Turtle suitcase.

 Oh, packing. I've been great at packing my whole life, like a tetras master ;D and I always, always do it last minute. I'm not a light packer, either and once I had Johnny I figured I'd always have to lug around a million pounds of extras. This time I decided to really cut it down and super pack for our 8 week 'trip'. We'll be in a hotel at first, starting the first of August, then at some friends' houses, my grandparents' house and then on our way to Arizona finally in October. The last thing I want to being doing is hauling a huge suitcase, a carseat, some carry-ons, and a kid.
Awhile back I saw an article about a stewardess who can pack for ten days in a carry-on. My smallest suitcase is a larger carry-on. It can be used as one if not extended but it's pretty roomy once the zipper extension is open. I did a test run today to see if I could fit it all in.
I made a very specific list then gathered all the ingredients and set to work.

Here's what I had to fit:

Me:

• toiletry bag (makeup, soap, tooth brushes, hair brushes, ect.)
• sewing kit (with hand sewing projects included) 
• 2 pairs of shoes, vans and maryjanes
• swimsuit
• 6 pairs of underwear
• 3 pairs of socks
• 2 pairs of leggings, one pair of tights
• 5 tanktops
• 1 long sleeved shirt
• 4 t-shirts
• 1 pair yoga pants, 1 pair yoga shorts
• 1 pair shorts
• 1 pair of jeans
• 2 dresses
• 3 sweaters

Johnny:

• 6 diapers for night time
• 2 pairs of shoes
• 6 pairs of underwear
• 6 pairs of socks
• swim trunks
• 3 pajamas
• 2 long sleeved shirts
• 4 t-shirts
• 1 button-up shirt
• 3 pairs of shorts
• 3 pairs of pants
• 1 sweatshirt

I almost can't believe it, but it all fit!! I had all the clothing piled up next to the suitcase while rolling everything and was SURE there was no way it was going to work, but then there was even room for Turtle! Amazing.

We will obviously be wearing one outfit each on the plane, which are not listed above.  

I will have a carry-on with a shawl for me, a change of clothes for J, my camera, a couple books, a handful of toys and some snacks. 

I am also sending a box to my gram's with some art stuff, some school stuff, a couple pairs of shoes, and some sweatshirts to hold us over into fall in New Hampshire. 

I bought an airplane seat strap for J (like this) to avoid carrying the carseat onto the plane. I'll be carrying him in his hiking backpack to make things much easier while not on the plane. I'm not sure yet what's going on on the other side of the pond once we get there, so I'm trying to make sure I have all our bases covered. If we have to do some walking I want to be prepared.

So anyway, hooray! I declare project packing a success!! We actually have our entire household shipped in about 2 weeks, so this is a huge relief. It seems like such a tiny amount to live on for 8 weeks, and especially in comparison to the rest of the house! We have a lot of stuff.

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As for the rest of this past week, I've got a new finished tattoo for ya....

And some yummy cupcakes for our friend's son's birthday!