Underwear? Check!

The countdown 'til the last day of school has finally entered the very low single digits! I have to admit that I'm just as excited as Mimi is about the beginning of summer. Spending lazy hours at the pool and in the garden, sleeping in a little bit later, cooking on the grill, what's not to like?!

Vacation time also means, surprise, list time for me. My brother-in-law has made fun of me for years about my proclivity for making lists. I just love them and really can't function without them. Even though I use Microsoft Outlook religiously for my calendar, address book and, of course, email, the “Task” function has never lit my fire. I think I just need the added tactile buzz of putting pen or pencil to paper. And more than anything, I love to cross off a finished task!

A few months ago I made a packing spreadsheet for John. He travels quite a bit, mostly overseas. I really got tired of seeing $100 airport ties on our debit card not to mention funky, foreign underwear! And I was always sure that one day I'd get a frantic phone call summoning me to Dulles with his forgotten passport – although, to be fair, he’s never forgotten his passport. Yet. He keeps his spreadsheet in his nightstand drawer. Enabling? Yes. But it works and makes both of us happy.

Take a quiet moment with your pencil and pad (or laptop) and make a vacation packing checklist for each member of your family. There are many online list sites to help jog your memory. I really like the reasonably priced subscription-based List PlanIt (http://www.listplanit.com/). Jennifer is a super nice mom I met on the airport shuttle in Orlando after the NAPO conference. She is a self-described "List Mama", a woman after my own heart!

With your lists in hand, you'll be so happy you didn't get down the road without Mr. Snuggles or blankee or paci. And that you, your kids or hubby don't have to run into the CVS to buy underwear!

What’s the most important thing you’ve ever left home without?