When did it become my responsibility to pack for EVERYONE when we travel? At what point was Executive Director in Charge of Packing, added to my title? I suppose it was somewhere between Vice President of Business Affairs and CEO of D&A Doser Llc.

Once upon a time, I enjoyed travelling. It’s something I always wanted to do. These days I still enjoy it, even with the two spawns in tow, but I loathed the packing process, at least until now. It’s a distant memory, somewhat fuzzy as the days pass, of a time when I could grab a piece of luggage and be responsible for only me. These days I no longer pack for one, I pack for four.

Four? You say? Yep, four. No, I didn’t have another child, unless you want to call my husband my man-child. So, yes, I pack all FOUR of us. My husband at least brings his clothes into the guest bedroom, but it’s my responsibility to double check he has his underwear, undershirt, socks, and enough clothing to get us through the trip. I don’t care what it looks like anymore, just as long as he has the right amount of clothing. My boys? Well, obviously I have to take the time to figure out what they’re going to wear. It’s a much more conscious effort than that of my husband. Then there’s me, and since I’m a stay at home mom, my attire consists more of jeans and leggings. I may dress those up with a nice blouse and shoes, but gone are the days of having a different pair of shoes for each outfit. Thanks to the surcharges of baggage by the money hungry airlines, I have to pare everything down.

Since Sunday night, I’ve been in rapid laundry mode. I arose at 4:30 this morning and ironed, then started another load of laundry. We’ve sporadically brought our clothing into the guestroom and this morning, while the boys watched Rio, I started the thoughtful process of packing.

Now that I handle everyone’s clothing, I’m always looking for new creative ways to pack, ways that utilize every little piece of space in the luggage. It’s almost like trying to fit together a puzzle or playing the old Tetris video game.

I used to roll a big portion of my clothes and pack them. I saw this process online once and it’s proven efficient in the past. This time; however, I’m trying to get more space out of my luggage so I decided to try a new technique I’d seen on the Today Show. It’s call the “burrito roll” and I have to say it’s actually worked quite well.

And like someone who’s purchased a $500 pair of boots for $50, I’m eager to share my “find” with my husband. I can’t wait to show him my new packing technique. I can’t wait for him to see just how much space this does indeed save.

So, here’s a picture of Davey’s share of the clothing. Take into consideration that this is a small bag which I am fitting inside the larger bag. And what you see is 5 days worth of clothing including underwear and socks. That’s all the room his clothing took up!

Gosh, I almost want to pack more just to see how much I can really fit into the space.

http://www.today.com/home/how-pack-pro-bundle-wrapping-means-no-wrinkles-no-fuss-1D80318978