My Printable Packing List for Your Alaskan Cruise

I’ve already shared my top 5 products for an Alaskan cruise, but now it’s time to share the details of packing. What’s worth bringing, what’s not, and how to organize it. I created a simple, printable guide to help you pack for this trip-of-a-lifetime with your kids and/or toddler.

This guide breaks packing down into specific categories, focused on packing for a toddler—but it applies to kids and adults too! I focus on essentials, the diaper bag, and toddler equipment, plus the basics, with an eye on what is and isn’t available on a cruise ship. Click below to download!

If you haven’t already, check out my blog posts on 5 products that helped my packing organization and everything I learned on our Alaskan cruise.

5 Products to Help Organize Your Alaskan Cruise Packing

Packing for myself for a 7-day trip is often a slog. But packing for 3 people (myself, my 22-month-old, and my 8-year-old) is almost torturous. It’s overwhelming and daunting. 

But I’ve found a few things to help me pack for my kids that take the stress out of it—plus a few pieces that I think will help make your Alaskan cruise just a little easier. 

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1. Day of the week packing cubes

These packing cubes have the days of the week on them and let me tell you, they make packing for kids so much easier. While I was packing for each kiddo, I just laid these out on the floor and stacked outfits and pajamas on top for each day. It cut down the amount of guesswork and just made my life so much easier. Plus, it makes being on the cruise easier as well; my 8-year-old was able to grab the day he needed and change without digging through a suitcase full of clothes. Win-win. 

2. Wet bags

Wet bags aren’t new, but they are a valuable packing tool. I used wet bags to pack swimsuits and sunscreen; this way the sunscreen was contained in case it burst and I knew to look for the wet bag when digging for swimsuits. Plus, once we were on the boat, I carried one with us in case of an emergency diaper change. 

3. Laundry bags

For years while traveling, I have packed a garbage bag to put our dirty laundry in. Times have changed and I knew I needed something a little more resilient for this trip. Plus, you never want someone to mistake your dirty laundry for garbage. These laundry bags are MASSIVE (like way bigger than I thought!) They come in a two pack. We filled one up entirely on our 7-day trip and I was able to put it into our largest suitcase (which was pretty much empty by that point). It keeps the dirties contained until you can handle them. 

 4. Toddler cutlery 

Toddler cutlery? What’s this doing on the list? Well, as I was packing I kept thinking about if they would have toddler cutlery on the boat. News flash: they don’t. I ordered this set to keep in our stroller and it was truly a lifesaver. Violet is at the age where she wants to do everything herself and trying to wield a too-big fork just wasn’t it. This set is compact and barely takes up any room. Perfect for streamlined packing. 

5. Toddler leash harness 

Last but not least, a toddler leash. I know, I know, this might be controversial. But cruise ships can be CROWDED and toddlers don’t like being contained. I recommend not bringing a baby carrier for your toddler—it was just impractical—and opt for this instead. It is super compact and takes up less space than a baby carrier, and you’ll be able to let your toddler have a little bit of freedom. 

I Went On an Alaskan Cruise With a Toddler. Here’s What I Learned.

When my mom first suggested an Alaskan cruise for my entire family (my parents, my siblings and their kids, plus my husband and kids), I was excited. But as the days grew closer, I found myself getting more and more stressed. 

When you have kids, especially those under 6, packing for vacations is always a little more daunting. Not only do you have diapers and wipes (and all the things that come along with those things), you have to worry about packing cups for milk (because when do restaurants ever have cups that toddlers can drink out of effectively?), toddler cutlery, and any emergency supplies. Never mind packing for yourself! 

We set out on our Alaskan cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines in early August. For 7 days, we sailed from Seattle to Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, and Victoria BC before returning back to Seattle. There were so many parts that were beautiful, fun, and exciting. But there were also parts that were, well, not-so-fun. That’s just the reality of traveling with a toddler, right? 

