packing for a week for 2 ppl, incl toys - UK BWs pls

[eva026]

Not sure if this belongs here... feel free to move it.

Over Christmas DD and I are going on a bit of a trip to the UK. Really excited but dreading it at the same time....

We have to fly (2h) then catch the tube (40min) and then change to another (15-20min) to get to my friends house. We stay a few days there then go up to my cousins in the North. So that will be 40min tube and then 4h by train.

Because of all the travelling and changing modes of transport, I have decided not to take a pram - I was considering it but DD hates it and I am not sure how I'd manage stairs in the tube with a screaming toddler trying to break out of a pram.
We will be walking and using a hippy chick (carrier type thing) https://www.hippychick.com/categories/105-hippychick/5-hippychick-hipseat
I also only want to take whatever I can carry in a normal size packpack so as to avoid chasing DD through the airport dragging a suitcase around.

What do you think I should pack to keep us going toy and clothes-wise? We need about a week's worth, DH is joining us up North with a normal suitcase and more clothes and stuff for us.

I was thinking for myself 4 pairs of panties/socks, 3 t-shirts, 1 nightie, 2 pairs tights. I can get by a week with 1 pair of jeans 1 sweater a jacket and scarf, gloves. That way I can wash every 2nd day. Do you think that's enough for a London winter?? Besides that a mini bag of toiletries.

For DD 5 pairs panties, 4 pairs tights, 4 pairs trousers, 5 t-shirts, 2 sweaters and a warm jacket, gloves, hat. Also I reckon it would be good to have her travel in pull ups. Although she has been toilet trained a good while now, she does have accidents. Esp when there is lots going on and I can't afford having her pee on me when I'm carrying her.

Snacks: raisins and other dried fruit.

WHat would u do about toys to entertain her? 4h is a long time......

We have a week in London then a week in Newcastle (newcastle will have a fresh change of clothes from DH) - how does that look when it comes to temperature?
We get -10 here at that time but I'm pretty sure it's warmer in the UK and I dont have to bring along DD's ski-pants - or do I?

[eva026]

no one? going shopping this weekend to get whatever we need. Could use some ideas for little, light toys you can bring on a plane and what clothes DD would need for a London and Newcastle winter. Assuming it wont be as cold as it is here and tights and trousers will be enough with a thick jacket??

[creations]

Oh, sorry you got no replies yet!

Can't really help on clothes, I feel like it's freezing here but as you say it is warmer here than where you are!

For toys are you able to get something like this magnetic sketcher?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Disney-Mickey-Clubhouse-Magnetic-Sketcher/dp/B00DIYB0C2/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1417164254&sr=8-10&keywords=magnetic+sketcher
Here they sell really cheap versions of these things in bargain shops for just £1, obviously the quality is not what you'd get for a bigger/decent one but actually those little ones are so small and light weight it could be just the thing for you.

Baby linking rings are useful
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manhattan-Toy-Links-To-Go/dp/B00DZETW52/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1417164481&sr=8-6&keywords=linking+rings
My DS would still find something to do with those even approaching 4yo, and they can be handy for attaching other things (such as the sketcher) to a back pack or belt so they don't get lost.

Take a lovey if she has one!

[jessmum46]

Newcastle probably a bit colder than London which tends to be the warmest place in the country, probably due to the big concentration of buildings, people etc.  But I wouldn't have thought ski pants necessary.  Just a good coat, hat, gloves.  We do get minus temperatures at times but to be honest I guess you'd be inside as much as possible if that were the case so wouldn't worry too much about it.  We do have shops here too if you find you've forgotten anything

[Kellyjs]

Layers of clothing! It can get quite hot and stuffy on the tube which is hard on lo's. Otherwise it looks good. It's not that cold atm here in the uk compared to usual but it's still chilly enough to warrant hat, gloves and a good coat. Wrt the toys.. No btdt I'm afraid but as you've got quite a bit of different modes of transport there might not be enough time to get something out on the tube anyway. That magnetic sketcher creations linked looks fab though.. I'll remember that one for later myself!

[creations]

for the 4hr train journey maybe prepare an eye-spy bingo type thing?  I'm thinking just light weight paper with simple pictures drawn on or things listed which you can read out and you both look out for in and out of the train. Or print these off
http://www.muminthemadhouse.com/2013/04/22/travel-bingo-a-variation-of-eye-spy/

http://media1.onsugar.com/files/docs/Moms-TravelGames-Trains.pdf
(I wouldn't bother with the colour page unless your LO is really really into colouring, bit of a hassle to carry crayons which can be dropped etc)

[eva026]

Thanks ladies:)

If the temp hovers around 0 then ski pants are def not needed. Tights and pants ok I think.
Great ideas for the activities. I esp love the train bingo! My mom actually has a little sketcher so I'll borrow hers. DD is also very much into playdoh - do you think I can bring that on the plane or will I be accused of trying to bring on plastic explosives, lol?

man I'm stressing... I have visions of myself chasing a grump toddler, who hasn't napped, around the train....

