Sanity Saving Tips for Holiday Travel
There are a number of sanity saving tips for holiday travel out there, but there all seem to be for moms who are way more put together, and way more prepared than I am. At our house, the 3am, night before suitcase stuff is not an unusual occurrence. This means I am well versed in travel when the pressure is on, and I’ve developed some great coping strategies to get us all through with our sanity intact.
1. Make a master list in your phone
While every trip is different, the core of the to-do list and what to pack for the journey is the same. As your kids get older, adjust the list and save – like the first glorious time you don’t need to cram the pack and play into the car.
2. Set reminders for the things that need to be done BEFORE 3 am the night before.
If the tablet needs to charge for 6 hours, and you’re leaving in three, you’re going to be sorry. Set a reminder to CHARGE ALL THE THINGS at 9am the day before you leave.
3. Pack a fresh set of clothes for everyone travelling
Plus one more for everyone under 12 plus plastic bags in carryon or the “in the car” bag. (I know this is a pain) Trust me and everyone else who’s already doing this. When your child reenacts the vomit scene from Stand By Me all over you, your travel partner, the car seat, the plane seat and the people sitting in all surrounding rows, you’ll be glad you lugged extra. Then there are exploding snack bags. The “it’s ok, I already pee’d” call that comes from the back seat. The moment when you try and pour a bottle in the front seat right when you hit construction on the highway. Traveling in wet soiled clothes sucks. Bring an easily accessible change.
4. Give yourself time to download all the shows you need.
Netflix now has offline viewing so you can download their favourites like Beat Bugs and Luna Petunia and access them without WiFi while on the go. Make sure to grab their favourite + some new options that they can’t say they’ve already seen. Oh, and you can download grownup shows too. So you’re not left hiding in the dark in the motel room with no internet at 8 PM half way to Grandma’s house with nothing to watch while you decompress. Just check out the ‘Available for Download’ menu on the Netflix app on your mobile or tablet device and browse all of the titles available to take with you whenever and wherever you want.
5. Don’t sweat the small stuff you left behind.
So, you forgot the towels, or the socks or all of your own underwear. There must be somewhere to stock up along the way. Once you pull out of the driveway you’re off on an adventure. If you spend all your time beating yourself up for not getting all the packing done perfectly, you’ll miss all the fun on your holiday.
As a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam, I do receive complimentary product from #Netflix as part of our ongoing partnership. All opinions are my own.
Melanie from mommydo.com writes about parenting, food, neat stuff and the unexpected beauty in life, all while juggling work, family life and spreading awareness and raising funds for Williams Syndrome.
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