packing lately: my hospital bag!

Well, we're in week 38, and you've already seen all of what I've been wearing lately, so how about what I've just finished packing: my hospital bag. Everything is tucked away into the new diaper bag, just the right size for holding the few things I feel like are essential for me...

bag (similar) | grippy socks | birkis | robe | pouch with essentials (phone charger, invisibobble hair ties, toothbrush/toothpaste, gum, protein bars) | button-front PJs | nursing bra | baby blanket + hat | bebe going home outfit | mom going home outfit | car seat

It's not all that much - I feel like when I'm in labor there won't be a whole lot I really need to have aside from my trusty support partner hubby + doula, because I am going to be in the zone... but the birkis could be nice as shower shoes, my own pair of grippy socks nicer than the hospital-issued ones, and the pouch of essentials will be easily accessible in case I need to tie up my hair, we need a phone charge, or that trusty support guy needs a snack or breath freshener.

Post-delivery, there's not a ton either, but just a couple of things to help myself feel more comfortable - my own soft, nursing-friendly pjs +  a nursing bra, a robe, and some matching accessories for bebe because I couldn't resist. I'll also have some travel-sized toiletries (mascara, lotion, shampoo) that are nicer than the hospital ones. But otherwise, since we live only a mile from the hospital (and also will be checking out of there as soon as we can!), I'm not worrying about packing much more - it'll be easy for Peter to pop out and grab anything we might want, especially as he'll be popping out at some point to pick up big brother for a visit 💙

And then all you really need to be able to take a baby home is the car seat (which Peter installed a couple of weeks ago to help me feel more prepared). Also something to wear for both of us: a roomy/comfy/easy nursing access dress for me, and 2 outfit sizes for the little guy, a super soft footie outfit and also this adorable striped kimono set, depending on how big he turns out to be. 

I don't *think* I'm missing anything essential, but it's been a while since I packed one of these... anything else you found you couldn't live without?

five things Friday: mini suitcase edition

I always try to pack smart with mix & match items, but for our recent trip to Florida, I really tried to go light, given that I was sharing one suitcase with all of Peter's conference attire (including a suit) and a whole lot of Hendrik gear. So I limited myself to just one packing cube and still managed plenty of outfits appropriate for the trip. Out of six items - jeans, shorts, dress, two tees, and a jacket - here are just five of the outfits I could have made:

I admit I did utilize an important trick to packing lightly: wear the bulkiest/biggest items on the plane, so you don't have to fit them inside the suitcase. Thus the jeans, sneakers, and jacket didn't have to fit in, since they were my travel outfit. But - the packing cube also contained workout clothes and swimsuit cover up, so I think this is still pretty impressive.

It also helps that while Peter was at his conference, the trip was pretty low key for me - mostly just hanging out with Hendrik at the hotel or the pool - so I didn't need many "real" outfits, other than for travel, a couple of dinners, and a trip to the science center.

Hendrik's first plane ride went really well, all things considered, but goodness it's a lot of work to travel with a baby! He turned out to be both too old and too young for a tagging along on a work trip, I think - no longer little enough to be put down for his nap in a stroller so I could sit by the pool, but too little for really enjoying the Orlando area offerings. Not to mention that he got sick while we were there, so we had a couple of fussy/rough days.

But - he did really love the pool, and on the rainy days of the trip it didn't make a bit of difference to him that we went in the indoor pool instead of outdoors. Plus it was really great to be able to have him finally meet Peter's sister and her husband and get to spend some time with them. We all had a yummy dinner together one night, and on another afternoon Peter's sister took Hendrik & me to the Orlando Science Center, where she works. The insider tour was a treat, as were the age-appropriate things for Hendrik to crawl around and play with - the pretend orange grove was an especial hit with him ("ball! ball! ball!").

We weren't all that close to Disney, which was just fine as I had nixed any thought of taking Hendrik after I realized how much it would cost ($100!!) when (a) he won't remember it and (b) at the not-yet-walking stage he really can't do much there anyway. Some people suggested taking him to Downtown Disney, since there's no cost to that and you can still see the characters, etc. - but as Peter said, while Hendrik probably would enjoy looking around at things there, he'd be just as excited to be taken to a parking lot. Which is essentially what we did from our room - he spent lots of time at the window pointing out all of the cars, very happily.

