Syncing/mirroring data/preferences/apps between macbook pro and air

This was probably already asked hundreds of times – but after extensive google search I still haven't found a solution that would satisfy me;
It is about syncing ...
To be more precise: I work on two macs (in my case a macbook pro and a macbook air) and I want to  have kind of "mirrored systems";
I want to have the same apps across the two systems with the same preferences
And of course I don't want to set it up all manually.
And programs who use librarys to manage the underlying data (like iPhoto, Together, iTunes etc.) should be synced across the two macs.
Is that even possible?
I tried the dropbox solution for application preferences (copying the preference-files to dropbox and create simlinks in the preference folders).
But it seemed like this would lead dropbox to constantly uploading and syncing stuff (which is not necessary since I don't work on the two machines 'simultaneously') ...
Also it feels like a hacky solution which at some point could easily break.
So I thought about time machine.
But I heard that it is really slow – and I only have 128 gb on my macbook air.
Therefore I actually don't want to sync every application and every data-folder.
So what is the best solution for these problems?
Is time machine really so slow? Can't you tell the macbook air to only 'restore' part of the newest backup (made on the pro)?
What other solutions are there?
I use the macbook air when I have to travel – so I don't need a perfect sync constantly – but before I leave the house with the air I want to get it synced properly (but as I said, not everything because it wouldn't fit on the ssd of the air) ...

Yes. You can use File Sharing between the two computers together with an appropriate backup/sync utility.
File Sharing on Macs
Mac 101- File sharing

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