3 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO BEFORE VACATION THAT YOU’LL THANK YOURSELF FOR

1. CLEAN YOUR HOUSE // I can’t tell you the amount of stress this gives me beforehand. You have to get your itinerary together, pack your family, AND THEN DO THIS?! And my answer is yes, I promise it’s worth it. It doesn’t have to be stressful. If you know you’re going on vacation at the end of the month, plan out what you can clean or pickup every day for 10 minutes. Set your timer and then pick up and work as much as you can -- you’ll be surprised. It’s easier to pack, you’ll have your laundry done, and you’re less likely to forget something if everything is in its proper spot. BUT THE BEST FEELING OF ALL… is when you come home from a wild vacation and a packed day of traveling, and YOUR HOUSE IS CLEAN. It’s the most glorious feeling and I promise that as soon as you do this for one trip, you will want to do it for the rest of them!
2. PLASTIC BAGS // It sounds weird, but I’ve tried it and it works!! Plan out your outfits, get a gallon bag, put said outfits into gallon bag. Do this for you, your husband, and definitely your kids. It will take extra work beforehand that seems ridiculous, but you’ll be prepared like you’ve never experienced. It’ll be a no brainer to get up and get everyone, including yourself dressed. And as far as dirty clothes go, you can just pop the dirty clothes back into the gallon bag -- it’s fool-proof!
   
3. ​FRIDGE CLEAN OUT // And by this I simply mean to be cognizant of what’s in your fridge like 2 weeks out and leading up to your trip. I’m convinced there are few worse things than wasted groceries. So be smart. Don’t buy a gallon of milk that will expire during your absence. If you have hummus that is going to expire while your gone, eat it for a snack. If you have a couple fresh veggies that still need to be used, chop them up, drizzle olive oil, and pop them in the oven -- don’t waste what you have! I promise this is also a smart idea because you don’t want critters to invade your home. AND you don’t want your house smelling when you come back! *Also a free piece of unnumbered advice: empty all your trash before leaving too!*