I will be sharing a series of blog posts over the coming days about our Alaska cruise experience—including products I bought that I think saved our butts, plus a packing list guide that will keep you from overpacking. 

But first, let’s talk about everything we experienced on our first cruise as a family. 

Let’s Talk Amenities

I went on an Alaskan cruise when I was around 13. I can’t actually remember a ton about that cruise—I know I had fun—and I know it was on a different cruise line. But compared to that cruise, and according to my mom (who has been on tons of cruises with my dad in the last few years), I definitely felt like the amenities had changed. 

Firstly, your stateroom, no matter what, is going to be small. Whether you have a balcony or an interior room, it’s going to be tight with not a lot of storage space. So as your packing, consider that. It’s also something to consider when thinking about sleeping arrangements: if you have a toddler who is very finicky about their sleep, this is going to be tough. We originally planned to have a pack’n’play (provided by the ship), but there was simply nowhere to put it in the room. I mean, nowhere. 

Secondly, your stateroom might not even have items you consider standard in hotel rooms. Prime example, our stateroom didn't have shampoo. I’m not joking. I know other staterooms did (my sister’s did!) but the dispensers in our shower only had body wash and hand soap. (Hand soap!) I hadn’t packed shampoo because I’d expected it—and no matter how many times I requested it from guest services, it never arrived. 

When it comes to food, there is plenty of it. Depending on how you book, you might also have the unlimited drinks package, which means you can pop up to any bar and get a soda or cocktail (or beer presumably). However, outside of meal times, there isn’t a whole lot around: there are ice cream places and a candy shop, but nowhere to grab, say, a bowl of chips outside of buying some from a shop.This is to say: if you’re traveling with kids whose appetites are unpredictable, bring some reliable snacks. 

One thing I found frustrating throughout our cruise was the lack of consistent information; there were times where I was told one thing and then that turned out to not be true. This can likely be chalked up to the sheer size of the cruise ship I was on; it had over 4,000 guests on it, which meant even with a huge staff, they were stretched thin. On days we weren’t in port, everything was crowded. 

That being said, everything we had access to as an amenity was great; the complimentary dining room was fantastic; the specialty restaurants were great; the bar were top notch. There was no aspect of the food or entertainment that I didn’t enjoy. However, if you’re traveling with small kids, there just simply isn’t a lot for them to do and the 3 course dinners in the evening are loooong for them. There wasn’t a single night where Danny or I didn’t have to leave dinner with Violet. We tried to alternate, but it was what it was. 

One other important amenity: after Covid, cruises stopped offering coffee pots in staterooms, primarily because they’re just hard to clean and cleaning so many between cruises is a chore. However, the internet (and my mom) told me I should be able to request one. I requested one for 3 days in a row and finally gave up. It was a huge pain in the butt to have to walk up to the buffet to get coffee in the morning (writing that out sounds so silly, but listen, I was sleeping with an active toddler who kicked me all night, I needed coffee), especially when my family wasn’t ready to actually go to breakfast yet. Something to consider on your trip!

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To Pack or Not To Pack? 

I think I acutely knew even as we were boarding our cruise that I had overpacked. And I did; I packed too much stuff we didn’t touch or need and I didn’t pack enough of stuff we did need. 

One hilarious fact is this: Alaska in the summer is typically not-hot, but not-cold and can be pretty rainy. Watching the weather the week leading up to our cruise, I felt confident in what I packed: spring weather clothes, plus all our rain coats. Friends, do you think we needed those rain coats? No. It was 80+ in every single city we stopped in. According to the Alaskans we met, it was their one nice week of weather during the summer. We did not need those raincoats and I was sweating my butt off in my leggings. I had only packed 4 t-shirts and then primarily sweatshirts. I’m not sure there was any way I could have anticipated such out of the ordinary weather, but I probably should have had more t-shirts at least. 

