Travel Tips

Carolyn in Torun, Poland, circa 2005

Today's post is an oldie, but goody, originally posted on this blog in May 2006. 

Having left a corporate career in sales and lived overseas, I have traveled a lot. My last trip as a corporate road warrior had me off to Japan with all of four days notice. When I showed up at the airport my male counterparts were surprised that my only luggage was an 18 inch Travelpro carry-on and a purse large enough to hold my computer.

With a little bit of organization, you too can be jetting off to far flung places at a moment's notice. Here are my tips for packing light and enjoying the ride:

1) Pick your bags---Try to limit yourself to one small sturdy bag per person. This can even save you money with the airlines’ nickeling and diming for baggage charges these days.

2) Pack your bags---If you travel frequently, keep small sample sized toiletries in your travel bag at all times. This saves packing time and avoids forgotten items.

3) Start with your itinerary---For business or pleasure, you should have an idea of your daily travel plans. This will help you pick out the necessary clothes and shoes.

4) Get back to the basics---When traveling, stick to easy care mix and match separates or suits in the same color palette. I always try to limit myself to two pairs of shoes of the same color: one casual and one dressy.

5) Use every nook and cranny---Rolling knit items can save space. You can also pack socks and undergarments inside of your extra pair of shoes that are covered with plastic bags. Neatly folding dirty clothes inside of plastic bags saves space on the way home.

6) Relax---Don’t worry if you forget something. Unless you are traveling to a very remote part of the world, you can almost always buy what you need or wash clothes at your destination.


Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. To receive a free copy of Carolyn's "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life"and a monthly subscription to the e-newsletter "Your Simply Organized Life" sign up here. 

Mom 2 Mom Sales in Dexter and Saline

With school in full swing and fall upon us, there is no better time to clean out those closets, get organized and make a little extra cash while doing it. This coming Saturday, September 24, 2011 there are two Mom to Mom sales being held in the Ann Arbor area, specifically Dexter and Saline.

Head out to Dexter's Cornerstone School at 7480 Dan Hoey Road bright and early Saturday morning. The Cornerstone Parent Teacher Group (CPTG) Mom to Mom sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The entrance fee for adults is $1 with all proceeds benefiting the CPTG. For those of you with children's items to sell, there are still a few tables available. You can reserve your table by contacting Kathy Fletcher at 734-637-9646 or kathyfletcher@chartermi.net.

From Dexter drive over to Saline's Mom2Mom Consignment sale at Liberty School on Saline-Ann Arbor Rd. This sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a consignment Mom2Mom sale--a little different than the "normal" kind. All toys and clothing must be dropped off by Friday, September 23, 2011 with prices marked. The items will then be aggregated by type and size for re-sale. Any unsold items can be picked up at the end of the sale or donated, if you choose. There is a $1.00 admission fee at the door. For more details on selling or shopping, please check out the website at www.mom2momconsignmentsale.com

Saline Mom to Mom Sale

As a parent of young children, I occasionally enjoy the Mom to Mom sale format that is popular here in Southeast Michigan. Recently I have noticed a new concept in Mom to Mom sales that can benefit both sellers and buyers. The consignment or department store format allows sellers to drop off items beforehand for resale and buyers have the benefit of presorted items.

Theresa Ferenczy sent me this listing for an upcoming consignment sale in Saline, Michigan:

"Mark you calendar for Saline's first Mom2Mom Consignment Sale on March 12, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be held at Liberty School in Saline (7265 N. Ann Arbor Saline Road). This is a great way for parents to clear out closets and make some extra cash. No more sitting at a table all day and selling---you price your items, drop them off on Friday, March 11, 2011 and we sell them for you on Saturday, March 12, 2011. For shoppers everything is in one room and sorted by gender and size. There is a $1 admission fee."

Donate Gently Used Coats

Thanks to the generosity of our community, Reinhart Realtors in Ann Arbor, Michigan has provided thousands of winter coats to local agencies. Please join Reinhart in this effort through your donation of a coat in good repair. Through the month of November, please bring your coats to any Reinhart sales office or Reinhart Sunday Open House. All coats will be professionally cleaned and distributed locally.

An Organized Closet

I really enjoy helping clients, especially women, organize their clothes closets. An organized closet can save a lot of time in the morning rush. Having only the clothes that fit correctly and make you feel good can do wonders for self esteem too.

I always try to practice what I preach, so I was so delighted when Amy Cattell of Amy's Elegance by Design came to my home last Saturday to pick up a few items for altering. Amy's main business is designing and creating custom wedding gowns, but she also does a great job with alterations. She is currently working on altering items for myself, my husband and my mom.

When deciding which items to alter, I focus on quality articles of clothing that have classic looks and will remain in style a long time. Items that I may never wear again can be donated.

Winter Adult Outerwear Needed

Now is a great time to take a look at your coat closet and find out what you are really wearing. Wash or dry clean those coats that need freshening up, especially out of season coats that can be stored elsewhere during the off season.

While you are at it pick out the coats that you no longer wear to donate. Currently Ann Arbor's St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop is seeking out adult sized winter coats among the items they normally accept.

T-Shirt Quilts

If you cannot part with those old t-shirts, but do not wear them anymore you can hire someone to make your very own t-shirt quilt. I recently heard of a woman out of Olivet, Michigan who has a business called Too Cool T-Shirt Quilts.

Reinhart Coat Drive

News of Reinhart Realtors' annual coat drive came to me twice in one week. This is a great opportunity to clean out your coat closet and help someone in need. During the month of November, you can drop off coats in good condition at any Reinhart sales office or Reinhart Sunday open house. All of the coats will be professionally cleaned and distributed locally. They especially need children's coats. Daytime temperatures have been in the 30s this week. Winter coat weather has officially arrived!

Kids' Clothes

In the August edition of "Your Simply Organized Life" I wrote about organizing kids' clothes for back to school. My own child has very few clothes and I do laundry regularly. In my opinion this is the only way to go for kids and adults. The clean clothes stay organized and this forces mom (or whoever does the laundry) to keep on top of it (bonus: no mountains of wash to do).

The old adage "less is more" is so much a part of my daily life that I was particularly annoyed last week while shopping at GAP for socks for my child (their socks stay on the kid's foot!). Because I am organized, I knew that my child only needed two pairs to add to the collection of socks for fall.

The saleswoman at GAP was so pushy in insisting that I buy "5 for $10 for only $4 more". Of course I could have easily afforded the extra $4 for three more pairs of socks, but the woman didn't seem to get that I didn't NEED five pairs of socks. I only needed two.

My point is: it's not a bargain if you don't need it. Sometimes we forget this among the bright lights and pushy salespeople at the mall. Hold firm next time you're out shopping.

Novi Event

The Novi Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 8th annual "Threads of Power Breakfast" on March 23, 2007 at 8 a.m. at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Novi, Michigan.

This year's slogan is "clean your closet for a cause." Attendees to this event are asked to bring gently-used business attire (clean and on hangers) to donate to local organizations. What a great way to organize your closet and bless others on their professional journeys!

The cost for this event is $15 and reservations are required by March 20, 2007.