In the summer, it seems like I am constantly packing and unpacking from one trip or another. First world problems? Yes, I've heard of it...why do you ask? We are lucky enough to have Jon's parents' Rhode Island beach house to visit, my family in Massachusetts, plus some little spontaneous trips as well, and that means lots and lots of packing.
I used to drive myself insane trying to remember what to pack from one trip to the next. I have always been like this. Even as a kid, my mom used to say, "Laurie, it's not like you can't buy it if you've forgotten anything..." And yet still, by the time we got to the airport, my nails would be chewed down to little nubbs.
Finally, I wised up and made a list (which I saved in a folder on my computer labeled "lists" cause I'm streamlined like that) that I can just print off every time I have to pack and check off as I go. I don't have to worry about forgetting anything, which was always that hanging feeling I used to have before absolutely dominating this whole packing thing.
When I pack the kids' bags, I usually organize their clothes into ziplocks- clothes in a big 2.5 gallon bag, bathing suits and jammies into 1 gallon bags, & hair clips, etc. into snack-size bags. It might sound like I'm overdoing it (which, believe me, I have the tendency to do), but doing it this way makes it a lot easier to find things when we are away. Instead of digging around to find a pair of pajamas, I just pull out the "JAMMIES" bag and voila! I even started putting some of my own things- like bathing suits- in bags.
Also, as you can see in the top picture, I always pack a giant cooler with snacks because sometimes we just don't make it to the grocery store. For the car, the kids each get a lunchbox filled with snacks (Go-Go Squeeze applesauce, popcorn, granola bars, juice box, etc.) which they can independently choose and eat. I usually pack a second set of these snacks (for the return trip) in the cooler as well.
Here are a few more things that have made travel/packing a bit easier for us:
Pop-Up Hamper: I bring this even if we're only going for the weekend. We just throw it in the roof bin on the car, but even if you have a suitcase, you can squish it in on the last day, and voila, unpacking is made that much easier because you don't have to sniff each article of clothing as it comes out of the suitcase to know if it needs a spin in the wash or not. Or maybe that's just me.
Sleep Sound Machine We have one these in every bedroom of our house. They have an electrical plug, but the great thing about them is that you can actually put batteries in them too (great for travel), so we always throw one of these in one of the bags. Even if the bed and pillows ain't the same, the peaceful sound of white noise helps us all (read: Peyton) fall asleep in bedrooms unknown.
Second Set of Toiletries. I hate packing/unpacking my toiletries because they're one of those things that need to be packed the morning of, which means they have the greatest chance of being forgotten (in my experience, anyway) I finally bit the bullet and bought a second set (deodorant, face wash, moisturizer, toothbrush, etc) so I can pack my toiletry bag early and know I haven't forgotten anything. I also got a few key makeup items (mascara, eyeliner & chapstick) just in case I ever forget my makeup bag.
Car DVD players: If we are driving anywhere over an hour, we set up the DVD players for the kids. I'm gonna be honest here and admit that these are for the benefit of us as much as them- Neither of the kids have ever been great car sleepers, and our repertoire of car games only lasts so long, so they generally resort to the old fashioned way of entertaining themselves: bickering, getting handsy, and being LOUD. Putting on WALL-E or Toy Story has proved to be a much more peaceful way to pass the time.
Homemade Car Trash Can: I got this idea off of Pinterest and it has since kept our car-trashing to a minimum.
Labeled Bins: For places that we go frequently (the beach house in RI, the ski house in VT, Massachusetts to visit my family...) I keep designated labeled bins up in the attic so I can just throw things in as I gather them- then they are all in the same place and there's no need to worry if I'm forgetting anything.
If you have some awesome travel tips, add them to the comments! I'm always up for stepping up my game and making packing less torturous!
Happy Travels!
If you're at all curious: Jon, Ollie and Peyton's bags are LLBean Boat & Tote Bags (size large, long handle, zip top). Our Toiletry bag (size large), Zoe's Bag, and the Softpack Cooler are LLBean as well. My bag is a Petunia Pickle Bottom Wistful Weekender .
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