Packing some heat!!!

Well, I guess I'm not actually packing heat but it was a 'punny' title and my clothes do smell like sunscreen☺

My normal approach to packing for a big getaway is to lay everything out across the spare room bed...weeks in advance...and start the process of whittling down the options to something resembling an efficient offering of needed items.  My plan did not proceed as normal this time.  We had guests a couple of weekends (so the spare room wasn't free) and I needed some other warm weather clothing options that I could only get by skulking through my sister's closet so the clothes actually got laid out on the bed just last week (gasp)!!

I laid out my lovely options and then started on my 'wardrobe analysis'.  No, really, please don't laugh like that!!  This is where my off-the-charts list making propensity gets really interesting!!  I list the days that we will be away and what activity we will be doing each day (ie: travel, beach, scooter outing, etc) and then I start making outfits that will work for each activity and for the evening on board the ship (our usual getaway).  I try to recycle items several times because I really don't like packing too many clothes and then not wearing half of them.  I think I have got it down to a science now.

Once I have all of my options selected, I then toss the excess to the side and then let things sit for a few days.  I'll go back to it again and make changes or get rid of more things before I finalize my choices and put them in the suitcase.  Yes, I realize that if I had several kids, this would probably fall by the wayside but since it is just Dave and I, this is the approach that works best for me.

I have a Word document with my packing list and list of things to do before leaving.  I print it out and work through the tasks.  It is really my way of staying sane during the packing process because I've discovered that my mind really isn't all that sharp and I need written reminders of things so I don't forget something critical.

I have to get our footwear together today and then start rolling clothes and packing them in our suitcases.  Time is counting down and I am praying that the snowstorm doesn't hit us on Friday!!