The Holidays tend to add an extra bit of anxiety to everyone's lives, especially when it comes to traveling. The key to surviving is a suitcase filled with all the things that make you tick. The essentials that make you feel at home, even if that "home" is temporarily Uncle so and so's living room couch. Hotels.com recently contacted me to get some of my holiday packing tips for their website and I was more than happy to accept the offer. I've been traveling up to two times a month this year, so I'm pretty dependent on their site. I mean where else are you going to find super low prices and an endless list of hotels to choose from? Most recently, my fiance and I used Hotels.com to book our trip to Aria in Las Vegas while we were attended the opening of the Giuseppe Zanotti Vegas Boutique. Our stay was beyond amazing and the hotel was the ideal choice for us. You may remember me raving about it here. And I'm sure we'll end up using their resources again to book our upcoming honeymoon... eek. Only five more months. I am going to be in three different states from now until New Years so smart packing and a great hotel is a total necessity. There's no denying that winter wardrobes lend to the biggest packing challenges. We all have bulky essentials and necessary accessories we simply refuse to live without during our holiday trips, so in order to remove some of that packing stress, I've put together a little guide to help with your upcoming travels.
1. Bag your jewelry. I take a ridiculous amount of jewelry on every trip I go, so to keep things slightly organized I always have a dedicated zip lock bag for my earrings, rings, and so on. To keep things safe, I add cotton strips to each bag for a nice layer of padding. Avoid cotton balls, they tend to cling.
2. Fashion & Function. I suggest always packing at least two pairs of heels. One for function and one for fashion. Layer them in the middle of your suitcase (heels facing in) so they're protected on both ends. Then of course, wear your most fabulous pair of boots on the plane, because lets face it, two pairs of heels is never enough and boots take up way too much room.
3. Easy fold Cardigans. No winter wardrobe is complete without a slew of cute cardigans. They can add style to the simplest outfits and they're super easy to manipulate while packing, unlike most jackets, so the more you can stuff down into the sides of your suitcase the better.
4. Hair Must. Chances are who ever you're visiting is most likely going to have a hair dryer you can borrow, so unless your visiting a family doomed with genetic baldness, I suggest leaving yours at home. Save room for your must have utensils like your straightener and curling iron.
5. Basics. We've all been in the scenario where you're getting ready at the last minute and that shirt that went perfect with that skirt is suddenly M.I.A. This is bound to happen, so replacements are always important. Basic tops and bottoms that can replace anything are crazy crucial. My number one basic is my little black dress. This is a great space saver and a fashion lovers secret to traveling.
6. One Jacket. Sadly until we all reach Rachel Zoe's status I wouldn't recommend packing all of your furs and other "space takers." Find the one jacket you simply can't live without and lay it flat on the top of your pile, then push the ends down into the side of the suitcase.
8. Tights. Every suitcase has a few weird and awkward spaces that should never be wasted. Fill these parts with your favorite winter tights and go-to knee highs. They're a holiday must and should never be forgotten when traveling during the colder months.
7. Choose a Pallet. Whether it be neutrals or a festive red and green, narrowing down your wardrobe will make choosing your selections easier and assure that no matter what you forget, you'll always match and have the proper accessories for each ensemble.
8. Tights. Every suitcase has a few weird and awkward spaces that should never be wasted. Fill these parts with your favorite winter tights and go-to knee highs. They're a holiday must and should never be forgotten when traveling during the colder months.
What are some of your packing tips? Head over to the Hotels.com facebook fan page to share your tips with them and for more packing tips, check out their Travel Smart Blog!