our family likes to travel. we take a few road trips and 1 "big" vacation each year. this in no way makes me a packing or traveling expert. i've barely left the country. but i've traveled enough to know what works for me! these are the things i always take with me when we are traveling, no matter how we're traveling, or where we're going, or how long we'll be gone. these are my travel necessities, and maybe what works for me might work for you!? let's see...
1. a good book. on our most recent vacation to california, i brought Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch with me. (PRE-ORDER THIS BOOK!) i read on the plane, and every night before falling asleep. since reading before bed is one of my at-home routines, having the book with me is like bringing a little bit of the comfort of home with me. this book is so good, y'all. i needed some mom-to-mom encouragement one night in particular in the hotel room that seemed to be shrinking in square-footage, and Kristen totally had my back.
2. blank paper/notebook for journaling our trip. this is something i learned from my mom- i remember when we would take family vacations she always had a little notepad (usually from the hotel) and would jot down what we did each day. she'd tuck in ticket stubs and receipts, filling the pages of the notepad. and now i find myself doing the same thing. even though i take a bajillion pictures on our vacation, i still like to have the handwritten journal of my fresh thoughts and notes from our days.
3. mabel's labels. i put these on practically everything! both of my kids have a set of mabel's labels for their backpacks and jackets, travel cups, and car seats (we bring them traveling). i have a set with my name and i labeled my travel mugs and my backpack. i also have a set of Write Aways (blank mabel's labels) on which i wrote my phone number to label our luggage. they are SO HANDY to have for travel and at home in general.
4. cross-body purse. yall known i'm typically a big purse kind of girl. but when we travel, less is more. when we travel, i like to downsize to an inexpensive cross-body bag with lots of little zipper pockets for only the necessities: wallet, phone, sunnies, lipgloss, a pen, gum, a couple of band-aids, and my daughter's retainer case. and then of course when we get back home i move back into my mamba jamba purse that could hold a couple of small dogs. just in case.
5. dry shampoo. vacation itineraries don't always allow time for the whole shampoo-condition-blowdry shebang so i like to bring dry shampoo just in case! i keep a travel size bottle of Pssssst! for traveling.
6. mead wrist reminders hands down THE BEST $1.89 i ever spent at Office Depot was on these things 7 years ago. they are basically paper bracelets. but yall, they are brilliant. write your phone number on the strip of paper, fasten it on your child's wrist with the adhesive backing, and boom- safe mom of the year award. great for anytime you might worry about losing a child in a crowd or getting separated in a big place, and want to take an extra safety measure. we used these daily on both kids on our trips to Disney World. sadly, this brand is no longer available, but look at these post-it reminder tags! peace of mind in the form of a paper bracelet.
7. headwrap/headband. i like to have these on hand to quickly and cutely deal with flyaways, humidity-hair, root growth, bedhead, or no time to straighten/curl/blowdry my hair when we travel. also great if i'm going to hit up the hotel gym, ride in a convertible, or on a sailboat. hey! you never know! or it could be something simple like i need a headband to hold back my hair so i can wash my face. whatever, i'm always glad i have this with me when i travel.
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8. TOMS shoes. super easy to slip off and on at the airport security, crazy comfortable, durable, a good cause, and in a neutral color they can go with almost anything.
9. military utility cargo vest. i love pockets, especially when i travel! this vest is functional and cute. i can stash my phone, lipgloss, boarding pass, and cash, and I'm good to go.
10. leggings. because comfort. stretchy. easy. versatile. cute.
finally, i never leave home without the hope and peace of knowing my steps are already ordered by the Lord. His plans, His itinerary, His ways are good and perfect...
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| {andrea howey} |
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL NECESSITIES? click over to facebook and give me your top few travel must-haves...
