Help - I'm packing more for 4 nights in Center pArcs than I did for 3 weeks in Florida!

[IlanaK]

We are leaving tomorow and I can't believe how much stuff we are taking. No idea how we will get it all in the car! There is me, dh, ds1 (4) and ds2 (17 months). Warm clothes are soooo bulky! And even though we are not taking all the food for the time we are there, we are taking some. Has anyone else been and managed to take only one suitcase???

No-one has any idea as to how I can pack less????

What I do is get a piece of paper and write

Me monday, dh monday, child 1 monday, child 2 monday
me tuesday, dh tuesday etc etc etc

and write in an outfit in each gap so your only taking specific items instead of "oh I'll chuck these in, and I might wear this, she might need this."

Then I pack nappies, wipes, coat each etc

For the baby I would also pack spares

I would come home in what you travelled in.

Are there washing facilities? If so you could pack bare minimum knowing that if you did happen to go through everything you could always wash the stuff the kids were in the first day or so?

Not much help sorry!

Go for layers. Unless your kids are really messy you can take changes of t shirts , under wear etc and go for just one jumper and one fleece , perhaps 2 pairs of trousers in addition to what they wear to travel plus coat /gloves/hat etc. Chances are it will be warm inside . Also pack the case a day or two beforehand and close - the bulkier stuff will compress down.