On our last family holiday I remember the time leading up to it was stressful, there was so much to do:  pack the bags, ensure we had enough snack food, get somebody to look after the cat and I also like to clean the house before going away so i can return to a clean home (something about getting home from being away and knowing that I don’t need to do anything but chill for a little).  

You know me well enough by now I LOVE lists.  I’m forgetful so I’m sure if I left it up to packing a bag from a list in my mind I would have easily forgotten some of the important things like phone chargers or my watch, or get somebody to water my plants while I’m away. There are some things that can easily skip your mind.  

I created a range of checklists to help you:

• plan your holiday and prep the house while nobody is home,

• keep a travel itinerary so all information is together and you don’t have to have to rummage through loads of paperwork at the airport,

• packing checklists for you and baby,

• preparing for a road trip and what to stock the car up with 

• a note to leave a friend that is minding your beloved pet 

If your going on a holiday soon, these FREE travel & packing checklists will help you!

Click on the checklist images to open in the shop and download for free

Pre-travel Checklist

This ‘Pre-travel checklist’ is to ensure that you book everything needed for your trip away.  With tasks such as pay bills before you go on holidays, for extended stays get a stop on your mail or organise a neighbour to collect it, to remember to take copies of all your travel documents in case they get lost and more. 

Travel Itinerary

Create a travel itinerary to have all your flight, accommodation and hire details together.  Give a copy of this to another family member or neighbour so they know where you are for emergency purposes.

Travelling with Baby Packing Checklist

We travelled a few times when the kids were young, I remember when we did the boot was full with the feeling I took everything but the kitchen sink.  Perhaps true, babies need so many things so I have put together a Travelling with Baby Checklist.  I hope this checklist helps you next time you are packing for your holiday.

Tips

• Start preparing to pack at least 3 days before travelling. Tick items from your checklist as you add them to the suitcase
• Use a nappy bag with a waterproof lining and a shoulder strap
• Prevent toiletries from leaking over your clothes by placing the toiletries into ziplock bags

Travelling and packing checklist for you

Road Trip Checklist

Road trip checklist, to help you prepare for a big adventure

Pet Sitter Notes

Hope I have covered everything here for you, have a great holiday!

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Perfect as a healthy treat, natural energy boost or snack topping for school lunches, as a work snack, in tea or coffee on the go, and great for travelling.

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Visit the Capilano website

Contact me if you are interested in adding your business to the ‘Pick of the week’.  Please note this pick of the week is coordinated by Nuffnang and run in accordance with my disclosure policy.

© 2010 The Organised Housewife | All rights reserved - This post 6 helpful checklists to help you prepare for holidays, packing and travelling is provided for the convenience of The Organised Housewife readers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

We went on a 12 hour road trip with the kids about 18 months ago, it was long, but lots of fun and ultimately worth every minute to see the family at the end of the long trip.

The key to a successful road trip is to be prepared:

• have enough food packed so you won’t be buying too much fast food
• schedule in stops so you can stretch your legs, every 2 hours is perfect
• have tissues and wipes on hand
• snacks and water bottles for everybody
• vomit bags in easy reach (we learnt this the hard way)
• car charges for phone and iPod, iPads etc
• and what we found one of the most enjoyable was road trip games.  My kids loved the bingo, see below to download my free Aussie Road Trip Games book

Find a Road Trip Checklist below to help you organise your next road trip

This list is to help you prepare for the trip, you will need to use a packing checklist to help you remember what to pack in the suitcase

 Download this FREE 23 page Aussie Road Trip games book

This will make long road trips lots of fun.  Each game comes in a set of 4, scavenger hunt games, bingo, tic-tac-toe, the dot games, riddles and more.

© 2010 The Organised Housewife | All rights reserved - This post {Free Printable} Road Trip Checklist and Aussie Road Trip Games Book is provided for the convenience of The Organised Housewife readers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

I was actually worried as my mind has been elsewhere lately that I wasn’t ready for my trip, because as you know I like to plan and be organised.  However, I forgot that I created this pre-travel checklist just after I booked my tickets to ensure that I have booked everything needed for my trip.  I was pleased when I opened my folder to see my checklist.  

I am going alone (yes I’m slightly scared) so a few of the points don’t relate to me, however I made this printable in mind for when families are travelling away together. With tasks such as pay bills before you go on holidays, for extended stays, put a stop on your mail or organise a neighbour to collect it.  

