Need a lot of seats and a lot of room but don't want a minivan? Here are 19 third-row SUVs that make the best minivan alternatives.

This mom traded in her SUV for a minivan and shares the reasons why! The evolution of her inevitable decision to get a minivan.

Chrysler previously brought us the "man van" with the Dodge Grand Caravan R/T, but now it's apparently rolling out its its "mean van," with this sinister 2013 Town and Country S. Joining similar packages available on the 200 and

For decades, minivans have been the ultimate family car, a milestone in the journey of parenting. Practical, convenient (sliding doors!), and spacious, they long have been used for shuttling kids to soccer practice, sleepovers and camping trips, hauling groceries and transporting the dog to the vet, the floor more often than not likely covered in goldfish crackers, soda spills and other unidentifi

Ever find yourself wanting to have a nice day with your family only to discover that your brood doesn't know how to do that "correctly"? By correctly I mean, they don't behave in a manner that television shows and commercials have led me to believe that they should. Sometimes we do simple activities that should make us all very happy and entertained, but instead we argue or get snippy with each other. Why can't my family drive down a lonely highway in a Honda Pilot and spontaneously start singing Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train? It looked simple enough in the Honda commercial. All the family members looked happy and eager to participate. My peeps don't roll like that. It irritates me. Our family car rides go more like this: We get in the car and pull out of the garage. Dave then reminds me to shut the garage, because Dave believes that I would never have thought of that on my own. The fact that I drive my car five days a week without him and I close the garage door every time, seems to be lost on him. He will also let me know when I need to slow down for a red light and he never forgets to remind me to lock the car in parking lots. Again, he is the voice of driving wisdom that every 33 year old needs to hear, because she couldn't possibly remember to do these things on her own... Aside from the back seat driving, our family also contends with a rare condition known as "Everybody-wants-to-be-the-DJ-itis". Sasha wants to hear song 7....she will literally die of sadness if this song isn't put on immediately! Don't plan on enjoying any other song because her sadness will wreck it completely. Lyla wants song 5. She doesn't know what song that is, but her heart is set on the number 5 so she begs for it. She is three years old, so it's usually pretty easy just to say, this IS song 5, and she'll be happy. Sometimes she's not fooled and the water works will follow. Where does this kid get her endless supply of tears??? Dave will want to hear a song he doesn't know the title of, by a band he can't recall the name of. His Alzheimer's requests usually go like this, "Remember that one song that I heard one day and I told you I liked it? It's by a band with a guy singer, at least I think it's a guy. What's it called? You know, we heard it that one day when we were driving somewhere.....oh I can't remember where we were going. C'mon, I know you know it." I want to have no clue what he's talking about and make him suffer for his lack of memory, but unfortunately I almost always know exactly what he is looking for. Sometimes if I'm feeling jerky, I'll just pretend I have no clue what he means and let him continue with the worlds most vague song description. After a particularly tedious car ride with the family, I came up with a brilliant idea! It had been one of those days where an hour on the freeway seemed like an eternity. Lyla was kicking the back of my seat. The girls would not stop bothering, touching, hitting, poking each other. The whining and squealing was constant and my teeth gritting threats where useless. If we'd seen a road side stand offering vasectomies, I'd have pulled over and shoved Dave and my credit card out the door. We've all had at least one car trip like this. So I got a fantastic idea and instead of making my dream a reality, I just wrote it as a status update on faceboook. I finally got around to making it in E-card form. Tell me this isn't a great idea for any family.

Who wins in the battle of minivan vs. SUV? When you have kids, minivans are a dream. The benefits of choosing a minivan for your family might surprise you.

i was going to unfold the inception further today, but instead, in light of today's rather shocking and rather unfathomable news, i'll just ...

He started to say his dream out loud: “I am going to make the honor roll this year.” He’d say it over and over, as if saying it out loud could make it so.

The family life being what it is, largely a series of compromises and heels-in-the-ground budget-minded decisions, we see different folk riding in everything from custom Unimogs to crazy Jeeps to modest pickup trucks to touring bikes. Ain't nothi

If you want a safe SUV, the XT6 is right for you.

Every year the auto show circuit is packed with concept cars (usually crossovers and minivans) that do away with the B-pillar to tease us with easy access and a wide aperture to the cabin. It's what Ford's European exterior design director Stefan Lamm calls "a designer's dream". But none of them ever make it into production. That is, until now.

On Rage Against the Minivan, Kristen Howerton brings humor and insight to modern family life and how today's pop culture and social justice issues intersect with challenges like foster parenting, adoption, special needs, mental health, home renovations, and travel with children. Add a dash design and style for the full RATM experience.

Introducing the Honda Odyssey Hybrid – where style, versatility, and eco-friendliness converge to redefine the concept of a modern minivan.

