Backseat Organizers

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer Review: A Full Season of Family Road Trips
Family Travel

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer Review: A Full Season of Family Road Trips

A year of road trips, football Saturdays, and one Seahawks game-day trip with the SURDOCA backseat organizer: what held up, what did not, and what I would tell a friend.

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer vs a Kids Lap Tray: Which Wins on Long Drives?
Car Organization

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer vs a Kids Lap Tray: Which Wins on Long Drives?

A fair, first-person comparison of the SURDOCA backseat organizer and a standalone kids lap tray across six-hour drives, football Saturdays, and one snack-heavy tailgate.

10 Reasons a Backseat Organizer Makes Family Road Trips Easier
Family Travel

10 Reasons a Backseat Organizer Makes Family Road Trips Easier

How two SURDOCA organizers cut the mess, the whining, and the constant reaching on our family drives.

The Backseat Fix That Ended Our Road Trip Chaos
Road Trip Gear

The Backseat Fix That Ended Our Road Trip Chaos

How two organizers and one very messy minivan changed the way our family does the Spokane to Boise drive.

How to Keep Kids Busy on Road Trips with a Backseat Organizer
Family Travel

How to Keep Kids Busy on Road Trips with a Backseat Organizer

A step-by-step setup for the SURDOCA backseat organizer, from strap height to snack cups, that keeps two kids fed, entertained, and within reach on long drives.

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer Honest Review: Who It Fits and Who Should Skip It
Car Organization

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer Honest Review: Who It Fits and Who Should Skip It

I have two of these hanging in my minivan, and after a year of road trips, football Saturdays and snack disasters, here is the honest version of what works, what does not, and who should probably skip it.

Cooler Bags

Lifewit Cooler Bag Review: Months of Road Trip Lunches and Game Day Snacks
Family Travel Gear

Lifewit Cooler Bag Review: Months of Road Trip Lunches and Game Day Snacks

Two years of Spokane to Boise drives, youth football Saturdays and one Seahawks tailgate with the same Lifewit cooler bag. Here is how it actually held up.

Lifewit Cooler Bag vs a Hard-Sided Cooler for Family Trips
Family Travel Gear

Lifewit Cooler Bag vs a Hard-Sided Cooler for Family Trips

Soft versus hard cooler for a family on the road: ice life, weight, trunk space and cost compared with the Lifewit bag.

10 Reasons a Soft Cooler Beats Stopping for Fast Food on Road Trips
Family Travel Gear

10 Reasons a Soft Cooler Beats Stopping for Fast Food on Road Trips

Ten reasons packing your own food in a soft cooler saves time, money and nerves when you travel with kids.

The Cooler Bag That Saved Our Family Picnic Day
Family Travel Gear

The Cooler Bag That Saved Our Family Picnic Day

How one soft-sided Lifewit cooler bag kept lunch cold through a long morning, a youth football game, and a picnic that almost did not happen.

How to Pack a Cooler for a Family Road Trip with a Lifewit Cooler Bag
Family Travel Gear

How to Pack a Cooler for a Family Road Trip with a Lifewit Cooler Bag

Step by step cooler packing for a family trip: layering, ice, what goes on top and how to keep food safe.

Lifewit Cooler Bag Honest Review: Is It Big Enough for a Family?
Family Travel Gear

Lifewit Cooler Bag Honest Review: Is It Big Enough for a Family?

Two years of road trips, football Saturdays and tailgates with the Lifewit cooler bag. The honest version, including the things I wish I had known before I bought it.

Packing Cubes

Veken Packing Cubes Review: Packing a Whole Family's Clothes for Months
Travel Gear

Veken Packing Cubes Review: Packing a Whole Family's Clothes for Months

Eighteen months, dozens of trips, and one shared suitcase for four people. Here is how the Veken packing cube set actually held up.

Veken Packing Cubes vs Just Rolling Your Clothes
Travel

Veken Packing Cubes vs Just Rolling Your Clothes

Do packing cubes really beat rolling clothes? A family-trip comparison of space, wrinkles and how fast you can find things.

10 Reasons Packing Cubes Make Family Trips Easier
Family Travel

10 Reasons Packing Cubes Make Family Trips Easier

Ten ways packing cubes keep a family's clothes sorted, wrinkle-free and easy to find, from toddlers to grandparents.

How One Suitcase Carried Our Whole Family's Clothes
Family Travel Gear

How One Suitcase Carried Our Whole Family's Clothes

A family story about swapping chaos for Veken packing cubes and fitting everyone's outfits into one shared suitcase.

How to Pack Clothes for the Whole Family with Packing Cubes
Packing and Organization

How to Pack Clothes for the Whole Family with Packing Cubes

One cube per person, a roll of masking tape, and a shared suitcase that unpacks itself in about ten minutes.

Veken Packing Cubes Honest Review: Worth It for a Family of Four?
Packing and Organization

Veken Packing Cubes Honest Review: Worth It for a Family of Four?

After 18 months and a dozen trips with two kids, here is what the Veken set actually does for a family of four, and where it falls short.

Stadium Seats

Sport Beats Stadium Seat Review: A Full Football Season in the Bleachers
Stadium Seats

Sport Beats Stadium Seat Review: A Full Football Season in the Bleachers

A season of Friday night games with the Sport Beats stadium seat: padding, back support, the fold and the carry strap.

Sport Beats Stadium Seat vs a Plain Seat Cushion for Bleachers
Game Day Gear

Sport Beats Stadium Seat vs a Plain Seat Cushion for Bleachers

Back support or just a pad? How the Sport Beats stadium seat compares with a basic cushion on long game days.

