I’ve been pretty lucky to travel quite a bit. I’ve traveled alone, as a couple, and as a family: first when Amélia was 2 1/2 months old. Needless to say, packing has always been a priority… When you’re only allowed so many bags on an airline and then the fees skyrocket, one must get creative. So, I’m sharing my packing tips with you to make travel easy and organized.
I recently spent just over a week in NYC. I have a medium sized suitcase that I packed and checked and my only carry on was a small tote to hold my laptop, a magazine, headphones, cell phone, and id. It can be done ladies! I had outfits for every day of the week plus my workout clothes, running shoes, and 8 pairs of shoes!
1. First, I do all my outfit planning ahead of time. This will make it easy to know what’s going in the suitcase and how it will all pack.
2. Once you know what’s being packed, roll all your shirts (sweaters, tees, blouses) this will help minimize wrinkles (you may have to iron some materials, but this really does cut down on wrinkles).
3. Put all of your lighter items (blouses, pjs, swimsuits, undergarments) in a group to help organize.
4. Open suitcase and reserve the side without the straps (usually the zippered compartment) for shoes, bags, accessories.
5.The strapped side will be for clothes and your makeup bag(s), curling iron, hairspray, etc… Place heavier items on the bottom. I always begin with my jackets. For this particular trip, I packed two leather jackets, so those went in first. On top of that, I fold my jeans in half ONCE to minimize bulk and those layer in two rows across the case.
6. Fitting in my makeup bags is very important, so I place those in next. I include travel sizes of shampoos and other hair care products in my largest bag to minimize having to find room loose in the suitcase.
7. Fill in gaps with the rolled shirts, workout clothes, swimsuits, undergarments, etc…
8. Use the sides of your suitcase for curling irons, hairsprays, dry shampoos, etc… They squeeze easily into the sides.
Now, you’re all packed with all the essentials. If you’re only traveling for a few days, you can follow these same steps and utilize a smaller case to carry on. Traveling for longer than a week? Use a larger suitcase and fit most of your stuff. I can generally fit everything for two weeks in a larger suitcase. Sometimes I use a smaller one for shoes only for the longer trips.
Happy Traveling?
Have any of your own tips? Share them in the comments.
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