Pinterest pin and website link.
We just moved our daughter from a crib to a twin bed; it turns out that she is quite a fitful sleeper and fell out the first night. I didn't want to invest in a crib rail since I'm hoping she won't need it for long, so we tried the rolled up towel trick (many other people on Pinterest suggested using a pool noodle, but I wanted to try something we already had at our house). She hasn't fallen out again, which I count as a success, but it's been a little annoying because the towel tends to droop down the side of the mattress after a day or two. I'm thinking it's because she has a thin IKEA mattress versus a regular-sized mattress and the fitted sheet isn't very tight. That small annoyance is better than having her fall out of bed or pay to have yet another contraption in the house, so I'm counting this as a success! This would also work great while traveling!
Verdict: success!
Pinterest pin and website link.
The kids are staying overnight at their grandparents' house, and I thought I would try this packing tip for their clothes; my daughter is very opinionated about what she's wearing these days, and I didn't want my mom to have to deal with her tantrums on the topic!
Below, I've made my pros / cons list about packing this way for travel with kids:
Pros:
* No travel clothing battles -- I let me daughter help me pick out her outfits to pack while at home and then she had no issues with getting dressed each day.
* Matching / complementing clothes are easily found together. While traveling, I typically spend quite a bit of time searching through duffel bags to find coordinated clothing and accessories for the kids.
* It was easier for me to see what I'd forgotten to pack, as each bag contained an entire set of clothing or PJs, with complementing items.
* I always seem to need bags while on vacation, and never have enough. By packing this way, I would have extra bags that I can throw used diapers in and seal them in the hotel room, pack up dirty laundry, line a trash can, pack snacks, etc.
Cons:
* Bags take up more room in the suitcase / laundry basket / box, etc. than just throwing clothes in does. I can squish A LOT of clothing items into this one laundry basket without bags!
* Unless your kids are really small (under 4T?), fitting a full set of clothing, underwear and accessories into a gallon-size bag is tough.
* It seems a bit wasteful to use all those gallon bags just for packing.
Verdict: overall a success, particularly while my kids are still small!
