I know, I know, summer is nearly over and with summer, the lovely summer vacation! But we still all have our adventures, so this post will always be relevant. Besides, Nona of Daddy Likey is heading to Chicago and lamented to me this week that she didn’t know what to pack!

There are things in life that I have trouble doing, and packing is not one of them. I will admit up front, that I tend to be an over-packer, a trait I inherit from my loving mother, but because of this I have a reputation of Always Being Prepared, which is a pretty durn good reputation to have. And so, I give you:

Lemon Love’s go-to packing tips!

1. Take your greatest hits.

You know, that tanktop that everyone always comments on? The dress that you feel like you can conquor the world in? Take that. Always have one outfit that you feel like you can seriously kick butt in, because who knows what kind of butt-kicking is going to be necessary in your upcoming adventures?

I generally have two or three outfits I gravitate to when I’m planning a vacation, and here is a quick summary of what I like to pack:

A pair of black pants or capris
A pair of jeans
A skirt (or two)

I always pick the pair of pants or skirt by cut, and how it overall makes me look. I’m not going to deny the fact that I hate sweats and pajama pants, and if you’re looking to look posh and lovely during your vacation, what do you need these unflattering bottoms for?!

I then pick out my favourite three shirts with each bottom, and then narrow them down by deciding which shirts will combine together best. For example, would I wear red shirt with skirt AND jeans? Yes? It gets packed. Would I wear Hot pink Roxy shirt with black capris or skirt? No? It stays at home.

Always bring at least one long-sleeved shirt. (Or short sleeved, if you’re traveling in the cold months) And the same goes for pants. Even if you’re going to Bermuda, chances are that if you pack all shorts you’ll get to experience the First Epic Snowstorm that Bermuda’s ever had.

I’m also going to say, bring the dress clothes, but don’t forget the outfit you can leave behind. When you sign up for that spur-of-the-moment Spin Art class and suddenly have no idea what to wear, you’ll thank me.

Having a choice of what to wear and being able to combine your outfits (same shirt, different skirt, same pants, different shirt) gives you a chance to be versatile without packing your entire wardrobe.

And here’s an extra tip for free: If it’s an outfit you don’t normally wear at home (your blue sparkly feather boa, that dress that doesn’t quite fit right but you love it or your brazilian knee-shorts that so-and-so gave you so you’d better take it ’cause you’re visiting them…) don’t bring it! You probably won’t even wear it if you’ve packed it, and if you do, chances are you’ll wish you’d packed your favourite pair of jeans instead.

2. Pack jewelry.

Granted, I am a bit of a jewelry addict, but it adds such a nice touch of pizazz to an outfit, and just changing your jewelry can affect the entire look! Seriously! I generally stick with a few beaded necklaces and a statement piece or two, and then bring a bajillion pairs of earrings so that I have a selection to choose from.

How do you pack jewelry? I like to stick all of my earrings in an old mint tin and zip my necklaces into a little pouch, or, barring that, just toss ‘em into my purse. Whatever works for you. I generally refuse to spend more than $15 on any piece of jewelry, which means that a) I have a lot of jewelry, but b) I have enough jewelry that breaking one piece isn’t the biggest tragedy in the universe, so I can afford to be a little careless.

Don’t forget to give yourself a little variety!

3. Don’t forget your makeup!

I would generally say that when packing makeup for a trip, to stick with the basics. Take your foundation, coverup, mascara (“everyday” items, as well as a good basic eyeshadow that you can use for every occaision.)

My brushes are this amazing set I found at Target for less than $10 on clearance a few months ago. At the time it was an incredibly foolish purchase (I should have bought food instead), but I have used it so many times in lieu of getting my good brushes smushed in my makeup bag that I don’t regret it at all!

Once you’ve got the standards packed, pick one statement look. The blue eyeshadow compact, the raspberry pink eyeliner, you get what I mean. If you’re only going on a 4-5 day trip and haven’t decided if you’ll spend the entire time lounging at the pool or having dinners with local government officials, it’s a good call to have something comfortable and a little flash-flash.

4. Take more than one pair of shoes.

Your blisters will thank you for it. I generally opt for a pair of flip flops (or “flippy floppies” , as I like to call them now), a pair of cute shoes I can walk around all day in, as well as a super comfy pair of dress shoes, and maybe a second pair of comfies.

I’m house sitting this week and this is what I’ve got packed for my use:

These are certainly not my fanciest of shoes, but they’re the shoes I trust. The shoes I know I could hike down the Great Wall of China in. The shoes I can kick some serious butt in. And those are the shoes you need to pack!

So there you go! Lemon Love’s packing tips! What do you like to take along when you’re packing for your next adventure?