How To Pack for 4 Nights in Vegas

This post is dedicated to my fun & fashionable friend, Carly. She travels on the regular & is admittedly an over-packer.

She's making changes to her packing game and is headed to Vegas next week, so she asked if I'd drum up a guide for 4 nights in Vegas... so here we are :)

If you've never been to Vegas, it's FUN. Late nights, bright lights, sensory overload. Days are filled with laying by the pool, going to the spa, and of course - shopping. When we went, I feel like I changed my outfit at least three times a day, so you definitely need options.

This would also be a good jumping off point for packing for a cruise, or any other scinereo where you'll need casual daytime clothing and fancier night time clothing.

Warehouse black hat, $41 / D&G sunglasses, $995 / Collar necklace / Oasis black enamel earrings, $13 / Forever New earrings, $8.94 / Luv Aj charm pendant, $135 / Rebecca Minkoff leather handbag / Ted Baker leather purse, $180 / Manning Cartell strapless dress / Hervé Léger pink dress / Black cocktail dress / Oversized shirt / White top, $82 / Alice Olivia pink shirt / Forever New black scoop neck top, $54 / Lipsy cover up, $57 / French Connection cover up / Chicnova Fashion black kimono / Moschino Cheap Chic playsuit romper / spring st sundress Factorie, $18 / Stretch jeans, $42 / River Island mini skirt, $41 / Rag & bone shorts / Beach panty, $98 / Crochet swimsuit / Swimsuits two piece / Seafolly swimsuits two piece, $65 / Sol Sana flat sandals / Tory Burch pumps / Valentino high heel shoes / Atwell black flat

Your Packing List:
3 bottoms (shorts, pants, skirt)
4 tops 
4 shoes (2 heels, 1 flat, 1 sandal)
2 suits
2 cover ups
5 dresses (4 fancy, 1 sundress)
1 outerwear
3 bags (large handbag, cross body clutch, misc. tote)
handful of accessories (sunnies, hat, 2 necklaces, 3 earrings)

With your two bathing suits & two cover ups, you should be good for 4 days at the pool. The suits you bring should mix & match. If you want to wear a different cover up each day, swap in shorts or the floating sundress. You only wear it out to the pool & immediately take it off, so it won't be getting dirty. Choose sandals that are nice enough for boutique shopping but also won't get ruined by pool water. Take your tote as your beach bag with all of your essentials.

Checkered shirt / Forever New beaded top, $54 / Cut off shirt, $82 / Alice Olivia pink tank / Chicnova Fashion black kimono / River Island yellow a line skirt, $41 / Black stretch jeans, $42 / Rag & bone torn shorts / Sol Sana alligator shoes / Atwell black skimmer / Rebecca Minkoff genuine leather handbag / Ted Baker white shoulder bag, $180 / Oasis art deco earrings, $13 / Forever New stone jewelry, $8.94 / Luv Aj lobster claw charm, $135 / Warehouse black fedora, $41 / D&G mirrored sunglasses, $995

For lunch, shopping, heading to the spa, travel days, or a casual evening, take the versatile items you've packed and have fun mixing & matching! Choose neutrals (don't forget, pale pink, navy blue & olive green are considered neutral) as your base and then choose your pops of color. In this capsule wardrobe, the bottoms are plain in print (but not necessarily in color with that yellow skirt!), and all of the tops have a design, texture or graphic to make them more exciting. Neutrals don't equal boring! This will provide plenty of options, as these 11 outfits can be further customized with your accessory choice. The possibilities with well selected base items will set you up with dozens of outfits, no matter what your mood.

