Thursday 13: Lists

I am a list maker, always have been....most likely always will. All of my lists are in my handy dandy control journal. It is broken up into different sections of things I need to make my little world function. I pretty much do the same thing every day, so it really made since to me. I was born organized. My home is not always completely picked up....I have two preschoolers! But it is never more than 15 minutes from clean. The kids are learning simple routines and that things have a home. A babysitter can ask them where the dinosaurs go, and both could show you where they go.

Here are the thirteen sections in my control journal that is nothing more than a glorified Trapper Keeper! Doesn't that make you think of junior high?

Daily Routines: these are the things I do every day

1. The morning routine helps get us out the door by 8AM.

2. The afternoon routine is actually pretty much tying up loose ends of things I started in the morning.


3. The before bed routine is the most important one of all to me! I do as much I can after the kids are in bed so that I can push that snooze button if I really want to!! Finally, I do a daily

4. To Do list of the things that aren't on my routines. Today's to do list consists mainly of stuff I need to do to get ready for the weekend.

5.Weekly routines: I do certain things on certain days. The kids go to preschool Monday through Thursday. So I do certain things "kid-free"

6. Zones: The house is divided into five zones. If I get done with the normal every day stuff, I have a great list of "spring cleaning" type things

7. Grocery list: I keep an ongoing list of things in our pantry. Kind of like a perpetual pantry

8. Emergency section: filled with insurance stuff

9. Emergency numbers: sheriff, fire, ambulance, poison control

10. Address book section: This includes a list of Christmas cards sent in previous years.

11. Babysitter info:

12. Vacation packing lists

13. Moving information

"Happiness is not something ready-made, it comes from your own actions." ~His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

This quote sums up the very reason that I do these things. When my world is upside down and chaotic, I am not happy. I need my lists to help things go smoothly. Since I do the very same things all the time, there is no sense wasting time rewriting the very same lists.

Happy Thursday, y'all! Want to play: the new thursday-13

Thursday thirteen: things I do before I go to bed

Since I was just checking my "before bed routine" list, I knew I had an easy idea for today's Thursday thirteen. I am a list maker, as well as a list-checker-offer. I love to be able to cross things off my list. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something during the day when time seems to have run away!

So...

1. Shine my sink I do this compulsively. It really does make the kitchen look and feel cleaner!

2. Is laundry folded and put away. I usually do one load a day. More times than not, it is left on the dining room table waiting to be carted upstairs. When we lived in Alaska, my laundry room was on the second floor. I LOVED that!

3. Pick up things off the stairs. Things end up here that need to be carried upstairs.

4. Is the mail put away? **I do have a huge "to shred" pile. Normally I love to shred. One of my favorite Christmas presents from Husband was a shredder!

5. Check calendar for tomorrow's activities.

6. Lay out clothes for me and the kids....These hang on their closet doorknobs, shoes are on the floor with socks or tights. **also, make sure the day's dirty clothes are in the dirty clothes basket...the kids are getting better about this**

7. Check menu for what we are having for dinner tomorrow: Stir Fry Beef with Ginger-Carrot Sauce

8. Put out non-perishable ingredients.

9. Brush teeth.

10. Floss

11. Did I take my vitamin?

12. Start a to do list for anything I need to do tomorrow.

13. Empty kids' folder from their backpacks.

I do sew and love me some polka dotted fabric, but I haven't started in on the coordinating kitchen. I don't think the covers will be on my tomorrow's to do list.


Happy Thursday, y'all! Want to play: the new thursday-13

Weekend recap-

Merry Christmas to me! I am so excited. I have been having fun playing with it all day today. Tomorrow we are heading over the river and through the woods to the grandparents house we go. I have checked my packing list at least twice. I am sure the ride will be much more entertaining with little baby!

Happy weekend, y'all!

PS, a little organizing tip from tommie: I keep a printed packing list in a page protector in each suitcase. After each trip I write anything on there that I forgot. By now, the list is pretty much complete!

