Tag: Organized Travel

A Place To Put My Hiking Gear

These last few weeks, I’ve written or shared articles about Being Prepared for National Preparedness Month.

Being Prepared isn’t just about preparing for crises and emergencies, though.
Being Prepared can be about being ready for anything that life throws your way, the Good in addition to the emergencies!

I’m going to re-cap this article before you read the rest, with these tips for Preparing For The Good Stuff:

  1. Recognize what is important to you.
  2. Proactively clear obstacles that stand in the way of being able to do what is important to you.
  3. Dedicate resources to what is important to you.
  4. Maintain your Prepared for the Good Stuff status with regular attention.

For example:  I recently purchased a hiking back pack.

Did you know?  I love to hike.  Nature nurtures and delights me. From big vacations to stolen moments as I travel through my day-to-day, I find reasons to stop and be out in nature.

I like to be prepared, so I have a small pile of hiking stuff I take with me when I hike, and I keep it at the ready in a small pouch.  What is my “hiking stuff”?  Bug spray, signal whistle and compass, small portable first aid kit, hat, bandanas (for keeping mosquitoes out of my ears, I hate that!), etc.  And I would toss that small pouch, a water bottle and a protein bar in my big backpack when I was going for a hike.

Or, I would do that if I wasn’t already using the big pack pack for something else, like when we were already traveling and the big back pack was my luggage. Or, sometimes the big back pack was just, well, too big for a day hike, and if you hike, you know you want to travel light. And where do I keep my pouch of hiking stuff between hikes?

I recently decided that to truly honor my love of hiking, I needed to dedicate some resources to making my hiking hobby work better for me.   Life is never about the stuff, but I can still be really happy with a new purchase that will make my life better.  (Shown here is the Kavu Paxton Pack I purchased, after a little bit of research.)

The new hiking pack solved the challenges I had with my hiking stuff before now.  Most importantly, I find the already packed hiking backpack motivating and it makes me happy, so Win-Win.  When there is absolutely no obstacle to an early morning hike other than filling my reusable water bottle and heading out the door, I am much more likely to actually head out that door!

I haven’t always considered myself an athlete, but knowing I’m prepared to hit the trails makes me feel like an athlete in this game called life, and I find that motivating, as well.

So, to Be Prepared for the Good in life:

  1. Recognize what is important to you.
  2. Proactively clear obstacles that stand in the way of being able to do what is important to you.
  3. Dedicate resources to what is important to you.
  4. Maintain your Prepared for the Good Stuff status with regular attention.

Happy Hiking! (Or whatever you choose!)

So, What’s In Your Wallet?

My husband has been on a mission lately, reviewing all his Little Spaces around the house.  You know, those Little Spaces?  His launch pad (basket) by the back door, his briefcase, different drawers of his desk, his wallet, etc.  Last week he shred a couple dozen files from his file cabinet, and this week he reviewed and pared down the contents of his wallet.

As he spread his wallet’s contents on the kitchen counter, I told him that he is the inspiration for this week’s article!

So, what’s in your wallet?  From an organized and prepared point of view, we should carry exactly what we need and not much else.


How to:  First, take everything out of your wallet, and lay it out on a flat space!

Sort what you have:

  • ID, credit cards, insurance cards, of course.  But also…
  • gift cards, rewards cards;
  • appointment reminders, business cards; and
  • receipts and random minutiae.

