You’ll thank me later.
Some of these tips are going to be unpopular. They’re not (per say) what I would post boldly on Pinterest by themselves. Especially to the “Can’t Adult Today” crowd. However, I promise if you follow through with them, you’ll have a much easier time transitioning back into everyday life and enjoying your trip overall.
Are you grimacing yet? Well, just hold onto your latte…
Spiffy Travel Tip #1: Clean before you leave.
As a child, I used to get so frustrated with my mom who would basically be vacuuming the floor as we walked out the door. TURNS OUT I’m doing the same thing. And I absolutely love myself for it. So every time we go on a trip – even if it’s overnight – I clean. The bathrooms, the floors, straighten up all the rooms, make the beds, vacuum – the whole 9 yards.
I do this for a couple of reasons… First and foremost it’s 110% nicer to come home to a clean house. And since you’re already bringing in a mess of unpacking, it’s just nicer to do all of that in a clean environment. Secondly (and thankfully this has never happened) but in the event that people need to get in your house to do something, it’s clean! So you have peace of mind there.
Yes, it adds a lot to your to do list before leaving, BUT if you’ll pack first then clean it gives you time to mull over what you’ve packed to make sure you’re not forgetting anything. I’ve been doing this for 10 years now and it really helps the entire trip.
Spiffy Travel Tip #2: Save what you can for the road.
I used to try to do my nails before we left for a trip which means my to do list (for about a 12 hour window looked like this…) Pack myself, my husband and our child, clean the entire house, do my nails, write and schedule blog posts for the amount of time that we’re gone.
As you can imagine, I was overwhelmed with things to do and was often up waaaay into the night (often barely going to bed before it was time to leave).
I’ve since learned to schedule things (and my husband says, THANK GOD).
The longest part of the packing process is figuring out the clothes I’m going to take for everyone, so I do that way, way, way in advance. Oftentimes I start building my vacation wardrobe 2 months out. I write it down so that when it comes time to physically pack, I’m not starting from scratch and have really thought through everything I need.
The other thing I look at is what can I save for the drive? Blogs and nails can be done during our drive, so that takes two big time consuming things off my plate!
In the end, writing it all down helps and just like with any big project, tackle one thing at a time.
Spiffy Travel Tip #3: Unpack immediately.
I know, I KNOW you’re gritting your teeth right now. But LISTEN, you’ve just been sitting for a long period of time so move around and get it done STAT. Again, you will love yourself for it. Chances are you’ll need items from your bags within the next 24 hours so get ahead and get it out of the way. Even if it means creating a human size pile of wash – get it out of the bags and put the bags away.
Here’s what I do – unpack the smallest bag first. That way I feel accomplished and build momentum from there – next thing I know we’re all unpacked.
Also, don’t be that episode of Everybody Loves Ramon when they leave the suitcase in the staircase for months. Get it done. You’ll love yourself for it (sounds like a theme, doesn’t it?)
Make packing/unpacking even MORE fun with these Spiffy travel bags and come back later in the week for efficient outfit pieces to help you travel looking spiffy!
Here are tips on how to pack for your kids!