Organizing tips from Tommie #4...winter clothes

finished pool, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

Since we are supposed to hit 90+ degrees this weekend, I figured it was finally time to deal with the winter clothes. So here is another "tommie tips:"

I'll start with how I do the kids' clothes. Starting with the obvious, wash all jackets and coats. If it is something I think either can wear next year, it goes onto the far left of the closet on a different colored hanger. Livi has pink and white hangers, Will has blue and white. This was I can see at a glance if there are clothes I need to fill in on the next size (totally taking advantage of all the winter clearance sales going on now).

If it is already getting too small or snug, after washing, it goes into a trash bag lined Rubbermaid tub on the floor of the closet. These are passed along to cousins or the clothes closet at school. Livi has even gotten to where if she tries on something and it doesn't fit, she will put it in the tub for baby E.

In homes I have lived in that didn't have closets big enough to leave them on the left, I have stored them in clear flat Rubbermaid tubs. I fold sweaters with a white piece of tissue paper to prevent creases. Now get that handy dandy label maker out and label it sweaters, wool pants, wool skirts, etc.

While my feng shui side says not to store stuff under the bed, I have read that it is okay to store soft and cuddly stuff if you are lacking storage space/basement/attic. I have stored those thin bins under sofas even! You can get creative if you have to. Now to not forget where this stuff is stored, go mark you calendar in Sept or Oct (or whenever it gets chilly where you live): "winter clothes stored in ______ (fill in the blank with where you stashed them).

Throw in some of those little ceder chips in a sachet. Whew hoo, another year done.

Do you remember the big diggers for the pool next door ? Well, here it is finished. It is amazing. There is an outdoor kitchen, a hot tub, waterfalls, gorgeous landscaping.

Thursday 13.....#35....the letter O

letter O, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

In keeping with the ABC theme for 2008, the letter O:

1. One: Husband and Olivia when she was one day old.

2. Olivia: easily my favorite O...this picture totally captures her spirit: free, silly, happy

3. Orange: the sky really was this orange....kind of freaked me out a bit.

4. Ocean: love love love to be at the ocean...(I delivered Livi about two weeks after this was taken!)

5. Oklahoma: Born there, lived there until I was the big 3-0!

6. OU: THE University of Oklahoma....proud graduate

7. Observe: I love to sit back and observe people, especially at a mall.

8. Occupation: now domestic diva.

9. October: favorite month....I love the fall.

10. Organized or anal, you choose.....I prefer organized.

11. Obsessive: I am obsessive about washing hands.

12. Olives: cheese, and crackers are my favorite snack.

13. Omaha steaks steaks: best beef ever!

Organizing tips from Tommie #3...kids toys

Stella asked, "How about the kiddos? What tips do you have to organize their stuff? "

First, I am so glad to be out of the age where they were in exersaucers, swings, tummy time mats, etc. We do have some toys in the living room, but not so many that it is overwhelming. I am assuming Stella meant toys. If you meant clothes or closets or something else, let me know. I am not saying I am an expert on organizing, but this is what works for us.

To keep the interest of the toys at hand, I rotate the toys. I have three bins of toys (stored in the garage), as well as the ones in the house. I have them set up in "themes": 1. Planes, trains and automobiles, 2. dinosaurs, ABCs, and barnyard 3. (the one in the house now) is colors, numbers, shapes.

I have two bookshelves in the living room. The bottom half is for the kids. These baskets have some of the toys from the colors, numbers, and shapes bin. The blue thing on the upper left if a puzzle stacker. I used to be a teacher before kids. I got that from some teacher supply catalog. The only thing I don't like about it is that puzzles with pegs don't fit in it. That shelf is deep enough though that the ones with pegs can be stacked behind the stacker.

edited to add: The baskets are the Sabrina baskets. The cubbies are from Target. I put those together myself....so they are pretty easy if you have an electric screwdriver. The pink and green buckets are actually from Walmart. They are a bit sturdier than the ones from Target. (Though Target has some leather ones now, that I would love to get for the office/playroom.)

