Vacation Packing with Intention with Jess Lively

Anyone going on a vacation this summer? If so, today's post from my friend and all-around inspiring lady, Jess Lively, is for you! She'll help you pack your suitcase, as well as design a life and business, with intention. Just be sure to save a little room for me to sneak in your suitcase.

This post was originally published on jesslively.com on January 31, 2012 when Jess and Mr. Lively were preparing for a long weekend trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Yes, she's a lucky lady!

As most people start to prepare for this week’s Super Bowl parties, Mr. Lively and I are starting to get ready for our trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! We will be gone Friday through Monday for a romantic weekend trip that doubles as my Christmas and Valentine’s Day present (I’m a lucky lady!).

I have already got my passport renewed and the rest of the preparation lies mostly in packing for the trip. But rather than waiting until Thursday night at midnight (we have done that before, much to my chagrin), I decided to get on the ball days ahead.

And in true Jess fashion, I’ve decided to see if I can create a more intentional packing process to help me stay prepared, but not burdened by a heavy suitcase full of unused items.

When I travel home for Christmas for a week to see my family I usually find that I have under-packed and feel forced to wear items that aren’t really ideal. But since I’m only heading to Cabo for three days and two nights, I also want to make sure I don’t over-pack due to my excitement to be somewhere warm and tropical.

So here’s what I did today to make sure I have a properly planned wardrobe while I’m away.

The first thing I did was talk with Mr. Lively about what activities we wanted to do while we were at the resort. We debated about whether we wanted to work out while there or not. Since my running shoes and gym clothes could easily take up a decent amount of my checked suitcase, I didn’t want to bring the gear if we weren’t going to really do a workout.

After discussing the workout idea, we nixed it in favor of swimming and relaxing. I have done a great job working out very consistently all month and I think a few days off to enjoy my hard work is ideal. So out went the workout gear from the packing list.

Above you can see what we do intend to do over the long weekend: lots of relaxing, swimming, and dining.

I also checked the weather forecast for Cabo this week. It looks to be about 75*-80* with cooler nights. So I knew that I needed to prepare for warm weather with layering at night.

Then, I pulled out most of my summer wardrobe and looked at all of my options.

Usually when packing, I get about this far and just throw my favorite items into my suitcase. But the end result is usually under or over packing and a lackluster array of outfits during the trip.

Next, I started to try on each item and created my favorite looks. Above you can see the outfits that could be great for dinner, dancing, or exploring. Each one has a layering piece as well in case of air conditioning or cooler temps.

I also made sure I had an outfit to fly back to Chicago in as well as a few other pieces that could be mixed in if I feel a bit more causal during the trip.

One bonus of this step I found was that there were a few items that needed to be steamed or cleaned. Those have been put in a special pile for me to attend to in the next few days so I’m not worried about them while on vacation.

And of course, I couldn’t forget the main event: swimsuits. I had the navy polka dot bikini from J.Crew last year but find that the top is a bit precarious for my chest and is best used only when laying out. So the new orange and black suits will be much better suited to fun at the beach or pool. I got both of the new suits at a huge discount from Lands End Canvas thanks to a recommendation from Jill.

So there you have it! I feel much better prepared for anything that might come up. I plan to use this same process to pack the other peripherals for the trip as well. This will include sunnies, beach towel, books, music, etc.

Viva la Mexico!

This post was originally published on jesslively.com on January 31, 2012.
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Road Trippin'

Jess LC Jackson earrings, J. Crew Biennial medium satchel, glitter TOMS,
Madewell chambray shirt, Old Navy striped shorts

It's definitely a TGIF kind of week again. So the long holiday weekend in the US is perfectly timed. Weather permitting, I'm hoping to work on the back room again.

Last week's Friday's Fancies theme was all about the road trip, but I was too busy sharing a certain cupcake to write about my favorite road trip tip. So that's what you're getting this week :)

Growing up, my family took a few summer vacations to Hilton Head. One year, my parents decided to drive instead of fly. It's a bit of a hike from Ohio to South Carolina, so they devised a little plan to keep us occupied. Once everyone was piled into the van, my Mom gave my sister and I a small brown paper bag with "Ohio" written on it. Inside was an activity book for the trip. And as we passed through each subsequent state, we received a new goodie bag. Each bag contained something little like a snack, batteries for our CD players, or perhaps a Beanie Baby (remember those?). As a kid, it was like gold.

