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We just got home from fall break in Costa Rica. (A full recap is coming soon, here on the blog and on Instagram. If you want to know how we pulled it off on points, start with my free Beginner’s Guide.)

We used to be the family that left suitcases out for a couple of weeks. (Sometimes that still happens.) Now we have a routine, and the day after we get home is always a recovery day.

Here’s exactly what we do to make the whole vacation successful with our four kids, before and after.

Before We Leave

• We clean the house. Nobody likes walking into a messy house, so we always clean before we go.
• I stock the freezer. I don’t know anybody who’s excited to cook after a trip, and after eating out all vacation, our food budget is usually pretty low. I keep Beehive Meals in the freezer. They’re crock pot easy, so dinner is cooking while we handle everything else. (My link applies my code, REWARDSMOM, automatically.)

The Minute We Walk in the Door

• Every suitcase gets opened. First thing, every time. If they sit by the door, they’ll still be sitting there two weeks later. (Ask me how I know.)
• The laundry starts right away. I do all the laundry. When it’s clean, I put it on the kids’ beds and they put it away.
• Suitcases go on the floor, never the bed. A 2025 InsureandGo study found suitcase wheels can carry nearly 58 times more bacteria than a public toilet seat.
• Everybody showers. We always shower after we’ve been on a plane.
• The kids unpack their own suitcases. Each kid has their own color of packing cubes, so it’s easy to tell whose stuff is whose.
• Groceries get delivered. I don’t go to the store after a trip. (More on getting delivery for free below.)

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• Walmart+: A couple of premium cards cover a monthly Walmart+ membership too. Paying for it yourself? Here’s my Walmart+ link.

Heads up: the free memberships auto-renew, so set a reminder if you don’t want to keep paying after the free months.

Easy Dinners for the First Night Home

Beehive Meals covers a few nights. For the rest, I pull from a list of really easy meals I know Costco always has.

The Day After Is Always Recovery Day

This is our non-negotiable. We finish the laundry, get the house back in order, and take it slow.

We don’t do screens, because we’ve usually been on them all day on the plane. (The kids’ Fire tablets are their in-flight entertainment, so they get a break the next day.)

Some people think a recovery day wastes a day off. I’d rather have one slow day at home than jump straight back into real life. And in one survey of Australian travelers, 30% of men said they’re back to their normal routine within a day of getting home. For women, it was 10%.

(Moms, I see you. Somebody’s doing all that laundry.)

Tell Me Your Routine

Are you an unpack-right-away family or a suitcase-sits-for-a-week family? Leave your routine in the comments. It makes this post more useful for everyone.

I’m always updating my most frequently packed as I try new products, and there are some that have been on there for years. You can find those here. And here’s everything we packed for Costa Rica.

Already dreaming about the next trip? New to points? Start with my free Beginner’s Guide. Already have points? My Trip Planner maps out your next trip for you.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

• My Favorite Family Travel Essentials
• Budget Airline Essentials: What We Always Pack
• Why Packing Cubes Are Now a Must for Family Travel
• What to Do If You Miss a Connecting Flight (and Who Pays)

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