What Ever Happened to the RSVP??

So, some serious food for thought:

What has happened to society? To courtesy? To commitment?

The initials R.S.V.P. are often found at the end of an invitation. But what does it mean? These initials stand for the French phrase "repondez s'il vous plait," which means "please respond". This means that the hostess would like to know whether you plan to attend her party. She has sent the invitation, now it's up to you to respond.

As much as an R.S.V.P. request may seem up-tight and old-fashioned, it's practical, it's for a very important reason. It lets the hostess or party planner know how many people to expect at her party. If this is to be a catered party, or at a restaurant she will certainly need to give the caterer or locale a head count by a certain date, and that count will need to be accurate because she is obligated to pay for or plan for the given number of guests.

Even if the hostess isn't using a caterer, she needs to plan ahead. She will need to know how much food to buy and how many places to set at the table, and other important details are dependent on your RSVP. 

To help you better understand, imagine YOU are planning a simple party. You want to serve cake and ice cream. In order to assure that everyone gets a piece if cake and some ice cream, you need to know how many people will be there. Imagine you have 10 people RSVP. You buy enough cake and ice cream for 10. Then, come party time, you have 17 people come. That means that 7 people won't get any cake, you'll either have to scramble at the last minute or have a stinker party and people will be disappointed and not have a good time. Some may even have their feelings hurt, be mad at you  or not want to come to another party that you throw. You think "is that fair? How was I supposed to know that extra 7 people would come? I invited them, yes, but they didn't tell me they were coming!" And that is the point exactly. THEY didn't tell you. They didn't do their part.

This happens all the time. I am a youth group leader at my church and I can't tell you how many times this happens. I'm in just such a pickle right now actually. You announce the event months in advance. Say RSVP (or "tell me if you are coming") no later than 10 days prior, or we'll assume you're not coming and only plan for the ones that have said they are. A day or two before the event and your number doubles because kids forget, and then others talk about it last minute and then bam! You've got double trouble. 

But most people would say "hey, they're kids, it happens" -I say;  teach people to commit.

To say "yes I'm going" or "no I'm not" and then should the situation change, say, "sorry, too bad you didn't RSVP, I didn't know you we're coming, but that's your responsibility for not responding,  not mine. I had ten pieces of cake for the ten people who said they were coming".

Maybe I sound like an old stick in the mud, but it seems like in society these days we don't have consequences for people who don't take responsibly. We put the blame on the ones that won't accommodate, who won't make the necessary materials  pop out if thin air to meet our needs despite their having every opportunity to communicate the future preparations needed in advance. We make the responsible ones the bad guy. 

 

I ask you "HOW IS THAT FAIR? How is that right?"

How is it any different from concert tickets? You want to go to a concert. You buy a ticket, you will get to go in and see the concert. The ticket taker gladly opens the door and shows you to your seat. You don't buy tickets, you won't get in! The bouncer at the door will be glad to see to that.

I'm not just talking about parties or concerts, but life. Consequences are important to remind or teach people that they are responsible for their own actions. And taking away consequences from the guilty party and putting them one the innocent is wrong, and it breeds entitlement, irresponsibility and disaster!

The bottom line is:

Take responsibility for your part in your own life. If you don't you'll only have yourself to blame.  

Maybe too serious a topic? But a very important one. Anyway, food for thought!

Life Lessons: Stuck in Bed, Sick

I have been sick lately, and while stuck in bed, I've been watching tons of movies. So, I thought today's blog post should be a movie review, since I haven't done one of those in a while.
I chose the romantic comedy classic “While You Were Sleeping”. I hadn't seen this movie in a long time, probably a couple of years, but I had a few epiphanies while watching it. And I want to share them with you. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's start with...

The Plot

The movie begins on the rails of Chicago's iconic L train, and other famous Chicago landmarks, while “This will be (an everlasting love)”, sung by Natalie Cole plays during the opening credits. The kicky song quickly becomes the most annoying three minutes of the movie, and we are happy to turn to an orange colored sky and the voice of Lucy (Sandra Bullock) giving us some back-story. She reminisces on childhood memories of her and her father (her only family, her mother died when she was young) the adventures they shared before he too died, leaving her an orphan.