And that's non-Disney Orlando with an 11-month-old. Though while I was happy to spend lots of time with him, next time I pack a warm-weather suitcase, it's going to be for a sans baby trip...

Sharing on Style Sessions, Mix It Mondays, What I Wore.

in the [beach] bag

Crazy but true, I haven't made it to the beach yet this summer. We've been to my parents' cottage, but on those trips either the weather didn't work out or it just seemed like too much to cart everything down to the beach with a baby of this age... This week, though, quality grandparent time = 2 days of pure Michigan time for us! So I've got my bag packed and ready to go with my beach day essentials:

1. towel | 2. reading material | 3. sunnies | 4. hat | 5. snack & drink | 6. sunscreen | 7. pouch with essentials (hairband, lip gloss with sunscreen, iPhone protected from sand)

My beach bag of choice is a Baggu canvas tote, which I had monogrammed at the embroidery stand in the mall for about $10. Some other great options:

Pretty much my idea of a perfect day off: sunshine, reading an entire book, and having an early happy hour with my toes in the sand. Quiet Dell is next up for one of my book clubs, and I think it'll be perfect for a vacation read - reported to be a "riveting" novel based on a real-life crime. With no mom duties, I think I'll easily get through this one in a day or so. And speaking of no mom duties... when it comes to vacation, I say beer-thirty arrives in the middle of the afternoon. This local brew is my current favorite, but I'm just as happy with any summer ale or Mike's lemonade, which tends to be well stocked at the cottage. Happy Monday!

Check out what's in my other bags: handbag | diaper bag | gym bag

mix & match suitcase, summer baby edition

I learned from our Florida trip this spring that while it's nice to plan outfits and pack around a cohesive color palette for a baby's suitcase, it's not really worth trying to pack as little as possible in terms of clothing for him... Hendrik's stuff really doesn't take up that much room, and he gets it all dirty so fast! It's more sensible to make my suitcase as efficient as possible to free up room for him.

But for our trip to Michigan this week I still had fun creating a cute little man capsule wardrobe - here are 8 outfits from 8 of the items I packed for him (which in theory should more than cover us for the length of time we'll be gone, but in practice will get used up right quick):

Though he'll have more than this in his suitcase - plenty of pjs, extra onesies and pants, a bunch of burp cloths and bibs, and of course a case of diapers - it's nice to know that the "main" items (pants, sweatshirts, shoes) all mix & match well, so they can be used with any of the under-layer onesies, and he has about a zillion outfits available for when the inevitable drool soaking, diaper blowout, and sweet potatoes everywhere wardrobe changes become necessary. I still aim to pack light for everyone when we have access to laundry facilities, but I'm upping his allowable quotas to maybe, hopefully cut back on at least one of those daily loads I was doing in Florida!

Shop the suitcase (or similar):

mix & match suitcase, black & white edition

Typically when it comes to a beach-related trip, I default to navy and white as my base palette for packing (like with last year's beach suitcase) because it always feels nautical. But last summer I decided that my post-pregnancy bathing suit was going to be a great, classic black bikini - which I found at J.Crew in time to pack for our Florida trip this spring. So when it came to getting ready for a trip to Michigan, part of which we'll be spending at our favorite place - my parents' cottage - I would try a black & white suitcase instead, with some well-placed pops of color of course.

Doing a mix & match suitcase like this is really helpful in not overpacking for a relaxed beach/family trip like this one. I always start throwing a bunch of extra (usually random, so not that helpful!) stuff into my bag, just in case, but really, when it's a few days of hanging out by the beach and a few days of catching up with family, one just really doesn't need to pack that much. (And that's one of my favorite things ever - when you don't need real clothes until about 6pm because you've gone straight from pjs to running shorts to bathing suits.) Other than a graduation open house and maybe a dinner out, I really don't have anything other than relaxation to get dressed for... so it makes sense to pack light and be smart about it.

