Things to do before going on a long vacation...

In a few days, we would be flying to Asia for a long vacation. We would have a few hours to celebrate Valentine's Day at home, exchange some gifts, and then we'd be off to another long flight to Bangkok. The thing is, we are taking advantage of the fact that both kids are still in kindergarten; thus we could enjoy longer vacation even if there are no breaks.

But since MC would be a school girl this coming September, we needed to take time out now. For after that, it would mean our vacation would depend on the school breaks. Let me tell you, we already booked our winter vacation for February next year. That's how forward looking we are :D

Anyway, we have booked this vacation to Asia since early last year. And since then, I have spent loads of time on the net, searching for resorts around the beach. We settled for the beach resorts of Batangas; I hope I did right! As for our city stay, we've decided to go back to Astoria Plaza Hotel as we did enjoy our stay there last time.

But before that, I need to work on it seems like a hundred things to do.

1. Clean the house: We used to have a cleaning woman that comes a day before we would arrive; but since she's gone now; we have to make sure that we would go home to a clean house.

2. Change the bed sheets: Fresh bedsheets would be a great welcome, too.

3. Decide who should take care of our house plants: Our orchids always suffer whenever we go for a long vacation, even though someone comes once a week to water them. Maybe it is too cold inside the house as we usually turn off the heater when we leave. This time, we asked my sister in law to bring the orchids home.

4. Listed down things to buy, things we would need: Since we would arrive back on a holiday, the shops would be closed here. We have asked our tenants to buy us a pack of eggs and bread so we would have something fresh to eat when we arrive.

5. Ask someone to empty our mailbox: We usually ask our tenants to do this for us, giving them our spare key. They would also get our spare key for the house, just in case.

6. Make sure someone would bring us to the airport and pick us up, too: We have asked my brother in law to do this for us; giving him our itinerary.

7. Share the telephone numbers and cell phones: We would be giving our tenants and the immediate family the contact details of where we would be staying; of course, they already have our cell phones.

8. Bought all the necessary medicines, creams and sprays: These would include those homoopathy pearls for fever, aches, etc.; the nose spray, the sunscreens, anti-mosquito spray, after-bite sprays, etc.

9. Got the shots needed for a travel to Asia: Our doctor recommended shots against Hepa A; plus he was saying I should also watch out from eating street foods as I have been staying in Germany for a long time and my body might react differently now.

10. Packing, repacking, packing re-packing: I would be doing this until it is time to load the luggages to the car on our way to the airport :D

11. List down things to do during our vacation, things to buy, confirm schedule of our reunion dates in Manila: to make sure everything's done, everything's bought and everyone's happy






12. Make sure all the plugs needed for all our gadgets are also packed

13. Visit opa and oma: We would need to formally say adieu to them a day before we fly; this is always done and is expected. Although I would say, this is a great tradition to keep.

14. Inform formally the kindergarten, the sports club, MC's ballet that we would be away for a period
15. Create a program for the next gymnastics classes with my partner as she would be alone for a few weeks

16. Work on PMN: Travel and PMN: Home and Garden: to make sure there are updated articles even if I am not allowed to blog during our vacation:D For that I would like to thank Geri for her assistance with PMN: Home and Garden

17. Separate those creams that I would need to put in my hand carry and put them into the official plastic bag to make sure our checking in would move on easily

18. Make sure all the padala, pasalubong, pabitbit would get into the luggages :D

19. Cancel the newpaper subscription

20. And since we would arrive back to Germany a few days before Easter, I have also bought most of the gifts for Easter: I dont want to disappoint the kids.

21. Check the ref and the pantry: Look into the expiry dates and give the 'not used' food to the oma and opa or to the tenants; and use the rest within the days

22. Wash the dirty laundry and iron clothes: I am sure there would be a ton of laundry after that long vacation!

23. Attend the nutrition program in kindergarten tonight: Theme is the oasis of drink and food -- informing the parents on how to deal with nutrition for kids and how to introduce them to new, healthy alternatives.

24. Talked to MC and IC's teachers in kindergarten about their progress and be updated on how they are doing in kindergarten.

21. Ticking on my list if I have packed all the things, if we have done all the things in our list: This is the last thing I would do before we leave the house.

Hmm, now I hope I did not forget anything!