As an adult, Lucy is a lonely token collector on the L trains in Chicago, who one day forms a secret crush on a dashing commuter named Peter Callahan, who is a complete (but handsome) stranger. On Christmas day, she is guilted into working, since she has no family, and frankly, no life. As fate would have it, she is there just tin time to rescue Peter from an oncoming train after a mugger pushes him onto the tracks. His injuries leave him in a coma, and she takes him to the hospital, where a nurse overhears her musing aloud, "ohhh, I was going to marry him." Misinterpreting her, the nurse tells his family that she is his fiancée. At first Lucy is too caught up in the panic and embarrassment to explain the truth. She winds up keeping the secret for a number of reasons: 1. Peter's grandmother (Elsie) has a heart condition and she fears that telling the family will cause a stroke, and 2. leading such a lonely life, she quickly comes to love being a part of Peter's big and loving family. One night, thinking she is alone while visiting Peter in the hospital, she confesses to him (in a vegetative state) her predicament. Saul (Peter's godfather) overhears the truth and later confronts her, but tells her he will keep her secret, because the accident has brought the family closer.

As a loner, with no family and few friends, Lucy becomes so captivated with the quirky Callaghans and her new place in their family that she cannot bring herself to reveal that Peter does not even know her, because she thinks it might hurt them. She enjoys a belated Christmas with them and then meets Peter's younger brother Jack. He is suspicious of her at first, but he falls in love with her as they spend time together. They develop a close friendship and soon she falls in love with him as well.

New Year's Eve, Peter wakes up from his coma. When his family comes in, including, Lucy, he is confused at her being there as he does not know her, so they assume that he must have amnesia. She and Peter spend time together, but she has already fallen in love with Jack. Saul persuades Peter to propose to her "again", and she agrees despite her feelings for Jack, still not wanting to lose her new family or risk Elsie's health. When Jack visits her the day before the wedding, she gives him a chance to change her mind, asking him if he can give her a reason not to marry Peter. He replies that he can not, leaving her disappointed and thinking she has misunderstood his feelings toward her.

On the day of the wedding, just as the priest begins the ceremony, Lucy finally confesses everything and tells the family she is in love with Jack rather than Peter. Peter's real fiancée (who happens to be married herself), also arrives to stop the wedding. As the family argues, Lucy slips out unnoticed, unsure of what the future holds for her.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Some time later, as Lucy is back to her mundane life and job collecting tokens from passengers at the train station, Jack surprises her by placing an engagement ring in the token tray of her booth. With the entire Callaghan family watching, he walks into the booth, drops to one knee and proposes. In the last scenes of the film, they kiss, riding their "get away car" of a CTA train for their honeymoon. She narrates that Jack gave her the world by fulfilled her dream of going to Florence, Italy, When Peter asked when she fell in love with Jack, she replied,
"It was while you were sleeping."                                                         Plot source - Wikipedia

Sigh, I love this movie!!

Why Do We Love It?
 

Well, we like this movie because we like Lucy, and we identify with her. She is like us; human, average. Her life is boring, she makes mistakes but she's kind, and she wants things that we want: love, recognition of her value, acceptance, and to be a part of a loving family. She's the underdog. We want her to be happy, because we want to be happy. We've all felt alone. We've all been fixated on someone. We've all fantasized about a mister perfect and wanted a family. We want the dream.

Also, we've all been in Lucy’s shoes. We feel like our life isn't going anywhere, that all the guys that we want are too good for us or wouldn't give us a second glance. And then the guys that want us, are not exactly prince charming. And we do want the fantasy, we want prince charming, we want to live happily every after.

