Guys. I have a confession to make.
I am an over-packer. I don't know what it is about vacations that make me nervous that I might run out of clothes, when in all actuality I probably wear 1/8 of what I pack. Take our honeymoon to Hawaii for example. I probably packed 6 different swimsuits, 5 different dresses, and all of the shorts I owned. I ended up buying a new suit while I was there and wore that one for the majority of the trip, & when you are at the beach NO ONE wears pants, so bye-bye shorts!
I've always justified my overpacking with "Well I just like to have lots of options." No. No, no, no. Not anymore. After our honeymoon I learned my lesson and am changing my packing philosophy! Instead of throwing a bunch of random shirts and shorts in my suitcase and figure out what I'll wear when I get there, I'm going to pick my outfits in advance. I'm sure a lot of you are probably reading this and thinking "wow this girl is just now figuring out how to pack her suitcase?" haha! But in my defense I did never run out of clothes and I always had lots of choices. But this will lighten my load and already have things planned in advance.
We are headed out for Vegas and I am SO EXCITED! We haven't had any sunshine all week here at home so I am beyond ready for 80 degree weather. I've finished up all of my laundry and am prepared to pack!
I decided to make this easy, simple and pain-free! Here are my tips to use to avoid overpacking for your vacation:
1. Choose Only Your Favorites/Essentials!
When I would pack, I would add things that I didn't even like that much, I just figured I might need them. This is a no-no. I can bet you 99% of the time those pieces went unworn and just took up space. Packing your favorites/essentials reassures that you have your best options. When you pack items that you know make you feel good and look good on you, it makes choosing an outfit that much easier. (I just got some new pieces in the mail that I am SO excited to wear!!)
2. Pick Your Outfits Ahead Of Time!
You may not have to have it down to exact specific days you plan on wearing those outfits but already having them organized and set up makes packing & choosing that much easier! For this trip we will mainly be in the same type of weather throughout so I don't have to have too many different options. A tip for this too is picking outfits with some of the same pieces! Try pairing a pair of shorts with a couple of different shirts, or shoes that can be worn with almost any outfit. This will really lighten your load.
3. You Don't Need A Bajillion Swimsuits!
This is tough for me haha. And honestly this tip may just be for me, HA! But for some reason I love to pack all of my favorite swimsuits, but in the end never get to wearing as many as I would like. Again it comes down to having options for me, but I'm just going to choose 2 of my favorite suits and leave it at that!
4. Plan To Add To Your Suitcase During Your Trip!
Let's be honest everyone. We ALL do some sort of shopping while on vacation. Whether that is clothes or souvenirs, those new items need to be stored somewhere! Having extra room in your suitcase makes packing for the way home that much easier. I already know I buy clothes when I'm on vacation, that is why I won't be packing my whole closest because I plan on adding to my suitcase & even if I did forget/need anything I would be able to buy it down there.
This is a pretty simple & short list but I think will majorly impact your packing. Well, my packing at least haha! I'm sure at least half of you are already pro's when it comes to packing. I can already tell my suitcase is going to be way lighter and much more organized! One that I didn't change in my packing was my underwear. You can never have too many pairs and they barely take up any room. Same thing with socks! This I feel is especially important when you are on a trip where you don't have first hand access to do some laundry.
I can't wait to get our trip started and share lots of fun pictures and hopefully some funny stories! Remember you can follow me on Instagram at @micaiahrae :)
xo,
Micaiah