Category: Organized Travel

Go-mugs, Water Bottles and Blender Pieces, Oh My!

Go-mugs, water bottles and blender pieces, Oh My!

(We attended my niece’s elementary school’s presentation of The Wizard of Oz over the weekend, and the title just came to me!)

I have presented hundreds of times to thousands of people in my time as a professional organizer. I know what jokes will work or not. And I can bring up common hot-spots and know which hot-spot mention will elicit a groan or exclamation.

Enter… go-mugs and water bottles, and to a lesser extent, blender bits and pieces. At a presentation last month to parents of high schoolers, the mention of go-mugs and water bottles sparked a lively discourse – “Some are so old the writing is all washed off!” or “That one leaks but it’s still here!” or “We don’t even know who that one belongs to or where it came from!”!

Organizing these items is another small but mighty project with a potentially big impact!

How To:

  • First, we open all the cabinets and drawers and pull out ALL THE PIECES! Bases, lids, accessories, sleeves, hooks, rubber gaskets, etc. Oi, all the pieces!
    • And since these are all portable beverage carriers, we also need to check in the cars, cupholders and under the seats. We need to look in all the backpacks, briefcases and sports bags by the door, too. Collect all the extras from EVERYWHERE and give them a good wash.
    • Next, we pair up all the pieces. Top with bottoms, rubber gaskets with lids, straws with squeezy bottles if you use those (we don’t), etc. Since we’re talking about blender / smoothie cup pieces too, we match up the cups that go with certain blender bases, as well.


  • Once we have the pieces all paired up, line them up on the counter (gulp). Yes, all of them.
    • Take a deep breath. Look at all of them. There are probably some that need to go.
    • Part with the easy ones – the unpaired bottoms or tops, the leaky ones, the childish ones and your youngest is now a teenager.
    • You can also send the ones that don’t belong to you back to their owners!
    • Decide how many is enough and how many are too many. I know this may be tough, but you can try these strategies:
      • Sort them by owner – I am the coffee drinker, so the portable coffee mugs might go in the Colleen pile;
      • As another example, each of us has our own Swell bottles, so I might put each of those in each person’s pile.
      • Utilize what I refer to in my presentations as Mug Math. Ask Yourself:
        • How many people in my house drink coffee? (1)
        • How many cups a day? (2) and
        • How often do we run the dishwasher? (Every day / every other day)
        • So, in theory, I need 4 mugs. OF course I have more than 4 mugs. But do I need 40? No. Same goes for go mugs / water bottles, etc.


  • After you have decided which items to keep, let’s think about how and where to keep them.
    • Hopefully the pile has gotten smaller by this point.
    • Next, we need to chose one and only one place in the kitchen for these items to live.
    • If you use these items often, choose a home near the sink for easy cleaning and filling. If you use them less often, choose a location a little farther away from the sink, as that space is always in high demand.
    • As you choose a home, remember you can adjust your cabinet shelves to accommodate tall items.
    • AND… next time you are offered a promotional water bottle at an event, Just Say No!


  • The Keys to Success for go-mugs, water bottles and blender / smoothie parts are: 1. A Consistent Home; and 2. Containers!
    • When we’ve looked at these clutter hot-spots these last few weeks, we know that we want a HOME for our stuff so we can find the stuff again.
    • Having a consistent home for our go-mugs, water bottles and blender / smoothie parts means we will find those items again! If we find a top or a bottom without its match, that’s ok. If we put all the part in the HOME, we can pair them up again. And a home keeps these items from floating around in other spaces in our kitchen, getting in the way in those other spaces.
    • We use containers like these shown, available on Amazon.com or at your local retailer. The containers corral the bits and pieces like lids and bottoms, but they also establish a limit for how many things we have / need!



Try your hand at this mini-project this week and reclaim your kitchen and storage spaces!

Enough But Not Too Much

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We traveled last week.

It was lovely.  We went to Michigan and relaxed at a house on a lake. 

The lake life is quieter and simple, especially this time of year.  We did manage to visit a nearby beach town for lunch one day (outdoors), and dipped our toes in Lake Michigan (it was 80 degrees that day!).  I also got to see my parents and one of my brothers, with masks and social distance of course, for the first time in a very long time. Hooray! But mostly we relaxed.

