A very casual weekend away that requires a plane ride means I cannot stuff everything I want in the car. And I don’t want to check a suitcase. What to do? Pack a carryon backpack. And do it like a pro.
How does a pro do it? With lots of cubes and bags to keep everything organized and corralled.
Okay, here’s the fun part of my weekend getaway. I’m in Sacramento to see my sister Monique.
August was our wonderful family get-together with both my sisters, but this time Susie couldn’t join us. Maybe we will get a little Facetime call together to tell at least one spooky story in bed. Yep, that’s what we do.
Now, back to packing my carryon.
I thought I would share my plans for a very minimal stress-free experience when embarking on two different planes at ZERO DARK THIRTY.
My sister will let me borrow any jackets or heavy clothes I might want, so no need to pack that. And she has a washer and dryer so if I need to wear an outfit a second time, I can do laundry.
And we’ll probably do a lot of physical activities and then just hang out, so really. What’s to pack?
A nighty and some undies, right?
And a bit of jewelry, and a bit of makeup, and of course all my tech. It’s starting to add up.
Well, here’s what I did and wish me luck that it’s all enough.
Backpack
Hub had an old work backpack from IBM which is padded for a laptop (which I am not bringing) and will be nice for padding my tablet, Kindle, etc.
Everything that normally would go into my roller bag will get stuffed into the backpack.
Packing Cubes
I use these cubes every single time I go away. They are a lifesaver for packing and also for remembering what I need to take.
The small cube holds socks, underwear, nightgown and swimming suit.
The large cube holds three outfits. Two of which are athletic wear.
Jewelry
When I travel I love to use costume jewelry. There are so many really nice pieces on Amazon I get to A) Not worry about losing my nice stuff and B) Experiment with fun new looks.
The rings I got here and here and the “emerald” earrings are no longer available, but similar here.
Makeup
Just skip this part if you have a weak constitution. My makeup bag was manufactured the year George Washington was inaugurated. Yep, it’s that old. But it still works. And it’s very grimy.
You know what I did? I threw in the washing machine on the quick cycle, cold water, with a bit of Tide and Spray and Wash.
I’m not saying it looks new, but it’s clean. And I’m using it for another trip. It also gave me an opportunity to clean out old stuff that had accumulated in there that will never get used.
Of course, my sister has all the toiletries I need, so just minimal makeup and face cream.
Oh, and one other thing I found. This lighted travel magnifying makeup mirror. It works great and allows me to stay somewhat inside the lines of my lips when applying gloss.
Tech Bag
I have tried a number of different packing bags made for tech equipment, but none of them are all that great. I’ve found that this little bag works just fine for all my stuff that gets plugged in.
Before I pack, I always take the time to clean up my tech gear and make sure it’s all fully charged. Since I’m not a great sleeper, I rely on my iPad and Kindle to get me through the night.
Hostess Gift
DF Evon works at J Crew Factory and helped me find this adorable striped tee for my sister. There was plenty of room in my bag for that too.
Wrap Up
Thanks for joining me on packing day. I’ll let you know next week how much fun we had and what we did.
And one more thing. Every one of these bags were gifts from over the years. From my sisters. I’m smiling.