Pack Smarter, Not Harder
Hey everyone! Jenn from The Style Geek here! I’m thrilled to be posting for Natalie while she’s enjoying a much deserved vacation. (Sidenote: I’m even more thrilled that I’ll have the chance to meet her while she’s down my way on her vacation.) As the end of the summer draws near and people make one last trek out of town over Labor Day weekend, I thought I’d share my top five tips for packing for vacation.
As you probably already know, it’s both an art and a science—and one that can save you a lot of money—if done right.
1.) Count the number of days you’ll be gone and then add 1- Number of days equals number of outfits, equals number of suitcases packed, equals number of dollars spent on airline fees. In the days before Delta et al made you pay for your bags to fly the friendly skies, you could pack as many outfits and accessories as you wanted. Now, there’s really only room for one extra ensemble, just in case of emergency…or a fat day.
2.) Check the weather- You would think this is self-explanatory, but I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve forgotten to see which way the wind is blowing before heading out on holiday. Weather.com is my go-to resource. Their 10-day forecast has never failed me.
3.) Coordinate colors- Because the shoes must match the purse and the purse must match the accessories, I’d suggest sticking with either a black or brown color palette and either silver or gold accessories. This means you can bring one purse (maybe), fewer pairs of shoes and recycle jewelry.
4.) Cancel the workout- Seriously, it’s vacation. Unless you’re going camping (which is usually far more work than it is relaxing), scrap the workout routine and give yourself a real break. You’ll save lots of room in your suitcase if you don’t have to pack tennis shoes and multiple pairs of Soffes. (Come on! You know you have them. Old cheerleading habits die hard!)
5.) Evaluate your schedule- Darn it! I was trying so hard to make all five tips start with a “c”! But I digress… Certain vacations require more wardrobe changes than others. I suggest making a schedule of the activities you’ll be doing every day and packing accordingly. If you know you’ll be ordering room service for dinner at least one of the evenings (which I may or may not have done on my recent excursion to Cancun), don’t pack a dress for that night.
Now, that I’ve shared all my free advice with you, I do have one—more costly—piece of travel advice for you: Buy a Longchamp Le pliage bag...or two. While they cost a pretty penny, they’re waterproof, stain-resistant and apropos of this post, they fold up into a small square that fits into even the tiniest suitcase.
So, bon voyage to the Blonde at Heart! It’s been a pleasure posting for you!
