Originally Posted By BoyStory <-----feels proud that she "got" what Wonderingalice was saying only the 2nd time it was read. We have 13 days until departure. I actually stood at my 21 month old's dresser today, staring at a couple of Disney outfits that are saved for the trip- VERY tempted to start my "piles" of folded clothes on top of dressers that will go in suitcases next week. My general rule of thumb for packing for my family of 7 is one day of packing per day on vacation. This vacation is 7 days so I guess I should start packing on Sun or Mon. If I start too early, however, I start feeling overwhelmed by it all, so for now I'm still devising my packing lists; on paper and in my mind :0)
Originally Posted By agent Wow, I am feeling much better now! No one in my family cares what we bring so I end up packing for everyone (4 kids & 1 just give me my Levi's husband!) I swear they would all take just one outfit if I let them! We are just about all packed with 4 days left. Love the thread because I actually feel like I am making progress compared to you all! Thanks, I was a bit stressed! LOL!
Originally Posted By stagemomx3 *GRIN* 9 hours to go and I'm packed now! Just to clarify, the kids were all packed up yesterday, and the two suitcase full of surprise gifts from Mickey and the Gang was packed up on Saturday. It was just my own personal stuff that wasn't packed. The kids are getting a new character shirt from Zazzle for each day, along with new pjs, and swim stuff including goggles, so all I had to pack for them was pants, shorts, socks, undies, and an extra pair of shoes. They are even getting all new toiletries so that's packed in the "surprise" suitcases.
Originally Posted By agent Congrats stagemomx3! I always pack for myself last too! Enjoy your remaining time and have a great trip!
Originally Posted By fidoprincess Yay, stagemomx3!! Glad to hear it! WOW, two surprise suitcases?! I usually get by with one big one even when Tink gave dd the scooter. How many days is your trip? Have a wonderful time and we will be waiting to read your trip report! Hope one of the dream team finds your family and you win ears, lanyards and dream fastpasses!!!!
Originally Posted By stagemomx3 Our trip is 5 days, but it's surprises for 4 kids! It all would have fit in 1 large suitcase if it wasn't for the dang new 24 inch plushes the kids are getting, Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, and Goofy take up a lot of room!
Originally Posted By wonderingalice *Grins and winks at BoyStory* On the packing thing... We've got a weekend in Redondo Beach this Saturday/Sunday and probably won't pack until Friday night. Our kitty, Vicky, freaks out when the suitcases are moved into the bedroom (she knows we're getting ready to leave her alone, so I try to avoid that until the last minute.) But for Disneyland in December, I'll do laundry about a week in advance and hang everything I'm taking together in one spot in the closet. Will also get all the travel-size shampoos and lotions and stuff filled up and set aside ready to pack. It'll be a little easier for that trip because the 'kids' will all be boarded at the Vet a day in advance. Packing's pretty easy for us since it's just two adults. It's all done the night before - including transferring stuff I need from my regular purse into my tiny Mickey "backpack" (it's teeny, weeny - just happens to be designed like a backpack... I carry it over my shoulder like a purse). The very last stuff to get packed is my blow dryer, curling iron, brushes and comb after getting ready to leave the day of.
Originally Posted By ssturgeo 8 days until I fly to my brothers and then 12 until DL...I started laying things out week before last...and this past weekend "seriously" started putting clothes into piles. I have all the new toilitries, etc., in their respective bags, my lanyard and other Disney things out. I am soooo ready to be done and just zip those suitcases closed!!!
Originally Posted By mickeymeg 32 days to go ! The Countdown has started ! however I will not be packing until the night before, I just can't. It would only lead to too much over packing and worring about organization. Toss clothes and tolietries in a bag the night before and off we go !
Originally Posted By funnygarcia 54 days to go.. today is a "shop for stuff we need to pack " day. Dollar tree rain slickers, snack foods, new Tshirts or hats at Disney Store. One suitcase out to trip over in bedroom (never was put away after DS school trip in September). Debated taking the other 3 out when we looked for Halloween decorations in our storage locker. Decided we will take out when we put Halloween stuff back and pull out Christmas stuff Gotta find our swimsuits for our hot tub/jacuzzi dip before bed ritual. Set aside Tshirts (and one pr of shorts for wishful thinking warm weather) before they get packed away into seasonal clothing.. 35 degree weather now-- wahhhhh.
