The Wardobe Plan Extraordinaire

When getting ready to pack for this trip, things were a little different than usual. It has been a long time since I went on a combination work/pleasure trip. I will need to check a bag, because I have to bring both comfy, fun clothes, and several professional outfits. I will be representing my hospital, so I want to look the part. I already have 3 dinner programs to attend, as well. Also, I will be flying from Orange County to Boston, then from Boston to Philadelphia, then from Philadelphia back home, so three days will be spent traveling and schlubbing through airports.

The first thing I planned was the traveling outfit. I will be wearing a two piece warmup suit by BCBG. It's black with rhinestone trim. I will bring two T shirts to wear under the jacket. That way, I am prepared whether it's hot or cold on the plane or in the airport. I will also wear my running shoes, because I need them, and also they take up a lot of room in the suitcase. Here is what I packed for the day to day events of life.

1) Everyday neccessities:

a) Workout gear for at least a 5 day stretch in between walking and sightseeing. I chose one pair of black knit pants, 2 tank tops, and 4 pairs of socks.

b) Night time wear that is clean and comfy for 10 days.

c) A comfy, warm, reusable, easy to wear, travel outfit for out and back.

d) Unexpected extras, like a swim suit, in case I jacuzzi at some point (doubtful)

Then, we will be staying for 3 days in Boston. We are planning on doing a lot of walking and sightseeing. We probably won't go anywhere fancy for dinner, because we just aren't the type to go to those kinds of places. With that in mind, here's what I have planned.

2) Casual Gear for Boston - I am only bringing one pair of jeans and two tops to wear with them. If I get dirty while touring, I can always wear one of the traveling shirts with my jeans. One of the tops I brought needs a black cami under it, so if I get all sweaty, I can switch the cami and wear it to workout in, and wear one of the workout tanks with my jeans.

So far, it has been easy to plan. Now for the tricky part, due to the professional constraints I mentioned above. Here is what I have planned.

1) 2 suits - One all black by Escada, and one grey with black trim by Kasper. Both come with slacks.

2) 5 tops - four of them are tunic length, so they can be worn without a jacket. The Escada jacket is a longer length, so it will work with the tunics.

3) One dress with hosiery if it seems as though people are really dressing up for the dinner events. I brought a black leather Carmen Marc Volvo dress. Don't worry, it's not shiny leather. It's textured and brushed, and you have to feel it in order to realize that it's actually leather. I can wear either blazer with it.

Then there are the little extras that will come in handy.

1) 2 pairs of knee high hose for the conference days.

2) 3 pairs of shoes - Enzo Angiolini gladiators, Vince Camuto black sandals, and Isaac Mizrahi Mary Janes for dress up.

3) 3 belts - gold/black Versace, Black/silver Brighton, black for jeans.

4) Jewelry - only one simple silver set,one simple gold set, and a couple of ethnic choices. Nothing expensive or fancy - those go into the safety deposit box when I am on vacation.

5) Entertainment for the plane/airport/riding exercise bike - 4 books and a headset with a coupler so Doc and I can watch movies on the iPad during the plane ride. He's worried about being bored on the plane.

So the only thing I am waffling about is my handbag. Since mostly everything for the conference is black, I will most likely carry a black shoulder bag. In Boston, since we are planning on being very casual, I don't care if my purse matches or not. I need to look through my choices.

These are the nail products I am bringing. It includes Cocktail by Victoria's Secret for my toes, Ruffian for my fingers, a non-metal file and a packet of nail polish remover.

This is my personal hygiene assortment. It includes 3 varieties of Crest toothpaste (Doc can be picky), a toothbrush, a travel size deodorant, a deodorant swipe for emergency sweating in the airports (nerves) and a vial of Tommy Girl perfume.

This display is for my head region. I have 2 sunscreens, my dark spot cream, a moisturizer and a hydrator by Clinique, and a travel size non-aerosol hairspray bt Tresemme.

This last bit of junk is any extra item I could possibly need. There are two razors, a tweezer, makeup remover pads, a sewing kit, and a baggy of assorted stuff like floss, swabs, cotton balls, and hair ties.

So we have packed, printed boarding passes, arranged boarding at Dr Lizardo's for Elli, arranged backyard care for Kenni, obtained transport to the airport, booked hotels, gotten some funding, and got a new iPad for Doc. All we need to do now is make our connection at O'Hare, and it's party on!!!