Packing diaries: A week in Florida with no checked bags

It will come as no surprise that I DESPISE paying for checked bags on a flight. I will make many compromises not to do so, such as wearing the same thing more than once, or doing laundry while I'm on vacation, or even shipping items to my destination via the postal system. (It's often less expensive and you have less to travel with.) This Christmas, we went to Florida (including Disney World - not scrappy, but a wonderful gift from the grandparents) for 7 days. I was very proud that everyone in my family was up to the challenge of packing with just one free "personal item" to avoid the fees both to and from our destination.

Ahh...that $0 makes my heart sing....and made spending $200 in airport dining not feel quite as painful. There's also something about having everything I need within eyeshot at all times while traveling that feels somehow comforting to me.

The contents of what we packed in our bags always feels deeply uninteresting to me, but people always want to know what we brought for the week, so here you go! For me: 1 pair of pajamas; 1 sweater; 1 pants romper; 4 dresses; 1 bathing suit; 1 beach cover-up; and undergarments.

For the kids: 4 shirts; 4 shorts; 1 pair of pants; 2 pjs; 2 bathing suits; goggles; crocs/sandals.

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Oh, and of course....a full Minnie Mouse costume.

Everything else was either on our bodies or our feet during our flight. We did laundry half-way through, and I never once wished I had anything more. I even had a dress I never ended up wearing! So in a way, I guess I over-packed.