Our Disney Vacation (January 2010)

Based on the winter of 2010, we are now advising turtlenecks, sweatshirts, long underwear and warm socks! We are well aware that globally, temperatures are still rising, even this past January…. But, Florida weather was not indicative of the globe as a whole. It continues to be the longest stretches of cool and cold weather that any of the locals can remember.

Hopefully this isn’t the way things will be every winter in Florida, but it is a good reminder to check the forecast right before you pack and maybe take a few extra versatile things, just in case.

This post is from Vacation Packing Checklist where you can prepare for all of your trips and travels.

Revised Florida Vacation Packing Checklist!

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You may not be able to put it in a suitcase, but at least put patience on your holiday travel checklist. Stess, especially when you’re traveling, seems to go hand in hand with the holidays. Putting ‘patience’ on the packing list, will serve as a reminder as you pack and before you leave, that it’s a good idea to get yourself into a calm and patient state of mind before all the stress begins. Remind yourself to take deep breaths when things get crazy or when family tension rises and remember not to sweat the small stuff.

Get Ready… here they come!

photo credit: ShravanSamurai

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Put Patience on your Holiday Travel Checklist

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Unpacking is always so much easier than packing, but we’re hoping to make next year’s planning and packing a little easier by taking time this week to evaluate the packing checklist that we used and making any adjustments that are needed. We’ll post the updated list when we’re finished.

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Vacation’s Over… Time to Evaluate the Checklist

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Avoid This Vacation Packing Mistake

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Checking the last item off our packing checklist!

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Here is How You Can Pack Less
July 6, 2009
- Here are some great tips for packing light. You start with the whole packing checklist, but before you put anything in the suitcase, you skinny down the list with these tips.

*Planning* a summertime *trip*? Check your car first!
July 6, 2009
- This article has a nice checklist for getting your car ready for a road-trip. Add this to your pre-departure vacation packing checklist when you’ll be traveling in a car or van.

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Vacation Packing Checklist News on July 6, 2009

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My sister and me in Colorado Springs 1973

I’m over 40  now and much to my dismay, many of my childhood vacation memories have faded away.  I can remember the sense of happiness that I associate with different places that we went, but many of the details are buried deep or gone completely.  What’s really interesting is that the memories that I do have, are often having to do with something that was captured in a photo.  So probably having seen those photos in the years following the trip kept those memories fresh.  So make sure you take a few pictures of the things you want to remember on your trip.  Usually the best ones are not just the scenery, but have your family and you in them as well. Don’t hesitate to ask a stranger to snap a shot of the whole group.

As for the journal… Well, my father who is the master of vacation planning, always kept a little spiral bound notebook with a few details of every trip.  The dates, locations, hotel names and I think restaurants.  So this summer my family has started a new game.  Once a week, my father will e-mail everyone in the family a question about a long-ago vacation and we will all respond with our memories of the trip.  Then we help each other fill in some of the blanks of our partial memories. What fun we are having! 

That’s why I am recommending that you add a journal to your vacation packing checklist.  You don’t have to write much, but you could ask everyone in the family for a highlight each day or even at the end of the trip, have each person share a few highlights.  I promise, years later they will be fun to read.

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Pack a Vacation Journal and a Camera

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We’ve heard the party atmosphere on the beach is as much fun as the races, if not more!  Can’t wait!

Have a safe weekend everyone.

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Beach Trip Packing List

What's Your Motivation: The Five W's of Travel | tripcrazed
June 24, 2009
- Before you even start planning your vacation travel, here is are five questions to ask – Who, What, Where, When & Why – Maybe we should call it The First Travel Checklist!

Have kids, will travel. « The Mum Files
June 24, 2009
- Here is some great advice for traveling with children. I know my love of vacations came from my Dad, who planned every detail carefully well before we left the driveway. He included us in the planning and shared his enthusiasm for all that we would be seeing and doing. We had more fun on family vacations than anyone I know – even Mom and Dad think so!

Staying healthy on vacation series: Tips for traveling on the road – Examiner.com
June 16, 2009
- Consider these ideas so that you don’t put on the extra pounds during vacation. Packing a few healthy snacks can make it easier.

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Vacation Packing Checklist News on June 24, 2009

UMBRELLA – Check the hourly forecast before you haul your rain gear around.
RAIN SUIT & WATER PROOF HAT – A regular hat will do if it’s not a downpour, but you’ll definitely want something to keep the rain out of your eyes or off your glasses.
EXTRA TOWEL – At least one so you can keep your hands and grips dry.
RAIN GLOVES – If you’re so inclined…
CLUB COVER FOR RAIN – A plastic bag will do if you don’t have a fitted cover.
WINDSHIELD – If the course you are playing doesn’t have them and it’s a cold or rainy day, they are really nice to have.