So here are 8 outfits from 8 items (not counting shoes/accessories) perfect for sitting at the beach, enjoying happy hour afterward, reading on the porch, stopping by the farmers market, visiting family, and maybe a little shopping/dining out. And if I was maybe over-optimistic on the high temperatures for the week, I'll just do a little more layering - and remember these great outfit options for later in the summer!

Shop the suitcase:

Sharing on Friday's Fancies, Mix it Mondays, Style Sessions, and What I Wore.

5 things Friday: summer getaway essentials edition

Memorial Day weekend! I'm always so happy when it rolls around, as Monday is the first paid holiday I get of the year, after New Year's Day. And right now I'm extra ready for it after a doozy of a workweek. Of course my favorite part of this holiday: the kickoff of summer! This year we don't have any weekend getaway plans (though we do have a babysitter booked for date night tomorrow, yay)... but if I were going on a summery long-weekend getaway, here are 5 things I would definitely pack in my great new Look to the West Bag from Conversation Pieces:

1. Pareo - spread it out to lounge upon in the sun, wrap it around your shoulders if it gets a little cool in the evening, or tie on as a swim suit cover up - very handy to have in a summer getaway bag (mine's an old travel souvenir, but this one is great too).

2. Good beach reading - I've actually already read this one but almost wish I hadn't yet, it's such an enjoyable book.

3. Sandals - gold colored thongs work great for the beach but also are nice enough to pair with a cute dress for the al fresco dining that I'd be sure to do on my imaginary getaway.

4. Sunnies - of course.

5. Favorite summer dress (similar) - now that the summer season officially begins and we can "officially" wear white (never mind that I don't actually subscribe to such ideas and have already worn it this spring!).

There's room in this bag's 3 compartments for way more too - like my bathing suit, cover up, sunscreen, hat, etc. Here's hoping we get some beach weather on Peter's vacation week in early June and I can put it into action. In the meantime, happy long weekend, whatever you've got planned!

workout Wednesday: in my [gym] bag

Since having a baby I much more commonly take my shower at the gym after my workout rather than at home - because that way I make sure to actually get one. And now that our master bathroom has been torn up (takes only about 2 hours to rip apart what will take more than 2 weeks to put back together!), using the gym's facilities seems even more convenient. Carting all my stuff around sometimes doesn't feel quite so convenient though, so I recently acquired a new gym bag that has the carrying capacity and handy pockets for everything I need. Here's what fits inside:

In the outer pockets:

1. Spinning shoes that go in the handy shoe pocket

2. Sweaty Bands headband to keep my bangs out of my face and extra hairband

3. Water bottle

4. Lock, for my locker of course

5. PowerBar for after class

6. Armband for my phone and case with headphones

And inside, my outfit for the day (and of course a change of undies, not pictured):

7. Shoes

8. Jeans / tank / jacket

9. Case with watch / jewelry for the day

Also inside, stuff for showering/getting ready:
10. Microfiber towel (super absorbent and lightweight, so it doesn't take up much space!)
11. Ziploc with shampoo, conditioner, razor, body wash
12. Makeup bag with all the necessaries
13. Flip flops for wearing in the shower/around the locker room
14. Travel-sized hair dryer
15. Straightener and heat resistant carrying case
16. Brush

Though what I really wanted was the Lo & Sons OG Bag - because I love the slightly smaller OMG bag that I use as a diaper bag and also think it's so stylish - I settled on the Puddle Jumper by Lug after seeing one in the locker room as it has similar qualities (nylon, lightweight, good pockets, tote shape) and though not as stylish still is pretty good looking ... at less than half the price. So far it's served me well.

Also, here's what I lug around in my other bags: pre-baby purse | diaper bag

p.s. to my pregnant friends... you know I loved my For Two Fitness tanks for working out during pregnancy - definitely an essential when working out for two. They're so flattering and soft and stretchy (which lasts you through to the very end, even if you have a huge basketball bump like I did!). And they're really cute. I think if you're going to lug that belly to the gym, you should just own those stares and comments that you're going to get either way.

