Packing for your family vacation

Packing for your family vacation When it's time to start packing for your family vacation - especially when you have young children - it's easy to fall into the 'over-packer' category.  You feel like you need to pack everything - even the kitchen sink! (as the saying goes)  Don't worry - you are not alone - but there is a better way to do it. *Plan ahead and travel light - if you are flying to your vacation destination - hauling a bunch of heavy bags through the airport along with your kids can be a sure fire way to start the vacation off on the wrong foot.  One awesome tip a friend sent me was to plan out the daily outfits for my kids.  Place them next to each other - so I have a matching shirt with shorts, etc, for each day.  While my kids were younger, they were messy and I couldn't count on them being able to wear the same pair of shorts twice (at 5 and 8 I still can't count on them being able to wear the same shirt twice!), but I can now plan for them to wear a pair of shorts or pants more than once.  Planning to mix & match clothes during the trip helps cut down on your clothes packed tremendously! *Pack an empty duffel bag in your suitcase.  You could use this bag for extra souvenirs you purchased, or you can put dirty laundry in there so it can be separated when you travel home. Collapsible laundry baskets are great to pack also - they keep your laundry in one place while you are traveling, and if you need to do laundry, you have an easy way to carry it. *On a road trip, or if you are driving to your destination, bring along a laundry basket.  When you first bring it, it's great for helping you haul other items you may be bringing - beach towels, pillows, blankets, and any other items my child tries to shove in there :)  Having the laundry basket to sit on the floor of the room to collect our dirty laundry helps keep my room less cluttered, and it doesn't get mixed up with the clean clothes when we head home.  The laundry basket goes straight to the laundry room when we get home and makes this mama happy! *Print extra copies of your travel confirmations - one for each suitcase, especially if you are flying.  If you are ever separated from your luggage, this is one way to help identify the owner of the luggage.  This is also helpful to have extra copies so you don't have to search around through all of your bags trying to find the only copy you brought *carry on luggage - if you are flying, keep the essentials close to you.  Keep a small first aid kit with band aids, headache medicine, ibuprofen, q-tips, etc.  Things you may need in a pinch.  Having this handy may help you avoid sticky situations.  Keep a copy of your essential travel documents in your carry on luggage as well.  If you are traveling to Walt Disney World, be sure to pack your MagicBands in your carry-on - you will need it as soon as you land and head over to Disney's Magical Express. *Plan for the munchies!  With my family, we need a good supply of snacks on hand.  Packing a ton of food and flying on an airplane though, is not the best option.  Many locations have local grocery delivery services, or you can order from Amazon Pantry and have your favorite snacks delivered directly to your resort.  If you are heading to Disney, they do allow you to bring your own food into the parks!  You just can't bring items in glass containers (exception: baby food jars) *Power up!  If you are heading to a destination where you will be using your phone a lot, having a back up battery charger is a must!  Using your camera or apps all day is a quick way to drain your battery.  You can find back up USB battery chargers on Amazon or at your local electronics store. Do you have a favorite packing trip?  I'd love to hear what it is! It's not too late to plan your trip this fall and take advantage of the discounts available - even Free Dining!  Send me an email or fill out a quote request HERE to get started planning today!