Summer travel has certainly changed since I became a mom. Gone are the days of traveling light with just a small carry-on. Nowadays, my huge bags are brimming and my car is packed! I've partnered with CVS to share our summer travel essentials and why I never leave home without making sure my CVS Pharmacy App is up to date.
Do you have any travel plans? We've got a few vacations on the horizon and that means I need to be on my "A" game. As the stay at home parent in our home, I'm in charge of the household and making sure everyone has everything they need when we go on trips. I have a lot of prep work to do ahead of time to ensure travel arrangements are in order and that all four of us are packed. It's an awful feeling to arrive to your destination and find out you forgot a key piece of baby gear that your child needs, or even worse, a medication you really need. To help make your summer plans the best they can be, I'm sharing our summer travel essentials checklist so you don't forget a thing.
Summer travel essentials
Medication - If you take prescription medication, that should always be a priority when packing. Make sure you have enough for your trip and a little extra in case there are delays in returning home. You should also carry a written list of all the medications you take, along with their dosages, in your wallet in case you should end up in the emergency room. If you're prone to certain problems, like urinary tract infections or ear infections, you can ask your doctor for your regular prescription so you have it just in case. If you do forget your medication, you can easily transfer prescriptions to a CVS location near you by using the CVS Pharmacy App.
It's also a good idea to bring a supply of first aid items for your family. I always travel with children's Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen (pain relievers and fever reducers; I bring both in case I need to rotate them for high fevers), and Diphenhydramine in case of an allergic reaction. I pack bandages and antibiotic ointments for minor cuts and scrapes and a few immunity boosters to try to avoid getting sick.
Protection - Are you heading to the beach or somewhere you're going to be exposed to a lot of sun? Be sure to pack accordingly!
You should bring sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen with good SPF protection. As I mentioned in my post about what's new at CVS in 2017, they're leading the way in skin care protection and have stopped selling sunscreens that don't meet a minimum SPF of 15. They've got a huge selection of broad spectrum sunscreens and have expanded the varieties that meet a SPF of 30 or more, like one of our favorites, Blue Lizard. Also, don't forget the insect repellent! We love Babyganics for our kids and it's readily available on CVS.com (reminder: do not use insect repellant on infants under 2 months old).
Snacks - I don't know about your kids, but mine are snacking machines. They don't enjoy big meals, so they tend to graze all day. That means I always have to have an arsenal of snacks on hand. I try to offer them the best options possible like organic fruit pouches and prepackaged crackers and pretzels. As I told you before, CVS has eliminated trans-fats in all of their Gold Emblem Abound products and now they're making it even easier to find healthier options in-stores with clearly marked shelf tags to highlight specific food types, like high-protein, gluten-free, and more. I always stock up before going out of town.
Know before you go - If you're heading to a new destination, it's always a good idea to do your due diligence to see what's happening in the area so you know what to expect when you get there. Maybe you're heading up north and there's a tick outbreak and a real threat of Lyme disease. You'll need to vigilant about where you spend your time outdoors and bring an insect repellent with DEET. Hop online an do a quick travel advisory search for the area and visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for Traveler's Health to learn what might await you at your destination.
If you're traveling out of the country, you could possibly need vaccinations before you go. The CVS MinuteClinic is a great resource thanks to their pre-travel consultations, motion sickness prevention and more. As part of your travel consultation, the practitioners will assess your travel health needs for you and members of your family based on where you're going. In addition to the vaccines and prescriptions you may need, they'll provide information and tips to help you stay healthy while traveling.
A plan - Even the best laid plans can go awry. If you do get sick or have a minor injury while traveling you'll need treatment, but how will you know where to go? This is where the CVS Pharmacy App comes in handy. On a recent trip with my mom, she came down with a horrible cough. It became so bad that she was having pain in her back and ribs, just from coughing. Thankfully, I had my CVS app and was able to locate a MinuteClinic.
The MinuteClinic is a retail medical clinic inside more than 1,100 CVS Pharmacy and Target locations. They offer walk-in care seven days a week and they have evening and weekend hours. If you've ever visited an emergency room, you know how terribly expensive that can be. We wanted to avoid that at all costs, so the MinuteClinic was a great alternative.
I was able to check the wait time at the local MinuteClinic and hold our place in line by registering before we even left the hotel. When we arrived we only had to wait about 20 minutes before my mom was seen. It turns out she had a horrible sinus infection that was causing post-nasal drip which resulted in her painful cough. She was given a prescription for an antibiotic and we were able to fill it right on the spot at CVS. We were back to our vacation in just an hour's time.
Do you have any summer travel essentials or tips?
I'd love to hear them!
Disclosure: I’m proud to be working with CVS Pharmacy to help spread the word about #BetterHealthMadeEasy and how to #FindYourHealthy. All opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.
Rosie says
I love CVS! I don't have a smartphone, so I can't use the app. This is an app I would definitely want to use, esp to know where there is a Minute Clinic when you are away from home. Not all CVS has them.
Mia says
How helpful it is to know about the MinuteClinic. We always take several road trips in the summer and this would be a wonderful alternative to trying to access an emergency room.