Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I am so thankful for your support of my small business. It is a blessing to do what I’m passionate about; helping people make the most of their homes.
This year my family is celebrating thanksgiving at the beach, which is a relaxing change of pace and scenery. I am prone to travel anxiety, and one thing that helps me feel calm is (you guessed it), being organized. So, I wanted to share a few of my travel tips with you.
The first step is putting together my packing list. I love the AnyList app on my phone for creating lists for everything from the grocery store to packing. The app allows you to customize list categories, so over the years I’ve created different versions for road trips verses plane trips, warm weather verses cold.
The best part is that you can look at what you packed on your last trip, and simply tap an item to add it to your current list. I start putting it together ahead of time, and see if I need to replenish or purchase anything.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I love using packing cubes (the compression version is my favorite). When we toured Maine last year, moving from town to town, I used one cube for each day. It was easy to pull out that day’s cube, and then put the dirty clothes right back into the cube. For this week’s beach trip, I packed by activity, making it easy to set up my dresser and closet when I arrived.
Once the list is in order and the clothes are clean, I fill and label each cube. I roll sleepwear and active wear. If it makes more sense to fold something, I use a bigger cube.
On the way home from a trip, I edit the list based on what worked and what didn’t, so that the list is even better next time. On one trip I wished I’d had a Spare fold up tote, so it got added to the list for next time.
I love my toiletries, and they can be cumbersome. A few tips here:
-Make sure that your toiletry bag is big enough, or consider separating your toiletries into smaller bags based on where you’ll use them; one for shower, one for sink, and another for the nightstand.
-Choose multi purpose skincare and cosmetic products (I packed a Serum/Foundation/Broad Spectrum SPF 50+, which checks a couple of boxes).
Lastly, the oh-so important carryon. My favorite is backpack style (hands free!), with a small zipper compartment for quick access to travel documents. The carryon holds essentials that I don’t want to be separated from, like:
-glasses and spare contacts
-pill case filled for the trip
-multipurpose charger (and its charger!)
-headphones/AirPods
-Lip balm + hand sanitizer
-laptop and e-reader
-car keys
-electrolyte packets
-gluten free/dairy free snacks (so I don’t have to hunt!).
Also, get your phone organized before you go:
-create a note for at-a-glance details like:
• Flight, Hotel, Car rental info (add the hotel address to your navigation app)
• If I’m traveling in another country, I add a translated note with food allergies to show restaurant servers.
• Screenshots of QR codes (offline access!)
And be sure to build in self care to your travel plans (even just a walk in nature helps me feel restored).
If you’re traveling during the upcoming holidays, I hope one of these tips help you feel in control. And wherever you are celebrating the holidays, I hope you find a little calm.
