Packing tips (especially for packing up your children)

We've done a lot of traveling this summer... far more than usual!  I've gotten pretty good at packing.  In fact, I will dare to say I've got it down to a science.  I've always been a list maker.  I have lists for my lists.  I love to be organized and I have to be because my memory is non-existant.  So, here are my tips for packing... I use this more when packing for my children, but I think I'll use it for my trip to Vegas next week, too.
I start by making cards or pieces of paper with days and any activities that will be happening on a certain day that might need special clothing.  For instance, when we went to the water park this week, I labeled the cards with what we would be doing on a specific day (water park day gets a bathing suit, cover up, and extra outfit for when we get out of the water).
My children are all going to my parents' house tomorrow for the WHOLE WEEK!!!!   I'm secretly jumping up and down (which I know that no good mama is supposed to admit to... but it's been a long summer with very little down time for mama).  I'm sure I'll miss them, but I sure am looking forward to a bit of a break.  They will be going to VBS with my parents, so there's not really a certain thing they will need for each day.  I wrote each day on an index card.  If there are special instructions for a certain day, I include them, too.... like Friday night there's a waterslide... so the kids need a swimsuit and a t-shirt/shorts to wear over it.  All that goes on the card.
There's also a card with "pajamas" and "panties" and "swimsuits."  Sometimes the girls pick all their extras out for me and they bring them to this pile.  Since I pretty much unpacked, washed the clothes with Jason's help and packed them up again, I already had a stack of pajamas and panties downstairs.
I like for my kids to match.  Some people turn up their noses at this, but that's what I do.  :)
They actually don't match as much anymore... because I have Lucy and she has a mind of her own (darn independence) and she doesn't like to wear what I pick out... and I like to pass down clothes... so Julianne pretty much had an entire closet full of clothes without me buying anything new.
ANYWAY... I have their matching outfits in a stack under certain days... once they are all accounted for under a certain day, I turn the card over face down.  You'd be surprised how much effort it takes to find the same outfit in 3 different rooms (did I mention my kids put their own clothes away... even Julianne???  So... sometimes their clothes are a bit... hard to find).  Once I turn over the cards that are finished, I can see what I still need to locate.  Lucy needs a random set of playclothes for Thursday and Adelaide still needs a Matilda Jane outfit for Friday... for example).  Once everything is done, I load it all up in the bag under days so that all of their stuff is together.  I pack by day... not child.  All three of their outfits will be together.  All of their pajamas will be together.
There is also a list of things that need to be packed on the day we leave (like toothbrushes, loveys, pillows and blankets that they love).

Our trip to the Smoky Mountains and my tips for traveling with lots of children.