What I want to talk about is the variety of choices we make every day. ALL OF THE DECISIONS!

I was reminded how much of a relief it is, at times, to just have fewer choices, fewer decisions.

For example, we did a grocery run and bought we needed for 4 1/2 days, and not much more. 

At the lake house, there are things to do but … fewer than at home or during the summer.

I was reminded, as I packed for travel: we decide on what we will need, based on our plans and habits and routines and the weather, for a finite amount of time and  pack only those things (and maybe a few extra!). Getting ready is easier.  Decisions were made when I packed, so day to day I choose between jeans or a skort, sandals or sneakers.  Easy.

Simple.  Straightforward. Easier decisions, less mental clutter.

Enough but not too much. This is what being organized represents for me. What clearing clutter means to me.

I have been struggling today with a whole lot of mental clutter and the feeling of overwhelm.  Some of this can be attributed to what my friend and I call “Re-Entry”, those few days after you get home from a trip. And let’s face it – after the last year, we are out of practice with travel and the tasks around coming-home!  But I also recognized that life has been much simpler this last week. That I enjoyed the simpler schedule and fewer decisions (and sleeping in and enjoying time off, of course). 

I needed the reminder that I need Enough but not too much. Of EVERYTHING!

I’d like to learn from this awareness, for myself. I know these lessons. We probably all do. But we still need reminders and that’s how I will use this awareness. So…

I will gladly embrace my daily routines that keep my wellness and home and business humming along, taking time-wasting decision making out of my brain!

I will stop trying to complicate my days with many new ideas all at once!

I will look at fewer choices on how to spend my time and be more purposeful and intentional with my choice.

I will step back and pay attention to those instances in my days when I need to make choices. I will refer to the short list of focus areas where I want to and need to spend my time, and stick with just those when time or attention seem short.

Let’s stick with enough, but not too much.

Where can you go with that mantra this week? Cutting out time commitments, errands, clutter, wardrobe choices, visual stimuli? What can go, to simplify your day or week?

The Second Best Thing You Can Do With Your Stuff Is To Put It Away.

THE SECOND BEST THING YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR STUFF IS TO PUT IT AWAY. The best thing to do with your stuff is to use it, of course. And if you never use it, the third best thing to do would be to purge it / donate it / sell it, etc.

The Power of Away.

I spend time with clients putting things away. If they are new clients, perhaps we are establishing an “Away” or home for their stuff.

We are naming a dresser drawer the sock drawer. We are naming a shelf the coffee mug shelf. We are naming a cabinet the office supply cabinet. We are naming a closet My Clothes Closet. And that is where those items live.

If they are existing clients, perhaps we just need to maintain the organizing we completed before. Stuff migrates out with use, and that’s ok.

We are SUPPOSED to use our stuff. Otherwise, why do we have it?

We know, though, that when we use our stuff, it doesn’t (ever!) automatically put itself away and let’s face it, we can get distracted or forgetful and then our space is filled up with stuff. And it looks messy and we feel overwhelmed and out of control. I spent an appointment last week just putting summer things away. Simple really. Stuff needs a home, and stuff needs to be put away in its home if you ever hope to find it again.

Notice how I have not called the stuff we used and need to put away Clutter? Your stuff that you used and now needs to be put away is probably not clutter. Clutter is unused, unneeded or unloved. Your stuff that has been used is not clutter. They’re your belongings and you need to take care of them.

Establishing an “Away” for an item means that item is important. It means you plan to use it again some time in the future. That item is not clutter because you need it or use it or love it. And you put it away because… YOU WANT TO FIND IT AGAIN.

And there, right there, is the Power of Away. Being able to find your stuff again when you need it.

Your space looks better when your stuff is Away.

Your space is safer, with fewer things to trip over, when things are AWAY.

Your items last longer and stay in better condition when they are put AWAY.

Small pieces stay put, stuff doesn’t get dusty or dirty or sun-faded. Delicate items are protected. Sets are kept with sets. Shoes, socks and mittens stay with their mates.

