Pack It Up!

Maybe you scored a getaway on a tropical island, or maybe you’re just spending the weekend at grandma’s, but if you’re like me, you waited to pack for your trip until the absolute last minute. I know how it goes. The date slowly creeps closer and closer. Every day you tell yourself, I’ll start tomorrow! All of a sudden it’s the night before and you don’t even know where your suitcase is. Not to fear! These three tips will help make last minute packing just a bit less stressful.

• Organization

Throwing all of your clothes in a big pile in your suitcase may seem like a good idea, but when it’s time to find things later it’ll be virtually impossible to get what you want without dumping your entire suitcase out on the hotel bed. I always create organized, folded piles of clothes outside of my suitcase (tops in this stack, bottoms in that stack, etc), and wait until I know I have everything before putting anything into my suitcase. This way, I know where everything is, and when I think of something that I forgot, I can put it in its designated pile without worrying about losing track of where in went. Once you know you have everything, you can place your piles into the suitcase in the neatest way possible. I like to leave the outside pocket of my suitcase empty for when I know I have everything, except my toothbrush is still in the sink and my sunscreen is in the garage. This does destroy the organization a bit, but we can’t all be perfect, especially with limited time. 

• Multitasking

Multitasking is crucial to packing when you’re in a rush. While you’re doing your laundry, you should be packing your carry on items. While your movies for the plane are downloading, you should be double checking that you packed enough socks and underwear! This can feel frantic and you will be running back and forth at lightning speeds, but it will save time and burn calories! If you are not a good multitasker and tend to forget things when you attempt it, then the next tip will be your saving grace.

• Check Lists

When you’re rushing like crazy, it’s easy to forget things. If you have some time that you can’t physically be at home to pack, like a lunch break or slow hours at work, pull out the notes app on your phone and start making a few different checklists. I like to make a list for each separate bag. One for my carry on, one for my purse, one for my suitcase, and one specifically for my toiletries bag. Every possible thing you can think of bringing, write it down. This is the most useful when you realize the day before that you haven’t started packing, and don’t have time to go home and start immediately. Once you have a few lists, you’ll know if you need to go out and buy anything, and you’ll also be able to refer to them during your frantic packing time to make sure you don’t forget anything. 

In all the packing craziness, don’t forget to breathe. The best thing you can do to reduce the stress of packing is take a deep breath and remember why you’re doing it. Think of the ski trip, or tropical island you might be going to. If its a work trip, think of the great opportunity, and the little extra cash. Finding the positive things and keeping those front and center is crucial. Happy Packing!

~Kati