Quick Tip Tuesday: Organized Travel

Hello pals!  I hope your week is off to a beautiful start!  I am currently in NYC for a really amazing brand collaboration, and have been enjoying my time in the city.  Always such a fun change from small town rural life.

I apologize that I will be MIA for much of the week while exciting things are happening behind the scenes.  I will definitely be checking in during spare seconds and still have a few posts lined up.  I was also hoping to share with you our hardware selection for our kitchen yesterday, however, the pieces I selected for the glass cabinets didn't work out during Saturday's installation day.  Fingers crossed the new pieces arrive and everything goes swimmingly when I get back home.

When I arrived at the hotel on Sunday, I realized I haven't yet shared a little gem of a packing tip.  I may be late to the game, but one little change really made a fabulous impact to my travel experience.

Three words: Mesh Garment Bags.  These things are amazing.  They come in a variety of sizes, and allow me to really maximize the space in my carry-on suitcase.

When I pack for a work trip, I never know what to expect in terms of clothing, weather and event experiences.  Things change at the drop of a dime, and I like to have back-up options in case I make a mess of myself or realize I completely mis-judged appropriate attire.

For this five day trip, I packed three pair of jeans (white, black and blue), two skirts and eight tops.  I also packed under garments, layering tanks, a blazer, two sets of pajamas and accessories (not shown above).

So why do I love those little mesh sacks?  So glad you asked:

• They are less expensive than typical travel cubes.
• I prefer to roll my clothing when I pack to save space, the mesh sack conforms to the shape of my clothing, yet keeps everything from unrolling.
• They come in a variety of sizes to accommodate different clothing types.
• They are small enough to bring a few extras to separate out dirty laundry.
• They can be used to pack specific outfits for each day (include shoes, jewelry and clothing pieces into a separate sack for each day), or divide out clothing by function (sleepwear, pants/shirts, etc...).

All those pants, skirts and shirts, all nice and neat in a little laundry bags.  Good thing I played a lot of Nintendo Tetris as a kid.  I also used a delicate bra pouch for all of my undergarments and one for sleepwear/tanks.

And still plenty of space for the rest of my "necessities".

I shared my toiletry organization a few years ago and not much has changed since.  And if you were wondering if label tape holds up on the toiletry bottles even when wet day after day... it sure does!

I also love using a jewelry roll for all jewelry/accessories.

Another tip is to also collect shower caps every time you stay at a hotel.  They are great for wrapping your shoes in your suitcase so nothing gets dirty.

And since I am on a roll, and this is no longer one quick tip, I will just keep going.  Something I just started doing, is taking advantage of my Dropbox account synced with iPhone/iPad.

I scour my Pinterest boards and search for outfits that are current for my closet (for example, I will search for "white jeans" or "floral top") and then I save those images to a Travel -> Outfits folder on Dropbox.  I also create a folder for Travel Details/Docs, Photos and Receipts.  This way, I can access the outfit inspiration while dressing for an event, I can access any travel documentation, important contacts and itineraries if something becomes misplaced and I can take a photo of receipts with my phone and save them to review later, or turn in for reimbursement if applicable.  I also keep hard copies of my receipts in a small poly envelope that I tuck into my planner.  Lastly, as I am taking photos with my phone, I can update them to Dropbox and delete them from my phone to save on storage.

My last tip is to take everything out of your suitcase and hang it up instantly.  This is obvious, but it will prevent your luggage from looking like it was tossed by TSA security three times, lost, hit by a tornado and then ransacked by a dog who smells a treat at the very bottom.  Which is typically how mine looks within three minutes of arriving to the hotel.

And for fun, I thought I would round up some of my favorite travel products.  Enjoy!

suitcase

1. Mesh laundry pouches - as outlined above, they are a great packing cube alternative.
2. Jewelry rolls keep jewelry safe and prevent tangles.
3. Travel sized lint rollers will ensure you are dust and lint free on meeting/event day.
4. Mini cosmetic cases are wonderful for holding everything from daily vitamins to stud earrings.
5. Tuck a few dryers sheets in your suitcase between clothing to keep everything smelling fresh.  They are also great for rubbing onto your blouses and skirts to prevent cling issues.
6. Pre-pack a toiletry bag with your favorite products emptied into small, TSA friendly bottles.
7. Select a cosmetic bag with multiple pouch options and one with handles that allow you to hang it on the back of the bathroom door or nearby hook.
8. It is always important to add identification to your luggage.  Tech Tags that utilize cloud technology to help insure your items a safe recovery if lost. 

carry-on

1. Headphones will keep you entertained during your flight.  Keep them tangle free with an ear-bud cord wrap.
2. Ear-buds keep your ears happy with tunes, gum keeps your ears happy while changing altitudes.
3. Corral all of your important travel documents and keep them right at hand with a handy travel wallet/organizer.
4. I don't know about you, but I always feel a little rough after a flight, especially after sleeping in a crunched up ball.  I like to keep a travel size bottle of dry shampoo to give my hair a little refresh/bounce after landing.
5. Same story for the face.  I don't pack the pressed powder in my toiletry bag; that goes right into my personal bag to rid my face of oil build-up during the flight.
6. Mini hair brush for that mini bed plane head fixing.
7. When I am traveling all day, I am sure to burn through my phone/tablet battery sooner than normal.  A pre-charged battery cell will get you a few extra charges throughout the day if needed.
8. I pre-load my tablet with magazines and books prior to my flight.  This saves on bag space and shoulder pain, as I use to lug those items with me.  They are also handy to have for games, music, movies and even web browsing on Wi-Fi flights.  Lastly, load Dropbox on your tablet to keep all of your important digital files easily accessible at any time.
9. Most often, I am meeting someone straight off of the airplane.  I like to give myself a little spritz of perfume during my quick freshen up process.  Most perfumes come in travel sized bottles, or you can purchase them and transfer your favorite scents at home.
10. Flights always make me feel dried out; both my hands and lips.  For hands, I always keep a small tube of hand creme in my carry-on.
11. And a little chapstick for my lips!
12.  These folios are also great for travel docs, receipts, and any other files you may be transporting across the globe.
13. It is probably no surprise I take my planner with me everywhere, so of course it makes the cut onto the plane.  In fact, I love to store all of the hard copies of any travel docs I have right inside the cover.

So now that I spilled my favorite travel/packing tips (which ended up being a few quick tips), what are yours?  What one item is a "must" when jet setting off for business or pleasure?

Looking for more quick tips?  Check out the entire series here!