AWAY doesn’t take long. Once you establish a home for your stuff, putting stuff away gets a lot easier. Doing it regularly means the piles don’t spread or get tall. Cleaning off your surfaces once a day or a couple times a week, and just putting clothes and books and papers and things way goes a long way to maintaining order.

As we talk about National Preparedness Month in September, the best way to prepare for any possibility is to set yourself up to act and react quickly and confidently. To find your stuff when you need it, should the need arise and a wildfire or hurricane comes or maybe you’re just called out of town and need to pack a quick bag. And putting your stuff AWAY so you can find it again is one of the best ways to prepare for ANYTHING life may toss your way.

Commit this week to just putting stuff away. A few extra moments when you finish using something, or a couple times a week to catch up. Small bits of time really add up when your stuff is maintained and your space is clear!

What Do Instant Coffee and Travel Sized Toothpaste Have in Common?

I drank instant coffee yesterday morning. It wasn’t too bad, actually, Starbuck’s Via Dark Roast. I keep some packets on hand for when I travel, just in case there is not morning coffee at my destination.

Goodness knows I’m not traveling this week, so what gives?

(And Why?! do my posts seem to involve coffee, pictures of coffee or drinking coffee?!)

Here’s the thing. I inventoried my kitchen cabinets before a grocery trip over the weekend, and I noticed the coffee packets were nearing their expiration date. Obvious next action, use them up before they expire.

In keeping with the coffee topic, I started out this social isolation by using up ground coffee in my french press. Why? To use up open inventory and clear clutter before returning to my usual K-Cups in the morning. My Intelligentsia coffee beans are still in the freezer, they will last a long time in there.

(For more information about using up your food inventory, check out last my article from a few weeks ago, “Menu Planning: This Just Got Real”.)

HOWEVER, this is not about coffee. Today’s topic is inventory management.

I know why I talk about coffee, but Why am I talking about Inventory Management? Because utilizing the items we already have in our home is the best way to save money, save time, clear clutter, waste less, make better choices, flatten the curve, etc.

I’m also using travel sized toothpaste right now. Who knows why we have 6 of them, but I’m using up those before I start on any new full sized tubes.

I mentioned inventory management to a coaching client yesterday. She was adding “finish organizing the bathroom” to her plan for the week, and when I brought up inventory management, she said “Yes! I always seem to tuck things away in clever places but then can’t find them again when I need them!”

Yep.

So, to save money and time, clear clutter, waste less, etc., here’s what to do this week!

Find Your Inventory!

Corral all your stuff by category. For example, the toiletry category, like soaps, shampoos and toothpaste. Other home inventory categories could be cleaning supplies, light bulbs, paper goods and the like.

Check the medicine cabinet, the linen closets, under bathroom sinks or in bathroom drawers, the travel bags and where else? Where does that stuff land in YOUR home?

Bring it all together, open or still sealed, on the bathroom counter or the kitchen table if you need more space. Sort the broad toiletry category into sub-category piles, like soaps, shampoo, dental, personal care, etc.

Purge the Stuff That HAS TO GO.

If you have a 5 year -old partial bottle of conditioner that has turned lumpy and smells funny – would you actually put that on your head? (No. The Answer is No.) Purge the old and the empty, recycling containers if you can. Pet shampoo when you don’t own a pet? Old shower poofs or loofahs? Go, go, go.

Establish a Designated Location For Your Home Inventory.

Some folks like to keep a stash of toiletries in every bathroom, and I understand that … sort of. I find that having multiple locations in your home for stashing inventory is what makes inventory management so difficult. So, choose a spot or maybe 2 – one on each floor of your home, perhaps? And store your unopened inventory in that spot, to stock the spaces where you use it when you need it.

Plan to Use The Open Stuff First.

Stock your storage space like a store. Freshest (items with expiration dates farthest in the future) inventory goes to the back of the shelf, with inventory that needs to be used before it goes to waste moves to the front. If we are talking about those other categories of inventories, like cleaning supplies or paper goods, place partial containers at the front and use them first.

Check Your Stock Before You Restock.