We are loaded down in the Swagger Wagon once again, leaving the Smoky Mountains.  We got here on Monday and have been pretty much going full-speed everyday until our heads hit the pillow much later than our usual bedtime.
We found this place last year when Jason was asked to speak at a preaching conference called "Polishing the Pulpit."  No, Jason isn't a preacher, but he was asked to speak on the Medical Aspects of the Bible, a lesson he's taught several times at our home congregation.  He also spoke on demon possession and proper nutrition (He named this lesson, "Death by Potluck; Supersizing the Holy Spirit's temple".... ha!!!).  We left the kids behind last time since we were going to multiple lectures and Jason would need to be able to focus on his material.  The people that put this lectureship together are fantastic (and one is a good friend of our's) and they are VERY conservative.  So, last year, we were pretty much commanded to not partake of the waterpark that is located at this resort/ conference center. Their hearts were in the right place... don't get me wrong.  They didn't want any responsibility on their part if people struggled with lust or impure thoughts while at the waterpark.  I get it.  But, let's face it... there weren't many opportunities to lust at this waterpark.  Unless you're a chubby-chaser. :)
Anyway, we knew last year at the conference that we wanted to go back with the girls to this water park.
We made plans in February to go this week.  The girls LOVED it!  There were tons of slides and smaller areas for the girls to play.  Julianne had the time of her life on the swings.  She could drag her feet through the water and splash in front and behind her while she was swinging.  She lost her breath from laughing so hard!  There was also an area with a giant bucket that dumps 1000 gallons of water every few minutes.  There was a smallish slide, tons of levers to pull that shoot water, buckets to fill and such.  They were in water-fun heaven.  Adelaide and Jason tried out all the slides and loved them all... except the one Adelaide called "the mint." I'm going to try to come up with a picture of this one.... it was too fast and she wasn't a fan.  But the rest of them she was thrilled with.
Along with the water-park, there was mini-golf, laser tag, a rock wall, mini-bowling, an indoor playground, and a huge arcade.  We took advantage of all of that with the exception of laser tag... I wasn't prepared for the drama that might ensue in the dark with people chasing my little girls with laser guns.
I would recommend this place to anyone looking for some fun water-park time.  The resort wasn't on their game this time as far as service goes, but the water-park didn't disappoint.
I'll try to give some highlights of our trip along with a few funny things the kids said...I'm typing in the car, so I'll try to update with photos when we get them uploaded.
We left Monday morning with our road trip binders found here.  I also packed little toiletry bags that I found at Target that had a clear zipper pocket for markers, I also filled it with dry erase markers (for marking in their road trip binder (on page protectors), and a snack (animal crackers, gum and starbursts).  As far as road trips go, I hate being in the car... as an adult.... much less with high maintenance children that are always demanding something.  So, this trip, instead of dreading it, I tried to prepare better.  Our normal trips to Memphis to see family are about 4 hours long (sometimes longer, sometimes shorter depending on how many times we have to stop).  This trip was going to be quite a bit longer and I wanted to make it fun for all of us.  In their road trip binders are several road trip games and a license plate game that Jason and I played also.  It was a huge hit!
We arrived Monday around 3 (did I mention that nobody slept in the car?)  and took a look around.  I did my usual unpacking (I HATE living out of a suitcase) and then we went to eat dinner in the "kids eat free" restaurant.  The kids restaurant boasted that kids eat free.... the fine print said that one child ate free with one adult purchase... and there's no "under 3 eat free" or anything like that.  So, our bill was $70!!!!  For gross food!  That was our last meal at The Thirsty Miner.  After dinner, we put our swimsuits on and headed for the indoor water-park.  We played until 9:15!!!  Our kids usually go to bed around 7:30 or 8, so this was huge treat for them!  We bathed them and put them to bed.  This part worried me.  Our children all have their own rooms right now.... so they aren't used to sleeping all together... but they did great!  They were all exhausted!!!
We got up and ate at Cracker Barrel (aka Cracker Bears according to Jules) and went back to get our swimsuits on again.  We spent all day at the water park and arcade.  During our afternoon at the arcade, we had Jason's biggest laugh of the trip.  He and Lucy were driving one of the arcade cars and Adelaide was racing against them in her own car, while I held Julianne.  At the beginning of the game, the game takes a picture of the driver which shows up in a little frame above the car, so you can see who you are racing against.  Well, Jason held Lucy up to take her picture and I reached down to try to hold Adelaide up so it could snap her photo.  Well,  I was too late... instead of a picture of Adelaide, it took a picture straight down my shirt (while I was bent over trying to pick her up).  Jason thought that was hilarious!!!  So, all throughout the game and at the end when it showed the winners, there was a shot of my boobs, right on the screen.  Lovely.
Wednesday, we got up and ate breakfast on the go while we drove through the mountains.  It was rainy and gross, so the views weren't fantastic and it was a bit annoying to get everyone out with umbrellas and such.  Also, there was a huge storm Sunday night that knocked down tons of trees, so a lot of the trails were closed (including Cade's Cove).
We visited the Cherokee Indian Village and learned all about the Cherokee indians and how they lived.  Adelaide and Lucy hung on every word the tour guide said and really took it all in.  Julianne and I even got to participate in a friendship dance.
We headed back over the mountain for our 3:30 reservation at the Dixie Stampede.  We arrived just in time to take our seats.  Julianne was considered a lap baby... which meant she didn't have a seat... so she would have to sit with me and eat from my plate.... which she certainly did.  If you've never been to the Dixie Stampede, it was actually pretty fun, albeit a little hokey.  The girls loved it and all say that was their favorite part of the trip.
Now we're headed home.  It's going to be time to pack everyone up again for them to go to Memphis next week for VBS at my Mom's church.  I must say, I'm looking forward to some quite time!!!!

