Disneyland during COVID restrictions

As a big Disney fan, I was ELATED for the park reopening. And with my kiddo having a big birthday, we decided to make a quick trip to celebrate and get what we hoped would be a little sense of normalcy.

While we did have a great time, it was by no measure anything like the magic of a pre COVID trip. And the tips on how to prepare were pretty limited, so I wanted to share based on our experience.

We flew down the day before and enjoyed some time exploring Downtown Disney. We did a full day at Disneyland park - open to close. We did not park hop over to California Adventure. Then we slept in the morning after before heading home.

Here are my Disneyland tips from our visit on 5/26:

1. Neck gaiters are not an approved mask at Disneyland. They of course will sell you a replacement at the entrance. The mask has to hook on your ears to be approved. When I went back to look at the rules there is also language about layers but I did not see that enforced. 

2. Arrive early, like way earlier than usual. We like to be in the park for rope drop and are typically there early, but with the prescreening line I would suggest arriving 1.5 hours before the park opens. The health screening began at 8:10 for a 9 am opening. The screening is quick but the line to get screened is the slow down. 

The great news is they are opening the park earlier than advertised so we were actually riding Millennium Falcon when the park technically opened. We were inside the gate at 8:30 and proceeded directly to Star Wars land. And we got more rides in the first two hours than we did all of the mid day. 

3. Stay late and get the popular rides in quick. This is always true but seemed especially useful while there were no fireworks to stay for. I hear fireworks are back soon so perhaps this will be different.

4. Get in the queue for Rise of the Resistance promptly. The 7 am time filled within 30 seconds and we just missed it. I was faster at clicking buttons at noon and we got a spot. The ride was really cool so don’t miss it. There is not a walk up option for this ride. 

See my screenshot from 7:01 am. 

5. Order your afternoon food way ahead of time. Most food requires mobile ordering. You order for a pickup window and then have to check in when you are close. When it says the food is ready then you get into another line to wait for your food. This was a mess at the dole whip location. The dole whips had sold out for the day by about 4 pm. The kids meal milks, yogurts and applesauce also appeared to sell out by the afternoon. So at noon you need to be thinking about dinner and ordering. Only churros and popcorn seemed to be served after 8 pm. It appears there is an option to cancel your order but we did not try that feature.

6. Planning for the sun is more important than ever. The distancing requirements mean than there was a time when we stood in the direct sun for 30 minutes and weren’t allowed to drink water (see mask rule) per the cast members constant reminders. That was bizarre. So have your sun hat and sunscreen ready to go. 

7. They aggressively enforce the mask rule. You cannot eat or drink in lines for the rides. In fact you can only eat or drink in approved areas of the park. These approved areas are marked in person but not marked on the map. So you have to just search for allowed eating areas. We snuck in some drinking with a straw since we didn’t have to remove our mask for that. This is also important for kids. Cast members were stopping even children whose mask had fallen below their nose. They were as pleasant as they could be and we didn’t see any altercations, but they are very strict about the masking.

8. Bring a battery backup for your phone. You have to mobile order food.  They no longer hand out maps at all, so you will need the app more than ever. It will eat away your battery. My 2 month old phone did not have enough battery for our day. 

9. The lines appear longer than they are since the lines are kept outside. By the time you reach the interior of a building, you are minutes from the attraction. They are not lining people up indoors hardly at all. So don’t be alarmed that some of the lines will appear to be the longest you have ever seen. It is just all the spacing.

10. The character experiences are fairly limited and in some cases hard to get photos with because the character is located high up. The only ‘loose’ character we saw was Goofy. The princesses were behind a fence but they were speaking with kids so the interaction was much better there. 

