Tag: travel tips

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Travel

Helpful Travel Hacks and Hints

Hi everyone and happy October. I hope your next few weeks are filled with fall fun, whether it be in the form of decorating, warm foods, walks, or corn mazes.

I’ve been spending as much time as I can outdoors while the weather is still nice.

I have been in a season of travel, from longer trips to weekend getaways and have been picking up some travel hacks along the way. 

If you are in a season of travel too or preparing for one with the holidays approaching, here’s some helpful hints I have picked up.

  • Packing Cubes– These packing cubes have been a game changer for me, especially for longer travels. I used packing cubes when I went to Rome and I fit so much in my carry-on. I had more than enough space for souvenirs to bring back and for all my clothes. They are also great for keeping dirty and clean clothes separated during and after your trip.
  • Travel Size Inventory- I have talked a lot about using sample beauty products when traveling. This is a great opportunity to use products you may be hesitant to try at home. I also try to use products that I am almost out of it and can throw away when I am away to save space coming back and to come home to fresh and fully stocked products. My motto is use it lose it!
  • Make a List and Take a Photo– I always make a list of what to pack when I leave whether it’s for a week or an overnight trip. I like to keep it in my phone, so I always have it with me. It also makes it easier when checking things off to make sure you have everything when you return. If you are a more visual person, lay out everything you want to bring and snap a photo. When you are ready to come home, check the photo to make sure everything is accounted for.
  • Pick a Color Scheme– I always try to be mindful when I am packing and that comes in the form of what I am bringing. I tend to choose a color scheme and stick with it. For example, in Italy, I wore black, white and red. This helped mix and match outfits and shoes. For a recent weekend away, I chose blue and white with a few accent colors, they were all neutral which made it easy to mix and match clothing items. Choosing a color scheme also made packing easier when you are only looking for a few colors, plus it helps with jewelry and accessories.
Black and white was my go-to colors for Italy
  • Bring an Empty Water Bottle– If you are flying or driving, bring an empty water bottle. This is very helpful when flying and you get thirsty as there are always places to refill your cups. If you are driving, it doesn’t hurt to have a cup to fill up at gas stations or rest stops, plus it saves you money and helps the environment.
This travel mug came in handy for a weekend out of town
  • Be Mindful of Your Bags– Think practicality over cute. I tend to be practical with what bags and luggage I am using, but I have fallen victim to choosing cute over practical and I faced the consequences. Rolling suitcases and backpacks may be the smarter decision when flying as opposed to totes. However, a tote could be great for a road trip for easy access for snacks and toys for kids. Always be thinking about what’s the best option for organization and practicality.
Practical for flying
Not as practical for flying…lesson learned

There you have it, some helpful hints that I have picked up when traveling. I am by no means an expert, so I am always open to new ideas. Tell me: what are some of your travel tips and advice? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Travels!

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Fabulous living Fun Ways to Organize

Barrington Tote Review

Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday!

I hope you have been soaking up the summer and had a smooth week so far. This month has been a mix of summer fun Fridays with activities and day trips, nights spent grilling with family, taking walks after work and sneaking in every bit of sunshine! My calendar hasn’t been too packed which has given me space to enjoy the simple moments of summer and love it!

I have taken some day trips and one of my must-haves is a big tote bag. Last week, in my post about travel tips, I talked about how I got a Barrington Tote bag for my birthday and how much I have been loving it.

Me and my new tote for my birthday!

I’ve had it for almost a month and have used it multiple times, so it’s time for a proper review.

I’ve heard about the Barrington company for years, but wanted to wait for the right time to make the purchase. When I saw Barrington was collaborating with Simplified, I knew this was the time. After lots of research and online browsing, I decided to go for the St. Anne’s Tote with no zipper in Happy Stripe with a pink monogram and it was the best purchase for me.

If you are debating on making a big purchase, like a new purse or tote (whether it’s through Barrington or another brand), do your homework. Figure out what you have a need for, what do you want the purpose of your purse to be (a dainty purse, a tote, another accessory?) There are so many different brands and styles, it can get overwhelming. 

From there figure out what pattern speaks to you or goes best with the purpose of your purse. Are you looking for a year-long bag or one just for a season?

Lastly, decide how you want to accessorize it with a monogram and color options. This is the fun part, feel free to get creative.

After you get your purse order and it arrives, it’s time to try out your new tote.

