It is officially summer! You’re ready to hit the road and have endless adventures awaiting you. While the idea of flitting from one destination to the next can be exciting for many, it can be stressful for others. Coming from a family with three children, I can tell you that stress and last-minute planning won’t help you at all! It’s best to start planning a few weeks before to help ensure a stress-free journey that is filled with adventure, laughter, and memories to cherish for a lifetime. Today, I partnered with California Almonds to share my tips on how to make summer travel smooth sailing for the whole family.

Your packing list will obviously depend on the length of the trip. Still, there are always some essentials that your family can’t go without and these are the first to pack. In case you can’t pack these things right away, make sure to leave yourself a reminder or a post-it note so that you don’t forget anything. I would dearly like to tell you that you can get away with relatively small luggage, but in my experience, it is best to prepare for various scenarios. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’ll have to fit your entire home into a trunk, but it also means that you probably won’t be able to travel light.

Bring various games and toys that can keep the kids happy and entertained during a long trip. If I’m not driving, I love bringing a few books and magazines with me to help fend off boredom as well. I love reading anything from suspense to motivational books.

In this day and age, apps are essential for traveling. The right apps can make traveling easier. From staying in the loop with traffic delays and locating good restaurants to mapping out your itinerary and tracking your travel expenses, there certainly isn’t a shortage of apps for the tech-savvy traveler!

Hotel rooms are usually notorious for not having enough electric receptacles. One of my old annoyances was taking multiple chargers with me. Especially, since it isn’t always an easy feat keeping multiple cables and power adapters untangled and organized. This is where a charging station comes into play! The charging station that I use has the ability to charge up to 6 devices simultaneously. It makes the perfect traveling companion because of its sleek, lightweight, and portable size.

For my DSLR, there is nothing worse than my battery dying in-between taking pictures! This all changed when I purchased a PowerLine PowerCup last year. It looks exactly like a coffee cup and fits perfectly in my car’s cup holder. Not only it charges up my DSLR battery within no time, I can practically charge up any device. It is basically a socket that I can travel with anywhere!

When it comes to food, your best friend will be a mini cooler that can hold water and snacks! This is especially important if you’re traveling during really hot weather. You most likely know how cranky kids can get when food is not according to their taste. Now, add the car ride and you can just imagine what could happen. Therefore, cool water and juice will keep you and your children happy and hydrated. Make sure to pack their favorite healthy meals as well as the usual snacks. Running out of those and having to wait in line for food leads to stress on a whole new level.

For snacks, I love almonds! Almonds not only help keep the hunger at bay, but they’re the trifecta of convenience, taste, and health. To satiate a sweet tooth, I’ll mix sliced and whole natural almonds along with a few of our candies, such as mini peanut butter cups! However, eating a handful of almonds is just as tasty. Did you know that eating a handful of almonds can provide up to 25% fewer calories than previously thought? It is true! In fact, recent research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of almonds daily helps curb the appetite without increasing calorie and body weight. Interesting! In addition, almonds are a chock full of antioxidants, fiber, protein, vitamin E, and magnesium. Best of all, almonds are naturally gluten-free and cholesterol-free!

I feel my best when I don’t skip breakfast, my favorite meal of the day. While I don’t mind stopping somewhere for breakfast from time to time, I usually like to bring my own breakfast with me. Oatmeal! I’m a huge fan of oatmeal and often pack it in wide-mouth pint mason jars. I’ll eat oatmeal plain at times, but I prefer mixing it with one or two spoonfuls of dark chocolate powder and topping it off with almonds. It’s a healthy and decadent breakfast that tastes like dessert! It is also full of protein, fiber, and healthy fat that ensures that I’m full until my next meal.