Like Lucy. She is so alone that she falls “in love” with someone she'd never even talked to. But then there's a twist. Though a series of mix-ups, his family is led to believe that she is his fiancée'. They quickly accept her and she falls in love with being part of a family. And whether or not we have a loving family, we all want to belong. 

But then, there's the ruggedly handsome younger brother, and unlike her fictitious fiancée, she has a real relationship with him. At first he's suspicious, and there are numerous misunderstandings. They fight, they make up, they spend time together, they get to know one another, and then, they fall in love.

But Lucy is stuck, she doesn't know how to tell the truth, without losing both the man and the family that she's always wanted. We understand why she does what she does because, in the same situation, we'd probably do the same thing.

So in the end, when she finally tells the truth, she gets the guy (and a pretty sweet proposal) and they all live happily ever after, you've gotta love that. THAT is why we think we love this movie!!

We Learn About Ourselves from Watching Movies

When I was single, I thought I would never be complete or worth anything unless I had a man; as if that made me valuable. I might even say that I was in love with love, much like Lucy at the beginning of this movie. But unlike Lucy, I at least had (and still have) a loving family who made me feel valuable, by showing me unconditional love. But both of us learned the same lesson. Lucy and I learned that meeting Mr. perfect isn't as important as finding a good man of character who loves you for exactly who you are.

Epiphany #1: You need to know and accept who you are....

Well, who was I? I had plenty of crushes, and they were all based on things like his looks, if he was smart or a talented musician, or if he was funny, or popular; all without getting to know the guy and who he really was. And usually, I'd fall for the guy and fall hard. My life's pursuit and self-worth was tied to what that guy thought me, and if he liked me. Mostly the guys didn't like me as much as I liked them. Or if I dated someone, it wouldn't be for long, and then he'd quickly move on to someone else and I'd think I wasn't as good as whoever he left me for. I'd think I wasn't enough. I was so much like Lucy, thinking that the earth revolved around the guy I had a crush on, and several times, on guys that didn't know I was alive, and my self-esteem took several good hits as a result.

When it comes to guys, they fall into two categories; the Peters and the Jacks. Guys who have different priorities, like the two brothers in this movie. When you break it down, you'll see what she's really getting.

Peter is mister "Prince Charming", mister "Do the Right Thing" who looks perfect from the outside, but that's all he cares about. Appearances; being successful at work, driving a fancy car, having an apartment in Paris, having a pretty girlfriend with nice boobs and a nice nose, but doesn't care if she's a nice person, or that she's already married. We also find out that when he was young, he got an awarded and praised for saving some squirrels. But that's not the whole story. He only saved them once he had put them in a position to be saved, and he didn't do the right thing by telling the truth. Plus, he doesn't have any kind of relationship with his family, he doesn't care; so much so that his secretary buys and sends their Christmas presents. Peter wants to look like the guy who does the right thing, but doesn't actually do it. He has professional prowess, but no realization of what he misses out on by caring about the people in his life that really matter. He probably has no idea how to have a real relationship. 

Jack, on the other hand, cares deeply about his family. In fact, he cares more about his relationship with his dad, than pursuing his own successful business, in order to keep the peace and to be near his family. He cares about his brother too. He admires him, and yet isn't jealous of his success. He's ok with who he is. And he cares deeply about Lucy, and spends time getting to know her. Jack knows how important it is to have real relationships with the people in his life. He sees value in it, and in them.

Peter's god-father Saul, could see Lucy's worth as a person. He called Jack "a putz" for not realizing what an amazing woman that Lucy was. He told him that if he couldn't see that, and didn't fall in love with her within two minutes of being with her, then go ahead break it off with her, just realize that you're a putz. In essence, Peter wouldn't have ever gone for Lucy on his own. He had already been mugged and fell off a train platform, he had a head injury that sent him into a coma, and then came back out of it, and still he didn't see it. It was only after his godfather called him "a putz" that he even realized how close he had come to death, and how valuable Lucy was to have around. And then when he proposes, you sense that he does so out of disingenuous obligation, the hazy romanticism of the moment, and the fear of seeming like a “putz” to his godfather being of greater concern, rather than being motivated by genuine love, because he isn't. He doesn't even talk to her about herself, he doesn't even spend time getting to know her. She only says yes because she doesn't want to turn down a perfectly good marriage proposal from a rich and handsome man, and deep down she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life alone. You can really see Peter's priorities when Lucy tells him that she is in love with Jack and calls off the wedding, when he is more worried about his carpet then the relationship ending... or her feelings. She is worth so much more than that!


