If you’re like a lot of moms, you are also your family’s Chief Vacation Planner, which sounds like a fun job, doesn’t it? However, planning it all on your own can be a huge responsibility.
After all, you want to make sure the trip you plan will pay off for everyone in terms of the needed rest and relaxation, fun factor, and great memories you want from the investment of your vacation dollars and time.
Truth be told, it’s all too easy for many of us to feel exhausted just from planning the trip — let alone executing it (moms on family vacations are still moms, after all!).
Not to worry. Here are some easy ways you can help make sure you get your own vacation needs and desires met during the trip–so when you get home you can feel like you had a vacation, too! 🥰
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Assign a Morning to Sleep In
Few are the parents of young children who would not LOVE the opportunity to sleep in during a family vacation. If you are blessed with early risers, make a plan with your partner to let each other sleep in (at least) one morning of your vacation.
Just be sure to agree on your designated days ahead of time so you can fully plan on, look forward to, and enjoy your late-morning snooze. (And don’t forget your sleeping mask and ear plugs! That’s my favorite one shown here in 100% mulberry silk.)
Give Yourself a Mini Facial
Even in a crowded hotel room with your favorite people piled on a bed watching a movie, you can still treat yourself to a mini facial.
Take a hot, steamy shower or soak in the tub with aromatic bath salts brought from home. Then put on your favorite P.J.s and apply an easy-packing sheet mask (they take up virtually no room in the suitcase!). Prop your feet up, take a deep breath, and put in those ear buds with relaxing sounds from nature or your favorite tunes.
But why stop there? Don’t forget there are also nourishing sheet masks for your hands and feet that are just as easy to pack and apply. Amazon and Sephora both have a great selection of sheet masks for hands, feet, and face.
Bring a Journal
Just letting your family know you want to write in a journal during the trip can help build in “mini mental breaks” for yourself — and time to step out on your balcony, go sit on the beach alone (or at the less-crowded end of the pool), or have a coffee in the hotel lobby.
And here’s a fun secret: While you might aspire to write a gratitude entry each day, chronicle your family’s vacation so far, or record the funny things your kids said along the way — you don’t have to!
It’s your journal. If you just feel like doodling while you people watch or listen to a favorite podcast, it’s all good (and good for you!).
Now, to help make the vacation PLANNING a lot easier on yourself, be sure to use the resources on this website and our sister website TravelswithBaby.com. Here are links to some of our most popular posts. And you can also use the drop-down menu for help planning family trips to Destinations around the world.
From Family Travel 411:
How to Build a Budget-Friendly Maui Family Vacation
Ten Unforgettable California Family Vacation Ideas
Six Amazing Ireland Family Vacation Ideas (with Tips from an Expert)
Six Great Mexico Family Vacation Destinations
Three California Desert Family Vacations for Spring Break
Five Great National Park Vacations for Families
From TravelswithBaby.com:
The 6 Best Places to Visit California’s Giant Redwoods and Giant Sequoias
Seven Easy Ways to Get Your Car Seat Through the Airport
How to Travel with a Car Seat (Without Losing Your Mind)
The Best Tips for Flying with a Baby or Toddler (start here!)
