Make Sure You Pack These 12 Commonly Forgotten Items for Vacation

Summer travel is in full swing, so I thought it was time to share some of my best travel tips.

After years of traveling, I have learned to pack less. I remember taking a trip where I packed a different pair of shoes for 12 days. I had to pay more for my luggage due to weight, and half of the shoes went unworn.

In addition to this lesson, I have learned that there are some commonly forgotten items. These are items that we simply forgot or don’t think we’ll need. But when the time comes, you’ll be super grateful you included them in your packing list.

Something for Rain

I love my weather app, but I’ve learned that it is always wise to pack something for rain, even if there isn’t any rain in the forecast. A small umbrella or compact rain jacket can make a huge difference.

A Light Jacket or Shawl for Cooler Temperatures

I tend to always be cold on planes. It doesn’t matter if we are traveling south to a tropical destination, I am going to be cold on the plane. I also tend to get chilly in hotel rooms. That’s why I always pack a shawl that I can wrap up in on the plane and in my room as needed. You may choose a light jacket or hoodie.

A Small Purse

I’m all about my purses, but I’ve learned I need to also have something small to hold my essentials when I travel. I like to put a small wristlet inside my bigger purse that can hold my phone, lip balm, and a small wallet. It’s much easier to navigate the beach resort (the pool, the beach, etc.) with a wristlet than it is an actual purse.

Sun Protection

I always travel with sun protection – even in winter.

Wet Wipes

In addition to hand sanitizer, I like to pack a package of Wet Wipes. I use these to wipe down everything from the plane tray to my girl’s dirty hands. They make it easy to do quick clean-ups.

First Aid Supplies

I learned the hard way to never travel without my first aid supplies, including medicine. I take a small first aid kit with band-aids and a small pill organizer with my prescriptions, pain relievers, and Imodium.

Chargers

Chargers are one of the most commonly forgotten items for travel. I have found that in addition to my chargers, a power strip comes in handy. I have stayed in some places that don’t have enough outlets for charging all my family’s devices, and a power strip makes it possible. I also am a big fan of my electronic organizer for traveling.

An Extra Bag

I always come home with more than I took, so I have learned to pack a small extra bag in my suitcase for souvenirs.

A Water Bottle

I have always regretted not having my water bottle with me when I forget to pack it. Having a personal water bottle makes it so much easier to have access to water whenever you need it – and it is cheaper than buying disposable water bottles on your trip.

Lip Balm

Air travel always leaves my lips feeling dry, so I now make sure to always pack lip balm. It is also helpful in helping my lips adjust to different temperatures and environments.

A Nail Kit

I hate breaking a nail on vacation, but it happens. As long as I have a small nail kit, I can make my nails presentable and avoid accidentally scratching myself or someone else with my splintered nail.

A Laundry Bag

After many trips, I discovered the convenience of packing a separate laundry bag. Throughout the trip, dirty clothes get placed inside the laundry bag. At the end of the trip, I simply place the filled laundry bag in my suitcase. When I get home all my dirty clothes are in the laundry bag ready to be washed.

What items have helped make your travels easier?

Take Your Family to Costa Rica!

My family spent spring break in Costa Rica – and it was everything I dreamed it would be! Costa Rica has become a hot vacation spot for a good reason.

This small country, approximately the size of West Virginia, is home to white-sand beaches and tropical rainforests.

The beautiful country is excellent for families for many reasons, one of which is tourism. Tourism is the #1 industry in Costa Rica, so it is very easy to plan a family-friendly trip here.

Vibrant and Beautiful Scenery

Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. The lush forests and the gorgeous beaches are worth the trip itself. Everywhere you look is stunning. You can spend time on the beaches soaking up the sun or walking through a cloud forest.

Plus, the year-round tropical temperatures make it an ideal travel destination. However, given the tropical environment, you may want to plan your trip during the dry season to avoid too much rain. The dry season is from December to April.

Nature Front and Center

A huge part of the appeal of traveling to Costa Rica is the ability to view nature front and center. In addition to the tropical environment, you can also get up close and personal with tons of unique animals.

Costa Rica is crawling with wildlife – monkeys, sloths, frogs, and more. Additionally, there are tons of birds. More than 800 types can be found in Costa Rica, including toucans and macaws.

Amazing Resorts

Since tourism is the #1 industry in Costa Rica, you have your choice of excellent hotels.

My family stayed at W Hotel Costa Rica, and I highly recommend it. W Hotel is located in Guanacaste, W Costa Rica on Playa Conchal beach and a nature reserve.

This luxury resort offers impressive panoramic views, as well as fantastic amenities. The resort features a golf course, water sports, and a lavish spa.

We enjoyed our time spent at the pool and exploring the nature reserve. It was the perfect place for home base during our trip.

Dreamy Excursions

While we could have just stayed at the W Hotel every day, we did want to explore some of Costa Rica outside of the property.

We’d heard a lot about the hanging bridges in Costa Rica that allow you to walk through a forest canopy. For our handing bridge excursion, we headed to Heliconias Rainforest Lodge. It is located between Miravalles Volcano and Tenorio Volcano and offers spectacular rainforest views. There are trails and hanging bridges for you to explore.

Costa Rica is home to more than 25 stunning waterfalls, so you have plenty to choose from. We decided to visit Oropendola Waterfall, located in Rincon de la Vieja National Park. After you hike the short trail to see the waterfall, you can enjoy a swim in the beautiful blue waterfall waters.

