Thursday, July 14, 2011

Vacationing with the Whole Gang

In less than 2 weeks my family will be traveling to the Poconos in Pennsylvania to meet up with my parents, my husbands parents, and brother and sister in law with their 3 boys.... plus throw a few cousins in there. The drive is going to take approximately 17 hours....which I am a little scared of. I plan on making some activity bags, having lots of snacks, and loading up on the DVDs and DS games. My kids are actually pretty good travelers, however  I am little concerned about shear amount of miles we will be embarking on.

Most of all I am concerned about the actual vacation...as in us all getting along and most importantly having a blast once we get there. I found a great article on the Real Simple Blog by Erin Kane one of the Manic Mommies from the Manic Mommies Podcast. Check out Manic Mommies Website They are hilarious ...it's like hanging out with your best girlfriends when you listen to them. They offer some great tips for working Moms.

Here are some highlights and what I plan on using....By the way we are staying at a resort that has condos so we have a kitchen and laundry available. I am spoiled I don't think I would vacation without with a family :)

1. Create a house fund: Use a combined fund to pay for household items that will be used by everyone during the week. Use to pay for toilet paper, paper towels, water, pop, juice, milk, snacks, and other items to be used by all.

2. Designate at least one Quiet Room: Have a room set off where people can escape the noise and chaos. This is especially important for us since one of my nephews is autistic

3. Account for Different Schedules: Babies are up early while others like to sleep in.

4. Give the Moms and Dads a break: One of the great things about traveling with a group is that there is an opportunity to escape...even if it's just for afternoon of golfing for the guys or shopping for the gals. The ladies on this trip are planning a trip to New York City. This will be my first visit and I am super excited to see it.

5. Have a Basic Meal Plan for Dinners: This is one of my own...well I kind of I got the idea from a friend. Pick a night for each family to prepare a meal or pay for a dinner out. You could do Taco Tuesday, make your own pizzas, or cook your best dish everyone raves about.

Do you have any tips/ideas for vacationing with your extended family?
Posted by longcountryroad at 9:17 AM

1 comment:

  1. MalisaJuly 20, 2011 at 9:57 AM

    We are about to leave on a vacation with my parents, siblings, and hubbies. We already have a rough meal plan and have talked about going in on all the food for the week as well. Your point about considering each person's waking times is really important. A tip I'd like to add: give each other the freedom to be their own person and be okay with it!

    I hope you have a great time with your family and that there is minimal drama!

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