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Packing Tips For The Girl Who Wants To Take Everything

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Packing for the girl who wants to take everything

Hey friends!  I have been back from our first trip to Los Angeles, CA for four days, and I am still completely gushing over it!  It was definitely a trip I will never forget, and I cannot wait to tell you all about it.  I have a series of posts planned about the different places we visited!  But today I wanted to talk to you about packing!  I tend to be an over packer, I’m not gonna lie!  Especially when I am going to a place I have always wanted to go.  I want to look good, and i want to have options!  When the airline says that I can check a bag up to 50 lbs., you had better believe my bag is going to way 50 lbs., pretty much on the nose.  I know some of you might frown at this and be totally into packing lightly, and I sometimes am too.  But not when I am going to LA for the first time in my life!  I wanted to fit every last thing into my bag that I possibly can.  So if you can relate to my mentality on this, then this is the packing post for you sister!  Read on!

If you have read my blog for one hot minute, you already know that I love fashion!  And in my opinion, going to LA requires me to have some really good outfits with me.  I plan these outfits to a tee before I ever start packing.I use my bed as my blank canvas, and I start building outfits.  First I am going to show you how I plan outfits to pack, and then I will show you how I fit it all in. I knew I wanted to have several dresses for evening and daytime.  I also knew that I wanted to also have several shorts outfits to choose from.  I had never been to LA before, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel, or exactly what we would be getting into, so I wanted to be prepared.  When I look back and our pictures from this trip years from now, I want to feel like I looked good!  I didn’t go to Barre for 8 months leading up to this trip for nothing, people!  Here are some examples of the different outfits I planned for this trip.  I have linked back to some of these items (or similar) right under the picture when possible.

outfit-planning-1
striped dress similar similar// ballet flats
outfit-planning-2
White dress similar// metallic and neutral wedge similar// turquoise sandals similar ( the links show a different color, but they have it in turquoise)
outfit-planning-4
floral tunic dress similar// cream wedges similar (shown in different color)// tassel bracelets similar similar
outfit-planning-6
Brown wedges// necklaces similar
Next I start mixing and matching tops with different shorts that I want to pack.  I try to make sure that all of the tops I pack can be mixed or matched with all of the shorts I pack.  Here are some examples of what I do when planning out shorts outfits.  I lay out the shorts with several different tops.  I also try to pick shoes that will coordinate with lots of outfits.  I knew I wanted to take a pair of sneakers to hike in, so I wore those to the airport because they were the bulkiest shoes I was taking.
outfit-planning-1
cream tank similar// tassel top// lace top similar
outfit-planning-3
outfit-planning-4
black patterened shorts similar// black tank similar// gold top 
outfit-planning-6
white shorts// gray chambray tank same different color 

Now that you have seen how I plan outfits, I want to show you how I fit everything into my bag.  We took two suitcases, but only one is pictured here today.  I usually combine mine and LC’s clothing and pack it in both bags, organized  according to the items that will fit best where.  I recently made a discovery that really helped me in organizing our clothing items, and I am so excited to share it with you!  They are these Homedox Packing Cubes pictured below, and they totally upped my packing game this year!

 

homedox
These storage cubes allow you to easily store and organize your clothing, that makes it easy to pack and even easier to unpack. Your clothes will stay more wrinkle free and not get crushed during your travels. There is a laundry bag included to help separate your dirty clothes.  Below you will see how I utilized these bags.  I used the largest bag for all of my tops, including work out tops and pajama tops.  I always roll my clothing as you see pictures.  It saves space and helps you to squeeze more clothing into your bag.  Just remember though that just because they are more compact does not mean they weigh less!  Rolling clothing also helps it to stay more free of wrinkles than folding does.

 

packing-tips-1

 

I had some extra space after all my tops were rolled, so I threw a nightgown and my PJ pants on top. These Homedox bags zip nicely, and have a handle at the top for carrying as well.

 

packing-tips-2

 

I used the net bag for all of LC’s TShirts and one for his long sleeved shirts.  I was also able to fit his swimming trunks in on tops of his shirts.  These bags make it great when you get to your destination because you can just pull out the bag your stuff is in instead of rifling through everything in the bag looking for your stuff.