The first death knell sounded for our pretty nice white minivan one day when the little kid was a newborn and the big kid wasn't yet two, and a driver careened through a red light and T-boned us at an intersection just a few blocks from home and across the street from the police station (I was so flustered calling 911 that when the operator asked for my location, I was all, "I'm right outside your house!"). Did you know that even if the other driver's insurer pays up, you're never going to get enough money to flat-out purchase a comparable car in a comparable condition to the one that the other driver trashed for you? Fun, right? We drove that minivan with the caved-in driver's side for years more, and actually it wasn't so bad because since the insurance totaled the car but it was still safely drivable, they paid us an extra coupla-grand for the salvage rights to the car and lowered our insurance payments, since who needs collision insurance on a car that's already been totaled? Of course, if your car already looks that beat-up then it's only downhill from there: window stop rolling down? Meh. Air conditioning stop working? What's the point, right? We even kept driving the damn thing after the transmission went out on the way home from Cleveland last winter--the trick was to keep the rpms under 2,000 and the speed under 20 mph. We were SO happy when my partner's parents offered us their old minivan and we could officially trash this white one that's been half-dead for four years already. And wouldn't you know, when my partner called the insurer to tell them that they could pick up the car for salvage, they said, "Yeah, we don't really actually want it. Feel free to junk it yourself." And so while my partner waits for the perfect offer (he's holding out for $220 at least), our junked minivan just sits in the driveway, a giant white paperweight. White. Like, blank canvas white. I told the kids that they could paint the car. Our paints are standard student-grade tempera, and the brushes are soft student-grade acrylic brushes: Our kids are standard student-grade kids, and they jump right in, as you can see: Yep, I even let the big kid climb onto the roof. But I assure you, when she's not busy breaking her leg at the playground, she is quite the little mountain goat: A little paint got on the children, as well as the car: Especially when they discovered splatter paint, Pollock-style: Behold, our masterpiece!  A rainstorm the same night knocked about 70% of that paint right off. It's freezing cold again outside, but as soon as it warms up I'm going to send the kids out with some buckets and soap and sponges and teach them how to wash the car up perfectly clean again. And then? We'll paint it! P.S. Want to follow along with my craft projects, books I'm reading, road trips to weird old cemeteries, looming mid-life crisis, and other various adventures on the daily? Find me on my Craft Knife Facebook page!

Mom's review of the 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited. Plus whether an SUV or Minivan is right for your family. Pros and Cons and things to consider.

What would you put on your bucket list? Do you want to tap dance or ride a unicycle? Or, see a Broadway show? Visit national parks or go on road trips? Maybe backpack or travel to foreign countries? It’s so fun to dream about the endless possibilities. Let my bucket list inspire you to start one of your own!

Blog about Easy and Fun Kid Art and Crafts Activities

This morning my brother-in-law sent me a text. It said "I have a Duct Tape idea for you..Luggage Tags" I love that my family th...

On Rage Against the Minivan, Kristen Howerton brings humor and insight to modern family life and how today's pop culture and social justice issues intersect with challenges like foster parenting, adoption, special needs, mental health, home renovations, and travel with children. Add a dash design and style for the full RATM experience.

I needed another steering wheel cover for a green minivan, and since the last one I made came out so well (see here for pics and directions: http://loomdude.blogspot.com/2011/06/fathers-day-gift-idea.html), I decided to make my own: Here is a detail of the stitching. I used 1 over 1 stockinette, double stranding (1 strand of Sugar 'n Cream Green Twists and 1 strand of Lion Brand Hometown USA Oklahoma City Green), and knit off 110 rows on 10 pegs on the flower loom: These steering wheel covers are simple to make; the only bit of a challenge comes when you have to sew the cover onto the steering wheel. This can take time, but it is well worth the end result. I suppose if you wanted to use velcro strips instead of sewing the cover on, it would probably work, but you would need to knit on 12 pegs instead of 10. I knew I wanted to use green yarn, but I didn't want something too pastel or deep green. Combining the Sugar 'n Cream with the Hometown USA provided just the look I wanted: variety without being too busy. What do you think?

You can build a multi-purpose minivan camper vehicle by converting the rear of your minivan. We show you how to do it.

