Project 52: EIGHTEEN

We fly cheap. And by cheap, I mean budget airlines...specifically Spirit Air. They charge for carry-ons ($40 each way!), and of course for checked baggage ($60, I think?). They also charge to get your boarding pass printed by an employee at the counter ($5) instead of a kiosk. But I appreciate the low prices, and we make it work.

By make it work, I mean that we packed for a week in two personal items and a diaper bag.

This is all we took for a week in Chicago. Eric's stuff with some of my extras are in the brighter green backpack. My clothes and Garrett's clothes and diapers are in the khaki green bag, and we were able to take a diaper bag free of charge.

We were able to do laundry at Eric's parents' house. Here's what we packed:

Girls - for an eight day trip, take two pairs of pants (wear one of them), four shirts that go with both pairs of pants (wear one of them), and one pair of shoes (that you're wearing). Wear a jacket and a scarf on the plane (I took my hoodie and my favorite infinity scarf). 

Guys - I think Eric took one pair of pants (that he's wearing...but I would probably pack another), two t-shirts and two long sleeved shirts. 

Babies - For Garrett, I brought six onesies and three pairs of pants. We decided to bring disposable diapers, and we had to buy another package after a few days of being there. 

In addition to clothing, we were able to take both of our computers (Eric had to work a couple days, and I like to stalk your blogs when Garrett is napping), my flat iron (that I used three days), two ice cube trays, and my manual breastpump. We also brought minimal toiletries.

Eric's family was able to borrow all of the baby gear like a pack n play, high chair, carseat, and stroller (thank you!!), so we didn't have to worry about that. Lois purchased a few toys and a few books for Garrett, and we also went to the library while we were there. (I brought a few teething toys on the plane with us.) Stan bought a bunch of produce for me to cook and puree for Garrett once we got there, which helped a LOT. 

So, being intentional means packing lightly. It took a lot of thinking to figure out exactly what we needed, and I really feel that we took just that. 

Hope that helps someone out there...