Happy Mother’s Day everyone! For me, brunch on the couch is the new breakfast in bed (that happens when you get to sleep in until 10:30!), but we’re not going all out today because we have enough to look forward to this week because….(drumroll)… we leave for Panama in two days!
Pilferers and squatters need not attempt to track down our home. It will be occupied in our absence, and of course there’s the moat with the alligator that we keep just hungry enough.
So now I’m doing something that before child I’d always saved until the morning of, even the hour of departure… packing. Packing for Panama is not like packing for any beach. It’s a rainforest climate, which means SERIOUS humidity. You think we have it here in the South? Well, my friend who lives down there says she tries not to spend more than $10 on a dress, because unfortunately they don’t last very long down there. Everything is wet all the time. So with that in mind, she recommended swimsuits, quick-drying, moisture-wicking clothes, and well, that’s about it!
We’re staying at an amazing eco resort called Casa Cayuco, which is (at post time) the number two spot on TripAdvisor’s list of B&Bs and Inns on Panama’s Isla Bastimentos.
So packing clothing was a no-brainer:
- 3 swim suits (two-pieces that I can mix and match)
- 1 gauzy sundress
- 1 gauzy, hangy tank top
- 1 quick-dry skirt
- 1 moisture-wicking short-sleeve shirt with UV protection
- 1 moisture-wicking, quick dry hoodie with UV protection
- 1 pair of running shorts (more for lounging or hiking than running, but they’re that quick-dry material)
- 1 rain jacket (essential!)
- 1 pair of thin cropped PJ pants
- 1 cotton tank to sleep in (no quick-dry PJs in my arsenal)
- 1 cute, short nightie (this is our first trip as a couple without Jed since he was born!)
- 1 pair of flip flops
- 1 pair of Chacos for hiking, more active endeavors
And it all fits into half the space of my LeSportsac Weekender duffel:
Now the question is, will my skin and sun care regimen fit into the other half of my duffel? My skin is riddled with “beauty marks” that range from pre-pre-cancerous to pre-cancerous, so I am extra careful in the sun. So besides my straw fedora, which I think I can pull off (no matter what Dave says), I also bought a slew of different products to take down there. My friend Sue swears by coconut oil for a lot of uses, and I’m excited to try out any natural, local alternative to what I bring, but we are at least a 45 minute boat ride to any store, so I need to come prepared.
$7.99 – avon.com. I’m not a huge Avon person, but when it comes to bug spray, their SkinSoSoft is my first stop. And this one has SPF 30. Win, win!
$10 – burtsbees.com. I have sensitive skin, so when it comes to my face I use baby products. If it’s sensitive enough for baby, it’s gentle enough for me.
$4.99 – drugstore.com. Found this at Amazing Savings, picked it up as a back-up. If you’re not from Asheville, then you don’t know how amazing the savings truly are:)
$2.99 – albabotanica.com. Once on a Bahamas boat trip I forgot my SPF lip balm for one day and looked like Mick Jagger for the next four. Never again.
$13 – kissmyface.com. Another Amazing purchase. Skeptical about using oil, but it is SPF 30, so we shall see.
Raveled 