Today is Day #31 of 31 days of spontaneous organizing! Your mini-challenge for today is the back of your car or van, specifically the back seats and trunk. Can you believe this is the LAST day of Spontaneous Organizing! Here are more ideas for organizing the back seats and trunk of your car or van. Yesterday I mentioned the rules I have in my van for my kids. I don't allow food or drinks in the car, if at all possible. And if I must, they are responsible for cleaning up after themselves - water is fine, though. It's your car and your rules, so you do what you need to. I understand some of you feed kids on the way to places, but you'll need to come up with a system or way of keeping them accountable for the mess - or, try to feed less-crumbly foods {my two cents}. The trunk area contains a trunk tray, but you could use a cardboard box to help contain the things you keep in there. I keep my extra grocery bags, a first aid kit, umbrella, and DVDs with remote and headphones in a tray that I got from Ikea. I also keep a couple of towels to lay on the carpet when I have dirty things to place inside. The kids seats are usually in pretty good shape, but again, I make sure they pick up whatever they leave behind EVERY time we go. If you have a lot of nasty stuff hanging around their seats, figure out a simple The Shafer Family Go on Pinterest and find lots of ideas of how to keep the backseat organized with totes, bags, or back-of-seat organizers. But, for now, just get it cleaned up and cleared out! More helpful posts for getting your car or van organized: Organizing the van Road Trip packing Downtime: Organizing in the car Now get to it! Get under that car trunk organized! Remember to: A. Follow me on Pinterest {HERE} and/or B. Follow me on Instagram {HERE} C. Load your photo on either Pinterest or Instagram and TAG me {BeckyB_OMF or OrganizeMadeFun go HERE to learn how to tag on Pinterest} and use hashtag #SpontaneousOrganizing--If you upload to Pinterest, please either leave the URL link here in the comments for me to visit OR let me know your Pinterest "@" name and I'll follow your board to see it. D. Before and after pictures ARE preferred but not necessary - cause sometimes you start and are so excited you forget to take a "before" picture, right? **Update: There is trouble with tagging me on Pinterest {because it doesn't notify me}, so instead please do the URL copy and post in the comments and I'll be sure to go and look at it. Thank you for understanding** Feel free to leave a comment if you're doing today's challenge! Can't wait to hear how things are going and see some of your pictures! Day 1: Introduction of challenge InLinkz.com Like what you see here? Consider becoming a follower or subscribe via email! Are you an Organized Reader? I'd love to see your organized space. Email me HERE and show me your space to possibly be featured as one of my Organized Readers. Connect with me:

On Rage Against the Minivan, Kristen Howerton brings humor and insight to modern family life and how today's pop culture and social justice issues intersect with challenges like foster parenting, adoption, special needs, mental health, home renovations, and travel with children. Add a dash design and style for the full RATM experience.

Guest post from Katherine: The Dream: When we were first married, my husband and I dreamed of living a self-sufficient life in a yurt on a couple acres. However, property values in our area were too high for us to buy at the time. We spent a year begrudgingly paying rent. Then we foundRead More

On Rage Against the Minivan, Kristen Howerton brings humor and insight to modern family life and how today's pop culture and social justice issues intersect with challenges like foster parenting, adoption, special needs, mental health, home renovations, and travel with children. Add a dash design and style for the full RATM experience.

It is a new year! Not only that, but it’s the first Monday of a new year! That’s even more reason to get out there and start living your dreams. There is just something exciting and motivating about a fresh start. God Put Dreams in Your Heart Perhaps you set new year’s resolutions and perhaps […]

...At least until I allow my children to get in. No, really it will be this way for awhile, but as in my previous post, it doesn't stay this way, unless you work at it by doing regular touch ups and straightening. We try to work on the van organization at least twice a month--my goal is weekly, but you know how that goes.

The deadline for the 2017 Disney Dreamers Academy is quickly approaching. Earlier this year, I was invited to attend an all-expense paid press trip to Walt Disney World to experience DDA first-hand. I had no idea what was in store, but to this day, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my blogging career. This is why I have declared myself a brand ambassador for the Disney Dreamers Academy. Never heard of it before? Here it is in a nutshell from the DDA website: We’re looking for Dreamers for next year’s Disney Dreamers Academy, a program designed to give young people the tools they need to make their dreams come true. Potential Dreamers must be between the ages of 13 and 19, living in the United States and be enrolled in high school, grades 9 through 12, when applying. For a complete list of rules, go here. Here’s a recap of what I’ve shared so far about the Disney Dreamers Academy: Covering DDA Princeton Parker & Lance Gross share tips on raising a dreamer Tips for parents and kids on being a Dreamer Homeschooling Dreamer shares DDA experience Celebrity moms share tips for dreaming big I […]

Hey moms! Wondering what to wear to Disney World so that you feel comfortable AND look put together in vacation photos? This list of what to wear to Disney World for moms should help!

Mom's review of the 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited. Plus whether an SUV or Minivan is right for your family. Pros and Cons and things to consider.

Hey moms! Wondering what to wear to Disney World so that you feel comfortable AND look put together in vacation photos? This list of what to wear to Disney World for moms should help!

Mom's review of the 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited. Plus whether an SUV or Minivan is right for your family. Pros and Cons and things to consider.

Mom's review of the 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited. Plus whether an SUV or Minivan is right for your family. Pros and Cons and things to consider.