Vacations are great for energizing the soul, but the getting ready for vacations? Not so much....
Like I said on Monday, I just came back from the beach. Two
weeks of fun with the family. Visits to lighthouses and the spot where pirates are said to gather- all exciting stuff! And most of which went pretty much undocumented because I
forgot to pack the freaking camera!
Yes, we had iPhones and got some good
shots, but that Nikon I forked out a fortune for? The one with the crisp zoom that
would have gotten me pictures of my family of ocean swimmers from my comfy spot on the
beach? It sat at home.
That wouldn't have happened if I had better execution. And planning.
On the ride home, as I moped about coming home reflected fondly on our trip, I came up with a solution- I need to put an end to harried, haphazard packing.
I decided to make a master packing list. One I can
keep on my hard drive and print out when I’m ready to start tossing stuff in
the trunk.
Now, next
year, when I pack, I’ll print one out and I’ll check it twice. (And I’ll print
one for the man and each kiddo, so they don’t have to keep asking me what to
bring!)
 |
| Print one for this trip... |
 |
| Save one for later... |
I have a packing list for my bag for the gym because otherwise I'd forget something vital. Like clean underwear. (And yes, I've forgotten that before.)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new blog, ladies!
Every trip we went on this summer- we forgot tooth brushes. So, I can easily understand forgetting the underwear.
DeleteI really need to do a list like this. There always seems to be at least one thing we forget on trips. Happy Hump Day!
ReplyDeleteAnd when I do think to make a list, it will take me at least a half an hour trying to remember what I needed last year.
DeleteThat is excellent advice. My husband always forgets something. This year it was his favorite lounging attire.
ReplyDeleteSusan Says
My husband does too, but then he swears he asked me to pack it.
DeleteGood plan!!! We try this for our trips to the lake, but we STILL always forget what we've already left on the boat. I hope you're a better listkeeper than I am!
ReplyDeleteWe do a lot of quick, weekend trips, I have a weekend trip bag that I never unpack. When something runs out, I replace it. That way- that bag is always ready to go.
DeleteI'm a planner to the hilt. My family gets mad at me for it, but trust me they always thank me later.
ReplyDeleteThat's like the mom purse- everyone laughs at the size of it until there is something in it you need.
DeleteThat's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI do love a good list.
As for the camera, sometimes you just have to take brain pictures. :)
Heather
I think the hard drive on my brain is full. Fortunately iPhone takes good shots.
DeleteGood idea! When our kids were growing up, we always made to-do lists and packing lists to keep things organized and to minimize our forgetfulness. My hubby even made a day-by-day schedule for the vacation itself, so we could fit in the things each kid wanted to do or see. Now that it's just my hubby and me, we're a lot more laid-back in our approach to going away. (But my hubby still makes his lists.)
ReplyDeleteSorry you forgot your camera, but you could have picked up one of those 35mm disposable jobs.
You guys are masters then. A daily list on vacation is smart. I do that too, though it irritates my husband to have his vacation "planned", but if you don't- you get to the end of the week and try to rush everything on the must do list. That's no fun either.
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