Organize your Vacation
by Tammy Burke

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Going on vacation - a well-planned vacation can help you relax before, during and after your trip year after year. Here’s how to make it easy.

1. Start planning in January for a trip in July.

Procrastination will be your enemy when planning a trip. What do you need to do? Well, here’s a checklist of some things you might want to think about.

• Pet sitter or kennel (call to schedule as soon as possible)
• Babysitter (if it’s a romantic getaway, plan to let family know you’ll need them as soon as possible).
• Get maps for the area you’ll be visiting. This is especially important if you’re renting a car.
• Make hotel, rental car and airfare reservations as soon as possible. Your rates will be cheaper and you’ll be able to reserve a better room.
• You should try to get your passport at least 3 months prior to departure.

2. Call or check out the hotel online ahead of time.

You can see what amenities are offered and if there’s a pool, hot tub, exercise facilities, etc., you’ll be prepared by bringing the appropriate clothing and making the most of your vacation. Some places offer a mini fridge, coffee maker and/or microwave in your room, maybe you’ll want to bring your favorite coffee, or a bag of microwave popcorn for those late night movies.

3. Use a list for packing and keep it in your luggage.

Sit down and make a master packing list on your computer. Once it's saved, if you lose your paper copy, you can just print out another. I usually put shampoos and other things that could spill in my suitcase in gallon ziploc bags to prevent liquid from ruining my luggage. It also helps if you group like items together. You can simply grab one ziploc bag and you’ll have everything you need for the shower, another for makeup, etc.

4. You might want to tote along an empty suitcase or tote.

It’s great for all those items that you buy and don’t have room in your suitcase for on the way home.

5. Plan out your trip if you’re going somewhere where there’s a lot to do.

Go online and research or get a visitors pack from the County where you are visiting. Find out when the zoo hours are and plan your day accordingly. If you don’t like to schedule out your vacation, at least put down the places that you would like to visit, phone numbers, admission fees, and hours of operation. This way you’ll be free to do what you want when it suits your schedule.

6. Take along a garbage bag for dirty clothes.

It separates the dirty from the clean in your suitcase.

7. Make sure you make a copy of all phone numbers and contact info for relatives or friends.

If someone should have to contact you in an emergency they will have the information to reach you.

8. Clean before you go.

Clean your home, do your laundry, have a pan of lasagna in the freezer and straighten up before you go. You’ll be glad to come home knowing that you can throw in a quick, delicious dinner and you’re home is clean. You’re going to have enough unpacking and laundry to do after you get home.

9. Listen to a good book.

Visit your local library for books on tape or buy one at the bookstore. You can listen with your walkman in the car or relaxing by the pool. Sure beats trying to strain your neck to read and keeping the sun out of your eyes at the same time.

10. Remember to plan something you really want to do.

Let’s face it. Sometimes we go on vacation and plan it for everyone in our family, but ourselves. Go get a massage, facial or a manicure and take a few moments just for yourself. If you don’t normally do this, it’s a real treat and it will probably be the one thing you’ll think about a lot after your vacation. What’s a vacation for anyway.

Tammy Burke
Dallastown, PA 17313
tburke@organizeitall.biz
http://www.organizeitall.com

Her 11 years of secretarial work for law offices and the court system -- as well as her experience as a stay-at-home mother -- have taught Tammy the value of good organizing skills from the client's point of view. She has honed her problem-solving, time management, and paper management abilities in the real world -- and now shares these talents with her private organizing clients.

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