11. Bring lots of food and water flavor packets. We usually bring more food but with a short trip and limited hotel food (by the way apparently Orange County is limiting the ability of hotels to serve food so breakfasts are limited or completely eliminated at hotels) that was hard to do. That became an issue in the evening when they ran out of food. We actually ordered a pizza to be delivered to the hotel when we returned. And water flavor because I swear the water tasted worse than normal. H even noticed. Rancho Zocalo and Hungry Bear were both closed but were approved areas you could sit and eat. They appeared much less crowded than other areas.

12. Don’t expect the amazing food. There are fewer food service options and the menus appear to be reduced. I was really hoping for a Monte Christo sandwich but that was not to be. That restaurant wouldn’t even indicate online if there were tables open until you were in close proximity. And the general quality of the food was just not up to the normal standard. 

13. Buttons are no longer picked up at City Hall but instead can be found in any of the stores. 

14. Pack your patience and go with the flow. It won’t be like your trips before COVID. So plan on that ahead of time. But it will still have some of the Disney magic and I expect it will get better as restrictions lift.

Plane friendly food to save money on vacation with kiddos!

The kiddo and I just returned from a wonderful trip! I had a conference to attend that was conveniently located just a block from Disneyland. This happened to be a VERY kid friendly conference so he got to join me. We then added a day to our trip and spent two days enjoying the magic of Disney.

Anyone who is traveling on a budget knows that food can be a huge expense. Eating out can eat into your budget and may leave you with limited choices . And when traveling with a growing 4 year old, you need to have lots of snacks on hand. A hungry kid is usually a grumpy kid. We take much of our own food when we are on road trips (I need to do a post about traveling with my crockpot) but air travel can be a bit more challenging. 

When traveling by air, you have limited refrigeration options and are limited in the sizes of liquids and gels that you can carry. I generally do not check bags when flying but if flying with my kiddo I've found it to be a necessity. It is less to deal with in the security line and it allows me to pack some liquids/gels in the checked bags. 

I'm very pleased to have spent a whopping $15 on food in the parks over the two days (on foods I was really wanting to try) thanks to bringing food with us. We only spent another $11 in hotel food. That $26 in food over 4 days was due to some serious planning and hauling food with us. I should also note that the event we attended had lots of appetizer type foods which helped too.

Here is a quick list of what we traveled with to give you some ideas. 

Carry on that needs some refrigeration:

• Cheese - frozen so it keeps longer
• Gogurts - frozen 
• Uncrustables sandwiches (or homemade) - I pack just enough for day 1 and 2. They get dried out if they are defrosted much longer than a day. 
• Lunchables packages (or homemade) - I like to take home made ones with salami for something the adults can enjoy. Just know that with lunchmeat you need to be sure it is kept cool.

Carry on needing no refrigeration:

• Crackers - I like the small tubes
• Crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling
• Peanut butter (the little to go packages) - we add these to crackers and oatmeal
• Tuna salad kits - just don't open this on the plane, please.
• Goldfish crackers
• Almonds for Mom
• Cheerios or other cereal boxes - I have a tough time finding the boxes in non-sugary options so we just take a container of Cheerios. 
• Oatmeal packages - I always keep these in my carry on. You can use the hot water from the coffee maker to make this in your room. 
• Mac and cheese packages - I prefer the kind in a bowl so you don't have to worry about dishes
• Hot chocolate mix - end of day treat you can make with a coffee makes to reward food kiddos
• Snack sized treats - I found Disney themed rice krispies so those were a daily treat
• Chips 
• Fruit snacks - also found Disney themed ones. These should really be called sugar snacks, so don't think these are a substitute for fruit. 
• Fresh fruit - pack this carefully. We have had luck with bananas and apples. Berries don't handle the transport well. You also may be limited with fresh fruit if you are traveling out of the state.
• Protein bars for Mom
• Microwaveable popcorn - a great late night snack to enjoy while watching fireworks from your room
• Utensils! You do not want to forget these! We didn't need plates or bowls on this trip which saved some space. 

