Packing It In

I went on holiday and in my suitcase I packed:
A carefully packaged 60th birthday present in a brightly coloured box with a gold bow squished into the corner under a pile of socks.
Two very heavy bags of peanut butter M and Ms and strawberry Twizzlers.
A black brimmed straw and velvet hat which perfectly matches the outfit I am wearing for Saturday's barmitzvah. A 30-year-old black beret to wear when black brimmed hat comes out of suitcase looking like it has been ravaged by wolves.
A little black cocktail dress with silver shoes and purse rammed into a carrier bag in the hopes it won't all need dry cleaning when I unpack.
One recently repaired silver Tiffany chain because for some reason Orphan No 2 couldn't get this done in the U.K.
One microplane (suitable for grating chocolate) because they are so much cheaper here in the U.S. than in England.
Oh, and in any gaps the odd pair of jeans etc so I actually have something else to wear during our five night stay.
In my lifetime I have seen many TV programmes and read many magazine articles telling you the best way to pack for trips abroad. It usually amounts to a pair of sandals, a floppy sun hat and a sarong that can be worn 14 different ways (15 if you include turning it inside out and sewing on sequins at the last minute). No where have I ever seen the best way to pack a microplane and a month's supply of sweets!
So for this short stay I am taking my largest suitcase, a handbag and my laptop, pushed into it's case with enough adaptors to light up the national grid. The good news is this time we are going out on a day flight. The bad news is we take off at 9 a.m. so will have leave home around 5 a.m. We then have four days chasing around before returning home. The irony is I think I really need a holiday!