Summer Vacation Planning

Have You Planned Your Vacation Yet?

This was from our trip 2 years ago.  I call this the “Ugly Van”.  I hated the looks of it, but it sure worked great for 7 people to travel in, especially when you come home with this!

Yes…hubby one him on a game. How could I say no to these kids?  Yes, after they had him a few months and realized he was more in the way than fun, they donated him.  But until then…he took up the 8th seat in the van on the way home…and he did make a good sleeping pillow.

Packing

Make a List before you start packing.

1) Write down essentials.  If you are going to a unit that you can do laundry, then plan for that. You don’t have to bring clothes for 7 days, but maybe just 3 days.  At least for the kids. You may know they have on an outfit they wore 3 days ago..but if it is clean and your on vacation…chances are that no one else will notice….or care.

2) Decided if you will need a roof top carrier or not.  Do you have one or can you borrow one?

Pack Activities for the kids

1) Do you have activites in the car to keep the kids occupied?  (books, car games, DVD, ipods)  Traveling with kids wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t fight. Many people leave at night just so the kids will sleep most of the way. I have never done that myself. But helping them to stay occupied sure helps the bordom and decreases the fighting.

2) Pack a bag for each child. It makes them feel special and gives them some “territory” that they can feel is in “their space” in the car.

3) Keep it simple. Remember there are great games you can play while traveling that doesn’t take batteries or power.

Organizing to Traveling

I have started my traveling this year….in a big way.  So I really have been organizing to travel!  I just went to Austin, TX to be a judge for the Genesis Today Bloggers Immersion. I got to help pick one of the 5 finalist for the Genesis of a Great Idea Contest.  Debba Haupert won by the way from Girlfriendology.com

I leave on Wednesday to go to Nashville for the BlissDom conference. I am going to see my boys who live there on Wednesday and go to the conference the next day. I will be driving there. I flew to TX.

I come back from there on a Sunday and leave again on Wednesday for the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. I will be flying there also.

Here are a few tips that I have used to make getting ready to go easier.

1) Make a packing list.  Ok..I always do this. But I took it a step further and have it on my computer now. So I just have to print it out and tweek it for each trip.  It has all the items that I am always worried I will forget…like the phone, computer, camera chargers and sync cables, business cards.  I have a section on it for things to take on board the plane.

2) You can also make another list like the above for things to do before you leave.  Cooking meals for the family, make a copy of your itinerary for your husband or wife, leave insurance card and schedule for kids activities.

3) If possible use a little larger suitcase to go with, so you will have room if you get things on your trip to bring home.

4) Pack a base color of clothes and use accessories to change your look to reduce clothing. Scarves are great accessories (I am just learning how to use them myself)

5) Be sure all your electronic items are charged before you leave.

Space-Saver Bags….What do you think?

I saw these space saving bags that are meant for travel. I have used the others and like them…these do not have to be sucked out by a vacuum. You seal your clothes in and then just roll. The air comes out a valve on the other end.

I am traveling to Blog World Exp and will be there for 5 days. Trying to fit everything into one suitcase can be a challenge.  With the cost involved with just your suitcases….you want to only take one of them.  It is $20 for the first bag and $30 for a 2nd bag..that would be $100 just in luggage round trip. That is crazy!!

The finished product…..

The side view.  There are 3 blazers in here.

Here are my shirts…

Sucked up shirts.

So here is what I think.  I think these could be a big benefit.  My main concern was if the clothes were going to be wrinkled much worse than they would be from normal packing.  Looking down into the finished sucked up bags….all I could see were these wrinkled looking clothes. It was hard for me to believe that they wouldn’t come out that way. Not that I didn’t want to give a full testing for all of you….but I didn’t want to have completely wrinkled clothes. Maybe…..they don’t wrinkle…but I didn’t want to be walking around BWE in terrible looking clothes and have to say…ooops….

So I didn’t use them other than on my jeans.  Those did not roll very well either.  I did pack the empty bags in my suitcase because I think they will be awesome to put my dirty clothes in to come home.

The gold sweater already had some wrinkles after just 5 minutes in the bag.  The other issue I had was that I roll as many of my clothes as I can to fit down in the sides…with these I couldn’t roll as much.

But I do think these could be of good use in several cases.  So I am not giving these a bad review…but I think you have to just be careful with what you use them with.

Full disclosure – I purchased these myself at Meijers for $14.99 (2 small and 2 large bags).  I was not asked to review…just thought I would let you know.

Packing for BlogHer – Make that list!

Are you going to Blogher? I am and I am so excited. I have a list of all the things I have to pack. Problem for me will be trying to get it into one suitcase that isn’t too big for the airlines. I am flying United and I have to pay $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but coming and going it will add up!
I am also going to be selling pouchees at the Swap Meet (Make sure you stop by….they will be on a “BLOGHER SPECIAL” and without shipping cost when you buy from my table.)so I sent my pouchees ahead of time. So that is one less thing to worry about.
On the #GNO twitter party last night I said something about making a list and someone said she didn’t have time to make a list. What? I can’t imagine all the things I would forget if I had not been making the list along the way remembering all the little things.

Here are a few examples of the things that I think would be very easy to forget.

*Camera
*Phone
*Laptop
*Power cord for phone
*Power cord for laptop
*Charger for phone and download cable for camera to computer.
*Extension cord (to plug in during sessions if you aren’t right by an outlet)
*power strip
*Mini video camera and batteries or charger
*business cards
*Poken
*Itinerary
*Confirmation numbers for flights/hotel reservations
*Blogher confirmation, party information
*swim suit
*extra cash

Those are just a few of the easy things I think there would be to forget. Of course all your clothes, shoes, undergarments would already be on the list.

Let me know if I reminded you of anything that was not on your list and tell me what are some other things you can add to the list that someone might forget?