Checked:

• Apple sauce squeeze packets
• Mixed fruit squeeze packets
• Mandarin orange cups
• Green beans - now can be found in individuals cups! Corn is an option too.
• Microwaveable pasta/ravioli - the kind that are microwaved in their own package
• Juice boxes - for a traveling kiddo these can be a great treat to keep them hydrated

So what kind of meals did we make with this?

• We had oatmeal each morning with peanut butter added. We make it in the disposable hotel cups so the kiddo can eat it to go if needed. 
• I'm not sure that we ever had a sit down lunch in the 4 days we were gone. We did uncrustables for day 1 and 2 and then just snacks the other days. Especially while in the park, I gave him snacks while we waited in lines and while waiting for shows/parades. We did enjoy an amazing corn dog in Disneyland and a meat stick too. We did not buy any food at all while in CA Adventure (mostly because it was raining). Not having a sit down lunch also frees up time in the park to go other things. 
• For dinner we had macaroni and green beans one night, ravioli and green beans another and got a personal pizza at the hotel for the third night. 

Macaroni and raviolis do require a microwave. So they may not work for you if your hotel won't have one. Even if the hotel does not advertise a microwave, you can often request one.  

This isn't the most healthy food ever, but is probably close to as healthy (or better) as most fast food options you would find. I push the fruits and veggies first and the other snacks later. 

Have you ever had luck hauling food with you on a plane? I would love to hear what you took or your suggestions on what else I can take! 

Work travel essentials

I've traveled pretty heavily over the past 10 years. I have gotten better at it over the years and am proud to brag that I packed for a 10 day trip (including 8 days overseas) in a carry on. I'm not always awesome in my packing, but these travel essentials help keep me organized and ready to go.

1. Packing cubes

I'm pretty much addicted to packing cubes. I don't use them for short trips but if I am staying more than two nights I'm probably using them. I got a set for my mom, then one for myself and then a second for myself (and the boys too). I think they are fabulous! They make my bag so much more organized. I find that I forget fewer things if I use cubes because it forces me to organize. I usually make one bag for workout clothes, one for casual and one for business. With the kiddo his cubes are divided tops, bottoms, pj/undies and sometimes a bag of "nice" clothes. AKA ones to hide from Grandma in case we need to be in public at some point. :)

The bags pictured are ebags cubes but there are several other brands. You can buy them directly from ebags or on amazon.  They come in a variety of sizes but I mostly seem to use medium bags. I roll the clothes to fit the bag and then cram the bags into my suitcase. For the kiddo I use medium and the long sized bags. 

*A added my refer a friend link here because it should get you 15% off and I think free shipping. 

2. Reusable grocery bag (that squishes into a small space).

Notice the little red blob in the top right corner of the suitcase? That is a reusable shopping bag. I ALWAYS travel with one. Sometime I use it as a purse cover of sorts. Stick my purse in that bag and then under the seat in front of me. I also use it to have extra room on the trip home or to combine a shopping bag and my purse into one "small" personal item when flying home.

Also, more and more places charge you for grocery bags, so this helps with that issue too when you are away from home.

3. Dry shampoo

This is really targeted to the ladies. I became a dry shampoo believer about 5 years ago. It is a travel staple for me. I can easily get away with second day hair which is a great time saver during travel. Plus if you are only gone one night and don't need to wash your hair you can lighten your load of hair products to travel with you. 

4. Multi plug

Some hotels have one accessible plug near the bed and others hidden behind furniture or in the bathroom. I'm not a fan of charging my electronics on a bathroom counter. So I bring along a multi plug to turn one outlet into three. I used to bring along a power strip but this serves the same purpose and takes up less space. I found my current one from the Dollar Store but you can get them most anywhere.

5. Earplugs

I keep a set of disposable ear plugs in my carry on bag. I don't use them very often but on a late flight these are really awesome. Equally helpful if you happen to have a loud hotel. They hardly take up any space.