I need to still get a few things ready:

• Outfits
• Buy a power point converter
• Organise a few things I can do on the ‘long’ flight over
• I’d like to purchase a bigger suitcase before I go so I can take everything I need, then I will buy a second one over there for the shopping I want to bring home.  Or if I can’t get a bigger suitcase I could use the Space Bag Travel to Go to make sure it all fits.  

 I really hope these are in flower when I’m visiting, simply gorgeous (Central Park)

© 2010 The Organised Housewife | All rights reserved - This post {PRINTABLE} Pre-travel checklist is provided for the convenience of The Organised Housewife readers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

You are travelling on a crowded plane with two small children. Your toddler manages to spill juice all over the front of his clothes only seconds before your baby pukes on hers. You are rummaging through your carry-on bag with one hand, trying to find some wipes and spare clothes for them both. Unfortunately, what you thought was a neatly packed bag this morning, resembles utter chaos as your toddler has already rummaged through it on the plane looking for his favourite toy. The kids are crying and you wish you were anywhere but on this plane right now. Does any of this sound familiar? I have travelled a lot on planes with my children and have discovered that some extra organising of what it is in my carry-on luggage makes a huge difference in those crazy mid-flight moments.

Here are a few of my sanity saving packing tips:

NAPPIES AND WIPES:

I always make sure I have more than enough packed to cover travel to the airport, the flight itself and the travel to accommodation. I split my supplies into two compartments in my carry-on bag:

• My b.box which contains 2 nappies, some wipes, 2 “stinky nappy” plastic bags and a change mat. This is easy to find in my bag and perfect to just grab hold of with one hand on the way to the toilets when a nappy change is required.
• A large zip lock bag with the extra supply of nappies for the day prevent them falling out in my bag and makes them easy to find when I need them.

SPARE CLOTHES:

Depending on the length of trip, I will always carry a spare change of clothes and sometimes even two for each child. However, you want it to be as easy as possible to get your hands on them when you need them.

• I have a supply of large zip lock bags. Each child’s clothes goes into one bag. You could also label the bags to make it even easier to tell which clothes belong to whom (helpful if asking your husband to find the clothes!)
• Having clothes in zip lock bags achieves a few useful things: keeps them together and easy to find; prevents them getting wet/dirty if something else spills in your bag; easy to see what is in the clear zip lock bag, which prevents opening lots of things when looking for the clothes.
• Pack light weight, non bulky clothes, as the spares to minimise the space they take up.

SNACK FOOD:

Endless supplies of snack food are my lifesaver on planes. Snacks create a distraction on take-off when my youngest does not want to be buckled in on my lap; ensures kids eat something during the flight because they rarely eat the meal provided on the plane; and, of course, may contain a very useful bribe or two!I pack the snacks in a clear takeaway container, which allows kids to choose what they want without any rummaging. Keeping it all in one container also ensures it is easy for me to find with one hand!

TOYS AND BOOKS:

• I use the same principal as when we camp… Keep them small (but not tiny) and multi-purpose. Kids have wonderful imaginations so let them use it.
• I always have a few new things packed as a surprise, such as stickers, new colouring book or small toy.
• If you are willing to hand them over to your kids iphones (on flight mode), iPads or portable DVD players can be worth their weight in gold.

Next time you travel try out some of these tips and hopefully the journey will be easier and more enjoyable for you.

WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS FOR PACKING WHEN TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN?

You may also like The Organised Housewife Traveling with Baby checklist

Linda Anderson is the founder of Mums on the Go (www.mumsonthego.com.au) – a directory of child-friendly businesses that help mums look after their own needs, even when they have kids in tow. Linda is Mum to two gorgeous girls and has her third baby on the way in August. For more helpful hints on travelling with children, visit Mums on the Go and connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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As a mother I like to be organised and prepared in advance as much as I can be for unexpected and expected events that happen with our family. One expected event that often happens in our home is that my husband travels away for work. When he is gone he is normally away for 5 or more days at a time. This can seem like an eternity for any mother and especially for a mother like myself, of a large family.

