Just prior to my trip, I went to get a manicure and pedicure and came upon this article in Glamour Magazine while waiting for my toenails to dry.
Was this perfect or what?? It's entitled "The 8 Travel Staples Every Girl Needs" and notes they're "mixable, foldable, and adorably patriotic!"
Here's a closer look.
This article lists the eight travel staples, which include:
1. A casual bright top
2. Fun sunnies (sunglasses)
3. A loose, go everywhere dress
4. A nautical inspired suit
5. Wear nightly heels
6. A beachy tote
7. Colorful shorts
8. Shoes you can walk miles in
While I agree with those, I also had to make a list of my own. Well... actually I made lists of my own. One for things to pack and one for things to do before I go. Both are very essential for me to have a safe and smooth trip without any snags!
Here's my "to pack" list.
As you can see, it includes:
1. Jeans
2. A cute top (hey! it's a bachelorette party)
3. Shorts
4. Tees
5. One to two tanks
6. Dress for going out
7. Swim suit
8. Cover up
9. Espadrilles
10. Skirts/dresses
11. Sweater
12. Going out heels
13. Flat iron
14. Make up
15. "Bride Kit" with sash and veil -- a surprise for the bride which I bought from Victoria's Secret
16. Jewelry
17. Perfume
18. Clutch
19. A button down shirt
And of course, here is my list of things "to do" before I leave:
Of course before I left I had to leave the cats with extra food and water for a few days, as my husband was also out of town. They can go four up to four days pretty well with extra food and water before they start craving attention and human contact! If we leave for more than four days, I usually have a cat-sitter, also known as Dad, come in every two days to check in on them and feed/pet them. Also on this list is turning up the thermostat to save energy, checking in online, bringing my folder with my e-ticket, flight info and bachelorette party print outs of places to go, getting cash from the ATM and cleaning out the litter box.
As the night wore on, I continued to add to each list while I packed when I remembered one thing or another to include to pack or to do. Oh yeah, they went onto a second post-it note.
As you can see, I had originally forgotten to include some essentials in the toiletry department! While I usually remember to pack these, sometimes there are things like a razor which I can easily forget if I don't write it down. So the moment I realize I forgot to include them I make a list of things I might also forget.
And here's my amended "to do" list.
Yeah the last minute laundry and rescheduling the cleaning ladies are a must.
After all the lists and pulling out clothes, I was left with something like this.
So somehow, all of this, must fit in that bag on the left... Here's where I take some deep breaths and hope that rolling my clothes up really does save more space than folding.
Oh yeah, and I have to include the shoes I'll be wearing out as well and my toiletry bag! I wear my trusty walking flip-flops to the airport. Those are easy to remove and walk in comfortably!
In the end, I had to take out a few things like the two extra tees I packed "just in case" and the extra swim suit, dress and pair of jeans. Having to place my toiletry bag on top so I could take it out easily for security screening led to some tricky maneuvering in my bag, but in the end it all fit and, with some elbow grease, I finally got the zipper closed.
I can't forget about my carry on personal item. I usually keep a travel wallet, lip gloss, earphones, sunglasses, mini Altoids, mini tissues, my phone, my kindle, my phone and kindle chargers and my flight information. It sounds like a lot but there's plenty of room in there in case I need to carry a pair of flip flops in there to change into when traveling from cold to hot weather or if I need to store my sweater in there to put on during a cold flight.
Oh and how could I forget! The ever important plane outfit. The one most important outfit the whole weekend which needs to accommodate comfort, style and practicality. I went for a casual button down, rolled up skinny jeans and flip flops for easy, stylish comfort!
Flip flops are my absolute favorite footwear to wear when I have to go through the airport security checkpoint!
So there you have it. Weekend travel made somewhat easy! Or maybe not!
In honor of your weekend travel in the last long weekend this summer, Labor Day weekend, here's a revised list of my absolute must haves for summer weekend travel.
1. Flip Flops
2. A pair of summer wedges or open toe pumps to wear out
3. A great short sundress
4. A swim suit
5. A cover up
6. A pair of jeans
7. A pair of shorts
8. Two tee shirts, one white, one another color or printed
9. Two tank tops, one white, one another color or printed
10. A cute blouse
11. A maxi dress
12. A cute tote
13. A small cross body bag or clutch
14. Hairbrush
15. Flat iron -- depends on if your hair need straightening (blow dryers are usually available in hotels)
16. Hair thermal protectant
17. Fragrance
18. Jewelry - one pair of stud earrings, one pair of dangly earrings, a statement necklace and a cuff
19. Make up - foundation, bronzer, blush, two eye shadows, eye pencil, mascara and lip gloss
20. Face wash
21. Razor
22. Travel size body wash, shampoo and conditioner
23. Travel size contact solution and case
24. Toothbrush/toothpaste
25. Travel size face lotion with SPF
26. Travel size SPF lotion for sunny excursions
Just 26 easy steps to easy packing. Needless to say this list is all inclusive so breaking it up by category, there are 13 clothing/shoes/bags essentials, 3 hair essentials, 4 jewelry essentials, 8 make up essentials and 7 toiletry essentials (broken down, each individual item amounts to 12 total). Broken down it looks something like this:
THE ESSENTIALS FOR WEEKEND PACKING
Clothing/Shoes/Bags Essentials:
1. Flip Flops
2. A pair of summer wedges or open toe pumps to wear out
3. A great short sundress
4. A swim suit
5. A cover up
6. A pair of jeans
7. A pair of shorts
8. Two tee shirts, one white, one another color or printed
9. Two tank tops, one white, one another color or printed
10. A cute blouse
11. A maxi dress
12. A cute tote
13. A small cross body bag or clutch
Hair Essentials:
1. Hairbrush
2. Flat iron -- depends on if your hair need straightening (blow dryers are usually available in hotels)
3. Hair thermal protectant
Jewelry Essentials:
1. One pair of stud earrings
2. One pair of dangly earrings,
3. Statement necklace
4. A cuff
Makeup Essentials:
1. Foundation
2. Bronzer
3. Blush
4. Two eye shadows
5. Eye pencil
6. Mascara
7. Lip gloss
AND Toiletry Essentials:
1. Fragrance
2. Face wash
3. Razor
4. Travel size body wash
5. Travel size shampoo
6. Travel size conditioner
7. Travel size contact solution
8. Contact lens case
9. Toothbrush
10. Toothpaste
11. Travel size face lotion with SPF
12. Travel size SPF lotion for sunny excursions
Whew! That was exhaustive but a great reference for any packing needs for short weekend trips! UPDATE: If you've noticed I haven't included sunglasses, phone, kindle, chargers and flight info etc., that's because I usually carry the first three everywhere with me so they're technically no brainers, but remembering the chargers, flight info and miscellaneous items (mints/bobby pins/hair tye) is definitely is a must. So if I had to include a few more things it'd be those small purse items!
Now, the "to do" list is all your own. Not all people may need to leave food and water for the cats!
Happy vacationing to all!
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