How to Prepare for a Vacation Without Losing Your Mind

Have you ever returned from a family holiday feeling like you need another vacation just to recover? The secret to truly enjoyable family travel isn't found in luxury destinations or perfect itineraries, it lies in thoughtful preparation that happens well before you even leave home.

As I prepare to embark on a cross-country road trip with my husband and four young children, I'm sharing my three-part system for stress-free family holidays that's evolved through years of trial and error. Creating a comprehensive master checklist weeks in advance has transformed my approach to family travel. By categorizing everything from clothing and toiletries to entertainment and technology needs, I've eliminated that last-minute panic of potentially forgetting something critical. The digital version serves as a reusable template, while the printed copy becomes my tactical guide during actual packing.

Batching similar tasks and meaningful delegation forms the second pillar of holiday preparation. Rather than spreading preparations thinly across weeks, grouping activities like laundry, document printing, and shopping creates efficiency. More importantly, involving children in age-appropriate aspects of preparation teaches valuable life skills while distributing the mental load. My sons each choose comfort items to bring, fostering autonomy and responsibility. The final component, often overlooked yet equally crucial, is preparing your home for your return. Coming back to clear countertops, empty bins, clean dishes and completed laundry transforms the end of your holiday from a dreaded return to responsibilities into a comfortable transition back to home life. I even prepare a frozen meal ready to heat upon our return, eliminating the immediate need for grocery shopping when everyone's tired from traveling.

Ready to transform your next family holiday experience? Connect with me on Instagram @shes.organised and implement these strategies for your next adventure.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Beyond Organised
• 0:58 Planning a Big Family Trip
• 2:43 Creating a Master Checklist
• 7:39 Batching and Delegating Tasks
• 13:44 Preparing Your Home for Return
• 18:13 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Transcript

Mel: 0:18

Welcome to Beyond Organised, the podcast that helps you simplify your life and amplify your purpose. I'm Mel Schenker, life coach, speaker, founder of She's Organised, but, more importantly, a wife and mum of four little kids. If you've ever felt overwhelmed, like you're constantly juggling everything but never quite catching up, this is the place for you. Here we go beyond just the tidying up and creating systems. We're talking about real life strategies that bring order to your life, but also we talk about the things beyond the organizing, the things that really matter, like your parenting relationships and so much more. So grab your coffee and let's dive in. Welcome back to another episode.

Mel: 1:02

On this one, I actually wanted to talk about something a little one. I actually wanted to talk about something a little different, and I wanted to talk about preparing for a holiday or vacation and, hopefully, removing the stress in the process. So, as some of you may know, I've been planning a big family trip for a little while now, and we're about ready to head off, and so I thought I would share the things that I've been doing in helping me prepare for this holiday. So a big part of actually getting the most out of the experience is what you do before the holiday even starts. So, yeah, you can wing it, yeah, you can be spontaneous. I mean, the holiday is a holiday after all. But when you've got four little kids and I'm fully aware that this may not be a relaxing holiday for me it is still a big family holiday nonetheless, and it is something that I'm very excited for my kids to experience. We're going to be driving across states and, yeah, just getting to some warmer weather, hopefully, and having a great time at the beach and all of that as well. So I'm just very excited, very excited for my kids and the memories that they will have for their life. But a big part of making sure that that goes well is in the preparation leading up to it, the things that kids are completely oblivious to. So I want to share sort of my three main steps to make your holiday easier and a bit more enjoyable. So there, hopefully, is a little bit of downtime for you too.

Mel: 2:47

So my first big point to make is create a master checklist. So everything that's in your head, get it out. Get it out onto a piece of paper, because we don't want to have that last minute panic of oh what if I forget this and what if I forget that Start creating a checklist even weeks in advance. I know that probably sounds a bit full on, but I have started creating this list a number of weeks before we're set to go. And it's all the little things like taking some dishwashing liquid or some washing powder so that we can do some laundry on the way. It's making sure we've got some rolls of toilet paper. So when we're stopping at a public toilet spot we've got some toilet paper. It's all those things that you don't necessarily think about when you're about to go, but it's all the things that sort of pop up every now and then as the weeks build up. Like if you're doing a big road trip, you want to have things like toilet paper. If you're flying on the plane, you might want to have some activities for the kids to do, some drawing or coloring and things like that. So we want to create that master checklist to try and avoid that panic that comes from thinking you've forgotten something important.

Mel: 4:07

So I've broken up my checklist into sort of main categories. So I've got clothing. Now this is across all six people. I've got the clothing, got toiletries, things like your travel documents or even entertainment for your travel, so it could be things like iPads and Nintendo switches or it could be a coloring books and DVDs. Even so, some places that we're staying it has a DVD player so we might sit and watch a movie for the night, because we don't have the internet or technology available. So it's all your travel sort of needs in terms of entertainment and documents, all your charges and tech related things. I've got that in a category. Uh, that's pretty important, especially when you've got kids. We've got all the snacks and main food items in one category. Kids' needs again, that's kind of in with the travel documents and entertainment, and then all the home prep stuff, so all the things to prepare around the home before we leave and for when we come back, things like your fridge and your bins and all of that.