To help me prepare and survive when my husband travels away, I have a certain steps that I take to ensure that I am able to keep our home running smoothly during this time. Here are some of my tips on staying organised and surviving while your husband is away:  

1. Know where your husband is travelling to and how you can contact him

This may sound very basic and common sense but there have been times where I have been so busy organising my home that after my husband has left I have no idea where he has gone or where he is staying! If you are able to, make it the responsibility of your husband to leave contact details for you before he leaves, therefore allowing you to focus more on your family. Being able to contact your husband is wonderful to keep family relationships strong and vital if an emergency occurs.

2. Have spare cash on hand for emergencies and incase you need to buy take out

Many times I have been left stranded with no cash and had to pay for school excursions or emergency trips to the chemist and needed some extra cash. I now make sure I have some spare cash in my home for those unexpected events and it saves me an extra trip out with all of the kids. I also keep some spare cash incase everything falls apart that day and we need a takeaway meal for dinner. This is normally a special treat for us.

3. Plan your meals in advance

I find having my meals planned for the days my husband is away saves me a great deal of time and worry about the crazy dinner hour in our home. I write out a list of what we are going to eat and make sure I have all the supplies needed. You can do this on a serious level and plan out all of your meals and snacks or a more relaxed level with only a basic plan. I find even having a general idea is helpful in advance.

4. Clear your schedule

When I know my husband is going to be away I clear my schedule as much as I can. I let go of any nice to do events and focus on the necessary required events that need to happen in our week. I find it is almost a guarantee that things will not go according to plan and having some extra time available and less stress during my week allows me to deal with our schedule in a calm manner. I also find I am far more tired than usual and need the extra time to rest and restore.

5. Assign children as special helpers

When I am dealing with my children on my own I assign a child to be a special helper for the day. I make a big deal of the assignment and they know that they are to help me out with any tasks that I need assistance with. I give them extra praise and make them feel that I could not get through my day without them. Often this is the real situation – I really could not get through the day without the help of my special helper. It is a great help to know I have a back up even if it is a child.

6. Use technology to connect

If possible use technology to connect with your husband when he is away. Send emails, record videos, use Skype, use Facetime, take pictures and keep your husband updated on what is going on during your week. If your husband is able to ask him to send a postcard or email to your children that is just for them. This will help them feel special and they will know that Dad is thinking about them even though he is not there in person.

7. Treat yourself

When my husband is away the days are often long and exhausting. Having a treat planned just for myself gives me something to look forward to and helps me get through the day. Often the treat I have planned is something easy and inexpensive that I can do at home, such as a bubble bath, a new book to start reading, a movie to watch, a new song to dance to in the kitchen or even an early night with a hot drink. 

8. Treat your children

I find I often need an incentive to help my children get through the week without Dad in the home as well. Not only is it difficult for a woman or mother to survive when her husband is away, it is often difficult for children as well. Often they miss the contact and can start to behave differently to when both parents are in the home. I always find one treat to encourage my children to be well behaved and to give them something to look forward to as well. I place conditions on the treat with behaviour and just as with myself, I find treats that are inexpensive and can often be done at home. We might stay up a hour later than usual, we might watch a movie with popcorn, we might go for a drive at night to see the lights or we might all sleep out in the lounge room for fun. These are simple ideas but I have found they work well for me and my children.

Raising children is a challenging and rewarding work. Having a husband who travels for a designated period of time makes the challenge harder but it can be made easier by being prepared for difficulties that may come your way. I hope that you have found my tips helpful and will make those long days seem shorter.

{This blog post is written specifically to women who have children and husbands who travel. I know not everyone has a husband and many women are raising children as single parents. You are women that I admire greatly and I know that you are doing an inspiring and great work. I hope that you have not felt discouraged by any of my words and understand the specific nature of my blog post.}

Naomi is a blogger, writer, chocolate lover, kitchen dancer, jewellery addict, happiness seeker, motherhood advocate and mother to seven cherubs. She blogs at www.sevencherubs.com and recently wrote her first ebook, Pockets of Happiness. You can also connect with her on facebook and twitter. 

© 2010 The Organised Housewife | All rights reserved - This post How to stay organised when your husband travels away is provided for the convenience of The Organised Housewife readers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

This is a guest post by Caz Makepeace, from the blog yTravel Blog.

There’s the pull that comes with being a mother.

From one direction to the next, the demands never stop.