I’ll have a more in-depth packing list post coming up, but for now, here’s a summary of my suggestions for packing with a toddler: 

• Bring your stroller, not a baby carrier. We brought our tush baby and the snug attachment we have for it and we didn’t use it once. It’s not an easy to pack carrier either. I was very annoyed with myself about it. We used our stroller every single day, though, because Violet just isn’t big enough to walk on her own most places yet. 

• Pack a light number of activities for your kids. I went a little overboard with activities and we really didn’t touch them hardly at all. That felt, again, a little silly of me. A sketchbook and a pack of crayons were really all Forrest and Violet needed to entertain themselves. 

• Don’t bring extra electronics. Ok, so, there is no free wifi on cruise ships. There is wifi you can pay for (it was $200+ for the week and that was non-streaming). This rendered our iPads pretty much useless for the entire week. I didn’t even touch mine. 

• Pack clothes in outfits, not items. 

• Pack snacks you know your toddler will eat or that can keep him or her entertained during dinners. 

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Excursions with a Toddler

Full disclosure: most of them were too long or too boring for Violet. The first excursion we had planned in Juneau, I realized the day of was going to last for 5 hours until past 8pm. I just knew she wasn’t going to make it, so I stayed behind while Danny took Forrest. Even for Forrest, it was a long time with a lot of walking and moving to different locations. He enjoyed it, but he was exhausted afterwards. 

Our second excursion was a train ride in Skagway up to the White Pass. I really, really enjoyed it and so did Danny… but Violet fell asleep and Forrest got very bored. As much as I enjoyed it, I did wonder if we would have had more fun just exploring Skagway on our own or taking the shorter train ride with a more active excursion. Well, hindsight is 20/20. 

That is to say: vet excursions carefully before booking and do so with an eye on what your toddler is capable of. Some toddlers absolutely might love a train ride. Violet was just less than enthused! 

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The Best Parts

The food. It’s sounds so silly, but the food was so good and fun. Every evening, we ate at the dining room, called the Manhattan Room. It was a 3-course dinner where you pick an appetizer, an entree, and then a dessert, plus you can get drinks from the bar. It was… magical. It was my favorite part and even on really hard days, I looked forward to it. 

We also enjoyed the buffet, the Garden Cafe, for breakfast and lunch every day. There was always something for everyone, and they had a huge selection of fruits and vegetables at eat meal time. 

Forrest loved the pool, the arcade, and laser tag. The laser tag arena had very odd hours, so he was only able to go once, but he loved it. 

Violet primarily enjoyed the Guppy room, which was primarily a room for toddlers to play. It was great for her to have somewhere to go. Unfortunately, we did catch hand foot and mouth disease from the Guppy room, so my love for it is now 50/50. 

We had the unlimited drinks package and I will admit that being able to get a cocktail whenever I wanted to was a temptation too strong even for me. I loved getting a mai tai at dinner. Now that’s luxury! 

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The Hardest Parts

The timing of nearly everything is not set up for toddlers at all. The breakfast buffet opens at 6:30, perfect, she’s been up for an hour. None of the dining options opened before 5:30—and Violet’s bedtime is usually 6:30/7. By 5:30, she is in her prime freak out time: overstimulated and getting tired. Especially on the ship, I knew she was pretty much constantly overstimulated because of the sheer number of people around us. So that was hard. 

Thus, the days become loooooong. When you’re up at 5:30am (even with the time changing to Alaskan hours) and dinner ends at 7pm at the earliest, the day becomes so long, especially with just not a lot of space for a toddler to be active and entertained. By the time we were getting off the boat, I knew Violet was totally DONE with being on that boat (never mind that she also had the early stages of HFMD at that moment, so she wasn’t feeling great).

One other note here: I found out the last night that the medical center on the boat will not treat guests under the age of 3. So I guess if your toddler gets hurt or sick, the only options is to get you off the boat. If I had known that before the cruise, I’m not sure I would have actually gone because that does seem unsafe and a little scary. This might differ based on the cruise line (and honestly, it might have been something one employee told me because they didn’t want to take Violet’s temperature—I don’t know!), but just something to keep in mind, especially if you have a toddler with medical issues.  