Some guys need someone to smack them in the head and hold up a sign. They aren't interested until the girl is interested in them first. They don't have guts or eyes to see the gem that is in front of them, and these guys are not worth your time!!!

Epiphany #2 You are a valuable person. You are a gem.

Lucy's relationship with Jack on the other hand isn't perfect by any means, but they do things together, they get to know one another, and develop a close friendship. Jack realizes on his own that she is someone that he wants. HE falls for her. And while his communication skills aren't always the best, he's genuine. Through an honest, yet imperfect relationship, they get to know one another and they fall in love.

So, she has a choice, just like we all do, if we recognize what it really is. It may seem she has to chose between the dream and reality; between someone who seems perfect and promises her everything she's ever wanted, but can't deliver - and holding out for what she really wants, but it's not only that. What she really needs to do is chose between settling or holding out for what she's worth. For someone that is worthy of her.

Epiphany #3 You are worthy of holding our for someone that is WORTHY of you.

The lesson is that it is important to spend time getting to know the true character of a person before forming an attachment. It is important to let the guy fall for you, to see you as someone that they want, and then let them chase you. And maybe more importantly, it's important to know yourself, to be happy with yourself, and to find someone who cares about the same things you do. You want someone who knows you, flaws and all, and still wants you for who you are. Character counts. Knowing a person (and not just thinking you know them, based on a few chance encounters or perfect-seeming dates) is critical to a lasting relationship.

When I was single, I thought I would never be complete or worth anything unless I had a man who told me I was valuable. But what I didn't know was that I am valuable already. And it's so much more important to find someone who has character and value, and recognizes and loves your for your s, rather than someone who seems perfect. Yes, both Lucy and I learned the same lesson; that meeting Mr. perfect isn't as important as finding a good man of character who loves you for exactly who you are.

That's really the lesson of this movie. That's why I think we (at least we ladies) love it!

So when Jack finally steps up, comes to get her and pops the question, it is the most triumphant of moments. She finds someone that she can laugh with and grow old with. And that is the best ending of all!

The 9 Rules for a Great Garage Sale

I don't often go garage sale-ing, and I don't know why. Maybe I'm lazy. I love treasure hunting and bargain shopping. Maybe is has something to do with safety in numbers, I usually go with my mom. But one day I was just in the mood and had seen tons of signs hanging up everywhere I went. It was a sunny day, I had some cash in my pocket, and so, I gave in. I followed the signs and started in on the hunt. There were many forgettable sales, the kind you pull into and maybe even make the mistake of getting out of your car since you're already parked, but wish two steps out of your car that you hadn't wasted your time at all. But then there was one that, while not yielding any great deals/buys, was so enjoyable that it shined a light on the rules for a great garage sale.

1.Signage, signage, signage!!! This is essential! You MUST have clear, bold, to-the-point signs that tell you what and where it is, and lots of them to point the way. If they can't read your signs or can't find the place, you'll NEVER get any customers. AGAIN, the number one most important element to a great garage sale is SIGNAGE!

 

2.Multiple families = lots of stuff = lots more customers.

 

3. Clever displays. This sale used several clever displays that helped optimize space and showcase the goods. Namely, several long rods hanging inside the garage for clothing, a tall, multi-tier shelf on top of a table in the center, to show off glass wear (the shelf was also for sale), and two cork boards full of jewelry... we'll get to that.. A great sale needs to be full and look good from the street, or people will just do a fly-by, and not stop because it looks like a puny selection.

