• 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9

Stress-Free Travel is Right Under Your Nose

Air travel can be stressful nowadays with long lines, flight delays and cramped seating.  Add luggage, children, strollers and even pets to the mix and you have a veritable powder...

May 27 Twitter Party: Summer Travel Planning

Summertime's almost here – time to start planning your summer travels! We've taken the guesswork out of your planning by seeking out advice from top family travel writers from across...

A Jersey Girl’s Ode to the Jersey Shore

“’Cause down the shore everything’s all right.” ---Tom Waits, JERSEY GIRL Some see the Jersey Shore as a travel destination, a place to take the family for a couple of...

5 Summer Vacation Ideas for Teens

Teens sometimes get a bad rap. People think they’re hard to please and harder to travel with. But the key to traveling with teens—and keeping the whole family happy—is to...

2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: More Space, Luxury, and Better Gas Mileage, Too

Thomas Jefferson advised the we should have a revolution every 20 years. He meant government, but the idea applies to anything: If we don’t continually rethink how we do what...

Summer Fun at Midwest Lake Resorts

Midwest winters can seem endless. The payoff? Perfect summer temperatures! Each year I vow to savor every minute of the warm weather. Although I can’t put everything on hold, I...

Join In Our Instagram #TMOMphoto Meme

This month we are hosting our first Traveling Moms Instagram meme and we would love to have you join in the fun!

Summer Vacation at the Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia

Summer vacations for some families mean active adventures, while for others the summer is a perfect time to start exploring college campuses.  Imagine being able to do both in one...

Best Advice for Planning Your Summer Vacation

Planning your family vacation can be overwhelming--where to go, what to do, how to get there, you name it. There are a lot of details to planning a summer vacation....

Search - TorTags
Search - Categories
Search - Contacts
Search - Content
Search - Newsfeeds
Search - Weblinks
Search - JComments
AskATMOM
FacebookTwitterYoutubeGoogleplusPinterestInstagramRss

Family Travel Experts

Family Travel Stories and Ideas

Follow the Honey
Discovery TravelingmomFollow the Honey

There’s a reason “Follow the Honey,” in Cambridge, Massachusetts is not just a simple honey store. For founder and owner, anning, traveling the world on her personal journey led her to open a shop filled with honey stories to tell, and products with a conscience.

In Search of Healing an [ ... ]

21 Not-To-Miss Brunch Places in Chicago
Foodie TravelingMom21 Not-To-Miss Brunch Places in Chicago

Must we trade brunch dates and Bloody Mary’s for barely edible pancakes and sippy cups once we have kids? Hardly. Chicago restaurateurs, many of whom now claim the title of parents themselves, know how to host a good brunch which welcomes us and our progeny. Unlike some downtown areas which only  [ ... ]

8 Things to Do When Visiting Memphis, Tennessee
Missouri TravelingMom8 Things to Do When Visiting Memphis, Tennessee

For those living in the middle of Missouri, there are only a few options for hitting the "big city" -- St. Louis, Mo., or Memphis, Tenn. Last spring, my gal pal Jessie and I chose to visit Memphis for the first time. 

Our trip to Memphis might be one of the most unorganized trips I've ever take [ ... ]

Big Top Candy Shop in Austin, Texas
Texas TravelingMomBig Top Candy Shop in Austin, Texas

I’m a sucker for an old-fashioned candy shop. I just love the candy-filled bins, the drugstore-feel complete with a bar and soda jerk…it makes everyone feel like a kid. With unique treats like Elvis Bark and chocolate-covered bacon, the Big Top Candy Shop in Austin, Texas is a fun treat for any  [ ... ]

A Close Encounter with Devil's Tower, WY
World TravelingMomA Close Encounter with Devil's Tower, WY

When planning out your summer road trip don't overlook Devil's Tower, Wyoming. It is one of my favorite side trips and possibly one of the most overlooked National Parks. 

The first time I drove through Wyoming was in the summer of 1981 on a road trip with my my Mom. Somehow, in a pre-Internet  [ ... ]

Summer Fun: Vegetarian Travel to NYC
Vegetarian TravelingMomSummer Fun: Vegetarian Travel to NYC

Vegetarian travel gets easier in the summer, when farmers markets and their bounteous produce draw tourists and local chefs.

Summer is also know for outdoor eating, and New York City has one of the best (I’m slightly biased) eating extravagnzas, orgasburg. Actually, make that two. Smorgasburg ha [ ... ]

Experiencing the Everglades by Airboat
TravelingMom with TeensExperiencing the Everglades by Airboat

You could visit South Florida without paying homage to the Everglades, but why would you want to? And paying proper homage to the Florida Everglades requires an airboat ride.