Purge what can go:

  • Review expiration dates, and shred any old ID or credit cards.  (Auto insurance cards from  12 or 18 months ago?  Yes, those can go.)  And if you purge an old card, make sure you have the most up-to-date version if it is something you need to carry.
  • Add appointments into your calendar and toss / recycle the card (Dentist appointment reminder card from last summer?  Yep, that can go, too!).
  • Take a little time and enter business card contact info into your phone, and toss / recycle those, too.
  • File or shred old receipts.
  • Are you trying to track or curb spending?  Consider leaving a credit card or two at home

Once you know what you’re keeping:

  • Check the balances on any mystery gift cards in your wallet, or call or go on-line and combine your balances if you have duplicates.  I carry a tiny sharpie in my wallet to make note of gift card balances on the card as I use them up.
  • Any account cards, gift cards or loyalty reward cards you can move to your smart phone and stop carrying around with you entirely?  Go for it!
  • Take the cards that you are going to carry in your wallet and lay them flat on your printer glass and make a copy.  Then, flip all the cards over, and make a copy of those sides, too.  Keep these 2 sheets in a safe but convenient place in case you lose your wallet and need to file a report or make phone calls / go on-line to cancel your cards.
  • Pare down what you carry!  Make sure that your wallet is streamlined and that you can easily find what you need when you’re looking for it.

Looking Ahead:

  • Live lighter and more organized with a cleaned-out wallet!
  • Make a habit of snapping a picture of a business card instead of accepting it, or entering  an appointment in your calendar right as you make it and eliminate the need for those extra bits of papers floating around.
  • Make a habit of reviewing your wallet every few months, to keep it pared down and efficient!

Keep Your Travel Essentials Packed ALL THE TIME

Recently, a man walked up to me before Mass and said “You look like a person who carries band-aids.  Could I have one, please?  My son cut his finger and needs some help.”  Not only did I have band-aids to share, I also provided a cleansing wipe, alcohol pad and a few tissues.

Yep, that’s how I roll.  I carried a mom-bag even before I was a mom.  I’m the one with a safety pin, phone charger, hand sanitizer, gum (even though I don’t chew it), toothpicks and tylenol.  If you need something and I’m in the room, go ahead and ask, I probably have it.

My thoughts are on travel this month and I want to talk about my travel kit. Our “travel kit”, shave kit, travel toiletry bag,  etc. is the bag of travel and hygiene essentials that we all should get used to taking with us when we travel.

And here is a little secret – Keep it packed and up-to-date ALL THE TIME to make life and travel so much easier!  I travel often enough, especially during the summer, that leaving these essentials packed all the time saves lots of time and hassle.

How to?  Here we go!

  1. Determine your list of essentials.  Yes, I actually made a list, printed and laminated it and posted it on the inside of one of my medicine cabinet doors (I had a list for the kids when they were little, too).  My list includes:
  • toothpaste, toothbrush,  shampoo, conditioner, soap / bodywash, face lotion with sunscreen, body lotion, hair styling product and comb, and deodorant.  A travel size of all of these items stay in the kit all the time, as do
  • lip balm, nail trimmers, tweezers, scissors and an extra eyeglass case.
  • Planning for emergencies, I also pack a glass repair kit, mini-sewing kit and first aid kit.
  • When I am ready to leave, I will add: contacts and solution, cosmetics, nail polish (for touch ups), and a jewelry pouch.
  • In the kitchen, there is a bag and a check list ready for packing my vitamins, protein shake, and travel coffee (Starbuck’s Via Packets) and tea for just in case.

2.  Find a pouch or two that will hold everything. Consider your options: washable (mine is plastic and wipes clean);  transparent (best for air travel, and for being able to see and find stuff!) or opaque (for privacy); appropriately sized – not too big or too small! I use two for longer trips, with shower stuff in one and everything else in the other, as they are less bulky in a suitcase this way.

3.  If you have a habit of forgetting your kit in hotel rooms, you could use a resealable quart or freezer size ziploc with disposable items inside.

4.  Check your linen closet or medicine cabinets for extras of the essentials, and populate your kit.  Grab travel sizes of your essentials, or those hotel sized toiletries you seem to collect but never use!  Once you know what you need, and what you already have on hand, take a swing through the travel size aisle at your local pharmacy for the items you’re missing.

5.  Most importantly, when you return from your adventures, check your list and your pouch contents again and restock anything you may have depleted while you were traveling.  Put your pre-packed travel kit away until you pack for your next adventure, when it will be waiting to help you out!

