Tuesday, July 01, 2014

Packing for my Summer Jollies!

Packing. Panic. Packing! Panic! PACKING! PANIC!

This is what happens every single time I pack to go anywhere, be it two weeks abroad or one night at my mother-in-law's. I don't like packing. I always feel like I've forgotten something incredibly important. Surely one night away requires two spare pairs of underwear, layers, germolene and plasters and extra painkillers for emergencies...? Maybe not. But this is, and will always be, my approach to packing. Be prepared! I always take too much, always take things that don't even get taken out of  the suitcase and always seem to come home with twice as much as I went with (I think this is a very common travelling phenomenon...)

I'm getting married in a few weeks and will be jetting off to sunny Thailand for two weeks of honeymoon bliss, and we are both attempting to 'pack light'... Everyone keeps telling us how much we'll buy when we're there and it's so hot we'll hardly need many clothes, just a couple of swimsuits and vests etc. But it's just not that easy, is it? A couple of swimsuits equals one tropical print bikini, a reversible neoprene bikini and a monochrome one-piece (for watersports) and I have enough vests to start my own business! I tend to pack in outfits so I'm guaranteed to have something that goes with everything, avoiding those lonely pretty tops that never get worn and or the jazzy kaftan that clashes with everything. Not to mention that we're travelling, not just hitting one resort, so I need different attire for sightseeing in Bangkok (trainers, shorts, loose t-shirts), jungle trekking in Elephant Hills (waterproofs, hiking boots, Indiana Jones-style hat and shirt) and finally chilling by the beach in Koh Samui (bikinis, flip flops, floaty dresses.) Then there's cosmetics to deal with. I definitely need at least two sets of haircare, one for dry days and one for oily days. I'll obviously need a variety of sun-creams too - body cream, body spray, SPF 20, SPF 30, P20 once a day, face cream, BB cream with SPF... Don't even get me started on make-up! I always take beautiful summery shades of everything then end up using nothing but tinted lip-balm the whole time. That reminds me I need tinted lip-balm...

This year I have vowed to be better. I've been trying to keep everything very simple and sophisticated. You only have one honeymoon so I've treated myself to a few luxury items instead of a tonnes of cheap rubbish. First up is my immaculate new Tripp suitcase, possibly the new love of my life - I've gone for sunshine yellow in the medium size. This is to a) keep the weight down and b) physically force me to pack less.


I'm using this old pink Harrods weekender as my cabin bag. I wouldn't normally take something so large but we've got two long haul flights with Dubai duty-free in the middle so I need plenty space for all the essentials. That brings me nicely onto my flight essentials.


Chick-lit. I'll give anything a go but at the minute I'm very into my wedding related books! I always travel with a journal or diary. I love to write down all the things we did every day, the food we ate, activities we enjoyed so that we can look back and re-live the happy memories. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with passport holders. They're great for keeping ticket stubs, cards, extra money etc. safe but these days you have to take your passport out of it's holder when you're at the airport which can be really annoying. I still always use mine though as well as a travel wallet to keep everything together and organised. My favourite in-flight beauty product has to be a multi balm, that you can use on lips and skin and has a relaxing fragrance. These little beauties are great for keeping skin plump and glowing through hours of moisture-sapping flights and airports and are just as useful when you're on holiday too. I also always have a pashmina or cashmere wrap for comfy snoozing, my Ipod filled with my favourite tunes (I normally make a holiday specific playlist) and my camera to start capturing memories as soon as the adventure begins. 

Here are a few other holiday essentials I'll be packing this summer.


Beautiful summer make-up pallette.



Designer facewear. Obviously.


Floral scent.


Fun bikini and denim cut-offs


Fruity, fresh candle to make our villa home.


I use these amazing drawer liners in my suitcase to keep my clothes smelling fresh. It's the most amazing thing when you unpack!





4 comments:

  1. Nice, have fun in Thailand! :)

    www.reachingforpomegranates.blogspot.com

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  2. Love the idea of the drawer liners in your case, why do suitcases always smell so bad??

    Michelle Louise Love

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    Replies
    1. I know, right? Such a simple idea to keep everything smelling fresh! They last for ages too x

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