Mel: 5:34

I then break it down and I kind of do like a mini checklist for each kid, just making sure I've got particular clothing items, nappies, formula, all that kind of stuff for each one. And I keep both a digital version and I like my paper and pen, so I do print it out too, but I have got a digital backup that I can adjust and tweak in the lead up and then I generally print it the day before we're set to go, and then that way, having a digital version, you can use it again in the future for future holidays that you got. So you're not having to completely redo a full checklist each time and then I put it all together and then, a day or two before we're set to go, that's when I can actually start packing and getting everything put together and I don't really need to start packing. Before that I used to be someone that would pack a week or two before we left for anywhere because I didn't want to forget anything, but then some of the things I needed I'd already packed and it was just a pain. So by having this checklist and knowing that everything is covered from clothing to nappies, to washing detergent, all that kind of stuff I then don't have to panic that I'm not going to pack it or have it ready in time. So then I just pack the day before and have everything we need there, because then there's less likely to actually pull out again something that we might need. So that is sort of the main thing having that master checklist and covering sort of those main categories and you can have whatever categories work for you. They're just sort of the main things that work for me. So again, the clothing, the toiletries, travel documents and entertainment, all your tech and charges, snacks and food Individually. I set aside kids' needs in a separate list. It might have all the same things as everything else, but just making sure that I've got that covered and your home prep got that covered and your home prep.

Mel: 7:39

So my next bit of advice that might help is I batch and delegate tasks. So batch all the things together. That can save me time and energy in the lead up so I might do a bigger laundry batch. So, as many of you are aware, I sort of do one to two loads of washing a day to just keep on top of it. But when I know we've got a holiday coming up, I kind of speed track all the washing in the last few days to make sure all the kids stuff is done, even the sheets and towels and stuff. So when we come back everything is clean and ready to go.

Mel: 8:12

The last thing you want to do when you come back from a holiday is have a whole pile of washing that you need to get through because you're already going to be adding to that from the stuff you've had on your holiday. So I want to try and clear everything before we go, within reason. Sometimes there's towels or sheets that aren't that important before you go, because when you come back you've still got other towels and sheets you can use. So still be wise with your time. But I do like to batch tasks together and I like to try and smash out as much as I can in the particular category. So things like your laundry, but also your shopping. I want to get snacks and supplies before we go because chances are once we're already on the road or you're traveling overseas, sometimes you're limited with what you can take if you're doing international flights and things like that. But take what you can in the lead up so then you're not stressing having to find a shop or particular items at your destination or on the road. So you want to try and plan and prepare and have what you need, because sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes you might get a flat tire or I think it takes you a lot longer to get there because maybe it's heavy rain or storms have delayed a flight or anything can come up. So if you can prepare to have food and water and supplies that you need before you leave, it can potentially save a bigger headache down the track.

Mel: 9:44

I also print and save all my travel documents and everything in one go. So for this particular trip we're not flying, we are driving across states and everything. It's a very big drive and anyone that knows Australia our country is huge so to even drive across states it's going to take us days. But it is exciting because we are doing a lot of little stops along the way and I've got all the parks and playgrounds prepared and the different places we're staying at, which is pretty much kid friendly, so it's going to be fantastic for them. But I've got all that printed out ready to go of the addresses of all the places we're staying and even the parks we want to play at along the way. I've got it all in a document, all printed out ready to go, but even certain activities that we're doing, like theme parks and whatever. I've got that all sorted out too.

Mel: 10:37

So having everything that you need in one space is great. Now you don't have to print it out like me. Like I said, I like to have the physical copies. I also have a digital backup, but you might want to keep everything digitally. If you know, you've got access to internet where you're going. It's good to have that in, maybe in a digital file on your phone or on your computer or something like that delegating. So yeah, I could carry the whole load and yes, I could probably get it all done and it will be efficient and good.

Mel: 11:10

But I also want the kids to learn something out of this too. I want them to be involved in the things that they're taking and also involved in culling out some of the things they want to take, because no doubt they will want to take everything, including the kitchen sink. But that is not reasonable, particularly when we're going in a car and there's very limited space, or even if you're flying and you've got limited weight. You do have to be reasonable with things. But I want them to be part of taking specific toys or books, things that are important to them along the way. One of my boys he said he really wants to take his pillow, even though everywhere we're going has a pillow provided, he still really wants to take his pillow and that's fine. My other one wants to take his blanket. That's fine.

