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

Mini Gettaway With The Family To The Wind Creek Casino :)

Hey ya'll! I hope your weekends went well! Mine certainly did :) I went with my family to the Wind Creek Hotel and Casino in Atmore Alabama. I have to say I was a little skeptical about going just because Atmore isn't exactly the city that never sleeps, there's not much going on and if you're passing through hoping to find a mall you will be very disappointed and possibly out of gas.. trust me, I've been there lol Anyways we were only able to stay one night because we all had to work but it was still very nice and enjoyable. We left the house around 1:30, dropped off my Yorkie, Minnie at my aunts house in Loxely and arrived at the hotel around 3. Its only about and hour or so away from our house but it was just nice to getaway from the norm for the night, sometimes you just need to get away ya know? Even if its only an hour away and for 24 hours. When we got to our room I was surprised to see how nice the rooms were. The walls were covered in dark wood paneling and the floors were the color of my overnight bag. The bathroom was quite inviting, it had a glassed in shower accompanied by stone walls and that soft lighting that makes you look like a million bucks. The accent chairs were a really pretty soft lime green and positioned by the window. The beds were perfectly pressed and dressed with plush white duvets topped off with three white fluffy pillows and to make it even better, we were on the seventh floor overlooking the pool. Of course the first thing I did was put my stuff down and jumped into the bed for a mid evening nap.


 
While the rents are away the fashionista will play! lol well read, Harper's Bazaar is one of my favorites :)


The perfect little area to get ready for a night of dinner drinks and gambling! :)


All dressed up and ready to go! I wore my blazer from Charlotte russe, sequined tank also from there. My jeans are BKE, shoes (I know you cant see them but they're nude platforms) from Polish and I found this bag at Tj's I am in love with it! We decided to have dinner a little late so when we got to the restaurant we wanted to eat at called Fire, we were disappointed to find out it was already closed so we had to settle for the buffet which was alright but definitely not worth taking pictures of or recommending.


After dinner we headed to the casino where the alcoholic drinks are free all night! AWESOME! I had a strawberry daiquiri and an Irish cream both were delicious. My favorite slot machine is the sex and the city penny machine so much fun! I lovee playing it because when you get a bonus it plays different scenes from the show and Mr. Big talks to you which makes me smile every time ;)

 

We finally went up to the room around 1:35 and I was still wired from the Irish coffee and the fact that I had a day at the spa planned later that morning so sleeping was kind of out of the question.
Mom caught me reading my "bible" haha

The next morning I woke up around nine had breakfast at the Grill, a vegetarian omelet made with just egg whites and toast and then retreated to the spa :)
Their spa was absolutely gorgeous! It was only $18 for a whole spa day, that includes all the spa amenities and the pool which I couldn't experience because it would not stop raining but that's not bad at all! Anyways when they took me back, I walked through tall glass doors and into a room with gold bead curtains and olive colored walls. The sitting area was so beautiful, they had bamboo plants everywhere, a relaxing stoned waterfall and comfy white couches with oxblood decorative pillows. I walked through some more glassed doors and found the hot tub with a cold bath as well. It was mosaic walls with candles every where, very luxurious I think the hot tub was my favorite part lol After spending way to much time in the hot tub I went around the corner and found the hallway with the steam room and the sauna both were very zen and relaxing I'm a sucker for a steam room because I love the detoxifying process so I was in heaven! Pictures from left to right; the locker and preparation room, a little room to get ready after your done with your spa experience, the gorgeous sitting area, the hot tub and cold bath room, the hallway with the sauna and steam room. The whole experience was wonderful I felt so relaxed and brand new afterwards and the people were so nice I'll definitely be going back soon!

The gift shop had OPI nail polish for sale so I bought the mini set from the Germany Collection, so excited to use these! Colors from left to right; Don't pretzel my buttons, Nein! Nein! Nein! OK fine!, Unfor-greta-bly blue, Suzi and the 7 dusseldorfs.

Well I hope you enjoyed this post about my experience at the Wind Creek Hotel and Casino, it was not what I had expected it to be, I was very much surprised and I definitely recommend you guys to check it out and experience it for yourselves if you're ever in the area, especially the spa and pool! The Wind Creek Casino is located halfway between Mobile and Pensacola in Atmore Alabama on 303 Poarch Road. Its really hard to miss its kind of out in the middle of nowhere and you will be able to see it miles away but I guarantee you will enjoy your visit! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a great week! Talk you you guys again soon :) xoEm