I haven't used this idea as an adult yet, but it can be done. Maybe put together state goodie bags with your road trip companion's favorite snack, a new CD or album downloaded from iTunes, a magazine, or Mad Libs book.

How did you survive road trips as a kid? Or even as an adult?

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Nashville in the Details

Do you ever get a vacation hangover? I got back from Nashville Sunday afternoon and felt like I should have taken off on Monday. To relive the fun, I thought I would share a few details.

Past Perfect

Beyond the amazing live music, Nashville has some pretty tasty food. We stopped by Puckett's Grocery for southern food and breakfast (yes, we went twice). And slightly off the beaten path of Broadway is Past Perfect. We went there for lunch before all the CMA festivities...a-mazing! I had a lavender mojito and the grilled ahi tuna wrap. If it was later in the day, I would have sampled a classic cocktail made from one of their many infused vodkas. Guess I'll just have to go back ;)

It seemed like every other storefront on Broadway was a boot shop. And the other 50% were honky tonks. If you're looking for boots, make sure you shop around before buying. One store was offering buy 1 pair, get 2 pairs free! Plus, check the label for where the boots are made (avoid China) and to see that they're made of real leather. For other tips, here's a good post on how to buy cowboy boots.

I knew that Nashville was sometimes call Nashvegas, but didn't quite get it until I saw all the neon signs. It definitely reminds me of classic Las Vegas!

Of course, I can't forget the music! Even though I didn't recognize some of the artists' names, I recognized their songs or just sat back and enjoyed the tunes. Luke Bryan was definitely the favorite of our group and Carrie Underwood also put on a great performance.

And to prove that I was there, that's me with the bachelorette. And my favorite orange maxi dress :)
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A Wishful Weekend Getaway

If I had it my way, I would be spending the holiday weekend here:

or here:

While enjoying one of these:

Or perhaps this:

While wearing these:

1) J. Crew tunic, bikini 2) top and 3) bottom, 4) Havaianas, 5) Toms sunglasses, 6) sunscreen

And of course with him :)

I hope you have a lovely Friday and long weekend!

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Ole Ole!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! This day has always been fun since my birthday falls at the beginning of May. I've been to Chi Chi's, Qdoba, and Nuevo Acapulco for birthday dinners. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I thought I would share a few pictures from our honeymoon to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. And maybe enjoy some guacamole :)



And yes, we were fiscally chic on the honeymoon. I used to travel all the time for work, so I racked up quite a few Marriott Rewards points. Between points and a AAA discount, we saved quite a bit on our hotel stay. Plus, the deep sea fishing, snorkeling, and zip line tours booked through the hotel accumulated more points for future discounts. More importantly, we have some incredible memories and pictures to enjoy for a lifetime.

Where is your favorite vacation destination?

And if you're looking for more Cinco de Mayo inspiration and fiestas, go check out the Let's Fiesta blog crawl over at cornflake dreams.

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It's Finally Friday

Phew! This week has be craaaazy! Long hours, too much caffeine, and not enough "me" time. But don't worry, I didn't forget about you. Just got to get through a few more hectic days before a slight lull. And then things will start to pick up again. So hopefully I can schedule a few quality posts.

On a lighter note, this week I had a fortune cookie tell me something along the lines of, "You'll take a trip to a faraway land soon." How did my fortune know I wanted to get away for a bit? Perhaps the Florida Keys?


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Frankly, I wouldn't mind if my fortune said, "You'll enjoy a few extra hours of sleep."

How did your week go? Anything fun planned for the weekend? We're having Stephanie and her husband over for dinner on Saturday.
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Vacationing in Chicago

In keeping with my mini-vacation week, I thought I would share a few things to do around Chicago. This is no way going to be an all-encompassing list of things to do. Simply a few suggestions based on things we did with friends a few weekends ago.


