How I keep my sanity while packing!

It occurred to me one day while preparing my hospital bag that I was procrastinating on the task of packing up.  I had made a list and was planning to pack a couple weeks before my due date, but somehow I felt myself pushing off the duty farther and farther.  I did not want to gather items at the last minute, but I certainly was not accomplishing the necessary milestones to avoid that pickle.  I just couldn't get motivated. 

So I asked myself, why was this so hard?  What part of this task was bothering me so much?  Eventually I hit on the sense that I dreaded gathering up all the toiletry items.  My clothes were not such a big deal, but the thought of measuring what we needed now, or leaving that until later really bothered me.  I HATE packing toiletries for any trip.

Then I remembered something I used to tell my clients: have a toiletry bag stocked for travel and refill it when you return.  Packing is so much easier when you can simply throw a pre-organized bag of personal products into your suitcase!  So I decided to take a taste of my own medicine and proceeded to curate a group of items that would solely be for travel.  Since that time I have packed in half the usual time for two trips and no longer put off the task with dread!

Here is what we have in our toiletry bag.  When we return from the trip I take ten minutes to be sure everything is refilled and then the bag is ready for the next vacation:

The contents of my toiletry bag...his and her supplies.  Some items I refill myself, others I purchase new when I run out.

While not the highest quality, this bag has plenty of interior and exterior pockets to keep items separate.

When packed this bag takes up little space and is always ready for a last minute trip!

No closet, no problem!

A couple days ago I stopped into my friend M's new apartment.  Like most small apartments the master bedroom closet can be tight for two people's clothes even if only one season's style is out at a time.  She pointed me to the corner of her room where she had hung several articles of fancy clothing on nothing more than a tension rod and a few thumb tacks.  What a great idea!  M had taken a tight corner of the room and turned into a functional yet decorative storage area for clothes that wouldn't quite make it into the closet.  I asked for her to send me a picture so I could share it with you.  

M's clothing closet replacement

I simply love this idea.  She placed two thumb tacks into the wall on either side of the corner and then nestled the ends of the tension rod between the two.  If you wanted a more sturdy solution you could mount the rod on flat head nails, or mount a permanent rod using rod holders.  

What a great, low cost solution!