We are on the road for a short trip so I can attend a national convention for my home-based business, Mary & Martha. Just recently having finished 8 months of living in hotels while our belongings were in storage, I feel like I have learned a thing or two by making my own mistakes and discovering clever solutions that I hadn’t thought of.
The biggest mistake I would say I made was not having a routine as we were away from home. But I suppose since I didn’t have a home management routine to begin with, it would be extra difficult to implement when I am only in a place for a short time. Now that I have a routine at home, I feel some of those things would be helpful to do wherever I am. For example, I have gotten into the habit of washing dishes as soon as I use them. I may not have a lot of dishes when I’m staying in a hotel, but I might have a few sippy cups and some containers from food we packed on the road. Those things get icky, especially when left in the car, so I make a point to rinse them out as soon as we arrive and bring a mini bottle of dish soap from home if I have one.
Some of the other tasks I can modify but still stick to while traveling are:
- Laundry, when facilities are available
- Meal prep when we’re not eating out, and packing snacks and a cooler for the day if we’re going to be out.
- Tidying up each day
Thinking of wherever we are going as our temporary “home” helps me to keep our home running smoothly so we can focus on the purpose of our trip, whether it’s business or pleasure.
If I am going to be in one place for more than just a day or two, I unpack as quickly as possible so I know where everything is. We set up the play pen for our little one, and get everything from the car so we don’t have to keep running back and forth. If it is going to be an extended trip, I might pack a few “comfort” items from home. Some of those include:
- Basic spices- salt & pepper, etc
- Dish soap
- A cheerful kitchen towel
- Knife with a cover and small cutting mat
- 2 sets of silverware and 2 plates
- Large coffee mug
- Container for cooking and storing
- A family picture
- Spare envelopes and stamps
- Laundry detergent
- Plastic bags – sandwich size and gallon size
- A hanging shoe organizer for the door – use for storing any small items
What are some of the things you’ve found helpful to pack? What tips have you discovered to keep your travel running smoothly?
Chip clips/clothes pins for keeping snacks fresh!