Summer is here!! That means so is traveling and vacation season! You might be visiting relatives, or just going on a stay-cation, but in order to get away… you have to pack a bag(s).
Recently we went to Mexico and the kids stayed with family. Packing for our tropical vacation, and also making sure our two year old daughter and eight month old son were packed as well was completely exhausting. Taking care of laundry, packing the entire family, and making sure the house was clean before we left was no easy task.
Yes, I was exhausted from the stress of it all, but just by tweaking my travel organization system, it really helped everything run more smoothly!
Kid Travel
Suitcase
What helped? I finally purchased children sized suitcases for both kids. Scarlett received hers for Christmas, but Luke got his shortly after that. When we traveled in the past, I always packed Scarlett using a random bag I found around the house. I soon realized after traveling with two kids that I needed to change my travel system. Those random bags just weren’t cutting it anymore now that I had less hands free. I needed anything that could roll and pack efficiently in.
Our kids suitcases are from Pottery Barn Kids. We own the “small” size and find they are the PERFECT size for young children. Shop them HERE.
Packing Cubes
I also recently purchased packing cubes for not only myself- but for the kids! I was using zip lock bags, (and reuse until they had no life left) but I always felt it was so wasteful and slippery. LOL (I say slippery because the zip lock bags always slid around in the suitcase.) You can purchase packing cubes lots of places. I found mine on Amazon and will link them HERE! I ended up picking these cubes because I wanted the bags to all be a smaller size for their tiny clothes.
I find that organizing the kids’ outfits for each day helps me, and the caretaker, keep track of everything. I include a shirt, pants, socks, shoes, and bow (for Scarlett) – all in the same bag. That way when the day is done, you can throw the clothes back into the bag and they stay separated. I even took it a step further and purchased different color bags for each kid. This helps everyone visually see which clothes belong to who before they even open the bag.
Yes, I purchased packing cube colors that matched their suitcases… no shame in my organization game. 🙂 (Scarlett’s are grey to match her puppy dog suitcase.) LOL
When packing I organize a cube just for pjs and night time diapers. I include the kids’ night time lotion in this cube as well. It helps to not be searching around for the lotion when bed time comes. If you feel like the lotion might leak, you can place it in a zip lock or wet bag to prevent spilling.
Moving on to my “feeding basket”. I call it that because it literally is just that. I pack everything I need for Luke to eat in this collapsible basket. You can use any basket or bag- I just had this one laying around the house.
Now, obviously Scarlett, who is two, doesn’t need much; however, Luke, who is eight months old, is another story. I pack bottles, formula, a few teething toys, burp rag, pacifiers, bib, puréed foods, training spoons, puffs, and teething crackers. See… its a lot. LOL
I also include in the basket any medicine my children might need. I usually place the medicine in a zip lock bag and write the quantity or directions on it. If I have a list of advice or reminders, I will also place it there for the caretaker. I know they will be looking in the basket frequently, so I find this is a good spot for those important items.
Adult Travel
I finally took the plunge and bought myself some packing cubes. Oh. My. Gosh. I’m in love! I found these really cute ones and I love how happy the colors are! The set of 5 comes with 2 large, 2 medium, and one standard size wet bag.
You can see inside these packing cubes, and if you can’t, I find this feature to be a packing deal breaker. Think about how frustrating it would be to keep opening the wrong cube due to them looking alike. Yes, you can label what each cube contains inside, but I find this unpractical. Your items will most likely change as you travel from place to place, so I would recommend labeling each bag with your contact information instead of what’s inside. Each bag does have a handle so you could always attach a bag tag of the items inside if you really wanted to.
While traveling I also find it helpful to pack an emergency first aid kit. For example, tums, pepto, bandages, etc. I use this Oh Joy first aid bag while traveling. I find it to be the perfect travel bag because its flat and fits easily between your luggage.
Shop here:
If you have any questions how I organize for travel, drop it in the comments below. As you know, I love organizing and would love to help you if I can.