How to Avoid Packing Nightmares

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The next 8 days are going to be busy ones, so I’m finding ways to make life easier on myself little by little. Bringing you a blog from last summer that I don’t have to write, edit and post is one of those ways. So enjoy this post about packing – hopefully you have a fabulous summer trip on the horizon :)

Want to know my reoccurring nightmare? I dream of showing up someplace and not having the outfit I want.

I spend the entire dream trying desperately to get back to my house so I can get myself ready and look the way I want. Showing up somewhere not prepared or in the proper clothes is what makes me sweat. So when packing for a trip I do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen.

After several nightmare trips, I’ve learned lots of packing lessons that I want to share so you don’t make the same mistakes!

Nightmare: You get there and the outfit you thought was going to be fabulous doesn’t fit right.

So you have your list of where you’re going and you have outfits in mind. Lay them out and try EVERYTHING on.

I used to just piece together what I thought would work, then I’d end up getting to my destination and something wouldn’t fit right. Or the outfit would need one small tweak to make it amazing…but I left whatever it was at home.

Trying on will help you have peace of mind and will point out holes in your style plan that you can fix before you leave.

Nightmare: You have an event to get to as soon as you arrive, but your clothes come out all wrinkled.

Avoid a majority of wrinkles by wrapping clothes in tissue paper. The paper helps prevent some of the friction between the clothes that causes wrinkles and you’re saved or at least, not as much of a wrinkly mess. It’s not fool-proof, but it helps!

Nightmare: No jeans.

On a trip to Vegas a couple years ago, I packed nothing but maxi dresses and skirts to beat the heat, but by the end of the week really missed my jeans. Always, always pack your favorite jeans. I don’t have to sell you on jeans as a whole, so just learn from my mistake and pack them!

Nightmare: You have too much to pack and not enough room.

First of all, after you lay everything out, edit down to reality. Every single time I lay out what I think I need for a trip, I then walk through the trip in my head and realize several pieces are overkill. Once you’ve done that and you still have too many things, use compression bags. Put everything in a giant Ziploc compression bag, suck the air out of it and enjoy a well styled trip!

Nightmare: You get cold easily but don’t have room for a jacket.

Pack scarves! They’re not only super light weight and easy to get down to a tiny ball, but they’ll also be a great addition to any outfit you’ve already worn on the trip, giving you a fresh look (not to mention the warmth one would bring on a cool summer night)!

Want more from this packing genius? Perfect! I’ve got tips that improved my packing,  what to pack for a quick summer getaway, and packing for people with brain farts (that’s an extra special post, as I announce my first segment on WBIR, which was six years ago!)

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