How I Pack Smart for a Weekend Getaway

Hey Everyone! I recently went on another mini getaway with the folks to the Wind Creek Casino. I just got back today and I have been non stop cleaning ever since so I haven't had a chance to post until now. Any who I was in the middle of packing and got the idea to make a post about it and the little tips and tricks I use when I pack so I thought I'd share some with you and just the basic process of how I pack for a weekend away so here they are! :)

So this is the bag that I use when I'm only staying for a weekend or less its the 

weekender from Michael Kors in the color Luggage I love it and I use it all the time!

The outfits I put together for both nights; Friday's outfit: cream free people blazer, leopard top from Tjmaxx and black Jessica Simpson jeggings Saturday's outfit: labeless nude lace dress from Tjmaxx and a black dress coat from Charlotte Russe (not pictured)

 The first thing I do is put together the outfits I want to wear during my stay. Depending on where I'm going, I will factor in how many days I'm staying and how many activities I'll be doing so for example I went to the Wind Creek Casino where I stayed two nights, I arrived Friday evening and left Sunday afternoon so I needed an arrival outfit (something comfy in the car) a dinner outfit for Friday night (something dressy and warm) a dinner outfit for Saturday night (again dressy) and a departure outfit for the ride home (another comfy outfit). So I needed a total of four outfits.

One thing I hate about shoes is how much room they take up in a suitcase or in my case a weekender. No matter what way you put them in or how many times you try to position them in the bag they just cant help but take up space! So one thing I do to save room is limit myself to two pairs (a sexy pair and a casual/comfy pair) at least when its only a weekend stay or less, a week long trip is a whole different story lol Anyways I decided to go with my dark nude peep toe Vince Camuto's because the color complemented both outfits I chose.You can never go wrong with a nude or black pump they go with everything.

Another trick I use is one to keep me from packing more clothes than I need. Above is my arrival outfit and my going home outfit as well a the pair of comfy shoes I chose to bring. On the ride there I wore one of my favorite v necks from Ross (its so comfy and perfect for a car ride) which I paired with my BCBG leggings and these adorable flats from forever. For the ride home I wore the exact same thing just a different top (see what I did there? :). Choosing a basic piece like black leggings is a great way to keep yourself from over packing and you can get two different outfits for the capacity of one! lol

This is another great one I use to save room, you know those little samples of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion etc they supply to you at hotels? Well turns out they work great for storing your own beauty products as well! I know I know blew my mind too xD but seriously I have a whole bag of these that I have cleaned out and saved for when I go on trips because shampoo bottles and lotion bottles can really take up a lot of space that you could be using for something more important like oh I dont know being able to zip up your bag?? lol just kidding.

I also packed a smaller bag for dinner and walking around the casino because sometimes my handbag is just too big and heavy to carry around up into the wee hours of the morning lol This is just a simple little bag I found at Tjmaxx I fell in love with the quilted detailing very Chanel.

my Victoria's Secret make up bag that my bestie bought me!

 Now onto beauty! This is probably the hardest thing for me to pack smart for but there's really no point in bringing your whole make up collection on a two nights stay unless its for a make up convention then by oh means pack it all like your house is going to be set on fire lol

Any ways since I wasnt going to a make up convention I packed what I knew I would use and nothing else. Above shows the brushes I use mostly; foundation brush, handy buki for applying powder, contour brush for applying bronzer, bluch brush, brow brush, toothbrush I use for my eyebrows and my Sonia Kashuk portable eye kit. And then I always carry some nail polish and tweezers because I might need it.

And heres what in the bottom part; Estee Lauder loose powder, Clinique super balanced make up and VS bronzer are the most used products in my beauty regimen.

 The next thing I do is make a list of all the essentials I need or that I know I will use for sure and I was able to pack all this because I used those little tricks I told you about; sleep shirt, extra bra, underwear (of course), curling wand,  Dove dry shampoo and heat protectant, S shine serum, eye mask (mandatory if I want to get any sleep) make up bag and small handbag.

Now we're ready to pack! I find that folding my clothes as flat as I can, really helps me save space. Some people like to roll their clothes but that never works for me because it takes up more space than the method I use. Also I like to occupy every inch of the bag's corners and it not only gives me more room but it just looks prettier when its all zipped up lol For my heels I placed them in sole up (to prevent puncturing my bag) with one on either side of the bag, that seems to work for me. I honestly had to rearrange some things because of my small handbag but I did get everything to fit and my weekender zipped with ease ;)

 And wala! all packed up with everything I need and ready to go!

I realize this post was a little silly but hey some people might find it helpful after all there is a Wikipedia page on how to pack a suitcase so someone must be wondering lol

Thank you so much for reading as always I really appreciated it and I hope you enjoyed it.  I hope everyone has a great week and Happy Veterans day! xoxo Em