Manning Cartell starry dress / Black beaded cocktail dress / Hervé Léger herve leger dress / Moschino Cheap Chic black romper / Tory Burch heels & pumps / Valentino shoes / Rebecca Minkoff pink leather satchel / Ted Baker white leather purse, $180 / Forever New stone earrings, $8.94 / Oasis black jewelry, $13 / Gold statement necklace / Luv Aj lobster clasp charm, $135

Nightlife is HUGE in Vegas! There are so many shows - Cirque de Sole, singers, magicians, comedians, musicals - so many restaurants to eat at, so many bars to try, casinos to play, clubs to dance at... you'll be out all night no matter how you slice it. And in Vegas, it's dress to impress. A sexy dress (and a romper!) for each night, two pairs of heels and a few accessories to mix it up. If you're able to narrow it down to one heel, you'll be thankful in the end - but in a city that never truly sleeps, an extra pair of heels will end up getting their use. Don't forget to bring ones that are comfortable.... the Strip is long!

Hervé Léger dress / Manning Cartell silver strapless dress / Sleeve shirt / Forever New scoop neck top, $54 / Moschino Cheap Chic black romper / spring st sundress Factorie, $18 / Chicnova Fashion black kimono / Sol Sana flats sandals / Atwell metallic flat / Rebecca Minkoff pink leather purse / Ted Baker leather cross body purse, $180 / Forever New diamante jewelry, $8.94 / Oasis black drop earrings, $13 / Luv Aj gold tone necklace, $135 / Warehouse black fedora hat, $41 / D&G round frame sunglasses, $995

With versatile pieces, your evening dresses can be used for day time, hitting the casinos, or a more casual dinner. Changing from heels to flats with the romper dresses it down, and adding the hat is super fun. Peplum tops are SO versatile in a situation where you're packing a lot of dresses... because they can be layered over top and instantly create the illusion of a skirt - plus you've got a whole new outfit. This sundress probably wasn't necessary to pack, either... but if I'm being honest, I LIVE in sundresses - I like having one in my suitcase so I can just throw it on and run to the store, grab something out of the car, or lounge around the hotel in it. I also love layering lady like pieces (the lace romper) with a more casual piece (the sweatshirt)... It's so casually cool.

Choose pieces you love and make sense for your style. For example, don't pack jeans if you never wear them, choose a 2nd pair of shorts or a skirt instead). If you don't wear it at home, you won't wear it when you travel! Or swap heels for a pair of sexy boots. Whatever it is, make sure you love it and it makes sense for your destination.

You don't need to pack more clothing... you just need to rethink how you wear it!

Have fun in Vegas, and play some blackjack for me.
xo

Other Packing Lists
Packing for 1 Month in Florida (in a Carry On!)
How to Pack Light and Always Carry On
Toiletry Swap: Eliminate Liquids in your Bag

How to Pack Light & Always Carry On

Back when you could still check bags for free I always did - it didn't matter if it was a 2 day trip or a 10 day trip, I checked a bag and it was bursting with unnecessary items. I surpassed the 50lb. max on the regular, and was always stuffing heavier items in my already-full purse or tote bag.

When airlines started charging for bags, I learned how to carry on - but I still always brought way too much! I slowly started to realize how much extra I was carrying around when I never used half of it. Here are the tricks I've used to keep my carry on light & my packing easy.

1 - Packing Cubes

Medium Size eBags Packing Cubes 

Packing cubes are one of my favorite inventions. Not only do they help you maximize space, they're great for organizing! If you're taking a trip with two parts (maybe a wedding & some sightseeing) you can split your garments accordingly to help keep your suitcase in order. Or perhaps shirts in one and pants in another. Another great way to use packing cubes is to smoosh down your bulkier items - winter coats, sweaters, etc - so they are taking up less space.

I have a set of each of the above. The larger Ikea ones lay flat very nicely in a carry on, and the Medium eBags stack well in a regular carry on suitcase or in a backpack.