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Golf Checklist for Rainy Days

Simple Tips on Packing Bags for Travel – hitched
June 16, 2009
- Besides the sweetness factor, what a great idea to have the person in the family who is inclined to be the most organized packer, doing the vacation packing. There are some good tips in this article as well.

Staying healthy on vacation series: Tips for traveling on the road
May 26, 2009
-Consider these ideas so that you don’t put on the extra pounds during vacation. Packing a few healthy snacks can make it easier.

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Organized Packing for a Family Vacation « ASK AN ORGANIZER
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- Here are some terrific tips from a professional organizer for getting your kids involved in vacation packing.

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Vacation Packing Checklist News on June 6, 2009

The thing I struggled with the most before the flight was deciding what laptop bag I would use as my carry-on. I have a beautiful shoulder bag, but with my neck pillow and other carry-on items it would have been overstuffed and probably very uncomfortable for carrying over the shoulder. I was leaning toward bringing my larger laptop bag with wheels, but was concerned that it wouldn’t fit under the seat and I wanted to be able to get to the laptop easily during the flight. I set out to find a laptop sleeve so that I could put the computer under the seat if I had to put the bag overhead, but my search for the sleeve led me to a different choice altogether. The least expensive sleeve I could find (at a nearby store) was over $20 and I knew I had seen them at IKEA a few weeks ago for $5, so I just couldn’t bring myself to pay that much. However I did find a Targus laptop backpack for $30 and it seemed that it would have all the space I needed, fit under the seat and be reasonably easy to carry… so now I have yet another bag for my laptop! As it turned out, by the time I got on the plane, the airline was gate-checking any bags that didn’t fit under the seat as all overhead space was taken. My decision was a good one.

Here is my Summer Travel Checklist for Flying:
Excel Version
Word Version

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Summer Travel Checklist for Flying

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Even though I competed all through high school, college and even played a little bit on the mini-tours, I didn’t create my own golf checklist until I started caddying for a friend who played on Tour – slow learner I guess!  I used packing tape to laminate my list and actually even kept a spare handy during my caddying days.

What you keep in your golf bag may depend on whether you are riding in a cart or walking. This checklist for golf will help ensure that you have everything you need for planning vacation golf trips or for a weekend round at a local golf course.

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Golf Checklist

• MAKE A TEE TIME – Ask course conditions… Have the greens or fairways been aerated recently?… Is walking allowed?… Is it cart paths only?….
• NEED RENTAL CLUBS? – It’s a good idea to reserve rental clubs before you arrive. Indicate your request for men’s or ladies clubs and if you need a right- or left-handed set. The quality of equipment will vary.
• GET DIRECTIONS – And note the course phone number in case you get lost.
• CHECK THE DRESS CODE – Many courses don’t allow jeans, may require shirts with collars, shirts to be tucked in, shorts to be a certain length etc, etc. and some don’t!
• CHECK FOR DISCOUNTS – Some courses give discounts to AAA and/or AARP members. Others have newspaper and online coupons.
• HAVE CASH plus CREDIT or DEBIT CARD (if you use them) – For greens fees, tipping and food & beverage purchases.
• HANDICAP INDEX – If you will be playing any kind of event that requires your USGA handicap, you may need to bring your handicap card or know your index. Your index will determine your handicap based on a conversion chart at the course.
• CHECK THE WEATHER – Make sure you have the right clothing.  Layering is a great way to handle varying weather conditions

