Holiday Packing in the Fall

It’s hard to believe that November is here!  The balmy weather has quickly turned to rain, puddles and cooler temperatures.   I still haven’t bought a blanket scarf, but I have been wearing my booties and last year’s plaid scarf.

Just a peak of plaid.

We are fortunate to be taking a trip to Maui next week.  It was booked about 6 months ago when there was a seat sale on our favourite airline, so we decided to take advantage.  We have a couple sets of friends who will also be there, so it will make for a fun family time.

But while I am looking forward to our trip, I still have to pack.

If you have read this blog over the past couple years, you will know that I don’t like packing.  I can pack for the kids with my eyes closed and both hands tied behind my back.  But when it comes to my own clothes, I tend to freeze and get overwhelmed.  With time, I would say it is getting better and for beach holidays, you really don’t need to pack a lot.  Do you?

When in doubt, head to Pinterest.  Here’s what I have found to make my own packing experience easier:

This list looks like it would be easy to follow.

The visuals in this picture look simple and would be easy to pack.

I like this grouping with all the options for what you pack.

Lastly, this grouping looks so simple that you could probably pack the day before you leave!

Wish me luck over the next few days as I bring out the suitcases and start to pack. I’ll post my struggles and success and show you which packing tips I used.  If you have any tips for warm warm holiday packing, please let me know!

linking up with: Fashion Should Be Fun, Jaymie Ashcraft, Jo-Lynne Shane

Spring Break – break with old habits ?

It is Spring Break in Vancouver this week, so I took the kids to the Vancouver Aquarium.   The kids love coming here and are never bored with sea creatures.  As we moved from exhibit to exhibit, we saw sea turtles, sharks, garden eels, otters, belugas, you get my drift.

My favourites ?  The brightly coloured tropical fish, sea stars and sea anemones.  They have always been my favourites.   How could you not love them?  They are fascinating to watch as they navigate their underwater world.

As I looked at the other visitors, most of them were dressed like me.  Jeans, black boots, dark coats.  My daughter was wearing a bright pink shirt and jacket.  Hours earlier, when she was getting dressed, I asked if she wanted to wear black like mommy.  Do you know what she said?  “No, it’s not pretty.”  Well, she nailed that didn’t she ?

During our recent trip to Maui, I barely wore grey and when I did it was shorts or capri pants.  My tank tops were bright and lively and my white shirts looked crisp and cool. Maybe it was the heat or the sunshine or both, but I wouldn’t think of putting on a drab grey shirt.  And neither did most of the other tourists I saw.

When did we (the royal we) lose our desire to wear colour?  Have you seen a playground or elementary schoolyard recently?  The girls are in various shades of colour (not always a good look, but you get my point).  Most boys are dressed in standard blue, grey, red with the odd spot of orange thrown in by an colour confident mom.  I think in high school, it starts to change.  The colours become more muted as teenagers try and fit in and not stand out.

But as adults, we are more confident in our choices, so why do some of us seem so drab ?   Is it just the area where we live ?  Is it the seasons?  Last Fall, when burgundy seemed to be the in colour, I bought a couple shirts and vowed to wear them regularly.  Did I ?  Not really, just every few weeks.  Why?  Because grey filled my shelves and it was easier to grab.

As I start to prepare for our challenge, I am going to be more open to colour.  I can’t say I will be the brightest on the block, but I am going to try to change.  I am going to look for inspiration and try to break my grey habit.  Wish me luck.