2 - Cut Back On Shoes
Shoes are definitely the biggest space hog in your suitcase. I've found that 3 pairs of shoes will definitely get you through most trips! If you're going to New York City, choose comfortable & chic flats for the day and a comfortable heel for the night. If you're backpacking through Europe, choose comfortable trek shoes & a nicer option. You'll typically find me with flats & tennis shoes, plus a 3rd - sandals in the summer, boots in the winter. If It's a trip that requires heels (attending a wedding or a major city), i'll leave my sneaks at home and take heels. Yoga & HIIT exercises can be done in the hotel sans shoes! Choose neutrals

3 - Pack Versatile Items
This was the biggest trick I had to learn. I always packed FULLY SEPARATE OUTFITS for each day or occasion. I'd bring jeans & tee for day 1, dress for day 2, shorts and top for day 3, a different pair of shoes, sweater & accessories for each. I have no idea why I thought this was a good idea! Now I pack as few items as possible that can be re-purposed or mixed & matched. For example, I have a black dress that can be used for just about anything. It's a nice enough cut that it can be used for dinner & drinks, but casual enough that it can be worn to the pool or grocery store. Think about the most versatile items in your closet (in relation to where you're going!) and start by packing those. Change your look with your 3 pairs of shoes & a few good accessories. It's the little things that take you from day to night and casual to polished!

 Sightseeing      Dinner Date      Beach/Pool        Airport         Brunch    Bridal Shower

Topshop strappy black dress / MKT studio brown jacket / Low wedge gladiator sandals / Carvela woven wedge sandals / Kate Spade leather purse / FOSSIL white purse / Bauble necklace / Sole Society stud earrings / Monogram jewelry / Michael Stars fedora hat / Burberry cashmere scarve / ZeroUV round metal glasses / Victoria's Secret

When you pack versatile items, you're packing several outfits in one & you're learning to shop your closet! The more ways you discover to wear an outfit on the road, the more use you'll get out of it at home.

4 - Just Say No to Liquids
I never realized how much liquids could weigh you down! Even with 3oz bottles, liquids seem to be one of the BIGGEST space takers in the suitcase! Shampoo, conditioner, hair product, face wash, moisturizer, make up, nail polish remover, hair spray, perfume.... it goes on and on.

Swap for alternatives or doubles when you can! For long trips I like to bring a bottle of nail polish with me so I can freshen up on the go, but the small bottle of polish remover seems pretty huge for a one time use on the trip. My solution? Nail polish remover wipes. They lay flat and take almost NO space! They're pre-soaked and usually gets my polish off better than a cotton ball anyway. I tuck 2 in my bag before I leave.

And just like with clothing, packing versatile items can really save the day! Swap moisturizer, foundation & sunscreen for BB Creme that packs a punch for coverage, moisture, & SPF! One tube instead of three.

Here are my best tips for eliminating liquids in your bag.

5 - Question Every Single Item 
When you're laying out your clothes, ask yourself why you're packing it. Determine if this is a necessary item or a 'what if?' item

"What if?" Items to be on the lookout for
- "What if it's cold?". Weed out unseasonable items like heavy clothing for a tropical vacation. I promise... it won't be cold.
- "What if we go out 2 nights that weekend? Should I bring another pair of heels?" We've talked about this with the excessive shoes! Unless you're running a marathon, attending a wedding, sightseeing in a city, going to the beach & going snowboarding in the same trip, you can probably eliminate a few shoes.
- "What if I spill something?" Don't bring doubles. Packing two different pairs of dark jeans? Brining two pairs of pants is of course sensible, but choose different fabrics & colors to maximize your options! Plus, you can do laundry anywhere if you're really wearing them out.
- "What if I finish my book or my iPad dies. Shouldn't I have a backup?" at all cost, avoid heavy extras. You don't need a laptop, dvd player & tablet - pick one & load it up with your movies, games & documents. Same goes for reading material. Loading books onto a tablet or e-reader is your best bet. But if you prefer the feel of a book in your hand, bring one - then plan to swap with a friend when you're done or scope out a used book store at your final destination. Another fun way to get new material is finding hotels & coffee shops with "take one, leave one" book shelves.

