit stop to go see Santa at the mall and then have one of the kids fall asleep on the freeway exit minutes before arriving to your destination.

2.  Make sure to lose somebody’s shoes in the car along the way so that when they HAVE TO GO POTTY IT IS AN EMERGENCY, you are frantically going through suitcases and every bag in the car to find them.

3.  Make sure to get slightly different sized gingerbread cookies for the children so that the other child will whine for hours on end about how life is not fair.

4.  Forget to take the kids to the bathroom (mom included….) before leaving on the trip so we end up stopping for a bathroom break after being on the freeway for ten minutes.

5.  To go along with above tip, time it just perfectly so that one of your children yells that they have to use the restroom REALLY BAD just as you get to the front of the line of It’s A Small World after waiting almost an hour for the ride.  PS It’s A Small World has the best Christmas decorations ever!

6.  To go along with the above two tips (sorry this is just a very big part of parenting), make sure that everyone has to use the restroom at different times throughout the day and want snacks at different times too.  I’ve also read that zero routines/schedules for kids is a really great idea;)

7. Get more drinks than cup holders in the car so that the front seat passenger is holding cups/lids/all sorts of randomness during the entire drive.  This may have caused me to spill part of my peppermint hot chocolate (aka Christmas in a cup) on myself at one point.

8.  Spend the holiday season traveling and focusing on the kids and their Christmas celebrations and get back home/to the hotel/to where you are staying realizing you haven’t eaten for a very long time.  Throw in hitting holiday traffic as much as possible and you are all set to go.  I was hangry.

9.  Make sure to change your perspective on time when children ask how much longer you have to drive to get to your destination… three more hours of driving =s “WE ARE ALMOST THERE” right?!

10.  Hope that the Christmas coloring books (that I just bought at the store) have some ripped pages or that the crayons spill out all over the floor and under the seats during the drive.  (That was an emotional rollercoaster).

11.  Listen to the song, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth” on repeat for a while because the kids love the sound effects on this song (that sound like fingernails on a chalkboard).  A headache will come along with this one;)

And two tips that are not sarcastic:

Cherish every single second with those kids of yours because they grow up way too fast and even the most challenging parts of life turn out to be the funniest memories.   This time of year is my absolute favorite with the little ones and I want to soak it all in and create amazing memories together.

*****The thing we fell in love with this holiday season while we were celebrating our Christmas with the kids——>  UberEATS !!  UberEATS is like an Uber for your food…  It is the way to get the food you want, from the restaurants you love (or are excited to try), delivered at Uber speed!  

UberEATS is especially amazing during this crazy busy time of year while everyone is preparing for the holidays.  December is full of traveling, shopping, working, planning big meals with your people, decorating, traditions… UberEATS is perfect for the days/nights in between all of the craziness to help you to have special times together with your family while eating delicious meals!

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UberEATS was our way to eat delicious food together easily while we were traveling during this holiday season.  We get stressed out at restaurants sometimes with the kids and sick of drive-thru food so this was the perfect option for us while in California.

One day while at a park in Anaheim we got on our UberEATS app and decided to have STACKED delivered to us while we were there to eat at a park table.  I had the Cow in the Garden salad (the bleu cheese, steak, sun-dried tomatoes and toasted pepitas were amazing on this salad), Andrew had a wedge salad and the kids had kid’s meals!

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UberEATS has hundreds of great local restaurants to choose from and the whole process is incredibly easy and so convenient

1.  You choose what local restaurant you want to try and go through the full menu that is offered (a lot of pictures of the different meals are included).

2.  You click on the meals/appetizers/desserts you want to order!

3.  Include any modifications/notes/additions that you need for each meal!

4.  Review your cart.

5.  Place your order and then you wait (the average order takes only 35 minutes from start to finish) for your delicious food to arrive to you!

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It was so fun to use UberEATS at the park because we worked up quite an appetite playing hard.  Knox loves these different dizzy causing things at parks.  I do not understand because being dizzy is one of my least favorite things.

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Oh how happy we were when UberEATS delivered straight to our hotel when we first arrived to Anaheim.  Our family was able to try an amazing new restaurant in the area all cuddled up and stress free.  Andrew and I could eat on the bed and enjoy our meals while they ran around jumping, exploring and gobbling up their kid’s meals.

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We chose Lucilles Smokehouse Bar-Be-Que that night which was a very good decision.  UberEATS gave us a huge selection to choose from and it was delivered so fast (without any problems with our order or anything like that).

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My shrimp salad with cornbread was so perfect.

UberEATS was exactly like my experiences with using Uber over the last few years—>  Fast/affordable/smooth/crazy convenient and each of the drivers/couriers were all so nice.

