I’ve never been a light packer. Just ask my parents – when I was a child, I used to pack several suitcases for my babydoll’s clothes in addition to my own when we went on trips. And to think I wonder why I’m the way that I am now…? Over the past few months since graduating from college, I’ve learned how to pack lightly and efficiently for a weekend trip. Rudd lives/works in the Asheville area and I travel to see him pretty often. Because packing lightly definitely does not come naturally to me, I figured it was probably relevant to a lot of you too!
Today I’m sharing my tips for packing for a weekend trip that include narrowing down your travel wardrobe, how to pack minimal toiletries/make-up when you’re a beauty hoarder, and how to organize your jewelry.
CLOTHES
The very first step I take when I’m packing for a weekend trip is figuring out what the weekend entails. If you figure out your line up of events, you’ll be able to plan exact outfits and avoid overpacking things you don’t actually need! If you don’t know what you plan on doing, you’ll end up packing wayyy too many outfit options that you won’t end up wearing (trust me, you don’t need 7 shirts for 2 days.)
Example: Tonight we are celebrating Rudd’s birthday. I’m wearing jeans + a cute top in the car and that’s what I’ll keep on for the rest of the night! It’s best if you can make your travel outfit work for your actual outfit too. On Saturday, we are going to the county fair and then watching the Clemson vs. Texas A&M game at home. I’ll pack one “shorts outfit” for the fair and then a cute tee & jeans for the evening game. On Sunday we’ll go to church and then I’ll leave in the afternoon. I’ll pack a dress/heels for the morning and then re-wear my shorts from the county fair and bring an extra shirt for the ride home.
Clemson T-Shirt – Tiger Town Graphics
Apple Watch Series 3 • $329
Vachetta leather apple watch® strap • $68
Lauren Ralph Lauren Gold Hoop Earrings • $30
Women’s Layered Coin Necklace • $39.50
Cross Band Slide Sandal • $19.97
Skinny Jeans in Mid Indigo Wash • $79.50
Cat-Eye Sunglasses for Women • $12.99
Apple Watch Series 3 • $329
Vachetta leather apple watch® strap • $68
New Balance Coast v4 • $64.95
Swing Tank for Women • $15–19.99
New Balance Impact 3 Shorts • $45
Stripe Cotton Peplum Top • $29.99
Miss Me Skinny Jeans • $74
Suede Tassel Pendant Necklace – Beige • $22
Gold Hoop Earrings • $30
Cross Band Slide Sandal • $19.97
The bottom line: Write down all of your activities for your weekend trip in a note on your phone. Then write out your exact outfits next to each event to avoid over-packing! Limit yourself to no more than 2 outfits per day. All that’s left to add in for clothes are socks/bras/undies and pajamas!
SHOES
As far as shoes go, I try to limit myself to 3 pairs for the entire weekend. I’ll wear one pair on the way there with my jeans (my Tory Burch sandals) and pack 2 other pairs for the next 2 days. One of them will be my New Balances to wear to the fair, and then I’ll bring a pair of heels for church. I can always throw on my sandals on Saturday night, too!
JEWELRY
My jewelry packing regimen isn’t anything special, but I think it’s really efficient. After you’ve laid out all of the clothes and shoes you’re going to pack, go through each outfit and pick out your accessories. This means earrings, necklaces, bracelets, Apple Watch, etc. (I try to only travel with my big Kate Spade purse and my small Michael Kors purse as far as bags go)
Once I lay out my accessories, I thread each necklace through a plastic straw (I know, save the earth!) and place them in my small Longchamp-inspired bag from Etsy along with my bracelets. (See a a detailed video of this on my Instagram story “packing” highlights.) Next, I pack my earrings in individual drawstring bags and then place those little bags inside the big one! This method keeps everything really organized and de-tangled. Don’t you just hate when you’re in a hurry and your necklaces are tangled together??
TOILETIRES
I seriously geek out over packing my toiletries for a short weekend trip. I don’t understand how anyone could not LOVE the travel-size aisle at the drugstore?? Here’s my number one tip for not forgetting any of your products: When you’re packing, go through your morning, nightly, and shower routines in your head. *Wash face, use toner, moisturize, etc.* If you do it like that, you’re sure to not miss a step when you’re throwing things in your toiletry bag!
Let talk size. Nobody wants to tote their gigantic bottle of body wash and/or shampoo for a 2-day trip. My solution: Pack a couple of those little shampoo/conditioner samples we all have lying around. Or is that just me? Anyways, find some and use them. They’re perfect for one-time uses and completely eliminate the need for bottles! I packed a sample for this weekend that Amber gave me at the salon during my Brazilian Blowout last week.
For my body wash, I use a little 3oz plastic travel bottle and refill as needed. For my toner and micellar cleansing water (read my complete skincare post here), I take 2 plastic baggies and place 4-5 cotton rounds in each. In one baggy, I drop in toner until the pads are moistened. In the other, I drop in the micellar water. This eliminates the need to take both bottles and the little pads are super easy to pull out and use!
BEAUTY
Whenever I leave for a trip, I always pack my make-up as I use it. For example, when I’m doing my make-up before I leave, I drop each item in my make-up bag when I’m finished with it. By the time you’re finished with your face, your make-up will be fully packed! I always throw in a few extra lip colors as well. (For those of you who already store your make-up in a bag, this isn’t very helpful. I store mine in clear acrylic trays/stands on my vanity!)
I’ve burned a rug a time or two waiting for my hair tools to cool down before I pack them in my bag…sorry Rudd ? I’ve had my Vera Bradley curling iron/flat iron cover foreverrr and I use it every time I travel! No more waiting for your tools to cool down when you’re trying to leave for a trip (or come back home.) Just throw the cover over your hot hair tool and you can pack right away!
