Packing Tips to Save Your Sanity & Your Trip

1. The entire closet.
Often we travel from a colder location to a warmer one. Guess what? Don’t bring along winter coats, scarves, etc. Just layer up for the drive to the airport/train station/car ride. Plus, make sure to check the extended weather where you’re going. Is it going to rain? If not, don’t pack an army of raincoats and boots. Are you going skiing? Leave the warm weather wear at home. The odds are wherever you are going has stores—in case there's a sudden change in weather.

2. Everything in your medicine cabinet.
Yes, children get sick. And they love getting sick on vacation. Ok, maybe not love, but you get the idea. Instead of bringing every type of remedy (kids with allergies are the exception), be sure to make a list of the Urgent Care centers and Emergency Rooms in the area. If there is a serious problem—you know where to go. Otherwise, Tylenol and Saline usually do the trick.

3. A white noise machine.
Unless you have a tiny tiny tiny one, don’t pack this. Guess what? Lots of parents' choice for a white noise machine is actually an app. It has a million different types of sound, you can easily control the volume, and you’re bringing it with you anyway!

4. All those diapers/wipes/bibs.
Pack what you need for a full day, but otherwise where ever you’re going (minus a few exotic locations) will have those things available at any grocery store or pharmacy. Or to save time, you can have those items shipped and delivered to your hotel/motel from a place like Amazon or Jet.

5. Towels.
If you’re staying at a hotel, motel, resort, etc., there will be towels aplenty for you and your little ones. Unless where you’re staying specifically says to bring your own towels, don’t worry about packing them.

6. Shoes, shoes, shoes more shoes.
No. Just no. Pack practical comfortable shoes for your kids. No one, and I mean no one, cares what shoes your kids are wearing. Even at restaurants. They get a pass. Plus, unless you have a child with very refined tastes, they should be fine with the same two pairs the entire trip.

7. The baby bathtub.
Talk about schlepping something so unnecessary. You can definitely make do without a baby bathtub. How? For starters, try getting in the bath with your baby and prop him or her up against you to bathe.

8. Enough snacks to last the entire trip.
Once again, pack what you need to get through an entire day. Before you travel, scope out what sort of convenience stores and grocery stores are nearby. Does the hotel have its own shop with snacks and goodies? Unless your child has a very specific snack, and that’s the only one they’ll eat, plan enough for a day, and load up once you get to your location.

9. Every single piece of tech you have at home. 
Do you really need the mini-DVD player, the tablets and the phones? No. These days, you can download enough movies and shows to your device before take-off to last you the trek. Make sure you have enough for each kid, and leave the rest behind.

10. Stuffies and/or extra blankets.
Hear us out. Yes, the lovie probably needs to come with your kid. But, that extra teddy, the other baby blanket and that special pillow. Not only do you risk the chance of it all being left behind, but those items take up precious packing space.

1. The Car Seat
Even though you have the option of renting one with your car when you arrive at your destination, there's no guarantee it's going to be new and you have no way of knowing if it's been in an accident. A compromise? Buy a compact car seat that's a lot easier to keep in tow. We've picked our favorite, see it here.

2. IDs/Health Insurance Cards
This may seem obvious to those of us who constantly carry around health insurance cards, but not everyone does. Having IDs for children is also a good idea. It never hurts to be prepared.

3. Tylenol/Saline/Syringe
See "everything in your medicine cabinet" above. Tylenol and Saline work with a host of problems, including colds, fevers, teething, etc. And a syringe makes it easier to get the medicine into your child.

4. Small Scissors
Ok, this may sound weird, but hear us out. First off, a pair of scissors makes opening anything a lot easier. And with kids who are constantly wrapping things around their fingers, these can literally be a life (or limb) saver. Imagine a tiny string wrapped around a baby’s toe? Yes, it happens more often than we realize. Small scissors are perfect for getting that string off.

5. Ziploc Bags
Fill these with snacks for the day of travel, and keep them handy. Whether you’re sticking in dirty clothes, bathing suits, small toys, toiletries on the way home or more snacks, Ziploc bags are one of the best and most useful things to pack on a trip.

6. Baby Carrier
Sometimes it is just easier to wear your little one. It’s also calming to them in a new and somewhat overwhelming environment. Wearing a baby to get on a plane is also a super easy experience—much better than dragging a stroller. Try checking the stroller and wearing the baby through security. Plus, if you’re planning outdoorsy activities like hiking, long walks, etc., a stroller isn’t always feasible. See our favorite carriers here.

7. Small Toys
When the tablets lose their power, or, if you want to start with something that's not tech-driven, have a couple of small toys on hand for kids to "unwrap" in the airport, on the plane or in the car. There's a whole range of cool items out there that cost $10 or less!