 

4. Smart sellage; the cork boards and zip-lock bags were a work of genius. Often times I'll see bowls or boxes full of random-looking jewelry, and if you are brave enough to dive in you know what a tangled mess that leads to – also, that method is not very buyer/looker friendly. Putting the jewelry inside clear zipping bags, with the price and any pertinent details written on the bag or a card (like with earrings attached) was attractive and made it super easy to browse their selection.

 

5. Pretty prices; everything was marked with price tags, and because it was a multi-family sale, the tags were color-coded for each seller.

 

6. Clear cashier – they had a patio table with an umbrella (clearly marked “cashier” written in tape) and the sellers had on aprons for making change, so you'd know who was a buyer and who was a seller. I hate chasing down the seller, or asking random strangers “do you work/live here?”

 

7. A free box near the curb. Great to draw in buyers and great for distracting/appeasing kids with something free to take away.

 

8. No crap!! I've been to garage sales in beautiful, upscale neighborhoods that seemed to promise treasures a-plenty, but have been disappointed to find little more than a trash heap. Don't try to sell crap at a garage sale. Don't waste people's time. Take it to the dump.

 

9.  A goodie booth. When you're in full-treasure hunting mode, the last thing you want to do is stop somewhere else and grab a snack. And bargain hunters get grumpy or even mean when they get hungry. That's why it's super nice when cookies, rice-crispy treats and lemonade or coffee are available for sale. Kids usually do the selling, so it's great to support young entrepreneurs while simultaneously keeping the treasure-hunters happy and undeterred.

 

 

So, my favorite finds of the fabulous, five-family garage sale? Three flower vase/votive holder centerpieces, new, in the box, for $5 each, and a stack of small chalk-board signs, perfect for future party food and games. I do love to entertain. :)

The Bench Project

I had some extra fabric from my kitchen chair project, and so I snagged this old upholstered workout bench from my dad and started in on a new project. It's small enough to not take up too much space, but strong enough for two people to sit on. I figured it can be tucked behind the table, put up against a wall near my entry, or used with my new table and chairs for extra seating. The bench fabric was very dusty/dirty from years of sitting in my dads dusty wood shop, and the legs were pretty beat-up and had rusted in places near the base. The base itself is just plain wood.

My plan was to reupholster the seat (I decided the orange and brown fabric straight from the 60's didn't match my decor). Then scrub, sand and paint the legs (testing out “mirror paint” in the process, cha-ching! Two-fer!!) and possibly stain the wood bases.

So, that's exactly what I did. Since the “during” pictures are a little boring, you can see the process here in a montage.

To start, you can see how dirty and retro the fabric is, how the upholstering is pretty shoddy, and the rust and dinginess of the metal legs to start (shown on the left). Such a labor of love. I scrubbed the legs with hot water, soap and steel wool. You can see how gross they were before, bottom left, then how shiny they are after, second down, top right. Then I tightened the hardware, (I considered taking out the old and replacing them with new, but ended up just painting over them) then I started to take off the current fabric (all shown on the right side).

Originally I was just going to cover the existing fabric, but when I turned the piece over, I noticed just a little bit of red material, and it made me curious. So, out came my handy, dandy reupholstering tool (shaped like a split-fork screw driver, and did a little prying... literally :)

What I found was the bright red original leather-like material, straight from the gym floor at thee YMCA, probably over 50 years old. I also found a lot of dust! Yuck! So, I totally removed (and incinerated) the old fabric. I ended up using 3 disinfecting wipes just to clean all the dust off! Imagine if I had been lazy and just upholstered over the existing, filthy fabric!

Then, after the base and legs had ample time to dry, I taped off the legs at the base and the underside of the seat, and then got out the spray-paint. In the end, I couldn't find the mirror paint, so I used the chrome aluminum paint, thinking if the finish was anything like the cap, that this would be close to the original finish of the legs, and that it was very mirror-esque. It isn't. The finish is very matte. I think I probably just got impatient and didn't do several thinner coats, and thus, the matte-silver finish, which I think looks better than I'd planned. Less industrial. The blue painters tape reveal was great!