Managing Transitions: Your Daily Commute

Where do you go every day?  And how do you get there?

Do you drive for your commute?  Maybe it’s 3 minutes, maybe an hour.   Perhaps you take the train, or perhaps you work from home.   No matter what your situation, you probably spend at least some time every day or week in transit.  So, let’s spend some time this week managing the transitions of your travels!

First, some environmental organizing.  Meaning – Clean out your car,  for goodness sake!  You wouldn’t sit on the couch or sleep next to a pile of garbage, why drive around with it?  And if you carry a bag (or many) with you, take a few minutes and clean that out this week, too.  Don’t carry around with you what you don’t need!

Create routines and hacks that make your commute flow more smoothly.  If you drive,

  • Take guess work out of your gas tank.  Some people aren’t bothered by the low fuel light, but I am!  I’ve found that filling up once a week, typically on Friday morning (my errand morning), means I don’t have to think about it any other time of the week.
  • Invest in an IPass if you haven’t gotten one already.
  • If you drive more than 15 minutes, check your route before you go, or use Google or Apple Maps or the Waze App every time you drive.  I have a client 40 minutes away, and Google Maps has routed me 5 different ways (that I never would have known) to her home based on traffic and construction congestion.

What You Can Do On Your Commute:

  • Get informed. Listen to your news of choice IF and ONLY IF it enhances your day.  If your chosen news source is negative or creates more stress in your life, consider other options.  I like NPR.  If you take the train, load your news sources, podcasts or newspaper subscriptions onto your kindle, IPad or smart phone and read or listen on your way to work.
  • Read up.  Check out Play-Away books at your local library, or purchase audio books on ITunes or Amazon.
  • Pray.  I carry a rosary with me.
  • Practice your deep breathing.  Get energized and arrive at your destination relaxed, for a change!
  • Dictate emails or articles.  I start a new voice memo on my smart phone while I’m still parked and talk through article ideas as I drive.  When I’m back at my laptop, I can transcribe the ideas and content.
  • Eat breakfast.  I make my smoothie (yogurt and fruit) before I leave and drink it on my way.
  • Listen to music.  I sing professionally, so I’ve been learning new wedding music as I drive.
  • Charge your devices.  I have charging cords in my bag for my devices and accessories (my fitbit, blue tooth earpiece, etc.).
  • Think deep thoughts.  If I have a problem I’m trying to work through, some days I will dedicate my commute to considering different solutions.
  • I have to insist on hands free, people.  If your phone and car can pair up, take the time and set it up.  Holding a phone 6 inches in front of your mouth instead of up to your ear is NOT hands free and IS ILLEGAL in Illinois (and elsewhere).  And getting stopped and a ticket, or worse, getting in an accident with distracted driving, can be the WORST way to spend your time!

So, this week, think about how to make your travel times more organized and maybe even enjoyable!

Organize Your Car This Week (a.k.a. What’s That Smell?)

This is not my car. But it looks nice, doesn’t it?

Mobile office, changing room, dining room, way-to-get-from-here-to-there, home away from home … our car.

My van ticked over 94,000 miles today.

I spend lots of time in my van.  For work and clients, sure, but also for life.  We do a lot of interstate traveling, and have no problem with a 3-hour drive for an overnight visit or lunch with the family.

With lots of time spent in our cars, they can get a little cluttered… and grubby… and… well, smelly.  Our family joke was that when we decided to buy our current van, my youngest said “Good, because this one smells like french fries”.  Old beverage containers, fast food wrappers, dirty laundry, sports equipment – Who knows what is rolling around back there?!

The first thing that people do when they see my “Professional Organizer” magnets on my van is peek in my windows to see if my car is organized (of course it is).  Our cars are an extension of our homes and of ourselves, which means we can reap benefits from organizing our car and travels.  Luckily, the process is the same, whether we ‘re organizing a kitchen or hard drive or pile of mail or car.

