7 Forgotten Items of a Last Minute Family Traveller

Disclosure : Sponsored by CIBC. This post is in partnership with CIBC but as always, opinions are totally mine!
I know I’m not alone when I say “get me on a plane!!” but what really caught me off guard was when Little Monkey came up to me last week and said “Mom… I haven’t been on holiday in a really, really, REAAAALY (sigh) long time.” Clearly, we’re doing something right when she’s the one asking us to look at holiday options, and I’m beaming with pride right now! She is right, we’ve done road trips, but she did not join us in Pittsburgh and so her last plane ride was to Washington, DC in September. For our family, that is a really long time. She’s now used to travelling once a month. Well, I have a surprise for her!! We’re heading to Boston this Easter Weekend to explore the city with Porter Escapes and I’m close to booking our trip “back home” to Sri Lanka so that the kids can meet my aunts, uncles and cousins.

One big thing I realized during our Pittsburgh escape was how easy it was for me to pack up without the tots (under 15 minutes!)…you may not know this about me, but I’m such a last minute packer. There are usually so many other things that eat up my time that packing is usually left for the day we travel – sometimes 2 hours before we leave. Of course, it should come as no surprise that in between the nagging, yelling, phone calls from my mom to confirm that we’re actually traveling next week and not that day (she can never keep things straight), and the hubs telling me I’m over-packing, I tend to forget a fair number of things. With March, Easter and Summer (yes it’s coming!) breaks heading our way, I thought I’d share some of our forgotten travel must haves.

Here’s a list of items I’ve forgotten to travel with :

• Diapers. I kid you not. Luckily, there were no poop explosions until we landed and ran to a CVS store in the U.S.  Fingers crossed we’re done with these darn diapers come May!
• Camera. Sadly, this is becoming more and more common but luckily for me, my LG phone has a stellar camera.
• Lip balm. I miss travelling business class and have become so used to relying on the on-board kit to keep my lips hydrated. 90 percent of our trips see me eyeing a pharmacy at the airport.
• Advil. This is one brand I trust for myself and it’s so hard to find during our travels. I learned the hard way when I had to nurse a hangover in Belgium!
• Cash. This is probably my pet peeve. I’ve left the hubs in charge of getting foreign cash so I can eat at small mom and pop stores but he always conveniently forgets, then insists that I just use the credit card and forgo the smaller stores. Occasionally, we use an ATM, but the fees can be hefty.
• Baby Bottles. Baby Boy is still relying on his baby bottle and I recently forgot it on our travels to Muskoka, luckily we passed by a baby store and loaded up!
• Mini First Aid kit. With little ones and clumsy adults around we get many boo-boos and it’s magical how a Dora or Disney band-aid solves all.

Luckily we haven’t forgotten our passports or screens yet and most (except you Advil) of the items we forget are easily purchasable (though it may cost a bit more – especially for baby goods in developing countries). When it comes to the cash, there’s actually a new solution for us time-strapped parents who run around the house like chickens without heads. 

CIBC has made it more convenient than ever to buy foreign currency with its innovative and secure service, CIBC Foreign Cash Online™. One can easily order cash for up to 75 foreign currencies online 24 hours a day and within 2-3 business days, your money will be delivered to your home almost anywhere in Canada – for free! How amazing is that? Currency exchanged AND delivered to your door step. That’s really the biggest perk for me. Even though I live nearby to many banks, I hate going into the branch and conduct my banking online. I hate standing in line when I know I have a bazillion other things I need to do and also, it’s usually 11:45 p.m. by the time I remember all my to-do tasks (this is usually when I put the hubs on duty for these errands). That is why this service offered by CIBC is absolutely brilliant. For those of you who are hesitant to have it delivered to your homes, you need not worry – it’s absolutely safe since the funds are insured and tracked, with an email alerting your tracking information. If you want, you can also order  your foreign cash online and have it delivered to any CIBC branch or the Toronto Pearson International Airport (T1 International Departures) after you’re done with security. There’s numerous options available for the pick up, making it convenient for all.

While the service sounds insanely awesome, I bet you’re wondering how the rates compare. The hubs and I looked at US dollars for our Boston trip and Sri Lankan Rupees for our May travels and what we noticed was that on average, it was less than an UberX ride (remember how lazy I am!) – a small price to pay for such convenience. Let’s not forget the opportunity cost… I could be lounging on our comfy couch catching up on my latest Netflix series.

If you aren’t a CIBC customer, fear not because you can still use the Foreign Cash Online services.  Check out cibc.com/foreigncash to learn more.

Let’s continue the conversation on Twitter!

Tweet using hashtag #CIBCtravelcash and tell us if you’ve used this service before or how you plan to use it for your next travel adventure.

On March 15, we will be showing a token of our appreciation to some of our readers. Be sure to tag @YashYanthi so I can see your awesome entries!

Now tell me, what items have you forgotten during your travels?