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Andrew almost cried happy tears when he saw his burger and sweet potato fries after a long day of business!

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On a different day of our holiday trip I ordered donuts and did a run on the treadmill at the hotel!   I just ran (4.25 miles) until my UberEATS driver arrived with amazing donuts for us and the kids to eat.  It was kind of the perfect combination for somebody like me—>  my love for running and donuts runs deep.

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Remember my Donut Stop Running tanks?  I need to add this exception in parenthesis to that statement—> Donut Stop Running (unless it is for donuts).

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Disneyland, sprinkles, frosting… could the kids ask for anything more in life?

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I would like to introduce you to the PB & J donut.  Yes, it was everything you could imagine.  They had a really good strawberry nutella donut that was so different from anything I have tried before!

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UberEATS gets a 10/10 score from all of us.  Such a huge selection to choose from (next time I am getting the ‘build your own salad’ from Stacked), fast and awesome service!   You can even track your order as it is coming to you—>  you get to see exactly where it is in the process and how many minutes away it is from you!

I know your holiday season is probably filled with all sorts of activities (I feel like we are barely even home this month) and I’m sure you are all even busier!  Let UberEATS lighten the load for you and help you feel good about what you’re feeding the family during this holiday season! There is already so much stress, planning, shopping, travel, prep during this time of year.  UberEATS is an awesome way to make those days in between all of the parties/big meals a whole lot easier and taste really good too.

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The first FIFTY readers to use the code HUNGRYRUNNER10 on UberEATS gets $10 off their first order!  Make sure to try it out!

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What are three of your absolute favorite salad toppings?

What are some traditional meals/desserts that you have during this time of year?

What apps do you use THE MOST on your phone?

Anyone have similar experiences when traveling with kids during the holidays?

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41 comments

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My parents traveled with my brothers and I a lot as children and it never fails to amaze me how crazy people get. Sometimes you can’t control what a child does or says and there is no need to be rude about it.

Favorite salad toppers are beets right now. I have been loving them!

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I am still in awe over your incredible 1/2 marathon time in Texas. Hollie, you are incredible!!! Andrew is with you on the beets thing.. I am not so much hahah! Hope you are having an awesome day Hollie!

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Hahaha I’m glad you are a mom and I am not. I don’t think I have the patience for it! One time I had to do a long (4hr) drive with my cat and I learned he hates my music preferences. Every time i tried to play music he would start crying/meowing nonstop, so we drove 4 hours in silence … and let’s face it I also made one-sided conversation with him from time to time haha!

Non-sponsored comment (lol) – I love UberEats and I also love Lucille’s BBQ :)

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Chocolate covered peanut butter bon bons, We wrap them in colored foil and hang them on the tree and eat them Christmas Eve . That’s from my German side of the family best chocolate treat ever!

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Okay, that sounds AMAZING!! What a fun tradition, I love it!!!

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Yeah!! So glad you got a chance to try the Donuttery!!!! Best donuts EVER!!!

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Seriously, I could not believe how good they are…. I’m kind of glad they aren’t here or else I would be eating them all of the time!

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Part of the reason I have loved reading your blog for years and years is because you always balance keeping it real while also remaining positive. I love that- this post is the perfect example of that. It was fun to read all of the “behind the scenes” disasters from your trip. so glad you guys had a great Christmas together!

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Oh thank you so much Allison! HAHA yeah, the behind the scenes parts with 4 year olds is always fun;) Thank you Allison, and I hope you are having a beautiful day!

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This. Is. Brilliant.

My kids are great when we travel by plane, but car? No. Anything longer than two hours is cause for serious grumpiness. My only solution is snacks and screen time, which isn’t my favorite, but it’s better than crashing the car because they won’t stop fighting.

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I am the exact same time… they rarely watch tv during the day but if we are on a road trip… none of it matters ha. Just have to keep them from as many meltdowns as possible (and for our sanity too).

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PS I need some of your plane tips for our kids. We have a long ride with them in January!

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These were hilarious! And I’ve never heard of UberEATS, but that’s pretty neat. That peanut butter and jelly donut looks AMAZING.

Salad toppings: avocado, walnuts, croutons

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Hah! Sounds like you guys certainly have quite the adventure on your road trips with the kids!

Three favorite salad toppings: Hard-boiled egg (not sure if that counts as a topping but I’m counting it) … Avocados … Something crunchy like some candied nuts or sliced almonds or crushed up tortilla chips (kinda weird but really good).

