Laugh With Me & My OCD!

Cast:

Me - the OCD planner / packer
My Sister - the "fly by the seat of your pants" one

I texted her the other day, "There are apps to help you remember what you need to pack," in regard to our upcoming cruise.

She responded with, "Only you would know that lol."

So I said, "And only I remember all my stuff. LOL"

I win! :D

You know why I'm so into planning for a trip? Because it makes me happy to think about where I'm going. :). I know it's an unusual way to show optimism, but it means I'm thinking ahead of something good to come.

Confession: I Cheated on my 3-1-1

You know how the TSA limits your liquids and gels in carryon luggage to what will fit into a quart bag? Well, I cheated a little bit.

Allow me to plead my case, for those men and clean-face women out there. I wear contacts, wash my hair with color-safe shampoo and use color-safe conditioner. The best hotels don't ever provide samples that protect your hair color, let alone the cheap places I usually stay in.

I need hairspray for my layered hair to stay out of my eyes. I can't get my hair into a simple and neat ponytail no matter how many hairpins I add to the mess, or I would certainly ponytail it when traveling.

I was using styling gel until my hair stylist noticed recently that my hair is rather dessicated and falling out, so now I'm using hair serum instead. (That's likely a hormone hurricane causing this problem.)

I like to use my favorite body wash in the shower, too. Feels like home that way. :). Bar soap isn't my friend. Waxy, soap scummy, drying....

Even with my hormones being goofy, as they sometimes are in middle aged women, I'm still having to fight mild acne. It's been a thirty year fight. I need clear skin, and Nature has decided otherwise. So I use a four-step facial treatment every morning, which controls it and keeps my skin normal. Okay, dry. Those four steps alone would be too big for the quart bag, so I downsized them drastically. After all, I don't need a two month supply on a week-long trip, right?

Still, the more products you use, the more small bottles you have, and those bottles take up a lot of space.

Enter the contact lens cases.

Every time I get a new prescription, I get a new case. And I keep 'em, because I'm weird. Well, I don't have ALL of my old cases. Just several. I can put a week's worth of product into each side of the case. :). All four steps into two contact lens cases. Takes up very little room, and I don't put it into the 3-1-1 Baggie. That's where I'm cheating, though if it does fit, I put it in there anyway. What can I say, except that it works beautifully for me?

Lens cases can hold a lot of stuff. They're just little pots, with (hopefully) leak-proof tops. I've put small dry things in there too: earplugs, earrings, OTC drugs.

There's also that bonus that it really lightens up my baggage if I don't have to wag around full bottles of my stuff. :)

3-1-1 Baggie tip - use freezer bags with pleated bottoms. They're thicker and sturdier than the storage bags, but you can reinforce any of those bags with a little clear tape.

Confession: I Threw Away My Underwear

When I went to Italy this summer, I tested something new out. I packed some clothes that I intended to throw away after I wore them. Underwear that had seen better days and a couple of polo shirts that were stretched or stained were discarded, along with a couple of pairs of socks.

The socks were actually new, but after a day of walking for hours in them, I couldn't bear to put the sweaty things back into my suitcase and contaminate everything else that was clean. I think my shoes were to blame. They were great walking shoes, but they chose this trip to suddenly start reeking. Maybe I was the only one who noticed. My roommate said she couldn't tell, but I could, and I was really anxious about it. So I switched shoes and tossed my socks, which greatly improved things.

I took laundry soap sheets to wash some fast-dry tops I'd brought along, and they (soap sheets) were really handy when most of my travel group's luggage was lot by Iberia. Lesson learned: carry on until you're not allowed to. I always do, because I'm a little panicky without some of my stuff. That's why I've condensed all my necessary items into the tiniest possible spaces.

So... The polo shirts had some stubborn stains that wouldn't come out no matter what I tried, but they wouldn't be likely to show while I travelled, so I tossed them after wearing. Maybe someone in Italy would have a solution to remove the stains I couldn't, or they could just stay in the trash. I don't care, really. They had been part of my attempt to look perky and professional at work. One was such a pale pink it had always looked dingy anyway. I was disappointed when I received it, and it was very stain-prone. Another stretched in weird places and just didn't look flattering. Good riddance.

My underwear... Well, you know how that is. Elastic starting to wear out, tiny holes beginning to appear, annoying fit from the start, stretched out fabric, or just too darn big after a few pounds lost. Besides, you have to consider the appeal of having NO dirty underwear to bring back home. After you've worn them in 100 degree heat on stone Italian streets, sweating all day... I was happy to trash them.

I just wish I'd been brave enough to throw away my shoes!

It wasn't hard to throw away my old stuff. Today I'm eyeing my sock drawer AND my closet and underwear drawer as I get ready for my next trip.

Pocket Stashes

I've seen several websites offering clothing with secret pockets. I actually own a travel vest of this type, but I think it may be too hot for wearing it on my upcoming trip. Maybe on the plane it won't be so bad, considering that the flight may actually be rather cold.

But if it is too hot in the daytime... What then?

