because it’s hard coming home from a trip, I like to do 5 things before a trip to make it easier on Future Haley.
1) finish all laundry
i know, i know. not a glamorous task. but I know the minute we get home, we’ll have a mountain of laundry, so doing all I can before the trip helps ease the pain (and ensures we’ll have clean clothes to wear that first night home).
2) tidy the house
again, not fun, but so worth it. coming home from a trip means we’ll have an overwhelming pile of stuff to unpack, so I like to make sure the rest of my house is in order in preparation. and also? walking into a tidy house after being away is the best.
bonus points if I’m able to do some cleaning before we leave - nothing is better than coming home to a clean house. right now we have housecleaners, and I specifically scheduled them to come while we’re gone - a huge gift to Future Haley.
3) menu plan strategically
I make sure in the week leading up to a trip, that we really use up what we have to minimize waste and completely clear out the fridge. I menu plan accordingly. which means we may be really leaning into Leftover Nights those nights leading up to a trip, but I find that to be super beneficial when 1) I’m running around preparing for a trip and 2) I’m about to leave for a trip (aka eating lots of fun food) anyway.
I also make sure to menu plan a few easyyyyy meals for the week after a trip. (yes, I do this before we leave for a trip.) I also keep in mind that after a trip, we’re usually craving more produce, so I plan a few easyyyyy meals with that in mind.
here’s my weekly menu plan.
4) place a grocery delivery order
normally I’m happy to run into the store - and normally we have a standing curbside pick-up order every Sunday - but after a trip, I splurge on delivery. and I typically have it delivered the day after we get home from a trip. (so that way if there’s any delay in getting home, I have time to adjust the order.) but when I’m running around doing laundry and unpacking, having groceries arrive on my doorstep is so appreciated.
but, did you notice that I always have an easyyyy meal for the night we get home? that brings me to…
5) make one stop at the store before the trip
because yeah, we inevitably need to grab things for the trip. but also? if our trip isn’t super long, I’ll also grab whatever I need for an easyyyy dinner that first night home. which means I’m menu planning something that doesn’t involve super time-sensitive ingredients, and buying those items before we leave. could be as easy (and sturdy) as a frozen lasagna and apple slices. we’re grateful for whatever Past Haley decides on.
(and of course, if life happens and we need to grab some drive-thru on our way home, no big deal. we’ll just move that meal to another night. but the times we’re so craving a meal at home, this preplanned meal feels like such a gift.)
andddd there you go!
yes. this requires quite a bit for forethought and planning, but gosh the rewards are so great. coming home from a great trip to a clean house, with minimal laundry and a preplanned, mindlessly-easy meal? I kiss Past Haley every single time.