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three favorite salad toppings are carrots, black olives, and red onions. also UberEATS looks like everything. I travel a lot for work and have a hard time finding good places to eat when I just want to veg out in my hotel room so it looks like i’ve found an epic solution.

the apps I use the most on my phone are instagram, trivia crack (trivia is my jam), and my email haha (never not working over here).

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My not so empathetic, mushy, “when are these kids ever going to grow up” self, kind of laughed~smiled~and choked up inside wishing I had those days back. ;-)

As a mom of older teens I have recently noticed how I can come and go and they never raise their head from their phones, iPad, Netflix or whatever the vice of the moment may be. As long as there is food for them to eat, the car runs, and a bed to sleep in….their life goes on.

Yep, enjoy the stressful moments “when you are needed” while you can……soon you will become part of the background. (Or maybe not….good luck!)

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I really loved reading this. Blogs tend to just focus on the positive making it seem like everything is perfect. Thank you for making it look real. Insofar as us, we only have one 8yr old who is much easier to travel with now but can relate to variations of what you wrote above. Good times! (yes, that was sarcasm too) ;-)

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Oh thanks Rosie! Yep, we are FAR from perfect!!! HAHA loved your sarcasm too;) Hope your Wednesday is an amazing one Rosie!

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My kids are 13 and 11 yrs old and I still have to hear about the inequality of life every single stinking day. Ugh. Heaven forbid one of them gets more sprinkles on their donut! ;) But yes, cherish that time together. It passes by far too fast.
I had never heard of UberEats. Great idea! It’s not available in my town, but it would be cool to use when we are traveling.

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Ohhhhhhhhh my favorite salad topping would have to beeeeeeeeee…pizza.:D

Snapchat (guilty — love it so much) and, lately, the Weather Channel App. Just FYI: It “Feels like” 0*F here in Chicago. 0. Nothing more, nothing less. A giant goose egg. 0.

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I like pumpernickel croutons, alfalfa sprouts and avocado on my salads. It almost never happens unless I happen to be at a salad bar that has all 3.

My sister-in-law always makes homemade potato Latkes (sweet potato ones too!) which I love….and I usually make my famous rum cake which is really just a doctored up yellow cake mix cake in a bundt pan with a glaze of sugar, butter and rum and crushed walnuts on the top.

I use Runkeeper, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter the most on my phone. Oh and Words With Friends

Anyone have similar experiences when traveling with kids during the holidays?

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Great post today! I was wondering the other day “do her kids ever drive her crazy sometimes?? They look so happy and well-behaved in every picture on here…” They do! Just like mine! :) On long road trips, we don’t let them side beside each other – either my husband or I sits in the back, and one of them rides shotgun. Then usually on the way home they sleep, so we get to sit together in the front seat again like grown-ups. Sometimes we have to pick our battles, and that is one we gave up on long ago.

3 favorite salad toppings: black olives (tons of them), chick peas, and feta cheese.

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Okay, that is a brilliant idea… I might just have to copy your idea. THANK YOU Amanda! I’ll send you any of my black olives in the future hahah!

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Limiting it to three is so hard….ok, sunflower seeds, avocado, parmesean crisps. We love peppermint bark, chocolate covered peanut butter balls and cherry crisp pie for dessert. As far as meals, our traditional Christmas meal tends to be Steak and Baked Potatoes with a Wilted Lettuce Salad. I use Instagram, FB, Pinterest and Zulily the most.
Whenever we travel, we start at night typically. That way they sleep through the night if it is far and it limits the amount of times we here “Are we there yet”.

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My favorite salad topping is probably croutons, though they’re not very healthy.

My favorite Christmas baking is shortbread and gingerbread cookies. I only ever make them at Christmas so they’re extra special.

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This is so funny and so relevant for me! We went to Disney world two months ago with another family. We went from travelling with 6 years old alone to travelling with two 6-years old and a 4 years old. What a difference it made! haha Although they love each other, they found a million different ways to drive us adults crazy… but I will cherish these moments forever. It was a very special trip for us too!

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OH YES… I bet that was a HUGE DIFFERENCE. Good thing kids are so cute during those difficult times haha!

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This is amazingly brilliant and all of that food looks so yummy. But mostly that pb and jelly donut. I want that in my life. Your blog makes me feel hungry and lazy at the same time. It’s a weird combo.

Your post makes me laugh. Every time I travel with children I question my sanity. But it is always worth it in the end for the ‘other’ experiences. When we were in DW with my whole family and all the kids we had to have scheduled eating time and potty times otherwise there was no way we would be doing anything else. Evan was fine. But Anna would NOT go to the bathroom or even TRY to go when we had potty breaks. She and I even got in a fight about it (looking back, why did I fight with a 6yr old??) but finally she started to go when we all went as long as my mom or one of my sisters asked her to. I couldn’t. That child will be the death of me. I actually think I need a few dozen of those aforementioned donuts to help me through the rest of her childhood.

