Does this sound familiar? You are driving back from an outing with your little ones and both of them fall asleep in the car. Great! Except now you are faced with the decision whether to continue on home and transfer them to their cribs – which may result in one or both waking up – or keep driving for the length of their naps? More often than not, I chose the latter. After a while, however, driving around aimlessly and exploring nearby neighbourhoods gets boring (and unproductive). Not to mention it could create suspicion as to why the same car is passing their street umpteen times in an hour.
Then I discovered that using a drive thru service can save your sanity! Now I don’t drink coffee or eat breakfast on the go, so my use of drive-thru conveniences was limited until the twins came along. Here are some ways I discovered that using a drive-thru window can be really, really useful and allow Mama (or Dad) to feel like they are making good use of their time. Which of these services do you use regularly?
1) The fast food drive-thru
This one is the most obvious. When it’s naptime for the babies and lunchtime for Mama, there can be a bit of a dilemma. Because we always feed ourselves last, right? With the twinfants snuggled in their carseats, it was time to head to the nearest McDonald’s or Tim Horton’s drive-thru to get some grub… all the while hoping the loud speaker from the drive-thru window would not be heard over the background music in the car.
2) Pre-paying Gas
Okay so this is technically not a drive-thru, but still a useful errand that can be done without leaving your little ones alone. Simply insert your credit card in the slot to authorize gas purchase, pump and away you go, receipt and all! (and loyalty points if you’re lucky)
3) Full-serve gas station
In Canada, we are able to pump our own gas and full-serve gas stations are fewer and far between. However if you can find one, it is totally worth not having to get out of your vehicle during twinfant naptime, wintertime or when you are pregnant.
4) Library book drop-off
Got some library books to return? Check to see if your local library offers a drive-thru drop-off point. The City of Ottawa Public Library does, very handy!
5) Walmart Groceries
Although I have not tried this service, ordering your groceries from Walmart and picking them up at a pre-determined time from your local store is becoming quite popular. I would imagine you could drive there and get the car packed up without waking up the babes (assuming you have some background noise going in the car!)
The only downside I’ve noticed with these drive-thru conveniences is, sometimes a twinfant would wake up if the car turns off for a period of time to pump gas and the like. Oh well it sure beats driving around the same neighbourhood again and again, wasting gas until naptime is finished!
Ambereen is mom to almost 5 year old twins, with a third on the way! Needless to say there will be more drive thrus visits in the very near future. She blogs at 2cute
These were all good sources of advice. We do not have a drive up service for Walmart, but we do for Harris Teeter. My twins are 21 now and when they were infants, not every gas station had pay at pump. I would have to drive around to find one which was often a pain.
Lowanda J recently posted Currently October
No drive-thru’s in Thailand unfortunately but they do pump the gas for you. Our tot wakes the minute you switch off the engine tho.
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Mama, My Kid Doesn’t Poop Rainbows recently posted How I Write a Blog Post
lol all good ideas, I have always got them out of the car and 9 times out of 10 they’ll stay asleep #twinklytuesday
chantelle hazelden recently posted Our Own Elf and Fairy Party
Great post, thank goodness I am past this phase, although I would love another baby, but hubby says no more. My babies all woke up when the car stopped #TwinklyTuesday
Mackenzie Glanville recently posted Weekend fun
Fabulous! I fantasize about a world that offers a small grocery drive-thru service….bread, milk, papers, whatever…. How often are you driving home, babes asleep and realise you need milk…or is that just my disorganised life?? Beautiful babies, by the way!
Great read,
Anna
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Anna Brophy recently posted IF THERE WAS NO IPAD….
Good tips – I will have to stop for gas next time! We don’t have drive-throughs in the Caribbean – I just drive around completely aimlessly. At least the scenery is good! #twinklytuesday
Jen @ 4,128 miles recently posted Siblings – please help!