6. Oatmeal packet

Another item that takes almost no space but provides a great meal option. Heat water in the coffee pot and pour it into the travel cup usually provided in your room. Cover with the lid and let it cook for a bit. If you don't have a spoon the wooden stir stick provided for the coffee will do the trick. :) Quick, cheap and easy.

7. Tea bags

I have lived most of my life on well water. Chlorinated water tastes awful to me. So having tea bags with me is a great help in disguising the flavor of a bad hotel water. You don't want to get dehydrated on a trip. I've heard others mention this as a way to bring some sense of home with you. That can't hurt either.

8. Landry hamper







This is a fantastic find from the dollar store. It folds flat and takes up almost no space. It isn't the most durable thing ever but mine has lasted a year already. Totally worth the buck! I love having a place to keep dirty clothes away from clean ones. On car trips I have started just keeping the dirty clothes in the hamper and dumping it right in the washer when we get home. This is more essential for travel with the family than work, but sometimes those activities have some crossover.

9. Granola bar
Side story - when I was young some very close family friends got stuck in a snow storm in their car for several days. They lived off ketchup packets and miraculously survived. Since them my Mom has been a little crazy about emergency preparedness (and we keep ketchup packets in the vehicles still). Carrying a granola bar is a bit of that emergency preparedness. But you also might have a hangry mini emergency or get a bit nauseous and need something to calm your stomach. Granola bars last a pretty long time and take up hardly any space. So don't leave home without one. You can also sub a protein bar in here if that is more your thing.

10. Mint or peppermint candy
Peppermint is very soothing to a tummy and helps relieve nausea. Seriously it works for me. Especially on turbulent flights, mints are a must. I specifically prefer Mentos on flights, I swear it helps with ear popping since you kinda chew them.

11. Ready to go toiletries
This set of plastic bottles have been traveling with me since I was a senior in high school. These exact bottles. I try to fill them up when I remember after trips so that they are always ready to go when I leave. I don't have to worry about having to use hotel brand products and I don't have to purchase bunches of disposables. 

So, what do you think? What items are essential for your travel?

My essentials for Disneyland with a toddler

We went on a wonderful trip to Disneyland in October! This was our first trip with the kiddo and what fun it was to experience Disneyland with a child. I'm a lover of the mouse already, but to have the focus be on shows and parades and characters was so different than the ways I have enjoyed the parks before.

1. Stroller. My son hasn't used a stroller in close to a year, but we would not have survived without a stroller on this trip. I bought an inexpensive umbrella stroller with a basket for the trip. I expected to need it at the airport or I would have just rented one. If you rent one from Disneyland you can't take it out of the parks. But, you can rent one from a local company and they will drop it off at your hotel for you. If you fly, look into the rental option.

2. Buy souvenirs in advance. I became BFFs with my local Dollar Store leading up to this trip. I found so many great options here. Each morning I gave my kiddo one new item. He loved it and it seemed to take the edge of wanting stuff. We managed to only spend $17 on souvenirs at the park.

3. Get the Disney Visa card before your trip. Not only are there some great perks for signing up (I scored a 200 gift card that paid for a hunk of our park tickets), you earn rewards you can spend at the park (only about $90 worth for us) and you also enjoy some perks at the park. They have a character meet and greet at California Adventure in the middle of the day that is just for card holders. You have to have your card with you. It was such a great benefit. My son got one on one time with Daisy one day and Minnie the next. There was NO rush and it was just us and the cast members in the area with them. Such a great experience. Plus we got a free 5x7 each time we went.

4. Laundry hamper. The collapsible but stand up laundry hamper was awesome. Each day all of our laundry went into the hamper and kept our room much cleaner and organized. I will take this on all future family hotel trips. Note that this was a bit hard to find at the Dollar Store and took me a couple trips. But is a new essential for road trips with the family.

