Summer Vacation Packing List & Tips 6.09.2017

Let me start off by saying that packing used to stress me out to the max. 

I would save it all for late the night before, and would suddenly hate my entire wardrobe at 2am as I was deliriously trying to put outfits together.

While I am by no means someone who gets to travel all the time since I have a full-time job and a mortgage, etc., I do feel like I've gotten to the point where my packing and trip planning process is pretty streamlined and stress-free.

In this post I'm sharing some packing tips, as well as my travel beauty essentials, other items I love to pack, and some of my favorite shopping finds for a summer vacation!

PACKING TIPS

1 | Roll your clothes
This saves so much space, and I feel like it keeps my suitcase much tidier!

2 | Start writing down outfit ideas a couple of weeks before  
Then when it's time to pack you can just grab those clothes, roll them up, and be done! No middle of the night panicking :) I just make a note on my iphone and add outfit ideas as I think of them or as I order things for vacation.

3 | Also make a packing checklist... 
...on a phone 'note' of all the essentials (phone charger, straightener, extra contacts, etc.). I have a permanent packing checklist that I keep in my notes and reference for every trip - whether it's a weekend trip or a full vacation.

4 | If bringing a hat...
...place it at the bottom of your suitcase and stuff the crown with smaller clothing items.

5 | Be strategic with your carry-on
Bring a change of clothes and your favorite/most valuable items in your carry-on (jewelry, camera, fav pair of shoes, makeup, etc.).

6 | Keep your toiletry bag stocked
I keep my toiletry bag fully stocked with travel sized products at all times so I can grab it and go. I of course throw in a couple of last-minute items, but it's so quick and stress-free to have it all ready! After a trip I always check and see what's running low and restock next time I'm at the store so I'm not ever having to grab things last minute before leaving town.  

7 | Plan your outfits for the color scheme/scenery of where you're traveling
This is something I've thought about since becoming a blogger and Instagram-obsessed person, but I like to think ahead of what the color palette and "look" of the place I'm traveling is. I think plan my outfits accordingly! If there's lots of greenery/trees where you're traveling, white, pink, stripes and florals will all look really nice. If you're traveling to the beach, think white, black, red and stripes. Urban jungle/sightseeing trip? Denim, black, and brighter colors will all look amazing. 

SUMMER VACATION CLOTHING & ACCESSORY ESSENTIALS

1 | Easy, comfortable sundresses 
for daytime and casual meals

2 | Cutoff denim shorts

3 | Comfortable + versatile sandals 
(2-3 pairs should do)

4 | Breezy tops + tanks

5 | Versatile sunglasses 
(I brought two pairs and only wore one!)

6 | A day-to-night dress, romper or jumpsuit option

7 | A cross-body bag + card case
that fits your essentials only (the less you're lugging around the better)

8 | A cute & comfy pair of sneakers 
for the airport and days with lots of walking
 

MY VACATION BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

1 | Moisturizer with SPF 
(damaging your skin is not-so-cute)

2 | Makeup remover wipes 
(easy for the airport and save time each night)

3 | Eye cream 
(obviously.)
 
4 | Long-wear foundation 
(because no one wants to be touching up their foundation on vacay)
 
5 | Versatile lip color 
(this is my go-to)

6 | Spray SPF
 
7 | Texture spray 
(messy waves that can be repurposed the next day? yes please.)

8 | Spray deodorant 
(game. changer.)

9 | An easy bronzer for that summer glow.
 

EXTRAS THAT I LOVE FOR TRAVEL

1 | Travel steamer

2 | Portable charger 
(I love not stressing about my phone battery! I have this one.)

3 | Heat resistant covers for hair tools

4 | Polaroid camera 
(not an essential, but it's a fun way to document a trip!)

What are your summer vacation essentials and what are some packing and outfit planning tips that you have? I'd love to know!

KEEP READING

Vacation Packing List 6.25.2015

Knit Top | Romper | Earrings | Hat

Cutoffs | Necklace | Sandals (just sold out, but love these) | Cotton Top

Cross-body | Bikini Top | Bikini Bottoms | Shorts

Sundress | Sunglasses | Book | Beach Tote

I can't believe we leave for California on Saturday! I am so stinkin excited. On our trip we'll be driving to San Francisco for my cousin's wedding, then driving down the coast to spend the rest of our time in southern California. Trey and I have never been to San Francisco before, so what recommendations do you have for us?? Places to eat, things to see and do? We'll get a couple of days there to explore! Most of the rest of our time will be in the San Diego area where my family used to live, and where our extended family still lives. It's definitely my happy place, so I can't wait to get back there. We'll be gone almost two weeks when you count the driving time, so I have a lot to pack and have been planning my packing list for a few weeks now. I'm one of those people that stresses the heck out right before a trip and goes into a packing frenzy, so I've found that if I start a packing list with outfit ideas ahead of time, it is extremely helpful for me. Here is the gist of my list...

-Versatile sundresses and rompers (I bought the exact black one above so I can mix and match it)
-A cross-body bag (or two) for exploring days, and a beach tote for shopping and of course the beach (I got this tote in white for $15)
-A couple of different hats to a) protect my face from the sun and b) pull outfits together and allow me to spend less time on my hair (always great, especially on vacation)
-Some fun and colorful jewelry that can add a statement to a simple little black or white dress (being able to take something from day-to-night is extra great on vacation) 
-Comfy cute clothes for all of our road-tripping. Comfort is definitely the priority, but we'll be stopping to sight-see a bit so I don't want to look like the complete mess that I usually do. These shorts will be perfect.
-A couple of nicer dresses for the wedding and any dressier dinners that come up (I'm going to try to only bring one pair of heels to save room, but we shall see how that pans out)
-Two swimsuits and something I can use for a cute coverup
-A couple of new books to read on the beach and the drive (except that I get super carsick). Anything I should pick up to read?
-Tees, tanks and shorts mostly within one color family. I like to kind of plan a color palette for trips because then I can mix and match as I feel like on the trip. I hate when you plan a specific outfit before a trip and then hate it that day. So, I'm bringing a grouping of pieces that can all work together so I can be flexible!
-The perfect denim shorts are essential for a summer vacation in my opinion. I found these cutoffs from H&M (I got the light blue) and they are perfection for $20. They're high-waisted and not too too short, so they're exactly what I was looking for.
-A few pairs of sunglasses (I bought the blue ones above and they're so cute!) and a small handful of bracelets and earrings that I can mix and match
-A pair of jeans, a light sweater or two, and my denim jacket for chilly San Fran and even San Diego nights (I'm always surprised by how cool SD gets in the evenings)
-A few pairs of flat sandals and even some sneakers (I'm thinking my Converse and Nike Roshes). I just got the blush lace-up sandals in the collage but they just sold out! They're absolutely amazing though. I'll be stalking H&M's site so I can let you know when/if they come back in stock.

I think that's about it! I should really start packing tonight so I don't stress myself out tomorrow night, but we'll see how that goes ;) I'm the world's worst procrastinator! 

xo,

Jacy

KEEP READING