Get in the habit of checking your Inventory before you shop.

Use the empty spot to alert you to when something needs to be replaced or reordered. If the “bleach” spot on my chrome shelves in the laundry room is empty, I know it’s time to buy bleach. If the cup of new tooth brushes in my toiletries bin is empty, it’s time to buy toothbrushes.

DON’T BUY MORE UNLESS YOU NEED IT!!

Just like retailers or manufacturers, Know your re-order point, and recognize that stuff takes longer to arrive these days, whether you go out and shop for it or order on-line. For example, over the weekend I ordered more dishwasher detergent pods. We’re not out of them yet but we will be in a week and shipping takes longer than it used to, so I placed my order.

Do your home and your $$ a favor, and spend some time setting up your inventory management this week. Get the most out of what you already have and clear some clutter while you’re at it!

Hiking Wisdom, For Organizing and For Life

Earlier this month, I went on an adventure. It was amazing. I learned a lot about new and interesting topics, and also about myself.

If given the choice, I’ll choose hiking above other activities, and there was great hiking on this trip. Hiking provides time to think, and I realized that many lessons learned from hiking can be applied to life and to organizing, as well. Here are a few things I learned:

Many small steps often work better than fewer larger steps (especially for short people like me). My hiking guide was much taller than me (most folks are!) but still took the trail in small steps sometimes. Smaller steps help control your exertion, keep your muscles from over-stretching and allow for more certain foot placement. My habit is to take long strides. That works on flat Illinois and Michigan paths but not so well on rocky and uneven steep climbs. Expect to change up your stride, and you will go far.

The Right Pace makes all the difference. Recognize that in hiking and in life.

Don’t jump down onto loose gravel. I might even state, don’t Jump Down ever, since you don’t know if the trail is loose or not. Strategic foot placement keeps you from slipping (much!).

Even cloudy days hold their own beauty. (see right!)


Save enough energy for the hike back. Some of us start out moving really fast but then burn out our energy early. Better to keep moving, even slowly, than to have to stop or turn back. Slow and steady really does win the race.

Conversely, we are only hiking out for half the trip. The other half is hiking home. This was a very good reminder when UP the hills was getting tough. For every tough UP climb, there is a corresponding gentler DOWN climb.

Our own breathing sounds very loud to us. But our fellow hikers are only hearing their own breathing, as well. I felt very self conscious about how hard I was breathing, then I realized my fellow hikers couldn’t hear me over their own breathing. The point is for us to focus on improving ourselves, and let others focus on working on themselves.

Wear layers. Pack Enough but Pack Light.
My biggest hiking adventure was a half-day canyon hike. We started out at 9 am at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The sun warmed the canyon, we climbed above 4,000 feet and then a cold front rolled through. There were many layers shed and then put back on. Hiking wisdom says “Plan for Cold” if you want to Pack Enough, because you can always take off layers as you heat up. But no matter what you bring, you are stuck carrying it, either on your body or in your backpack, so pack light.

Pack Enough but Pack Light can be good advice for life, too. Carry and have what you need but not too much more.

Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. And always bring a snack.

The really great views require effort.
My hiking guide Kevin reminded me of this as we gazed out over the valley. If you want the really good views (aka, the tough and amazing outcomes), you have to be ready to work hard.

Recovery time is essential. Very often, in hiking and in life, I forget to factor in recovery time. Hard work, either physical or mental, is good work but it also uses our body’s resources, and those resources need replenished. I hiked A LOT on my trip, and by the third day, my legs reminded me they needed to slow down a little and take a break if I wanted them to continue to operate in good form. So day 4 was a slower day, a recovery day. And then I got back to it on day 5. The point? If you want you and your body to operate well, factor down-time and rest into your busy schedule.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my adventure and photos with you. I hope you learned a few things from my hikes, too!

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!

I Love My New Packing Cubes

My morning view on va-ca!

As we prepared to travel to California in April, I took a moment and ordered packing cubes from Amazon.

I rarely encourage my readers to go out and buy something, but these specific items might make your life better! I love my packing cubes!  My set cost me $25 and showed up on my porch a few weeks before our trip.

