My hot tip this year is for packing, not so much travelling, but I have finally come around to the idea of using packing cubes and OMG they are totally life changing. I got a set of 4 on amazon and they are going to be on my list to give people as gifts.
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@looch: packing cubes, like space savers? We use those too!
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Travelling tip: our family is three hours away and we always left at nap time. Meaning my son would pass out and wake up an hour later and be grouchy for the remaining time.
We started leaving earlier so he is happy for a bit in the car watching a dvd, passes out, then wakes up when we are much closer to our destination.
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@regberadaisy: these things:
I can't believe I waited so long.
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We will not be traveling for Christmas again. The in-laws got the "first Christmas," and that's it.
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We spent 1 night at the ILs instead of 2. We spent the whole day there, came home, packed and returned by lunchtime the following day. Then spent the night. It was glorious! Everyone got sleep and it all-in-all went by so much smoother. Also, we vow to always make a quick errand during the first day. Mixing things up after hours indoors was just ... I cant believe we've never done it before.
Edit: Not really "traveling tips" but more personal holiday tips I need to remember!
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@Mrs. Champagne: Yes, we have modified our nap time trips a bit as well. I make sure I have enough snacks/movies/toys to keep him entertained for the last leg of the journey.
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@looch: I've been thinking about getting these but haven't pulled the trigger. Can you say why they are so helpful? Do they just help you organize better?
Not really a tip, but the best thing that happened for us this year was Dramamine for my carsick toddler...I am still in disbelief that after 10 car trips this weekend, she didn't throw up even once.
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Break up the drive as much as possible. We used to either drive the 900 miles to the in-laws straight through (pre-kid), or stop one night. Now we stop 2 nights, and try to find libraries, playground, etc for gas breaks. LO was an angel the entire drive, and I think it's because we limited car time. Our bodies feel better too!
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@catlady: They helped me pack efficiently so that I couldn't just throw one more of something into my suitcase, they helped me stay organized during our trip and when our suitcases where opened by the TSA, they were able to get everything back in without me having worried that I lost something!
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@looch: We frequently travel 10 hours to my family and these seem like they would be amazing!!! Are they sturdy enough to not be put in a suitcase?
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@catlady: I like them because we pack more than one person's stuff per suitcase. So I can pull out DD's cube and put it by her, DS's cube by his crib, etc.
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@JennyG: they're pretty flimsy, in that they don't stand up on their own. I've only ever used them in a suitcase, what would you think you'd do with them, like put them in a duffel, or a tote?
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@looch: I'm curious how you used them? Did you pack your clothing in sets (pants, top, undertings) in each pack? Or one type of clothing per pack (pants in one, tops in another, etc)?
We don't travel often, but we are very guilty of OVER packing!
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I know this is obvious but....Bring all the medicines. DS inevitably gets sick when we travel (we thought we had made it this time but he spiked a huge fever our last night in the hotel and I'm currently dying at 19 weeks pregnant on 2 hours of sleep. My only saving grace is that I had Tylenol, Advil, and Benadryl and the syringes all ready to go. In fact I had pre filled the syringes and put them in a cup with a sippy of water ready to go for MOTN wakeups. I got his fever to break at dawn and he's in a surprisingly good mood for having cried and not slept all night. I had Boogie Wipes, saline, the Nose Frida, the digital thermometer at the ready too - everything in one big gallon Ziploc bag on the counter so I wasn't digging through luggage in the dark.
Our backpack car seat bag. We put our Cosco Scenera Next in there but it's so light we also crammed our FP space saver booster and some extra things in there without the airline noticing or caring.
A sack of small bath toys. For baths! For pools! For playing in the PNP while I shower. Easy to wash and sanitize while on the road.
But really, like @dcyogabee: said I never want to travel for the holidays again.
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I love the packing cubes too! As a business traveler they are a life changer!!!
I use one cube for tops, one for bottoms, one for underwear,pjs and workout clothes.
I use a smaller one for travel electronics - international adapters, Chargers, etc.When we do family travel with LO I use one cube for his clothes and one for underwear and PJs.
Before the cubes, I never used to "unpack" in hotels. Now I take each cube out and put it in a drawer!
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@MamaG: I had thought we were going to be going to two places while travelling, so I had planned to put full outfits in them, but our plans changed and I used them to group categories. My husband and I had one each for pajamas/lounge/undergarments and tops, my son had one for undergarments/pajamas and tops/bottoms. I plan to buy another set.
And yes to bringing the medications. I always have stuff for all three of us.
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@catlady: Is there's kid-specific Dramamine? C gets carsick when we go up to the mountains (must be those winding roads), and throws up every time!
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@HabesBabe: Yes, it is for ages 2-12. Our LO is 26 months so we checked with her pediatrician before giving it but she said it was fine. We gave her a half tablet a half hour before the first car ride each day. Ours gets sick even on non-windy roads so I hope it works for your LO as well!
http://www.dramamine.com/motion-sickness-medicine/for-kids/ -
@looch: When I discovered them I felt the exact same way!! Yes!!!
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@MamaG: I've used them on several trips and totally love them!! I usually put warm day clothes in one and cold day clothes in the other. Sometimes I'll put mine in the big one and LOs in the medium one and the small one to hold undies and miscellaneous. It's just so versatile. Can't live without them!
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