Packing for a Trip: Big Family Edition

There will never be a "Little" or "Normal" size family edition, I figure you people can handle packing for 2.5 kids well enough. Even if you can't just follow along and do it for 2 less children, and you'll be fine. As you know I have OCD and I do ALL of the cleaning,packing and unpacking myself because I have a ritual and will snap if my husband doesn't pack his bag: Pants, Shirts, Underwear, Socks.

Here are a few helpful tips:

• Start cleaning your house top to bottom 3-4 days before your trip. It depends on a few things eg; how big your house is, how messy your house is and how many fucks you give it is clean when you come back home. I, myself like to come home and be ahead of the game so I have a day to dedicate to unpacking.

• 2 days before do all of the laundry. When I know we have a trip coming up I usually save all my laundry for this day. Once it is dried I fold and pack it. I do this for my husband and children's bags.

• Know how many days you might go? Pack 2 extra sets of clothes.Why? Because in an perfcawsome ( BLAM! I just coined a word bitch!) world you would need these to stay extra time at your destination. However in the real world you will need those extra clothes because Child 4 has had an explosive Phillips induced poop on you and Child 2&3 have hurled their expensive lobster mac (from Legal Test Kitchen in Boston.. it was fantasmo btw , Holla ) on your nice (in a relative sense, only because it is black, otherwise it is a jersey-knit from Target.) dress. 

• Likewise for the kids. See above.

• I pack outfits. For the kids I stack them in outfit fashion so it is easier for them to grab. It goes: Pants,Shirt,Underwear,Socks. Then it repeats, showing a break between outfits thanks to the socks and underwear. For Husband and Me I pack by item.. again Pants,Shirts,Sweaters,Underwear, and Socks. 

• Accessories go in plastic ziplock bags on the top. Shoes go on the bottom , so they won't soil any clothing. You could wrap those in plastic for extra protection.

• Pack a bag filled with a shit ton of snacks.. your kids will eat them all and still be hungry, but this prolongs the inevitability of stopping at a shitty grease covered fast food joint. Also pack a few bags for trash, they will fill them, and still leave trash on the floor. 

• One day before you leave get together your bags, sleeping bags, blankets,pillows, a bag filled with activities for kids in the car ( I will do a separate blog on this the next time I travel) pack and play, camera and anything else non essential for the next morning, Think booster seat for the table, toys, ect. and pack them into the car. 

•   Set out an outfit for everyone and lay it in a place where they will see it and know to put it on.

• Try to shower and bathe everyone and mommies? Try to straighten your hair the night before so you can pack the flat iron with the toiletries in the morning.

• The morning of pack a separate bag filled with toiletries and makeup after you have used them. Take sandwich bags and package up everyone's toothbrush separately after they have used them. Otherwise its like making out with the whole family and that's nasty.  

• Before you leave the driveway to at least 2 headcounts. Other wise you will end up in jail because one of your kids pulled a Kevin McAllisteir on you... or like my mom, get a mile away and remember you left the baby sleeping in his carseat by the front door.

Happy Travels to y'all, and if I have any other travel tips because of my fuck ups I will write another post and if you have any tips I am all ears!