Who doesn't love vacation? It's wonderful to escape the daily schedule, see new places and have someone else make you dinner.
But not every vacation is perfect. When I was a kid, my sister got a stomach bug at Disney and threw up on Goofy's shoe. And recently, when our flight to Chicago was cancelled, my family spent 8 hours at an airport just 15 minutes from our house.
While we can't prevent all the oops (sorry, Goofy!), read on for tips to avoid some of the bigger #VacationMishaps. Plus, be ready for your next trip, thanks to SuiteCase, a new company that sends vacation essentials directly to your hotel room or home. Enter below to win a free package. Bonus: there's also a special discount code for all of our members!
Here are some #VacationMishaps we've made, along with ways to avoid them...
No one wants to be so busy on vacation that they need another vacation. But you also know that if the kids are bored, it will never be relaxing. It's tough to balance everything to minimize the whining. I've found that it's best to plan one activity per day. That way, there's still time to enjoy that hike or museum, but also enough hours in the day for relaxation. So when I plan a trip, I look up all the things I want to do, and that's how many days we stay.
I have a knack for always getting bad weather on vacation. It's become a recurring joke with my husband. But it has shown us to be resourceful and to plan ahead. So now we always have a couple of indoor activities planned before we leave (bowling and movies are good fall-backs), we bring rain jackets and mittens everywhere we go, and we are flexible about moving activities around based on forecast. Plus, we try to make the best of it - one of my favorite vacation memories is when we went swimming in the rain!
It's so tempting to take photos of everything and then post them for the world to see. But after doing that, I realized how much I actually was missing. So now I have my camera in my pocket, ready for when my kids climb to the top of a giant rock pile. And then I put it away to head up there with them. I can still post on social after the kids are sleeping soundly and I finally have a moment to myself.
I love those little hotel shampoos - they make vacation so much more convenient. And then I look at my photos and realize that my frizzy hair does not love them back. Which is why I am intrigued by SuiteCase. They send packages of vacation essentials right to your hotel, resort or airBnB. Order a week in advance and it will be waiting for you when you arrive. SuiteCase can even send you extra sunscreen, since you don't want to spend your beach vacation healing from a day 1 burn!
Want to try SuiteCase? Enter our giveaway below, where one lucky winner will receive their choice of SuiteCase Getaway package. Choose between Looking Good, Fun in the Sun and Spa Day. Plus, when you order, enter the code shespeaks at checkout and you'll get $5 off!
There are two ways to enter:
Simply comment below and tell us what mistake or mishap has happened on one of your vacations.
AND/OR
Tweet about the giveaway!
Click here to Tweet: "No #VacationMishaps for me, thx to the @SheSpeaksUp @mysuitecase giveaway! bit.ly/2mxLmTC"
*One lucky commenter or Tweeter will be chosen at random to receive a SuiteCase collection: The Getaway package, valued at $54. Winner can choose between the Looking Good, Fun in the Sun and Spa Day packages. Giveaway is open through March 26th, 2017 to U.S. residents at least 18 years of age. Entrants must be a member of SheSpeaks. If you are not a member, click here to join. Winner will be notified by email.
Update: Thanks to all who entered. Congratulations to our winner: your1chef!
When I forget something important, I get so mad like my make up or clothes that I picked out just for that trip.
My huge suitcase ripping open on our way home from the honeymoon...and seeing my bras and lingerie on the conveyor belt going in circles at the airport (you literally can't make this up - it was awful!)
My husband and I went to Florida on our honeymoon and we actually had a decent hotel, and let's just say when we went down to the ocean for the very first time I came out of that water so fast that my top came off it was so embarrassing and not to meaning I had a bad rash from the salty water and my shorts rubbing togather all day lol I was so sore
When my daughter was 10 years old we took a trip to Australia. The day we arrived in Sydney, getting ready to go sight seeing, she starts throwing up. Our adventures had to be put on hold until she felt better.
The one bag I forgot to pack in the car for our beach vacation contained our sunscreen, extra beach towel and a couple of cover ups. I hit up the walmart for the sunscreen & found some sale items at the tourist shops.
I ended up needing to stay an extra night at a hotel on the beach because of the hurricane force winds that were blowing making it dangerous to drive over the mountain home.
I have experienced a number of "interesting" family trips! I think the most interesting one was when my parents surprised us with a trip to Disney World for Christmas and my older sister walked into a pillar! We spent Christmas eve in the ER getting stitches. :(
The car broke down, then my Dad was cutting wood and a piece of the axe shot into his arm and THEN we got swarmed by german cockroaches. WORST. vacation. ever.
Forgetting to pack enough diapers for our child when we went on vacation and not realizing it until later in the night and almost all of the stores were closed!! Needless to say, I never made that mistake again.
Over packing and trying to hold on to 3 suitcases and 2 small children and we were at Grand Central yet...
On one of my vacations I packed two bikini tops and no bottoms. Luckily there was a store nearby I just picked up a pair!
Went on vacation and couldn't cut the tie wraps that secured the zipper in our suitcase. Had to wait for next day to have someone cut them for us. This was in a foreign trip.
Lost luggage is our worst mishap
I remember one time i was in vacation with my boyfriend and his family and out of everyone we all forgot to bring showering and our other products it was a total disaster but one ill never forget!
I remember going to Taiwan and visiting a semi-remote town on the west coast. With the language barrier, I couldn't find a grocery store to buy a bottle of water and the weather was hot and humid. I was saved by a restaurant offering me water, but by golly, I felt like I would need to buy something from them in return.