Delicious Dining

As a foodie, dining is always a priority on my vacations. Costa Rica made this easy! Their delicious cuisine favors beans, rice, plantains, meat, and fish. In addition to the on-site restaurants at the W Hotel, we also visit popular local restaurants, Patagonia del Mar (seafood), Papaya Restaurant (Pacific Rim and Nuevo Latino fare), and Gracia La Vid (pizza).

Have you visited Costa Rica? What did you love? Tell me in the comments!

Tips for Avoiding Needing a Vacation After a Vacation

I love to travel, but I have had my fair share of times when I felt like I needed a vacation after a vacation.

It kind of takes all the wind out of your sails when you come home exhausted and stressed.

It’s taken me some time, but I have figured out some ways to ease the transition from vacation back to the real world.

Clean Before You Leave

I love coming home to a clean house.

But that means I have to do the work before I leave.

It is totally worth spending a little bit of time pre-trip to clean up the house.

That way, when we get back home, I can rest instead of feeling the urge to unpack and clean right away.

Be Healthy on Your Vacation

I have learned the hard way that if I treat a vacation like a vacation from eating healthy or exercising, I feel it when I return.

Now I make a point to continue using healthy habits while on vacation. I try to exercise and limit my alcohol intake.

With that being said, I still believe you should relax and indulge on vacation. I just don’t think you should stop exercising for an entire week.

Unplug

I will never forget the time I was on vacation, and I kept receiving work emails and texts about some sort of work-related disaster.

Not only did this make me feel stressed on my vacation, but it also made me feel super anxious to return to work.

Now I make a point to unplug from work. And I tell my coworkers that I will be unavailable and set up a vacation email signature.

Schedule Downtime on Your Vacation

We’ve all had those vacations where it was go-go-go, and we didn’t stop until the evening when our heads hit the pillows.

We might have done it all and seen everything, but we were exhausted.

Now, I always schedule some downtime on vacation, like a relaxing pool day after a day visiting multiple historical sites.

Be Realistic About What You Can Do

There is no shame in admitting you have limits (or that your kids have limits).

Self-awareness is essential on vacations.

Before you book up a bunch of tours or excursions, be realistic.

Is this an activity your family will actually love? Will it fill you with joy, or will it leave you completely drained?

Will it be more of a fight with your kids, or will it be something they talk about forever?

Use On-Site Laundry Services

One of the reasons I always felt like I needed a vacation from my vacation is because of the laundry.

There was just so much laundry to do after vacation, and it just added to my to-do list when I got home.

That was until I discovered on-site laundry services!

Now I always budget for laundry services. My family goes home with luggage packed with clean, folded clothes.

Order Grocery Delivery

On the day we are heading back home, I have learned to order grocery delivery.

When we get home, we’re going to want to eat. And I am not going to want to go out grocery shopping.

It’s one of my favorite tips for post-vacation.

Give Yourself a Day of Rest After You Return

As convenient as it seems to get home on Sunday, it is wiser to give yourself a day of rest before the work week begins.

We use Sundays to rest up and readjust to home. I need it, and my kids need it.

Do you have any post-vacation tips to share?

Forget Cyber Monday. I’m All About Travel Tuesday.

While many of you may be reading this while you are trying to decide if you are going to go out in the shopping rush today. I have news for you. There is another big savings day right around the corner that you may want to save your money for.

Travel Tuesday is the Tuesday following Black Friday. It occurs on December 3, 2019, this year. Travel Tuesday is one day of the year when you can find huge discounts on travel – flights, hotels, cruises, and more. Since Travel Tuesday is a newer sales day, fewer people know about it, which means you will have an easier time scoring deals.

As someone who absolutely loves to travel both with my kids and kid-free, I’m telling you to save some of your money today so you can treat yourself on Tuesday. I’m here to help you get ready for the newest most exciting shopping day of the year.

Prepare Your Travel Bucket List

If you suffer from wanderlust, Travel Tuesday is your jam. However, you do want to have some places in mind that you’d like to visit rather than purchasing flights for an unknown destination at the spur of the moment. Instead, make a travel bucket list and start crossing your fingers that Travel Tuesday offers deals for these destinations.

Research Ahead of Time

While there are sure to be great deals on Travel Tuesday, you don’t want to get suckered. Take some time today to do a bit of light research on the destinations you have in mind, so you’ll know a good deal when you see one.

What to Expect

You should expect big discounts on travel – 70% off domestic and international bucket list destinations. Plus, Hopper found “more flights discounted on Travel Deal Tuesday than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.”

Good Morning America’s Think Travel Tuesday for the year's best vacation deals is already listing some of 2019’s Travel Tuesday deals such as luxury resorts at 50% to 70% off in destinations like the Grand Cayman, Mexico, Negril, and more.

Where to Check for Deals

In addition to following news sites like Good Morning America, you should also plan to check individual airlines, cruise lines, hotel chains, and travel company web pages (such as Cheap Caribbean) and social media sites for Travel Tuesday deals.  

Don’t Forget to Read the Fine Print

Finally, it is super (super) important to read the fine print when it comes to travel deals. While you can get an incredibly awesome deal, there may be some reasons for you to hesitate hitting the “Book It” button. For example, many Travel Tuesday deals are non-refundable. Also, many Travel Tuesday deals may wind up costing you significantly more than the sticker price due to baggage fees, resort fees, and parking charges.

After you book your trip on Travel Tuesday, be sure to comment to let me know where you are going and what kind of deal you received!