So, I'm going to start this post by saying just how much I love my husband. He's my perfect partner, he tries to help me stay balanced (often unsuccessfully, but it's a good effort!), and he's a terrific dad. He's amazing at all the dad things, like throwing Eila up in the air and never failing to catch her or and taking awkward pictures of her now that he threatens to use on her sixteenth birthday. Like I said, he's an amazing dad. But despite everything that he's good at, there are a few things he's not good at: finding matching outfits for Eila and putting ponies in her hair. That's totally mom territory.
One other thing that's completely mine: packing everything for our trips, except for my husband's clothes, which he can apparently manage by himself. He always tells me I over-pack, but then he'll ask for something, and guess what - I've got it.
Because I'm always in charge of the packing, I've developed some strategies to make it easier on the days leading up to our departure. One thing that helps is that we live in Maine and Disney's in Florida. Now, that's usually something I complain about, but when it comes to packing, it helps that Florida's climate is often opposite ours. For example, our last Disney trip was in February. February in Florida requires summer clothes by our standards, clothes which would be otherwise packed away in the attic during the long, cold Northern winter.
I always shop for the next size Eila will need at the end of the summer when everything's on sale, and then I put it away in the Disney drawer.
As we get closer to our vacation, I match up the outfits with coordinating socks and hair accessories:
One other thing that's completely mine: packing everything for our trips, except for my husband's clothes, which he can apparently manage by himself. He always tells me I over-pack, but then he'll ask for something, and guess what - I've got it.
Because I'm always in charge of the packing, I've developed some strategies to make it easier on the days leading up to our departure. One thing that helps is that we live in Maine and Disney's in Florida. Now, that's usually something I complain about, but when it comes to packing, it helps that Florida's climate is often opposite ours. For example, our last Disney trip was in February. February in Florida requires summer clothes by our standards, clothes which would be otherwise packed away in the attic during the long, cold Northern winter.
I always shop for the next size Eila will need at the end of the summer when everything's on sale, and then I put it away in the Disney drawer.
As we get closer to our vacation, I match up the outfits with coordinating socks and hair accessories:
Next, I put the top, bottom, socks, and accessories in a gallon size plastic bag.
That means everything's all together. It makes it so much easier if, for example, I'm still getting ready and my husband has to get Eila dressed: he can just grab a bag and know that everything will match. Also, because Eila's still a toddler, she has a penchant for making a mess of herself. It's really quite a talent with her. I always throw a couple of extra outfits for her into my park bag. Because everything's already in a plastic bag, I can easily put her messy clothes back into the bag after I change her and keep her messy clothes separate from everything else in my bag. This also works for those times when her clothes get wet from playing in Epcot's fountains. You don't know how many times that's come in handy.
Usually Eila's completely packed long before the trip. That makes me happy, because I feel as though I've accomplished something. It also makes it easier on packing day because I can just throw all of those plastic bags of outfits into the suitcase and be done.
Ok, so maybe it also makes me a little bit...umm..detail oriented, too, but it works for me.
Here's a peek at Eila's Disney drawer leading up to our last trip:
Usually Eila's completely packed long before the trip. That makes me happy, because I feel as though I've accomplished something. It also makes it easier on packing day because I can just throw all of those plastic bags of outfits into the suitcase and be done.
Ok, so maybe it also makes me a little bit...umm..detail oriented, too, but it works for me.
Here's a peek at Eila's Disney drawer leading up to our last trip:
Last night, we just booked our next trip, so I guess it's time to start filling that drawer once more. I really can't wait to get packing!