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What’s in My Grab Bag? | Dammam Edition

Every now and then, when my husband has to report to work in Khobar or Dammam, I tag along for the ride. I usually ask him to drop me off at a mall or Starbucks where I can happily entertain myself for hours. But this time, he had a 2-day work assignment and was entitled to a hotel stay. And guess what—we picked Ascott! 



Why Ascott? Because it feels homey (I actually used to work for Ascott!), and also… drumroll… they have bathtubs! I recently bought tub essentials—a bath tray and a tub pillow—and the only thing I was missing was an actual tub. hahaha! So this was my chance to finally put those bath goodies to use!


Anyway, every time I go on these little ride-along trips, I pack a trusty grab bag—a curated collection of things to keep me entertained because I’m a firm believer that only boring people get bored. Hahaha. Sorry to anyone who’s bored. 


So for today’s post, I’m sharing what I packed in my grab bag for this Dammam trip. Middle of writing about our room, I realized I’ll save all the hotel room details for a separate blog post because… Ascott deserves its own moment.  For now, here’s a sneak peek of my crafting corner in our room:



The Bag of Choice



I usually bring my very loud, very colorful Jansport backpack (pink, yellow, blue, purple, green—you name it). It was a gift from my husband 14 years ago, back when we were still bf-gf. But on a recent Starbucks visit, I realized it might be a bit much. Picture this: me in a bright pink blouse, with a big neon backpack, walking into a sea of all-male customers. So this time, I toned it down and brought my black Pacsafe backpack—a 2022 purchase that we originally got for my work laptop. It’s antitheft, with the main zipper tucked securely at the back. Love it.


What’s in the Outer Pocket?

  • Mi Portable Photo Printer (blogged about it here!)

  • Ugreen 4-in-1 Adaptor – Bought during last Eid Sale for SAR 99 / PHP 1500 on Amazon. It has one USB port and 3 micro USC of which you may use one for laptops and tablets!

  • Apple Watch and iPhone charging cords

  • Collapsible cup – for watercoloring on-the-go. Yes, I’m that extra.



What’s in the Main Compartment?





Opening the main compartment feels like opening my high school bag. Not college, oddly. High school. 😂


  • My MacBook – My LIFE laptop. We got this before moving to Saudi. I barely used it then  because at work, I was still using my Windows laptop. After I officially resigned, I adjusted and struggled big time using this. Switching between Windows and Mac daily? Major respect to people who can do that. It's like when I had an android office given phone while I was using an iPhone for my LIFE phone. Hard.



  • Watercolor Goodies (an international watercolor set up! hehe!)


    • Watercolor Paper – from Bahrain Touch of Art

    • Everyday Watercolor Book – I got this from KSA Jarir months ago. I planned to start it on April 1 (even posted an IG story!), but between the Bee Happy Anniversary Weeklies and Globe GCash testing, I didn’t get past the first page. Let’s try again this July.

    • Himi Paint Brushes – won from KM Calantas’ Bee Happy birthday raffle! I won this, a Himi Gouache Twin Cups Set, and a Himi Foldable Paint Palette all from Bee Happy Philippines!



    • Watercolor Set – also from Jarir. 



  • My Planner and my PaperMate pencil case – already blogged about it here!


  • iPad – Currently rewatching Cold Case on Prime Video. It’s my go-to background series while crafting or ironing.




So yes, I can totally kill time and not get bored. I think that’s one of the things I’ve been most proud of since moving to Saudi—finding joy in the little things, staying creative, and always having something to do. And to be honest, between all my hobbies and life life-ing, I feel like I do not have enough time! There are still so much I want to do! hihihi!


Stay tuned for my next blog post where I’ll gush all about our cozy Ascott suite (and yes, my bubble bath dreams finally coming true)!  


Ohh and maybe I'll make a regular bag what's in my handbag blog too!


Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 2, 2025 at 11:09 PM

    "Switching between Windows and Mac daily? Major respect to people who can do that." - That would be me! Haha - Your favorite seastar

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BeaBooJuly 2, 2025 at 11:31 PM

      Having a hard time with both Windows and Mac? Who could that be? 😆

      Delete
  2. BeaBooJuly 2, 2025 at 11:34 PM

    Minus the laptop, your grab bag is the same as Sabi's grab bag (just missing a pouch of makeups) 😆

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM

    How I wish I could have a grab bag like yours- stuffed and well equipped that there will never be a dull moment. There’s always something to do. “It’s not in the bag, it’s what’s in the bag. “ There’s something guaranteed to be achieved.
    -aMOMymous

    ReplyDelete

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