I am almost embarrassed to post this pic above. Once I took it, I realized I really need to dust down there! Oh well, this is the true blue me....but you know as soon as I saw it, I had to clean it!! More toys from the colors, numbers, shapes. The basket on the bottom holds things that are so large they don't fit in the baskets. This time it is filled with a bunch of those Leapfrog toys...the Tad, Lily, ABC Caterpillar, some ABC bus thing.

That is all of the toys in the living area. They do have some in their room.....

Livi has a bigger closet than Will does, so she has two of these cubby things. Each bucket holds one group of toys: dress up clothes, babies, Cinderella toy, CareBear stuff, hats, Dora stuff, Miss Spider toy, and doll clothes. Off to the right are two bins: one for clothes I buy a season ahead. The other bin is for clothes that are too small. We send these to a cousin. Once the bin gets full, I bag it and put it in the attic. Off to the left is a basket of stuffed animals. I really want to get rid of them, but can't bring myself to toss them yet!

Will closet is a bit smaller, so his cubby is smaller. His mainly has dinosaurs, cars, boy stuff. I just noticed he has a blue bucket in here. These are the same sized as the ones from the art stuff in the office . So he must have traded one of the "projects" in there for one of his in his room. The baskets in the living room also fit in their cubbies in their closets.

The thing I like best about using the cubby system is even as young as one and two, they are able to put stuff back in the buckets. We try to only have one bucket per kid out at a time. It doesn't always work that way, but we do try.

Finally, for things that need to be hung up, I love those hooks by 3M that have the removable adhesive. We have two of these hooks on the back of the door in their rooms.

My last little piece of Tommie tips: I am a firm believer in "One toy in, one toy out"....meaning every time the kids get a new toy, one gets donated to the cousins or Goodwill. They have to decide where it is going to "live" <-----which bucket it is going to go into, or which bin it will go into if they want it to go into the toys that get rotated. We change out the toys every three weeks or so. I can usually tell when they are bored with the ones in the living room, so we drag the next one out and do a switcheroo!

More pics on my Flickr....click on the badge and it will take you there.

Organizing tips from Tommie #2...the pantry

Ask and you shall receive. Many of you asked to see the pantry. I have had every kind of pantry imaginable: little tiny cabinets under the counter, an entire room in the laundry area (loved that one), and even a room away from the kitchen (in KS at a house built the early 1900's). I really like the one I have here.

This one has two smaller areas on the top and shelves on the bottom. Just like you would see in the grocery store, things are grouped in sections. They are also labeled on the front of the shelf. The things at the top are things that used to be in random shaped bags. To be able to maximize the space, I take them out of the bags and put them in the same shaped containers. There are small round ones, square and rectangle ones. They hold things like brown sugar, rices, nuts, and kids snacks (graham crackers, goldfish, rice cakes, animal crackers).

Here is the rest of the pantry. Each shelf has a label on the front.

• Shelf one is oils, vinegars, sauces, and teas.
• Shelf two is rices, pastas, mixes, kids' mac and cheese.
• Shelf three is baking stuff: chocolates, baking powder, baking soda, and cooking frosting stuff.
• Shelf four is canned goods.
• Shelf five is cereals and crackers.

But the best thing about this pantry is the shelves on the bottom SLIDE OUT!!! I love this!

I do have an 'overflow' pantry. I only go to the commissary once every two weeks. I fill in fresh fruit, veggies, and dairy from the grocery store right by my house. So in here are bulk things that will eventually get moved to the pantry in the kitchen. Don't laugh at my toilet paper and paper towels. Nothing says "I love you!" like never running out of toilet paper.

One thing you can't see on this overflow pantry is there is a list on the door. Long ago I made a grocery list by sections just like on the self labels. I have it in a Word document. Every time I take something out of the overflow pantry to restock the regular one, I highlight it on the list. I only purchase the things that are highlighted on the list.

