8/15/2022 - My travel Must Haves

One thing I've learned during my travels with the kids is we were spending a TON of

money on food! Eating out every meal not only gets expensive, but then we would feel awful for the next few days after. The kids were not getting the proper nutrition they needed to sustain their high activity level during conventions and competitions. I mean, come on, they are working their butts off for AT LEAST 8-9 hours a day, sometimes more. They are super long and draining days for the kids.

My son has switched to competitive gymnastics, but my daughter is still doing competition dance. She is an elite dancer and on average has 10+ dances that she competes. I have no idea how she does it, but she does. That being said, nutrition and hydration are key. I'm going to focus this blog entry on more of my must-haves for a competition/convention weekend. Next post I will focus more on HOW I use these items and how I manage to keep my daughter hydrated and fueled, all while saving money.

First things first, I ALWAYS have my "kitchen tote" as I've dubbed it. I use a Large 31 Tote bag, however, any tote you have will work. Our “Kitchen Tote” is NEVER unpacked. I check it the weekend before we leave for competition or convention to make sure I don’t need to restock anything. If I do, I will buy it that week. When we are not traveling, I just put the tote away, and then when we are ready to go, it already has everything in it. Now, you might think this is overkill, but trust me, I've got it down to a science. I have altered what I keep in my Kitchen Tote many times, and this is what works best for us.

Kitchen tote packing list

• Small Crockpot

• Toaster

• Small personal blender

• Water bottle/ travel drinking cup

• Mini cutting board

• Sharp Knife with travel sleeve

• Paper plates and bowls

• Box of plastic silverware

• Ziplock bags

• A few storage/Tupperware containers

• Power Strip

• Big Serving Spoon

• Sponge and a small thing of dawn dish soap

• Paper towels (can double as napkins)

• Seasons (pack what YOU like)

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Onion Powder

  • Garlic Powder

  • Whatever seasoning you like to use

• Peanut butter

• Honey

• Non-Dairy shelf stable creamer

• Water/Hint Water/ Protein Water (Kamdyn loves the protein water)

Second, I have another 31 tote, this one is medium-sized. We will use this to pack some of our food essentials. Our most common are:

Food tote packing list

• Kodiak Cake protein waffles

• Popcorn (we buy Smart pop, for healthy snacking)

• Banana

• Berries

• Mandarin Oranges (fresh or packed in water)

• Deli cheese (we like Colby slices)

• Salami or a summer sausage (you can buy it already cut up from the Deli)

• Crackers

• Microwave oatmeal (you can find protein oatmeal already in bowls you just add water and microwave)

• Ingredients for what you plan to cook for dinner

I will normally do an Instacart order, or a grocery run for perishable items once I get to the hotel and see what kind of fridge storage I have. That will determine what I buy. MAKE A GROCERY LIST! If it's not on the list, don’t buy it (unless it is absolutely necessary and you just forgot to write it down). This will help with overspending on impulse purchases, like bags of candy and junk food. We even pack snacks for the drive instead of buying gas station snacks, which can add up and are not that healthy.

To avoid overwhelming you with too much information all at once, I'm going to end this here. My next blog (which is already in the works) will cover HOW I utilize what I bring. I also plan to cover how I made inside support for my totes, recipes, and other money-saving tips!

Stay tuned, subscribe, leave me a comment, and if you feel inclined to share and grow this community, awesome!

If there are any topics specifically you want me to cover or any questions you have, please email me or comment below. I would love to cover it in a blog.

-Rothrock Mom