 |
| Yes, I do feed my kids cookies for breakfast on occasion. Someone needs to test out my new recipes! |
 |
| Double chocolate cookies. (Recipe follows.) |
1) Make a digital list. I have an on-going list on my computer of things I need for the same vacation year-after-year. It helps me feel organized and minimize that last-minute "Wait, did I remember....?!" feeling. I like keeping the list on the computer because it's always there and can easily be updated not only year-to-year, but also right when you get back from vacation. This way, you can instantly add anything you wish you had brought so you'll be even more prepared next year! My list is organized by what we need for the a) house b) beach and then each person individually.
2) Plan meals ahead. You may not be the type of person to plan a weekly or biweekly menu on a regular basis (though we all know I am that type of person!), but trust me, on vacation, it's essential. Plan your menu. Plan what nights you'll eat out and which nights you'll eat in your house or cottage and what you will have. If you can make the meal ahead and bring it with you, do it! The last thing you want to be doing on vacation is sitting around saying "What's for supper." And you may not be able to afford eating out every night, depending on how long your vacation is. A great meal to bring is lasagna. I have a few recipes for lasagna and you can search for them in my search bar. One is the turkey sausage lasagna, which is a great alternative to a regular lasagna recipe. Another good make-ahead meal is stuffed shells--it's perfect to bring on vacation with you! I like to bring some baked goods and breakfast items, also.
 |
| PB & J bars ready to be packed. (Recipe follows.) |
3) Hit the grocery store at your destination right away and load up your kitchen early. Don't worry about grocery shopping in the middle of your vacation.
4) Set a budget and stick to it--this should include a budget for food: eating out, ice cream, candy, snacks. This is why the grocery store can be helpful and bringing food along.
 |
| Crustless quiche--ready to be frozen and brought up for a breakfast! |
5) Clean your house as you pack. I empty out my refrigerator and get rid of any food I know won't be good when we return. Anything like fruit, yogurt, cheese that's still good now but may not be later, I pack in a cooler. Now I have healthy and free snacks for the kids on the ride up! Since the fridge is practically empty now, perfect time to clean it! While I'm packing our toiletries, I clean the bathroom. This way, we come home to a nice and clean house. I usually sweep and wash the floors, too. I get some kind of satisfaction knowing that what I clean will actually stay that way for a whole week since no one will be home to dirty it up! :)
 |
| Clean fridge and cooler. Salsa and lime juice on the bottom shelf for our pre-vaca chips & margaritas the night before we leave! |
6) Plan to eat out the night before you leave and the night you get back. The night before you leave you'll be busy packing and cleaning and who wants to think about cooking? And when you get back, you have something to look forward to--a little extension of your vacation. Don't worry about getting back to cooking until the next day! Don't forget to budget for these restaurant excursions, also!
7) Pick up some new toys for the kids and don't let them see or open them until you're at your vacation house. The weather may not be beach perfect your whole week away, so there may be some down time. And the time you're in the vacation home anyway, you don't want the kids bugging you while making dinner or cleaning up. Having new toys to play with can be a good distraction from the fact that they're in a different house that they may not feel comfortable in. Don't forget to bring a toy or two from home, also--a little something familiar is helpful! And psst, don't tell Abby but I like to bring some "old" toys, too, that I plan to "forget" to bring back home. ;) (Don't forget the games for the "big" kids, too!) ;)
8) Don't pack light! (Just kidding--kind of.) Some people are really good at packing light. I'm not one of those people, though I'd like to get better. But I do believe there are some bigger items that are worth packing if you have little kids. Like, the highchair/booster seat. Our highchair straps onto any chair. It's worth it for us to pack it because is it really vacation if we don't get to enjoy a single meal? We would end up taking turns holding our son and trying to feed him that way while he squirms and fusses to get down. Eating like that for a whole week is no vacation! Bring the highchair. Bring the pack 'n play, bring the jogging stroller. If you have the room, these are all big items that may seem a pain to bring at first, but you'll be thankful you have them.
 |
| Cinnamon blueberry bread with streusel topping. |
9) Make beds and lay out clothes right away. We bring up sheets for the beds and our own towels (including hand towels and bath mats) for cleanliness and comfort. I make our bed and the kids' beds right away. For organization, I take out all the clothes I packed for them and place them in outfit piles so they're ready to go. Then, when the outfit is dirty or done with, it goes back in the suitcase. I have a trash bag for dirty laundry. This helps keep the place organized and the suitcases ready to go at the end of the trip!
10) Bring plenty of wipes and diapers, if you need them. I keep an extra sleeve in the car--if they don't get used on vacation, they will when we get home, so it's not a waste of money! 3 containers of wipes is necessary for me--one for the diaper bag, one for the bedroom, and one for the beach bag. If you're taking a beach vacation, baby powder will be essential! It magically erases any trace of extra sand in those baby creases and helps prevent rashes. And if you don't have access to a washer/dryer, bring extra towels!
 |
| Ready to relax after packing and cleaning the night before we leave. For a classic margarita recipe, click here. |
11) Let go of the little things. This is my daily reminder on vacation. I don't want to let go of the basic structure or rules or respect we have around the house--it would be too hard to try to get back into those routines upon returning home. But not everything is going to go exactly as planned on vacation, especially with little ones. So learn to let go. And if you're lucky enough as we are to have extra family and helping hands with you--use them! Plan a date night while on vacation. It will be your vacation from vacation!
Double Chocolate Cookies
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 oz white chocolate chips
Cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and blend. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into the mixture and stir until well combined. Add the white chocolate chips. Place tablespoon-sized dollops on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350* for 10 minutes.
PB & J Bars
2 sticks softened butter1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups jam (your choice)
salted peanuts for topping (optional)
Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. In a grease 13 x 9 pan, spread 2/3 of the mixture. Layer the jam on top and finish with the rest of the peanut butter mixture. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Cut into bars.
 |
| Greetings from Ocean Park, ME! Backlin family trip 2012. |
 |
| Ocean Park, ME 2014 -- notice my 2 darling, smiling children?! Clearly, I'm an expert at vacationing with kids. ;) |
No comments:
Post a Comment