5. Glow Sticks. These were another Dollar Store purchase. Some were better quality and lasted longer than others. But they were a great way to entertain my kiddo while we waited for parades and shows. The bracelets were my favorite because he could connect and disconnect them as entertainment. In DCA, bubbles are sold during the parades. I forgot to bring some but they would have been a great activity while waiting.

6. Photo Pass Plus. Read my full post for more info but I loved this service.

7. Snacks! I brought lots of snacks - too many actually - with us. Each day I carried in a small soft cooler with juice, milk, applesauce in the squeeze form, fruit, crackers and fun size candy as a treat. I handed the kiddo bags of crackers and applesauce to munch on any time we waited in line. It gave him something to do and kept him in a better mood. Plus, he never once asked for a food item he saw. This kept him happier and saved us money. I had protein bars for myself. The first day in the park I didn't even buy us any food at all.

8. Refillable water bottle. I had a great bottle that hung off the side of the stroller. It became his bottle and he would reach for it randomly as we strolled the park. He hardly drank the juice I brought and instead preferred the water. I had my own bottle too. I also saved the $3 per bottle of water while keeping us hydrated and happy.

9. Autograph book. Another Dollar Store find along with a fun pen, this became a big part of our trip. He had each character sign his book before he took pictures with them. I think this gave him something to do while he got comfortable being around them. Note that some characters - like Buzz Lightyear - can't do signatures.

10. Character photos. Ask the character's "handlers" about where to find other characters. They will often clue you in to what characters rotate and where as well as where to find them. They were such a great resource and helped us find everyone my son was looking for. Note that the Frozen lines are INSANE - like get a ticket today and come back tomorrow to wait in line. So no Frozen for us. But we saw everyone he wanted. AND - the handlers will take photos for you with your phone or camera. They are super nice.

11. Buy shirts in advance. Shirts at the park were no less than $20 each for kids - adults were more like $30. I ordered some online from Disney that were on clearance and also got some from Target and Walmart. Most of the shirts for my son were $8. It got him excited to start each day with a themed shirt. Plus I knew it was stain free when we started the day.

12. Lanyards with holder. Totally touristy but a complete necessity. I brought ours in advance at - you guessed it - the Dollar Store (They are $8+ in the park). They held my ID, our tickets, photo pass, hotel key and Visa. All of our essentials were on my person and I could leave the backpack and stroller together when we went on rides.

13. Backpack. Despite having a stroller, I still needed a backpack. I had a beach towel that served as blanket, seat cushion, and drying tool. I also held snacks, my phone, light jackets, the glow sticks and a change of clothes for my kiddo. If you have a big stroller with more storage, you can probably do without a backpack.

14. Trading pins. I purchased these in advance online in a bulk package (at park pins are $8 each, old pins online are $1 each). We only did one trade but they had potential. For a slightly older child these would be a great way to occupy them while you wait in line or give them another activity. We traded with a custodial worker who saw my son getting upset and she saw a way to distract him. It was so sweet and totally worked. Any cast member with pins can trade and you will also see some displayed in stores that are for trade. Usually they were set up by the cashier on a black backing.

15. Wipes. Yet another Dollar Store find. I used both hand sanitizer with Cars theme and actual wipes. It helped clean up his face before photos and let me feel a bit better about all the handrails and rides he was touching right as flu season was starting. Of course we still brought home germs but that is a story for another post.

16. Apps. I used the ride app a few times to see if it was worth making the hike across the park. Usually it wasn't or it would let me know what rides were down.

17. YouTube. More than a few times my son woke up from his stroller nap in a not so fantastic mood. Perhaps it was because he was crammed in the small stroller or just the excitement. But to help him transition back to a good mood, I would find a character themed you tube for him to watch while we waited in line. It made him and his parents much happier.

I am a huge Disneyland fan and can't wait to go again. I hope you can try out these tips and help make your trip even better!

Crazy hair, tiny Bikinis and what I learned in Brazil

In February I was fortunate to be a part of an amazing trip to Brazil. I'll be posting more about the trip soon. But to start, this is the story of crazy hair, tiny bikinis and the amazing culture of Brazil.

