I haven't even thought about packing for ME. Used to be I spent days prior to leaving on vacation making lists of what I needed, what I would wear each day, what shoes would go with each outfit, buying myself new sunglasses and flip flops..... HA. Times change.
I also obsessed in the past over leaving the cat, oh the poor cat, how would he survive without me for a week? This trip, it only dawned on me last night that hey, I guess I'd better get someone to stop in and feed the cat.
Poor cat. So sorry Leroy. You'll probably enjoy a week without us.
I hope all this crapola fits in the minivan. I keep telling myself, if it's that bad we can just come home. My sister in law's parents were so amazingly nice to give us their house in Wildwood Crest for the week, so it's not costing us anything. If the girls are miserable, we'll just come home.
But my happy, sweet girls, I'm sure will be fine. I need to relax. If any multiple mommies out there have any suggestions or tips on vacationing with babies, please, pass them along. Also, any excellent margarita recipes would probably be helpful. ;)
And I do love the shore. I tell the girls every day how we're going to play in the ocean, and walk on the boardwalk, ride all the rides, win huge stuffed animals, eat ice cream and drink lemonade and have so much fun. Once we get there and Mommy stops freaking out.
These girls need some beach time, they're so pale and stressed, aren't they? Yeah, right.... my tan babies. No sunblock in the world seems to stop them from tanning....
(Katie looks like a giant in the first picture, but really Charlotte was just shlumping down.)
43 comments:
I'd be stressed too! Hopefully once you get there you'll be able to decompress and enjoy your time away.
There's a website that offers a packing list. http://lobotome.com/images/packME5.jpg You have to order the pads of the list, but you could look at it and "borrow" the information.
The girls look so grown up now - such bathing beauties. :) Good luck and HAVE FUN!
We travel alot and and one thing we find super helpful is buying some rubbermaid tubs and putting certain things in each one. We have one for just their cups, plates, spoons, formula, everything involved with feeding. And then one for just their bath stuff, towels, soap, washcloths, toys, toothpaste, etc. It helps us a ton and that way you don't have forty seven little bags with things spread out everywhere! We also take a changing pad with us and it keeps them from squirming all over while we change their diapers in the car. Good luck, it's stressful, but totally worth it!
Also, Pampers makes "Disposable Pocket Bibsters" which helps out with the laundry situation.
WOW.....sounds overwhelming and yet fun at the same time.
Have fun in Wildwood.....have not been there in over 6 years!!
MMMMMMM......all the boardwalk fries and salt water taffy you can eat!!
I have no tips (I'm not a mom yet) but wanted to tell you that I hope you have a wonderful time!
I don't have multiples, but I have two kiddos, and I am sure you will bring these, but seriously, STASH them everywhere: WIPES! I always made separate ziploc baggies of them and put them everywhere so we were never without...especially at the beach!
We have been to the beach twice and here are my thoughts:
*I second the disposable bibs - BRU makes a cheaper brand than Pampers
*A pack-n-play for each baby
*Don't forget extra clothes for you (mine do a lot of spitting up and I forgot about extra clothes for me!)
*I like disposable washclothes (huggies makes some) they are easy and you don't need to bring soap or real washclothes.
I am sure I will think of more, I'll let you know.
Have fun!!
Christy
Hi - you don't know me but I follow your blog. I have two kids less than 2 years apart, and we have traveled many times. My advice is try to keep it as simple as possible. Don't bring a ton of toys - just the one or two lovies that they can't sleep without. Everything in the house will be new and exciting and all those new experiences will fascinate them plenty. Also, you always think you need more spoons, bottles, bibs, etc. than you REALLY need. It's not a big deal to wash things after a meal and re-use for the next meal, but having 27 of everything gets cumbersome. Do they have laundry where you're staying? Even if you can hit a laundromat once it will save you the hassle of trying to plan for enough of every item of clothing they'll wear and dirty.
At the 11th hour when you're sweating from the stress getting ready to go, remember what my husband always says, "if you forget it, we can buy almost ANYTHING there."
I hope you have some fun!! I hear ya on the stress. Which is why this year we are staying at a HOTEL on our vacation because I don't want to have to plan for cooking & cleaning on top of all that! Ha!