So, here are my tips of things to leave in the car and have on hand for traveling with children (or just for emergencies on a daily basis).
1. Paper towels.  (I don't use them at home, but on the road, they are necessary sometimes).  Spills, accidents, gum, whatever... I keep a roll in the car.
2. Toilet paper, you never know.
3. Ziploc bags... these can be barf bags, collect trash if necessary, or whatever...
4. Snacks- mainly on a trip, but I usually try to have some sort of snack in the car.  I try for dry, not messy snacks like goldfish, animal crackers, wheat thins... but this time I also packed Starbursts.  Mainly because they take a long time to open and eat. :)
5. Wipes- I don't have to buy wipes anymore (so thankful), but I still keep them in the car... they're perfect for sticky hands, or for wiping off gross tables... or whatever.
6. A trash can- I found on pinterest to use a plastic cereal container for trash.  I love this!  I put a grocery bag in it.. and I can pass it around the car throughout our trip to collect trash. Then, I just pull the bag out when we get to our destination (or while we buy gas) and toss it.
7. Hand sanitizer- because I'm married to Jason McKeown.
8. A little potty- I used to keep a Baby Bjorn little potty in the car, but it got nasty.  Every time it was used, I had to carry the whole thing inside and clean it.  Not fun.  I recently bought a portable potty that takes liners that fit over the whole seat and can be tossed after they're used.  It is a little bit of a pain having to buy new liners, but it's not as bad as cleaning crusty pee out of the potty when we return from a trip.  The potty folds up and fits in the seat pocket (in front of Juli) and can be used while in the car, or if a restroom is disgusting.... I've thought about using it before, but I'm pretty sure it has a weight limit.
9. A change of clothes.  Right now, I only have a change for Jules, but I have plans to put at least an extra t-shirt for all of us incase we are the victim of someone's mess.
I also have dreams of putting some sort of organizer in the trunk with bug spray, sunscreen, bandaids, and some of the things I named above that aren't necessary for everyday use.
What all do you keep in your car?  Does anyone have any road trip tips?

My next tip post will probably be on packing for a long trip with children. :)

Time for a tip!!

I love dry erase markers.  They are one of my secret tools!  I don't go shopping very often, especially with all of my kids.  But, occasionally, I will run into a store and find something I want to try on.  You want to know my secret weapon for fitting rooms with 3 small children!?  That's not fair, you had hint.  That's right, dry erase markers.  Give them over and let them go to town on the mirror. They can draw silly faces on their reflection or I ask them to draw what I have on... It will give you a good couple of minutes to throw your clothes on!  I also keep them in our church bag.  I just read a tip somewhere yesterday (maybe Parent's magazine?) that said to rip out the pages in those workbooks that cost like $20 for a book of mazes or capital letters... pop each page in a page protector and let them work them with a dry erase marker.  Then they can work them over and over again.

I have another awesome way to use dry erase markers!  On your washing machine!  You think I'm crazy, don't you!?  Am I the only person that loads the washing machine with good intentions to take out such-n-so to air dry/ hang dry/ lay flat and totally forget in my rush to throw everything in the dryer??  I do that all the time!  Well, today I decided to write it on my washing machine when I loaded the washing machine so I would remember what I needed to look for when I switched the laundry over to the dryer.  I got this idea when I saw on etsy the other day, decals to put on the washing machine... like contact paper! It was so cool looking, but it mad me think of dry erase markers.  Here's what I put on my washer this morning...

