Welcome to the Weekend Edition where I share everything from design ideas, home decor inspiration, and DIY, to life happenings, products I am loving, organization tips, health and wellness, and really any other topic as it comes to mind.
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Did you catch the upstairs office reveal earlier this week? We are so pleased with how it turned out. A few simple updates like paint, artwork, curtains, a rug, and a few DIYs can make such a difference.
Nathan and I are taking a much anticipated trip to Mexico this weekend, just the two of us! Packing is a whole lot easier when we finally have a finished closet and know where all of our things are.
We had planned to go to Mexico with another couple in February and had to reschedule our portion of the trip because I had Covid. We were super bummed to not be able to go when our friends went, but very grateful we were able to reschedule. We are staying at an adults only all inclusive resort because we wanted some time to do nothing – no dishes, no laundry, no cooking. Just reading and relaxing by the pool and beach. We are hopefully already in Mexico by time this post goes live. I’ll share more about where we stayed and how the trip was after we get back!
Packing and Planning Mode Before Our Trip
We use shared notes on our phone for packing lists and it has been a game changer!
Leo and the dogs are splitting the 5 days we are gone between our parent’s houses. I know they are excited to get some Leo time. Planning to take a trip is a little different with a kid, even if the kid isn’t going with you. We still had to pack all of Leo’s stuff (and the dog stuff too, but they’re a little easier). We rely on shared notes on our phones to create packing lists, complete with the checkmarks to note when something has been packed. The bonus is the lists are always on our phone and all we have to do is clear the check marks before packing for the next trip! We also have similar lists for ourselves and the dogs. It makes packing so much easier.
In addition to packing for the trip we’ve been trying to plan ahead for all things work and the blog, and doing a light clean of the house. Feeling mentally organized and knowing everything is buttoned up before leaving for a trip is so important to me. It’s never fun to come back to a mess at work or a messy house.
A Few New Things for Mexico
I am not a huge clothes/accessories shopper, but I did get a few new things for Mexico because it’s been awhile since we’ve been someplace warm and the last two summers I was either pregnant or breastfeeding, so my wardrobe looked a lot different!
- A floral midi dress for lunch or casual dinner
- Flattering high waisted bikini bottoms (that are not cheeky)
- Slides that are beach and pool friendly
- A canvas tote for a beach bag and my carry-on “purse”
The canvas tote was the MVP when we flew to Arizona. I used it as my carry-on purse because it holds so.much.stuff, still fits under the seat and it zips shut!! It fit way more than I imaged on our trip to Arizona; wallet, phone, large water bottle, Leo’s water bottle, a change of clothes for Leo, a small blanket, 4-5 kids books, a few toys, a gallon size bag of snacks (for the toddler!), 4 diapers, wipes, diaper cream plus more things I am not remembering now! I used a tote organizer similar to this for inside the tote. This will definitely be my go-to for travel in the future. Plus it can be washed in the washer (just don’t dry it) – which was great when I found an open banana smashed in the bottom of the bag after we got back from Arizona.
After finishing the office last weekend, travel prep and packing was all that has been on our minds this week, but there are a few other things that caught my eye too.
OTHER THINGS THAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK:
- This Tudor home tour had my jaw on the floor.
- The idea of playing a minimalism game sounds appealing to us. We talk a lot about how we want our home to feel – and focusing on only bringing in and keeping items in our home that are beautiful, useful, or meaningful often goes a long way for our home. Still, sometimes things start to feel a bit cluttered and decluttering is often the key for a much needed home reset.