I like the drive through idea! There are so many times I’ve sat on our drive waiting for them to wake with nothing to do!! Xx #TwinklyTuesday
Kerry recently posted Can You Choose Happiness?
Great ideas!! I would love any drive through of any kind here so totally jealous of all these options!!
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Seychellesmama recently posted Koopa
Drive through sounds a great solution #TwinklyTuesday
Coombe Mill – Fiona Cambouropoulos recently posted Win A Talking Miffy Toy & See The New TV Series
I was on a long journey back from Wales once with the kids and found a drive through Starbucks on the motorway, this was the highlight of my month! There was torrential rain and no way I was hiking us all out of the car. #twinklytuesday
Backs n Bumps recently posted My top 5 from the first 2 trimesters
Ah yes – we are drive through Starbucks fans! #TwinklyTuesday
Mummy Fever recently posted Christmas gift guide: part one
Drivethrough library sounds awesome! #twinklytuesday
Claire @ life love and dirty dishes recently posted Why Does it Always Rain on me?
great idea. I used to find driving around other neighbourhoods just made me feel all sad with house envy. I’ve got to be honest, althouh I love feeling productive when there’s a car nap going on… sometimes I do like to join in outside the house 😉
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Sugar&Rhubarb recently posted AW15 Girls Boots Wishlist
I did a lot of random driving when mine were little – so pleased its not just me
They look adorable in the photo – can’t believe they ever cry! #TwinklyTuesdays
Sarah recently posted Crocodiles of the World
Great post! I remembered we used to go for a drive with my little boy when he was still a baby as he won’t sleep, he kept crying and going for a drive did the trick all the time… although not ideal in the middle of the night. #twinklytuesday
Cheryl @ ReimerandRuby recently posted The Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry
This is such a useful post! I too choose to drive around until the end of nap time and never do anything productive with that time. I will definitely try out some of these suggestions to make the most of that time where i would usually just be driving around aimlessly! #twinklytuesday
If for no other reason, I will follow the drive thru advice (food wise) because I love fast food. My baby wakes the moment I stop the car but if the engine is running I might just get away with it! #twinklytuesday
Becky (@attwtwo) recently posted I’m Dating a Married Man
Love the sound of the drive-thru library. I’ve resorted to fast food drive-thrus a couple of times and have sat in the car on the drive working on the laptop once or twice so I don’t have to disturb sleeping children. #twinklytuesday
Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love) recently posted Me and You: The Beginning
Hehe a really funny idea.
My youngest wakes as soon as the car stops moving. It’s infuriating!!!!!!! Definitely not a relaxed passenger.
Vix x
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Vix at AnotherMumInLondon recently posted Miffy
These are genius ideas, though my two tend to wake up the second the car stops! #twinklytuesday
Silly Mummy recently posted Toddler Catch 22
I have definitely done quite a lot of these although Canada seems to have more drive through options than the UK. #twinklytuesday
Mini Travellers recently posted Grip & Go Haslingden
I have found myself wishing there were more drive through conveniences for this very reason! #TwinklyTuesday
Lucy@bottlefor2 recently posted How to suck at staying awake & staying asleep
We didn’t do much random driving, we did random wanting about whilst in procession of a buggy. These sound excellent #twinklytuesday
Mrs Tubbs recently posted Accessories I Wear Everyday
These sound great tips. I don’t drive but if I did I would definitely would have put Little Miss H in the car and headed to a drive thru. And I think the idea of a library drive thru is amazing. We need some of those in the UK. #TwinklyTuesday Hugs Mrs H xxxx
Mrs H recently posted Your current behaviour has got to stop!
We have very few ‘drive though’ options in the UK. In some towns, you may be lucky enough to have a drive through fast food restaurant or Starbucks but libraries and garages?! WOW! That would be awesome
#TwinklyTuesday xxxx
Caro | The Twinkles Mama recently posted #HomeEtc 22 â Home and Garden Inspired Blog Hop