I KNOW it feels weird to cut so many things out of your suitcase.... but it's really only hard the first time I promise! If you have a trip coming up and don't think you can do it, DON'T. Pack as you usually would and pay attention on your trip. Look for items you ignore & items you reach for again and again. Over time, you'll cling to what you need & purge what you don't!

Do you have any carry on travel tips?

Happy Packing!
xo

Other posts you might enjoy:
How to incorporate travel into your budget
How to save on flights (using One Way Tickets)
Carry on guide
Seattle City Guide
Perfecting the Multi-Way Flight
Luxury on a Budget: Hotels & Lodging
Americana Inspired Vacations
How To Find the Perfect Airbnb In Seattle

How to Budget Travel Into Your Lifestyle: Part I

If there's one question I've been asked over and over, it's "how do you travel so much?" quickly followed by things like "It's so expensive" and "I wish I could do that"

Well guess what - YOU CAN! All it takes is deciding what is more important: a new shirt for $50 - or knowing that's 1/4 of your flight to Seattle.

via

Full disclosure on financials for this. I will give you an idea of my budget and how I made it work. It's about budgeting your essentials, and then deciding what's most important to you.

When I was 24 I was working at my first job, and after my raise, I was making $35,000/year. After taxes, this came to about $2700/month.

This is about what I was budgeting a month. Of course there's always the things you forget about, but I'm $100 under budget, and that's also what misc expenses are for. I also always budget extra into my 'gas' budget, for things like your registration, burnt out break lights, and oil changes.

My rent was rather low, but to make up for it, I was making double car payments ($300x2) so I could pay my car off early. Once that was done, I planned on taking that extra $300 a month to place towards student loans. Budgeting means taking care of responsibilities and debt first.

What you might notice is low is my "fun" budgets - $150 for eating out, for example. At approximately $15/meal with tax and tip, puts me at 10 outings a month (or 2 per week and a couple left over). This is more than enough to accommodate girls nights, coffee stops here and there, so-and-so's birthday, brunch on Saturdays with my roommate. There is absolutely no reason no eat out every night unless you don't have a kitchen. And even then, you can get a hot plate. It's one of the biggest money vacuums to a young budgeter - don't fall for the trap! Save your restaurant excursions for special occasions and being social. Skip the table for 1 or the close relationship with the local pizza delivery guy.

A small experiment - let's say every dinner costs $15 with tip. Every "quick, cheap" lunch costs $6, and every coffee you stop for is $3. If you do each of these things 3 days a week (very easy to do if you aren't paying attention!) you're looking at an average cost of $72 per week, or just under $300 per month. Check your eating out habits, and start saving to eat out when you're in Chicago instead.

Another thing that's low is my "others" category: mani/pedi's, movies, buying clothes. I would limit myself to 1 movies a month in the theater, and 1 mani/pedi every 2 months. A bottle of nail polish costs $8, and $35 saved is a 1/5 of a plane ticket.

Now clothes. Ohhhhh clothes. I'm a girl. I love them. But there are more important things in life! This doesn't mean I never buy any - it just means I play it right. I wait for sales, scope out TJ Maxx, and save my $50 budget from this month, so next month I have $100 to play with :) It's much more satisfying, and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Giving myself this budget allows me to fly 8-10 times a year, visiting friends and places all over the US. I'd also like to add that I took a few babysitting jobs a month - between 1-3 per months - and put that cash directly into a box labeled TRAVEL FUND. This is how I managed to visit Europe three years in a row. $50-100 per babysitting job, I was pulling in about $2k per year of unexpected cash. This could easily be done with a 1 day a week night job at a coffee shop, or doing retail floor sets. If you work one, 5 hours shift a week at $8/hr, you'll earn $2000 before taxes. Now where did you want to go again?