I have all of these pictures and more on my Flickr. So click on the badge and it will take you over there. I am starting to organize them in a set labeled "organizing".

Happy Wednesday y'all.....

Organizing tips from Tommie #1

Stella had mentioned on Scrolling saturday.... I should start an organizing tips entry.

So today when I was getting out my phone charger, it reminded me of that. Here is a prime example of one of the little things I do to make my life easier. We have a drawer full of different cords....phone cords, camera cords, chargers, etc. I know I can look in there and with one glance find mine. Because it is labeled "phone charger"....the other half of the sticky label wraps around the cord and says "charger". Which brings me to any organizers best friend:

My label maker.....I know I have blogged about my organizers best friend before. For as long as I have remembered, I have had a label maker. Before I realized there was a machine that did this, I used to print out text on a typewriter and put Scotch tape over it to 'laminate' it. I have had mucho expensive ones, but this one has been my favorite. It comes in refill tapes of plastic, paper, clear, ones that can be used indoor, ones that can be used outdoors. Best of all, both Target and Walmart carry the refills. I usually paper tape on things that are files and such and plastic on more permanent things. The clear tape is good for things that you are color coordinating. You can print it on clear and paste the tape to a colored piece of paper.

I have always been organized. At times, some would even go so far as to say way over the top. I think I control my environment to the X degree because I don't always know what our little world is going to bring me. Okay enough mumbo jumbo hocus pocus.

If you want me to bring my organizing insight to a certain area, let me know. I don't have it all organized (okay, maybe I do) but I have great ideas1

Wanna see how I get wild and crazy??

I feel like I am nesting ....like the mad-woman cleaning I did just before both kids were born. There are little to no surfaces that have been left untouched. Okay, maybe the wooden blinds...but I HATE dusting those!

My big project was this room that had become a dumping ground.

When we moved here, we combined Husband's office and my craft room into one area. The kids also had a little desk in the office. Once all of that stuff was crammed into this room (which is supposed to a formal dining room), well, it was kind of crazy.

So, enter this awesome organized wall system. It is made up of nine mini sections. The lower part (you can't see it in this pic) just has some pull out baskets that hold big stuff. All of the stuff in the blue and green cubbies are activities the kids can do. The white three drawer things on the bottom are construction paper and crayon books. The other one has some threading thing, and some foam things. I wanted to be able to make everything in their reach, so they can get things independently.

The cabinets on the right are where I consolidated all my scrapbook stuff. Stuff was just randomly thrown in there on the shelves. Things were getting lost. Last week those boxes were on sale half off at Hobby Lobby. Now things are in properly labeled containers with like things. It does drive me a bit crazy that the long blue boxes don't match the black ones. But PBK is the only place that made boxes to fit that long narrow shelf. The black ones are just cheapo ones from HL. But once those doors are closed you can't see the black, so I can deal with it!

Just because we all love a little brotherly love, I leave you with this....Happy Tuesday, y'all

First day for flannel sheets

I get up every day and do the same old routine:

1. Get up and weigh. Whew hoo! Not bad, despite bloating from being a woman!

2. Shower and get dressed, including hair and face.

3. While you are in the bathroom Swish and Swipe.

4. Grab a load of laundry and start the washer.

5. Check your calendar for today's activities...not much, just make no-bake cookies for Will, and mail anniversary card to Husband.

6. Empty dishwasher to start your day.

7. Eat something good for you and take allergy medicine and vitamin.

8. Drink your water BEFORE coffee.

Yes, this is straight from Flylady. I don't do shoes in the house, she is all about wearing lace up shoes. But I don't need shoes to feel done if I am just veggin' at home.

So, my big thing for the day was #4....see my bed...see that tiny bit of cream sticking out from the back? I put flannel sheets on this morning! I love flannel sheets. We got these years ago from Mike's parents the first year we were in Alaska...(so that makes them almost 9 years old....and they are so soft!!!) I have a mattress pad with a brain (it has warmer coils near the feet, a few in the middle and just a little one near the chest area). I love to turn it on while I am brusing my teeth and washing my face. When I crawl in bed it will be all nice and toasty!! But I leave Mike's side turned off...so if I get too hot, I can scooch my toes to his side and cool down.

