I’ve never been one to pack for vacation in just one day. No way Jose, I need a whole weekend devoted to planning out my outfits, portioning all of my necessary toiletries into TSA-approved containers and carefully dividing up my vacation ensemble between my suitcase and carry-on bag (I have a fear of getting separated from all my clothes and being stuck in the outfit I arrived in.) That is why I started packing for our upcoming vacation to Mexico this past weekend. I feel that the more prepared I can be, the less likely it’ll be that I forget something, afterall planning ahead is kinda my thing. You can read more about my need to plan ahead here.

If you’re anything like me, you love a few good tips when it comes to traveling and that is exactly what I’m bringing to you today. Shall we begin?

«Travel Packing Tips»

Preparing the List

It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have a list of some sort. Drew can somehow open his closet, pull things out and throw them in his suitcase! Not me. I need a list to physically check things off as they go in the bag. While this may seem more time consuming, I start this list a week or two before vacation so as things pop in my head, I write them down. This has been a full-proof way to not forgetting anything.

Another thing I do is I write out the outfits I might need for each day. For instance, you do not want to be stuck with a bunch of dresses forgetting that you booked an ATV excursion through the rainforest. That. would. suck! So, what I do is write out my outfits, what jewelry I want to take and what shoes I want to wear with that outfit. I see how many other outfits I can get out of those items of clothing to free up space in my suitcase. This helps me from not overpacking and not taking six pairs of shoes with me!

Packing the Suitcase

I’ve always struggled with how to travel with my beach hats. It wasn’t until I saw a fellow blogger friend of mine post about how she does it, that my mind was blown! You put the hat in first and fill the middle of the hat with small items such as socks, underwear, tank tops, ect. then you strategically place folded clothing around it. The hat doesn’t bend or get dented and it doesn’t take up any extra space! Seriously genius.

Neatly fold and place your items of clothing around the hat to keep is secure.

Another thing I do while I’m packing is I lay out all the jewelry for each outfit as I’m going. If your suitcase is going to be full and tight, you can keep the jewelry with each outfit but I like to keep my jewelry in a separate case for when I travel. Doing this helps me visualize what items I can use for different outfits. I prefer less is more when it comes to jewelry, especially on vacation. 

Finally, once the suitcase is full of all clothing, I put my beach bag on top along side any toiletries and hair care products that are not allowed in my carry-on bag. I normally take a couple small clutches on vacation instead of a large purse and those fit nicely inside the beach bag.

The Carry-On Bag

Can we just talk about the rookie mistake I made a few years ago? I didn’t follow my own rules and packed for a trip last minute. Not thinking, I threw all of my full sized moisturizers, toner, serum and sunscreen in my carry-on. It wasn’t until I went through security and was mortified by the TSA agent, that I realized what I had done. Take it from me, carefully plan out your carry-on bag. They. Don’t. Play at TSA! Thankfully all my coveted skin care was not a complete loss and I still had time to run back and check it in my luggage but let’s just say the hubby was not too happy!

So here are a few tips for the carry-on. First, be sure all of your liquid items can fit into a quart-sized bag. Amazon has some great ones like this one and this one that will ensure you are not going over your limit. Second, purchase fillable containers from the travel section at Target and fill your body wash and shampoo in these. You can also purchase the 3 oz. sizes of some shampoos, conditioners and body washes.

Another carry-on tip is to divide up your wardrobe for the week into your carry-on. I put three outfits, a bathing suit, underwear, medicine, cameras and books in my carry-on. Remember me saying I had this fear of losing my bag? Yea, I don’t want to be stuck with only the clothes on my back. I also went to the makeup counter and got travel size samples of my foundation to stick in my carry-on so I had my makeup with me too! I am always thinking of the what-if’s so this will  ensure that should anything like that happen, I have a few days worth of items with me. Better safe than sorry, right?

I’ve had this small travel size of the perfume I wore on my wedding day and it continues to be one of my favorite travel fragrances. Another tip is to ask for a small sample of your perfume the next time you buy one so you always have a small amount to carry with on vacation.