If you find yourself thinking you have no room in your budget, I'd challenge you to do this. Take your debit/credit card statement from last month and get a few colors of highlighters. Highlight anything like in spending (i.e., all coffee, or all take out/eat in food, all clothes shopping). You'll be shocked what you're spending! I did this with my coffee habit fresh out of college, and realized I was buying 1-2 coffees every single day - putting my bill at almost $200 a month! For that, I could have purchased a fancy espresso machine. I put myself on a budget of 2x a week, for more like $25 per month, and enjoyed my new extra $175 to buy myself a plane ticket.

via

Budgeting travel is all about taking all of your "extras" and deciding if they're worth it. Let's say you want to take a trip to New York with your girlfriends.
Flight: $200
3 days of meals: $150
Drinks+Coffee: $75
Broadway Show: $100
Hotel split 4 ways: $225pp
Weekend Metro Card: $25
Misc Spending: $50
Trip total: $800

Luxuries You Want:
iPhone 5s came out (you still have a 4s) = $200
Monthly Mani/Pedi $600/year (at $50 per session, including tip)
Never Packing Yourself a Lunch $1560/year (at $6/day, 5 days a week for 52 weeks)

Deciding if they're worth it?: 
Stick with your 4s for another 6 months, and your flight is paid for. $200 saved
Take cut your spa days to every 2 months instead, and pay for your hotel & drinks/coffee $300 saved
Decided to pack your lunch MWF every week, with leftovers, or batch cooked meals (very affordable) - even if you spend $50 extra on groceries a month, you'll have enough money to pay for your drinks, food, coffee, souvenirs, metro card, broadway show, and still have $275 extra to put towards your next trip. $650 saved

It's a matter of priorities. If new technology is on the top of your list, then go for the iPhone. If seeing old friends and new places ranks higher, stick with the ghetto phone as long as you can (I got an iPhone when the 4s came out - and I still have it), and enjoy texting slightly lesser quality photos to your friends stuck at home.

Do you have any budget tips or tricks? Where would you like to save up to go?
xo

Wanderlust Wednesday: Atlanta

I never thought I'd say this, but i REALLY am beginning to love Atlanta. Prior to this summer, i was NEVER fond of it. Not even in the slightest. I don't know if it's the traffic, or that it's the *annoyingly close* part of the drive from Florida to Nashville (are we there yetttttttttt), i was always dismissive of Hotlanta. But after going for a friend's wedding in September (the first time i truly spent time there), I started to fall for it's charm.

Atlanta is an interesting mix - but definitely a town with great shopping, boutiques, and amazing restaurants!

We recently returned for our anniversary weekend and stayed at Le Meridian Atlanta Perimeter Hotel, which is a Starwood Hotel. It's very modern/boutique feeling, and is right between ALOFT and W hotels. So it's pretty nice.

in LOVE with this quote about travel. too long to tattoo on my arm?

Since it was our anniversary we got a suite, but I would be perfectly happy with the standard room. The beds were like floating clouds and they had FANTASTIC room service.

just a small feast.

Dinner:
We had dinner at 4th and Swift in the Historic Fourth Ward Park area, and it was DELICIOUS. On top of the fact that the decor was just awesome. The crowd was mixed, from older couples on double dates (the kind of people who order a few bottles of wine!) to girls nights, other couples our age - great variety. The place was buzzing with conversation and smelled of great food. I had the veggie dish, where you get to select four different vegetables they offer (there were about 7 or 8 to choose from) - all were divine.

I should have taken more photos inside because it was cool. Modern industrial look - exposed wood, brick and edison bulbs. You get my drift.

