Trip to Orlando Part 1: Packing

Greetings from Orlando, FL!


I am in the area for a few days for a conference. I've been to this conference before, but this year is different, I am one of the presenters. I decided to step outside of my box and share my experiences with others.


But that's not what this post is about. This post is about packing. Which I tend to overdo. Yes, I overpack. And I really did not want to do that this time. Last summer MsVaughn of YouTube fame did a video on packing efficiently for a vacation. I was determined the next time I had to take a trip where I would fly, I would use this method.

One of the first decisions I made was to loosely use a color scheme. Doing this would reduce the number of shoes and other accessories required. And when you have to weigh bags, every ounce counts.

I decided for a neutral palate of brown, gray, denim and chambray blue.

Here are the outfits layed out...

The best thing to do is to lay out the outfits including shoes, hats (if applicable) and accessories. This will avoid forgetting anything.

Here are the accessories:

I bag my accessories in plastic bags. This prevents them from tangling in transit.

Clothes folded and accessories packed (in black bag)

Now on to toiletries...

This includes hair and hair products, makeup, toiletries (cleansers, lotions, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.) and other products.

Once toiletries are packed, now it's time to pack!

In the checked bag, I put all of the toiletries and liquids. This ensures that none of my toiletries are tossed by TSA (I had this happen on a trip to ATL...NO BUENO!). Belts, shoes and underwear are also packed in the checked bag.

In the top lid of the suitcase I packed my hair (lol), satin pillowcase, laundry bag and the tote bag I will carry while at the conference (ooo-ooop!).

Next I pack clothes in my carryon. There is also a small umbrella in the carryon because rain was forecasted.

I put a couple of the clothes (PJs, swimwear and a couple of skirts) in my checked bag because I did have some room left in the bag. Here is the checked bag with everything packed.

That's it. Here are my bags packed and ready to go!

Checked bag, carryon, laptop bag

Because this was a business trip, I had to take my laptop. I didn't show you what was in the laptop bag, but I put some magazines in there and all of the electrical cords for laptop, iPod and my phone. I also recommend putting all of the cords in a large, plastic bag that you can take out at security. I was searched because my cord looked suspicious. Since I started packing my cords in clear plastic and putting them in the bins while going through security, I have had no issues.

I took a crossbody bag that fit in the top of my carryon, which I removed and wore once I went through security.

You can check out Ms. Vaughn's packing video below

I feel really good about my packing....stay tuned for more from my Orlando trip!