Family Day is right around the corner for most of us, and hopefully some of you get the chance to head out of town for a few nights! Packing for a short trip can be a challenge, since you want everything you need but not a stitch more.

I’m lucky enough to be off to California for the long weekend! It happens to be with a group of men on a cycling vacation (my boyfriend is running a training camp, I’m tagging along for the sunshine) and I refuse to be the stereotypical female over packer. If you struggle to keep things under control, read on.

1) Keep calm and carry on

Most airlines now charge for any checked bags, so it makes more sense than ever to just bring carry on. You can’t exactly overpack when you have to fit everything in that overhead bin, plus, you’ll save about $50 round trip for your efforts.

2) Pack in outfits

Do all the trying on and decision making before you leave and pack only what you need. It save precious vacation time since you won’t be scrambling to find something to wear and lightens your load considerably. I have a bad tendency to rush right before I leave and throw in a bunch of unnecessary options I never wear. Pack ahead of time to avoid this!

 3) Bring versitile pieces

Think about what you wear most often and build multiple outfits around that. The absolute best thing for space saving is having a several items that you can wear in different combinations with each other. Neutrals are the easiest way to do this.

  4) Utilize your travel outfit to the fullest

You save a TON of space by wearing bulkier items instead of packing them. I always use this trick! This sweater and these boots (plus my blanket scarf and coat, not pictired) would have taken up a lot of luggage room so I wore them on my flight to Toronto a few weeks ago.

5) 2 pairs of shoes max

Bonus points if you go with an all around classic like a black bootie and only bring 1! Just make sure they are comfortable and go with each outfit you packed. The rule of one works great for purses too.

6) Use all those beauty samples

Lots of stores (Sephora especailly!) give out tons of samples. I usually just end up hoarding them away in a drawer but lately I’ve started going through my stash before I travel and bringing them with me. Keep in mind if you are not checking your bag you will need to keep any liquids or gels under 100ml, so you might want to grab a travel set of mini refillable bottles from the dollar store to downsize anything you don’t have a sample of.

If you’re going away let me know where in the comments!

PS On this day 2 years ago I created this blog. Might not have gotten in the swing of things until 2015, but HBD pants that suck.