Packing Up and Moving Out

I've been going to the beach every year for 2 weeks since I was 3 years old.  The same beach.  In fact, the same condo on the same beach.  Over the years, I've come to realize what we need and don't need for our family vacation.  I've blogged about my past trips here, here, and here.  Adventures in packing are chronicled here, and here.

When the boys were little, it was like moving our entire house because we had to have pack n plays, swings, bouncy seats. baby food, diapers, and the whole list of baby needs.  Now that they're older, I've managed to scale down their clothes and pack in one bag each for them, and one bag of clothes for me.  We still take quite a bit of stuff, but it's nothing like it used to be.

Because we have a large condo with a full kitchen, I cook many of our meals rather than spending so much on eating out.  We do go out to eat a few times while we're there, but it's just easier to eat in with 2 rowdy boys (can I get an amen?).

 And of course, LOTS of sunscreen.  I usually take about 8-10 bottles or more of sunscreen.  Nolan is allergic to PABA so all his sunscreen is Water Babies.  I don't wear too much sunscreen at all, so I have my specific kinds, then we have the Sport kind for Cecil when he's down there.

To help me stay organized and make sure we get ALL our needs (I hate getting somewhere and realizing I've forgotten something at home), I keep a list on my computer and print it each year before our vacation.  I add to it throughout the year or right when we return home if there is something I want to remember for the next year.  It works out wonderfully!

The boys and I started packing recently for our trip and it was nice to have their help!  I had one grabbing items from the pantry and one crossing items off the list. 

Here's to a wonderful "Daytona Beach 2012" vacation!