Packing Tips: Two under Two

Our family recently went on a weekend trip to New Orleans. We loaded into the car at 2:00 a.m. and drove to New Orleans. We had a great trip, but a lot of planning went into the packing for that trip. There is a fine balance between being prepared and taking too much!

One way I stay organized now that we are a family of 4 is with packing cubes. I first learned about packing cubes on Jen’s Youtube channel (Pretty Neat Living).  On her blog she has a whole section about travel and packing, you should check it out – I always get lots of inspiration from her! Upon first glance, packing cubes can be quite expensive. However, I use a site called ebates and buy from the ebags website.  if you use the referral link included you can get a 10.00 gift card and start earning money just for shopping online! The ebags website typically gives back 8-12% cash back for purchases!

Go now, Free Money!!

Anyway, back to how I pack for trips with two under two!

Yes, you will be investing in the cubes, but i’ve found them to be so helpful. Especially because my oldest daughter loves to pick out her own outfits. With the packing cubes, I don’t have to worry about her picking a shirt she’s already worn, she only has the options still in the packing cubes!

How do you pack.

I put each persons items in a cube, all their socks and clothing must fit in a cube.
Towels, burp cloths, blankets and *extras* go in a different cube.

What happens when you get to your destination? 
All clean clothing and items stay in the cube. Dirty items go in a pile (sometimes they make it into an empty bag) until it’s time to go home.

Do you put dirty clothes in them to come home?
I don’t. I feel like it adds extra work when I get home, so I typically ONLY put clean items into the cubes, so they are ready for our next trip when we get home.

All the dirty clothes get stuffed into 1 bag, and the cubes, clean clothing, extra diapers and items go into the second bag.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a list of items packed for the girls ALL in 1 bag! 

Items for my four month old.

  • 2 pajamas
  • 5 pairs of socks
  • 2 dresses
  • 3 diaper covers
  • 2 shorts 
  • 1 pair of jeans 
  • 2 shirts
  • 1 hat
  • 1 swim shirt
  • 3 onesies

Items for my 19 month old.

  • 1 pajama
  • 6 pairs of socks
  • 1 pair of jeans
  • 1 bathing suit
  • 1 hat
  • 2 dresses
  • 2 onesies
  • 3 shorts
  • 3 shirts
  • 3 swim diapers
Extra’s packed
  • q-tips
  • powder
  • saline sprays
  • diaper rash cream
  • 2 bibs
  • 6 burp cloths
  • 1 sheet
  • 1 changing page
  • 100 wipes 
  • 38 Size 2 diapers
  • 32 Size 4 diapers
All items above were packed into 1 large duffle bag, and by using the packing cube system, I felt very organized upon our arrival in New Orleans! 
My husband and I also used packing cubes for our clothing and found it to be helpful when looking for our clothes. 
An added benefit to using the packing cube system is that it forces you to really think about what you will need, and NOT over pack. 

For fun I created a short video of me packing the girls items for our trip, I hope you’ll enjoy! Be sure to subscribe for more fun videos! 

Question of the day: Have you ever used packing cubes or a similar system for travel?

You might also enjoy…

Scene on MY run – New Orleans Running
Scene on HIS run – New Orleans Running
All the (mugs) I mean Souvenirs we purchased in New Orleans

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