Then, it was time to get down and dirty... or just down... on the ground. Down to business; the business of upholstering! I did the stapling from the underside to assure tight, clean fabric. I had pre-cut, and placed the fabric on the bench, the way it would sit when finished.

Then, lying on the ground, stapler in hand, starting from the center, stapled one side, then pulled the other side tight and stapled again, then the ends, then back to the center, working in tandem, out toward the ends. Stapling from beneath is hard work!! Grrrr. The last step, and the hardest part is the corners. I cut the excess fabric in a 7 or L shape. Then, pulled and tucked the corners, as shown top center, and then... ta da!!

Done! I could go back and cut a long thin piece of tan or burlap fabric to make the bottom look finished, but I didn't because I didn't have any fabric and I'm lazy!

Well, Bear let me know he likes it from the start!!!

So, here is the finished product:

Fabulous!!!!

 

 

 

Leather Jacket Redo!

I continue my love-affair with redoing or revamping cheap, thrift store finds, or in this case, an AMI grey leather women's jacket that I paid all of seventy three cents for! That's right, $0.73!!

When I saw it, I was a bit skeptical. Leather jackets, especially with lapels, tend to look stiff on me, and since I can be a bit uptight at times, it makes me look even more stiff, or at most, not quite right. But I also thought "hey, it's only $0.73! This is ****ing awesome!!" and if nothing else I could practice sewing and altering with it.

So with no further ado, and with no more specific sewing tutorial than the one I've used to alter sweaters, here it is!

Before:

It's a bit too big, and makes me look... frumpy. :(

 After:    

       And add a cute accessory, another  $0.73 scarf, and voila!

Smooth Sailing, or... Flying

On our recent vacation to Hawaii, I put a lot of thought into what I would pack for the trip and what to pack on the plane to make traveling as comfortable and pleasurable as possible. Whenever I’ve flown in the past, I’m always irritated by passing through airport security, noisy children, sick & potentially unhygienic co-flyers, expensive airport and in-flight food and entertainment, and restrictive space, as well as question of how to pass the time without losing your sanity?
 

So, how do you pack light, but practically for travel ease and in-flight comfort?

• Small, draw-string back-pack: large enough to fit all listed below in

• Wallet: pack your purse in your checked bag, take your wallet

• Ditty bag: All below should be packed in a small, ditty-bag-like zippered bag, so you can keep it organized without having to dig through it.

Hygiene

• Small package of wet wipes

• Hand sanitizer (put this with sunscreen in a small sealable sandwich bag and place near top or in backpack pocket for easy access to go through security)

• Chap-stick

• Gum – for helping with pressurizing ears on take-off, landing

Privacy/sleep

• Eye mask

• Ear plugs

Travel First-Aid

• Small travel sunscreen

• Eye-drops

• Allergy Tablets

• Tylenol

• Airborne or Emergen-C
• A few packets of Cold remedy
• A few Cough drops – you never know when you’ll need them…

Food/Drink

• Empty water bottle - fill after going though security, and stay hydrated

• Individual size water flavor/instant tea mix

• Power/energy bars

• Small, travel snacks: power bars, trail mix (Travel food is listed below)

Entertainment

• Headphones

• Phone charger

• Book- make it a good one, one that you'll read on the plane & on the trip

• Iphone w/Pre-load new games and music onto phone before trip

 Travel Clothes – What to wear

                Layer – short-sleeve shirt, hoodie or sweater and Jacket (for your comfort due to varying temperatures during the flight/travel)

Wear bulky items: long pants or jeans and tennis or heaviest shoes, to keep warm and reduce bulk in packing suitcase

Light-weight scarf for warmth on the plane and to keep the sun off your shoulders

                Hat: stylish, yet practical. If, like my experience, the weather during your vacation is windy, you’ll want a stylish, newsboys-like hat to both shade the sun off your face and keep your hair from flying. This is a guys-equivalent of a ball-cap, and can be nice to wear on days you don’t want to do your hair. I almost left mine at home, and I’m so glad I didn’t; I wore mine every day!