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Would I Do It Again? 

When my kids are older, absolutely! I would personally not take a toddler on a cruise again. Here is my reasoning for why: 

• Finding out they don’t treat medical issues for under 3 years on the cruise ship scares me. 

• There simply isn’t enough for toddlers to do on a cruise ship and there isn’t enough space to let them safely wander/walk/explore. If you have a toddler like Violet who needs near constant stimulation, this is a nightmare. 

• Since Violet often needed a break, Danny and I would split up throughout the day. Without wifi or cell service at sea, we had no way to contact each other until we paid $200 for wifi. If my kids were older, I wouldn’t be so worried about splitting up and contacting each other—but not being able to text was rough for the first day. 

• 7 days was perhaps too long for Violet (and me). A shorter cruise I might consider taking a smaller child or toddler on… but 7 days was a lot. 

Have you been on an Alaskan cruise with a toddler or small kids? I’d love to learn about your experience in the comments!

A Busy Mom's Guide to: Road Trips (Featuring Hungryroot!*)

Danny and I love taking road trips. It used to be something we really looked forward to, especially when we were first dating and, later, first married. Once Forrest was born, we definitely scaled back on the amount we spend driving every summer--but we still love taking a few road trips every single year!

This year, we’ve already been on quite a few road trips: we’ve been to Sunriver several times and Idaho several times. Coming up this summer, we have plans for a big trip to the coast, as well as some smaller trips to Portland, the coast, and Central Oregon.

By no means am I a road trip expert--but I feel like I do know how to do a road trip with an infant, a toddler, and now a preschooler in a way that keeps me from feeling like I’m absolutely losing it! I want to share all my tips and tricks for a perfect summer trip. At the end of this blog post, I’ll also have a FREE download with packing checklists, memory sheets, and much more to make your road trip go just a little bit smoother. I also have an exclusive deal for some Hungryroot snacks!

I’m a consistent overpacker. And honestly, I will defend my overpacking: sometimes, you just need extra stuff, especially with kids. The days of Danny and I breezing into hotels or houses with a bag each, and maybe a cooler, are over. These days, it looks like: a storage bin, a bag, Forrest’s suitcase, my bag, Danny’s bag, my computer bag (gotta work!), my tripod… It’s a bit like a clown car.

I just don’t like having to spend money unnecessarily on trips, especially if we are pinching pennies already. That means, I often try to pack anything I can think we might need in an emergency. For us, that’s extra medications, plus any kids medicine we might need (such as suppositories, cough medicine, Ibuprofen, and band ads), as well as a flashlight, some extra food, and a small stash of water.

Here’s a rundown of what my packing list often looks like:

• Medications

• Medicine: kids Ibuprofen, kids suppositories, band aids, antibacterial cream, sanitizer

• Cleaning wipes*

• Emergency kit: two gallons of water, extra food, extra clothes, matches, small candle, flare

• Travel potty if your toddler is younger, recently potty trained, or just prone to accidents

That’s just a few extras I add alongside everything else we’ll need, like clothes, laundry bags, extra bags for souvenirs, our charging cables, and more. You know what you’ll need best on vacation, but it’s important to remember on road trips to prepare for what you think you’ll need. In case of an emergency, I prefer to have everything with me, including extra water and more.

A note on cleaning wipes: I know single use wipes have become increasingly unpopular--and I totally agree! However, if I’m traveling and staying at a hotel, I like to do a quick wipe on everything just for that extra level of clean. It helps me feel more at home and feel much better. I like to use the new Everspring line from Target; these wipes are compostable, cruelty-free, and ammonia free. They come in three scents: Lavender & Bergamot, Lemon & Mint, and Citrus & Basil. I like the Lemon & Mint the best. Even better, they are very affordable. You can find them on Target here.

