If your family is planning to pack up your bags and hit the road (or air!) this spring break, here are some quick sanity-saving tips to keep the whole family rolling along happily!
First, Amazon Prime! Free shipping and items waiting on you when you arrive will get your trip started off right. Snacks, toiletries, toys, etc. can all be ordered 2 days prior to your trip and shipped straight to your destination. I have ordered diapers, pacifiers, and about a million snacks from Amazon Prime before a trip, and it was all conveniently waiting for me when I arrived. Bigger kids had snacks, baby had a pacifier and therefore a nap, and Mama had some peace and quiet to recover for a few minutes after the car ride or flight.
Next, budget! Balancing your budget while traveling can be stressful, but if you make a detailed budget before your trip then you can relax (is that possible with kids?!) — I mean, explore — with your brood, without the worry of going broke! Once you make an estimate of what you would like to spend, then be sure to add some “fluff”‘ for the inevitable over-priced souvenir you will wind up purchasing. Keep in mind that summer is right around the corner, and those summer months often mean added expenditures for my family as we tend to eat more and play more! Keeping your spring break expenditures reasonable will help you prepare for the price tag of summer fun.
Another great tip I’ve discovered? City Moms Blog! There are a lot of sister sites from other cities that are packed full of mom advice, as well as helpful lists of activities to do with your kiddos while visiting that city. Who knows how to keep the kids entertained in the city you’re visiting better than the moms who actually live there?! This spring break my boys and I will be in New Orleans, LA and I have already stalked the New Orleans Moms Blog for TONS of fun ideas of what to do, see, and most importantly, what to eat in the “Big Easy”.
Finally, have fun! I know this seems like an obvious one, but let’s be real … sometimes being “off schedule” with babies, toddlers, or even big kids can feel a bit overwhelming and stressful! Try to just remember that when you travel with kids, the goal is to have an “adventure”, not to relax (that’s for a girls’/couples’ weekend!) So, just laugh at the difficult times, and roll with with the punches. I promise that when you look back on your trip, you will not remember the car ride melt downs or the middle-of-the-night diaper run; you will just remember the fun you all had together. And if you do remember those things, it will make the next girls’ getaway or couples’ weekend seem that much more enjoyable!
