Summer travel is back!

We just returned from a big family reunion out west and are about to head off for an impromptu vacay to see more relatives up north (all of our extended family is in Canada). I’m definitely out of practice when it comes to traveling, in particular, with two kiddos in tow. Here’s what worked on trip one, what tweaks I’m making for trip two, and the one thing my husband and I did before we left that made all the difference coming home.

tip #1. make a list, check it twice

Lists are necessary. If I do not write things down, I will forget and end up mad at myself (or some innocent family member) for not remembering. Pre-travel lists help ensure you pack what you need and bring back what you brought. I love using sticky notes for lists but have found it simpler to use the Notes app on my iPhone. It transfers to my iMac, so I can keep the list going on either device. I also use the Checklist format to track what I've packed, as well as what to-do's need to get done before departing.

This time around, I went over the list with my love as a double-check. We remember and prioritize different things when it comes to traveling, so it was good to review the list out loud together to make sure we didn’t miss a thing.

tip #2. self-serve snacks

Car, plane, or boat, I’ve experienced motion sickness on them all. Over time, it’s gotten much better. But with littles constantly needing something (namely food), it only takes a couple of back-and-forth head turns to make my head ache for the rest of the ride.

Now I make each of them a self-serve snack bag filled with enough munchies to last the drive. Not only does this help me avoid nausea, but my girls love the freedom of choosing what snack they want to eat and when. They also know there's no pantry on board to replenish from, so learning to manage their intake themselves is an added bonus.

This road trip is longer but only involves driving (trip one included a flight), so in addition to snacks, I'm going to add lunch items, which will reduce the time and money spent on stopping for a meal.

tip #3. roll with it

At home, file folding clothes into drawers lets you see everything you have at a glance. For travel, rolling your clothes into resealable bags saves on suitcase space, reduces wrinkles, and gets you off the hook for folding (which honestly is pointless if you're taking a plane...it all ends up everywhere anyway). Best of all, this technique keeps each traveler's apparel in one place, making finding what you want to wear a breeze.

For trip one, rolling clothes was essential because we needed room in our luggage to bring back items we had left behind before moving to the US. Having our clothes rolled and sealed up meant we only needed to check two bags. We chose to spread it across three: two roller suitcases and a large duffel. We managed to fit a hard case carry-on in one suitcase, which came in handy for bringing back anything fragile. The duffel fit clothes and our daughter's high back booster seat. On the return, we sent the booster on its own (thankfully, it's still a complimentary checked item for families), leaving the bulk of the duffel free for awkward, bulky items.

Packing is by far my least favourite part of traveling, but this method made it a lot smoother and less stressful. I'm definitely doing the same for trip 2. We're headed to a cottage on a lake, so as much trunk space as possible will be needed for sleeping bags and outdoor gear!

bonus tip. clean before you go

When you're in that final packing frenzy, the last thing you probably want to make time for, let alone entertain, is cleaning your house. If I hadn't been adamant about it, the thought would not have entered my husband's mind. But when I put it on the pre-travel list he asked, "How important is this to you?", and I said, "Very." So we cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed the floors, took out the trash, and returned anything out of place to where it belonged. Importantly, we did not tackle all of this the night before but spread the tasks over the last few days before leaving. Yes, it was another thing to accomplish, but when we arrived back home, exhausted at 1 am, we knew it had been so worth it.

Trust me. Your future self will thank you.

are you traveling anywhere this summer?

what's your best tip for smooth travel?

It's been years since we visited the cottage we're headed to and this will be the first time for our girls.

I hope you're headed somewhere wonderful this summer, and even if you're not, staycations are just as (if not more) relaxing. Wherever you spend it, be sure to make time to take time for YOU.

Always,