[michaeljacknnugg]

This is one of the occasions where I definitely break out the iPad and the headphones (we got some small over the ear ones that fold) and put some new apps on it also. I don't know if you believe in that kind of thing but it has made our travels so much easier as you can put bedtime stories and a couple of films on it too.

Otherwise, have you seen those fake tattoo things that you can put on your hands to make each finger into a different character? They take up minimal space.

[eva026]

Shock and horror, we don't have an ipad;)))
I am considering bringing my laptop though. It's one of those super thin ones.... will have to see if it fits. We've used for watching peppa over other flights. Not too sure I'll be able to squeeze it in though:(

The tattoos sound great,will ask about them.
Was also thinking of buying polly pocket and littlest petshop toys for her to open on the train.

[lilisuze]

We just did a transatlantic flight with our 2 (6 and 3) and for dd I took my little ponies and accessories for them, colouring mini books and tiny crayons and top trumps. For ds I took some drawing stuff, some little ninja figures, more top trumps and dominoes. And the ipads!!!!

Wrt clothes...Are you going to be somewhere where you cn wash stuff? If so, what you described will be fine. A good coat, and some loose trousers so you can put tights underneath will be warm enough. We do have Cold weather (especially in the north east) and it's generally quite windy. Do you plan for a chiffon/wrap scarf for yourself? I find those better than wooly scarves as they're more flexible and can be used many ways (and can use as a blanket for ds if necessary

Hth

Lili

[creations]

Was also thinking of buying polly pocket and littlest petshop toys for her to open on the train.

Sounds perfect! I was going to say some sort of little character type toy for small world play.

[eva026]

it's -7 here now, so I'm wearing everything - wrap scarf and a wooly scarf but good point on using it as a blanket.
I just hope, hope, hope it will be warmer. DD was in the ski pants today and wanted to be carried everywhere, said it was too cold it walk. humph.... who will carry me?

So far I have: 1 mini doll with accessories (toothbrush, spoon etc), 1 puzzle that you can tell a story with, 2x mini playdoh packets with a press thingie that makes animal shapes, 1x plastic egg with some kind of a toy in it and lots of coloring books with stickers.
Couldn't find the tattoos for your fingers or those plastic ring things

[michaeljacknnugg]

It's definitely warmer here, don't worry!

The other thing I wondered about was a couple of cheap toy cars. They could be used to extend her play with the small world stuff, maybe?
The pound shop is always my friend before a holiday so I don't care about damaging or losing anything.

[lilisuze]

I'm sure that will be fine for toys. You can do so much with just a plain notepad and pen (1. I'll draw, you guess... 2. Let's write things... 3. You make a shape on the paper, I'll add features to make it a funny character ... 4. I do shapes, you color them....)

[eva026]

It's tomorrow aaaaaaaaaaa!!!

It looks like I've managed to fit everything into a standard backpack, and if I do the washing every 3 days I will be set for 2 weeks.
Got a lot of little toys, crafts and printed activities in my handbag and in DD's mini-back pack. Also got some snacks to keep her busy.

Wish me luck ladies!!!

 

[michaeljacknnugg]

Good luck - and well done too! It'll be much easier to manage her needs without a lot of stuff to worry about.

[creations]

Luck! Sounds like you packed brilliantly!

[lilisuze]

Good luck to you. Safe Christmas travels

[eva026]

We made it!!!! Thanks for all the advice and the clothing recommendations were spot-on. Skiing pants would def have been too much (although when we landed back home and the pilot announced -9 and snow I started to wish I had skiing pants for myself too!).
The activities went well, DH bough an Ipad just before we left so that helped a lot when DD was bored of all the little toys I had for her. It does turn her into an ipad monster though, so I am def limiting it to travel situations.
We were travelling by train the Sat after Christmas and got stuck in all that train-mess. A 3 hr journey from Newcastle to London ended up taking 6 hrs, omg. We ran out of food half way through but everyone was very nice and shared what they had. DD had chocolate cake and her first taste of crisps so she was over the moon. People were passing around whiskey and if DD hadn't been with me, I'd have had some too by the 5th hour on the train, lol.
All in all a great trip and I will def be doing it again
Thinking a mother-daughter Spain trip in the summer, to visit my friend.

[creations]

I don't know how you made a 6hr train journey sound so much fun!

[lilisuze]

Well done. Bw mummies can survive anything

[michaeljacknnugg]

It gets easier the more you do it, too! Well done you!!

[eva026]

I don't know how you made a 6hr train journey sound so much fun!

It was fun:) At one point the whole car started singing the frozen song, lol. Everyone was angry but in a great mood at the same time (maybe the whiskey helped), they even let DD run up and down giving everyone high-fives and everyone kept trying to feed her sweets.
If I didn't have DD to entertain it would have been a giant party.