My memory is GONE

I know I've heard of Mommy brain before, but, folks, it a real thing. I think there should be some sort of transplant or, at the very least, a daily pill to restore memory after having children. I'm pretty sure if it's not written down, it's not going to get done. In fact, there's a chance it won't get noticed if it IS written down. Or I won't remember where I wrote it. That's also likely. I have a special forgetfulness with emails. I remember seeing them, but then I can't locate them. Or I read them on my phone, intending to write back on my computer (because who wants to type a full response on a phone!?) and then I forget. I need a special folder in my email for pending emails or something. But I'd probably forget that, too. Not to mention the fact that life right now is busy. Really busy. I normally spend my days doing something for someone else. And I like it that way. But, my Scentsy business is busy right now. And for that, I'm really thankful! I am so excited about a lot of the opportunities coming my way this month. I am working at Kidsmarket, a giant consignment sale, and I've been trying to get in there for the past 3 seasons. It's always booked! Well, at the last sale, their Scentsy consultant didn't show up. I'm embarrassed by that. I don't know her. In fact, she didn't even tell me her name, but I think it looks bad on our company. However, her loss is my gain! I will show up! And so will my team. I hope to put up some pictures of our table at Kidsmarket. I'm setting up tomorrow (partially) and then I have a Scentsy party in the neighborhood Monday morning and I'll work the rest of the day at Kidsmarket. I'll also be there all day Tuesday. If you are there, come see me! My teammates are working Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Since we will be in Nashville, we won't have anyone to man the table on Friday, but we will leave a drawing box so that people can still register to win a prize!

With that time at Kidsmarket, and all of the birthdays this month (what in the world is the deal with April birthdays???), Jason and I are having to sit down with our calendars to figure out how we are going to get everyone to their destinations on time. I still don't know how we are going to swing it... but we will try!

So, all that lack of memory leads me to these two friends...

Meet my Erin Condren planner and my MomAgenda all in one folio. I don't know what I would do without these two. If it's not in here, it doesn't get done. Seriously.

I got my Erin Condren life planner in August, I believe and I love it. It is seriously the best planner I've ever purchased. I used MomAgenda before that. I liked them too, but I love the spiral binding on this one. I like that I can lay it all the way open. I love that I can personalize it. At the bottom it has our name and a line from one of my favorite songs, "Do everything you do to the glory of the one who made you, for he made you." That needs to be the theme of my life... so I thought it was important to include it on my life planner. It also has month at a glance pages, every day broken down into morning, day and evening, pockets, encouraging quotes, bright, cheerful colors... I think it's perfection. Erin Condren also has lots of other products that are awesome. I have some of their notepads, a case for my iphone that matches my life planner.... I love them! It's a bit pricey, but I think it's totally worth it for a good planner. And you all know how much I like for everything to match! I wish she made a couch in that print. Just kidding... kind of.

The hot pink number in the photo is my momAgenda all-in-one folio. This guy plays second fiddle to my planner as I don't use it everyday. Almost, but not quite. In it, I have rosters for all three of my girls classes, with parents' phone numbers, party dates, who's bringing what... that kind of stuff. I have all of my room-mom information. I keep my newsletters from their schools in there with important dates. I had soccer info when that was going on, and I'll have Irish dance stuff going in there soon. Basically every piece of paper that is important and pertains to our family goes in this book. And it's all filed accordingly. So, for the PTO meeting, I will show up with both of these friends. They are like my brain, living outside of me. I'm thankful for them! In fact, without looking in the momAgenda, I can't even remember what all is in there. :)

If you are in the market for a good planner or overall way to stay organized, you really can't go wrong with Erin Condren or momAgenda. I wish I got a referral fee for these folks, I can't tell you how many people have taken one look at my fabulous planner and gone running to order their own. For reals. It's awesome!

http://www.erincondren.com/store/index.php?cPath=129_956

http://www.momagenda.com/products.cfm?cID=10&pID=67