Packing as a single female is not too bad. I used to be able to get it done fairly easily - as long as everything I needed was clean. And I didn't have to first purchase something for a special occasion (ie., new dress for a wedding or a new swimsuit for a tropical vacation - that one is killer).
Packing for a family is an entirely different story that requires days of prep work. When I say, "for a family", that should be interpreted as "for myself and the children". My husband does his own packing and has the entire week's worth of clothes and other needed items ready to go in about 15 minutes - but that is another story. Grrr...
Our family lives in South Dakota. That is a four hour drive for us, so it definitely requires overnight stays. And packing. Once we had our first child, we visited South Dakota more frequently to spend time with our extended families. As every parent knows, babies (and later on toddlers and young children) need LOTS of things. Well, perhaps they don't - but we think they do and we are going to pack it all. Thus the several days of pre-planning I mentioned earlier. After our first several trips, I realized that I was getting less and less sleep prior to our trips because I was constantly getting out of bed at night to get something that I didn't want to forget. Later, I got smarter and just put a pen and pad of paper beside my bed so I could write the things down and get them in the morning. But, even with this system, I was still doing 80% of the packing and running around.
Now, 13 years and two children later, I have it down. Actually, we have it down as my loving husband has officially been brought into the mix. Now, we have permanent "packing lists" stored in Microsoft Word. There are several different versions for different types of travel. The lists are flexible and change over the years as the children grow. "Stroller" has migrated off the lists and has been replaced by "Razor scooters & helmets". The packing list can be printed up and placed on the counter before the trip. Both my husband and I can check stuff off as we have time. No more excuses. I am not the only one who knows what needs to be brought along anymore. Don't get me wrong - I still like to pick out the kids' wardrobes and I pack all of my own things. But all that extra stuff that we want to bring, or that needs to be done before we leave is fair game.
Here are some examples of different types of pack lists that our family has:
-General Pack List: for going to South Dakota, generally, but it's flexible.
-Wisconsin Dells Pack List: we go every winter with my FANTABULOUS cousin and his family. This list is specialized because we don't need much for clothes, but swim suits and goggles are essential. We also need to bring meals to prepare and certain kitchen supplies - but not all. The coffee pot is provided, but not the filters. Need to remember that. Utensils provided, but not salt and pepper. You get the idea.
-Camping Pack List: This speaks for itself. We tent it, so we can't just keep all that unique camping gear in a camper ready to go. We have to remember it all. Most of it stays in bins just for that occasion, but not all of it. Plus, you have to remember the bikes & helmets, swim suits, towels, pillows and flashlights. One year we had the graham crackers and chocolate, but not the marshmallows. Not too much fun that way.
- Last year I started a Mexico Pack List. I don't know if we'll ever go again, but I have my fingers crossed. And the list makes it seem more possible! If we ever go again, I'd pack WAY differently and I want to remember that. There was a great beach, but no sand toys. You could buy some there, but that wasn't the way I wanted to spend my $20! Also, I packed WAY too many clothes. We wore our swimsuits every day, nearly all day. And I absolutely didn't need two pairs of pants "just in case". It was way too hot even when it rained to even consider putting on pants. But I would pack more snacks for our room. The food was good (and so were the drinks!) but there wasn't much in the way of quick snacks - especially for my lactose intolerant princess. We tried the ice cream with a lactaid because it sounded sooooo gooooood. Didn't go so well. Live and learn.
You have to remember to add the "to do before we leave" items to your pack lists as well. My husband usually knocks a bunch of those out for me. Things like, stopping the mail and turning off the water. Locating the cameras and making sure the batteries are charged and the memory cards are empty. Finding someone to feed Squeaky and Chewy for us. Line up some DVD's and pack books and magazines to read in the car or on the plane. That list is usually pretty long.