It is all a very exact science!!

I can't wait to go to bed tonight! Happy Saturday...

VTC (video teleconference) time

We haven't done one of these in awhile, so it was good to actually see Husband rather than just talking on the phone. We actually got to visit for thirty minutes. The kids were wild and crazy, which drives me batty.....but I guess I can't sit still for 30 minutes, so how can I expect them to? See that little camera in the lower left corner....that is pointing at us so that he can see us. There are three tables shaped like a U in the room. at one point Livi was walking down one table like it was a runway.

Will was quite surprised to really see him....He just kind of acted goofy. Neither kid wanted to wear their Halloween costumes. Will wanted to wear his dinosaur shirt that he wore on his birthday though.

Livi was so excited to see him. She took her "Baa Baa Black Sheep" book and read it too him. She is such the performer, always wanting to be the center of attention.

After the VTC was over, I let the kids run around the parade field. See those bleachers? In 54 days we will be having our welcome home ceremony there. Whew hoo!!! I can't wait to be sitting here, probably freezing because it will be late December.....but it will be before Christmas. What more can one want but to be home with their family after being gone for 15 long months!

color wheel closet, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

Ask and you shall receive....here is a picture of my closet....I couldn't get in there to take a picture of the entire length, but pants are off to the left. If you click on the picture, it will take you to Flickr to see the notes on it. There is also another picture there of the sweaters that are on the shelf above. They are separated by these silver dividers. It is finally starting to be in the 70's, so soon I will weed out those sleeveless tops and put more 3/4 and long sleeved shirts in the closet. Anything of the sleeveless that didn't get worn this summer will go into a Goodwill pile. I will make note of anything I need to replace. I usually stock up on summer sales of basics like white t's and stuff I know I will wear next year.

Calendar central

Calendar central, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

I have fallen off the wagon of being so organized. Since I think I am all that and a box of chocolates, I was brought down a peg or two recently about birthdays. My poor little nephew turned one and I didn't even realize it. For some reason his birthday didn't make it onto my calendar. So I thought I would give myself a little refresher in calendar know how. This is the calendar I use. To get an idea of how big it is, it is just about two inches from the top of my fridge and that is the counter just at the bottom of the pic.

I have my routines down, the kids and I are getting through this deployment. Being a pseudo single parent has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I called my sister-in-law and explained that I get a bye this year. She can hold me accountable next year....but I am playing this "deployment card" for all its worth.

I color code my entries....school stuff for both kids is in the same color as their school shirts, Livi's stuff is in purple, Will's in green. I do pencil in "me" time....whether it be just a quick cup of coffee, a pedicure, or lunch with a girlfriend. I guess since I blew it for quite a few birthdays this year, I can start over fresh in January. I have already received my 2008 calendar....those missed birthdays are going to be highlighted! Happy Friday, y'all.....

Straight from the Flylady website:

http://www.flylady.net/index.asp

Family Events: Take the time to sit down and fill in birthdays and general information that is consistent for your family; this will save you from ever forgetting a birthday or anniversary again! This is where you look at your calendar on desk day to see if there any cards or packages that you need to buy and or mail.

Schedules: When you receive a schedule of events from anything that a family member participates in FILL IT IN ON YOUR CALENDAR IMMEDIATELY!! Examples are : school calendars, sports schedules, boy scouts, dance classes, church schedules, etc. When you get them write them down! Don't leave those schedules in a hotspot or the car! If you absolutely can't write them down that minute than take a paper clip and clip it to your calendar or put it in the pocket of your calendar to pull out and enter the information on the calendar when desk day comes around. This will allow you to know what events you can and cannot attend because you will be able to see if you have a schedule issue.

