Post Vacation Packing and Prep Analysis

A bargain find, a pair of Converse cheer leading sneakers, ended up being very useful on our cruise -- paired with a ten pack of low/ped-style socks.  The sneakers were $4.99 on clearance at Fallahs (as part of their liquidation), and the socks came from Five Below ($5 for a pack of ten pairs).   They were a bit of a risk, since they were technically a half size small, but since dance shoes are meant to stretch and these did fit (snugly), they made the cut.  The traction and comfort were appreciated and their low-profile went well with capri leggins.

Thrifted flat sandals and white denim jacket were both a big success.  The jacket was good to have as outerwear to and from the warm climate and the shoes were worn daily for meals and socializing.  The toe area was a  bit snug, which could be why whomever bought them new decided not to keep them.  After a couple of wearings, they stretched out fine.  Neutral, casual and comfortable -- and a bargain at $2.50, this was a purchase that paid for itself.

Believe it or not, these are re-usable sandwich bags, also found somewhere on clearance.  They've never been used for lunch!  The pouches are little zippered cloth bags about the size of a piece of bread and great for toting little things in a beach bag, cables, chargers, etc.  They were used to hold onto taxi money, lip gloss, ship passes, etc.

A gel manicure that was a splurge (paid for in part using a gift certificate), was worth it for the trip.  Travel alone would have decimated the traditional version.  This one held up for the week on ship, but could not last a single day back on dry land.  After one day of housework (even with rubber gloves), the finish chipped.  It was a pain to remove.  The pedicure was a waste of money.  The main issue is that it was marred by having to wear socks too soon after it was done -- there was no walking outside in flip-flops on a 10 degree (Fahrenheit) day.  It got a quick DIY touch up during the trip and worked out fine.  But a winter pedicure isn't worth it during a deep-freeze.

It took almost a week to catch up around the house -- from unpacking, to catching up on chores.  Prior to retirement, clutter and partially put-away clothes and suitcases would probably lingered for weeks.

Next year's trip will be to an all-inclusive resort, which will probably be a bit easier to pack and recover from.  We employed a lot of new tricks and got by very well with what we decided to bring along.   Next year, it will be a DIY pedicure once we get to our destination!