Here are a couple of quick tips for your jewelry when traveling. I like to use pill containers to keep my earrings organized and safe during travel. It’s nice to have the separate compartments and choose a different pair for each day and or outfit. The above photo is using the small pill containers, but if you like big chunky earrings, you can get the bigger containers.
For necklaces, especially ones with small fragile chains that get easily tangled, put one end through a drinking straw and you won’t have to bother untangling them at your destination. Even the littlest of tips will help to keep you organized along the way.
Whether your heading off on vacation, going on a business trip or sending kids off to college, here is an app that makes the dreaded job of packing a bit easier. As much as I love to organize, packing is always something I procrastinate. Having to plan all that’s needed on a trip for any weather or circumstance is difficult enough, then trying to minimize into the smallest bag possible is another conundrum. Remember when we could throw everything but the kitchen sink into a suitcase and drag it all along? Those days are long over, and it’s probably a good thing, afterall, how much do we REALLY need?
What’s great about the UPacking List from NIX Solutions is that as you think of items that you will need to bring, you can add them at any time from your phone or iPad. You can save lists for future travel and create many different categories with colorful icons attached. There are also about 300 items on the list to help trigger your brain to remember everything that might come along. The app is for iPhone, iPad and Android and I have found it very helpful for all sorts of packing needs. Some even use this app for packing up prior to an entire move. Another great use is if you frequently travel to a lake house or vacation spot, you can save your list of items you regularly pack and default to this list and refine it each time you return. Check out the UPacking List and make your next packing job a whole lot easier!
A great way to stay organized when traveling is to pack with these terrific packing cubes by Eagle Creek Pack-It System. Yes they’re great for putting everything in your suitcase in an orderly manner, but beyond that is the organization they provide for you at your destination. When my kids go to camp, I use them for socks, underwear, t-shirts, etc… One side can hold clean clothes and the other for dirty clothes. Rather than sifting around a jumbled bag of clothing,
these cubes allow you to keep like items together and organized. It’s more efficient because you’re not digging through everything to find an item, you find the cube that contains them and there it is–organized! Even wet swimsuits can be stored on the water resistant side. You’ll be amazed at how much more you can fit in your bag with these! You can purchase the Eagle Creek Packing Cubes at REI or on Amazon.
Are you heading on a spring break get-away soon? Here are some interesting tips from The Today Show on using technology to travel and pack light. Check out these 5 websites before you start packing:
Minimus.biz: 2,000 travel size items to help you travel light. Everything from travel size sunscreens to bite-size specialty salad dressings.
Renttherunway.com: Rent a dress and the accessories on your trip. You don’t have to pack it (they send 2 sizes to your destination). Includes return shipping so you can leave it with the hotel concierge.
Livestand App: Avoid carrying bulky books and magazines. Live Stand is a free virtual magazine stand for your smartphone. You can also use Kindle App for books.
It Happened Here App: Use the GPS on your phone to get all of the historical events, movie scenes and famous nearby crimes and incidents from the very spot you are in according to your GPS.
BabiesTravellite.com: They ship any baby need you have to your destination anywhere. So if you are somewhere remote and don’t have access to something you need, find it there.
If you’re traveling over the holidays, Tripit trip planner is a great system for keeping all of your travel plans in one place. You can create a master itinerary and add details as you go by turning your confirmation emails into simple, mobile travel itineraries that you can also share with your family so they are kept in the loop as well. You can add maps and directions, travel notes, photos, recommendations etc… It’s easy to use, you just forward any related emails to plans@tripit.com and they are added to your itinerary. There’s a version for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7. Give it a try if you want to travel organized with all of your information available on your mobile device or in the cloud through any online access. Happy Travels!
We often think of being organized in terms of having the space around us neat and tidy, however, organization can be more about the methods we practice as we go about the day. If you have functional items that you use to process papers and projects, you can save time and be more productive. Here are a couple of useful tools that can help keep those “items in progress” organized.
