Whether your driving or flying, you want to pack as little as possible. I hate checking bags, so I do everything as a carry on. When driving, I want to have enough space so we aren’t crammed into the car.
I always use packing cubes. I love them so much my daughter got a set in her stocking for Christmas. I think this compression set will be my next Amazon purchase. I’d like to compare to my current set and see if I really can pack more!
If you don’t want to use packing cubes, Ziploc storage bags work really well too! These bags are great for younger kids because you put the entire outfit in the bag & label for the day. That way you can just hand the bag to your child to get themselves dressed. It’s also a good idea to toss a couple in for wet swimsuits on the way home! Before closing them, make sure to squeeze out the extra air!!
I also subscribe to the rolling method for clothes instead of regular folding. It does really save space. It also claims to cut down on wrinkles, but I haven’t noticed a difference. You can check our Marie Kondo for tips. I also follow Lennia McCarter. Her site covers everything. I usually check her out before I pack to make sure I have everything folded correctly. She has a bunch of hacks for packing for vacation as well.
I also stick to a neutral color palette. I went with black and white on my last trip to Florida. I took 4 pairs of shoes, 3 pairs of pants, 1 pair of shorts, 1 dress, 1 jacket, and 7 tops. I also packed 2 swimsuits plus coverup, hats and workout gear. I fit all of that into my carryon suitcase. My shoes included a pair of black flip flops. Perfect for the beach and great with shorts and a t-shirt. I had my two favorite pairs of black sandals (see my earlier post here). They went with everything. And I wore my sneakers for the trip. That way my feet stayed warm, and I had my workout shoes! I also threw in a pair of slippers. I don’t go barefoot in a hotel EVER!!! I wore my jeans down and packed a pair of white denim capris and white linen pants. I threw in one pair of jean shorts & a gray t-shirt. With my jeans, I wore a white t-shirt and my gray sweatshirt. Again, I wore the bulky items to save space in my bag. I carried my favorite LBD for date night. The rest were mix and match black tops to go with the pants and shorts. I tossed in a workout shirt and a pair of leggings. Plenty of clothes for 10 days!!! Sticking with a color scheme and wearing the bulky items helps so much in saving space. Also, I tend to put the clothes out a few days in advance and then narrow it down closer to the trip. That trick keeps me from overpacking!
Once everything was rolled & in my cubes, I play Tetris to get everything to fit neatly in my luggage. Then I add my makeup bag, toiletries, and hair dryer on top! My daughter just got this luggage set for graduation. I’m pretty impressed with it so far! I recommend checking it out of your looking for a new set that isn’t ridiculously expensive.
For makeup and toiletries, only take what you really need. Are you really going to do a face mask while you’re gone?? Take your everyday essentials and leave the rest behind. Check out my post here for more ideas on packing your toiletries.
How do you pack for vacation? Do you plan or just toss everything into a bag? Can’t wait to hear from you!! Love, TC
Tipsy Curls 