This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PowerfulProtein #CollectiveBias
Although my job doesn’t ordinarily involve a lot of travel, I’ve had two business trips in the last month that required me to fly. The first was a quick one day trip down to Key West, and the second was a trip where my family was able to tag along. With 3 small kids that need to get to school in the morning and a husband who is normally long gone by 7am when they get up, I’ve been very lucky. But next week, I’m leaving my family for 4 whole days to attend a blog conference in New York. It’s taken me a long time, but I finally consider blogging to be a job, so this conference is a business trip for me.
While I’m 100% certain that my husband can handle it, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t just a little bit nervous. He’ll be more than outnumbered and they know how to wear you down. Plus, this marks the first time that I’m leaving him with all 3 kids overnight. Three whole nights. So naturally, I’m starting to plan now for my trip. Because the more planning that I do now, the smoother my trip will go. Here’s how I’m getting ready for my trip:
Create a Calendar. Field trip day is Thursday for my oldest. Water day is Friday for my youngest. And my middle child needs a lunch packed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. It’s difficult (if not impossible) to remember sometimes. And it might be more difficult for my husband since he’s not used to doing the camp and daycare drop offs. Because the schedule is constantly changing, create a hard copy and post it on the fridge. When you enter each activity, color code them by child. In our house, the girls got to pick their favorite colors – pink & purple – and Everett’s is blue…until he gets to chose for himself.
Stock the freezer. Admittedly, I did a terrible job of meal preparation when I went to this conference 2 years ago. There were meals and snacks for the kids, but nothing for my husband. The result was a lot of unhealthy, drive thru food for everyone. This time around, in addition to leaving food for the kids, I’m stocking the fridge with STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen single serve entrees for my husband.
Packed with at least 25 grams of protein or more, STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen entrees are perfect for a busy dad…who likely won’t have much time to eat between preparing meals for the kids and getting them off to bed. Balanced and satisfying, these easy freezer meals come in 6 different varieties, so there should be plenty of options while I’m away. And since they cook in less than 10 minutes, they’ll be ready when he needs them. They’re perfect in a pinch!
I’m pretty sure the Steak Fajita is the favorite in our house right now,
but you can pick up all the varieties at your local Walmart in the freezer section (check the individual entree aisle, and be aware that the STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen entrees might not be with the other STOUFFER’S® single serve entree options).
Plan their Clothes. Naturally, my husband can handle his own wardrobe, but getting 3 kids under the age of 6 years old dressed in the morning is a chore, to say the least. In fact, there are times when I decide it’s just not worth it. To make it easier for him to get to camp drop off in time, I’ve prepared their outfits in advance….I’ve also put them in a place where the kids can’t get them, so they’ll be there when my husband needs them.
Schedule Video Chat Time. Two years ago, I got all the way to Chicago before I realized that I didn’t know how to use the video chat function on my iPad. Better yet, the kids and I never seemed to be on the same schedule to video chat. This year, we’re scheduling time to video chat and we’ll definitely be doing a test call before I leave. My trip is more productive after a quick call to my kids.
Have a Backup. Expect the unexpected! Sick kids, traffic, or an unexpected work obligation, can all throw a major wrench into the best laid plans. For this reason I’m putting one of my friends on back up to baby sit, if necessary. Hopefully, he won’t need the backup, but I know I’ll rest a little easier if I know that someone is there in case the unexpected happens.
How do you prepare for traveling for work?
I began viewing blogging as a real career in early 2014 (after blogging for four years), and that meant it was time to start traveling! I have since gone to four out-of-town conferences, only one of which my family could come along because it was in Orlando. It’s definitely hard to leave the kids and husband at home, but it’s great to know we can help out by organizing in advance and planning protein-packed meals. #client