Tag: tips and tricks

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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!

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

Life Hacks

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! I hope your week is going well.

Last week, I went to visit my friend, Sydney for dinner and whenever I take a road trip, I always like to listen to podcasts. My favorite podcast that I listen to every week is Emily Ley’s Simplified podcast. The episodes are typically 30 minutes or less and they are packed with guests, life lessons, and tips to live a simplified life. If you are looking for a new podcast, this is it.

My favorite podcast.

When I’m in the car and on a road trip I love listening to The Bestie Breakdown. Two of my favorite bloggers, Shay Shull and Erika Slaughter share everything about life, travel, fashion, and kids. If you are looking for a fun podcast that will guarantee you laughs, this is perfect for you. I was listening to one of their podcasts where they talked about their favorite life hacks, they offered so many great suggestions that it got me thinking about some of my life hacks. 

This one is great for road trips

 When life gets busy, especially in the spring and summer, I crave order and stability even more. In order for my day to run smoother there’s a few tricks that I incorporate into my daily routine. I also reached out to some of my closests friends and family for their favorite life hacks too. This is a mix of things for at home or at work or on the go.

Five Life Hacks

  • Quick way to clean pots- Pots can be a challenge to clean out especially if you are cooking with cheese, lots of oils, or if you burn something. Instead of spending lots of time scrubbing out the pots after dinner, drop a cascade pod in the pot and fill it with warm water. Let it soak and then rinse, it does a great job giving it a good cleaning and it saves you time from scrubbing.

  • Quick way to clean grills or waffle makers- Making a panini with a panini maker or using a George Foreman grill to cook chicken or a waffle maker are all fun and games until you have to clean them out. Food can become trapped in the holes and on the grill. An easy way to clean it after you are done is by taking a wet paper towel and placing it on the grill or waffle maker after you finish using it, you get it cleaned easily and it saves the wear and tear on your appliances.

  • Never forget a coupon- If you are like me, I’m sure you get coupons or rewards offers in your email all the time. You may get excited by it but then forget about it and you lose out on the money. A new way I have been keeping track of rewards and coupons is by putting the expiration date on my calendar. Whenever I get a coupon or reward in my email that I want to use, I automatically add the date it expires in the calendar on my phone. Once a week when I’m planning out my week, I transfer all my digital dates and appointments to my Simplified planner. This is a way for me to keep all my long-term dates in one spot and not get too overwhelmed by the day to day stuff. You can read about my system here. 
An example of my online calendar.
  • Always keep in your car- Something I always keep in my car is stamps. I know mailing letters isn’t as popular anymore but when you do have to pay that bill, send that birthday card or drop something off in the mailbox, having stamps on hand is key.

  • One load a day – If you live in a big family like I do, I’m sure you have loads and loads of laundry. I’m still living at home and one of the ways I try to help out is by doing the laundry. With a lot of people under one roof, the laundry can get overwhelming. As a way to manage it, I try to follow the one load a day philosophy. Every day, I do a load of laundry, on weekends there may be more, but by doing a load a day, it helps me stay on top of it and not get overwhelmed.

Those are just five easy life hacks that I follow and that help my life run smoother. What are some of your top life hacks?!