One thing I also like to make sure I have packed? Plenty of snacks! I get bored when I’m driving, especially during long stretches where there isn’t anywhere to stop. When we go to Idaho, we cut through Bend and Burns to Caldwell. The stretch from Bend to Burns and then Burns to Ontario are absolutely grueling; each leg is only 100 ish miles each, but there is nothing between! Nowhere to stop, nowhere to go to the bathroom, nothing. So, snacks are important.

That’s one of the things I love about Hungryroot! On our most recent trip to Idaho, we took along a big box of Hungryroot snacks: the salted pili nuts, coconut cashew granola, crunchy bean toppers, superfood almond butter, and almond milk maca matcha. These were the perfect snacks to have on the road--much better than my usual Cheez-Its! Not only did we feel better about our snack choices, we avoided that nasty travel stomach that is so common from eating food on the road. Plus, all of these options gave us ways to customize hotel breakfasts: we grabbed a few extra yogurts to eat with the coconut cashew granola. Our hotel had a smoothie bar (!) and we used the almond milk maca matcha in our smoothies. Plus, the almond milk maca matcha made a great drink in the morning to get the day started throughout our trip.

If you’d like to stock up on some healthy snacks before your next road trip, I can’t recommend Hungryroot enough! And even better, you can use the code PAUSES2021 to get 40% off your first order PLUS a free gift for life!

“But Michelle,” you ask, “how am I supposed to keep a toddler entertained on a road trip?”

You know those two 100-mile stretches between Oregon and Idaho I mentioned? Those are often our hardest on the road. So here are my tips:

• Play car games. Whenever Forrest starts to get whiny or bored, I say, “I spy something… blue!” And we start a game of I Spy. Or, we’ll play Bingo. Car games seemed so lame to me when I was younger--my parents were not fans--but I totally get them now. This can fill up time and keep your little one from getting too distracted.

• Get a travel DVD player. LISTEN! I know what I say about screens and we don’t let Forrest have a tablet… but I would literally lose my mind without our travel DVD player. It is perfect for when there is no stop along the way to stretch our legs. Pop in a Daniel Tiger DVD and hit play, then Danny & I can relax. You can find these for really affordable on Amazon and in stores too.

• Look ahead and plan fun stops. One thing Danny and I do before any road trip is plan somewhere to stop for fun. Whether it’s just a cute shop we see on our route (such as the Crescent General Store after the Willamette Pass) or something bigger (like a rose garden), we try to plan a few short (like 15-20 minutes total!) stops to stretch our legs, let Forrest have a bathroom break, and break up the monotony of the drive.

For me, these things are all part of planning our trip. We aren’t just looking at hotels to stop along the way, but rather activities we can do together. This might include things like stopping at the Mount Shasta viewing area on the way to Disneyland (this feels like a lifetime ago!), going for a walk along the river in Bend on our way to Idaho, and more. If you’re staying a few nights at a hotel on your road trip, you can always look for places to go around it; you’ll have a few hours in the evening, of course, so you can always do some walking (to release pent up energy!) and find somewhere fun to eat.

One important aspect of planning your trip… is planning how you’ll pack your car. Danny and I like to pack the car in a way that makes sense to us, although we used to just throw things in and hope we all made it in one piece! Now, we arrange everything depending on what we know we’ll need throughout the trip. This means, our travel potty is in the back seat, along with some paper towels and a trash bag; our snack bag is within reach; our bag with activities for Fo is right in front of him where Danny or I can reach it. How you arrange your car is totally your preference, but this will save you so much hassle on the road! Basically: organize your car and keep it organized!

It goes without saying, but: on vacation, your child just isn’t going to sleep like they do at home. That’s an important expectation to keep if you’re staying at a hotel throughout your trip or just on a few stops on the road. They might get better as time goes on through the trip, but I think it’s so important to keep your expectations quite low when it comes to sleep when you travel!