What are packing cubes?   The image to the left is the set of cubes I have .  They are nylon and mesh zippered pouches.  My set of 4 ranges is size from small (11″ x 6.75″ x 4″) to XLarge (17.5″ x 12.75″ x 4″).  I’ve also seen sets that are 4 of the same size. Search for your favorite combination!

As I Pack:

Packing cubes help with the packing process!  I like that I can lay the cubes out on my dresser instead of a carry-on or big lunky suitcase. With packing cubes, you can:

  • compartmentalize your clothes and personal items, like packing pants in one cube and shirts in another; or
  • pack casual wear in one and dressier clothes in another, and then just pull out the cube that you need when you get to your destination; or
  • roll your outfits together in the packing cubes and zip them tight, then pull out just what you want; or
  • for short trips, each family member can use their own cube in the big communal suitcase, saving lots of time and trouble!
  • I use the smaller cubes for pajamas and swim wear (packed weeks before the CA trip and then set aside) and socks, bras and underwear.
  • Also, I find that my packing cubes help me realize how much and what I’m actually packing!

One of the strengths of the packing cubes is that you can pack them really full of your items and then zip the cube tight, which helps keep your items compressed in your bag, taking up much less room.

When I Get Where I Am Going:

If you have to open your suitcase mid-trip, packing cubes keep your stuff from flying out!

I rarely unpack at hotels, but having my cubes makes it ridiculously easy to pop the cubes out of my luggage and into a drawer.

If I leave my suitcase packed, I can grab the cube I need and access just the item I’m looking for.  If you are packing up and moving on without heading home, leaving the cubes packed makes transitions easy.

My cube set came with a laundry bag, so I usually use the laundry bag and then compress it into the smallest amount of space possible, too, for heading home.  If I am gone a short time, I will just repack the largest cube as my dirty laundry bag, which makes unpacking a breeze.

When I get home:

If the packing cubes need a re-fresh, they are machine washable.

After I’ve unpacked from my most recent trip, I re-pack a small cube with my travel PJs and one of my swimming suits and all the other cubes folded flat, and then leave it packed, ready to go again next time.  I already shared this idea a couple of weeks ago with my toiletry bag, which stays packed all the time, and now I’m excited to use it for these items, too!

A lot of these packing tips can be used for better packing, with or without packing cubes, but I love my packing cubes, give them a try and see if they’ll work for you!

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!

Stick With Routines, Especially When You Don’t Want To!

Chatting with my accountability partner this morning, she stated (again) that Routines and Adventures don’t always play well together.

Let’s face it: sometimes, when life is getting just a little crazy, our routines may start to slip.  In the midst of the chaos, you might be tempted to…

  • skip your morning work out, or
  • grab a snack on the run instead of eating a healthy breakfast, or
  • skimp on sleep so you can fit more in to your day, or
  • exist on convenience foods instead of full meals, or
  • merely pile up papers instead of actually working on them, or
  • leave the dirty or clean (or both) laundry in a heap in (or near) the basket, instead of putting it away for Future You to use.

And there are certain times or life events that contribute to the crazy or chaotic life.  When are we most likely to abandon or forget our routines?  When we are :

  • tired;
  • sad;
  • sick (or someone around us is);
  • traveling;
  • super busy;
  • in a life transition, like new house or new job or new baby; or
  • nearing a deadline for work or personal projects.

Routines (at least the ones I talk about all the time) consist of tasks that need to be done daily or weekly to keep your life humming along, for example:

  • nutrition;
  • sleep hygiene;
  • personal hygiene;
  • staying hydrated;
  • maintaining the basics at home; or
  • paying bills.

Sticking with our routines helps us through those crazy times.  Our routines keep us healthy and strong and on track during the busy times, and then they help us get back to normal more quickly.    When you find yourself wanting to ditch those routines, or that you already have?  That’s when you probably need them the most!

Let me be the little voice in your head this week, urging you to make the good and healthy choices even when life gets hectic or when you’re on the road or adventuring.  That is when we need the consistency and self care the most.  Stick with those Routines, especially when you don’t want to!