 Travel Food

I hate spending too much money on food, and I hate limited, calorie-heavy choices, so here is what I packed. I like tea, and not coffee or soda, so I packed several types of hot and iced tea packets (a few different kinds for different choices, then asked for hot or cold water on the plane).

• Reusable grocery bag – to hold everything

• Hot & cold, foldable, reusable bag – for refrigerated items

“Bistro” Boxes – I copied Starbuck’s Bistro boxes, since this is the kind of food I like to eat, without the price tag or unknowingly eating unwanted calories. I prepared it all the night before, and grabbed in out of the fridge in the morning, put straight into the refrigerated bag, with frozen grapes to keep it cold like-edible ice cubes.

•                 Breakfast boxes: whole wheat bagel, almond butter, grapes, sliced apples, hard-boiled egg, sliced cheese, hot tea packet

•                 Snack boxes: fruit, crackers & cheeses, veggies & hummus/crackers and cheese, iced tea packet

• Greek lunch box: Panko & Greek-herbed chicken/hummus/cucumbers/tomatoes, dark chocolate, iced tea packet

•                 Fiesta lunch box: fiesta-spiced (taco seasoning & panko crusted) chicken/cilantro-lime Cole-slaw/salsa/guacamole, dark chocolate, iced tea packet

•                 Mini muffins: chocolate-zucchini, apple-carrot, & banana-blueberry

•                 Trail mix

•                 String cheese

While the food may seem excessive, it was easy to make, quick to fix on our tray tables, and made travel so much more pleasant and enjoyable. I, for one, get cranky when I'm hungry or tired, so having good food and a few things along to ease the irks of travel was well worth the trouble. I'd do it again, exactly the same next time, and there wasn't an item I packed that I didn't use, sometimes several times. And we had a few hungry and jealous onlookers while enjoying our food!

Hawaii Trip Packing List

What to Pack When Going on a Warm-Destination Vacation
If you are at all like me, you like to prepare and pack in advance for your tropical vacation.
If you are also like me, you tend to over-pack. So, I came up with a very helpful list of what to pack for a 7-8 day warm-weather vacation, that has the essentials, plus a few options, without packing too much that you won't end up wearing.
Packing List
Footwear/Shoes

• Comfortable flip-flops
• Semi-dressy sandals/wedges
• Tennis Shoes
• Water Shoes

Swim Wear (Pack 3 suits, whether 1 or 2 piece)

• Solid color bikini
• Black bikini
• Colorful/printed bikini

Cover-ups

• Cover-up dress
• Sarong

Active Wear

• Black yoga pants
• Black long-sleeve hoodie
• Work-out tank with built-in sports bra

Accessories

• Black billed-hat
• White sun hat
• Brown floppy brimmed sun hat
• Clutch
• White stretchy-belt
• Brown stretchy-belt
• Sunglasses
• Hawaiian hair flowers
• Jewelry
• Small, collapsible umbrella
• Large, light-weight neck scarf
• Small, draw-string backpack
• Small purse

Weasel Wear

• Bras
• Underwear
• Sexy nightgown

Semi-Dressy-Wear

• 3 colorful sundresses
• 2, mix-matching sweaters (1 tan, 1 white)

Top-Wear

• 1 tan medium-weight jacket
• 8 assorted tank top/blouses
• ½ printed
• ½ solid

Lower-Wear

• 1 pair tan, long-to-capri convertible pants
• 3-4 pairs shorts/skirts

The Method Behind the Madness: Why pack these things? What did you pack?