Confessions of a Packaholic

Submit to DeliciousSubmit to DiggSubmit to FacebookSubmit to Google BookmarksSubmit to StumbleuponSubmit to TechnoratiSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn
luggageI am a serial over packer.  I seem to be completely incapable of "traveling light" like some of the other traveling moms I know.  What does that even mean anyway? I consider not bringing my own hair dryer an accomplishment (that leaves room for my flat iron).  Now, if hotels would start providing those, I'd be all set.  I always start out with good intentions.  I set out the small suitcase and convince myself it is all I will need. One set of socks, bra and panties for each day.  But what if I work out? I'll need more underwear, sports bras, sweat socks, and wow do my running shoes ever take up A LOT of space! 

Then I worry about having a warm enough clothes, and can I really live without my bathrobe? I settle on one pair of pajamas, one pair of heels and one pair of flats.  Toiletries are also an issue.  I don't trust hotels to have decent shampoo and conditioner.  Plus I have a whole system for my face - day time and night time moisturizers, cleansers, and toners.  Makeup remover towelettes, razors, shaving gel, the list goes on.  I attempt to use travel size versions of everything, but I am always embarrassed at how my toiletry bag ends up bursting at the seams.  I have somehow morphed into a girly-girl in my mid 30's.

The fact that airlines are now super strict with the weight limits on checked luggage has also led to some embarrassing situations at the baggage check-in for me.  I really should get one of those hand held suitcase scales and confirm weight restrictions with the airline before I leave home. There have been a few times where I have been forced to open up my bags and stuff heavier items into my carry on bags to avoid getting dinged with overage fees.  And yes, if you are one of those people who glide by me with one of those tiny bags that you can carry on, I am secretly cursing you out as I sit on top of my suitcase and attempt to zip it closed again. 

Are you a reformed packaholic? How did you make the shift from over packing to packing just enough?
Submit to DeliciousSubmit to DiggSubmit to FacebookSubmit to Google BookmarksSubmit to StumbleuponSubmit to TechnoratiSubmit to TwitterSubmit to LinkedIn
Author Profile: *TravelingMom Guest Authors

Our guest authors come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but each has something unique to contribute for the traveling mom.

Add comment

This is a family-friendly site. Keep it clean and always polite.


Comments   

 
#4 Autism TravelingMom 2011-04-08 12:15
thanks for the tips! I'm still a work in progress, but I'm hoping to travel this summer and my goal is to only take carry on.
Quote
 
 
#3 TravelingMom with Teens 2011-04-04 10:13
My traveling partner before I got married as a funny woman who ALWAYS overpacked. We would arrive at a hotel with my backpack and small carry-on and her 2 huge suitcases (she once brought 5 pairs of black flats--one for each outfit).
The key to packing light is coordination. Start with a basic color (black or tan, depending on the climate where I'm headed), add colorful scarves to make the outfits different each day.
Lay it all out on the bed, then choose the heaviest items (including the running shoes) to wear on the plane. I wear several layers because I'm always cold on planes. That saves a lot of heavy suitcase space.
Both Liz and Kent are right: the first time your bag gets lost in baggage you'll learn and practice will make perfect.
Quote
 
 
#2 Kent Hadley 2011-03-31 17:31
I sneak in here since there is no traveling grandpas page. I learned to pack when I traveled for business. Five days out with a suit and tie each day and everything went into a small garment bag which I carried with me. Learning to pack takes practice and the more one does it the better they get at scaling down.
Quote
 
 
#1 Liz Metcalfe 2011-03-31 12:20
Airlines lose luggage so often I got out of the habit of checking luggage years ago. And I never understood the attraction of lugging pounds and pounds of stuff around airports. Anything that can't fit into a carry-on (or a motorcycle tank bag and tail bag) just doesn't come with me on a trip. I learned how to pack light from touring on motorcycles - and that includes carrying a camera, chargers and a laptop (or netbook). I summarized my tricks in a post I wrote for WalletPop last year:
http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2010/05/01/save-hundreds-of-dollars-by-packing-light/

If I know I'll be doing some shopping where I'm going (conventions where I'll find books hard to find elsewhere; dried and canned chilis when I visit Texas) I'll bring one empty suitcase to check in for the shopping. But that's the only time I check luggage.
Quote
 

Family Freebies

Vermont Days: Free Family Fun
Vermont Days: Free Family Fun

Get a jump on your summer vacation with free activities all weekend in Vermont June 8 and 9. The Green Mountain State serves up a bevy of free family fun.

Free at parks

All we [ ... ]

Free in May: LEGOLAND Florida!
Free in May: LEGOLAND Florida!

Police, Fire and EMS Appreciation Days return in May. Police officers, fire fighters and EMS employees can receive a free single day admission to LEGOLAND Florida, along with  [ ... ]

Milwaukee for Free: 14 Ways to Have Fun
Milwaukee for Free: 14 Ways to Have Fun

Milwaukee, Wisconsin has big city attractions and a friendly Midwestern vibe. Families can take in a Brewers game, or tour a brewery (with soft drinks for the kids). There are [ ... ]