17 weeks | 27 weeks | 37 weeks

Anyway, just thought I'd share that For Two Fitness is running a huge giveaway for their anniversary that you should definitely go enter - there are lots of amazing products including my favorite For Two Fitness tank, but also other great stuff like Kind Bars, Sarah Haley Fit DVDs, Maclaren Beginnings products, GNC prenatal vitamins, Happy Family Brands baby foods, Zensah compression leg sleeves, and a Baby K'tan baby carrier. There will be one grand prize winner, and two runners up will also receive gift bags, so go check it out!

mix & match suitcase, mild-weather vacation edition

We're having what I call a mild weather vacation, with temperatures only in the 60s. It's certainly great to get away and it's certainly warmer than home, but not exactly the level of hot I'd hope for from Florida... though on the other hand it did give me a chance to come up with a whole new set of mix & match outfits: 8 of them from 8 pieces (2 jeans, 1 shorts, 2 tees, 1 button down, 1 sweater, 1 jacket). I kind of love them all, and I absolutely could have kept the remixing going into several more outfits - so hopefully by the time we get home it will be spring enough in Cincinnati to continue wearing these pieces!

I'd say it's a pretty good variety of casual outfits for a laid back vacation, suitable for a week of strolls on the beach, brunch outings, and maybe a little sightseeing/shopping (but mostly reading and baby play time).

As usual with travel, it's handy to pick a color palette - here I paired my neutrals with some nice springy pink - so that everything goes together and you can get a lot more bang for your buck in terms of outfit to suitcase space ratio. Especially handy when you've got a ton of baby gear to bring along. With this smart packing I managed to give over half my usual suitcase space to Henk, which means more car space for diapers and the like.

Shop the suitcase:

Bri's Third Thursday Threads theme this month is remixing, a wardrobe past time I enjoy (clearly). I've done posts in the past showing how I wear some of my favorites - white jeans, ponte pants, ankle boots, basic black dress - many ways, and here my beloved army jacket (one of the items I consider to be a wardrobe essential) is included three ways. In the past I've also paired it with chambray & ponte leggings, with jeans & colored flats, and with red pants & gingham. Go check out Work Clothes, I Suppose on Thursday for other remixing inspiration...

Also sharing on What I Wore and Mix It Mondays

in my [diaper] bag

A couple of weeks before Hendrik was born, I did a post sharing what I carry in my bag. How quickly that changed! Now I carry a whole different bag - a much bigger one - that contains only a few things that are actually mine. Here's what I'm carting around these days:

I'm pretty happy with my choice to use the Lo & Sons travel/gym bag as a diaper bag. All the travel pockets make it quite suitable for keeping all the baby gear organized nicely, and I like that it's nylon - easy to clean (not going to risk a nice leather bag around baby!) and lightweight, which is good since as you'll see, there's a whole lot of stuff adding weight inside:

front pocket (mom stuff) 

1. Wallet which nicely doubles as clutch so I can just grab it if we're doing a quick errand, and leave the whole kit & kaboodle behind in the car

2. Travel-sized Purell, attached to the key clip for easy access

3. Pouch with coupons (got to save on those diapers and formula purchases!)

4. Snack & mints

5. Mom essentials that always travel in any purse: pen, chapstick, hair ties, tin with ibuprofen 

inner pockets

6. Blanket

7. Extra pacifier, because you don't want to get stuck without one of those

8. Diapers (of course) and baggies to put stinky ones in (stolen from Ginger)

9. Bib

10. Change of clothes, socks, & hat, just in case

11. Mini lotion, saline spray, and nail clippers

12. Burp cloth

back pocket

13. Reusable shopping bag

14. Wet Ones wipes for spills and such

15. Baby mittens for chilly days

middle section

16. Nursing cover for on-the-go feeds

17. Skip Hop changing station with wipe case

18. Baby toy 

19. Board book for baby entertaining

That's a lot of stuff! It all fits quite well, and there often are even more (not pictured) things that I manage to cram in there, like my phone & keys, camera, and the car seat cover. And now that Hendrik's taking some formula, I'm sure there'll start to be all that bottle-related paraphernalia in there soon too.