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Our trip is 16 days away and I have started setting out the clothes, but haven't yet put them in suitcases. I do have all the clothes written out on lists tho. Today I plan on purchasing the oversized zip lock baggies...yes, I am anal....I package each day's outfits! Its the easiest. Grab a bag- head to the bathroom, take shower, everything you need is right in it! Dirty clothes go back inside the bag. I sort when I get home. You can even number them so you just grab the bag that goes with your corresponding vacation day. This makes it easy for my daughter as well, because even tho she is a "teenager" we still wear matching outfits. So if she asks what we are going to wear I can just say, "oh, bag 2" Yes, I am a geek...the binder should have tipped you all off! LOL
Originally Posted By mickeynewe BTW...Saturday my Christmas Tree goes up! YAY! I refuse to come home this year and not have my tree up. That was soooo depressing last year!
Originally Posted By disnyfans mickeynewe I love your idea of the oversized zip lock bags! I have 4 kids and this would be great to do. My kids will love it too. They all ask me when we are on vacation to Disneyland..."mom what do I wear today?" So yes I will be using your idea for now on. THANK YOU! Have fun on your trip!
Originally Posted By fidoprincess Oh mickeynewe, that is the same thing we do-lol! Only we have 2 outfits for each day that coordinate with each other. The kids have regular outfits for daytime and then matching warm clothes for nighttime. I must be really nerdy because it is all Disney stuff from the great Disney Store sales and disneyshopping- matching mickey, stitch, narnia, etc. sweatshirts, tshirts, pants, even the hats, scarves and gloves. They are all "themed" for each day depending on what we are planning to do,(going to BB, wearing pirates, going to Plaza breakfast, weaing Pooh.) I grab the nighttime bags as we head out the door and stuff them in the backpack to put in the locker at DL and when they start to get cold, we just layer them over what they have on. DD always gets cold so we just slip sweat pants and sweat shirt right over what she is wearing. We used to go back to the hotel and change but now no one ever wants to leave the park so we just get a locker! The only thing different is that I must be worse than you-lol-I sort the dirty clothes each night so when we arrive home, I have my piles of laundry ready to go directly in the washer from each different suitcase(ie. whites all in one, darks in one...plus I always have an extra empty suitcase from the tink toys and when we head home, they all go back in that same suitcase! Then I have one suitcase just for clothes they didn't wear, clean ones that I just pop back in the drawer. OMG, I must be a nerd too and DH says I put the LUG in luggage-lol! Then we even have a "kitchen" suitcase with bowls, napkins, silverwear, snacks, cereal, a pitcher for me to make my ice tea, big cups, coffee...tooo much! I know just what you mean about coming home to no christmas tree!! That was such a bummer last year!! I am determined to get our stuff done before we leave but am running out of time. I can't do it this weekend because DD is having her big bday party! It looks as though I can "try" and do it the next weekend but it is iffy unless I can get all the packing done too-lol! I might just have to be content to do the tree only and then finish up all the other stuff once we are home. We have a giant village with trains, the whole bit that usually takes us a whole weekend just to set that up! Plus, I have to move the PIANO to fit it all in and that takes great effort-ugh. I can actually do it myself because it has wheels but still it is a big project to set up Christmas here. I bet if I got off the computer, I could get it all done-lol!
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Okay, I AM just as bad as you! We always did the same thing in the past...we end up putting all the clean clothes in one bag. I USED to sort and put the dirty clothes in the other two separate bags. BUT, I decided to change that this year over the whole bed bug scare thing. I figured that if I kept clothes zipped up, there would be less of a chance of bringing critters home. I actually thought about leaving the suitcases OUTSIDE when we got home and just emptying all the baggies into a large trash bag and then carrying that into the house to separate and do the laundry. That way I wouldn't be bringing the buggies into the house and I can even spray down the bags with disinfectant....okay I told you I was a geek, but I am also paranoid! *shudders at the thought of bed bugs* Don't feel bad about the Disney themed outfits. We all have matching sweatshirts, polos, etc. I never thought I would get my hubby to go along, but I finally did! *mischievious smile* The only day I don't have matching outfits is for Thanksgiving Day because I wanted to dress up just a bit (as much as you can with jeans) for our big date at Club 33! So we all have nice sweaters to wear. Oh, do your best to put up your tree! It is so depressing otherwise, you'll regret it if you don't at least get part of it done! Once you get home you'll have all the unpacking, laundry, etc. that will just keep putting it off. I have never had my tree up as late as it was last year and it kind of ruined the whole Disney / Christmas mood to come home to no tree. I LOVE Christmas and it just put a damper on things for me. Okay, and now I am going to share one of my special secrets, perfect for kids or adults....... I ALWAYS wear a hat, long story, won't bore you. I also make sure my daughter wears a hat also. I take the traditional "Mickey Ears" and sew them on to my baseball caps. You can also easily sew them on to a baby's floppy hat, etc. Not only do they stay on, you get the added sun protection! I can't tell you how many times I have been asked where I bought my "hat" because people loved the baseball cap with the ears. Sometimes we just wear our baseball caps, other times I am really in the mood to wear my ears. The easiest thing is to just take a little sewing kit (or get one from the hotel) and sew them on. It takes about 5 minutes at most.