It all started with crazy hair. My hair is naturally a bit wavy, but how wavy depends on a ton of factors. Usually I wear it straight. I brought a few simple hair products to Brazil with me but none of them served much purpose. The combination of intense humidity and heat along with the water (I don't know what exactly but the water was involved) resulted in hair that just wouldn't be tamed. I tried pulling it back, using much hairspray, but just ended up with a face framing frizz fest. So, after compliments and some deep conditioner, I decided to embrace my wild crazy brazilian hair.

I was fascinated by the women's hair and when I felt comfortable enough I would ask them about hair products. I couldn't even find a good translation for it. They seem to simply wash, condition and wear. At a field trip to a mega market, I found no hairspray - none.Seriously ZERO bottles. They had one bottle of mousse but otherwise just tons of conditioner options. I did purchase some conditioner which made my hair look much less light socket induced and more crazy beach hair. So the conditioner did help.

But I embraced the hair. I washed and conditioned it and just let it air dry and do what it wanted. No product, no hair dryer, no curing irons, just natural. And I kinda liked it. And I got complimented on it. And all I did was let it be.

I didn't really think too deeply about it until I visited the Copacabana beach in Rio. At the beach in Brazil, everyone wears bikinis. Young and old, tan or pale (but mostly very tan), men and women and every body type there is - all wore tiny bikini bottoms. Most of the women wore thongs and almost all the men wore boy shorts (I finally realized the source of that term). The only men in board shorts and women in one pieces were the tourists. I've never felt over dressed wearing a bikini, until Rio.

But no one seemed to be worried about what was hanging out, or stretch marks, or cellulite, or skin blemishes in unusual places (yes, butt zits were on display). The men weren't worried about being hairy or having a gut - and many of the had both. It was nothing like I have ever seen on a beach in California.

And it was amazing, and revolutionary and freeing. Everyone wore them and clearly no one cared. No one made funny looks at anyone else - except the look of shock on our American faces. They just accepted each other as is. It is hot and humid so tiny bikinis are how you keep comfortable. They are function not a status indicator of a great body.

But don't think there was a lack of magnificent bodies. I saw some of the most beautiful bodies I have ever seen - right out of a magazine no joke - but I saw every type of body in the spectrum with no concern about covering up.

Brazilians seem to embrace who they are physically in a way that would be beneficial to many like myself. We are who we are and while we should work to stay healthy, we should also embrace and accept who we are with hair and body. If you have a rocking bod feel free to show it off, but if you are an average 'Jane' don't limit yourself to cover ups.

I may not be ordering a thong bikini anytime soon, but I will be attempting to embrace my natural wild hair a bit more often. The Brazilians have seem to have body image figured out.

Two thumbs up for wild hair!

Twin Falls

The first place we stopped on our road trip in Idaho was Twin Falls. 

We drove over the beautiful Snake River Canyon and had to stop to take some pictures!

The bridge was beautiful. This is the Perrine Bridge – read move about it here.  

The blue/green Snake River was beautiful. 

A little oasis in the high desert.  I have no idea what it was, maybe a golf course?

Mother nature always astonishes me with her beauty – this is the other side of the bridge and the canyon. 

And then this is just outside the canyon – what a drastic change a few steps can make! 

Twin Falls is “famous” (didn’t know this until we got home) as home to Niagara of the West – Shoshone Falls.  To learn more than you’d ever want to know about Twin Falls read this. 

Road Trip – Northern Nevada

Michael and I decided to road trip it to Idaho … we’d never been and one of us (not me) wants to move there.  Michael loves driving and exploring, so it was fun just to sit back and enjoy the ride.  Our first day we headed through Nevada.  We stayed at my mom’s condo in Truckee to get a jump start on our drive – which was a great idea because we got to sleep in! 

