Perfect Packing Plan

This is based on FlyLady.

For each child for one week:

3 pairs pjs

7 pairs underwear (plus "pullups" if needed)

5 play outfits

3 "nice" outfits

2 bathing suits

1 pair of sneakers, one pair of "nice" shoes

(they wear crocs in the car because I am NOT putting on 2 pairs of shoes for every stop, lol)

I typically take the number of days away and add one "extra". SO for a weekend, I'd take 2 pairs of pjs, 3 pairs undies, etc. I follow a similar plan for myself. It seems kinda lame now in print, but as I said it works for me. I usually don't have leftover "clean" clothing. Traveling alone with the kids is very different from traveling with Dad. When I go with just the kids, I take a picnic lunch, snacks and drinks. We stop at a rest area to eat and always stop at South of the Border on the way to GA. We drive about 6 hours the first day and then stop for the night. We go swimming, eat dinner and hang out in the room. They like to buy a soda from the vending machine (indeed a novelty) and then fight over who sleeps with me. (truthfully I cannot sleep with Helen, so I usually move after she goes to sleep and then tell her I was cold or something- does that make me a bad mom?).