Packing Items - What strange/helpful items do you pack???

[eeyoregon]

I always pack a small electric fan to use for white noise (also helps circulate air in stuffy rooms).

I bring a power strip so that I can plug in my chargers for the camera, cell phone, batteries...less likely to leave something in the socket if their are multiple items plugged in.

Packing tip if checking luggage w/ airline: NEVER pack all of one persons stuff in one suitcase because if it gets lost then that one person will have nothing. When I pack for me and my two sons I lay all 3 suitcases in a row and do an assembly line putting some of each of our things in each suitcase.

Clothes pins are helpful for keeping drapes closed tight for a darker room.

 

[eeyoregon]

Thanks again - I went today to the Dollar Tree near me and no shoe organizer Everyone raves so much about this - I have to hit a few more dollar stores around and see if I can find one. Thanks all!

Walmart has some for around $6. I just purchased a really nice (has pockets on both sides when hanging in closet) one from Avon and can't wait to take it on my cruise!

 

[adell557]

Bump

this stuff is really helpful

 

[grumpyvet]

Scissors. I brought a small pair of scissors, slightly sharper than toddler scissors and used them for everything!!! Cutting tags from new goodies, opening travel sized shampoo foil packs, trimming moseskin for blisters...and many other occassions that I have forgotten. Have a pair in my cosmetic case--just in case!!

 

[lghost]

I don't know if someone posted this already but I brought a pack of cheap nightlights with us this past trip. They came in handy and we avoided having to keep the bathroom light on for the night (which always makes the room too bright).

 

[ljb9539]

Every time I read this my shopping list gets longer and loger - thanks folks!

 

[bear74]

great ideas

 

[goofygal531]

Trash bags - for in room meals also doubles as laundry bag

Room air freshner - a must have in our bathroom!

Foldable potty seat - DS can't go potty #2 without his seat!

Flushable potty wipes

mini Lysol Can - clean door knobs and faucets ASAP when entering the room

Ziplocks in all sizes - also if you need a ziplock and don't have one the Goofy Candy Co. Bags have a ziplock seal

Dawn Dish Wipes -LOVE these for our sippy cups!

I also pack the usual laundry detergent, fabric sheets, juice boxes, crystal lite to go, fishy crackers, cherrios, cereals in the bowl, gum, mints, first aid kit, disposable sippy cups, disposable toddler flatware, extra diapers, extra wipes etc....

All of this stuff goes in my box to be shipped to the resort.

Also, I make my DS1 use the disposable sippys in the parks during the day. His "real" sippys stay in the room. He gets his evening milk and morning juice in his "real" sippys. I've lost too many to take them to the parks. He's at thrower! When the cup is empty, he chucks it!

 

[Terry36]

on any trip my family goes on we always get a inflatable foot bathtub..

Where do you buy this?

 

[all4fun]

Where do you buy this?

Here's one on Amazon.com Masada Relaxing Foot Bath

Every time I read this my shopping list gets longer and loger - thanks folks!

LOL - I know!!

Scissors. I brought a small pair of scissors, slightly sharper than toddler scissors and used them for everything!!! Cutting tags from new goodies, opening travel sized shampoo foil packs, trimming moseskin for blisters...and many other occassions that I have forgotten. Have a pair in my cosmetic case--just in case!!

I second this. I always bring a very small pair of sharp scissors. They never fail to come in handy each and every trip!

 

[Octoberbabiesrus]

I foresee myself needing an extra suitcase or a big box to ship to disney!

 

[jacksmomma]

~Lysol wipes The pack n play that was in our Disney room had tried peanut butter from the previous user on it! Yuck!

~Glow sticks For rides that are dark if your little one is afraid of the dark. Ours were a big hit during the EMH

~Crib Sheet Disney provides one, but I felt better using our own

~Extra Lovies or clips for them We have 3 identical copies of our son's lovey blanket, we took them all. We also had a clip so that we could attach his special stuffed animal to him if needed

 

[jessp1021]

One of the best tips that I have come across is putting together a dining cup...1 disposable (take and toss) cup with sippy seal. Add 1 table topper, 1 bibster and a few wipes in a ziploc bag. Keep the cup with all of the neccessities in your diaper bag or back pack. Your can either throw the whole "pack" away after or meal or keep the sippy and replenish in your hotel room. I thought that was a nice, compact way to have everything all together.

I would probably add some Cheerios to it to keep your daughter happy as well...

I will be traveling with my 14mo old in Sept and that is such a great idea!! Thanks!

