Packing Tips

Happy March! I'm going low tech for today's post because I have not been blogging on my usual computer while on vacation & figuring out how to get pictures in my posts has been a real headache. I had initially taken pictures for this post, but I'll leave those out for now. Here are a few things I've discovered that keep me sane while packing for trips, they may not be earth-shattering but I find them helpful!

1. I check the weather in the destination that I am traveling to & if possible for the amount of time that I will be there. For example, if I am going to Vermont for the weekend, I check the weather for Friday evening, Saturday day and Sunday morning.
2. I try to pack at least 2 days in advance - this isn't always possible but I try! If I am leaving on a Friday evening, I try to have my bag packed by Wednesday evening. This way, I have time to remember anything I may have forgotten to pack, I have time to do any last minute laundry that may need to be done, and I have everything set away so I don't wear or use it during the week.

3. I always make a list of what I'm going to pack before I start packing. I am very specific in my list, for instance, I write 'navy & white stripe GAP t-shirt.' This way, I have a layout of everything I will have with while I'm traveling. In my list, I section everything I'm bringing into smaller categories like 'tops,' 'bottoms,' etc. And I include a section called 'other' where I write down every other thing I want to bring like sunglasses, chargers, lip balm, hair elastics...

4. If I'm going to a hot destination, like the beach, I always plan to pack 1 warm outfit. I usually pack sweatpants or leggings and a long sleeve to wear to the beach.

5. This might be a little OCD, but when I pack outfits, I roll the entire outfit together and label it for the day I'm planning to wear it. For example, I lay my bottoms out, then my shirt on top of the bottoms and finally everything else on top of the shirt (underwear, socks, undershirt, scarf...). Then, I roll everything up and put a sticky note on the roll up that indicates the day I will wear that outfit.

6. If I'm traveling to a place where I know I won't have access to a washing machine, I pack a whole extra outfit, just in case.

7. I try to anticipate or plan activities in advance so I know whether or not to pack a bathing suit, a snowsuit, active wear...

8. I hate over-packing but I love being comfortable - so I tend to pack a bit. My family was laughing that I brought four pairs of shoes to Florida this week BUT I really thought about whether or not I would need four pairs of shoes. I put them all out on my floor last week and tried to eliminate one, but I couldn't. So, my last packing rule is if you need it, and you're going to wear it or use it - pack it!

Do you have any packing tips for me? I would love to hear it!!