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February, 2012

  1. 5 Ways to Ward Off Motion Sickness

    February 26, 2012 by jmcarthur

    Although I’ve had a run-in with vertigo a time or two in my life, I’ve been fortunate enough to escape the discomfort of car sickness. Interestingly enough, though, most of the other people in my life struggle with it. And, if you’re planning a road trip with one of these people, things might get a little dicey. Here are a few things you can do if you know a passenger struggles with motion sickness.

    1. Get a peppermint air freshener for the car. Peppermint is a soothing scent that is believed to ward off nausea. In fact, it’s often used in aromatherapy for this exact purpose. Just try to keep the scent low-key. If nausea is lurking, it’s never a good idea to have a strong smell around – no matter what it is.
    2. Brew up some ginger iced tea. All you have to do is brew some standard tea and throw in a few slices of ginger. Ginger is known to fight feelings of nausea and it might keep your passengers’ stomachs settled enough to get through the drive without incident. Of course, you’ll want to cool, sweeten, and then bottle your tea before the trip.
    3. Allow the person who is most likely to get motion sick to sit in the front seat. Or at least offer it as an option. I’ve been told this helps a great deal.
    4. Never expect your motion-sick friend to navigate. Reading, even if it’s a map, in the car is one surefire way to trigger feelings of nausea. It’s unfair to rely on someone who gets motion sick to read a map or directions while the car is moving.
    5. If all else fails, have some meclizine on hand. Meclizine is the active ingredient in Bonine, the over-the-counter motion sickness medicine. There are probably generic brands too. Although I don’t get motion sick, I used it to treat my vertigo and it really kept the nausea away.

    Category Planning | Tags: ,,,,,,, | No Comments

  2. 5 Things to do Before You Commit to Drive on a Road Trip

    February 19, 2012 by jmcarthur

    It’s very tempting to just say “yes!” to that cross-country road trip, but you have to make sure you’re really ready. There’s nothing worse than someone who backs out on an important trip at the very last minute.  I have a friend who did that recently. He’s a probation officer and his schedule is unpredictable, but he said he would definitely (not only come, but) drive us all to Vermont. Needless to say, there were 4 very disappointed skiers when he broke the news that he had to work that weekend.

    So, be very sure you can really follow through on your commitment before saying yes. And then, just get yourself ready and go. There is more responsibility on you as the driver than the other passengers. Here are a few things you can do to be sure your trip goes smoothly:

    Map out your drive: If you’re going to be driving through unfamiliar areas, it’s important to map out your drive, so you don’t get lost. Taking the time to map out your route can save you a lot of time and prevent you from driving in sketchy neighborhoods.

    Watch the weather reports: It’s important to watch the weather before you commit to driving on a road trip. Check the weather reports a few days ahead of time to make sure you won’t be driving in dangerous conditions.

    Pack your belongings: Make a list of what you will need to bring, and pack your belongings at least a couple of days ahead of time. Make sure to include essential items like clothes, toiletries and food.

    Decide how much money to spend: It’s really important to make a budget and stick to it. Many people go over their budgets on vacations. A good way to prevent this from happening is to only bring as much cash as you think you’ll need.

    Check your car: Since you will be putting a lot of miles on your car, it is important to check it beforehand to ensure it’s in good condition. Remember to check the fluids, air pressure, tires and air filter.

    Category Planning | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | No Comments

  3. How to Avoid Conflict on a Long Road Trip

    February 11, 2012 by jmcarthur

    Although they can be fun, those especially long road trips have a tendency to bring out the worst in all of us. No matter who you are traveling with, a partner, spouse, children, parents or friends, there are ways you can keep each other from pulling hair and scratching eyes out. Keep conflict out of your road trip as much as possible, and you’ll make fond memories instead of moments you’d rather forget.

    Make sure everybody gets to take care of their morning business. There is one thing I must do every morning, for example. If I do not get a morning shower I get grumpy and am prone to conflict. So, when I’m on a road trip I always stop at a hotel to give myself a shower and cup of coffee, and I give my boyfriend his 15 minutes to update his blog. When I’m with my grandma, I know I need to make sure she gets her eggs, sausage and orange juice for breakfast. Everybody starts the day on the right track and we all feel good.

    Don’t let anybody get bored. Getting bored is the first step to conflict. If you are tired of talking, play music or a DVD. Read books or play road trip games. You are on an adventure and there should be no such thing as getting bored. If you are in the car for too many hours in one stretch, stop; get out and do something. Go for a walk, eat some food, walk around the store or go to a tourist attraction. Just do something, anything. When people get bored they get irritated.