Next time you are packing to go somewhere, write it down as you go. Then, when you get back you have a list started. Sure, it takes some extra time the first time, but the second time you don't have to do all the packing yourself and you won't lose sleep over the things you forgot at home. Happy travels!
Packing for a family is an entirely different story that requires days of prep work. When I say, "for a family", that should be interpreted as "for myself and the children". My husband does his own packing and has the entire week's worth of clothes and other needed items ready to go in about 15 minutes - but that is another story. Grrr...
Our family lives in South Dakota. That is a four hour drive for us, so it definitely requires overnight stays. And packing. Once we had our first child, we visited South Dakota more frequently to spend time with our extended families. As every parent knows, babies (and later on toddlers and young children) need LOTS of things. Well, perhaps they don't - but we think they do and we are going to pack it all. Thus the several days of pre-planning I mentioned earlier. After our first several trips, I realized that I was getting less and less sleep prior to our trips because I was constantly getting out of bed at night to get something that I didn't want to forget. Later, I got smarter and just put a pen and pad of paper beside my bed so I could write the things down and get them in the morning. But, even with this system, I was still doing 80% of the packing and running around.
Now, 13 years and two children later, I have it down. Actually, we have it down as my loving husband has officially been brought into the mix. Now, we have permanent "packing lists" stored in Microsoft Word. There are several different versions for different types of travel. The lists are flexible and change over the years as the children grow. "Stroller" has migrated off the lists and has been replaced by "Razor scooters & helmets". The packing list can be printed up and placed on the counter before the trip. Both my husband and I can check stuff off as we have time. No more excuses. I am not the only one who knows what needs to be brought along anymore. Don't get me wrong - I still like to pick out the kids' wardrobes and I pack all of my own things. But all that extra stuff that we want to bring, or that needs to be done before we leave is fair game.
Here are some examples of different types of pack lists that our family has:
-General Pack List: for going to South Dakota, generally, but it's flexible.
-Wisconsin Dells Pack List: we go every winter with my FANTABULOUS cousin and his family. This list is specialized because we don't need much for clothes, but swim suits and goggles are essential. We also need to bring meals to prepare and certain kitchen supplies - but not all. The coffee pot is provided, but not the filters. Need to remember that. Utensils provided, but not salt and pepper. You get the idea.
-Camping Pack List: This speaks for itself. We tent it, so we can't just keep all that unique camping gear in a camper ready to go. We have to remember it all. Most of it stays in bins just for that occasion, but not all of it. Plus, you have to remember the bikes & helmets, swim suits, towels, pillows and flashlights. One year we had the graham crackers and chocolate, but not the marshmallows. Not too much fun that way.
- Last year I started a Mexico Pack List. I don't know if we'll ever go again, but I have my fingers crossed. And the list makes it seem more possible! If we ever go again, I'd pack WAY differently and I want to remember that. There was a great beach, but no sand toys. You could buy some there, but that wasn't the way I wanted to spend my $20! Also, I packed WAY too many clothes. We wore our swimsuits every day, nearly all day. And I absolutely didn't need two pairs of pants "just in case". It was way too hot even when it rained to even consider putting on pants. But I would pack more snacks for our room. The food was good (and so were the drinks!) but there wasn't much in the way of quick snacks - especially for my lactose intolerant princess. We tried the ice cream with a lactaid because it sounded sooooo gooooood. Didn't go so well. Live and learn.
You have to remember to add the "to do before we leave" items to your pack lists as well. My husband usually knocks a bunch of those out for me. Things like, stopping the mail and turning off the water. Locating the cameras and making sure the batteries are charged and the memory cards are empty. Finding someone to feed Squeaky and Chewy for us. Line up some DVD's and pack books and magazines to read in the car or on the plane. That list is usually pretty long.
Next time you are packing to go somewhere, write it down as you go. Then, when you get back you have a list started. Sure, it takes some extra time the first time, but the second time you don't have to do all the packing yourself and you won't lose sleep over the things you forgot at home. Happy travels!
