ok, so we are in the final stretch....

[australiankaren]

Hardest thing now is choosing what to take, and what to leave behind.

Any suggestions????

I know I dont need 10 tshirts, but cant break that feeling of "I may need them" even though I have ordered 5 new ones thru disney (if my boxes ever make it) so my question to you is.....

How do you stop yourself taking every piece of clothing you own????

PANIC!!!!

 

[alicia1506]

last time, i put all my clothes on the couch in the lounge room, all carlo's clothes, toiletries, everything i thought we would need.

then i halved that.

then i removed about 1/3 again, cause it wouldn't fit in the suitcase.

then i ended up only wearing about 1/3 of what i took. plus, we changed hotel like 5 times on our trip, so it was frustrating as hell lugging all that weight around and not actually wearing any of it.

i say put back at least 1/2 of what you think you'll need.

i took 3 cardigans, a cable knit jumper/jacket and a hoodie. i wore 1 x cardigan practically everywhere, and the hoodie for one day.

i took 10 different tops. i wore 4 and washed them... only thing i actually took that i didn't end up taking too much of was underwear...

 

[Andona]

Karen, I'm afraid I'll be no help to you as I'm planning to let myself go a little crazy this time

I'm usually a BIG fan of packing light - We've never travelled with more than 2 suitcases and a large duffle bag as checked luggage in total for 3 of us.

Our last trip to Europe - we had booked a little German car with a little boot( too many quaint, narrow, medieval roads to negotiate plus I wouldn't want to pay the petrol costs for a big car over there ) We had to carry parkas and beanies etc too....

So I packed REALLY light - the boys got 3 shirts and 2 pairs of pants each, I had 1 extra of each. With jewellry and and a blingy scarf to dress up my all-black gear for nightime. We had 2 pairs of shoes each. No handy guests laundries in European hotels so I was washing in the sink every few nights - and I hated it!

This trip - BIG car and lots of lovely guest laundries - Soooo, this time the boys are getting at least 6 shirts each and I'll have a few more and, gasp, 4 pairs of shoes. I can't wait

P.S. - Thanks for the tip re the menswear clothing sale at Myer. DS now has a couple of new Kenji t shirts and a new Mossimo

Andona

 

[australiankaren]

strapless, from $176 to $50

lovely

gotta love a sale..especially the take another 50% off racks

 

[Andona]

gotta love a sale..especially the take another 50% off racks

Oh, yeah! I found a nice little Jag sundress for myself on a "Take an extra 75% off rack" !! Think it ended up costing me about $15

Andona <----- Loves a sale

 

[Aust]

I am trying to control myself with the kids' clothes - e.g. I have set myself a limit of 7 t-shirts for each kid, but then I know I will throw in 3 or 4 extra at the last minute, 'just in case'. Easy not to go overboard on my own clothes though, I hate shopping for myself and only have just enough.

 

[hjd0411]

Oh yes!! I loves me a Myer sale!! I'm off there tomorrow to check out what is there!!
As for what to take - I'm not the best advertisement for light packing either, but I try!!
This time I've decided to take some of my "older" clothes, so that when I'm coming home if I have to ditch them it's no hardship! I plan on some shopping, and I always manage to wear some of what I buy over there. Luckily for the last 10 days of the trip we are in a condo and have a washer/dryer available 24/7..!!!
Have fun with the suitcases!!

 

[australiankaren]

my main problem is that this time we are in a studio, which doesnt have a laundry, last year we had a 1bedroom with full laundry so i could wash at midnight if i had to.

i have 2 changes per day(shorts & tshirt/undies/socks)..morning is pool hop clothes, evening park clothes..too humid to wear the same stuff for too long....then the cruise is pool wear and then evening stuff...and i hate to wear the same frock twice...plus dif shoes for each outfit...

so over a space of 3 days thats 6 x everything...... unless i wash every second day....plus i always, always drop my food on my shirt/shorts then not realize it till it has hardened and spread, so cant wear things twice

 

[PrincessInOz]

The less you take, the more you can buy over there.

I take enough to cover 3 days and something nice to wear. Lots of undies and socks. And then I get there and buy stuff to cover me for a couple of days...weeks.....months....extra.

I always seem to think that I'll be spending lots of time doing laundry with only 3 days worth of clothes....but I never ever seem to hit the laundry any less than 5 or 6 days in between washes.

 

[australiankaren]

I will try to cull, but at the moment I have lost the will to live.....these disney boxes are driving me insane..its like being pecked to death by a duck

 

[becpee]

I don't have this issue because I don't have many clothes that don't look like c rap.

I have 3 pairs of shorts and 3 new tanktops, my skechers, my slipon shoes, a pair of jeans and 10 pairs on new undies

I need to shop.

 

[alicia1506]

i'm with bec. i have a ton of clothes in 2 wardrobes, but i am of the opinion that they all look like cr@p so i end up wearing the same 3 paisr of black yoga pants/business pants, the same 2 black cardi's and the same 4 black shirts with the occasional blue or red top for a splash of colour...

i have 1 pair of shoes i wear daily, and i don't even own sneakers/walking shoes. dressy shoes make my feet hurt, and i have 2 good dresses.. black.. one maxi length and one cocktail length...

i'm easy to dress, and it's all wash & wear material

i hate clothes shopping. but i constantly give in to the lure of online shopping, then end up hating everything i buy

i should sell all my excess unworn clothes on ebay and finance the next trip

 

[becpee]

i should sell all my excess unworn clothes on ebay and finance the next trip

Do it!

Start now

 

[australiankaren]

yep...I'm done

was going to check delta flights but I think i will go postal if there are more changes..so will leave that for tomorrow....

I'm overwhelmed and highly hormonal..not a good combo....my DH is hiding out in the car listening to the radio trying to escape the rage

so in 13 mins (5 oclock) i will have my wine and maybe a chocky or two....

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hope the wine and chocs have helped.

 

[australiankaren]

Hope the wine and chocs have helped.

no wine or choc left for me to eat in the house

bl00dy muppets !!

 

[alicia1506]

no wine or choc left for me to eat in the house

bl00dy muppets !!

i would then suggest that your loving DH go and procure you some wine & chocolate ...



mine does when my day sucks... well. he gets me sorbet. it helps quell the rage.

 

[australiankaren]

he's learnt how to defend himself with food

 

[PrincessInOz]

he's learnt how to defend himself with food

But....you're still w(h)ineless......(or maybe not.....)

 

[australiankaren]

But....you're still w(h)ineless......(or maybe not.....)

ooohhhhhh...just dont get me started on those darn packages.....


looking forward to a nice cocktail by the pool....in 12 sleeps

or

my pre departure drink when we leave auckland

or

my pre pre departure drink at sydney terminal...

ah the possibilities are endless