When we travel, I tend to start shopping way beforehand. My husband always laughs at the boxes and bags I collect. But I feel like that's part of the fun when it comes to traveling. I also love to be prepared. I am not a big fan of wasting time during our vacation to run to a store to buy something. I also don't like paying the higher prices that tend to occur in various touristy locations. So, I buy things beforehand. And despite my husband giving me a hard time, my purchases always come in handy and save the day.

I will share with you only the items I have used and LOVE. I won't share anything I haven't purchased myself and I won't share anything that I didn't like. Like I mentioned above, I have purchase A LOT over the years and there has been a lot I haven't liked or never were useful when traveling. I'm not going to waste your time with those things. So, click on the pictures to find these same products, so you too, can be prepared for travel. ​

TRavel Bag

THIS BAG is my favorite bag to store all my toiletries (and way more) in. The best thing I love about it, is that you can hang it from the bathroom door and keep your things inside it. It has save me soooo much room on the counters in those smaller hotel bathrooms. It's also crazy how much this thing can fit. I have stuffed it and it has weighed what feels like 30 lbs. and it has held up through a multitude of trips. 

Compression socks
I'm a big believer in wearing compression socks while on longer flights. My husband loves to make fun of me when I am wearing these on a plane because they aren't the coolest looking. But, for longer flights, I want the reassurance that I am doing what I can to protect myself. I love THESE SOCKS They are tight, but that means they are doing their job. 

EarPlanes

If your child is anything like either or mine, they tend to not like the part of the plane ride while descending. My kids don't freak out, but they do express they are uncomfortable. I was trying to find a solution for that and came across EARPLANES. These have really worked for both of my kids. I keep them in my carry-on and then when it gets close to the time we are descending, I pull them out and have them pop them in. Sometimes, they will even ask for them when they start to feel the change. They are reusable, so they are a great investment.

Foot Rest
This is another item that my husband likes to tease me about. I am short. So, when sitting on planes, my feet don't touch the floor. So, THIS NIFTY CONTRAPTION allows my feet to not feel like they are dangling the whole flight. I did a lot of research and a lot of travelers use this, especially on long flights and has saved them from the back pain that can occur while flying. 

Toilet Seat Covers

This might seem a bit ridiculous, but boy have THESE LITTLE THINGS come in handy. I keep a pack of these in my purse at all times, not just during travel. I'm not a fan of sitting on a public toilet seat, nor am I tall enough to really squat. So, when I encounter a stall that has no toilet seat covers (which seems to be way too often), I whip one of these out. 

Personal Item Backpack
I LOVE THIS BAG. I actually use it as my personal item on the plane. It fits perfectly under the seat and I can fit everything I need in it, from my iPad, to books, to snacks for my kids, and a ton more. It's very well made. I actually double up on its uses and use it as my teacher bag that I take to work every day and it still looks brand new despite using it all the time. 

Sunscreen

We travel to Hawaii frequently. When traveling to Hawaii, they require specific brands of sunscreen that don't contain certain chemicals that can harm their ocean life. After looking at all the brands, I have settled on Blue Lizard as my absolute favorite. I won't lie, it's thick, it's white, and you really have to rub it in. But, it works! It has protected us so many times in all sorts of sun. 
We tend to buy THIS ONE for the kids. The bottles are color changing, which is really cool and helpful. When the bottle changes to purple, you know you need to apply sunscreen ASAP. 
We buy THIS ONE for us. Or sometimes, I just use the kid's one. It really doesn't matter. Both are water resistant and perfect for vacation.

iPad
What can I say? IPADS are a no-brainer for me as a travel necessity. I can't travel without my iPad. We actually bring two when we travel. I use mine to watch things I have downloaded on Netflix, or read books, and play games. I really don't know how I survived long flights before I had an iPad. Our second iPad is always shared with the kids. They don't get a lot of iPad time, but on flights, there are no rules. They get to watch away! 

SWimsuit Cover-Up and Hat

I have a whole bunch of swimsuit cover-ups, but THIS ONE that I bought for our trip to Palm Springs is now my favorite. It's one I feel like I can throw on and walk around in and not feel like I just came from the pool. I have it in the "red" color, which is more on the pink side than red and I love it. Pair it with THIS HAT and some cute sandals and you can go around without it looking like you just came from the pool.

Portable fan
I originally bought THIS FAN for a trip to Disneyland. But I have found myself using it for all sorts of things, including on a plane when it got ridiculously hot for some reason. It works so well and my kids will fight over it. So, I suggest getting an extra if you don't want to share.

Makeup Bag

This has become my everyday bag, because let's be honest, I'm just too lazy to unpack my makeup each time after we travel. I love how THIS BAG has different compartments and pockets to hold my makeup brushes. The best part is that you can change the size of the compartments to fit the different sizes of makeup that you have. 

Car Seat Cover
We have bought several OF THESE over the years. They aren't the best quality in terms of being able to be used many, many times. Between us lugging them all over and going through baggage at airports, we have lost a few, mostly to us doing something in the craziness of travel. But, overall, for the price they are the ones we have used rather than purchasing something more expensive. They get the job done and have protected our car seats from getting dirty or damaged. The bright red color is also a bonus, as it makes it very easy to notice in baggage claim.

Travel Cubes

To be transparent, I have yet to find these PACKING CUBES beneficial to myself when packing. I tend to be able to fit much more by rolling my clothes. But...I have found these extremely useful when packing my kids' things. Being able to sort their clothes and keep jammies separate from clothes, and underwear and socks in a management location instead of all over, these have been a lifesaver.

Luggage Scale
I've mentioned before that I always tend to bring a checked bag full of supplies. Because I pack all sorts of things to have while on vacation, and before we go back home after a vacation and we have filled our bag with souvenirs and odds and ends, I always pack that bag to the fullest. This always makes me worry that I am getting very close or have gone over the maximum weight limit for my checked bag. So, I always have ONE OF THESE with me to make sure that doesn't happen. These little gadgets are cheap and will end up saving you all those fees if your bag is over.