Mel: 12:00

So it's just having them part of the process and not making all the decisions for everyone, but let them be part of it, and sometimes that still means you have to help them pack, because maybe you're teaching them how to pack because this might be one of the first time to doing a family trip and they're old enough to learn. So it might still take a little while. But if your kids are old enough and they know how to pack their own bags and that, teach them that. But also teach them that if they forget something that's on them, you're not necessarily going to be going out and buying a whole lot of new stuff. So make sure they follow the list of pants and t-shirts and underwear and everything else that they need so they're not missing anything as well. And then you can do what I do and probably just go through and double check, before it is time to go, all these other things that are more adult type responsibilities. Maybe your partner can handle it, so you can focus on the things maybe around the home. So then your partner can handle things like pets and insurance and all the other things that isn't fun to do but necessary to organize before you go. Now, one thing that I know I'm going to have to deal with when it's time for us to go is I'm going to have to let go of the way that I would usually do things to allow for my kids to learn in this process, and that good enough is good enough. It doesn't need to have everything completely packed in tightly and everything like that, but the main thing is actually being mindful of what we're taking, not overpacking, but making sure we've got the essentials of everything that we need. And sometimes, you know, divide and conquer can prove to be better in the long run, so you're not having to take on the full load.

Mel: 13:44

Now the third main part, and something I find equally important to the holiday itself, is preparing your return. There is nothing like that feeling of when you've been away for a while, to coming home, coming home to a clean home, to your own bed, with clean, fresh sheets and everything sort of in its place, and you can just sit down and relax. And, yes, you'll get to the washing that needs to get done and all this other stuff that comes from the holiday. But your benches are clear, your dishes are done like, the bins are empty, everything is reset, ready to go. That is such a lovely feeling, but I'm sure there are plenty of you that haven't really had a chance to experience that properly, maybe in your adult lives, since you're the one that's in charge of the home, and in the lead up to going on a holiday, you might be panicking and stressing, just trying to get everything packed. And you've still got things lying around. Okay, maybe the dishes are done, but you didn't get a chance to go through and sort all the washing out and everything else before you left, and so you come home to piles of things still waiting to be done. That's not a pleasant feeling.

Mel: 15:03

The last thing you want is, when your holiday is ending to dread coming home. You want to enjoy coming home too. So, yeah, the biggest stress is generally not wanting to come home because you've got stuff you need to do. So we want to reset before we go. We want to make sure that your benches, countertops are all clear, your entryway is clear, so the first thing you see when you come in it's not stuff that hasn't been dealt with. Still, you want to make sure your dishes are done, clean, put away before you go.

Mel: 15:42

Ideally, you want to make sure all your rubbish is out of the house and done, because, especially if you're away for a few weeks, if you've got rubbish still sitting in the bins, it's probably going to stink by the time you come home and you do not want to be overpowered by smell from things that have been rotting or, yeah, just gross. And you want to make sure that it's relatively tidy when you come back and your laundry and everything is put away. Your washing isn't piled up. You want to try and get on top of that and it might mean extra loads of extra washing before you go, but you want to make sure that is done. You want to make sure as well that you've got a meal that's frozen, perhaps that's ready to go when you come back, that you can come out, you can defrost and heat up and it's done. You don't need to be scrambling around trying to find food when you've got probably no bread or milk or any staples in the house are particularly perishable things because you've been away for a while. You want to have a meal that's ready to go, that you can heat up, you can eat and you can deal with the groceries later.

Mel: 16:47

And if anyone's been looking after your home while you're gone, you want to make sure that they know how to look after the place properly, how to run the dishwasher, how to use the washing machine and all of that and you don't want to have your stuff around if they're going to be using it for their stuff. But you also want to set that expectation that when you come back, you would like to see the house how you left it clean, or even better than how you left it ideally, especially if you're paying them. So maybe even having a little gift there as well, just as an extra thank you even if you're paying them to stay, it would be good to just have that extra present there available to thank them. So my main tips and takeaways when you're preparing for a holiday or vacation is to have a master checklist to batch and delegate your tasks, to be more efficient with your time and energy and to prepare for your return energy and to prepare for your return. So I hope that this helped you for your next holiday when you come, to set something up that you can prepare a little bit better and not feel frazzled when it's time to go and not dread when it's time to come home.

Mel: 18:01

So if you've got any questions about this, feel free to reach out. I'm more than happy to answer any questions you've got and if I've got a lot coming through, I'll do another episode down the track to help answer them. So thank you for listening and I look forward to talking to you soon. If you loved this episode, don't forget to hit subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. And if you want to continue the conversation, you can connect with me on Instagram at @shes. organised, or, for some free resources, head over to beyondorganised. com/ toolkit. Remember, organising is a tool to live the purposeful life beyond it. See you next time.