When we travel, I make sure to bring two things to make it easier on Forrest: his sound machine and one of his blankets. Before, we would bring stuffed animals he had been sleeping with, but Forrest isn’t a lovey kid—he doesn’t have anything he feels particularly attached to. However, having a familiar blanket definitely helps with the sleeping. As well, the sound machine helps all of us sleep, drowns out noise from the rest of the hotel, and reminds him of home. He usually still wakes up at 3am on the dot in hotels, but it could totally be worse.

The sound machine we use is not currently made anymore, but this one is from the same company and looks like it has many similar features.

As I said in the planning section, doing something fun at the hotel when you arrive, even if it is perhaps a little later than usual for your family, can help little ones settle in, burn off some energy after being in the hotel all day, and sleep better. Here are a few suggestions:

• Visit the pool to splash & play around before dinner.

• Walk to dinner! This is a great way to explore the area, find somewhere interesting, and stretch your legs (as well as get some steps in if you, like me, are a slave to your Fitbit)

• Visit a local attraction for a quick visit. A good option is a rose garden or an art exhibit.

• Find a local ice cream parlor to take everyone to.

• Window shop!

Once you’ve made it through the evening, grabbed dinner (I highly recommend getting pizza delivered if you’re absolutely exhausted, which kids also love), and slept (maybe), it’s time to think about breakfast!

Like I said, Hungryroot is a great way to augment a potentially lackluster hotel breakfast—if your hotel provides one. It might not, which is totally possible! Hungryroot can help there too. A great option are the Hungryroot oatmeal cups, like the Cherry Chia Maple Oatmeal; you only need to add hot water, so if your room has a coffee maker, you can easily use that to heat water and make oatmeal for everyone.

However, if your hotel does offer breakfast, you can use plenty of Hungryroot options to make it just a little bit better: adding some granola to those little tubs of yogurt makes it much more filling and delicious. Or you can add some granola on top of a waffle or eat with milk and any fruit offered. The hotel breakfast doesn’t have to be sad, cold bagels and bad coffee. A little planning ahead can make it much more filling and healthy for everyone in your family. Don’t forget you can use my code PAUSESBROWNIES for free brownie batter (for life!)

Once you’re ready to head out, check your room for anything left behind and get on with your vacation!

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Danny & I enjoy road trips. And even though I’m on record as saying I don’t love traveling, I do love giving Forrest memories that last forever. Road trips can be incredibly intimidating, especially if you’re a new mom or you’re just an anxious person (like me). I hope these tips help you make the most of this summer. And of course, I hope you take the chance to try some delicious Hungryroot snacks & food options to make your summer even better.

As an added bonus, I have an exclusive download just for you! This include itinerary planning for your trip, hotel information sheets, journal pages for your memories, and packing checklists perfect for new moms & experienced moms alike! Click the button below to download.

I’m turning it over to you! What are your big tips for traveling with kids?

Disclaimer: Products for my recent road trip were provided to me by Hungryroot in exchange for mentioning them, as well as a small kickback whenever you use my code. Posts like these have helped me keep Writing Between Pauses going! If you’d like to learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

My Tips for Packing to Travel with Kids for Spring Break

It goes without saying: almost everyone loves the idea of traveling, but the actual traveling is hardly anyone’s favorite part of it. Moving from A to B, B to C, and C to every other letter of the alphabet definitely takes more patience than anything else.

Now add to that a child, who may or may not be old enough to understand patience (or might just not feel like it at that moment), and things get really sticky. I’ve written about traveling with young toddlers before in the form of everything I learned about taking a (mostly) solo road trip and my 4 tips from when we went to Disneyland (and drove the whole way).

We were just recently looking at our photos from our trip to Disneyland. It’s funny to think that was two years ago—and Fo looks so small in all the photos! He was a younger toddler then and now he’s a kid—and things are definitely different now.

