Quick Tips for Family Vacations

These tips are not specific to any one trip, but I have found them very helpful for family car trips.  Some of these tips I no longer use but were very helpful when the little Padawans were younger so I included them.

1. Packing lists, they are a must, the level of detail and how cute you want to make it is up to you.  At the moment I do put down the number of shirts, shorts, underwear etc.  Each person uses it to pack their own bag, when they were younger I would review their bags before we left.  I no longer need to check it they have the system down. 
1. You can save these so you only have to make minor edits for each vacation.
2. One edit I made for this trip that I plan to keep is listing what goes in their duffel bag (this is what they use as their carry on, or in the car what they keep with them) and what goes in the big suitcase.
   
2. Pack in clear plastic tote bins.  It is easier to see what you have as well as they are more easily stacked so you can pack a lot in them and it is easier to pack around a rectangular or cube than a lot of little boxes or bags.
3. Paper towels, especially if you are planning on snacking or eating meals in the car on the go.  Life is messy and it is easier than napkins.  I do tend to lean to the select a size rather than full paper towel.
4. Wet ones....they come in handy for many reasons not just if you have a messy snack!
5. I bought dollar store jelly roll pans because they have sides. Originally I bought them because they easily fit across the arm rests on car seats so that the kids had a table to draw, color, or even hold their snacks.  We still use them because they fit in the seat back pocket and are fantastic when we need to have a meal on the go.
6. The kids are no longer in diapers but we did have one that was pron to  getting car sick, the portable diaper genie bags inside a plastic bowl or small bucket keeps the wet stuff in and it is easier for clean up.  Knock on wood we haven't needed it in a few years.
7. Snacks!  Kids and adults love snacks on road trips.
8. I use a plastic cup with the person's name on it because I can portion out snacks from a larger size bag which is typically a better $ value.

Multiple day trip with no home base

If you do a multiple day trip and are living out of hotels food can add up on the trip.  Many include a "free breakfast" this is of course free with the purchase of a room.  Take advantage and eat a good breakfast.  

Another thing that helps is get a cooler (especially in warm months, spring - early fall) put in ice and water bottles.  I have also been known to keep grapes in there as well as a jar of jelly.

Grapes generally come in that bag with holes so you can use that as its own colander to wash the grapes in.  After I wash them I put the whole bag in the bag the hotel provides with the ice bucket.

Eating while keeping costs down

As I mentioned above, take advantage of the free breakfast.  I also mentioned keeping a cooler with water bottles, it is cheaper to buy that at a store rather than at any tourist location.  You can do individual bottles or a gallon to refill personal bottles.  I also mentioned jelly in that cooler.  When we bought the water we also bought a jelly, a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and plastic spoons.  This way we could make sandwiches on the road.  Tip use the back of the spoon only for scooping and spreading peanut butter, not the bowl of the spoon.