Brynna The idea can be daunting, especially if you don’t do it frequently. Here
are my 6 best tips
Just pack light. Don’t worry about all the different outfits you want to wear in all the amazing photo ops you’ll have. Bring practical clothes. We only pack “extra” for the youngest if there’s a chance of an accident or getting messy.
Don’t be afraid to do laundry at a hotel. This has been a game-changer for us because we pack SO much lighter knowing we can wash our clothes. I always do laundry while Luke swims with the kids, or some of the best hotels (ahem… Disney!) often have laundry right at the pool. BUT…bring your own detergent! (If you like a liquid one, fill travel shampoo containers! They’re usually enough for 2-3 loads each!)
Packing cubes! Each one of us has a packing cube (okay, mom gets more than one…) and that helps us be reasonable about how much bring, keeps their clothing in one spot during packing & when in use, and is easy to pull from the bag/suitcase and put somewhere else for longer stays.
If you’re road trippin’, plan to leave early each day and be done by 1:00 or 2:00. This gets the hard part out of the way & gets you to your destination with time to spare (who wants to arrive after everything is closed!). Plus, it makes it easier for the kiddos. Mine travel extremely well (we even did from Oregon to Florida & back without any issues!) but we THRIVE on this system.
If flying, just bring snacks…all the snacks. Being in an airplane reverts me to “just keep them alive” mode. Don’t judge me. Seriously though, our Aloha Collection small pouches are perfectly sized for snacks on the go! Oh & Benadryl. We don’t do it to knock them out. We just keep some on hand to give them a very tiny dose (as per the family doc… a.k.a. Papa) to relax their eardrums should it be needed. Usually, suckers work fine, but when you’re trapped in a flying metal can, it’s best to just bring it.
YL AromaRings for motion sickness. They’ve saved my kiddos and myself many times.
