Just about every family goes to the beach during the summer. But what’s the largest complaint? “Uh oh….you forgot…..” You usually end up forgetting. Try our tips to pack the ultimate beach bag and you’ll always stay organized while having fun in the sun!
Be certain your bag for the beach is big enough. Most Moms will have the “big” challenge of choosing a good looking beach bad that won’t be big enough for their carrying needs. Don’t forget to keep a head count of your kids and don’t forget that your kids often bring friends so keep track of them too whether you are at the pool or the beach. You’re going to need that extra room in a big beach bag!
Towels, towels and more towels! All of the family members need 2 towels: One for laying on the sand and one to dry off after getting out of the water or showering at the end. That’s a lot of towels. Keep your towels organized by adding clothing labels to each towel so your towels come home with you. Pick color coordinated towels so they are easy to find on the beach lying together.
Sandwich bags aren’t just for sandwiches. Here’s an easy trick to keep suntan or sunblock lotion from spilling all over the inside of your beach bag: keep it inside a sandwich bag with a tight seal! This will save lots of time and frustration. Add a label to the outside of your suntan or sunblock so other families know this is your sunblock and not theirs.
Clear plastic labels are every Mom’s dream for beach trips when it comes to packing the ultimate beach bag. How many times have you come home from the beach…only to discover you are missing a sand pail and shovel? Add clear plastic labels with your child’s name or family name to keep everything organized for this summer.
Keep your lunch chilled and dry by placing it near the bottom of your beach bag. Many of the items you pack in the beach bag won’t be heavy such as your swimming suit and dry towels. The heaviest thing you will probably pack is your lunch – so you’ll want to keep it cool and dry by packing it in the bottom of your beach bag. Create a shady place under your umbrella for your lunch with your chair and your towel hung over the side.
Many Moms love to bring a good book (okay a romance novel!) to the beach while the kids play. Make sure your romance novel comes home with you by adding a cheap sticker inside the book with your information. The beach is a busy place and there are lots of other Moms with books, best to keep yours organized and with you at all times
by Lawrence Reaves
Posted by admin | Posted in Auto Organization | Posted on 10-07-2009
With the high cost of flying, many families are turning to the old-fashioned road trip for their summer vacation plans. But don’t just get in the car and go! You’ve got to plan and organize to truly have the perfect road trip – it’s well within your reach.
Begin by getting directions from Google Maps, Mapquest or your favorite website. Use your GPS for step-by-step directions as you go. Tip: ask the person you are visiting for directions as sometimes there are unique landmarks you can keep an eye out for as you get close to their home.
To pack the trunk, first clean the trunk. Clear the trunk of all excess clutter before taking a road trip. Remember both kids and adults will likely bring back souvenirs from your summer vacation – and you are probably toting lots of luggage.
Always travel safe for your peace of mind. Pack a first aid kit and a car emergency kit. Make sure you’ve got an extra tire in case you need to change a tire. Add bottled water to your trunk for hydration in case you get stuck somewhere for awhile.
Stay organized to avoid sibling arguments and adult confusion. Clothing labels make vacation laundry much easier, as you may be adding a load in with another family’s. Clothing labels also ensure a hotel, motel or family friend will recognize your left-behind clothing just in case you do!
Create fun travel packs for each child to enjoy on the road. Include books or board books, soft toys or other fun games. Don’t count on your in-car TV to entertain them the entire way through. Label toys to make sure toys come back home with you after your vacation.
What’s Your Labeling Personality? Take Our Quiz!
When you want to get organized, labels are one of the top ways you can stay on top of things. You’ll find things quickly and know exactly what the contents are when things have a custom label.
But everyone has a labeling personality. Do you know what yours is? Take our labeling quiz to discover exactly what type of labeler you are!
1. Your son or daughter is going off to summer camp. You are a little teary eyed, knowing you’ll miss them. To get them organized you start by…..
- Labeling their trunk, inside of their clothing, snacks, emergency contact information – even their Game Boy!
- Labeling the inside of their clothes – then asking them to finish their labeling.
- Looking at what they have packed and labeling some of the items on top of the suitcase. They’ll always know what they have….won’t they?
2. Your family is throwing a tag sale to raise money for charity. You’ve cleaned and organized items and now it comes time to price and label them. You……
- Organize them into categories by what type of item they are (toys, clothing, books, etc). Then start to price and label them.
- Ask your children to label their toys and clothing and work on labeling and pricing the higher marked items.
- Put labels on everything but leave the prices blank. This will mean that everyone can negotiate for a price – tag salers love haggling for a great deal!
3. Your family is going on vacation for two weeks to Bermuda. Sunny skies and sandy beaches call you. But your family is from Minnesota – so this trip has taken lots of extra shopping and now you’ve got to organize all of your packing. You…..
- Pack everyone’s suitcases and carry-on bags and label each item. Adding clothing labels that include your name and address so they could be mailed back to you.
- Help your younger children to pack and remind your older teens and husband to pack and show them how to label their clothing and items.
- Add a label to the inside of your suitcase and to each family members’ suitcase. If any clothing gets lost…it was just meant to be!
Okay….time to tally up!
If your answers were mostly A then you are a Constant Cathy. Your labeling personality is well-organized, methodical and stays on top of every crisis. The only challenge? Sometimes you can go a bit overboard and wind up labeling the dog’s fleas!
If your answers were mostly B then you are a Middle of the Road Melody. Your labeling personality is relaxed and balanced. You see labeling as a way to stay organized, but you aren’t going to label like a chipmunk full of caffeine. The best way you can label is to make a list before you start a project and look at the priority places labels could go.
If your answers are mostly C then no one has to tell you that you are a Free Spirited Felicity. You stick labels wherever you are inspired to. Sometimes this means you have creative and inspired results and other times this means you are missing labels where it could be a great idea to have them. Make friends with Cathy and Melody for some great labeling tips – you can certainly teach them to be more creative!
