Anyway, pictured below are 5 piles of clothes for each of us. There may have been a few items still missing as we were doing laundry until late last night, but you'll still get the gist of what I was working with. We basically have enough clothes to last us about 10 days each, except for the littlest dude who has 2 weeks worth of clothes packed. We each have about 2 pairs of shoes and hats to protect us from the sun. I only have enough diapers and wipes to last us while on the plane and maybe a couple days later as we will be buying more once we arrive. I also have each of the required medications should something happen and gifts we are taking for people waiting for us at our destination. Another important tip would be to wear your heaviest clothing items on the plane. We're wearing jeans and taking our jackets with us in case it gets chilly.
I managed to get everything into 2 suitcases and 3 carry ons. This was achieved by rolling all of our clothes except those that would wrinkle easily and stuffing breakable gifts in between each of clothing items. Don't forget to package spillable items up in ziploc bags. The carry ons only include those things that we may need on the airplane and my camera bag. These are filled with snacks, diapers, changes of clothes for the children, reading materials, games and other necessities to occupy the kiddies. :) We started out with only one suitcase but seeing as we are a military family, I found a clause in the flight rules that exempts us from paying baggage fees (check your airlines' rules). But seeing as we have 3 youngens to look after as well, we tried not to go too overboard.
Hope this was helpful to my fellow mommies getting ready for their own family vacay. Have fun and stay cool this summer! I will try to continue writing blogs even while away, but as with the past couple of weeks of preparation they may be a little farther and fewer between. :)