 

Footwear/Shoes

Comfortable flip-flops: for beach/pool-wear

Semi-dressy sandals/wedges: to wear with dresses or dressy outfits, should be neutral so they will go with almost anything, tan works best

Tennis Shoes: to wear while going hiking, beach-combing, or while in the resort gym or for a morning walk, not your nicest or grubbiest pair, but if they get dirty, you won't cry (due to red dirt of hawaii/rain)

Water Shoes (necessary if you plan on snorkeling) use with flippers/mask/snorkel)

Swim Wear

Red/hearts bikini

Black bikini

Hawaiian multi-print bikini

Red cover-up dress: for right after shower/pool when you need to be covered but not fully dressed, nice for lounging post-pool or beach

Teal sarong: to cover up, or walk to pool in bikini

Active Wear

Black yoga pants

Black long-sleeve hoodie: if it is windy or chilly pre/post sunrise/sunset

Work-out tank with built-in sports bra: in case you feel like working out or going for a jog

 

 

 

Accessories

Black billed-hat: in case of wind, this will save you from bad hair days and bad pictures, also shades you from the sun

White sun hat

Brown floppy brimmed sun hat: best worn poolside or on non-windy days, especially great if you want to look fabulous or like a movie star while going to the beach/pool

Silver-sparkle clutch: to slip the contents of your little purse into for going out to fancy dinner

White stretchy-belt

Brown stretchy-belt: these should correspond with at least 2 dresses or blouses

Sunglasses: you're in Hawaii, need I say more?

Hawaiian hair flowers: in case where you are going doesn't have an ABC store, bring the ones you most often wear, to see what you wear, how worn they are in case you want to get more, given the opportunity

Jewelry: Bring 1-2 well-chosen necklaces with matching earrings, as you will probably be wearing bikinis under most outfits, and you will almost always be in the sun, do not wear necklaces except during formal dinners, as necklaces will leave tan-marks

Small, collapsible umbrella: in case of rain or emergency shade

 1 tan medium-weight jacket: wear on plane, in cooler situations

 

Large, light-weight neck scarf: to wear on plane, and also for sun-coverup

Small, draw-string backpack: to take to the beach/pool. I constantly had mine ready with mini-sunscreen, hand sanitizer, water bottle, book, sunglasses, power bar/fruit/snack, flip-flops, towel and headphones/also double as purse, slip in wallet/money/room key

Small purse: should be small and compact, makes for easier travel, less worry of theft

Weasel Wear

Bras & Underwear: you probably won't wear these much, most likely will wear bikini's under everything, but it's nice to have at night/after shower/to feel sexy

Sexy nightgown

Semi-Dressy-Wear

3 colorful sundresses

2, mix-matching sweaters (1 tan, 1 white): These should correspond with at least 2/3 dresses and with several/most of tops, works great as sun-cover up if you're sunburnt/too lazy to put on sunscreen

Top-Wear

 8 assorted tank top/blouses

½ printed

½ solid: I say this so you will diversify, wear what you look/feel fabulous in, and what you don't get a chance to wear regularly, even in summer

 

 

Lower-Wear

1 pair tan, long-to-capri convertible pants: in case of wind/colder day/pre sunrise, post sunset

3-4 pairs shorts/skirts: these should go with/mix-match with everything

 

 

 

In the end, I didn't pack anything that I didn't wear. Although I did pack more outfits than I had days to wear them, it was nice to dress more casually during the day, and then slip on a sun-dress and sweater in the evening when we were taking walks along the beach, walking around the big hotels or sitting by the poolside bar. Everything I packed served a purpose, if not a double-purpose. Having two pairs of long pants was a MUST, because unexpected rain and wind did happen, and I would have been cold had I not had them. And even though I was on vacation, if I hadn't packed a workout outfit and tennis shoes, I wouldn't have been able to utilize the resort workout room, taken a sunrise jog along the beach, or had good, sturdy shoes to go hiking and beachcombing in. I packed clothes that I looked and felt amazing in, and more than once, my mom said I looked like a movie star! That's what you are going to want. Clothes that are comfortable, make you feel beautiful and fabulous, and practical. Well, I hope this has been helpful. Bon Voyage!!