WHAT’S IN MY BAG: DERBY EDITION

I’M HEADED TO CHURCHILL DOWNS IN THE A.M. TOMORROW!

ERRRMERGERRRRHD!!!

But most of you already know that, if you follow me on Insta or Twitter.  I know, I know, I’ve been procrastinating making it “blog official”, but the past couple of weeks have been CRAY-CRAY busy.

I am super excited to be crossing off an item on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list, I cannot tell you how honored I am to have been asked to attend!  Cottonelle (yes, the TP company) is hosting a Green Room at the Derby, where women can come in to touch up their make-up and hair, charge their phones, and enjoy refreshments throughout the day before the race!  Cottonelle invited me and three other blogger ladies to cover all the happenings of the day, as well as  what goes into the getting ready process for Derby!

But  toilet paper and Derby???

 

I can see the confused looks on your faces from my desk, and I know this because I too had the same expression on my face when I read the email!  Let me put it this way:

Cottonelle is wanting to have a, um, fresh perspective on party-like occasions, so instead of having to bum around interviewing a flush of people at the Derby they decided that us fashionable gals would give a much more clean feel for the Derby activities…

…….

PHEW, glad I got that out of my system! 😀

Ok, I’ll put a lid on it…..

When it comes to getting ready for Derby, there are posts upon posts about finding the right dress, whether to pick the hat out and then choose a dress/vice versa, planning the perfect Derby party, dress code for infield vs. dress code for clubhouse, etc., but there are very few posts talking about what type of bag to take and what to put in it.  I did find this post about 10 Things to Pack from a girl who has been three times, so I took a little inspiration from her and came up with my own list.

What I am packing:

1.)  large tote (no larger than 12″x12″)
2.)  smaller clutch
3.)  sunglasses
4.)  iPhone
5.)  Minimergency kit
6.)  lipstick and lip balm
7.)  mini notebook and writing utensils
8.)  pair of flats
9.)  sunscreen
10.)  Cottonelle flushable wipes
11.)  schedule of events
12.)  cash
13.)  business cards

 

Large tote and small clutch-  

After reading a lot of posts from veteran Derby-goers about there experience, they all said the same thing:  pack two bags.  Of course you will want to take a sleek, small clutch that matches your outfit for the day (love this one), but taking a larger tote that will fit all of your extra necessities (like a pair of flats!) is the best idea.  According to the official Security guidelines, the larger tote cannot be bigger than 12″x12″ on either side.  Guess I need to get out my tape measure!

Comfortable flats-

this is basically a no-brainer for me, as my feet are never comfortable in anything else!  I actually have a pair of wedges planned for my outfit, which is a good compromise between heels and flats, but just in case my feet start to complain, my trusty pair of glitter flats will go with my outfit just nicely :).

Cottonelle flushable wipes-

Disposable wipes???  Let me put it this way:  have you ever use a public restroom only to realize (too late) that your throne room is out of royal parchment?

Yeah, me too, more than once. D:  And with Churchill Downs expecting close to 200,000 people to be in attendance on Saturday, odds are that someone will walk into a stall and be left without paper.  And that person will not be ME!

Sunscreen-

With the first post of the day at 10:30am and the “big race” not until after 6, you will probably be getting your fair share of rays.  Do not be caught without wearing sunscreen under your dress, and take a small bottle to refresh it throughout the day.

Minimergency kit-

this is one of those things that has everything in it that you could possibly think of and THEN some when it comes to handling mini-emergencies and mishaps.  Tear in a hemline?  Needle and thread.  Mother Nature decided to pay her monthly visit early?  Blister on your ankle?  Forgot your deodorant?  Hair whispies not in place?  Check, check, and check!

Sunglasses-

because there will be sun.  Duh.

Lipstick and lip balm-

I highly encourage you to wear a lip balm with an SPF underneath your lipstick to ensure that your pink pout doesn’t become a red one ;).

Phone:

make sure your battery is fully charged and you have enough data space to take lots of pictures.  And it wouldn’t be the Kentucky Derby without some Lilly!

Mini notebook and pens-

whether you are a blogger like me, or just wish to jot down some memories from the day, a small notebook is always handy to have on hand.  I get mine at Target because you can’t beat the price!

Business cards and holder-

Since there will be lots of brands and businesses making appearances at the races tomorrow, it is a great to to network network network!  Stash a few cards in a case, and you won’t be caught searching through your wallet or pockets to find one. 🙂

NOT optional:

Cash-

always good to have on hand in any occasion, but all betting windows and roaming vendors do not take plastic, so make sure to stash some cash just in case.

______________________________________________________________

I  know that I probably will not need everything that is on this list, but it is always better to be prepared!  Hopefully for those of you who are going, this might put your mind (and nerves) at ease so you don’t have to worry about being caught up stream without a paddle.

Make sure to follow along tomorrow as I head to Churchill Downs to see all the behind the scenes action!  Potential celebrity sightings, big hats, Mint Juleps….I still have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming!  All the happenings will be under the hashtag #letstalkbums, so stay connected

And if you happen to be there tomorrow don’t be shy, COME SAY HI!!!  I’d love to meet you 😀

Stay Classy!