I love using a zippered pouch like the one pictured from The Container Store. They are durable and useful for carrying any loose papers or coupons you need to bring along, not to mention they can be colorful, easy to spot and even fashionable! They have a mesh pocket in the front so you can see some of the items you need to keep handy, and there’s also an extra pocket in the back as an additional divider. I bring it along in the car and it fits perfectly in the pocket on my driver’s side door in the car. It’s a great way to keep current projects and important papers and reminders right at my fingertips.
Another handy product that’s great for couponing or collecting receipts is the Tag Along Organizer from Smead. It has pre-made labels included and with several dividers, it’s a great way to keep receipts and other small papers in order. I love the handy size, it’s great to fit in the glove compartment in the car or any small spot.
Since I’m always hearing about terrific new websites that can help to simplify our lives, I’m going to be sharing a different website every Wednesday. If you have any websites that you think our readers would find helpful (in our plight to be more organized and efficient of course), please feel free to send them to info@chaostoorder.com.
Our premiere Wednesday Website site is the new and exciting Google Flights. When I’m planning a trip, I want to make sure I’m getting the best deal possible, but is that best deal worth searching hundreds of different websites and comparing them–not always. Now Google— search engine extraordinaire—has done this all for us! The site was just recently released (I did find a few snags), but I’m sure they’re quickly working them out. Keep your eye on Google Flights, and if you have a trip you need to plan, definitely plug your destination and dates into their new site, hopefully it will save you countless hours of online searching. Here’s the YouTube video explaining this cool new site:
Travel season is in high gear so today’s Friday Favorite is a useful tool to help you avoid pre-trip chaos. Do you feel stressed out before a trip for fear that you will forget something important? The “Pack This!” list from Knockknockstuff.com can help put your mind at ease. It is an exhaustive checklist of everything you could possibly need for a vacation or business trip—from travel documents and electronics to clothing and toiletries. It’s a 6×9″ notepad with 60 sheets on a heavy cardstock backing. You can find it on sale now for $5.99 at organize.com. Put your mind at ease and enjoy your travels with this thorough list. But be careful not to overpack. Use the list to make sure you bring what you must, but before you start hoarding everything but the kitchen sink, think realistically about what you’ll be doing. Pack light and lean, but do use this cool checklist so nothing important is forgotten.
Gone are the days of throwing everything in your suitcase and jetting off on vacation. With luggage fees and packing restrictions, it pays to travel simplified and organized. Here are some tips to keep your travels light this summer:
Check your destination. See what in-room amenities are provided at the hotel to ensure you only pack what’s needed.
Do the homework on your destination so you know what you’ll be doing, what the weather will be, and then pack only what you need.
Pack functional clothing. Bring easy-care garments that can be used for multi-purpose.
Don’t forget the 3oz Rule. Remember to keep your carry on liquids limited to 3oz. The TSA agents never hesitate to discard if it’s more.
Weigh the cost of lugging it with you. It may even cost less and eliminate baggage fees to buy items such as toiletries, snacks, etc. at your destination.
Ziploc bags are an essential element in any organized home (we also find plenty of them in not-so-organized homes). We are mid-way through March and that means that many people are planning spring break get-aways. Ziploc bags are perfect for travel. Now that sectioning out your liquids into 3oz containers when flying is the norm, the Ziploc bag is more handy than ever. Even before we had to put liquids into clear bags for flying, they were still the optimal choice because they protect leak-ables from oozing onto other items. I always travel with an extra stash, they’re great for toiletries, food (that’s what they were meant for, right?), sectioning and sorting everything from tiny toys to papers and puzzles, the list is endless. There’s also Ziploc Big Bags which are great for sorting clothes, keeping sets of linens together, etc…what do you use Ziplocbags for?
Here are a couple of quick tips for your jewelry when traveling. I like to use pill containers to keep my earrings organized and safe during travel. It’s nice to have the separate compartments and choose a different pair for each day and or outfit. The above photo is using the small pill containers, but if you like big chunky earrings, you can get the bigger containers.
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