Neither of us have been much farther than Reno, so it was interesting to drive on 80 to Wells. 

Sagebrush, dirt, sand, rocks and a few mountains were pretty much all we saw. 

All of these pictures were taken through the window driving down the highway, so they are not the best. 

I love agriculture and whenever I go anywhere, I like to see the commodities grown there.  Agriculturally speaking, Nevada seems to be a very desolate place.  We saw some hay and cattle, but that was it.  To learn more about agriculture in Nevada check this out.

This tunnel was pretty cool. 

Some awesome rock formations too. 

There is a Humboldt and a Beverly Hills – neither of which look anything like Humboldt or Beverly Hills in California. 

Beverly Hills

The clouds were just beautiful along our drive.  They were creating these huge shadows on the ground.  Michael and I were joking about the absence of trees and how they got shade from the clouds instead. 

Just before we left Nevada and entered Idaho, we saw a little slice of paradise. 

So, there you have it – our drive through Nevada.  Pretty uneventful and the scenery didn’t change much at all.  But, it was pretty in its own way.   

Packing for a Trip

 When it comes to packing, I am no pro.  I don't travel very often and when I do pack it is usually for an over night stay.  So, when we were preparing for our trip to New Orleans, I was pretty happy with the way I packed.  It was 3 night, 4 day trip but I had to be prepared for a thunderstorm (which is what the weather was predicted to be) or a beautiful day.  So, this how I packed:

 I put all of my outfits out on the bed.  I know - this could easily be for a 10 day trip but I had no idea what to expect weather wise.  Packing like this saved me a lot of time and it eliminated me adding items to the top of my suitcase "just in case."  I feel like I packed less and used more of what I brought. 
This was a vacation so all the clothing was casual.  I stuck with colors that went well together (jeans are the neutral).  If I were packing for a business trip (ha - would that be teaching out of state?) then I would have chosen a neutral and based by outfits off of that. 

 

I put the dresses with what I planned on wearing them with; the coral dress with a jean jacket, a necklace, a strapless bra and boyshorts, and the jean dress with a belt, cardigan, boyshorts and a scarf.  You can also see my capri and striped shirt outfit.  I also brought leggings, 7 pairs of socks, a few undershirts, and at least 6 pairs of underwear. 

 I packed one pair of jeans (and wore one of the plane) and packed 4 shirts to pair with the jeans or my capris.

 I also brought two sweaters (on zip-up and one pull over), a black cardigan, a scarf, and workout clothes.

 I packed all of my jewelry in a bag so it would stay in one piece and not become a tangled mess.

 I put each necklace in a snack sized ziplock bag. 

 And it all fit perfectly in the adorable make-up bag I bought at the Gap Outlet for like a dollar the other day. 

 I brought a variety of shoes - boots, flip flops, flats, and sneakers (with my workout clothes).  I didn't know what the weather was going to be like so I was prepared.  I wore the sneakers on the plane since they are the bulkiest of the shoes I brought. 

 Everything fit perfectly in my bag. 

What I packed:

- jeans

- jean capris

- 2 dresses

- jean jacket

- 2 cardigans

- 4 shirts

- sweater

- 7 pairs of socks

- 8 pairs of underwear (2 boyshorts for the dresses)

- strapless bra

- regular bra

- 3 pairs of shoes (boots, flip-flops, and flats)

- belt

- workout clothes 

- PJs (not pictured above)

- jewelry (which I didn't wear)

- leggings

- makeup and showering stuff

What I wore on the plane:

- jeans

- undies, a bra, socks and an undershirt (like I needed to write that)

- purple shirt

- sneakers

- sweater

Leaving the other half for snacks Michael's clothes.  If I was traveling alone (and owned a carry on bag) then this would have easily fit in a carry on. 

I put my showering supplies and makeup on top. And, I had plenty of room for my snacks in the pocket on the outside of this bag.

What are your packing tips?