VI AND ALEX TAKE NEW YORK

Hi everyone :) This weekend I'm going to take the bus down to NYC with my friend Alex. Our amazing friend Daniela (see my Snapshot Inspiration post about her here) lives in the Big Apple, so we're all going to bunk up and explore the city together! I miss living two minutes away from these girls (or in Alex's case, a three-step walk down the hall) like we did in university!

Have you guys been to NYC? What do you most want to see? I'm going to try to do an Outfit of the Day post for each day that I'm there (I'll post the first one Monday when I get back) and I'll also sneak some pictures of Daniela and Alex's fabulous style. Alex and I are going to take the overnight bus (10 hours!!) from Toronto to NYC - wish us luck!

I don't know why, but I find packing to be such a drag. I'm always worried that I'm going to forget something important like my passport or money. My poor little Type-A brain can hardly handle it :) Here are some tips and tricks for packing effectively:

1. MAKE A 'PACKING' AND 'TO DO' LIST

Lists, lists, lists. I love them! If you're going away for a short period of time, the key is to pack only the things you will need and nothing more. Make a packing list that's organized into outfits instead of listing a jumble of clothing. How many days of clothes will you need? For example, I'm going away for three full days so I will need three day outfits, one night outfit (for a fancier evening outing like the theatre or a nice restaurant) and one comfy outfit for the overnight bus. By organizing your packing this way, you won't have to worry about matching once you get there. Make sure that you include accessories (jewelry, belts, bags, etc.), socks, shoes and underwear too!

Next, make a list of all the other things that you will need. Go through your daily routine in your head so that you don't forget anything. List things like pajamas, toiletries, electronics (and their chargers!), makeup, books and travel documents.

Last but not least, list anything that you have to do before you leave. Maybe you need to take out the garbage or exchange money or call your credit card company to tell them you'll be out of the country. Write 'em all down and then you can stop worrying about forgetting them. It will make the whole experience much less stressful!

2. LAY OUT YOUR CLOTHES BEFORE YOU PACK

This simple trick will help you so much! If you lay everything out, it will be quick and easy to see what you're missing. You won't have to wonder if you already put your earrings in your suitcase or whether you remembered to take your shirt out of the wash. Check each item on your list, outfit by outfit, and then pop them into your suitcase once they are complete. It takes all the stress out of packing :)

3. PACK YOUR HANDBAG THE NIGHT BEFORE

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but there's a method to my madness I promise. I always remember things that I have to pack during at night when I'm lying in bed, so by packing the night before I give myself all night to remember things that I've forgotten. The other bonus is that you won't have to scramble in the morning to make everything fit or run around trying to find something. This way if you hit a speed bump the morning of your trip, you will have left yourself plenty of time to deal with it.

New York, here I come :)
Talk soon,
Vi