I am a very minimal packer. If I don’t use it regularly what makes me think I am going to use it on vacation. I know we can all relate with the struggle. Like wanting to pack those super cute blue high heels, yet you haven’t worn them in a year and they only go with one specific dress. Seriously, when I pack, I put everything in a pile that I want to bring (which is everything fashionable that I own) at least 2 weeks prior to our trip and then go through it at least 3 to 4 times and weed out everything I know I won’t use and don’t need. Packing the suitcase is a little different than packing the diaper bag and I give myself a little more leeway on what I can bring. Yes, some things I could probably buy when I get to my destination but I do not want to spend time looking for a specific store that sells exactly what I need and if I have the room to pack it, I do. Really evaluate everything you pack. Some things you know you just can’t leave home without.
After just returning from a 2 ½ week trip from Spain with a 13 month old I will say that I used everything I brought.
- Clothes. My husband thought I was crazy for bringing my son an outfit for every day but us moms know that outfit changes every single day are inevitable.
- Pajamas. Two pairs.
- Socks. A few pair.
- Shoes.
- Diapers. Enough to get you through the first night and morning in case you just can’t get to the store in time.
- Desitin.
- Sleep Essentials. Everyone’s sleep list is going to look a little different but ours is blankie (in diaper bag), Curious George (in diaper bag), one or two books, Rohm sound machine, sleep sack, and DockATot.
- Extra Muslin Blanket.
- Disposable Bibs and Disposable Place Mats. I put a few in the diaper bag for the flight and the rest go in the suitcase.
- Bib. One to keep at the accommodation to reuse.
- Food. Whether you are formula feeding or breast feeding you need your essentials to make sure baby is fed. If you formula feed bring enough to get you through a day in case you can’t get to a store or find what you are looking for. Since Jacob was so picky with his formula, we actually found ourselves bringing enough to last the whole trip. If you breast feed make sure you bring everything you need for that. Now that he is drinking whole milk, we were able to buy his milk once we got to our destination.
- Bottle and/or Sippy Cup. I prefer to bring one extra bottle and one extra sippy cup in addition to the one I bring in the diaper bag.
- Travel Babyganics Bottle Soap.
- Bottle Brush.
- Babyganics Sunscreen.
- Babyganics Bug Repellent.
- Baby Soap. I always bring Jacob his own because of his sensitive skin.
- Baby Lotion. We prefer to use Aquaphor since Jacob has baby Eczema.
- Camila Drops and Baby Motrin. Any other medicine of teething essentials baby might need.
- Toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Baby comb. Love my little baby comb for Jacob’s cute little baby hair!
- Toys. A few more toys that I didn’t bring in the diaper bag that I can switch up for the flight back home. Be careful with this though. Don’t overpack on toys. Think about how much time you are really going to spend at your accommodation – not much if you are on vacation. Besides a new environment to explore is plenty entertainment.
- Baby Carrier. We love our Ergo 360. We’ve been using it for Jacob since he was born and it still works for us.
- Stroller. We only bring our nice stroller when we travel within the states. We only bring an umbrella stroller for our European vacations because it’s easy to fold and unfold, light enough to carry, and we don’t care if it gets banged up.
- Car Seat. This is very much a personal preference. First of all, we usually do not use a car seat on the plane for our son. There was only one occassion when he was 5 months old that we did. If we are renting a car at our destination than we will rent a car seat as well. If we are going to see family and will not need a rental car then we bring our own. When traveling abroad we are always taking public transportation (i.e. metro/train/airplane) so I do not bring a car seat. In the instances where we take a taxi from the airport to our lodging, we always request a car seat – this is not hard request in Europe.
Other items depending on your situation:
- Medicine and/or any medical devices your baby needs. I would never assume that these can be found at your destination so always pack them.
- Breast Pump. If you are breast feeding and pumping make sure to include all of the parts and adapters and extra things for yourself.
- Swimsuit.
- Sun hat.
- Swim diapers.
- Any favorite foods that you may not be able to get at your next destination.
What other essentials do you pack in your suitcase?