Never leave home without it...

Having just recently returned from a trip, I have a few suggestions for those must pack essentials. I mean, just be sure to pack these items or you'll rue the day.

First, the little things:
1. Lotion - unless you're going to the tropics, you're going to wish you'd brought some moisturizer.

2. Nail Clippers - you will defnitely chip a nail or get dirt/sand (where did that come from?) under your nails and it will need removal.

3. Tweezers - if you leave these home, your brows will host their own love fest, Woodstock style and you will look like this guy.

4. Razor - I don't care if you're only going to be gone on an overnighter, if you leave your razor home an unspoken law of the Universe will kick in and hair will sprout like weeds.

5. Q-tips - for quick mascara cleanups or you know, in case your ears need cleaning. Obviously, these gals left their qtips at home.

6. Floss - You will inevitably eat something (like any kind of meat) that will become lodged in your teeth. It will drive you crazy until you stop somewhere and gladly fork over twice the regular amount of cash for some relief.

7. Allergy Medicine - especially if you haven't been to where you're going before. Think like a boy scout and always be prepared.

8. Kleenex - preferably the kind with lotion. This is a preventative measure, if you bring it you probably won't need it.

Now for the big stuff:
9. Atlas - who knows when you're going to get a wild idea, and want to see the sights? Make sure you have a map, a detailed map. This will prove invaluable when no one wants to stop and ask for directions. This will naturally make you more spontaneous and lead to adventure. Live it up, you're on vacation.

10. Cash - You need this for all the "nickel and dime" type purchases you make on vacation. Like snowcones, 32 oz. soda refills, and of course, floss!

11. Reading Material - you might think you should take the heavy reading kind of stuff, but this is vacation and you need some lighter fare like home magazines, celebrity gossip mags (if that's your thing), and a good beach read. I didn't have any of this stuff, just my standard heavy reading (Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World) which is okay, but sometimes your brain needs a vacation too. We stopped in at the local big bookstore chain to browse. That is when I discovered that -

I have apparently been living under a rock these last couple of years because I'm one of the last people on the planet who hadn't read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. It is definitely one of those easy reading kind of books - booktainment. It is a little bit like a time machine, in that you will experience your teen years and first big crush all over again. It is a bit steamy without being at all naughty (although I wouldn't want my teen daughter to read it, she might get too many ideas). Come to think of it, you might even be able to count it for exercise if it gets your heart rate up enough and that brings me to my next must have-

12. The cooler - If this is a road trip, you cannot leave without a cooler. Pack it with ice, water bottles, apples, grapes, carrot sticks, even string cheese. But, I'm telling you if you don't bring one, you will not be able to resist the junk food when you stop for gas. And then you will get vacation butt.

The best, and most important:
13. Chocolate - oh who cares if you do get vacation butt, it's a vacation right? Make sure to walk a lot, guzzle quarts of water, don't supersize any meals, and your M&Ms will make your vacation complete. Should you get get a flat, get lost, or find yourself miles from any food establishments, the chocolate will save the day.