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Fun Ways to Organize Travel

Summer Packing Tips

Hello all!

Happy Wednesday! I hope this past week has been filled with sunshine, nights grilling, lemonade and maybe even some fruit salad. There’s nothing quite that says summer like eating outside with some fresh food and good conversations-summer nights are a favorite for me!

Nothing says summer like grilling lunch or dinner.

 Another thing that completes my summer is getting away, whether it’s for a family vacation, a girl’s trip or even just an overnight. Taking some time off always gives you the chance to recharge and return to your everyday life feeling refreshed, relaxed and maybe even a little tanner.

Before you jet off, you may need to complete that to-do list before it’s vacay time- which includes packing. Some people may dread packing, but I enjoy it. I do dread the unpacking when I return home, haha. Whenever I get home from a trip, I immediately start unpacking, putting things away and starting laundry. To me, there’s nothing better than everything back in its place when you get home.

 There’s something fun about planning and being intentional with what you need and what you want to bring on a trip. You can also have some fun picking out things you may not wear every day, like different dresses, bolder jewelry or brighter shoes. It can also get stressful especially if you are packing for more than one person. Whether you are packing overnight for one, or a week-long trip for a family of five, here’s some tips for efficient packing that will have you feeling relaxed before you even leave home.

  • Make a List-It may sound cliche, but make a list of everything you need, from clothes, makeup, medicines, even things you bring in your purse or carry-on. I typically create a list on my phone so I can reference it throughout the trip and make sure I have everything before heading back home. I write everything down I take, even to the amount of things I’m taking, so I can just do a visual check of things before I leave. This also comes in handy if you are staying at more than one place over the course of your trip. Make a list and check it twice before you bounce from place to place. Plus, if you have children, keeping a list of things you are packing for them in addition to yourself makes things even easier for travel.
An example of a packing list(mine are more detailed but this just an example)
  • Don’t overpack-It can be easy to overpack especially when it comes to clothes and shoes. You may think to bring outfits for different meals, events or activities and think you will wear them, only to wear one outfit for a day and not change for dinner or other activities. I always try to be intentional with what I am packing, but I always bring a neutral outfit as a backup. This can be an easy t-shirt dress that can be worn for a dinner or outing, or an extra pair of short if you will be doing lots of outdoor activities or walking. I always, always, always bring an extra white t-shirt, it can go with pretty much anything (jeans, shorts, even skirts and it never hurts to have a backup in case an accident happens0hello stains!).
Having an easy tee shirt dress always comes in handy when away and it travels well too!
  • Use it or Lose it-This is one of my favorite rules, whenever I travel, I always try to use products that are almost out, so I can toss it when I’m away and come back to fresh products. So, what does this mean exactly? If I’m really low on full size products (i.e. face wash, toothpaste, lotion, I will take them with them and use the remainder of them and toss them when I’m away so I can come home to fresh and full products. Now, this doesn’t always work out with products, but when it does, it’s always a win!
A few examples of things that I’ll try to use up on a trip.
  • Use Free Samples-Now, let’s say you don’t have any products that are close to being done to bring on vacation and you prefer to use travel size things, here’s a fun suggestion, when traveling take the time to use free sample products. Whether it’s through Ulta Beauty or wherever you get your beauty products, I’m sure you have accumulated your fair share of sample products, use any free samples you have on vacation to see if it’s something worth investing in, whether it be serums, body lotions, face washes, or different color pallets for makeup. While you are away you can try out new products and if you love them, great, if not, you can toss them before you come home. By using your free samples while you are away, it forces you to use your products you have besides having them sit there and it gives you a chance to try new products too
An example of some free samples that I can’t wait to try when I go away.
  • Be present and have fun! I know this may sound like no brainer, but after planning and organizing there’s nothing better than really unwinding while on vacation. Take the time to unplug, put the phone down and be present where you are at and enjoy it.
Sweet summertime!

Those are just a few tips and tricks that help me for when I travel, not just in the summer but all year around. For those frequent flyers and road trippers, what are your top tips for travel? Let me know in the comments below! 

Until next week, happy traveling!

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Travel

Packing for a Trip Overseas

Hi All!

Happy Thursday! I hope you had a great weekend. I had a fun weekend full of hanging out with friends, going to a semi-formal dance (my last one in college), and volunteering. Overall, it was a well-balanced weekend full of lots of fun. More about that on Thursday. 

Are you tired of my posts about traveling and Rome?! Well, I have one last post for you today about travel and then it will be back to my regular posts about college living. After traveling over Spring Break, I have definitely got the travel bug and I am eager for my next adventure. I’ve already made a list of places I want to go and things I want to see and in order to travel more you need to pack smart. Today’s post is all going to be about travel must haves. This post is going to be geared more towards traveling overseas, but a lot of the things I will talk about can be used when traveling by plane, train, or car. Here are my top 5 tips for traveling abroad. 

  • Leave Extra Space

No matter the size of your suitcase or the length of the trip, leave extra space for souvenirs or things you may bring back with you. When I left for Rome, I only had half of my large suitcase packed, I knew I would be buying gifts for people when I was away and wanted to make sure I had the space to buy what I wanted without the stress of not having enough room to bring it back. Also, be sure to weigh your luggage before you leave, you don’t want to pay extra or be forced to move things to other bags. Thankfully, I didn’t buy too much stuff that this was a problem but I had friends who had to put things in their carry-on or other people’s carry-ons since they didn’t have enough room in their own luggage. 