Here is what to do:

  • Take out all the stuff out of your car.  Throw away the obvious garbage.
  • While it’s cleaned out, take your car to the car wash and splurge on the interior cleaning and vacuum, too.
  • Now that it’s clean, Do NOT just put everything back in your car!  Take a good look at the stuff that came out!
  • Grab another garbage bag and a notebook.
  • Sort the pile into categories: Car maintenance (wipes, oil); Car repair (tools, jumper cables); Important car related papers (manual, registration and proof of insurance); safety / first aid (first aid kit, blanket, non perishable snacks, water bottles); personal convenience (umbrella, lint brush, hand wipes, car pillow); or perhaps work related items (I have my briefcase and step stool in my van all the time).
  • A note on safety: Whatever you choose to keep in your car needs to be strapped in.  Any time we slam on the brakes, stuff can shift or fly, becoming a dangerous projectile.  Strap it down and keep it safe!
  • Contain your categories together (for example, a tote in the trunk for tools?), and stow them safely in your car.
  • And, if you have 10 minutes or 2 days, check Pinterest for more “car organizing” ideas – wow!!!

What should not be in the car:

  • important papers, like your mail or pay stubs with personal info;
  • VISIBLE VALUABLES or MONEY!;
  • your car title and maintenance records (keep these safely at home);
  • dead electronics (old phone chargers, random mystery cords);
  • school papers / text books / other books;
  • items to drop off to others / returns / recycling – add the errands to your to-do list, and make an effort to get that stuff dropped off.

Your car is an extension of you and your home, give it some love, attention and organizing this week!

7 Things I Learned From My Summer Vacation

We host a weekend get-together every July, next year will be our 20th. 

It started out as a bunch of recent college grads gathering at my very gracious in-law’s lake cottage in Michigan.  Our numbers have expanded over the years, as we’ve gotten married and added children.  We can gauge our growth in advanced degrees received, mortgages, increasing car size (to accommodate our growing families), challenges met and conquered and learned from.  It is amazing how we have all evolved. 

After 19 years of hosting this event, there are some Organizing Truths I have learned and can share with confidence:

  1. Organizing Truth:  Life is not about the stuff, it is about people and relationships.  I am so blessed.  I am choking up as I write this because I have images of such good friends and conversations and love, a wonderful co-host (my hubby), my gracious and dear in-laws and my dad who brings us cookies every year.  I am so, so blessed.
  2. Organizing Truth: Quality time with friends and family is judged by enjoyment, not by effort.  I am getting better about judging event success by the fun had by all, and not by the diversity of menu options or the cleanliness of my house or how much effort I put in (because the more you do these things, the easier they get!).
  3. Organizing Truth:  You can learn from every experience.  After any experience, ask yourself to sum up what you have learned in one or two sentences.  Self-awareness is a valuable skill, tool and talent.  It helps you find worth in every experience, even the mundane, and helps you to constantly evolve and improve.
  4. Organizing Truth:  Take notes, and help your Future You out next time.   I have a spreadsheet for planning this big weekend from year to year, with guest and RSVP lists, menu, shopping list, etc.  In the next few days, I will open up the spreadsheet file and make some notes about what worked and what did not:  “don’t forget the softball game next year, ask G to bring more fireworks, broaden the lunch menus”.  I will save that information, change the dates for 2012 and be ready to go next Spring.
  5. Organizing Truth:  Technology can be a very useful tool!   I already mentioned my yearly spread sheet, and a glance at my file directory tells me I have been keeping notes digitally since 1998.  I annually update the email contact list and correspond almost entirely via email.  These are basics.  I can also send map links to emails if requested, and this year I was able to check Facebook and my email for arrival updates via my smart phone.  Maybe next year, I’ll use Evite and we’ll have a FaceBook page (but then again, maybe not).
  6. Organizing Truth:  Standard Operating Procedures make things run smoothly.  I have a list in my head of things that need to be done, but next year, I will hang on the fridge a list of kid-friendly jobs to be done, so I can defer to the list and delegate better.  Examples of tasks may include:
    1. Get the boats ready to go: load the cooler, count and load the life jackets and beach towels
    2. Meal Set Up:  clean off table, get out plates and napkins and utensils, consult menu, etc.
    3. Yard Clean Up:  soda cans and water bottles to recycling, sporting gear and beach toys to bins, etc.
  7. Organizing Truths:  Notes from Kitchen Duty.
    1. Set up for the next meal at the end of the current meal.  Meaning, after dinner clean-up is done, look ahead to tomorrow’s breakfast, and set out the griddle and pancake ingredients and frying pans for sausage.  Most critically, set up the coffee maker for the next morning, so whoever gets up first can flip the switch!
    2. It occurred to me along the way that I could save a lot of hassle for myself and my guests if I just did all the menu planning and shopping.  At first, everyone would bring their own stuff, and meals were a hodgepodge, the refrigerator was full of odds and ends, and coolers were lined up on the deck and needed regular additions of bagged ice.  Now, I do all the shopping (with a few additions, like Cinnamon Rolls from the Ohio contingent), the menu is posted, and this year, a team of kids even helped with prep and clean up.  It’s a beautiful thing!
  8. Organizing Truth:  Less really is More.  I could go on and on, but I won’t!