When we first had Forrest, it felt like we might never be able to travel again. Even just a trip to the mall felt like I needed to pack an entire army—and if we did travel anywhere, it felt like I had to pack up my whole house and just take it along. We ended up at our destination with bags and bags and bags of stuff for just a few days! And don’t get me started on the pain in the ass it was to take along all my pumped milk, plus my pump, plus formula, plus bottles… I still remember trying to label the tops of my expressed milk to take in the car on our first spring break road trip after having Forrest, pumping in random parking lots throughout the 9 hour drive there, and much more.

I’ve definitely been able to streamline things as Forrest has gotten older, especially when it comes to packing. I thought I’d share my tips for how I keep everything organized in the car. If you’re planning to travel (for the first time or the 100th time) with kids this Spring Break, this one is for you.

1. Invest in Boxes

The best decision I made before going to Disneyland nearly two years ago was buying 2 clear packing containers. They are about a foot deep, measuring 12 inches by 10 inches at the lid. They aren’t super big, but they aren’t teeny tiny either. I used them to pack supplies for Forrest on our trip and so they would be easy to stack and see inside of.

When I tell you I use these every single road trip now, I’m not joking! They make it so easy to keep supplies together. I tend to keep all our travel stuff in one of them; that includes things like sunblock, our emergency kit, some non-perishable emergency snacks, and things like that. I also keep the small DVD player we use in the car for Fo in that bin as well, just so I always know where it is!

2. Everyone Gets One (1) Bag

I’ve definitely made the mistake in the past of packing In a way that doesn’t make a lot of logical sense, like packing one bag for clothes and one bag for makeup. In general, I know if I need more than one suitcase, I’m probably overpacking and need to talk to myself about what I’m doing.

Overpacking is a great way to ruin your spring break (especially the traveling portion), so our rule now is: everyone gets one bag, even Forrest. He gets one bag for clothes and toys. That keeps us from overpacking and means we have room for everything else we need, or any souvenirs we might pick up on our trip.

3. Keep Snacks Contained

My husband Danny and I are very big on travel snacks. It gives us something to do as we drive (especially on a long road trip) and also makes it easy to keep Forrest occupied (“throw him another snack”). I know this isn’t the healthiest way to travel, but honestly, what’s the fun in having a super healthy Spring Break? (Ok, there might be some fun in it.)

We often have this issue of snacks getting absolutely everywhere in the car: bags of candy in the glove box, bags of chips open in the backseat, you know the drill. Suddenly, I need to vacuum my car really bad.

We designate one spot for snacks in the car (as well as where we store extra drinks and water) and really stick to it now. This keeps me from absolutely feeling like I’m losing it and also keeps the car clean. We usually choose the space behind the passenger seat, as it’s easy for Danny to get out and grab (as I usually drive).

4. Think About What You’ll Need Access To

Have a DVD player for your kiddo? Keep movies within arm’s reach of the passenger seat.

Know you want to drink lots of water? Keep water bottles handy within reach.

Pack your car so that you have access to the things you know you’ll need to grab as you drive—and don’t worry about the rest. Charging cables and extra battery packs can be kept in the glovebox or console; books can be kept in door pockets. Pack accordingly.

5. If you’re stopping midway, think of what you’ll only need for that night.

We often have a bin (throwback to item one on this list!) that is just things we need for at night. Oftentimes, we break up long drives with a stay overnight along the way—traveling with a toddler, it’s just easiest for us. We don’t want to totally unload the car, so we usually just take what we need: our bags, our snacks, and the overnight bin (as well as anything valuable, like laptops). That means leaving in the morning is way less hectic as we don’t have to repack the entire car.

6. Remember a Trash Bin

All those snacks, as well as stops along the way, wiping faces, and more… you need a trash bag. I usually grab 4-5 plastic Target bags and stow them in the car, then we use this as trash bags through the drive, throwing them away whenever we stop. It just makes it so much easier to keep the car clean if you have a specific spot to put trash.

