Packing: Every Woman's Nightmare

I hate packing.

Even though it may be a short trip, I still hate it. It can be so tedious, especially as a woman, cause we all know, we gals are planners and we can then become indecisive. We think ahead and over think. And we have different needs to men. They can wear just about anything and look any old way. We just can't!

But I am getting better and with all the airline restrictions now, it has become mandatory to just leave some things behind. Gone are the days I would have an entire mini carry-on just for my toiletries. But some good tips I have tried to stick to in recent years.

Choose a foundation colour - Especially if like me, you're an accessoriser and your blouse has to match your shoes and handbag etc. Stick to a colour family and take just the accessories you need for that colour family. Or...

Play it safe with the accessories -  You cannot go wrong with black or brown sandals/heels, and a simple necklace and some diamond/gold/silver earrings. Don't overly stress yourself out with the accessorising. Have you seen other tourists lately, waist pouch and all? Once you don't look like them, you have won half the battle already!

Bronze palette - always a winner!

The Toiletries!!! - Here is my challenge. My dressing table is like a shop. Anything you can think of is on there. You need lotions and smelly stuff and hair stuff and night time stuff and mouth stuff. lol. How do you decide what stays and what goes? Well, you can't. But hey, day cream can work as a night cream. So what if you smell like vanilla for the entire vacation? Do you really need to smell musky or floral too? Make vanilla your signature smell for the trip. You also cannot go wrong with a bronze eye palette. It goes with almost everything, so you don't need to take the entire makeup bag! MAC will not burn to the ground because you left all your minis at home. Do you NEED to exfoliate or do a glycolic peel? Do you?

Don't overdo it with the "just in case" items - This is the REAL problem. The "Oh let me take this blouse just in case we go to a club, and this one just in case it is cold that night". Then there are 15 extra tops in the suitcase that you NEVER wear. I am not challenging the "just in case" items but keep it rational!!!

Plan (sensibly and without neurosis) - You can either write it down or lay the clothes out - but plan the outfits strategically, so you know what you are going to wear when. And stick to it. This way you pack just what you need and don't over-pack. You need space for souvenirs and other things when you're coming back home!!

Let's see how I do with this. I can give it, but can I follow it???