10 Reasons a Stadium Seat Is a Must-Have for Football Families
Family Travel Gear

10 Reasons a Stadium Seat Is a Must-Have for Football Families

From cold metal bleachers to the long ride home, here is why our family does not leave for a game without our Sport Beats stadium seats.

The Game Day Upgrade Our Whole Family Noticed
Family Travel Gear

The Game Day Upgrade Our Whole Family Noticed

How two padded Sport Beats stadium seats changed bleacher Saturdays for our whole family.

How to Stay Comfortable at a Football Game with a Stadium Seat
Family Travel Gear

How to Stay Comfortable at a Football Game with a Stadium Seat

Pick, adjust and carry a stadium seat so the whole family stays comfortable from kickoff to the final whistle.

Sport Beats Stadium Seat Honest Review: Comfort, Weight and Fit on Bleachers
Stadium Seats

Sport Beats Stadium Seat Honest Review: Comfort, Weight and Fit on Bleachers

Two seasons on metal bleachers with the Sport Beats stadium seat: what held up, what didn't, and what I'd tell a friend before she buys.

Kids Travel Pillows

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow Review: Long Drives and Flights With a Sleepy Child
Family Travel Gear

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow Review: Long Drives and Flights With a Sleepy Child

A year of car seats, flights and one very floppy 5-year-old: what the BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow actually did for us.

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow vs a U-Shaped Neck Pillow
Kids Travel Gear

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow vs a U-Shaped Neck Pillow

Chin support or classic U shape? A parent's comparison of the BCOZZY kids pillow with a standard neck pillow.

10 Reasons a Travel Pillow Helps Kids Sleep on the Road
Family Travel

10 Reasons a Travel Pillow Helps Kids Sleep on the Road

Ten reasons a supportive travel pillow means fewer sore necks and more peaceful miles for children in the car or on a plane.

The Travel Pillow That Finally Let Our Kid Sleep in the Car
Family Travel Gear

The Travel Pillow That Finally Let Our Kid Sleep in the Car

How one small neck pillow ended years of car-nap meltdowns on the Spokane to Boise drive.

How to Help Your Kids Sleep in the Car with a Travel Pillow
Family Travel

How to Help Your Kids Sleep in the Car with a Travel Pillow

Fit the pillow right, time the nap, and set up the seat so your kids sleep through more of the drive.

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow Honest Review: Sizing, Fit and Real Drawbacks
Travel Gear

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow Honest Review: Sizing, Fit and Real Drawbacks

I bought the BCOZZY kids travel pillow for my 5-year-old, used it on car rides and a flight, and here is what I actually think after a year of testing.

All Reviews

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer Review: A Full Season of Family Road Trips
Family Travel

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer Review: A Full Season of Family Road Trips

A year of road trips, football Saturdays, and one Seahawks game-day trip with the SURDOCA backseat organizer: what held up, what did not, and what I would tell a friend.

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer Honest Review: Who It Fits and Who Should Skip It
Car Organization

SURDOCA Backseat Organizer Honest Review: Who It Fits and Who Should Skip It

I have two of these hanging in my minivan, and after a year of road trips, football Saturdays and snack disasters, here is the honest version of what works, what does not, and who should probably skip it.

Lifewit Cooler Bag Review: Months of Road Trip Lunches and Game Day Snacks
Family Travel Gear

Lifewit Cooler Bag Review: Months of Road Trip Lunches and Game Day Snacks

Two years of Spokane to Boise drives, youth football Saturdays and one Seahawks tailgate with the same Lifewit cooler bag. Here is how it actually held up.

Lifewit Cooler Bag Honest Review: Is It Big Enough for a Family?
Family Travel Gear

Lifewit Cooler Bag Honest Review: Is It Big Enough for a Family?

Two years of road trips, football Saturdays and tailgates with the Lifewit cooler bag. The honest version, including the things I wish I had known before I bought it.

Veken Packing Cubes Review: Packing a Whole Family's Clothes for Months
Travel Gear

Veken Packing Cubes Review: Packing a Whole Family's Clothes for Months

Eighteen months, dozens of trips, and one shared suitcase for four people. Here is how the Veken packing cube set actually held up.

Veken Packing Cubes Honest Review: Worth It for a Family of Four?
Packing and Organization

Veken Packing Cubes Honest Review: Worth It for a Family of Four?

After 18 months and a dozen trips with two kids, here is what the Veken set actually does for a family of four, and where it falls short.

Sport Beats Stadium Seat Review: A Full Football Season in the Bleachers
Stadium Seats

Sport Beats Stadium Seat Review: A Full Football Season in the Bleachers

A season of Friday night games with the Sport Beats stadium seat: padding, back support, the fold and the carry strap.

Sport Beats Stadium Seat Honest Review: Comfort, Weight and Fit on Bleachers
Stadium Seats

Sport Beats Stadium Seat Honest Review: Comfort, Weight and Fit on Bleachers

Two seasons on metal bleachers with the Sport Beats stadium seat: what held up, what didn't, and what I'd tell a friend before she buys.

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow Review: Long Drives and Flights With a Sleepy Child
Family Travel Gear

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow Review: Long Drives and Flights With a Sleepy Child

A year of car seats, flights and one very floppy 5-year-old: what the BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow actually did for us.

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow Honest Review: Sizing, Fit and Real Drawbacks
Travel Gear

BCOZZY Kids Travel Pillow Honest Review: Sizing, Fit and Real Drawbacks

I bought the BCOZZY kids travel pillow for my 5-year-old, used it on car rides and a flight, and here is what I actually think after a year of testing.

Notes from the road, in your inbox

One email a month with the family travel gear that earned its spot in our minivan, and the stuff that did not.