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Go out to brunch. Restaurants all over Chicago serve brunch and it's pretty hard to mess up breakfast. Everyone has their favorite spot and our go-to place is Ann Sather. The cinnamon rolls are a good enough reason to go. All egg entrees come with two sides and you should always pick the cinnamon rolls (yes, plural!) as one of your sides. Everything is already reasonably priced, but feel free to split your order. Your waistline and wallet will thank you.

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Have a drink at the Signature Lounge. Why pay $15 dollars for a ticket to the observation deck on the 94th floor of the Hancock Building when you can have drinks on the 96th? Go at night when the city is all lit up. Keep in mind that there is a one item minimum (drink, dessert, appetizer, etc.) and there may be a line to get a table. But the views (of the city and the people) is definitely worth it! And don't forget to check out the city from the women's restroom.


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See an improv show. From The Second City to the iO Theater, there are all sorts of theaters around the city to enjoy a few laughs. Two actors from The Second City were recently called up to Saturday Night Live. Though you should get your tickets early, especially if there are more than two of you going. We tried to get tickets for two different shows about 10 minutes before show time and they had already sold out.

Go to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It's free! And if you plan your trip right, you could go to the Green City Market on Saturday morning and then hit up the zoo later in the day. My favorite animals are the penguins, but if you're lucky, they might be feeding the bears.

Eat at your favorite BYOB restaurant. As I said before, there are all sorts of restaurants that let you bring your own drinks.

And if you're planning your trip to Chicago in advance, sign up Chicago Groupons. They've posted offers for rental cars, architectural boat tours, museum passes, restaurants, and hotels.

What else would you recommend? Do you have favorite places to eat or take visitors?
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Home Sweet Home

 

Hi, everyone! I'm back home from Galena, which was gorgeous. We basically spent the trip relaxing, eating, and repeating :) We stayed at Hawk Valley Retreat and Cottages, which is tucked between the rolling hills and farms in northwestern Illinois. We could hear cows mooing during all hours of the day. And I don't think I've ever seen as many stars at night. Jane and Fritz were wonderful hosts and Jane made the best baked french toast ever! She was even nice enough to give me the recipe, so maybe I'll post it when I get a chance to make it at home.

Some of the highlights of the trip include:

Visiting Galena Cellars Vineyard and Winery. The wines were tasty (we walked out with 5 bottles) and the tour was entertaining. There was a group of Eastern Orthodox priests with their friends and family on our tour. Everything was translated from English to Russian and one lady looked like the mom from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Galena Cellars also has a tasting room in downtown Galena if you can't make it to the vineyard for a tour.

Eating at One Eleven Main in downtown Galena. Their menu features local flavors and products. When possible, their dishes include locally-sourced ingredients and specialty items recommended by their partners. I enjoyed the Pecan-Encrusted Salmon with a Galena Brewery Fevre River Ale while John had the Almond-Encrusted Walleye. BHG has a similar maple pecan salmon recipe in their November 2010 issue, so that might also pop up here in the future.

Biking along the Galena River. Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees, but there were still a few brightly colored leaves left hanging around. The river eventually dumps into the Mississippi River, but the trail is blocked before that point. We didn't mind because we had a chance to chat with some cows along the way.

Galena itself is an historic downtown along the Galena River. There are all sorts of little shops and restaurants. Some of the stores have "Men's Time Out" rooms with free beer and ESPN playing for the guys while the women shop. In the popcorn shop I found Snap-o-Lantern Ice Cream! The perfect combination of pumpkin ice cream and ginger snap cookies. I first had this when I was in Phillips, WI for work three years ago. It obviously made a good impression if I'm still thinking about it years later.

Now it's time to get back to reality...bummer.

Have you taken any mini-vacations lately? Any recommendations for a long weekend trip?
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Gone Relaxing

Hi friends, just wanted to let you know that I'm out enjoying the fresh fall air in Galena, IL. Here's my view from the porch of our bed and breakfast.

Today we plan on bike riding along the Mississippi River and tomorrow we'll visit a winery :)

Have a great week and see you in a few days.
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