If you're in the same bag-carrying boat as me, the Lo & Sons bag is great - it's a little pricey, but if you follow their social media channels you'll find out about the somewhat frequent sales. Plus it'll be useful for a long time because it'll be a fabulous travel bag when the diaper days are over. But here are some other diaper bags I also considered, if you're in the market.

Some days I miss my lovely and ladylike Coach bag (though when I'm out sans baby, I tend not even to use it, instead going as small as possible to compensate for usually having to lug around so much - so often I just carry my wallet with phone tucked inside), and some days I wistfully look at other pretty purses that I know I have no reason to buy because they're not practical for me right now... so instead, let me live vicariously - what cute bags are you sporting these days?

Sharing on The Circle What's in Your Bag? link up.

mix & match suitcase, holiday edition

We've made baby's first trip to Michigan, since Peter is on vacation this week. I was a little apprehensive about how the long drive would go, but the packing really was the bigger ordeal. When we drove home for Christmas in past years we were already full-up: Ginger gets most of the hatchback trunk, which means the back seat is completely filled with our suitcases and gifts and such. With the addition of a car seat and baby gear we've already had to add a roof box - with only one kid!

So while I always try to pack good mix & match suitcases for myself (helps so much with the "I have nothing to wear" issue that can pop up when you don't have access to a full wardrobe), this time it was even more crucial, in order to curb the amount I'm bringing for myself - so I can make room for baby clothes!

Christmas eve party | dinner out with the family

cookie decorating | last-minute shopping | church

date night (free babysitters!) | Christmas bunco party | travel day

Here's a pared-down holiday travel suitcase - 8 items of clothing and a few shoes/accessories to make 8 outfits that are festive and work for the variety of holiday events we've got this week and next.

Perhaps it will give you a little inspiration for packing your own. Happy weekend, Merry Christmas, and safe travels to all!


Shop the suitcase (or similar):

Sharing on AJ's Friday Favorites Remix, Long Distance Loving's Friday's Fancies, and Style Elixir's Friday's Fab Favorites.

mix & match suitcase, beach edition

At the end of last week I finally got to pack up and head to Lake Michigan and the family cottages for my first beach time of the summer (it's been lovely so far, and I still have a few days in the sun left!). It was so useful to plan out all of my suitcase contents and mix & match outfits for my recent work trip that I thought I'd do it again for my week with family - and this time was way more fun (and easy) to put together, knowing it was all vacation/relaxation/beach outfits...

Often I don't plan suitcase contents that much for a trip like this, when I'm driving. It's tempting to just throw together a zillion things for "just in case," since there's plenty of space with a whole car. But the just throwing things in strategy actually tends to make things worse - I might have a ton of items, but I end up feeling like I have nothing to wear. And with a fairly limited wardrobe at the moment, it pays to be smart.

So same as last packing post, I thought it through and actually picked out outfits, going for a cohesive color palette to help everything mix & match well - this time in nautical blue and white with some pink and mint for fun pops. And I was realistic on what I'd actually need: it's mostly beach time, so I really don't need that many clothes anyway, and then only casual ones that are ready for hot weather, with possibly a cool evening.

Two pairs of shorts, a couple of dresses, a couple of t-shirts and long-sleeved options, and I'm set for 8 ensembles - and could make several more - and I managed to stick to this without tossing a whole bunch of extra random stuff into the trunk like usual. Bonus: setting them all up like this actually makes me pretty excited to wear the outfits.

I hope everyone gets at least a little summer getaway... and if you do, here are plenty more ideas for packing:

• This and all of these collages from The Good Life are great inspirations for putting together capsule wardrobes.
• Just Jaq has a whole linkup of posts with packing tips to check out.
• And get ideas for what to pack for all different kinds of getaways at House of Fraser.