This was SO funny for me b/c I could have written it myself. You saw my Nest post about vacation then and now right? Don't worry, in the end, even with all the madness we had a great time. In fact, we are so insane we want to go back! We took SO MUCH STUFF with us, but in the end it made out lives so much easier to have everything that is familiar to them. I don't have any great tips to share, but I just wanted to tell you to have fun!!! Oh wait, I just thought of something..I don't know if you still use a pack and play with the girls, but it was a must have for us on the beach with mobile babies. Don't get me wrong, they didn't want to stay in there long, but it was somewhere we could put them down and they couldn't go anywhere!
OOOHH, I LOVE those dresses!
I've got no tips, sorry. The thought of going somewhere for a week freaks me out. But I do second Lindsay's suggestions about the rubbermaid tubs. We keep one stocked up for just our weekly trip to my parents house.
Hi, I just wanted to tell you how much of an encouragement and inspiration you have been to me by telling your story. I think and pray for you often.
Have fun on vacation, I will be at the shore for the next week too!
You can give me tips when you get back! We're doing Cape May in Sept. When we've gone long distance I just have a huge plastic bin I keep packing things in and I start a list a week or two beforehand and everything I use during the day gets put on the list.
I'm SURE you'll have a great time. Every time we take the kids to the boardwalk they love it and they sleep GREAT that night. Have a wonderful time!!!!
Oh and I second the pocket bibsters!
we're leaving for the last week in August so I am having the same anxiety. All will work out in the end!! Some great tips were posted though!
We also travel alot with the kids. To the shore every year and to the lake house several times. I remember our first trip to the Jersey Shore. I was manic! But, rest assured that it does get easier, we just survived our 3rd trip their with them. It gets so much easier as they get older. I also did the rubbermaid thing. It's worked out great because you can just leave it out on the counter, and they keep everything in their place. I packed light w/ clothing and just did laundry. Use a light weight double umbrella. The girls will love the boardwalk and the beach. Don't get too crazed over bringing too many toys either. I also bought a small blow up pool for the deck. My kids loved that. We did mornings at beach and afternoons napping, then on the deck. Just go with the flow and Have fun!!
Yeah vacations are not the way they used to be! Once you get there, you will have a wonderful time! We just went away with our little one and I felt the same way as you--so much stuff and so many lists---and so worried about will he sleep? do we have enough toys? etc. etc....well he did great! slept, took his naps, played, ate, was very happy and i'm sure your girls will be too! it's a different vacation now with children than it used to be (no reading and relaxing!)...but seeing the first time they play with the sand or see the ocean is worthwhile! enjoy wildwood!
Megan! I could have written this post a month or so ago. So far you have everything under control. The LISTS helped me, too! It is a lot, but you do need it! Are you bringing some of their favorite toys?
I have heard people say their routine goes out the window on vacation, but we stuck as close to ours as we could. The boys sleep schedule did not stray ONE BIT and they napped and slept in a strange place JUST FINE! Go to the beach before naptime and then take them for a stroller ride and you will have sleeping babies in no time, and you and PJ can enjoy some R & R.
Everything will be OKAY!
ENJOY IT!
I'm at the shore with 1 baby...I feel your pain! I'm still not sure if I have matching outfits for myself to last the next 2 days. The little miss however has about 10 outfits to choose from.
You can do it!! I took my son to the beach for a week and was worried we would have to come home half way through. We didn't and I wish we could have stayed two weeks. Use your lists, don't over pack and have a great time. Don't forget baby powder for getting wet sand off of the babies. Good luck.
I found your blog from someone else's (but of course can't remember whos!!) and just wanted to drop a comment and tell you I hope you have a great time!! I love reading about your girls, and all the the benefits for sweet baby Jack. Can't wait to see pictures from your trip!
haha! the only advice i can give you on traveling is to adjust your expectations. ok, really, the best way to do it is to just have no expectations and go with the flow. i know once you get there everything will be fine and you will have a wonderful time, but it is super overwhelming to get there. i agree with the disposable bibs...they are fantastic to use since you can just throw them away and the bru brand works just as well as the pampers (we have used both). when we went on our road trip recently i packed one bag with their clothes, another with food formula, etc.. and another with all of the other items. it worked well, but i think the rubbermaid container idea is even better - genius! oh, and i bought a brand new toy for each baby before we left and pulled it out the 1st time they got fussy...they loved having something new and when they got bored we just traded toys! my 3 also love to listen to baby music in the car...so maybe some silly songs for the drive. that is all i can think of for the moment...let me know if you have any other questions! i am sure that everything will go well and you will have a fantastic time! good luck with the rest of your packing and have a safe drive. but most importantly, have fun!!!