My organized suitcase-half the suitcase is open space
  • Put Important Things in Your Carry-On

If you have a long trip planned and you have a checked bag, be sure to have the essentials with you in case your luggage gets lost. I have never had to deal with lost luggage and I hope I never have to, but just in case I always pack a few essentials in my carry-on.

These essentials include an extra outfit (Just a simple t-shirt and leggings-but when we arrived we didn’t have access to our luggage before we headed out so I was glad I could put on a fresh shirt), my tooth brush and tooth paste (you can call my crazy but yes, in order to make sure I got some sleep on the plane and in order to do that I went through my nighttime routine, which included taking off my makeup-yes I reapplied the next day, brushing my teeth and wearing an eye mask to get some shut eye on the plane) make up wipes (to remove my makeup), my basic makeup (I had all my stuff in my suitcase but I had my mascara and concealer just to brighten up my face when we landed), some medicine (just in case I got a headache or needed help sleeping-I wanted to make sure I had it with me 

Up close of my Suitcase
  • Dress in Layers 

This is a must have when traveling on flights, if you are a frequent flyer or flying for the first time, you never know how hot or cold the plane will be especially if it’s a red eye or international flight. Dressing in layers also saves spaces in your luggage too. For this trip, I wore a blanket scarf when traveling and it was the best decision. We left Pittsburgh when it was snowing so I wanted to dress warmly. I also wore a three- quarter zip sweatshirt and had a north face jacket on. Yes, it may seem like a lot but I was comfortable when I tried to sleep and I wasn’t too hot, but if I did get a bit warm, I had layers which was helpful. My blanket scarf could also double as a blanket or pillow when I tried to sleep. Layers is best when traveling. 

My Purse-All Organized
  • Be Clean

I am a neat freak and when it comes to traveling and planes, I try to be as clean as possible. I made sure I brought wet wipes with me to make sure I could clean my seat, tray table and arm rest on the plane. This gave me comfort that the area I would be sitting at for the next several hours were as clean as possible. Germs are everywhere so having hand sanitizer is a must too. There are so many germs in an enclosed space. 

My Carry-On all packed
  • Necessary Items

I hadn’t thought to pack these things at first but when I did, they were a game changer. First, plastic bags were a must. Not only are the great for storing shoes to make sure they didn’t get on your clothes, but they were super useful for separating dirty clothes with lights and darks. I had a few plastic bags and had them separated with lights and darks so when I got back I just had to pop them in the washer. Ziploc baggies are also super important to have on hand especially when storing small items like jewelry or makeup in your carry-on.

All Packed for my Next Adventure

I am by no means a professional traveler and I don’t have all the answers, but these five tips did wonders for me and were so helpful when I traveled abroad. What are you must haves or tips for traveling? Leave them in the comments below! See you on Thursday for a fun look of the day!

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Fabulous living Fun Ways to Organize Travel

Weekend Away Essentials

Last week, I blogged about my weekend trip to Chicago! I love to travel, and I try to take any opportunity available to me to travel whether it’s near or far. Throughout, my weekend away I made mental notes of things I want to remember when it comes to future traveling, especially for a college student on a budget. Here are my must haves for weekend adventures:

  • Don’t over-pack. Yes, it may seem tempting to pack several cute outfits and figure out what to wear when you get there, but that’s not the answer. Pack simple and efficient. For example, for my trip I packed one pair of jeans, a few different tops to alternate, an outfit to wear at night, and two pairs of shoes, as well as comfortable clothes for traveling. I wanted to make sure I had the essentials and things to mix and match for the weekend. Although, I didn’t look the cutest in all my photos wearing my north face, jeans, and sneakers, I was very comfortable walking several miles each day. I also packed pretty simple when it came to luggage. I had a duffel bag, small tote, and cross-body. The small tote came in very handy for the souvenirs I bought while I was away.

All packed! Simple but efficient

  • Plan accordingly for traveling. We drove down to Chicago over night on a bus, so I made sure I was comfortable for the long bus ride, therefore I made sure I brought a blanket and pillow for the bus. This came in extremely useful when I was able to sleep a few hours driving down. The same goes for flying, planes are notorious for being chilly, be sure to throw an extra sweatshirt or socks in your carry on so you aren’t freezing your whole flight. Overall, be sure to pack for your destination and any accessories that may come along with it.

It’s was very chilly in the Windy City. The weather was in the 30’s the whole weekend so i was bundled up. Yes, it may not look super cute, but I was very warm

  • Make a Plan. When we found out that we were going to Chicago, my friend and I made sure we had a plan of things we wanted to get done and when. There is nothing worse than going to a new city for the first time and not knowing what to do or where to go. Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions of places to try. I have several friends who live in the Chicago area, so I made sure to get their opinions on their favorite spots. This helps to ensure you get the authentic experience while being in the city.

I found these tricks to be most helpful while traveling for a weekend away. Do you prefer weekend getaways or week-long vacations? What helpful hints do you have for trips? Let me know in comments below!

Have a happy Tuesday!!