Packing Like Mary Poppins

Using a system means you will be prepared for almost anything!

My family loves to tease me about my “Mary Poppins” bag and how I always have what we need when we need it. Ever since I started carrying a purse in middle school, I have used a sort of Russian doll-type system. By starting small and working to big, you will have what you need at your fingertips!

Pocket items

First, I start with my phone, ID, credit card, and lip balm. That is the base for any trip, from a run to the store, getting ready to go to work, to a full-fledged vacation. I build from there. these can easily go in my pockets if I have pants or a wristlet/phone case.

Shoulder bag/ Small Handbag

If I am leaving for a full day of appointments, need the next size up. So add a travel hairbrush, colored lipgloss, a small emery board, and blotting pads. Adding hand wipes, business cards, and a small wallet (I put the id and credit card in here.) fills a tiny bag that can be carried as a purse OR put into an even bigger bag.

Get Ready Work

Now, this would be a tote bag, backpack, or briefcase. Inside this bag is a limited toiletry bag for freshening up or getting ready for my day on the go if it’s been a bad morning. Concealer, mascara, hairspray, dry shampoo, a toothbrush, a travel-size deodorant, stain stick, bandaids, OTC pain meds, antacids, breath mints, and hair ties. Topped off with a laptop and paperwork, I am ready to go for a full day somewhere.

Or Travel

I also have a snack bar or two, just in case, I get “hangry” so I am not tempted to stop for fast food. Now, if you add a small packing cube with a change of clothes, you have an overnight bag. Add a suitcase with all your days of clothes and your complete toiletry kit, and you have your personal item/carry-on and your checked baggage. Believe me, you want those items on your carry-on in case your luggage gets lost.

The Mary Poppins Van

I use the same system in my car. I have a complete first aid kit in my van. When they were small, I kept an emergency change of clothes for the boys in the van. I keep a small insulated bag in the car with bars and bottled water. While it’s not COLD, they don’t go bad and don’t get hot, and I keep the bag under the backseat of the car. I have a small tub with charging cables, fix a flat, flares, and emergency triangles. I keep a “bag of bags” for shopping, an umbrella, a beach towel, and a small blanket as well, all of which get used regularly.

Using the Russian doll style of packing means you will be ready for anything, from losing your luggage to being trapped in your car for 17 hours. Not that I would know firsthand…

Rebecca is the founder of Sightseeing Sidekick travel blog and the publisher of both a lifestyle and a bridal magazine. Living in Northern Virginia, she’s a 50+ mother and grandmother who started travel blogging to share her “new to her” experiences as she has more time to travel. She hopes to “inspire women who previously may not have been able to travel due to career or family obligations to plan, sightsee, and create memories.” You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube