Travel Kits TOS Product Review

Chapter One begins with “For those of you who like to “cut to the chase,” here’s an overview of Travel Kits.” And in less than a page and a half, the reader finds out the Who, What, When, Where, How and Why. I am definitely one of “those” people and was happy to find out quickly what the next 85 pages of text and tons of beautiful photos were all about.

Simply put, Travel Kits are for travelers to help make lengthy travel for passengers more enjoyable. Knowing ahead of time how many travelers there will be, along with the length of the trip, helps plan out all the wonderful details. I think Travel Kits are a blessing not only to the travelers who receive them, but to the creator and giver.

I will say that upon receiving and reviewing this e-book, my mind was racing at all the possibilities. Soon, my family and I will be driving in our van for a total of 48 hours. Thankfully, it’s over a three week period of time. But still, you can see why I would be very interested in looking into some creative ways to keep my travelers comfortable and happy while we’re on the road.

One of the pages that caught my eye entailed Preparing Your Vehicle for the trip. Just scanning the list was so helpful. I am one of “those” who would forget coins for toll roads. Since it is my responsibility to prepare and pack everything and everyone for the trip, I can’t wait to hand over the preparation list to Mr. Wonderful! He’s great at covering all the bases.

While the entire e-book was so creative and gave me many ideas, Chapter Twelve met me right where I am in life. A Box of Blessings, which is quite different from a Travel Kit, is a gift that is created to encourage, uplift, and give the recipient a reminder that he or she is loved. I will be making two of these Blessings and cannot wait to see how the Lord will guide me and bless my children while they are away from home. When the time is just right, I will share all the wonderful details about the Box of Blessings I created and the impact it had on my children.

So, try to imagine a small wicker basket, a beautiful gift bag, a hat box, or even a decorated shoebox filled with individually wrapped gifts. I immediately think of books (including sticker books, coloring books and markers), books on CD, crossword puzzles, chewing gum and your travelers' favorite candy (I loved the idea of using a large pill dispenser to hold little candy treats), gift cards for stops along the way, DVDs for use with a portable DVD player, cross-stitch kits, and travel-size games. The possibilities are endless. Each kit can be made to suit the age and likes of the traveler. Who wouldn’t like to go through a bag or basket of surprise goodies made especially for them? Virtually anything I can think up, the creator of Travel Kits, Donna Rees, has thought of already. There are tons of photos, tourism websites, recommended books (by age of the reader) and snack recipes. Yes, even recipes!

But just to keep it real, I would say the only slight drawback that came to mind (besides shredded wrapping paper in a neat-freak’s clean car!) was the possibility that a Travel Kit may encourage some kids to (1) expect to have a surprise of some sort every time they get in the car, or (2) feel they should be entertained every time they travel. When giving a Travel Kit to younger children, a teachable moment can occur. After all, this is a very special occasion. I remember talking to our children when they were very young and took them shopping for the first time. We made it clear to them that we do not buy stuff (toys, candy, goodies) just because they see something they think they have to have. It’s a great life lesson and helps develop self-control. And so with Travel Kits, I think realistic expectations should be set and talked through with younger children.

The cover of this e-book says, “A Simple Way to Bless Others.” I absolutely agree and highly recommend this wonderful resource for families who travel or for friends of families who travel and want to be a blessing. A blessing indeed!

Here's the product scoop:

Vendor Name and Contact Information: The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Name of Product: Travel Kits
Price: $12.45
Age Range: 1 to 100
To check out some of their other products, click here.

To learn what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about this product, visit this site.

Happy trails, my friends!


I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review. Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews. My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences on the products and services that I receive.