Invitations: When you receive an invitation in the mail DON'T throw it in a hotspot or a pile of mail. First ask yourself if you want to go to the event, if you do than go to your calendar and see if the date is a good one for you or the person that has been invited. If you have looked at your calendar and know that you can attend, you write it down immediately! If the invitation requires an RSVP than take care of that right away. (By the way if you don't want to go to the event or it is something that doesn't work into your schedule then RSVP if required or throw the invitation away!)

Appointments: When you schedule an appointment for Doctors, dentists, barbers, whatever, look at your calendar FIRST! Then after you have scheduled them WRITE the appointment down so that you will not schedule yourself into a conflict. When you are using a basic weekly you will have a day that is more convenient for running around. Try to set up most of your appointments on your errand day, you can make this decision.

Weekend recap

We had a busy weekend of just hanging around here. I got all of the Halloween stuff out of the attic. We put a few decorations out. The kids had fun trying on their way--too-small costumes from last year. Will walked around with these glow in the dark teeth trying to scare both me and Livi. He kept saying, "I fink I need to go to da dentist." Then cracking up. His sense of humor is so cute. He reminds me of his dad so much.

Key words there: way-too-small......so that got me thinking. I wonder how many clothes in their closets are way too small. You know how I love to clean. I told Will that he could have an M&M for every pants he tried on for me. I am so not above a bribe. I was able to clear out two kitchen sized garbage bags of things from last year. I always keep a Rubbermaid tote in the bottom of their closet for clothes that I find on sale that I know they will wear eventually....jeans the next size up, shirts for school, etc. I hung up all his 4T clothes, took inventory of what I needed to fill in.

It felt so good to get all of that done. So....I headed to Livi's room to do the same. I was shocked to learn she is wearing a 3T and some 4T in certain brands. She turns three in two weeks, but she has always been on the petite side. To put things in perspective, when Mike left almost a year ago exactly she was wearing 18-24 month clothes!!! I can't wait to see how much she as grown at her three year checkup. I bagged two bags of stuff from her closet as well.

I didn't hang up her fall/winter clothes where she could see them.. She has these little areas in her closet that are tucked behind the wall of her closet, so I hung them there. It is still in the low 90s here....we won't be needing these for a month or so. I feel like I am trying to make Fall hurry up and get here....we are ready when it goes come.

That shirt is one that is in the too small bag. Her little daisy headband is a sticker! They were playing in these tunnels with the grandparents.....she is such a little diva.

Happy Sunday, y'all

Stuff Portrait Friday - Air Freshener

Because Kristine is a cleaning fool this week, she asks: "How do you keep your house smelling good? Is it open windows? Is it Febreeze? A fan? Removing all children from your house thus removing teenage FUNK stank?"

Anyone who knows me or even reads this occasionally knows I am a overly organized person who does the Flylady thing adapted to our family. I do a little bit of cleaning everyday. Once a week I do an hour of a house blessing, I spend 10 minutes doing each of these things: dusting, swiffer the tiled areas, mop the tiled areas, vacuum the carpeted areas, purge magazines and shred junk mail, and change bed sheets. It should only take an hour, but it usually takes about an hour and a half with all the interruptions. Everything else is done on a daily basis that I never really have to stop and spend an entire day cleaning. I wipe down the sink and counter every day after I finish my morning routine. The kids do the wipe down in their bathroom. I still do their toilets, though.

I should mention I use this stuff that came with my vacuum cleaner once a week. The stuff is this moist powder that you sprinkle on the carpets. It magically absorbs any skanky smells. Once it is dry to the touch (about an hour) you can vacuum it up. I know Target carries it.

The other thing I use is this little thingy I blogged about in Feb. Here is a recap of what I wrote:


I went to lunch with a new friend today. I think that is the hardest thing about moving.....having to find, make, and keep friends. This mom has a daughter that goes to Will's school. I have volunteered with her for a few events. Her little girl is always dressed so cute. I mentioned to her that she should sell her daughter's stuff on Ebay. So one afternoon she came over and I showed her how. She suggested we go to lunch sometimes. Since my babysitter comes over on Tuesdays, I suggested a little hole in the wall Thai place I had been wanting to try.

