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Hi, everyone!

June is here! My kids are almost done with school and I can hardly believe it. It feels like yesterday when we were sending them off to start a brand-new year. Do you have any vacations planned this month? Any weekend getaways? We have a couple small trips planned so I thought we’d spend the month of June talking about prepping for those trips, the car-ride there, and even a few recipes to make along the way.

First up: the suitcase. How do I pack my life into an incredibly small, unforgiving container? My first (and maybe the best) tip I have for you is to roll your clothes:

Suitcases have lots of nooks and crannies, so by rolling your clothes instead of folding them, you can get a lot more in that bag. Obviously, you’ll need to pack some things that won’t wrinkle like rayon and polyester blends. I like to pick clothes in the same color scheme (usually black) so I need less accessories. The same jacket, jewelry, and shoes will work.

Speaking of shoes, I shoot for no more than four pairs when traveling for a week or more, and I wear the bulkiest shoe on the plane or in the car. I think you always need dressier flats, flip flops, a nicer walking shoe, and a comfy athletic shoe. I usually slip each pair in a plastic bag (to prevent my clothes from getting dirty) put them on the bottom of the bag and then layer the clothes on top, around, and in-between…anywhere they fit!

Especially for beach vacations or tropical getaways, I always bring a big, roomy tote bag so we can still enjoy that final day. When we went to Mexico a month or so back, we had an early-afternoon shuttle to the airport. We had to check out of our hotel room at 11 but we each wore our suits to the pool and had a change of dry clothes in the bag (which, by the way, were the same clothes I wore on the way to Mexico. No need to pack a separate outfit for traveling…I think you can repurpose!) Anyway, after we were done at the pool, the wet clothes and towels went into the bag and that became my husband’s carry-on.

Here’s another great idea if you have younger kids:

I used to pack Trevor’s clothes in individual zip-top bags. Everything from the swimming diaper to the bedtime clothes. At the end of the day, the dirty clothes went right back into the bag and into the suitcase…none of the dirty stuff mixed with the clean and both Doug and I knew what was what because I labeled the bags. I always found it was so easy to lose little shirts and shorts, but nothing got lost this way! For our dirty clothes, I bring extra plastic bags.

I’m sorry to say the exact carry-on bag I own and love (by Vera Bradley) isn’t on QVC.com at this moment, but there are SO many other great bags to choose from. And, I also love Lori Grenier’s Ready Set Go 2-Piece Bag Organizer

…and Set of 2 Silver Safekeeper Metallic Jewelry Cases.

I hope you found this blog helpful...next week, I’ll give you my best road trip tips!

From my home to yours,
—Jill