Hey there Pals!
I’ve learned over the years that there are two ways to approach packing for an upcoming vacation.
- You make lists for weeks in advance and have coordinating outfits planned for each day.
- You throw it all in a bag the night before you leave (or the morning of!) and pray there’s a Walmart close to your resort in case you forgot something important… diapers, anyone? Whoops. Been there, done that.
Reality is, I’ve been in both of those camps a few times, but I find that if I prepare ahead of time, I’m so much less stressed in the few days before a vacation! And really, who wants to be a human stress-ball right before you’re supposed to go have fun and relax with your family?!
Having experienced the stress of last-minute packing, I have a few tips for planning ahead that might help!
Make a list. Check it twice. No, but really. I make a list for every trip we take. I used to have a notebook full of lists for vacations, quick weekend trips, overnight stays, whatever. But now, because I have a full-time job, a business to run, and have a toddler and dog to manage, ain’t nobody got time for that. So I’ve made a “family packing list” note that lives on my phone and gets copied and re-used every time we go anywhere, ever. I have a section for each family member (including Sadie the dog, because who doesn’t include their dog?!), with a list of essentials for each person. It’s a great place to start. I add/subtract what’s needed based on our destination and how long we’ll be gone, but it’s essentially the same list every time. Here’s an example.
Pack as you go! I typically start throwing stuff in the chair in my bedroom about a week before we leave. See that cute and comfy sweatshirt you wear anywhere and everywhere when you’re folding laundry (or digging through the basket of clean clothes… anybody?)… throw it in the chair. You know you’ll want it and that chair is just going to be collecting clothing anyway. May as well be constructive.
Pack in ziplock bags. Okay, this is a tip my mother-in-law showed me… and let me tell you, it’s a life-saver. After a super unfortunate bicycle accident, she ended up in the hospital when we were on vacation. Because she needed to stay overnight in the hospital, I was tasked with bringing her clothes and toiletries… and for this vacation, she decided to organize everything in ziplock bags, which made locating everything she needed so quick and easy! Now, I’m not saying you need to prepare for the worst and expect a family member to need to dig through your bag. But what I AM saying is that dressing a toddler/teenager/husband each day is about a million times easier when you have things LABELED. Especially when everyone is groggy and pre-coffee in the early mornings before hitting the parks. My kid’s suitcase is full of ziplock bags… One bag for each day, a bag for extra clothes, a bag for socks, a bag for toiletries and that’s it. So easy to find everything we need!
Don’t stress! Remember, as long as you have the essentials (medications, toiletries, comfy shoes, etc.), you can likely get what you need wherever you’re headed, especially if you’re going to Orlando. We’ve been known to realize we forgot something, place a Target pickup order in the car, and then swing by as soon as we get to Orlando, before we head to our hotel.
Have any great travel tips? Let’s hear them – share below!
See y’all real soon!
Emily