I was stressed about gping to the shore for 1 night! you should have seen the car! It looked like we were going away for weeks with the amount of stuff we packed! I made a huge checklists of things and checked everything off while it got loaded into the car. I packed for myself about 10mins before we left the house. You're right! Times have certainly changed! Don't forget booster seats for feeding time! We almost forgot ours! I packed everything in separate ziploc bags (the large ones) and labeled the bags so I knew what had to go in them (ex. feeding stuff, changing stuff, bath stuff, etc.). That helped me organize!
I don't have multiples, but the advise given was great. I like the rubbermaid bin idea. I did use disposable bibs when my singletons were little...they work great. If there is laundry facilities, bring less clothes and wash. No matter whether we go on vacation alone or with kids, we always pack way too much!! Try to let loose and enjoy your babies!!
I feel your pain - we leave on the 16th for our first trip to the beach with two. One is 3 months and one is 2.5 years - so you still need all the crap!
Half the time I wonder if it's more hassle than it's worth! Ugh. And we have a Civic to cram a weeks worth of stuff into - with 2 carseats in the backseat, that leaves the trunk for all 4 of us. Good times!
We did use one of those baby rental companies so we don't have to bring a stroller or crib though, that should help.
Good luck - hope it goes smoothly!
Well, i hope you have a great time - and you are right.....South Jersey is like a different state all together (no offense to SJ posters)
We just took the three away for 10 days and the only awful thing about the trip was the car ride. The only advice I have is:
1. I packed way too much.
2. This age LOVES to pull tissues out of a box - will keep them busy for a long time and it's cheap entertainment.
3. Not sure how far it is, but pack a blanket and stop at rest areas for the ride - mine just stretched out and loved sitting outside for 10 minutes.
4. I brought too many clothes. Just do laundry.
5. The best margarita recipe I've ever had (from a friend in TX):
1 can lime juice
1 can tequila (lime juice can)
1/2 can triple sec
1 1/2 cans water
careful - it's a little dangerous :)
I don't have a good margarita recipe, but I have a pretty darn good one for a bloody mary. Let us know if you need it.
Mr. T
I love your girls' little swim suits. So cute!!
I can't believe how big they have gotten. Good luck on your vacation, you'll have a great time!
Good lord, they look so much bigger than when I saw them just a month ago!!
Before I go on vacation I always mapquest the nearest Target (for diapers, wipes, etc), CVS, and Laundromat.
If you're going to the beach then pack baby powder. It takes the sand right off your skin.
I pack everything in empty Target Diaper boxes and wrote was was inside them.
It's really fun to take my twin babies on vacations and I'm sure you'll have a great time.
Laughing out loud here because Katie does look like a giant in that first picture! My first thought was, Holy Cow...she is big. Very cute.
About the trip, I have taken the babes away for weeklong trips and I always forget something and I always stress about it and I always snap at my husband about it (working on that one). But, the kids never notice. They are always fine and have a great time. As long as you have all the basics (diapers/food/clothes) ...the other stuff will fall into place:)
And about packing for yourself..we went to the lake last weekend and I didn't pack a swimsuit and my husband didn't pack tennis shoes...oops!
Trina
www.totsites.com/tot/andersontwins
Just got back from the vaca. Been there, done that, got the t shirt. I wish we'd travelled a different way b/c they SO didn't sleep the way we thought they would on the car ride down. (and back) We're in baby hell now...
I hope your trip is wonderful!
Girl, you can do it! I just took a two week trip with my triplets, driving from FL to Cape May, to upstate NY, Va and back. If possible get some ready-made bottles for travel days, and some disposable bibs to cut down on laundry.. and DVD players in the car are great if they get fussy!
Lani
(P.S. a little patron, cointreau, Sour mix, splash of OJ and Sprite, topped with a little Garnd Marnier)
We just got home from the beach and we had so much fun! The girls did so much better than I thought they would and it actually seemed easier there than at home since we were busy the whole time... there was no time for anyone to really get very upset.
