This week is the second installment of our new newsletter. If you missed our intro last week, you can find it here.
Right now at Strongsuit, we’ve got spring breaks on the brain. Yes, our own (woohoo!), but more importantly those of our members. We’ve moved past the finding of the perfect location, booking the ideal hotel, finding all of the fun activities, and making the meal reservations. For the most part, we are in the final stretches which includes sending members packing lists.
The packing lists are my favorite. My husband is a morning-of verbal packer (think “how many polo shirts do you think I need? what should I wear to dinner? have you seen my sunglasses?”) and I am categorically not that. Nothing gets us off on the wrong foot to relax and enjoy each others’ company like “packing together.” So the lists save us. I don’t have to answer questions, it’s clear who is working through the kids’ stuff, and we forget way less. He jokes now that I have a predictable refrain: “Check the Strongsuit List.”
As I go through my “warm vacation list”, there are always four things that I’m so thankful I packed...
Weekend Things
Four Things to Pack for Spring Break
Hats
The only truly packable full shade sun hat that I have found is the Capri Hat by Lorna Murray. It’s not inexpensive (I got mine on sale at Maisonette) and is a fashion statement, but I find it is worth every penny and comment from my brothers. It rolls up so well that I have kept it in my tote for the park or an outdoor meal in addition to sticking it my suitcase. I’ll also add that it comes in sizes, so for those of us with larger heads we avoid headaches in the heat.
I’m always glad I have a plain baseball hat. My current favorite is from the Gap - slightly broken in with a cheery color. It looks just as good on a lounge chair or at lunch as it does on a run.
Sarongs
Sarongs are the unsung heroes of warm vacations. Yes, they make cute coverups since I don’t love walking through a lobby or to a bar in just my bathing suit. But over the years I’ve used them for so much more - beach blanket when you don’t want a towel sandy, light covering for a napping child in an air conditioned restaurant, wrap or scarf at night, the list goes on.
My favorites are from Etsy, but friends have also found great options on Amazon.
Face Sunscreen
If we are flying and avoiding checking a bag, I usually just buy sunscreen on arrival. However, I always try to remember to pack the sunscreens that my family prefers for our faces.
Hand’s down, my kids favorite is the Glow Stick by Supergoop. I have to keep a close eye that they don’t use it up on their body (not cheap!), but it’s the only one that doesn’t elicit whines or a stand-off.
My favorite, recommended by my dermatologist, is Isdin Photo Broad Spectrum. It goes on so lightly you could easily put make-up over it if that’s your thing and the bottle lasts a really long time.
Pouches
I always find it helpful to have something smaller to stash keys, cell phones, kindles, etc. We don’t have special vacation ones, just a reminder to pack the ones I keep in our pool or park bag. Or I dump out my make-up bag and use that.
Clear ones are great anywhere sandy or wet, canvas ones can double up as clutches for dinner, and make-up bags, especially plastic covered ones, are super easy to wipe down. I also bring a wet bag for suits on the last day, for back up for motion sickness, or just to handle trash on a road trip.
Can't Live Without This week...
A reminder of just how hard and how much work it is to keep everything running for a busy family. Yes, we know that the mental load is so, so, so real, which is why we are building Strongsuit. But every few years a job listing is posted that elicits guffaws and gasps across the internet and drives this point home. The most recent one for the “Worst Job Ever” is as pretentious as it gets. But it follows in the footsteps of a posting for a Nanny/Household Manager that went viral in 2020. And as that article points out, it’s not so far off from the seminal 1971 (!!!) Ms. article, “I Want a Wife.” And while all three have different levels of being tethered to normal realities, they all lay bare just how much thought, work, and care goes into making the every day run. It’s a full time job.
No, I don’t need a “dog system” and I don’t call making piles of hand-me-downs to give my nephews “closet reorganization.” But I do appreciate it being laid out just what this kind of work entails and how hard it is to do it well. There’s still a lot of emotion (clearly) with asking for professional help, but the cost of doing it ourselves in the dark when everyone else has gone to bed is really real.