 

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packing-tips-4
packing-tips-5

 

Once I had all of the Homedox bags filled I started working on packing the suitcases.  I used the smallest Homedox bag to hold all of our charging cords, which made it very nice because no searching!  I start packing a suitcase by placing the pants in first.  If you look at the picture below, you can see the pants legs hanging out on each end of the suitcase.  I fold them in half on the bottom of the bag, and then I let the legs hang over the sides.  Once everything is packed, I fold the pants legs over the very top of the bag.  After the pants are placed in the suitcase, I fold LC’s short in half once and place them in the bag.  If the shorts I am packing are short, I do not fold them, I lay them flat.  All of my shorts went into the second suitcase, not pictured here.  And next you can see two of our Homedox bags fit on top nicely.

 

packing-tips-6

 

I then added all of LC’s shoes, belts, and my hats.  The front pockets of the suitcases are reserved for undergarments, my bathing suits, and socks.  In our second suitcase, I laid out my shorts flat on the bottom, and then I rolled all of my dresses on top of the shorts, placed the smallest two Homedox bags on top of that.  All of our toiletries also went into the second suitcase.  I pack them in separate bags and lie them in the suitcase.  We try to not carry that stuff on the plane, it seems easier when you check it.   And of course, shoes on top as pictured above. I pack my heels in the corners on their sides with the soles facing the outer edge.

 

packing-tips-7

 

I was sent these Homedox bags to review for the blog.  I was offered any item of my choosing, and this is what I chose to try.  I knew they would come in handy for us when travelling, and they proved to be a huge workhorse in packing our bags this year.  I am so glad I chose them!  They come in 9 different colors, and I chose the red.  These are very durable and breathable bags, and they will be part of our packing for years to come!  As a matter of fact we are off on a second vacation just next week, and they are coming along with us to the Smoky Mountains!  Hmm, I think I will be packing a lot of different items to go to the mountains than I did to go to LA, don’t you?  I hope you enjoyed my packing trips.  Now that I have these bags to help me, I think I pretty much have it down to a science! One more thing that comes in handy when you fly and want to fit a lot into your bag is a luggage scale.  I bought one last summer for my daughter to use when she traveled to Sweden for 3 weeks, and it came in handy again this year.  I also like to take a neck pillow when flying, it makes me just a little more able to rest and get comfortable.
I thought now that you have seen how I packed, you might enjoy seeing some of the outfits I wore while in LA in action!  Here are some pictures of me actually wearing the things I packed!  Some of the clothing items you see have been linked to above.  I haven’t linked back to anything below because I am short on time, but I will update this post this evening and add some links.
la-outfits-1
Tank// skirt similar
2016-06-26_031109064_CC6B3_iOS

 

We had just hiked to up near the Hollywood sign in this picture.  Hiking in this area is dusty and dirty and hot!  No way can you return without dirt all over you!  I couldn’t wait to get home and throw my sneakers in the wash!  Luckily they washed up looking like brand new.

 

la-outfits-4
Capri leggings// tank// Sneakers

I bought my fringe bag at Altar’d State last summer, but I am still so in love with it, and it works as a crossbody bag too.  I wish I could link to it for you, but I linked a couple similar.

 

la-outfits-5
Fringe bag similar similar// animal print sandals similar// tiger eye necklace// sunnies similar// tassel charm
la-outfits-7
la-outfits-8
bathing suit different print
la-outfits-9
la-outfits-10
la-outfits-11
la-outfits-12
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white maxi dress similar

As it turned out I wish I had taken more warm clothing for the beach, but that is for another post.  I am planning a post about what to wear or pack specifically for LA County, California.  But I hope you enjoyed seeing some of these pictures of things I wore, and reading about how I fit it all in there! Have a great Wednesday, I am off to the pool for the afternoon!
Do you have champagne taste and a tiny budget like me?  Love fashion, DIY, crafting, all things vintage and thrifty?  Stick with me, I’ve got you covered!
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Comments

  1. Johanna says

    That is helpful… I am definitely one of “those” girls. I dread packing and I always fear I’m not going to “feel like wearing” what ever I bring. Oh, the struggles of being a girl! Thanks for the tips!

    Reply

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