Planning A Trip: A Designated Packing Area

I've blogged before about what I am packing for my upcoming cruise. The cruise is still along time away, but I am quickly accumulating things that are needed for the cruise and for no other purpose between now and then.

So far, I have acquired travel size shaving cream (even though everyone says to splurge for the lotion-added razor, but my cheapness wins out), baby powder (I am surely not reproducing EVER AGAIN, but it gets out sand), Shout stain wipes, Clorox wipes (something I needed in a small package because at home I use Clorox plus some natural products), my new waterproof Nook case (which, let's be honest, I will break out next time I take a bath), and a small camera case that I bought for $3 on clearance (for my credit cards and tip money on excursions).

Generally, when new things come into the house, the following happens:

1. Things that have a designated home go into that home. If I am almost out of toothpaste, the new toothpaste goes in the toothpaste/toothbrush/floss basket in my bathroom drawer.

2. Things that are in excess get a backup location NEAR the currently-in-use item. When I almost run out of something, I put it on the shopping list. But, sometimes, shampoo goes on sale really cheap. Then, I don't put all three extra shampoos on the edge of the tub in my soap/shampoo basket. Instead, they go in a place in the nearby closet, where I store extras for the bathroom, with any other shampoo already there.

TIP: Store like items together. Even when I buy travel-sized shampoo, I store it with other shampoo (unless it is replacing the single travel shampoo in my travel toiletries kit). That way, I can always check quickly to see how much shampoo I have, and I always know exactly where to look.

3. For clothing, I follow a one-in one-out rule. New shoes? An old pair that I never wear gets tossed.

But this stuff, my vacation supplies, is different. I don't want to store Clorox wipes with the Clorox, only to search for them when it's time to pack. And for local pools, I am wearing flip flops, not swim shoes. Those are designated for rocky beaches only.

It makes no time management sense to store them away and then gather them back up to pack.

But it makes no organization sense to just leave them hanging around on a counter, messing up the place.

So I grabbed an extra tote bag and tossed all of this in that bag and stored it in its new home, near my luggage. Note that I choose this location so that I cannot forget this bag of stuff when packing! Never assume you will remember. You won't.

I guess I can say vacation packing has officially started! Woo hoo!

Etcetera.