 

[stcassidy]

Love the shoe holder for the bathroom supplies!!! I need to go and get one.

thanks for the great ideas.

 

[adell557]

I will be traveling with my 14mo old in Sept and that is such a great idea!! Thanks!

I agree, I have an 18 month old and that is a great idea for him. Thanks and keep the tips coming!!

 

[LoveTwoTravel]

I will be traveling with my 14mo old in Sept and that is such a great idea!! Thanks!

We did this several years ago (and I actually keep one in my diaper bag everyday) and it worked out well. I pre-made the cup-packs in quart sized plastic zip bags (Kroger's are cheap and work well--they are thick). I took 3 to the park each day per child. If this seems like a lot of zipper bags, then you could actually make one cup with x3 plastic bibs, utensils, etc. and stack the cup in 2 other cups, making one bag with enough for 3 meals.

 

[adell557]

Trash bags - for in room meals also doubles as laundry bag


Genius! We always try to cram our stuff into the tiny room trash can!


mini Lysol Can - clean door knobs and faucets ASAP when entering the room

Amen!! My kids have gotten sick almost every time we go, Got to Lysol!!

Dawn Dish Wipes -LOVE these for our sippy cups!

Nothing nastier than gross milk that has been sitting all day.


Also, I make my DS1 use the disposable sippys in the parks during the day. His "real" sippys stay in the room. He gets his evening milk and morning juice in his "real" sippys. I've lost too many to take them to the parks. He's at thrower! When the cup is empty, he chucks it!

LOL My son too! DD never did this, is it a boy thing?

 

[o2bacelt]

I found a little shoe organizer for shoes, not one of the pocket ones for toiletries, but one that looks like little cubes stacked on top of each other for actually controlling the shoe population in the room. They were $2 and hold 6 pairs of adult shoes. I figure I could probably put three pairs of DD's shoes in one, I usually have one pair of tennis shoes and several pairs of flip flops and DH has two pairs of shoes with him. That it would be good enough to keep us from tripping over the shoes.

When we go down, I have a large rolling duffle bag that I use to put in things like the shoe organizers, etc. By the end of the trip the amount of stuff in that bag has decreased enough that I have extra space but we have a smaller folding duffle that we bring down empty so that we had an extra bag just in case we need it, and if we don't it folds flat and just goes back into the duffle.

I also bring a small IKEA step ($3) for DD so she can reach the sink to brush her teeth, it's just a little plastic rectangle and when I turn it over I just put things in it so it doesn't waste too much space. It just beats having to here her ask to be picked up to wash her hands, brush teeth etc.

I'm another one folks who has a binder with all my information in it. It is affectionately known in our house as "The Great Big Book of Everything." Thank you Stanley! I also have little 3 x 5 cards with our daily information on it, ADR's etc., that I carry in my bag.

Thanks to this board I have a great Baggalini bag that I use in the parks. I love it.

We also do a lot of the above mention things like outfits in ziplocks. I also have little bags that live in our vacation box (it's just a plastic tub that lives under my bed) like a laundry kit, dishwashing kit, travel games kit, pressed penny books, special sharpies, a light spinner we picked on a previous trip, clip on fans, mister fan, just to have everything we only use on vacation at hand. A few weeks before we leave I check to see if anything needs replacing or replenishing. This is all the stuff that goes in that duffle.

I want to thank some of the PPs for new ideas, like the pop up laundry bags, I went and grabbed a couple at the dollar store so we didn't have a messy room! Great ideas! Keep 'em coming!

 

[timzagain]

Another interesting/ crazy idea from the Fine Living Network channel.

Instead of packing large bottles of shampoo & conditioner, pour the contents into a ziploc bag. When you get to your destination, either snip the corner of the bag and squeeze out like an icing tube, or simply scoop out what you need. At the end of the trip, you can discard the bags. If I used this tip, I'd probably pack quart sized bags with shampoo & conditioner inside a gallon size ziploc bag for added leak protection.

I'm thinking of NOT buying mister fans that are unlikely to be used again after the trip. Instead I'll save the empty bottles from my girls' body sprays, hair stuff etc and fill them with cool water and spritz at will. No added cost and I can discard them at the end of the trip to make room for the shopping, souvenirs etc!

 

[AKBAFB]

Wow! The DISers never cease to amaze me. You guys have so many good ideas! The kinds of things I would think about when I was there needing that particular item and not wanting to go through the hassle or inflated cost of buying it down there. The thing is, I never remember these types of things for the next trip. You all are serious about your vacays!