Packing "light" takes on a new meaning when you are traveling with children. Let's just say I swear by Space Bags.
Below is a video of how I pack a family of four for a 10 day trip in 3 suitcases and personal carry-ons.
For more packing tips see my video about shipping vacation items.
When we stay in B&Bs I like to leave a little "thank you" gift. Even though you pay for the stay quite often you get more from your hosts than just a place to lay your head and a nice meal. For our upcoming trip to Ireland I wanted an "Iowa" gift.
When we travel it is funny how people perceive Iowa. Quite often we are confused with Idaho. And if people do know where we are their thoughts turn to corn and pigs. Which we have in abundance.
I think I found the perfect gift to leave... Jolly Time Iowa Popcorn on the cob. It's small, it's light, and who doesn't like popcorn?
I just found BagsReunited.com the other day. It's a great free resource in case your bags don't make it to your destination when you do.
All you do is sign up and you are given a tag number. You can print as many tags as you wish (there are 5 to each printed page) and you just attach them to your bags when you fly.
I am going to laminate mine so they hold up. Or you could put them into a luggage tag.
If your bag is lost you report it lost using a very easy online form. And when it is found the online finder's form is just as easy. When your bag is found you receive an alert via email or, for $4.99 per year, an alert on your cellphone via text.
I really like this because, while I will put my name and phone number on my luggage tag, I don't like to list my address.
For more information check out their FAQs page. Really a great free service.
There are other handy benefits, too, like an itinerary keeper and a contacts list.
I absolutely hate the "typical" laptop bag. Plain, dull black... Blah. And the choices were even fewer when I got a laptop with a 17" screen. I searched all the typical sites looking for a stylish laptop bag, to no avail.
So I decided to search Etsy. And there I found Janine King Designs. And my laptop bag.
Sometimes pictures just aren't enough. Sometimes you want to be able to share a more "interactive" view of your vacation or activities. Pictures may be worth 1000 words but a video is a book.
I really wanted a video camera for my birthday but I was hesitant because most of them are bulky and expensive. Then I heard about the Flip Ultra Camcorder. Small (just slightly bigger than a cellphone) and affordable (under $200 for the 60 minute memory) it was perfect for me!
In my opinion when you travel has as much bearing on your vacation as where you travel to. Here in the US the "big" season to travel is June-July-August, when the kids are out of school. That is also when prices are highest, popular locations are at a premium and crowds are heaviest.
We typically travel during low or shoulder season. At the moment we don't have school schedules to contend with but I can honestly say that we won't hesitate to pull the girls out of school to take them somewhere (we will, of course, make sure they aren't missing anything important that can't be made up).
As an example: We will be in Ireland the first week of March. Technically this is low season; "shoulder season", between high & low season" begins the end of March through early May. However, March is one of the driest months of the year and the temperatures are typically in the mid-40's (much warmer than they are here!)
I found an article of tips for shoulder season travelby Tim Leffel, MSNBC's travel columnist. (I have added hyper links and my additional thoughts are italicized)
1. Most guidebooks and country-specific Web sites have a "When to Go" section that describes the ideal time to visit an area, as well as the worst time. Between those two seasons, you'll get the best bang for your travel buck. Be sure to do your research, though. You don't want to arrive and find that places you wanted to see and amusements you wanted to enjoy are closed for the season.
2. Airfare prediction sites (such as FareCompare.com and Farecast.com) can give you a rough idea of how flight prices fluctuate and will also show you the best deals from your own airport in any given month.
3. Most rental homes and villas clearly list prices by season. Just moving your planned vacation two weeks in one direction or another can save you a bundle. Moving it a month or two can cut the price in half.
4. Travel sites that move unsold inventory can present fantastic shoulder-season deals when hotels struggle to fill rooms. Try Hotwire.com, Priceline.com and SkyAuction.com — or just pick a place and call direct to start bargaining. If it's a last-minute trip, try LastMinuteTravel.com to get a cheap package deal. A site that I have used and had a great trip with is GoToday.com. And don't overlook a good travel agent. My agent has found better deals for me 9 times out of 10 than I found online.
5. Consider where the crowds are going, then plot a different course. You can ski in Chile or Argentina in July, for instance, or visit the tulip fields of Holland or the green hills of Ireland in the spring — before much-higher summer airfares kick in. Spend the busy summer break in a U.S. destination that's off the tourist radar, or in a lesser-known part of a nearby country like Canada, Mexico or Guatemala. Or, take an African safari — June to August is actually the shoulder season in Kenya and Tanzania.
I have mentioned shipping vacation items in previous posts. Today I just sent off a package in preparation for our trip to Ireland. View the video below to see what I packed, how I packed it, and a couple other tips.
I shipped via USPS, basically because they are less expensive than UPS or FedEx and because I am in no rush to get it there.
If you want to really travel light there are companies out there that will ship your luggage door-to-door.
I've not used any of these companies but I can certainly understand the appeal. First and foremost, all of these companies guarantee not to lose your luggage! Quite a big plus in this world of airlines cutting customer service. Also, many of these companies specialize in sports equipment: skis, golf clubs, scuba gear.... Items the airlines charge extra for.
I've compiled a list of companies and a bit of information from their websites:
Premier door-to-door service available in 220 countries worldwide. They give you a tracking number so you can keep track of your luggage.
Luggage Forward:Again, door-to-door service. I like that you can get a quote right on their front page. Their deliveries are guaranteed to be waiting for you when you arrive at your destination.
I like their pricing menu. They wrap your bags in a protective plastic before shipping. They also notify you of delivery and who accepted the bags.
Sports Express: The "quick quote" is easy to use. They also have an email newsletter with discounts and delivery tracking.
With all the changes taking place with airport screening it is imperative that you know what is allowed before going to the airport. Leaving items at the security checkpoint is, well, rotten.
To help the TSA has a website filled with info like the 3-1-1 liquids rule and a page specifically about traveling with children.
Of course the TSA has issues, mostly concerning consistency, so they have added a blog to address questions and regulations. I've clicked through the blog and have found the answers to the questions very well explained and helpful in addressing issues and rumors.
Truly a great resource for anyone who flies.
In my quest for mess free items for our upcoming flights I found the Water Wow! Doodle Book at my local Target store (online at shop.nickjr.com) by Giddy Up. Brenna is a big Backyardigans fan but I also saw books featuring Diego, Dora and Spongebob.
This product is a mix between an Aquadoodle (water pen) and the Color Wonder products (pictures appear in color). You fill the water brush and use it to find the items listed above the picture:
I like that it has a "seek & find" game to it that Brenna can play by herself by looking at the pictures or I can play with her by reading the questions.
The book itself is about 12" tall, 6" wide and 1/2" thick. Each book has 4 game pages, allowing you to continue playing while pages dry. It has a carrying handle at the top and the water brush clicks into it's holder.
A note about the pen: You squeeze it gently to wet the brush. If it is squeezed hard by your child it can leak. For that reason I say this product is good for ages 3 and up- you can tell them (and sometimes they listen) not to squeeze the pen.
I really like the educational values this product has (seek & find, counting, colors) and that it is reusable. A great travel product!
Brenna loves it!
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