La Vie En Rose for 2006 September 13

(1) Wed Sep 13 2006 11:53 PST The New Age of Packing: Seeking advice and maybe giving some.

Here is an article that mentions LUSH shampoo bars (found in LUSH cosemtics) which reminds me of a topic that I and I know plenty of others have given a lot of consideration over the past few weeks. I know a lot of people who are confirmed carry-oners. I am not. For a number of reasons, the most obvious of which is that often I'm going places for a length of time that requires an amount of stuff not permitted for carry-on. With my newly re-affirmed vow of packing as lightly as ever possible, I have been puzzling over this, but the fact remains that I'll never be carrying on a bag on a long trip to, say, Europe, because I am too dependant on my swiss-army knife and probably dozens of other things that are banned for carry-ons, but I won't think of them till I am in the middle of packing. So there is that.

But for shorter trips, say 2 weeks, espcially within the US, I doo like to carry-on, and with the new rules that seems hopeless. I have puzzled and puzzled and everytime I come up with a new solution (usually involving LUSH) I think of something else.

Sumana has mentioned tooth powder to replace toothpaste, which seems reasonable and I'll have to check it out even if I do end up checking. As I'm afraid I will.
Long have a been an advocate of solid shampoo for travel and ordinary usage.
LUSH also has solid conditioner. Which can also be used as shaving cream. And a leave-in/ styling cream.
Massage bars can be used as lotion.
Those facial cleansing wipes can be used as facewash AND body wash plus you save room not having to carry around pouffy sponge, but soap was never really a problem to replace since it's so easy to get nice ones in bar form. I guess that's more a hint for people who are into multi-tasking their toiletries like I am. (Shampoo bars also make great body-wash and, as the website points out, laundry soap. I washed my clothes with Godiva for 6 weeks). Of course, I'm a little weary of the quality of the cleanser in those facial wipes, I'm afraid it might make me break out, but since I can't seem to tell what makes me break out these days, my skin just breaks out whenever it wants, I can't see how using this for a week or so will make too much of a difference. And there's always the TimeWise cleansing bar.
But here is where the puzzle breaks down. I'm very picky about my moisturizer and what gets put on my face, any old lotion won't do, and it should have sunscreen in it, and it certainly doesn't come in solid form. I'm not putting massage bar on my face. I suppose I could just buy some when I get where I'm going (this is the fall-back solution but it would be unwise, I think, to spend $30 on all new toiletries that you wouldn't be able to take back with you, just so you don't have to check you bag. But maybe one or two items) but that would mean satisfying myself with a drugstore moisturizer, not likely. I'm sure the powers that be are busily working out a solution to this in their labs. I hope. If I already exsists I certainly don't know about it.
Then there's makeup. I can live without foundation, and it comes in solid form anyway. Lip balm is allowed, thank goodness, so I assume lipstick is too, but maybe not lipgloss. What about mascara? Perfume I can also do without, and there's always LUSH's temple balms.
I also like to take Febreeze on a trip but I suppose that's out.
I wonder if towelettes are allowed. I mean, you can squeeze them and drops of liquid come out.
The list just grows and so does the headache.

(6) Wed Sep 13 2006 15:30 PST Vote: What should I be for Halloween? Ginny is out, I was her last time (and the time before), so I was thinking VAD or ambulance driver... ambulance driver would be easier but VAD could be cuter. Or I could be something that didn't make me look like a total nerd for once. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Wed Sep 13 2006 21:38 PST Phil Angelides is my choice for Governor: Says an email from Wes Clark. Mine, too. His name was on the student loan check that arrived in the mail today. (Not that that has anything to do with anything, and not that I'm going to use it for anything but paying off the interest on my other student loans before it compounds.)