    If you can’t stop conflict before it starts, stop it before it gets worse. If you have something to say that will start an argument, don’t say it. Ignore comments that you want to respond to for the sake of having a good trip. Sometimes you have to step up and be the bigger person for the sake of a fun time. It might burn a little at the time, but the trip will be better overall.

    Category Planning | Tags: ,,,,, | No Comments

  4. How to Create the Ultimate Road Trip Playlist

    February 4, 2012 by jmcarthur

    About to hit the highway? You’ll need some travel-worthy music to help pass the time. Instead of listening to the same old tunes, make a whole new playlist, a store of songs to enjoy on your car stereo as you drive along (or on your iPod as you relax in the backseat). There are times when you have one passenger who appoints herself the police officer of the radio. You know who I’m talking about: She sits in the front and controls all the tunes, from the song choice to the volume. In these cases, it’s good to have your own playlist along with an mp3 player.

    Whether you’re creating a playlist for yourself or for the entire car, one good way to create the ultimate road trip playlist is to have a theme. Here are some theme ideas to get you started:

    Area Idea
    Let your destination be your musical guide. If you’re headed somewhere coastal, listen to songs about the beach: “Under The Boardwalk” by The Drifters, “Surfin’ USA,” by The Beach Boys, “Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer” by Nat King Cole, and “California Gurls” by Katy Perry. Or, make a playlist of songs by artists who are from where you’re going. California bound? Listen to songs by Metallica, Tupac, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Byrds, and Fleetwood Mac.

    En Route
    Getting there is half the fun. With this in mind, create a playlist of such songs as “A Thousand Miles Away” by New Edition, “Homeward Bound” by Simon and Garfunkel, “I Drove All Night” by Celine Dion, “Traveling Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson, “Fantastic Voyage” by Coolio, and “Life Is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane.

    The Classics
    If you’re just going to keep it simple by culling songs from your other playlists to create a new one for the road trip, you can still come up with an interesting mix by having a theme. Go completely random and sort by song length, shortest titles, or one-hit wonders. Select songs from a certain decade or year, or belonging to a particular genre, or from movie soundtracks.

    Category Playlists | Tags: ,,,,,, | No Comments

  5. Be Mine

    February 3, 2012 by jmcarthur

    I remember my first year of college. There were a lot of things missing. I was far too old for Trick or Treat. Thanks to the now defunct 3.2 beer, I did get to dress up and go to Halloween parties. There were no snow days since I lived on campus. And the library was actually for studying.

    One of the things I missed the most was Valentine’s Day in school. I can still smell Elmer’s Glue as it adhered paper doilies to the shoebox I would decorate every year, hoping to have it filled with valentine cards from my classmates. I made sure to make the slot in the top extra wide for that one kid who always included a roll of Smarties with his card.

    The night before Valentine’s Day was very stressful. I had my package of miniature valentine cards. It had been stressful enough picking out which ones to buy at the drug store. Do I get the ones I like, or the ones that are cool? Do I go for the current popular television theme, or do I choose classic cartoon? And then, which one do I give to HIM. You know who I’m talking about – the object of everyone’s affection, the boy we all wanted to “go steady” with. I couldn’t make it too mushy. And I didn’t want to give him the same valentine that I gave to the other boys. Why didn’t they just sell boxes with valentines that were all the same? Why put a pre-pubescent girl through such agony.

    Then came the next stress-inducing portion of the holiday — opening the valentines. I’d take my box home and run upstairs like I had just completed a bank heist. Better shut the door so no one interrupts me while I commence my ceremony of opening, trying to guess who the sender was. Of course I knew what HIS writing looked like. As I sorted the cards, I set HIS aside. Candy-included cards in one pile, regular cards in the other. Ok, enough stalling – open it. Ahhh – is it my imagination, or did HE sign my valentine with a hint of adoration? Once all the cards were opened, saving the one from my teacher for last, it was time to call my BFF (Of course that was before texting and such acronyms existed.) “Did you get the same card I did from HIM?” Comparisons were made. One year, HE signed his name with a little heart on my BFF’s valentine. Mine got no heart. Oh well, there was always next year.

    I wonder if my son misses the cardboard box filled with valentines? Oh wait, of course he doesn’t — he’s a guy! Maybe I’ll send him a card anyway. And enclose a roll of Smarties. 

    Category Transitioning to College | Tags: , | No Comments