Travel Tip 11 - Unpack now!

I hate coming home from trips. I could cry on every plane ride or car ride home-reality is no fun compared to vacations. Arrive home late at night, kids to get to bed, work and school the next day, a dirty house along with suitcases of clothes-makes you just want to climb into bed. But don't: unpack and unpack now! I know, it doesn't sound like any fun but unpacking is also an important part of the trip. Over the next few days, your kids will be re-adjusting to being at home and your life won't slow down much either so now is the time to unpack. And you will feel so good the next morning if most of your stuff is already put away....and ready for the next trip.

Here are some tips for unpacking. First, do it now or maybe wait to the kids are in bed. One suitcase has only dirty clothes and that suitcase it taken straight to the laundry room and dumped into the washer. By bedtime, I can have that load in the dryer and ready to put up the next morning. The other suitcases should be opened and emptied in a common area. Pile kitchen items in one pile, clean clothes in another and bathroom stuff in another. Now, you just have a few trips to put everything up and big kids could even help out. Take those suitcases infront of the closet or near the garage (or where ever you store them) and leave them unzipped for the night to air out. The next morning all you have left to do it fold the laundry and put of the suitcases. This way your vacation can end on a good note!