So, learn from my experiences, I know I do.  Think things through, review and revise, and most importantly, get out there and appreciate your friends and family and life.

Organized Travel: Packing tips from the Lakeside

It seems fitting and proper, kismet perhaps, that I would publish information about organized travel from the table overlooking the lake at my favorite travel destination!

We travel a lot.   We are blessed with friends and family all over the map, and we think nothing of heading to lunch for the afternoon 2 states away.  And when you pack and unpack as often as we do, you learn some things!  So here are packing tips, for adults and children alike!

  • Take everything out of your wallet and make a copy of both sides of each card, and your passport if you are traveling abroad.  Leave  the copies and your itinerary with your house-sitter, or in an easy-to-find place at home, in case you have to call home for information.
  • Assign a home in your bags for your most important items; money, passports, car keys, cell phones and medications  (e.g. always the same backpack pocket or the top left inside corner of your suitcase, etc.).  You and your travel companions should know where theses vital items are at all times.
  • Give your kids packing lists. Create equations: Small children?  # of days x 2 = # of outfits.  Older children?  # of days x 1.5 = # of outfits.  Our weekend list includes:  2 pjs, 3 underwear, 3 socks, 3 t-shirts in cold weather, 1 Church outfit (top, bottom), 1 belt, 1 sweatshirt, 1 hat, 2-3 outfits:  pants or shorts, t-shirt or long sleeved shirt, shoes (sneakers, crocs/sandals).  Also, Personal Hygiene:  toothbrush/paste, comb, soap / shampoo, lotion, deodorant; and Entertainment: books and booklights, mitts and ball, DVD player and DVDs, Nintendo DS, charger and games, IPod, watches.
  • Offer a Re-Packing List, too, for re-packing your items for departure!
  • Roll your ensembles:  This is one of my favorite recommendations!  When I pack for my kids, each roll contains a top, a bottom, underwear, t-shirts and socks.  A client packs for her color-blind husband, and puts his outfits together for him before he leaves.  Rolled outfits take up less space, too, and help you make every inch of packing space count!
  • When on the road, pack for each day:  An outfit for each person on each pile, then take a pile out each day.  This keeps the kids (and spouse?) from rummaging through (read—unpacking) the suitcase every day.
  • Pack along a color scheme, too, for example: khaki, blue and white; then you know everything matches.  Or even basic bottoms, like khaki or blue or black, and interchangeable tops (this works for my sons, though perhaps not for fashionistas).
  • Have a day pack packed all the time; bottled water, juice boxes and non-perishable snacks, sun-screen, bug spray, wipes and first aid kit, hats and sunglasses, towels and trunks.
  • If you’re traveling by car, keep swimsuits and towels in a separate, ventilated and easy to reach bag, so everyone can get to the pool or lake quickly, and suits and towels have a better chance to dry fully between swims.
  • Plan for contingencies, but don’t over-pack.  My friend says “lay out everything on the bed that you plan to take -then put half of it away”.  And pack items that multitask.  I have a great wrap that can double as a blanket in the car.  The kids have wind jackets that roll up, and double as pillows.