Originally Posted By ssturgeo mickeynewe...zip loc bags...I am going after work to get some!! What a great idea...and I have no kids traveling with me!! BUT...it will also make packing easier too...I nearly always overpack, stress over what to take, etc., etc. Each days in a bag...no over packing and no decisions each morning!! And, dirty clothes are taken care of too!! THANKS for the terrific idea!
Originally Posted By mickeynewe What is also nice about the zip lock bags is if you are flying, the clothes can be "compressed" by forcing the air out and you can get more into your suitcase. An added benefit we discovered when flying to Alaska last May. LOL...who needs space bags? Ziploc bags work just as well and are cheap & disposable!
Originally Posted By fidoprincess Okay, mickeynew, you have convinced me to store all the dirty clothes in bags to bring home! I am AFRAID to say another word about the dreaded bedbug subject, you must know why! But, I did cancel one reservation and luckily got into another hotel for our first night that we unexpectedly added-lol. I do think that would be a prudent step to take though! I will be bringing some extra bags too! (I heard that spraying the luggage doesn't kill them though so not sure about that part but I will not be bringing them right into the house.) There was an new report about how simply putting clothes in the dryer for 20 minutes kills them though but still not sure about the luggage problem. Nope, Dh and I do not wear Disney clothes, just the kids. Each time I went to buy myself something, I realized that I would only wear it at DL so I skipped it-lol. DS is 11 now but still happily wears the Disney clothes but only at Disneyland! He would not be caught dead wearing his Pooh shirt to school-lol! Both happily wear their ears all over the park, every day and we sewed elastic straps onto the ears like the infant ones have. That way they never come off on the rides! About a million people at DL asked me how did I get those ears with the straps-lol! A baseball hat is a good idea too esp for the sun protection but my kids are so so fair, we suncreen them up even in the winter! I even have to carry a suncreen stick all day to reapply-ugh. Thanks for the good idea though, I bet other people will use it! Yep, not doing the tree last year ahead of time really put a damper on things so I think I will just get the Christmas stuff down as I pack up the Halloween stuff! We will just skip the Thanksgiving decorations this year since we won't even be here. I have to at least do the tree because coming home last year was just depressing! We got home on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and it was sad, sad, sad after seeing all the wonderful decorations at DL!! Are you excited about Hollywood? Please remember to come back and post your review of the hotel, can't wait to hear all about it!
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Actually, it is very sad...but I was so excited about Disneyland for so long, but now I am not ready for it. I haven't felt good the last two days so I have had a hard time even trying to work up my enthusiasm. I just want to sleep, which is unlike me. It just seems like I have so much stuff to do that I just don't feel up to doing. I'm sure once I get feeling better I will be more excited. Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to it, I just don't have the energy to do anything about it right now and can't fathom the idea of having enough energy to be there from opening to midnight each night. Again, I'm sure once I feel better I'll be back to my normal cheery, energetic self. I'm going to stop by after work today and get some Airborne. I swear by that stuff! I think I just really need a few good nights of sleep too. Aside from our normal routine, which is busy enough, my daughter and I volunteer at an after school program and we have just been working hard planning a super special Halloween surprise for the kids and having so many late nights that I think my resistance just got too low and allowed me to get cooties. We are looking forward to Hollywood, tho. My hubby is like a kid in a candy store at the prospect of going to the Magic Castle. I really hope the hotel is nice. I really want this to be special for my hubby. He's been waiting a long time to go to the MC. Oh, and thanks for the heads up about the dryer idea! That is really good info to know. Maybe I'll opt to use our large duffel bags in lieu of the suitcases. That way, I can just throw them in the dryer! We are also packing a separate bag just for our Hollywood stay since it is only one night. Separate bags, separate hotels. Going to minimize our chances of bringing home critters to the best of our ability. Keep me posted on your progress! It will help inspire me to keep motivated.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney I am leaving Saturday morning and haven't starting packing yet. Mostly I hate having clutter around. I did tell my kids today not to wear anything they want to wear at D-land so we can pack it tomorrow. But I also like to have every bit of my laundry done when I leave for Disneyland. So I'll be doing laundry into tomorrow night. All of my packing will be done tomorrow for my family of 4. BTW, I like packing for everyone. I'm a bit of a control freak I guess I do have a running list on my computer that I've had for years, so I'm prepared.
