Spring Break Travel Essentials

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I’ve started gathering stuff for Spring Break. I’m a shopper. I don’t necessarily keep everything I order but I like the chase. My “Me Time” is usually spent browsing the internet looking for things to make my life as a mom easier and more enjoyable. In the winter, I’m scouring every website known to man trying to find the best winter boots and when I find what I think are the best ones, I then spend hours trying to get a deal on them. It’s who I am.

Right now, I happen to be mentally and physically preparing myself for 10 days with my children in a foreign country.  We’ve never done it before without help (read: I want my mommy) and my Type A personality has me planning weeks in advance. More than anything, I just want it to be relaxing. And in order to relax, I have to plan.
Spring Break Travel Essentials | Duluth Moms Blog

 

The star of this show is the Bogg Bag. Have you seen this? It came on a recommendation from my friend Sara and Sara always knows what’s good so I bought one. It’s a beach bag made out of rubber. It’s quick to dry and easy to clean and it’s HUGE. It comes with three seal-able pouches that you attach anywhere you want to on the inside of the bag. You know what that means? No more wet, sandy iPhone. No more digging to the bottom of the beach bag for sunscreen. It’s huge and lightweight and I’m absolutely obsessed.
Spring Break Travel Essentials | Duluth Moms Blog

I’ve been gathering some secret stuff for the kids’ bags that they’ve never seen before because that means I might get 15 seconds of peace and quiet. I found these collapsible buckets that will be easy to pack for the five year old that loves to play in the sand. GENIUS. I also included a couple of games – the Clumsy Thief came on a good recommendation and the tiny Farkle made me smile. I remember playing Farkle with my family at the lake when I was little. It’s super tiny and easy to pack. I also bought them each a Travel Journal because I don’t plan to let them use the iPad for 10 straight days (someone please hold me) and they are going to need something to do in the room when we are winding down for the night.
Spring Break Travel Essentials | Duluth Moms Blog

I’ve tried a lot of Girls’ swimwear over the years and the one I always go back to is the Garnet Hill Signature line. The items mix and match so I can buy a rash guard, a swim skirt, a bottom and a tankini and they all mix-and-match and end up being a bunch of different looks. They are high quality and hold up in the wash. The set she wore last year is still going strong. My girl isn’t overly girly but she can rock a floppy sun hat like no one else and the pictures of her lounging around in a big hat are always my favorite. Sunglasses (of course) and a tube of sunscreen to finish her off. Those Beautycounter sticks are AMAZING and they have only safe ingredients which is really important to me. I may or may not buy them in bulk.
Spring Break Travel Essentials | Duluth Moms BlogAll three kids get a new Boden Hooded Towel every single year. They LOVE them and wear them all summer long. They keep them warm around the pool or at the beach after they get out of the water and want to play in the sand. Boden also makes adorable sun hats for little boys and I grab one whenever I see them. I usually buy rashguards and swim trunks at Lands End for the boys. I like the quality and my middle one has serious issues with tight swim wear so I get him the Husky cut and there’s a lot less complaining. A big sand shovel is a must for digging trenches and I never go anywhere in warm weather without a bottle of LavaDerm from Young Living. My littlest gets little sun spots (he must be allergic or sensitive to the sun or something) and it’s also great for cooling all of us down when we get too hot or if we happen to miss a spot applying sunscreen. I can’t say enough good things about it.
Spring Break Travel Essentials | Duluth Moms Blog
Finally, for me. I like to shop for me too. To start, a bottle of DIY multi-purpose hair spray. I add a tablespoon of conditioner, 5 drops of lavender, rosemary and tea tree essential oil and shake. Then, I top it off with water and use it at the end of the day to tame the tangled, chlorine-infested mane. It’s multi-purpose because lice don’t like the smells and I like to kill two birds with one stone. Next, I found these sandals at Target that look like birks but are rubber so I don’t have to worry about them getting wet at the pool. They are cuter than regular old flip flops and actually have some arch support which is crucial for my old lady back. The Kindle is a must – I’m planning attempt to read What She Knew by Gilly Macmillian and possibly Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I like a good thriller, page-turner at the beach. We’ll see how that goes. Vetiver essential oil goes in every bag I own because it calms me right down and helps me to relax. It’s my fav. A Beautycounter sunscreen face stick and some sunglasses are a must and last but certainly not least, my Maaji Beach wrap. It is amazing. It can be a scarf or a shawl or a skirt or a blanket for a sleeping kid. It’s stretchy and perfect. I bought it on a whim during a girl’s weekend a few years ago and it is one of my very favorite things.

What are you packing for Spring Break?