Vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.
I'm a list maker, and packing for a trip requires a long one! I've found that especially necessary on our recent trips to Kansas City. While RB sits in seminar sessions all day, I get to party at the hotel. Which in layman's language is read, write and craft. So making sure I have everything I need is important.
Packing is different from when my children were little. I'd pack their little dresses, hang their matching hair bows in a baggie over the hanger and lay them out with their shoes, slips and tights to make sure I had everything they needed. But life goes on, and my packing is easier.
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| Sweet Camden Newton |
Still, there are five things on my list that I can't vacay without. And I've been known to stop along the way to purchase them if I forget.
1. Candle. Now if you would ask the front desk if you could burn a candle, you might be told "no." I'm a big fan of asking forgiveness over asking permission. I have never been asked not to burn my candles, and the housekeepers are usually delighted to walk in and enjoy the ambiance while cleaning. A lit candle immediately warms the room's atmosphere.
2. Lighter. This may seem obvious, but I've left mine at home and what good is a candle without one? Since our overnight stays are more frequent with RB's on-site teaching, I just leave one in my hotel basket so I'll always have it. (And yes, I could do this with the candle, too, but I'd rather the scents match the season.)
3. Goblets. I don't like to drink out of water bottles, Coke cans or hotel glasses. It's not hard to wrap up two goblets and tuck them in your basket. I don't take fragile ones, but my purple ones are just right. I haven't broken one yet (although I still think the joy of using them would be a good trade-off even if I did).
4. Books. I learned this the wrong way. I have 100s of books on my Kindle but I learned -- the hard way -- to tuck a few books in my suitcase. We were traveling to Kansas City, and I wore out my Kindle. The car charger wasn't working, and I had to spend the last couple hours staring out the window. We arrived in Kansas City in the middle of a tornado warning and the threat of no electricity -- again with no books. Now I just throw a couple in. How much room do they really take?
5. Journal. It's when I am quiet that my soul wants me to record my thoughts. Not having my journal stifles my creativity. I usually have some sort of paper, but a journal seems necessary. Which really adds a sixth necessity but I'll join it with this one -- a handful of my favorite pens. Yes, handful. (I may lose one or two.)
My family would say I forgot the M&Ms, but I think the others are more important. Maybe since I added the pens with the journal I can add the lighter with the candle. In that case, number 5 is M&Ms. I don't know when the tradition began, but there's always a [large] bag in our suitcase.
I really need to pack my camera (It almost made the 5). I need to pack our clothes and shoes. I need to remember to pack our cosmetics. But that's not as important as my Favorite Five.
What are your must-haves for vacation?
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15 comments:
I've never even thought about taking a candle with me, but one day when I am not packing all of the little kid necessities, I will try it! In the meantime, I have a bag of snacks, a bag of toys, a bag (or two) for our clothes, and my phone doubles as my camera for sake of convenience. I completely agree on bringing a book. It never fails that I don't have one when I could be using it.
We're getting ready to pack for vacation too, but with young kids I'm too worried I'd forget to blow out a candle!
Books and journal are musts for me, even if I never get to them. Special snacks for the van and, always, apples. Visiting from Laura's place today. Happy vacationing!
Pamela, That's a great list for what to pack for vacations. We just finished a stay cation and still need to have special items ready for ease even in the house. M&Ms sounds like a winner to me.
Blessings to you,
d
I sometimes take a candle if I remember to buy a small one. It makes the room so much more pleasant! I usually research the area we will visit, & try to take along visitor information...places to eat (I love trying local restaurants,tea rooms, etc. Magazines, books, my Kindle, my laptop!, etc. And if we are going to a car event where I will be in the room a lot, I've been know to load down a suitcase with scrapbooking supplies!
I'm smiling at your list --- it betrays what family you belong to! :)
Thanks for the great tips–I really love the goblet idea! And thanks for visiting my blog! :)
Pamela--my five? yours plus the camera for sure!
And 'real' books over a Kindle any day, for all the reasons you mentioned.
(p.s. the photos with this post were great!)
Pamela,
What a fun list....for me, it would be books, a journal and pens :) I'm impressed you match your candles to the season :)
What great tips! I never thought about a candle or goblets. I don't like the idea of drinking out of the glasses in the hotel rooms. I feel like they are not really clean. I guess I watch to much Dateline :). I'm adding these essentials to my packing list next time. I'm a list maker too!
How fun and practical!!
My husband has made several lists for packing. One is for when we go camping, one is for when we go to western events and dress up, and one is just for general traveling.
He also has a bunch of sticky notes on the inside of our coat closet so we don't forget stuff like leaving some lights turned on, and leaving the water turned off!
Me? My must-have? (Besides clean undies? LOL!) I cannot travel without a few books (like you), and I have to have my Bible.
GOD BLESS!
I've been know to pack a whole suitcase with just books, journals, Bibles and my computer. Because why else would you go on vacation???
Sounds like my kind of vaca! It's tough to be without wifi or electricity nowadays since I have so many books on my Kindle. Good advice to bring a few with! Blessings, Pamela!
I love your list because I would love to take all these things on vacation with me, although I don't always remember to, because I have a little kid!
Thanks for sharing your list with us. Books are a definite must for me too and hubby is the one that packs mugs. He needs to drink his morning coffee from his own mug or it is no vacation :)
What a wonderful list! I love the idea of taking a candle...I wasn't sure they allowed that, but what a neat idea! My must-haves are my Bible, journal and pens, our own pillows and blankets, snacks for the motel room, and Clorox wipes to wipe down the phone and other surfaces in the room. I have quirks about doing that the very first thing...at least I know that most of the germs after that are our own! LOL!
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