Full Bloom Blog

I am a creature of habit. I like to do the same things in the same way, including my traveling and planning. I am currently working on planning our third spring break trip to the Orlando area in three years and have developed a system for how and what to pack! Regardless of what warm destination you and your family are headed to, this information should prove helpful to your prepping as well! Also, as a quick side note, I have not been compensated in anyway or am affiliated with any of the brands/companies mentioned in this post. They are all based purely on my personal experience and preferences – just straight up opinion; no bias 😉 Here is my official list of tips and tricks for packing for your spring break trip with your family!

Reuse your Packing List

I keep a standing packing list for all of the trips we take annually in the notes on my phone; Orlando, Mackinaw, Upper Peninsula, Missouri…. And if we happen to be traveling somewhere new, I will open one of my existing lists and modify accordingly. The best part about having the list on your phone is that you can amend it while on your trip and benefit from it on future trips. For example, while we were in Orlando one year, I realized that I needed plastic bags to pack some sandy items for the trip home. I added it to my note and now it’s on my list that I use every year!

Individual Laundry Bags for each of the Kiddos

When I asked my oldest daughter (Annabelle, 11) what helps her keep her stuff organized while we’re traveling, she immediately answered, “Our own laundry bags!” It helps me, too, so I don’t have to go through suitcases or sift through piles of clothes on their beds playing, “guess if this is clean or dirty”. Same proves true when unpacking.

Waterproof Phone Case

I bought this handy little guy at Wal-Mart several years ago. It was one of those things that I was not looking for, but happened to wander past in an aisle and thought it might be helpful. So for $5.00, I grabbed it hoping it would get some use – and it sure did! I love it on vacation at the resort because it allows me to keep my phone with me in the pool so I can pause and grab some impromptu photos all while keeping it safe from water damage and from getting lost. It’s safe to say most of my swimsuits and poolside attire do not come with pockets. Additionally, I use it at the beach all summer and when visiting waterparks. Worth every penny.

Handy Wipes

Usually, I travel with hand sanitizer, handy wipes, and Clorox wipes. This basically allows for me to be prepared for all kinds of gross scenarios. But if I could take only one of those items, it would hands down (no pun intended) be the sanitizing hand wipes. I use them to clean airplane tray tables, grocery cart handles, and give the stroller a quick wipe down. I like that they add an additional element of scrubbing that elevates them beyond hand sanitizer. If your kids have ever scrubbed up with one after playground time – you’ll understand.

Sarong

This was one of my favorite purchases (from Amazon) for our trip last year! It feels a little bit classier and more sophisticated for walking around and lounging at the resort than just some cut off shorts. It’s light and gauzy fabric moves and feels great. It comes in various colors – but I chose to go with my favorite wardrobe staple – black.

Tinted Chapstick with SPF

It’s the perfect integration of so many wonderful things. Lips are often forgotten in sun protection – so I love that this is even a thing. I don’t like to wear (much) make up poolside – it seems weird to be too made up for swimming. I tend to stick to some waterproof mascara and eyebrow powder. Now with this brilliant discovery, lovely lips will be added to my resort wear list. I happen to love this particular color which is called BONFIRE; it tastes slightly sunscreen-y dominant with coconut, and I love that it is something that I can wear, benefit from, and enjoy beyond resort grounds. Highly recommend this product!

(The photo above is a single swipe of bonfire)

Pool Floaties still in the package

The majority of the resorts we have stayed at in Orlando are time shares and do not provide pool floaties or other PFDs (Personal Floatation Device). Bringing our own floaties provides some extra fun and entertainment for our kids while we enjoy the resort pool. We even saw another guest who brought a giant inflatable llama for their family- so fun. Bringing them in their original packaging obviously helps to save suitcase space. When we have finished our vacation, my kids find other guests of the resort with children to pass along their floaties to so that someone else can enjoy them and we are not tasked with drying, deflating, and packing them. It’s a win on so many fronts. I have had great success shopping for them at Wal-Mart in the past and can usually find them for around $2.00-$3.00 each. Also, if you’re really having fun prepping for pool fun- grab some kids goggles and even dive sticks. We take our pool time very seriously on vacation and coming equipped with all this gear provides lots of fun and entertainment that we all enjoy.

Glow Sticks

Whether you’re going to an amusement park, taking in a pool side movie at the resort, or enjoying a late-night ice cream run – bringing your own glow sticks can add some extra fun to your evening and/or save you lots of vacation dough. The mark-up for such items on resorts and at amusement parks is staggering! One can easily find glow sticks in dollar stores or other such sections of regular stores for very cheap and now they even have fun sword, flower, and ice wand options. There are so many fun glow things available, I definitely recommend checking out your local store and throwing a variety in your suitcase!

Extra plastic bags

Whether they are used plastic grocery bags or just some various sizes of zip baggies, plastic bags always come in handy. Think, wet swimwear, spilled-on-clothes, car sick bags, diaper disposal, sandy flip flops…. There are a million uses and it never hurts to keep a few on hand while traveling. I try to keep a few in our rental car, a couple in the diaper bag, and each suitcase gets at least one. Being prepared for emergencies makes vacationing a lot easier.

Which leads me to my last little note; be sure to bring along a few first aid items in your bag. Erik wanted to make sure that a small first aid kit made the list! Our first aid basket in my closet at home contains antibiotic cream from Paris, Orlando, and other previous vacation destinations. While it is fun to look through our vacation history in our closet – it would have been significantly easier (and more time efficient) if we would have just brought from home.

So that’s my basic list of packing tips and essentials for spring break! I hope you found some new items or tricks to help you plan for your next trip. I think, every time I travel, I find new ways to improve my process and tweak my planning. My family loves our travel time and we all can enjoy it so much more when we learn from past trip experiences and plan for improvement in the future! Let me know what your travel essentials are for your family, and happy packing and traveling!