I have also seen some underwear with secret pockets for hiding valuables such as extra cash. The camisole on Magellans.com looks great, but again, it's an extra layer when I was hoping for light and airy. Also, there is a size concern. Big bust on a medium sized woman here. Most sizes are not accurate for me. :(

However.... If I can get hold of some mesh material (and I think I might now that Wal-Mart carries fabrics locally once more), I could make a simple fold-over mesh pocket and sew it into the front of each blouse with a pin or velcro for security. The tops I'm planning to take are so busily patterned that a few stitches in a matching color will never show on the outside. Or even pins might work.

I could even make a mesh sling bag to wear under my clothes, or a bra stash, considering the many mesh shopping bags I've crocheted lately.

I did look for mesh by the yard, but there was none available. I went to another department and found this mesh laundry bag for $1.38. I'm going to cut it up for pocket making. ;) probably cheaper than buying yardage and faster than making my own crocheted mesh. I considered buying some lace fabric , but that was $8 a yard. Ripoff for what will never be seen anyway.

Pashmina Shawl for the Flight

I've decided not to order a travel blanket for the transatlantic flight. I'm taking the pashmina shawl I bought in the airport last time I was there instead. Okay, I don't doubt that it's fake for $20, but I just need a thin little blanket anyway. :). I may ask for an airline blanket as well, or I may not.

I'm planning to wear my shin compression sleeves anyway, so if I can find some knit pants to wear over them, that may work for me. If I can find capris in neutral colors, so much the better. I might wear them instead of shorts.

Crushable Travel Snacks

In the interest of not eating excessive salt on a transatlantic flight coming up, I've decided to take granola with me to snack on.

Usually I take a plastic Baggie, but those can get torn in the tumbling around of my carryon bag and I'd rather not dig my hands into the food if there is a possibility that I might be sharing my snack with someone else.

I'm drinking juice from a 10 oz hard plastic bottle that seems fairly crush-proof and would make a good shaker for my crumbly snacks, so I'm planning to wash it and repurpose it for food when I finish. I may put a mixture of purchased and amended granola in there.

And then I can just toss the bottle when empty. I think it'll work fine.

Heaven knows I get irritated when a bag of candy tears open to the point that I can't close it without a gaping hole in the side spilling everything out.

Epilogue: This worked great! I mixed M&Ms in with "heart healthy" Planters trail mix and just tossed it into my bag. It was a lot less awkward shaking out a little at a time than dealing with an opened bag. It'll be great to carry my unsalted almonds traveling.

I saw a girl in our travel group who was carrying around sketching pencils in a recycled water bottle. Thumbs up!

Going to Italy

I'm going on a trip to Italy next summer, so I've decided to start a packing list of things I'd like to take, so that I can pare it down in plenty of time if I decide I'm overpacking.

Granted, there are a few things that I already own, and there are of course other places to purchase these items, so YMMV - shop around. :)

Scottevest Travel Vest. Seriously. Have enough pockets to lighten your carryon. I love mine. :) (it was a bit too warm to wear off the plane in July, though it was handy.)

CoolMax Travel Blanket - Planning to get one in a color other than "airline blue". But only if it is tiny and fits easily in my carryon.. (I didn't get one, and the Iberia plane was far too hot. Coming back, Delta gave us clean blankets anyway, and I was wearing a sweatshirt I'd bought in London. I'd developed chills & fever from a sinus infection.)

Eagle Creek Pack-It Slim Kit. Not sure that this would be better than the tiny makeup case I already use, but it would be nice to have that mirror, the hanging hook, and all the pockets to hang up what I need instead of digging through a bag. If it's smaller, it might be worth bringing.. I didn't buy this.

Bag Bungee - I have one and it's as secure as it looks. The top bag will definitely stay put, unlike when I've tried to put my bag's carry handle over the pull-bar and it just fell off. LOL If I take two bags, I'll be bringing this along as well.

Travel Clothesline. Yes, I made this (I love to make useful things) and use it even at home when I need some extra drying room. Works great and it's only a handful. Plus, you don't need pins. :)

Silk Money Belt I took a cheaper one. I think all money belts are sweaty.

Minimus Carry-On Caddy - designed to slip your ziploc baggie of liquids into and snap onto the outside of your luggage for convenience. They have several filled kits but I have my own favorites I would rather travel with. The caddy, empty, is only $4.99.. Used it - worked great. :)

Travel packs for OTC meds like Tylenol...

Thinking also about the Wisp mouth brushes with the bead of toothpaste on them, for in-flight freshening. Also La Fresh makeup removers, etc, wipes instead of bottled stuff - they come in packets and you just toss them afterward, leaving more room in your bags.

(Used the Wisps... Lovely effect. Used my Neutrogena makeup remover wipes instead of individuals.)

I crocheted my own mesh market bags and used them for shopping. It was nice to sling one cotton bag handle over my shoulder with all my other bags inside, instead of carrying all those plastic bag handles in my sweaty hand. Tossed my water bottle in too. :). I even made a couple more to keep me occupied during boring travel and wait times and gave them away to other travelers in our group.