Brunch:
West Egg Cafe was a delight from our trip in September. Named after the area of town that Nick Caraway lived in The Great Gatsby (another reason to love), and they serve brunch all day. SOLD! I had the Black Bean Cakes and Eggs, and shared Banana Bread French Toast with Matt. Delicious. They have a lot of fun options, and the classics! Also the space is very bright an open, so it's nice for any time of day.

they also have a photo booth. Enjoy the top photo of us not knowing it was starting :)

Shopping:
Atlanta is pretty spread out, but there is great shopping everywhere. There is one in particular called Atlantic Station which is an outdoor shopping area, compete with a West Elm, H&M, BCBG, LOFT, Gap, etc. There are also some restaurants, coffee shops and a movie theater. It is a great spot to grab a coffee on a nice day and window shop, or actually shop :) Also, they offer a shuttle to Ikea (not worth it in my opinion if you're actually going to buy, because Ikea has free parking!) if you're interested. We didn't take the shuttle, but we did manage to find a few things.

first timer.

Now we're officially looking for reasons to go back. Luckily for us, it's only about 4 hours of drive time! Atlanta is surprisingly winning its way into my heart. Do you love or hate the ATL? Any other restaurant suggestions?

xo

Gifts Ideas for Him

I'm sure I can't be the only one around here who has a husband I find difficult to shop for.

First of all, he's extremely practical (unless it comes to cars and motorcycles!).
He's picky.
And if he wanted it, he probably bought it for himself already!

Not to mention.... our anniversary, his birthday, and Christmas are all within a microscopic six-week window.

What's a girl to do?

I've been scouring the internet trying to find some ideas of what to get my hard-to-gift guy, and this is what i've come up with.

The Gift of Drink

Whisky Stones - $20

buy here

These little stones keep your whisky cool without watering it down. An excellent invention.

-OR-

IPA Beer Making Kit - $45

buy here

Williams-Sonoma knew what they were doing - now tempting your guy in for a cooking class won't be so hard if he knows they sell Beer Making Kits! Perfect for a guy who loves to do it himself or try new things, who also likes beer. Win-win.

The Gift of Travel Accessories

Patagonia Fuego Backpack - $89

buy here

This 32L backpack is great for hiking, a weekend trip, or a good carry on. The size is great for the price, as a lot of more technical backpacks are north of $150. This is a steal.

-OR-

Everlane's Reverse Denim Weekender Bag - $95

buy here

This bag is beautifully crafted, and is the perfect carry on size for a weekend tote. The best part about this bag (in my opinion) is that you can steal it from time to time and use as your own weekend tote! I'm particularly fond of the reverse denim, it looks so sleek and unisex.

The Gift of Technology 

iPod Nano Watch Set - $24 (Would make sense if he already has a Nano)

buy here

This is one of the most practical gifts for guys! Perfect for a traveler or a runner. The wrist band attaches perfectly to your iPod Nano and appears to be a normal watch... until you're ready to listen to music! There are many varieties of color and style. This leather one sticks out to me because it can easily go from guys night, to an important meeting, to date night with you. Matt particularly is a watch fanatic, so this invention might save me!

-OR-

Roku Streaming Device - $49

buy here

Roku is a great little device for those of us that have Nexflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime but don't have an XBOX to stream them through our TV. Roku changes all that. Simply hook up to your TV and choose your 'channels', and you're good to go! A common misconception is that you pay for a Roku subscription, and that isn't true. You only pay for the services you want (Hulu, Netflix, etc). Bonus, you can rent movies on Amazon (from a computer) and then view them from your TV as well. Goodbye expensive iTunes rentals and sifting through awful Redbox options! Who need cable, after all?

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Beer of the Month Club - $24/month

buy here

New craft beers get delivered every month. He will of course love you forever, and probably start checking the mail daily.

-OR-

Birchbox for Men - $20/month

buy here

I personally LOVE getting my Birchbox every month (confession: i'm a beauty product addict!), all of the samples are so fun. And they lead me to new products i've been missing out on! The boy-box is similar, but they actually get less product and more 'stuff'. Friends have received sunglasses, journals, wallets and more. It's a steal at $20 a month.

Do you have a hard to shop for spouse or boyfriend? I'm open to any ideas!

xo