Well, I am so glad I did. We had the greatest time. She brought me this diffuser from Pier 1 called Ember. I was hesitant to even open because I am very picky about smells. I am not a fruity sweet type....this has rich scents of oranges, clove, cinnamon and more. Place the reeds in the glass bottle filled with fragrance and allow it to gently waft through the room. I am so impressed she noticed the couple of candles I had were very fall-ish...if that is a word.
I wanted to take my camera and take a picture of my Thai tea...but with the making-new-friends thing, I wasn't hesitant to bust out the camera and start snapping. Don't want to run her off too quickly. We had such a good lunch. It was 3:30 before any one noticed the time. (We met at 1.) We have already made plans for our next girls lunch at another place.
So here is to new friends.....I have definitely made a lifelong friends at each and every place we have lived.....from big Lawton America to Alaska, out to the beautiful bay of California, to the cornfields of Kansas...So now it is time to do the same here. I am trying to keep a positive outlook about this and things are looking up.

By popular demand....my packing list

This list is part Flylady and part me. Every time we go on a trip I make notes on it of what I should have or should not have taken. Please adapt it to your vacation. This one of for a three day vacation. I keep one of these list in each suitcase in a page protector. As I pack it, I can mark it off with a dry erase pen. I pack the kid's outfits in gallon sized baggies, so they can pull one bag out and everything is there: outfit, underwear, bow, etc.

Feel free to copy and paste it into Word. ***The stuff added in red are what my DH kindly reminded me...Even with him half a world away, I still need him!** thanks husband.

BASIC PACKING LIST
____ask neighbor to bring in paper and mail
____make dog reservation or find someone to take care of her
____clean out dog kennel
____pack dog's food, treats, leash

CLOTHES
____ 4 changes of clothes….Pack one set in baggie, put in back seat of car
____ 4 sets of underwear (underpants, socks)
____ 2 sleep shirts/pjs
____shoes (swim sandals, flip flops)
____robes (swim cover ups)
____swimsuits *at least 2 or 3
____swim towels *at least 2 per kid
____floaties
____ light jacket for evenings
____

TOILETRIES
____toothbrushes
____toothpaste
____deodorant
____hairbrush
____piggy tail holders
____shampoo
____kids' shampoo
____kid bath soap
____lotion
____bugspray
____sunscreen, aloe vera spray, solarcain
____hats, sunglasses
____beach umbrella
____Benydryl, meat tenderizer, and vinegar for jelly fish stings
____makeup
____medications
____nailfile
____diapers
____ swim diapers
____ wipes

FOOD
____water bottles
____lidded cups: juice and milk
____goldfish
____crackers
____graham crackers
____rice cakes
____raisins
____drinks …juice boxes
____ice chest on wheels to lug things to beach

____ wine opener

MISC
____pillows
____sleeping bags
____dvds

____ beach toys, shovels
____beach tote to haul stuff like floaties
____lawn chairs
____cell phone, charger
____flashlight…make sure it works
____books, magazines
____Hostess gift
____camera, charger
____map(s)
____RESERVATION FORMS, RESERVATION #
____resort information

LAST MINUTE
____feed, water dog
____let her out to potty
____give key to neighbor who is watching dog
____turn on porch light, set timers
____clear answering machine
____water plants
____check doors, all appliances off
____turn up air conditioning
____post card labels
____post card stamps
____cash
____large net bags for dirty clothes
____
EXTRA THINGS I NEED TO BRING/DO
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Kitchen Products: if staying in a condo or rented house.
Paper plates, plasticware
Paper towels
Napkins
Toilet paper
trash bags
plastic baggies
dish towels
dishwashing liquid in handle thingy
hand soap
if grilling, grill tools
is there a coffee pot?

Charcoal, charcoal lighter, matches

aluminum foil