Our first international vacation requires a lot more packing and planning now as a family of five! However, I still would rather be soaking up the sunshine than stuck here in this -30 weather!
Last time we traveled was pre-covid and as a family of 4! We did one big suitcase - one half for mom + dad, the other for my baby boys along with a carry-on full of shoes and diapers. Now it definitely requires more organization because they are so close in age and can share clothes (just fits differently). Also now that we are outnumbered, the less "stuff " we are carrying in our hands the better. Liam is a runner so we need to be on our toes lol!
This trip's plan is to have 1 large suitcase for the kids to fit the following:
First Side of suitcase:
Colour coordinated bag organization:
(Black - Mattias) (Light Blue - Liam) (Beige - Leoni) :
Large Mesh Bag: Bottoms + Jumpsuits + Underwear
Medium Mesh Bag: Sweaters + Long Sleeves + T-shirts
Small Mesh Bag: Swimming Trunks + Hats + Sunglasses
Shoe Bag: Shoes + Sandals
Drawstring Bag: Dirty Clothes
Toiletry Bags:
1 - sunscreen + aftercare
2 - baby shampoo + brushes + hair gel
3 - toothbrushes + paste and bug spray.
They stack so well and fit perfectly on one side!
Click images below:
Second Side:
- Floaty for Leoni
- Arm Floaties
- Diapers + Swimmers
- Wipes
In my carry-on:
1. Wipes
2. Diapers
3. Snacks
4. Lollipops for air pressure
6. Magna-Tiles (this was heavy but a huge hit with the kids both on the plane and during the stay)
Plane Entertainment included:
4. Play-doh
5. Pencil Case filled with colouring pencils + markers
* TIP * Make sure you keep activities/toys hidden prior to getting on the plane!
Traveling with kids will always be stressful. But more organization does make things go a bit smoother, and that's always a good way to start a vacation!