Do you get overwhelmed before vacation?
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive August 2006:
Do you get overwhelmed before vacation?
I always get so overwhelmed before we go on vacation. I mean its not like I dont have months and months to plan it.We have 2 weeks to go before our cruise. I do have all our cruise papers. I do have our car reservation printed in the folder, as well as the travel insurance printed and in the folder.
We all need haircuts before we go. I always try to wait on that,expecially the kids. Their hair seems to grow so fast. Tomorrow we need to take the dogs to the vet, Qtip to get her bandage/dressing off, and Tulsa to get her yrly shots.Then there is another birthday party here, My sons and Faiths thrown into the mix. Also it seems so hectic trying to get the clothing in order. Normally we go to Disney, we do not bring anything fancy in terms of clothes. On the cruise, we need nicer clothes for the dining room. So Ive been "trying" to figure out what kind of nice clothes we have. I do not work, and basically live in shorts and tshirts in the summer. I only wear a skirt/dress if I have a wedding of something like that to attend, which isnt very often. I need to make sure all the meds are in order(Prescription and otc)...gosh Im so overwhelmed. Is it just me, or do you all feel that way as well.
We do have all the excursions booked and paid for, so that is done.
I am a planner---over planner. We booked our big cruise 1 1/2 years ago. Our excursions have been paid for. Most are private excursions. We go this December. I have almost everything packed already. I keep a spreadsheet showing what is packed and what I still need. I bought the dressier outfits throughout the year on sale. We mix/match a lot so there isn't that much to buy. I keep a first aid bag packed at all times. We just grab it and put it with our suitcases when we travel. The only time I get stressed/overwelmed about traveling is when mother nature changes my plans.
Everything else is within my control, so I just get us ready step by step.
Relax--enjoy your cruise! I know you will have a great time!
PS--I keep a binder with all my cruise documents, excursions, receipts, etc. It is easy to take along. I fill it with extra sheet protectors and when I get cruise compasses and pictures I stick them inside. They are all together and do not get bent. It helps organize all the paper that goes with cruising.
Yvonne - We sound a lot alike in this way! You sound very organized and I am too, along with being an over planner. People make fun of me with my lists and folders, but it works for me. DH is usually like "Do we really have to think about that yet?" and YES, because I'm PLANNING it!LOL
Jackie- I think the thing that helps to not get overwhelmed is to just start early doing as much as you can before the vacation gets close. I also haven't traveled before with more than one child, so I'm sure that's a lot more work. Can you imagine the folders/files/lists I would have with multiple children??
I think for me its more the "other" things that need to be done, not the actual vacation stuff. If that makes sense. I mean, the cruise and the excursions are paid for. The airline tickets are paid for..so thats all done.
We have bought everything we need for the cruise, medications, shampoos etc... basically everything is here, its just a matter of putting it all together.
I would love to pack already. Believe me when I say there is NO room to put suitcases right now. Our house is so cluttered its not even funny.We use to have a spare room where it was perfect for packing and keeping organized. We do not have that room anymore since Faith is here.
After reading Yvonnes post Im not that so far off with my organizing. I mean its all here, it just needs to come together.
With my dogs going to 2 dift places, thats more for me to do, as well as get all their stuff taken care, emergency numbers, vet phone numbers etc..
A lot of the things I do are done always. What I mean is, the first aid kit is always packed. We have a travel bag (freedom bag) that is always packed. If we run low on anything, I immediately replace the item. If we decide to go away at the spur of the moment, I am not looking for toiletrys. I have a list of emergency numbers, etc; on my computer. I update as needed for vacations. We have some of our animals watched at home, the other goes to a kennel. The dog that goes to a kennel has a bag ready to roll also. I have found having things ready prevents me from forgetting anything.
As for suitcase storage..we are lucky on that one. I have my workshop/studio that I store them in. The are all stacked on top of eachother in there. I imagine you could store them under a bed?
PS---I travel with 2 kids & hubby, along with my parents (who I help organize because my mother is NOT whom I inherited the organizing gene from LOL)
I'm one of those that it gets hectic before we leave. We went to Florida for three weeks in May/June. I was packed way ahead of time & bought new clothes, etc. But it just seemed that all the last minute stuff was what did me in. My DH and I are both self-employed so it was working up until the very last moment for us. It was paying the bills a few months in advance because as soon as we got home I was going into surgery and would be out of it for a few days. So, it was basically closing the house up for a month in my book. I had a binder for the trip documents (worked out great), had a lot of things really organized well, but it was just the last minute stuff that ran us ragged.
Good luck and hope you find some time to unwind before you leave so you can enjoy your trip.
Yes, yes, yes!
I keep a list of things that need to be done before trips.
And I keep a permanent packing list.
But the last minute stuff always gets me.
I am a flay by my seat kind of gal, so although I am a bit busier before a vacation, I just don't stress about everything being perfect. I have never cruised. But in general most things you can buy if you forget them...so no worries.
When I pack for our family of 5, I lay out clothes by day, then pack each day in a grocery sack, then toss that into a suitcase. Each day we all know what we are wearing, very easy. As for dressy clothes, I think I would pack a small suitcase for the just in case clothes, including shoes, and nice lingerie, you might get some time alone.
My funny story of the year for vacations (and there was a choice here..LOL). I waited to pack to go to colorado till the last minute. Literally we got out of school on thursday, went to the beach on friday for the day and was too tired, and we were leaving sunday. So I had all day sat to get it together. HA... I just couldn't get moving. It was nearly 7 PM when the mood finally struck me. I think in my head I can pack for 10 days and load the car in 2 hours, no problem. I did have all the laundry done. So I get to working and at 7:30 a dear friend of mine calls, she has had a minor car wreck, she is staying the night in the hospital...long story. But I just knew I needed to go visit her. So I do...LOL I get to hospital at 8:15, I don't get home till nearly 10:30. Ugh..i was so glad to see her, it was the right choice, but now it is late and I have NOTHING packed. It took more than two hours..LOL I slept in the car and we did fine with the stuff we had
I am anxious about a weekend trip that dh and I are taking together- without our son!
On August 17th, dh will bring his mom here to our house to stay with our son and our dog and cat. We are going to Indianapolis with his brother and his brother's girlfriend for the weekend. It's a 4 hour drive, and since our vehicles are older, we are renting a car. In order to make the trip as economical as possible, I will be packing snacks, sandwich stuff, and refreshments. Maybe even some breakfast stuff.
I have been scouring the internet for a list-making program that is free to either download or is web based. I haven't found anything to my liking, so I created a word processor document to print out when I am ready to start packing. I have listed everything right down to our underwear! And not only do I have a packing list, but lists for MIL, like a phone number list and a list of things that have to be done each day, like feeding the animals and what food is available to eat in the house for meals.
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