GOLF EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS

• GOLF CLUBS / BAG – Always count to make sure you have all of your clubs – 14 is the MAX per the USGA. It’s a good idea to have your name and phone number on a label on each golf club shaft in case you leave one behind. Also, have a “bag tag” with your name on it for easy identification if you’re playing in an event.
• GOLF SHOES – I met a guy who manages to forget to pack his golf shoes on every trip, so he has closet full of new golf shoes waiting at home!
• BALLS – No need to stuff your bag with golf balls – most of you know roughly how many you need to get you through an average round of golf, so take that number plus four.  If it’s a really hard course, you may want a few extra, but you can always restock at the turn if necessary.  If you’re a fairly new golfer, a dozen balls should be enough and if it’s not, consider sitting out some of the more treacherous shots on the course.
• TEES – If you use more than one height or any specialty tees, remember to stock your bag before you play.   Keep in mind the number of holes you’ll be playing – no need to carry 50 tees if you’re walking.
• BALL MARKER (for putting) – It’s easy to get to the first green without a ball marker. Keep one or two in your pocket and a few extras in your bag. If you use a visor clip, remember to put it on the visor or hat of the day.
• GOLF GLOVE – I like to keep at least one extra in case I accidentally flush it down the toilet. (I’m one of those people who puts my glove in the back of my shorts when I putt… and sometimes I forget it’s there!)
• GOLF TOWEL
• HAT OR VISOR
• SUNGLASSES – Even if you don’t like to play in them, wearing them between shots is recommended.
• DISTANCE FINDER – SkyCaddie, Golf Logix, Laser Rangefinder. Charge it up before you play and make sure you’ve downloaded the course(s) if necessary. If you use a rangefinder, you might want to keep an extra battery and a small screwdriver on hand as well.
• USGA RULES OF GOLF BOOK – It’s a good idea to read this sometime before you play and to learn how to find the information you need quickly.
• SUNSCREEN & LIP BALM w/SUNSCREEN – For reapplying on the golf course, it’s nice to have hands-free sunscreen (spray or other) so you don’t make your grips slippery or sticky.
• SNACK – Something low-fat with protein is always a good bet.
• WATER BOTTLE

OTHER USEFUL GOLF GEAR

• SCORECARD & PENCIL – Don’t you hate it when you get to the end of the first hole and you don’t have a scorecard?
• YARDAGE BOOK – If you have one for the course you are playing.
• PERMANENT FELT-TIP MARKER – I like to put my mark (a line on each side of the brand name) on my golf balls before I put them into my bag.
• CLUB CLEANER – A wet towel or wire brush so you don’t end up wiping your clubface on your shorts! Grass stains and mud are hard to get out!
• BALL RETRIEVER – Just in case one of your playing partners hits into a water hazard.
• VALUABLES POUCH – If you take off your watch, rings or have other valuables, you’ll want to have some place to keep them together in your bag.
• INSECT REPELLANT
• FIRST AID (YES, I’M SERIOUS) – Ibuprofen, aspirin, sting stick, meat tenderizer for fire ant bites (make into a paste with water), and anything you might need to have handy.

WEATHER GEAR

• UMBRELLA – Check the hourly forecast before you haul your rain gear around.
• RAIN SUIT & WATER PROOF HAT – A regular hat will do if it’s not a downpour, but you’ll definitely want something to keep the rain out of your eyes or off your glasses.
• EXTRA TOWEL – At least one so you can keep your hands and grips dry.
• RAIN GLOVES – If you’re so inclined…
• CLUB COVER FOR RAIN – A plastic bag will do if you don’t have a fitted cover.
• WINDSHIELD – If the course you are playing doesn’t have them and it’s a cold day, they are really nice to have.
• HAND WARMERS – If you play when it’s cold, keep one of these in your pocket. Just remember not to put your ball in that pocket if your golfing friends are sticklers for the rules.

WHEN YOUR ARE FINISHED PLAYING

• GET EVERYTHING OUT OF THE CART – Check all the nooks and crannies for valuables.
• COUNT YOUR CLUBS – Make sure you have as many as when you began!
• PUT YOUR CLUBS AWAY – For safe-keeping while you’re at the 19th hole.

OTHER TIPS

• CELL PHONE – Turn the ringer off before you start (some clubs won’t allow their use in the clubhouse or even on the property), but it’s nice to have one for cart problems or for emergencies.
• FILL OR REPLACE DIVOTS? – If you’re at a course you’ve never played before, find out if you replace divots or just fill with sand. It all depends on the type of grass.
• COURSE MARKINGS – Are there 150 markers? Are the sprinkler heads marked? Are all measurements to the middle of the green? How are pin placements indicated?  In the U.S., measurements are in yards, other places are in meters. (150 yards = 137 meters and 150 meters = 164 yards – about a 10% difference)
• CHECK THE WEBSITE – For additional information about the course, including hole layout, yardages, course rating, slope and more.
• CONSIDER TAKING A CAMERA – If you’re vacationing or playing a once-in-a-lifetime course, make sure you have your camera along. You don’t need to snap photos all day long at the expense of your game, but capture a few select stunning views!

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Printable Golf Checklist

Organize your *camping* trip ahead of time
May 27, 2009
In this economy, more families will be spending less and choosing to try a camping trip this summer. Many campgrounds are already reporting an increase in reservations.

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Vacation Packing Checklist News on May 27, 2009