I didn't make a list (brave or stupid, you decide!) and didn't end up forgetting much... well, of the baby stuff. I barely had any clothes for myself and no deodorant, but the girls had everything from a sheet saver to a fan for white noise to their favorite binkies and spoons lol.
Try not to stress! You'll have a great time!
Megan, I emailed you a packing list I've used many times. Hope it helps!
Jennifer
We've traveled with our triplets a lot and it is a blast. It has seemed to me to be more work than at home, but it is fun!
For car rides, I bought two zip cases from Container Store. In one I put diapers, wipes, a change or 2 of clothes for each baby, desitin, anything else for the drive only.
In the other other one, I put formula (powder or liquid), extra bottles with water already in them for the powder formula so I didn't have to measure out water in the car.
Stash all the other supplies in rubbermaid tubs in the car.
Snacks, some juice/water, new toys that the girls haven't seen are wonderful.
Duct tape for non-babyproofed places...over light sockets, tape cabinets closed, etc.
They will be really excited to explore their "new" house, so I never brought a bunch of the big toys. You don't need highchairs for a week, they can eat in Bumbos if you have them.
South Jersey is primitive, but they do have diapers, formula, spoons and anything else you forget that you can't live without. :)
Wow, there are lots of great suggestions on here... first, I wanted to say Have FUN!! I've traveled a lot with both boys as babies (including this past April getting stuck on a 14 hour freakishly horrible flight to Florida with a 10 month old - but since you're driving you should be OK! LOL). Here are a few things that worked for us:
- try to schedule your driving time by the babies' schedules - if you want them to nap in the car, or not, etc...
- we re-use the little plastic baby food containers (those rectangular ones w/lids) and put Arrowroot cookies and cheerios and puffs in them. Keeps the cheerios and such from getting squashed in the diaper bag and are a good serving size! Plus they double as a toy once they are empty. :)
- we also bring magnets with us (keeping them away from credit cards in the bag, etc.) since putting them on the fridge and taking them off again entertains Noah for ages, and they are small and easy to pack
- also might want mosquito netting for the pack-n-play(s) (not sure how it is in SJ but here on LI the mosquitos are awful esp.@5pm)
- if you're using formula (you probably do this anyway) - I measure out a standard amount (like 4 oz) of just the powder formula (no liquid) and put it in an empty baby bottle w/cap and leave it in the diaper bag. Then when we get to the rest stop I bring the bottle in and just ask one of the food places for a cup of hot water, and then mix it w/bottled water to get the right temp.
Anyway, don't freak out, just write out your list (PS> One thing I realized after going on vacation the month after our 1st trip: KEEP YOUR LIST for next time! I had to re-do the whole thing. Ugh.) and remember all you really need is enough formula and diapers to get you there, pacifiers (if you use them - for us, we can't travel w/o them...) and your camera. Oh, and maybe a blender for the margaritas. :)
Have a great time,
Jennifer (and Evan)
Girl I hear you. Makily comes with TONS of equipment and extras...now that we have J it's a nightmare going anywhere....packing I mean. Like you said once we get where we are going we ALWAYS have a great time....it's just always worrying we are going to forget something.
I too used to have like three suitcases. I now have a small "carryon" I take and a toiletry bag.....my kids on the other hand...the fill the dang van.
Mommyhood rocks! :-)
You'll have a great time.
How big and beautiful they are!
we just got back from the beach with our 7mo old. Here's a toy tip - since you're staying in a house, I'm sure they have measuring cups. Those made GREAT water toys for our daughter on the beach. Also, I second what everyone said about washing. We brought 1 day's worth of bottles and made them as we needed them. Same with spoons. Also, you're staying in a house! We also did and just did one small load of laundry every day or so. Makes it much easier.
Hi! We never met but I have been following your blog from the nest/nj board. I swear I saw you and the girls at the wildwood boardwalk while I was on vacation this week! funny nest sightings! I hope everything went well with your vacation.
Hello :)
We've never met, but I have been reading your blog ever since I saw it first posted on the NJ knot/nest boards.
I just wanted to say HAVE FUN and enjoy your relaxing vacation with your family. Take lots of pictures and make lots of memories :)
Take care, Becky
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