I hate packing.  And now I am packing for 4 people. Generally Jon packs for himself.  But phew, when planning 2 plane trips, 3 kids, a week away from home, napping schedules, mealtimes, not to mention Christmas gifts that need transporting there and back, it becomes exhausting.  So here are five tips for packing for the holidays.

1. Ship the Christmas gifts ahead of time. And ship the ones received at your destination back.  Then you don’t have to worry about lugging them around in the airport and hoping they arrive.

2. Make a list. Kind of goes without saying.  But I have a general packing list with additional blank spaces for items specific to the trip saved on my computer and when I start packing I print out 2.  One to use when packing here and the other to use at the end of the trip when packing up to come home, to make sure I didn’t forget anything.  This also allows me to sleep sounder the night before the trip, b/c my mind isn’t spinning trying to remember everything I need to make sure I get in the morning.

3. Limit the amount of crap you bring. This was hard at the beginning of having kids, but now, I have it down to a science.  If I can borrow a pack-n-play, car seat, stroller, or some kind of booster I will.  Beg, borrow, and steal is my motto. Not really, but kind of.  Don’t bring all of their toys, just a few favorite things.  If you child has a favorite pillow, just bring the pillow case and put it on another pillow.

4. Buy necessities at your destination. I buy the following things at my destination:  diapers, food, wipes, disposable bibs.  It cuts down on using valuable packing space.

5. Give yourself plenty of time to pack. Don’t pack the morning of, the kids are going to be nutty, you will be nutty, plus you still have to travel that day, and really you should start packing a few days ahead of time to make sure you are clear headed when making decisions about what to bring.

And always remember, generally you can buy whatever you need wherever you are going if you forget something.  Breathe and have a fabulous adventure.