To the Pathways to Organization Family:

I have family travel plans for the next month so I am going to take some time off from writing the blog.  But please know I will start sending them again later in the summer!!  And, you can e-mail me with any question or comment you may have and I will respond as soon as I can.  Thanks for your continuing support, I love hearing from you!

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30 Second Summary

Taking a vacation is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves as well as spending quality time with our loved ones.  But, it does take time and organization for the trip to work out well.

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I do love summer time!  And I have such fond memories of taking car trips to the beach each summer as a child.  I remember my mom packing an ice chest so we could stop on the side of the road for picnic lunches.  These days, you can easily find a fast food or quick restaurant on almost any road but we still need to remember and plan the important items for a successful trip.

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Action Plan

For car trips, keep items (as food, music, beach items) in their own container:

1. Everything for the pool and / or beach needs to be placed in an easy to spot beach bag.  A second bag is nice to use just for towels.

2. Keep it always supplied so that it is ready in a moment.

3. Keep items in the same place in the bag so you will know if you are missing something.

4. Spray sunscreen is nice because it won’t dribble as a lotion will.  Or if you like the lotion, place it in a zip-seal bag.

5. Keep your wallet hidden but your cell phone assessable. 

6. Have a large hook to hold your keys to the inside of the bag.

7. Have extra undies, towels, water bottles, cotton shirts, wet wipes.

8. Keep some lingerie bags or plastic bags for wet swim suits and sandy sandals.

9. Keep some baby powder in your bag – it will loosen sand stuck to skin.

10. Have a soft brush for brushing off gear and people before loading the car.

11. If you have large suitcases for a longer trip, keep small suitcases or bags for what you may need for just one night.  Then, when you stop at a hotel for just one night, you won’t have to drag the large suitcase out.

12. Make sure you have a first aid kit.

13. Make sure you have a road side service if a car issue occurs.

For picnics:

1. Use a cooler with a proper fitting lid. 

2. Load the cooler with the food to be eaten first on top and perishables on the bottom.

3. Blocks of ice stay frozen longer than cubes.  Buy gel packs or fill quart-size milk cartons with water and freeze for chilling.  Use about one carton per four quarts of cooler capacity.  Layer ice on top of food once packed, for cold travels down.

4. Use your school-year lunch box trick:  Freeze sandwiches and juice boxes over night – they will stay cool longer and help keep the rest of the contents cold (any perishable food that’s been out more than two hours, throw away for it will not be safe to eat).

5. Keep your paper products and utensils in a different bag.

6. Make sure you have plenty of napkins or even a whole paper towel roll along with wet wipes.

 For plane travel: 

1. Keep your schedule, passport, driver’s license, money, loose change in the same place each time you use it.

2. It helps to use the same carry-on bag each time so that you know how to stock it.

3. Always get to the airport earlier than you think you need.  For some reason, packing and heading to the airport makes most people nervous!

4. Drink lots of water.  Nasal membranes don’t work as well if they dry out and they are an important barrier against germs.

5. Use a saline nasal spray.

6. Carry a hand sanitizer.

7. Always carry snacks and food.  Many times the plane won’t have any food to sell nor will the airport if it is a small one.

8. I also always carry some type of sweater or jacket.  Airplanes can get really cold.

9. This is NOT the time to change any habits of your baby or child!  Let them keep the pacifier, the blanket or stuffed toy on a trip.  They need security when out of their normal schedule.

10. Make sure you check your home twice before leaving:  checking the heat/air controls, doors locked, etc. 

11. Then, whenever you leave a hotel room or a restaurant or your plane seat, look around to make sure you haven’t left something.

12. I have a hard time with re-entry after a trip!  So, I try to clean my house before I leave.  It’ really nice to come back to a clean home.

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Healthy Fit-Fact

Being in the sun without sun screen really is dangerous.  Skin cancer, melanoma, continues to increase.  Between 1973 and 2004, the cases of melanoma among women 40 and younger have increased 250 percent.

Talk to your teens about the risks of using tanning beds, which increases the risk of melanoma by 75%!  In March, a survey of teens 14-17 found that 17 percent of girls and 3 percent of boys used tanning beds in the past year.

So, to cut your risk of skin cancer, sunscreen should be part of every summer day.  A SPF of 30 or 50 is fine.  Buy one that says, “broad spectrum” protection.  That means the sunscreen blocks ultraviolet B rays, which cause sunburn, and ultraviolet A rays, which don’t burn but penetrate farther into your skin.  Both types age your skin and increase cancer risk.  You can use one sunscreen for the whole family, even small children.  If you are in the water a lot or athletic, look for very water resistant on the label.

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Manna from Heaven

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” 

Matthew 11:28-30

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May each one of you find a time and a place where you can get the rest that Christ wants you to have.