30 September 2010

10 Great Little Things to Help You Survive Family Trips


After doing a lot of travel the past year or so with my little clan, I finally sat down last week and made a comprehensive list of things we need to be sure to pack. I broke it up in categories of clothing, shoes, socks and accessories, jewelry, miscellaneous other and carry on.

Here is a quick list of little things that make life easier when traveling:

1. Good smelling perfume or lotion (for your carry on). This is so icky to say, but on a recent flight there was clearly someone with some digestive issues behind us. Repeatedly on the flight my seat area was overtaken with foul odors. My clean and lightly scented lotion which I used each time to mask the odors really helped us. And you never know if someone in your party (not you of course) might one day be the culprit and this will help protect the reputations of all in your party.

2. A small bottle of room freshener.  Hotel rooms are small and bathrooms are shared by multiple people. A little air freshener goes a long way to help everyone maintain their privacy and dignity. It's also a great way to maintain good hotel room relations for all. Bath & Body Works has been a good source of small spray bottles of good quality room fresheners.

3. Nasal saline spray. Planes are dry and some destinations can be very hard on the sinuses. Hi Albuquerque! This helps make sleep much more comfortable too when used before bed time.

4. Laundry stain remover in a small bottle. You never know when you'll get a nasty stain and need to do a quick wash in a sink.

5. An empty water bottle for each person. Did you know you can bring an empty water bottle past airport security and fill it up at the water fountain once on the other side? Big money saved! Carry plenty of water, you never know when you might get stuck somewhere.

6. Cough drops and decongestant. (In your carry on). You never know when you might get sick and be delayed at the same time. I sat on a plane in my home town for many hours one night just as a sinus infection hit hard. I was miserable and it took a long time to get to my destination and find a place at that late hour to buy something to relieve my symptoms.

7. Vitamin C and other immunity boosters. You end up very tired and run down when traveling in a crowd. Take the time to keep your health up or ward off any little things when you start feeling extra tired.

8. Microwave heat/freezer pack. You never know when someone will have a little accident. These are also helpful if your room is particularly cold. Heat it up and climb into bed with it. When slightly warmed up these are also very comforting to little children in bed.

9. Swimsuits for everyone. You never know when someone your visiting will have a great outdoor or indoor pool or hot tub. No matter the season a swimsuit is a great idea and provides a great workout opportunity wherever you're staying.

10. A few of your favorite tea bags. Often when traveling you just want to feel the comforts of home. Throwing in a few tea bags is a quick and easy way to create a sense of cozy comfort.

I bet you have some great suggestions to add to this list. Please share them with us. I'd love to add more to my master list and help improve the quality of our travel! Happy Traveling!

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