The Survivalist Post #6 | Christmas Prep & Packing Bags

Welcome to a fairly short and unprepared post today! I totally did not prepare anything to write about today so I will be telling you a few things that you might find useful...or not. Enjoy!

Christmas Prep
I don't know about you, but I LOVE Christams! And that is almost exactly a week away from today!!! YAY! Anyway, in order to be less stressed I have been doing a lot of my baking this past week and making up cookie dough and freezing it so all I have to do Sunday or Monday is pull out the dough, pop it on the pan and stick it in the oven! No extra mess, no fuss, still have fresh cookies! Sounds perfect right? Well you can check out how to do that for yourself here!

Not only have I been doing a lot of baking ahead of time, but I've already wrapped all the store bought presents and have most of the homemade gifts made! I even wrote a tutorial for how to wrap beautiful presents here! Are you a last minute gal? I used to be, but not anymore...but in case you are here are a few simple DIY gift ideas which make a lovely present but don't cost a lot and won't take a lot of your time either:

White Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
Perfect for the non-baker who wants to have baked treats without the extra work!



Hot Chocolate Mix.
A simple recipe which is a lovely addition to any gift!
Also, see how I've wrapped hot chocolate in packages this year!



Some great ideas which only take a few hours!
There's plenty of time left before Christmas so pick a project out and make one!

Vacation/Travel Prep
I will be going on a short trip, of sorts, to get a few things straightened out with my car wreck case and some other business...I've been preparing things and packing all week. It is so unlike me to be a few days away from leaving and not have everything done! You can be sure it is bugging me. I thought I would share a few tips for packing/preparing for a trip ahead of time:

~make lists! Start days before you leave so you will have plenty of time to think of everything you'll need and so less will be forgotten or left behind when you go!
~open up your suitcase. Start packing the items you can from your list. Scratch them out once their packed and DON'T remove any packed items so your list will be right.
~print out directions/maps for the trip days ahead of time so you can look over everything and make sure you have what you need.
~pack snack foods. Usually these are easy to eat items which don't have to be refrigerated so you can go ahead and pack them up and set them in a pile by your suitcase. The more packing you get done ahead of time the less stress you'll have the day you leave.
~The night before you leave (if you're leaving the next morning, for example) fill up the car with gas, pack everything into the car that you can, and make sure to include a few water bottles & some WalMart sacks for collecting trash!

I'm sure I'll come up with some more helpful tips, but for now this is what I've got! What do you do to prepare for a trip? What things do you pack besides the obvious of clothes & food?