Enjoy your travels, and let me know your favorite packing tip ever!

Did You Remember To Pack The…

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This summer will find my family in multiple states and destinations.  And so begins the summer travel season!  Preparing for Travel can be a mixed bag, though, excited at the prospect of your adventures yet overwhelmed with the details of packing and unpacking.   One of the most organized and well- traveled people I know admits to having the “What did I forget to pack/bring” fear “every.single.trip”.   And I can empathize!

Vacation is about getting away, even getting away from our stuff, but some stuff really needs to come along.  How do you ensure it makes the trip?  Read on….

Standardized Packing Lists:

  1. Standardized packing lists are great tools to help you focus your packing efforts.  Looking for inspiration?  Do a google search for “Packing List”.  Here are some of my favorites:
  2. Over time, I’ve made a Klimczak Family Packing List.  I update it in the computer, and print it for family member use.  We’ve even laminated it, and used dry erase markers to chart our packing progress.
  3. Our packing list includes clothes and toiletries, of course, but also items like baseball mitts, game systems and chargers for the kids, travel snacks and work stuff for me.
  4. The boys have a packing list posted in their room, too, so when I tell them where we are going and for how long, they look at the list and bring the right things for the right number of days.
  5. Use a standardized toiletry packing list, too, and post it on the inside of the medicine cabinet door and in your toiletry bag closet, to ensure you don’t forget the small items!

Set Aside Things as you remember them, or at least Add Them To The List:

  1. Keeping your list in the computer allows for edits as you learn from every travel experience.  Tweak your standardized list as your travel needs change, your kids get older, etc.
  2. Keep a Trip Bag set aside for upcoming trips, and a folder for the same, either on your computer or in hard copy.  As you purchase or remember something for that trip (Father’s Day cards, gifts, beach towels, etc), or receive travel brochures or itineraries, put  them in the bag.  That way, all that is left to pack on travel day is clothes and toiletries.   We may have a couple of Trip Bags on the shelf, if we have more than one Trip coming up.
  3. You can also re-pack commonly used items as soon as you come home.  For example,
  4. Keep a set of toiletries just for travel, if you travel often.  The time saved is worth the extra expense.  We also always carry: An eyeglass repair kit, a  small sewing kit, a small first aid kit and 2 night lights.  I  used to pack an alarm clock, but now I just set  my smart phone alarm
  5. Carry one toiletry bag or shave kit for the whole family.  A friend suggested this one, and I have to agree with her.   If each family member packs their own kit, we end up lugging around duplicates of everything.  There are some items we can all share, like lotion, shampoo and conditioner.

Finally, Take a breath.  Don’t let fear or the need to be perfect keep you from enjoying your trip.

Ask yourself “What is the worse that can happen?”

  1. If the answer is “I might have to stop by a store once I reach my destination for sunscreen or tooth paste”, is that really so bad?  No.
  2. If the answer is “I forget my airline boarding passes or passport or the wedding gift or my notes for my speech”, then make sure to write those items down on your check list, and put them aside as you get them!

So, my challenge to you this week, whether you are traveling soon or not, is to check out the on-line packing lists or start creating your own.  In addition, pick a spot for your Trip Bag (ours is in the coat closet) and remember to toss things in the Trip Bag for upcoming travels.  And relax and enjoy your summer vacation!!