What I Packed for a Trip to Paradise

I’ve been teasing you for about a week now and it’s time to reveal our vacation.  If you’ve followed me on Twitter and Instagram you may have figured it out by now.  My hubby and I escaped for 4 days to Turks & Caicos!

I know it still sounds amazing!  I can’t believe it’s already over and we’re back home enduring the flooding rains of Tropical Storm Debby (you can see how we’re faring the storm on Instagram – lots of flooding).

Before I left I asked what you would pack for 4 days on an Island with no kids!  I had some great suggestions including: anything white, nothing, and alcohol!  In the end here are some of the items I packed for the trip.

1. White clothes!  You know, those one’s you don’t wear around the kids because they will end up with grubby little hand prints in 5 minutes!  I packed my favorite white shorts (worn twice) and a pair of white capris (which didn’t get worn).
2. String bikini!  Yes, the one with ties!  My kids would have me naked on the beach in 2 seconds if I wore it around them.  Warning!!  The tan line may reveal a little white skin left by the more modest suit you normally wear so be sure to pack the sunscreen!
3. Sunscreen!  Yes, you can’t forget sunscreen for a trip to a tropical island.  I packed 2 of my travel size sunscreens (so we could get them through security in our carry-on luggage); Beyond Coastal and The Balm!  I preferred The Balm! Sun! because it rubbed in much better and didn’t leave a white residue that you find with most mineral sunscreens.  It has an SPF 30 rating and is great for children (6mo+) and adults.  I did enjoy the Beyond Coastal face stick since it was so easy to apply.
4. Straw Hat!  I have an amazing straw hat (del sol by Andean Collection) that I carried along with me.  The wide brim makes it perfect for keeping the sun off your face and shoulders.  
5. Accessories!  A few of my favorites are my chunky mariposa necklace (shown below by Andean Collection), the Amani necklace (by Leaky Collection), and my new Maxwell Design cosmetic case (shown below – I used it as my purse for the week).
6. Underwater camera!  I have fallen in love with my Christmas present from my husband.  My Kodak EasyShare Sport C123 12 MP Waterproof Digital Camera (Blue)
   is perfect to take to the pool or beach and takes some great underwater shots.  I didn’t leave the room without it and it took most of the pictures you see here!  
7. A good book!  I finished reading the first 2 Hunger Games books and started the 3rd.  Don’t tell me how it ends but PLEASE let Katniss and Peeta end up together and living happily every after!!  I read mine on my Kindle app on my iPad and iPhone.  I was afraid to take the iPad to the beach so there are times when a nice physical copy of a book comes in handy.
8. An awesome husband!  Seriously, if you haven’t taken a trip without your kids you owe it to your marriage to take a few days away with your spouse/partner.  We only had wifi in the room so we were mostly unconnected from society until we returned to the room at night.  We rode bikes around town, took long walks on the beach, and truly enjoyed each others company.  It was a nice time to reconnect and fall in love all over again.  (Love you baby!!!)

We each had one small carry-on suitcase and one small carry-on tote or backpack.  We both came home with a few outfits that we didn’t wear.  For the most part we stayed in our swim suits all week with the exception of dinner.

What are some of your favorite things to pack on trips?

Disclosure:  This post includes links to Amazon (affiliate) and features products that have been sent for me to review.  No other compensation has been received and the opinions expressed are my own and not that of the company.  We paid for the trip ourselves and yes, we had a fabulous time!