Hey it's Abby and I just thought I would pop in today and talk a little bit about
organized packing. I actually just got home from a trip to Seattle, Washington. I
got to tour the HGTV dreamhome there which was kind of cool and I know that
people are going to be traveling a lot for the holidays coming up so I just
wanted to give a few tips and tricks to help your packing go more smoothly. So
the first thing I always do before I even put one thing in my suitcase is
make a plan. I make a list of everything that I want to take on the trip with me
and this just helps me be more intentional and make sure I don't forget
anything because naturally I'm pretty forgetful. So you can do this a couple
different ways. I like to make my list in Evernote a lot of times because I have
it both on my computer and on my phone so no matter where I am I can see the
list, update it, and it automatically syncs with my other device. If you are
more of a pen and paper person, I also have a packing printable on my blog and
I'll link to that in the description below and you can also use that to
organize your packing lists. For me, the type of trip I'm going on determines how
I organize my packing lists. That might sound weird but it makes sense, I promise!
So if I'm going on a trip like this weekend, it was a short trip but it had a
very specific itinerary. I knew what I was going to be doing each day exactly
so for that type of trip I will make my packing lists matching up the outfit
that I want to wear for each event so I organized the list by outfit. For a
longer trip or maybe a vacation, a more laid-back trip where I don't have an
exact itinerary like I did this past weekend, I will organize my packing list
by type of item so I will have all my pants that I want to take listed
together, I will have all my tops that I want to take listed together, all my
bathing suits, etc. So that's kind of the way my brain works, your brain might work
differently. Whatever makes sense to you I would organize your list in that way.
So along with listing everything I want to bring on the trip, I also have a
section of my list where I put any last-minute items I want
to pack so things like phone chargers or my makeup, things that I will use
right before I leave and want to make sure I get into the bag right before my
trip. This way I can make sure I'm not forgetting anything and then I'm good to
go. So after I have my organized list of everything I want to bring, I then grab
my packing pieces. I just use a very basic suitcase. I do like that it has a
zipper side on it so it can hold all of my items in on that one side I also use
packing cubes in a couple different sizes and I also have a toiletry bag
that I brought on every trip with me for the past 15 years that helps me keep all
my toiletry items nice and organized. So let's talk about the toiletry bag first.
I keep it stocked with a few things at all times
I have travel size shampoo and conditioner, I have deodorant in there, a
nail file, toothpaste, and makeup remover wipes. All of those things stay in my
little toiletry bag. Anything that I'm worried about spilling like the shampoo
and conditioner I have in a little plastic bag. I use the same plastic bag
each trip unless something actually spills and makes a mess. Again, depending
on your personal preferences, you can keep more or less items always
stocked in the bag. Then I always bring in things like my makeup and a mirror, my
toothbrush, my straightener, and any other trip specific items that I want to bring
like bug spray or sunscreen. I always keep the toiletry bag in that zippered
part of my suitcase so it stays as still as possible during the trip. Next, let's
talk about the packing cubes. I love these because it helps segment my items
within my suitcase and helps me to stay more organized. The way I pack my packing
cubes depends on how I organized my packing list. So again for a shorter trip
with like an exact itinerary I will pack the cubes by outfit so I'll keep like
outfits together. So for example on this trip that I went on this past weekend, I
had one packing cube that held my nicer outfits that I was going to wear to
dinner and I had a separate packing cube that had my more
casual outfits that I wore during the day. On a more laid-back vacation type
trip that doesn't really have a set itinerary I will pack the cubes by
clothing item so I'll have one cube for all my shorts
I'll have another cube for all my tops etc I like that the cubes fit nice and
neatly in my suitcase so that nothing is really smooshed or pushed together and
there is a spot for each individual thing. The last thing I always try to
account for when I'm packing for a trip is what I'm going to do with my dirty
laundry once I get there. So ideally I really like to take my clothes out of
the cubes once I get to my destination and put them into drawers. If that is a
possibility then I designate one of the larger cubes for the laundry and all the dirty
items will go in that one cube. If that is not possible and I have to keep my
clothes in the cubes once I get to my destination I always try to have an
extra cube with me. They flat pack so they take up no space at all and I use
that extra cube for laundry then when I get to my destination. If we're going on
a longer trip, say a trip with our family and we have lots of laundry, we'll
designate one person's entire suitcase as kind of a laundry spot and
everybody's dirty laundry goes into there. No matter what system you decide
on the goal is to have all the dirty laundry all in one place
separated from all the clean items so that when you get home it's really easy
to take the dirty stuff right into the laundry room throw it in the washing
machine and get it going so you can get it back in the drawers. My ultimate
preference for laundry is like this past summer when we went on vacation we had a
laundry unit right in the place we were staying so I was able to wash everything,
get it folded, and take home suitcases full of clean laundry so that as soon as
we got home, I just had to take the items right out of our suitcases and put them
back in our drawers. So that's the packing system I use. Again, it will
depend some on how your brain works and what seems organized to you as to which
way you decide to do it. If you stay organized and come up with a
system before you leave, your trip will go more smoothly, you'll be able to get
to your items more easily, and you'll be thanking yourself when you get home and
it's time to unpack as well. I'm really interested to hear how you stay
organized when you're going on a trip so make sure you leave me all your packing
tips and tricks in the comments below!