4 Packing Sanity Savers

By: Colleen Lanin, The Travel Mama
December 6th, 2009

Before I had children, packing was easy. Fun, even. I stuffed strapless sundresses, a couple of bikinis, high-heel sandals, some frilly underwear, and a pile of magazines into a bag and off I’d go. But now that I’m a mom, packing has taken on a whole new and scary dimension. There’s so much to remember, lug, and keep track of! (And the items packed aren’t nearly as sexy.)

Below are four parental packing dilemmas I’ve encountered and their solutions…

Packing Dilemma #1: How do I keep from forgetting something?
As a newbie Travel Mama I was always worried I would forget something important, like diapers, formula, the favorite stuffed bunny…or the baby. So, I began writing out a long list before each trip detailing what to pack for each family member. This was time-consuming and straining on my brain as I struggled to remember every single thing to bring.

Sanity Saving Solution: Print out a list!
It finally occurred to me to type the list into Excel, with columns for every family member. Over time, I have perfected the list. It is broken down into several different categories, such as Feeding, Entertainment, and Clothing/Accessories.

Now before you go fretting over how to create some big ol’ list from scratch…use mine! I’ve made an easy-to-use Packing List for Babies and Toddlers and another for School-Aged Children. Go ahead and print one out before each trip. That’s what I do!

Packing Dilemma #2: What to pack in case of illness?
I used to raid the medicine cabinet before each trip, grabbing whatever ointments, syrups and pills I thought anyone in the family might need while away from home. I may sound like a hypochondriac, but who wants to run out in the middle of the night in a strange town seeking teething tablets or decongestants? Once back home, I returned the medicines to their rightful place in the medicine cabinet. Then, on the next trip, I started the process all over again.

Sanity Saving Solution: Keep a stash of travel medicines!
It was a pain in the booty to raid and replenish the medicine cabinet before and after each trip. It was an extra step in the packing process that I’d rather skip. Now, I keep a separate zipper-lock plastic bag full of medical necessities for travel. I take a look at the “Medicines” category on my handy-dandy Packing List mentioned above and replace anything that is missing or running low before each vacation.

Packing Dilemma #3: How to find the perfect travel toys?
When I first started traveling with children I read chat boards, visited toy stores and websites, and asked fellow parents for advice in my quest to find the perfect travel toys to purchase for each trip. When we returned home, I unpacked those long-sought-after toys and threw them into the toy box. Then, on the next trip, I started the research process over again and ran around the house trying to piece together toy sets from the last trip.

Sanity Saving Solution: Create or buy a travel activity kit (and hide it between trips)!
Now that I am an experienced Travel Mama, I have learned to hide the travel toys. Kids bore of their toys quickly. Ever notice how a new toy gets tossed aside after about a week but the toys over at a friend’s house seem downright enchanting to a child? Those toys aren’t shiny and new. They’re just unfamiliar. Sure, I am always on the lookout for a great new toy or two to bring along on a trip, but it saves money and time to keep a separate bunch of special toys just for travel.

For an easy solution, buy a pre-packed activity kit from TravelKiddy. These kits come stuffed with toys, crafts, puzzles and activities for four age groups, from toddlers to adults. To win one, post a comment to this blog about how a TravelKiddy would improve your travels.

Packing Dilemma #4: How to make room for all this STUFF?
With many airlines now charging for checked bags, it can be an expensive endeavor to tote along all the paraphernalia young travelers require.

It is stressful trying to cram all your child’s diapers, wipes, baby food, and sand toys into your luggage, all while trying to keep your bag’s weight under the 50 pound limit. Depending on where you’re headed, you might be able to load up on some of these items after arrival, but who wants to take time out of your precious, hard-earned vacation to shop for baby necessities?

Sanity Saving Solution: Ship items ahead!
Wouldn’t it be nice if everything was ready and waiting for you upon your arrival instead? Check out JetSetBabies.com to pre-order baby and toddler necessities to be delivered to your hotel or to grandma’s house. The company even calls ahead to make sure your package arrives safely and on time. I especially like their Travel Packs -  pre-made travel packages for the woods, beach, slopes, or pool.

JetSetBabies will provide a $50 gift certificate to make travel easier for one lucky Travel Mama or Travel Daddy. Just visit JetSetBabies.com and enter a comment below about which items you would order for your next trip if you won.  

Enter to Win
You can enter to win one or both of the following prizes. You must enter each contest separately. So, if you want to enter both, you will post two comments below. You can enter each contest twice, once by posting a comment on this blog and once by tweeting on Twitter. Both contests end on Saturday, December 19, 2009. Winners will be chosen at random using RANDOM.org. THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED.

TravelKiddy Contest
TravelKiddy will provide one winner with the choice of one of the following: CLASSIC TravelKiddy Ages 3 to 6, CLASSIC TravelKiddy Ages 6 to 9, or BIGKiddy with Sportpack Ages 8 to adult. To enter to win, POST A COMMENT TO THIS BLOG ABOUT HOW A TRAVELKIDDY WOULD IMPROVE YOUR FAMILY VACATIONS.

JetSetBabies Contest
JetSetBabies will provide a $50 gift certificate to one winner. Just visit JetSetBabies.com and ENTER A COMMENT BELOW ABOUT WHICH ITEMS YOU WOULD ORDER FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP IF YOU WON.

Bonus Entry
For a second entry into both contests, copy and paste the following phrase and post it on Twitter. Be sure to post a comment about your tweet.
Pack sane, parents! Visit @TravelMamas to win a @TravelKiddy activity kit or $50 to @JetSetBabies http://bit.ly/7QuFoV

JetSetBabies sponsored my flight to the Type-A Mom Conference for bloggers in September 2009. This contest and story were not part of the sponsorship. Travel Mamas was not paid any money by TravelKiddy or JetSetBabies to write this post or run these contests. 

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For more information on this topic see:

• List of Travel Gear Rental Companies

• Packing Lists

• Recommended Travel Gear

• The Best Travel Toys and Activities for Kids, from Babies to Teens

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 3:48 pm and is filed under Giveaways, Toys & Gear. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.