Hudson and I are headed to California to visit my best friend Sara, and meet her new baby girl Luna! We’re so excited, but my biggest anxiety is not brining too much stuff, because I will be traveling alone with a toddler and only have two hands! haha! My original goal was to only bring a backpack, but I quickly realized that with Hudson’s things (sound machine, hiking carrier, clothing, shoes) it didn’t matter HOW light I pack, it would not all fit, so I accepted that I will have to bring 1 carry on suitcase. Worse things have happened.
A lot of you ask for advice on the best ways to pack light, so I decided to break it down into 5 tips for you, and explain my logic behind packing!
1 – I always bring LESS bottoms and MORE tops: Find 1 bottom that can match with everything (for me it was these Zara denim shorts) and 1 bottom that has a pattern on it (I brought these shorts). This allows you the option to mix and match tons of different outfits between the two of them.
2 – Always bring 1 dress for a potential night out: Even with babies, there’s a possibility that we go out for dinner one night, and I always like to have 1 option that’s a little bit more dressed up! I brought this cute checked dress, and knowing myself, I’ll probably wear it twice in the week I am there.
3 – Bring a different top for each day of the trip – In my experience, I never mind re-wearing bottoms, but a top can feel a bit icky to wear twice, especially if you sweat in it. I love to bring a variety of tops, so I packed 1 solid, a few striped options, a graphic tee and a button up. This trip I skimped on the button-up because I felt like with the dress, I had more than enough options for a week, and didn’t want to fall in to the trap of overpacking, but if this was a trip to Europe I would have probably brought a chambray button-up since they are so versatile! Make sure your patterned tops don’t clash with your patterned bottom, as you’ll be remixing the two. All of the stripes I packed can also match with my patterned shorts, as long as I wear solid accessories to tie the look together.
4 – Accessorize! I always travel with a few options for accessories, especially headbands and neck scarfs. It’s incredible how just adding a scarf can completely transform a look, plus they are the smallest and lightest pieces to pack!
5 – Never pack more than 3 pairs of shoes – It is SO easy to want to wear different shoes with each look, and when you’re home, it’s obviously a game changer to finish off looks. But, I’ve learned that while traveling comfort is key, so I try to bring 1 pair of hiking/ workout shoes, 1 pair of sandals and 1 pair of “going out” or “walking around town” shoes. I actually almost did not bring the sandals, but I felt like the dress looked cuter with them! Never bring a new pair of shoes on a trip, that is a recipe for blisters!
I really hope these tips were helpful, or inspired you to feel liberated by bringing less on your next trip! Less stuff is more time worrying about all of your possessions so you can explore! I’ve linked everything that is still shoppable below!
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