Here’s a few things I love about my Barrington Tote. 

Ready for a day errands
  • The size- I love the size of the St. Anne’s tote. It can fit so much and things are still organized with pockets in the inside. For a day running errands or heading to the office, I can fit a laptop ( I have a Mac Book Air), my planner, a legal pad, a book, packages to mail, a few smaller pouches and some odds and ends.
A look in the inside
  • The durability-I brought it on some road trips and had it in and out of cars and places and I wasn’t worried about hurting it. I could easily find everything I needed to bring without having to go on a deep dive in my purse. I brought a hoodie, extra clothes, a pillow, snacks and some toiletries and more small pouches and everything had a home.
Everything I needed for an overnight trip fits in here.
  • The interior pockets- Having interior pockets makes it so much easier to find things and store things too, from chargers, to sunglasses and wallets.
  • The print- I love the colors, pattern, and monogram. The pattern is called Happy Stripe and it sure makes me happy.

I went back and forth between wanting a zipper or not, I have totes with both zippers and non-zippers and ultimately decided to not to go with a zipper and I’m glad I did. For the reasons, I use this purse, it’s been easier to not have a zipper.

I have been so happy with my purchase of my Barrington and Simplified Tote. If you are on the fence about getting one, I can whole heartedly recommend it. I have a few summer trips planned in the coming weeks and I know this tote will be coming with me.

If you have a Barrington purse or tote, what are your thoughts on it? Let me know in the comments below! Have a great rest of your week and I will see you back here on Friday!

Categories
Let's Look Travel

Let’s Look: Best Travel Tips


Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a great week so far!  It’s the second Wednesday of the month which means it’s time for another Let’s Look as I link up with Erika and Shay.

Here’s some of the past prompts. In May, we talked about our morning routines, in April, we talked about pet peeves, in March, we talked about Amazon purchases, in February it was about our medicine cabinets.

As we make our way through summer, one thing you may be doing is heading on a trip, so this month, we are talking about travel tips. I did a post about summer travel tips that you can read here. But here’s a bit of a refresher and some new advice!

I broke down my travel tips for a day trip, weekend away and week long trip. I have been going on lots of day trips recently, so I have it down to a science. All these tips are for road trips in a car, but can be altered for flying.

Day Trip

  • Make a list of everything you plan to bring (I always like to keep it on my phone, so I can reference it- write everything down-from wallet to snacks, even chargers)
An example of a packing list (mine are more detailed but this just an example)
  • Totes and smaller pouches are the best tools. I love to bring a big tote (some of my favorite brands are my new Barrington tote, my Longchamp tote and my Thirty One bags) and then store smaller items like chargers, ear buds, gadgets in the pouches.
  • Always bring the necessities in addition to the fun things. (I always bring extra medicine, a first aid kit, a book, my glasses, some backup makeup, a hoodie or sweater, sunscreen or sunglasses- in the summer, just in case I may need them.)
  • A good road trip isn’t complete without some good snacks and don’t forget bottle water and drinks in case you get stranded in a car.
  • I always pack a backup outfit or blanket in case something happens and a day trip turns into an overnight trip. 
  • I always have a go-bag with extra clothes, toiletries, a blanket and pillow in my trunk.

Weekend Away

  • A lot of the same advice applies to a weekend away as they would to a day trip, but here’s a few extra tips. 
  • I always like to use sample products from toiletries and beauty products when I go away. It’s a way to try different products, see what works, but you don’t have to worry about long-term uses.
An example of some free samples that I can’t wait to try when I go away.
  • If you are low on items, use them on the trip and then toss them so you don’t have to bring them back.
  • Don’t overpack, try to keep in mind what events you need to pack for and try and stick with a color scheme too, it makes planning outfits easier

Week Long Trip

  • Always keep a packing list with all the details of every item and every place, event, or activity you need an outfit for.
  • Pack back up items in neutral colors to mix and match for outfits ( I always pack a white shirt, a t-shirt dress, and an extra pair of shoes that can be worn with other outfits.)
  • Leave room for souvenirs or any items you may buy or bring back. 

I enjoy traveling for long and short trips and while packing can be stressful or overwhelming, breaking it down by making lists, keeping things simple and not overthinking always helps. Always remember, if you forget something, you can always pick it up at the store!

That’s just some travel and packing tips that work for me. Tell me, what travel tips do you live by? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Traveling!