Top aps on my phone: Voxer and IG
Best salad toppings: nuts, blue cheese and cherry tomatoes

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You are hilarious, such a classic family road trip! You pretty much nailed it. At least the car didn’t break down (knock wood)

Fave salad toppings right now: roasted beets, goat cheese and sunflower seeds.

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HAHA you are so so right… we have to drive to California again on Sunday for Brooke to go to her dads house so I am REALLY hoping that the car doesn’t break down this time:) Thanks Michelle and I will send any of my beets on over to you;)

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I don’t have kids but when I was 8 my aunt and uncle took my cousins and me to Disney World by car. Their neighbors came along with their 2 kids as well. We were all in my uncle’s father’s Suburban. I hated long car rides after that. (but I LOVED Disney).

I bake cookies which was a tradition with my mom. As soon as we were able we “helped” bake and decorate cookies for everyone in the family. My mother would get crazy and make multiple batches of at least a dozen types of cookies. I generally keep it to 4 varieties.

Just 3? cucumber, mushrooms, and I like beets too. (I prefer them roasted – all vegetables taste better roasted).

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Love the tips!! so funny. My husband is an UberEats lover! He literally tells everyone about it every time we meet someone new so they will use his coupon code! hahah lol

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*This reply has elements of sarcasm.* We don’t want them to grow up too quickly. What is the best growth rate at this age? Learning to live with disappointment – it’s a process. If we’re talking sprinkles on donuts or crayons falling on the floor, it’s time to take it to the next level. No, I’m not talking about some cheese to go with the w(h)ine. Although, they are old enough to have some cheese. Some good bleu for the blues….

For Brooke, we don’t need a vehicular break down necessarily, does she recall the flat tire? If not, there’s a video to remind her; plus, there can be some commentary to go with the video. For Knox, well, he may need a flat tire to put his sprinkle, whatever, situation in perspective. Kiddos, you have it in you to secure your crayons and your shoes and not sit in the w position. Doing so will prevent big disappointment. The sprinkles? They’re out of your control unless you go to the store yourselves.

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Traveling with kiddos becomes significantly easier when they turn 6! Your kids will probably make great travelers because they get lots of practice. Our kids are a blast to travel with and they’re 9, 11, and 12!

3 of my fav toppings are avocado, chicken, and sunflower seeds (only 3 makes it so hard to choose!)

My fav Christmas desserts are peppermint fudge (my hubby makes this and it’s amazing!), butter/sugar cookies, cinnamon rolls, and homemade turtles.

I use MyFitnessPal, my Garmin app, and Insta the most probably.

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Favorite salad toppings >>> sunflower seeds (salted!), cottage cheese or feta cheese, and beets. So so good.

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So, do you think Ubereats will deliver Donuttery to Utah?? I am patient. I can wait… :)

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I am laughing so hard. . . I LOVE your 11 tips!!! I know once we have kids and continue to drive to CT we will have some of these tips!! So thanks for the heads up now!!!

This UBEREATS is genius!!! It needs to come to Charlotte!!!! I am dying to try this!

Favorite salad toppings: sweet potato fries (so weird but when I have worked out hard I crave a few of them with my salad), any type of cheese & nuts!!!!!

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HAHAHA i am dying laughing at that list!!!

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Salad Toppings: brocolli, olives and chicken
Traditional food? Cookies and soups.
Apps? Snapchat and insta
Traveling with little kids is super hard but it gets better. Also I think traveling pregnant is hard too. Combine them and it might fit in Dantes Inferno.

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Hmmm, favorite salad toppings – pine nuts, dried cranberries, and portabella mushrooms!

Tell Brooke that I was twinning with her on Sunday when I wore my Target Santa pajama top in my Jingle Bell Jog race!

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Salad toppings I drool for: pickled beets, feta cheese, and chicken! (grilled or rotisserie is my fav)

One of my hubby’s besties makes homemade eggnog from a classic recipe. He does the whole thing by hand (copper bowl and whisk and all) and it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted — but I don’t tell him this, don’t want to ruin the “bratty little sister” vibe I’ve got going on.

It’s a tradition with my hubby’s family to make homemade ice cream too. The cold weather makes this process way easier, as the ice in the hand crank machine doesn’t even melt!

Lately the apps I use most include the weather app, Wodify, facebook/insta/snapchat, and my email! I’m constantly on my email — it’s sick.

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