Sharing on Style Elixir's Style Sessions, AJ Wears Clothes' Friday Favorites, and Long Distance Loving's Friday's Fancies.

pin to present: packing tips

I'm currently packing for my longest work trip of the year, and - no surprise - there's even Pinspiration to help with that. Though I get reimbursed for any bag checking fees when it's a work trip, I still usually fit everything into a carry-on sized suitcase - a decent sized rolling duffel, actually. Partly because I can pack pretty light with some smart mix-and-match choices (which makes outfit selections for each day so much easier!), and partly because it's so much quicker (not to mention less risky for lost bags) to get through airports if I keep all my stuff with me.

I've got the light packing pretty well figured out for clothes, but Pinterest is helping me out with paring down the toiletries bag too, with this tip sheet I saw pinned from The Beauty Department:

original image (click through for a little photo tutorial too!): The Beauty Department

Handy dual uses for makeup items! Which is extra useful when you're doing only a carry-on bag - it frees up plenty of space in the liquids ziploc for toothpaste, shampoo, and hair products.

And for fun, here's my mix-and-match wardrobe, ready for everything I need in Istanbul. I must admit, I'm pretty pleased with myself for coming up with these ensembles a full week before I even needed to start packing - much less stress! - and I'm pretty excited to wear all the outfits.

for travel | for meetings

for informal meetings | for more meetings | for yet more meetings

for the board dinner event | for the gala dinner event | for sightseeing

This takes up half my suitcase, so I'll certainly throw in a few casual items for downtime (and for in the event of spilling something on myself), along with my toiletries bag and workout clothes, but these few pieces make up the vast majority of what I need for 8 days.

My smart packing tips:

• Picking a color palette obviously comes in super handy, so that everything goes with everything else, as does picking basic items that can be dressed up/dressed down a bit. 
• These two ruched jersey dresses are maternity purchases that are going to be very versatile, as you can clearly see (I'm sure there are great non-maternity day dress options like this out there too!) - the key with dresses is wearing them with layers to make them seem like entirely different pieces once you remove the layer. 
• A few key accessories are a must too, to add interest and variety to the basic pieces.
• Also very important for work travel: shoes that go with a variety of outfits and are comfortable. These all fit the bill - the coral Corso Como pumps are really well padded in the toe box, the Cole Haan flats have the Nike Air cushion, and the Anne Klein sandals are comfortable wedges.
• Use packing cubes! I roll all my clothes and zip them into these bags, which keeps everything really compact and organized in my duffel.

And here are a few tidbits on what I put in the same suitcase for the same trip last year... Now off to decide which books to load my new Kindle with - that's certainly helping me pack lighter instead of lugging around several books!

Sharing on Just Jacq's Tip Tuesday - go there to check out even more packing tips!

[travel] wardrobe planning: GCOGH

Now that the novelty of Pinterest has worn off a little and I'm not on it all the time, I have a new internet time-suck: Go Chic or Go Home. It's kind of an online pin-board closet plus outfit inspiration finder and outfit planner all in one. You can add photos of clothing and accessory items to your boards to organize what's in your wardrobe, keep track of wishlist items, and make ensembles out of those items to remember outfit ideas for later.

And with my recent travels, it turned out to be a super handy suitcase planner too... I created a "spring break suitcase" board and a "tropical vacation" board to think ahead about outfits and organize what to bring along.  Then I just rounded up the items for my actual suitcase - easy! (Check out the boards via my GCOGH profile here.)

The ensembles from my tropical vacation suitcase were featured here, and here are a couple from spring break (the chillier days - the other ones were just bathing suits, really).

When I first learned about GCOGH, I liked the idea, but it seemed like a hassle to get started with uploading photos of all my wardrobe items. But Audrey suggested just starting with a couple staples, and once I started uploading images of a few pieces and playing around with ensembles, I was hooked. To save a little time, I skipped photographing my actual items and instead used images from the retailers' websites (or Google image searched for similar items to older ones in my closet). And as a bonus, for uploading items and making outfits, you can earn points toward gift cards. Did I mention I'm hooked?

If you're on GCOGH, come be my friend; if not, check it out - could be handy for your next trip too!

Sharing on WIWW and the shoe-themed Friday's Fancies, because really, the stripey sneakers are probably the best part of this post...