Here's What I Learned from An Autumn Road Trip (with a Toddler)

I am not a traveller.

I know, I know. It seems like everyone these days talks non stop about traveling. Everyone wants to travel and see the world. And in some ways, I definitely want to see the world. But I don’t like traveling.

I don’t like driving for long periods of time. I don’t like airplanes. I don’t like the stressed, naked feeling of being transitional between two places (home and destination). I don’t like the anxiety it gives me. And now that I have a small human I’m responsible for, I absolutely do not like having to pack up everything I can think of for him (including but not limited to: blankets, toys, any medication he might need, extra food, juice, cups he can use, forks he can use, emergency meals, and milk). The amount he needs has consistently gone down since he was a baby (no more giant container of formula, bottles, bottle wash, sanitizer bags, Pack’n’Play, and more), but it’s still a lot.

And doing it by myself? Excuse me, no thanks.

Well, I did just that on Friday. Danny had gone over to Central Oregon (Sunriver, to be exact) for a teaching conference in Bend. My parents have a cabin in Sunriver, so we had decided it would be a family vacation. But with Forrest in school now, I didn’t want him to miss a day so we planned to go over once he got done with school.

As the days lead up to Friday, I started to seriously panic. Taking a three-hour plus road trip by myself with a toddler? Packing up the whole car on my own? I was nervous. Danny told me he would be fine if I decided not to do it, but I knew he really wanted me to. And of course, Forrest was excited at the prospect of a vacation. Nothing makes him nervous.

As I wrote on Instagram, I didn’t want my anxiety to make Forrest miss out. Yes, it would have been better for me personally to stay at home for the weekend. But Forrest would have missed out on some potential fun and that prospect made me sad.

So I did it. On Friday afternoon, I packed up the car, got Forrest a Happy Meal (no judgement), and drove 3 hours with a potty trained toddler. Here’s everything I learned.

1. It’s probably going to all be fine.

Probably. My biggest worry was that, while going over the pass, Forrest would need to use the bathroom. Since he’s relatively newly potty trained (it’s been about 3 or 4 months), when he has to go, he usually has to go immediately. This is fairly normal for preschool age kids. However, while driving across a mountain pass, the last thing I wanted to do I was pull over and break out the little potty we keep in the car. However, my anxiety was for nothing: we stopped at a rest area before the pass and he was fine all the way until we got to the cabin.

So yeah, the thing you worry about? It’s probably going to be fine. (Please remember to tell me this next time I go on a real vacation aka go flying.)

2. It’s ok to do things you normally wouldn’t (or that you would).

I had all these plans for things Fo and I would do. Museums. Outdoor parks. Everything. I wanted him to have as much fun as possible while we were on our own mini-trip, especially as Danny was still in a conference on Saturday. However, we ended up going for a nice long walk to get coffee and a treat, then went shopping and spent time relaxing in the cabin. I felt bad that we hadn’t done any of the exciting stuff I had planned, but we did have a nice lunch out together (my first time taking him to a real restaurant on my own) and he really has fun no matter what.

3. The weather won’t cooperate, but that’s fine.

Part of the reason we didn’t do all the fun stuff I had planned? It was raining! I think of Central Oregon as very cold and relatively dry. But it had been raining at home and that rain followed us on vacation. So, the museum I wanted to go to? Mostly outdoors. The walking trails? Off limits thanks to the puddles and downpour. We made it for our walk in the morning, but that was about it. We had fun jumping in puddles outside the cabin, then retreating inside to warm up and go pick up Danny from the conference. The weather wasn’t really what I had planned on, but that’s Autumn for you, really!

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This is a much more personal post than I usually post for Blogtober, but I thought I’d try something different! I had so much fun over the weekend (even when Forrest pretended to have a stomach ache to get us to leave dinner!) and I tried something outside of my routine—and it was all fine! What’s something you are challenging yourself to try this Fall?