The dishes continue to pile up in the sink as you race around in a frantic 15 minute pick-up-everything-from-the floor-and-shove-it-somewhere dash.

You’ve only got 15 minutes because you eldest is begging you to play Barbie schools and you promised a quick five minute game before you start peeling the potatoes for dinner.

Somewhere in between the baby wakes and needs changing and while wiping away poop you quickly steal a minute to process the day you just had at work.

The pull didn’t stop there either: Meetings to attend, paper work to file, customers to please, or if you are a teacher like me, children calling you all sorts of names and swinging from the rafters, making sure that you don’t get a chance to teach anyone anything.

Your husband’s not even home yet; and you’re so exhausted you couldn’t really care. How am I ever going to utter a “Hello,” let alone, “How was your day honey? Let me get your coat”?

Its times like these that make you want to climb to the top of the nearest tower and shout “Stop the world, I want to get off.”

Except we can’t really do that, can we?

Stop the world?

Stop Your World

There are certain things however that we can stop.

Life never used to be this hectic, remember?

Sure, there are now children, and husbands, and jobs and responsibilities, but underneath all that still lies the you that has always been you.

It’s just been buried there for a while by the roles, the labels, and the responsibilities.

When you feel like stopping the world that is your cue to take a much needed break.

At some point, you need to put away the chores, the mothering, the planning and the life organizing and just allow yourself to be.

Organize You

You’re focused this month on Organising You. Looking after your mind and body in order for you to have a healthy life; it is a priority and is not something for you to feel guilty about, like we mother’s love to do.

You cannot have a healthy mind if you don’t take time to stop and breathe. If you don’t, you might find yourself recovering from two unexpected surgeries in a hospital bed over Christmas, like I just did.

Sure enough, life will stop you somewhere.

Create a Holiday Change

A friend of mine once told me, “Caroline, a change is as good as a holiday.”

No truer words have been spoken and throughout my life I have taken them to also mean the best avenue for change is a holiday.

Place the word holiday, or travel, in your mind right now. What images and phrases does it conjure up for you?

I bet already you are starting to relax as you think of those carefree days of adventure and discovery, romantic beach walks, sunset swings in hammocks with a good book and a glass of wine.

So much time to relax and just be who you want to be; no directional pulls just a gentle swinging to the rhythm you create.

It feels so good, doesn’t it? It’s because this is how you are supposed to feel. This is what life is really about.

Make a Travel Date

Use this month of Organizing You to plan time for yourself for that getaway or holiday experience you crave.

Pencil in the words “travel date” into your calendar now. Make it a priority.

It could be something as simple as

• Girl’s getaway
• Weekend camping trip
• Week long beachside retreat
• Rock climbing course
• Family two week holiday
• Overnight spa experience that I have always desired
• Romantic hot air balloon with the love of my life who I have not googly eyed for far too long
• Or, my personal favourite, “My day to do what I want, when I want, where I want… because I can.”

Travel doesn’t have to a monumental task that involves expensive flight tickets, visas, passports, and dragging the kids to far flung destinations… or it could be, if you want.

Travel is about leaving behind the things that suffocate you for a while. It’s about experiencing life unencumbered without any responsibilities. Even if it is just for a day, it will nourish and rejuvenate your soul.

Instead of being pulled by life, you can now embrace what you love about it: optimal health, peace, celebration, creating strong memories with your family, spending quality time with your lover, connecting to the spiritual world, and rediscovering what is most important to you.

When will you give yourself a chance to leave everything behind? Write it in your diary now — in ink — and begin the planning and anticipation. Don’t break this date with yourself. 

About Guest

Caz Makepeace has lived and travelled around the world since 1997. She shares her lessons learned from travel and her travel stories and tips at her blog y travel blog, which she owns with her husband Craig. You can connect with them on their facebook page and twitter.

This post was written by a guest contributor. If you are interested in ‘being my guest’ please visit Be my Guest page for more details.

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With the  long weekend just around the corner I thought I would share with you my petsitter printable.  When we went on holiday’s last year my neighbour was lovley enough to look after our cat.  I didn’t imagine anything to go wrong, but just in case she had all the details at hand.

Download FREE from the shop

© 2010 The Organised Housewife | All rights reserved - This post {Printable} Petsitter is provided for the convenience of The Organised Housewife readers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.