I keep all of my cases for my earbuds and use them to store small items such as bobbie pins or in this case, my collection of dainty rings. I simply throw this in the jewelry bag and never have to worry about them getting lost.

In-Flight Necessities

In my years of traveling, I have begun to make a list of all things I will start taking with me in-flight. I realized that it’s not always the most comfortable (or hygenic) traveling in such close proximity with other people. There is something to be said about planning ahead with this part. You don’t want to be stuck 35,000 feet in the air and feeling sick. Take it from me, this really happened.

The last day of our vacation last year I began to feel what I thought was a chest cold coming on, as the day progressed and we headed to the airport I was feeling worse. By the time we boarded the plane I had cold chills and a fever. Long story short, I passed out in the bathroom (yes, the tiny airplane bathroom) for who knows how long. It was awful! I’m sure if I had just packed my Ariborne I could’ve felt a little better, so lesson learned, it went in the carry-on this year. While we are on this subject, airplanes harbor a lot of germs so it’s best to take an Airborne at least 24-hours before you fly. Last thing you want is to be sick on your vacation.

Don’t forget to pack your headphones! The little ones on flights tend to get restless and fussy. I have found that if I have a good pair of headphones, it will drown out the noise a bit. Also, take a portable charger if you can. They are very affordable and always a good thing to have on hand should all of the wall chargers in the terminals be full! I like this portable charger and this one as well!

And of course, never underestimate the power of an eye mask! This one is the my absolute favorite. It has an adjustable head strap and the inside part can be removed in placed in the refrigerator for a little cooling action. Talk about de-puffing the eyes! And, ladies if you haven’t got your hands on this Mario Badescu rosewater spray, you must do so! This stuff is ideal for traveling. The cabin air gets so dry in a plane and this stuff wakes up your skin. I spray a little on before I board and a little spritz once we land. It does wonders for the skin and it’s only $7 for the travel bottle.

Beach Bag Essentials

I couldn’t wrap this post up without sharing a few of my beach bag essentials! Aside from a couple good books and a pair of badass sunglasses, I never forget my sunscreen. This Pacifica sunscreen is vegan and cruelty-free (which I love.) Best part? It’s bronzing so you instantly have a glow! And the last thing that I carry is the Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray for my hair. It’s inevitable that I will get in the water (I’m practically mermaid) and I’d like to keep that beachy-wave look well into the evening. I spray a little bit of this on my hair after I get out of the water and it keeps my hair looking beachy all night long.

Can’t forget to add the SPF for the lips! You can’t go wrong with some Palmer’s Coconut Oil chapstick. This stuff is seriously BOMB!

The Really Important Stuff

The planner in me always thinks of these things. Like I said earlier, I plan for the what-if’s when it comes to traveling. A tip that was shared with me a long time ago is an important one. Make photo copies of your passport. God forbid your bag gets stolen, you need to have proof of your passport. I make the copies and keep them in a separate bag. I also carry an in-case-of-emergency credit card. True story, I was talking to a lady at a resort we were staying at one year, and she told me she withdrew money out of the ATM and it had a skimmer on the ATM. The next day all of her money from her checking account was gone! I could not imagine being in another country and having no way to pay for anything, so be sure to carry a credit card and keep it in your hotel room safe. And the last really important thing I do is share my flight itinerary with someone in my family. It’s always a good thing to have someone on the ground who knows where you’re going and when you are supposed to arrive. I do this more for peace of mind for myself and probably also because I’m a chronic worrier and assume everyone else operates the same way! (haha, kidding!)

As you can see, packing for vacation is a bit of process, but with the right planning and a little time, it can be done strategically and stress-free. I’d love to know what travel packing tips you have or if there’s anything I’ve listed here that you want to try for the next time you travel. Bon Voyage!

PS: Tune into my Insta-stories later this week as I’ll be sharing some highligts of our trip!