Confession time – I’m an over packer by nature. I can’t help it. I come by it honest! My mom is incapable of picking us up at the airport without bringing 16 projects to work on, 5 toys for Parker, and all of my mail —- keep in mind, we’re going right back to her house. God love her!
Anywho – two weekends ago Tom and I went about 35 minutes from home for a little “staycation” in Missouri wine country. {check out our most adorable BandB and get the scoop on our weekend away here} And the minute I came out with ONE duffle bag, he was shocked! Totally expecting the suitcase and the hanging bag also. ha ha. Nope! Not this time!
I was determined to pack light and efficient. It seems that with our crazy, always-on-the-move lifestyle I’ve learned a few things about only bringing the essentials and getting the most out of each piece.
The #1 key to packing light and efficient is planning ahead!
I’m notorious for scrambling at the last minute and because nothing is well thought out, I get “packers panic” and throw a bunch of crap in the bag at the last minute. “What if I want to wear this?” or “Oh man I haven’t worn this in forever, this weekend seems like a good chance.” ha ha. ALL the excuses. But when you plan in advance, like days in advance, you have time to simmer one each piece you’re bringing. Do you love it? Will you feel good in it? Will you be excited to wear it?
The second key to packing light and efficient is bringing versatile pieces.
Pieces that can go from day to night or day 1 to day 2. (now don’t scrimp on the undies – that’s not what I’m saying). Shoes that could be worn during day or night. And layers! Allll the layers! Layers that go with multiple outfits. If you bring a few different basics (which typically roll up nice and small-like) you can bring 1 solid layering piece that goes with them all.
Let me show you what I mean:
This is how I pack (when I give myself enough time). I lay everything out, by outfit, and items that go with two outfits go in the middle. Think of it as a vin diagram. Yeeeeaaaa! That takes you back huh? Remember those things! ha ha. All the things in this circle go with outfit A, all the things in this circle go with outfit B, and the things in the middle (where the two circles overlap) can go with outfit A or outfit B.
Day 1: travel day
I wanted something comfy in the car (although it was only a 35 min drive). But I needed a layer for the weekend. So instead of trying to pack it in the bag, I just wore it! This is another tip – especially if you’re flying and using a carry-on only.
Wear the bulky/heavy pieces on travel day.
Tennis shoes. Jeans. Outerwear. All the things that take up a lot of space or could weigh your bag down. So I wore my one pair of denim, my sneaks, and my jacket.
ps – this blazer is FULL stretch! I can’t rave about it enough! It’s a structured blazer with a dark gray sweater-like liner — and the WHOLE thing is stretch!
blazer // striped tee // denim // sneakers
I also knew we would go to dinner when we got into town and this jacket made my outfit acceptable for a restaurant. I did change into my flat booties just so I wasn’t wearing sneakers to dinner 😉
Day 2: exploring and dinner
We had a wide open agenda for our one full day in town. Our main goal of this trip was to disconnect from real life and connect with each other. So I knew we were going explore the town, probably do some walking, but nothing fancy. We were going to do a few wine tastings so I wanted to be decent but comfy. So I had comfy, flat boots and basics. All the basics…with a layer. Which ended up being perfect for the weather. Warm sunshine but a brisk breeze.
The best basic long sleeve tee with two optional layers – a vest and a scarf.
denim // basic tee // vest // scarf // booties
A solid vest is the most versatile thing you can have in your closet
Snag this scarf for 20% off with code “LAYNE20” – use the link above 😉
these are the best booties I’ve ever owned! Comfy enough to walk all day, but fun and not boring with the little cutout detail.
After a few wine tastings and antique browsing we went back to freshen up and change for dinner. I literally wore the exact same jeans I had been wearing all weekend, and the same jacket from the night before, but this time I changed the shirt and shoes. Adding a lace camisole and a fun pair of boots took this basic outfit from 0 to 60! This was my favorite look from the entire trip.
denim // camisole // blazer // booties
{If you like this look – check out the 4 ways I styled this same lace camisole here. }
Day 3: easy morning and traveling home
Sadly the weekend came to an end on Sunday. It was short but sweet! Again, it was a travel day so again I wanted to be comfortable. I nice pair of leggings (which if you don’t own these babies you are missing out BIG time! leggings with pockets on the butt — yep!), a long tunic, sneaks, and the repeat layer.
leggings // striped layering tee // vest // sneakers
So in total I packed:
- 2 bottoms
- 4 tops
- 2 layers
So 8 clothing items gave me 4 complete outfits. (and a happy husband 😉
xoxo
Meghan
