h I like to pack “toiletries” the day before I leave on a trip and then live out of what I have packed and that way I know I haven’t forgotten anything on the day I need to leave and can have an extra day to add what I think I’ll need.

h  For a money “belt” I took a piece of 1 inch elastic a comfortable length for around the waist and I sewed it together. Then I made two satin fabric “pockets” with a buttoned flap and sewed the “pockets” to the elastic band. They hang down from the elastic circular band. The pockets are the size of a folded dollar bill [after stitching]. When she wants to go shopping, she just steps into the elastic band and pulls it up like a slip or something around her waist and safely tucks her money into the pockets and buttons them over. O, I sewed it together so that it would be able to be pulled of, come unsnapped or unbuttoned. I believe something like this is sold in catalogs… but the price was right on this one! ;-)

h  Our daughter, Kathryn, sews a spare button onto each dress or skirt so that if one were to fall off and be lost, she’d have another matching button. She’s done it with all the clothes & jackets she buys---not just for a trip. If a garment comes with a button in an envelope, she immediately sews the button onto the garment and if it’s from the thrift store, she locates a matching button from our button box.

h  I pinned many safety pins in various sizes onto a satin ribbon for her to take for seams, buttons, etc.

h We made a mini first-aid kit: alcohol swab envelopes, bandaids, Neosporin, cotton clippers, tweezers, Tylenol, etc.

h  Many toiletries were put into very small bottles we had from hotels, etc. We save them for future use when we use the original soap/shampoo/conditioner.

h  We use a prepaid calling card for telephone calls.

Here are some ideas From Kathryn's trip to Germany last summer...

h  She had back up batteries and a multi voltage adapter for CD player (still learning/practicing German)

h She rolled all of her blouses, skirts and dresses for easier packing and less wrinkles.

h  She was thankful to have a complete change of clothing in her carry-on backpack (our grandson was sick all over her and she was sure glad for those fresh clothes!).

h She had a daily devotional, personal Bible study and journal for each morning and evening. She also used a compact Bible for ease of space.

PACKING Odds ‘n ends: clothes pins, elastic cord to make a clothes line in a bathroom, plastic bags for laundry, threaded needles wrapped around a piece of cardboard, free internet email account, baby wipes in a sandwich zip-lock bag for quick clean-up’s, .

I knew she would have opportunity to go swimming and so for this I made her a dress to go over her swimming suit. She has come to a sincere understanding of the extreme importance of modesty and so guards when and where she swims and also what she wears for swimming. I made what would be considered a longer ‘tennis dress’ (to be worn over a tank bathing suit) out of swimsuit type fabric. It is very loose, and when she called, she said it wasn’t terribly clingy and she’d just been swimming in a pretty secluded area with family. I share this with you because it has been such an area of concern… should our daughters go swimming and what should they wear? Should there be “mixed swimming”? Would they wear the garments they wear swimming *anywhere*? Why does the addition of sun, sand and water make the subtraction of clothing appropriate? If a woman should wear modest apparel [1 Timothy 2.9], where should the line be drawn that she doesn’t wear it? If one wouldn’t where panties & bra outside, why does the substitution of Hawaiian print make it alright. O, sisters, these are the questions we wrestle over. O, for a girl who *loves* to swim, this has been quite an area of trial and error, consternation and concern! I’m sorry to say I have erred more than succeeded in this area. Our heart is to do well… not be dogmatic for the sake of being legalistic but for the sake of being pure and above reproach… what is the proper answer? We seek it.

love, pamela