Lowcountry Events Calendar

I've just added some of the Lowcountry happenings for January to the calendar. Check out all the food, flower, and fun festivals. No better time to visit the Lowcountry.

Dreamin' of warm sunny days?

With most of the country experiencing cold temperatures, who isn't dreaming of a warm tropical vacation!



Now's the time to start planning your Lowcountry beach getaway. Over the past few days, I've had several rental inquiries for my home on Seabrook Island. Folks are ready to book their spring and summer vacations. Don't you be left out!

If you're interested in experiencing the serenity of Seabrook Island, check out www.OurGreatEscapeVilla.com. You'll find photos of the island, my home, and other information about the Lowcountry.

Have fun planning your next escape! I know I am.

Start 2008 off right!

No better way to start the New Year off on the right foot than to start planning your next getaway. If you've always stayed in hotels, why not make 2008 the year you try renting a home?

Vacation rentals are a great alternative to traditional hotel rooms. With a vacation rental you usually get a full size kitchen, washer and dryer, and separate bedrooms for the kids. In a word--SPACE. Vacation rentals offer you more space to relax.

There are many websites where owners list their vacation homes for rent. A few of rental sites are www.vacationrentals.com , www.vrconnection.com and vacationrentals411.com. You can always google the location your interested in plus "vacation rentals".

Things to do before your trip

Below is my checklist of things to do before going out of town.

• Make arrangements for pets.
• Hold mail. The United States Postal Service has a form you can fill out and place in your mailbox.
  
• Suspend newspaper delivery.
• Turn heat/air up or down.
• Leave a couple of lights on or place lamps on timers.
• Shut water off inside the home.
• Make sure refrigerator and freezer doors are completely closed.
• Lock all windows and doors.
• Turn on the house security system.
  

I've printed out my list and keep it in a plastic sheet protector. Using a dry erase marker, I can check off the tasks I've completed.




Here's an example of a lamp timer:

Travel sized products

Still looking for travel sized products or toiletries? My favorite website is Minimus. They offer everything imaginable that comes in a small size.

Click here to see all the products Minimus offers.

The 3-1-1 for carry-on luggage

TSA has clear rules on what can and cannot be carried onto a plane. To simplify everything, remember 3-1-1:

3 ounces or less per container of liquid or gel; 1 quart sized clear zip top bag; 1 bag per person.

Don't forget to dig down deep into your purse or briefcase for that random bottle of hand sanitizer, chap stick, lipstick, and/or eye drops. These should all be placed in your quart sized baggie.

Check out TSA's holiday travel tips. I learned a couple of things.

Packing for a weekend getaway

My challenge for this weekend getaway was to fit everything in one small carry-on bag. When you're traveling to a casual beach front community, it does make packing a little easier.

Here's my four day packing list:

• white tee shirt
• orange tee shirt
• patterned tee shirt
• black tank
• brown sweater set
• blue jeans
• khaki pants
• khaki shorts
• brown slip-on shoes
• black flip flops
• bathing suit
• lounge pants with off white tank
• undergarments: 1 per day plus 1 extra
• socks: 1 pair for each travel day plus 1 extra pair
• health and beauty aids

My basic rules for coordinating outfits are to pick a primary color. Then add an additional color or two. For this trip I choose brown/khaki as my primary color and used black and white as my complementary colors. Orange was my extra color.

Now how do you get all this in one tiny bag? Roll the garments! I layer all my shirts on top of each other and then roll them up starting from the bottom hem. Pants are folded lengthwise and rolled up starting from the bottom.





Extra tips: Place all undergarments in a gallon sized clear zip top bag (Do you want TSA agents touching your "unmentionables"?).

All health and beauty aids should be placed in one quart sized clear zip top bag.