5 Ways I’m Working to Simplify & Minimize — In Preparing for Vacation

Canvas & Leather Duffel (small) | White & Black Large Hard-Sided Luggage | Straw Handbag | X-Large Scout Utility Tote | Hat Clip (rattan version) | Floppy Beach Hat (similar) | Pink Glitter Child’s Carry-On Suitcase (small) | Purple Backpack (small)

Approaches to Minimalism in Preparing for Vacation

More appropriately, I should say “more minimal”, “simpler“, or “minimal-ish” since I’m not looking to go from 0 to 100 — I’m seeking realistic, attainable improvements from my past habits that are enough of a departure but not totally foreign to my comfort zone. I feel like no one will be able to truly appreciate this direction and progress as much as me, because I know my starting point and habits intimately.

In the past, I’ve pretty much pushed things to the max and if it fit (and even sometimes, if it didn’t), I would find a way to bring way more than needed because “better to be prepared and not need it, than need it and not have it.” Dave has always had the opposite attitude of “if we need it, we’ll buy it — and we likely won’t need it”. As thorough as I’ve been, it makes my head hurt to then have to manage everything I’ve brought along once we get there. I don’t want that. I don’t want to spend time hunting, deciding, arranging, etc. So, here are some of the applications and intentions I’m working through as we’re preparing for vacation.

1. Minimize Packing

Pretty self explanatory and the most obvious, right? But, cutting down on what we’re taking isn’t as easy as it appears and it takes more into account than a simple list. What if I don’t feel good in XYZ on that day? What if there’s unexpected weather? What if someone gets wet or dirty? What if we spend more time doing this instead of that? Before accepting these things as non-emergencies and just packing for what I really do know logically we will need, a pep talk is definitely involved. What’s the worst thing that could happen? I don’t really need all the options. How much did I really use/wear last time? The house has a washer and dryer. We aren’t going to feel like getting ready 3x/day and to think we need 3 outfits each and every day is absurd. It’s ok to re-wear things. We will have a car and can make an emergency run IF it should come to it. Once I talk myself up and start to accept those realities, it’s easier to make decisions in that state of mind instead of from an emotional place.

Last year, during the same beach trip, we loaded my crossover to the gills. Dave sat in the back with Eliza with things wedged on top, around, and beneath him. My mom had bags under her feet in the front seat and we had things between us, stretching across the center console. Even though our car doesn’t have a huge capacity, I want to make it more comfortable and I believe it is possible. Last beach trip, Dave, Eliza, and I each took a large suitcase, I also brought a large duffel, and my mom took a weekender duffel (already way more responsible than us, haha)… we had a cooler and floats, and beach bags, and other large items and bags.

So, first, I made packing lists for each of us, plus a general beach/family packing list, and whittled it down. Based on that, I challenged myself to fewer and/or smaller bags than last year.

To get things going, I started with Eliza. She has the smallest things so they don’t take up as much space, but cramming too many items in her luggage, the fact remains — I still don’t want to manage it all or make decisions once we’re there.

She has a pair of THESE suitcases — both the small and large (HERE). While last year, I brought the large, for this trip, I was committed to getting her packed in the small child-sized carry-on (smaller than a standard carry-on).

Pink Glitter Hard-Sided Luggage (sizes small & large)

I know there’s plenty of room to trim more excess (especially because the property has a washer and dryer) and she has more than she needs or will wear, but… I easily fit it all in the small suitcase. No pushing, pulling, tugging, or cramming and it is exceptionally lightweight. I was and am so proud of this single feat, I haven’t stopped talking about it — ask Dave, haha.

Even though it isn’t completely minimal, it is substantially minimized and a big improvement from past trips — here’s everything I fit inside…

In this bag…

• nice shorts & top outfit
• 5 dinner/out dresses (THIS smocked gingham dress that we have in blue is back in a neutral and is ADORABLE in real life!) (We stood strong a few weeks ago and didn’t place a Lilly order and when I had her try them on, she still fit all her classic Lilly P shift dresses and knit Lilly P shift dresses from last year that I purchased two years ago. I prefer the knit style 😉 ).
• casual terry tank and shorts outfit (Janie & Jack still has a FEW of the striped ones I shared months ago HERE)
• casual t-shirt & shorts
• casual tank dress (remember all the colors I ordered earlier this year? I wanted to bring them all but settled on the single yellow one (on sale for $8 right now HERE)
• lightweight hoodie
• lightweight joggers
• terry tank romper (Similar to THIS ONE, this season, at Old Navy — on major sale)
• 3 cover-ups (THIS one is our favorite, versatile, hooded zip-up terry one and we’ve gotten it the past several seasons in multiple colors HERE — also on major sale right now)
• jean jacket
• 3 swimsuits (our fave swimsuit source has a bunch of styles on sale HERE)
• 5 undies
• 3 pajamas (THESE shorts/short sleeved viscose sets we lucked into finding on Amazon a few years ago are our favorite and the price can’t be beat! I know a lot of you have since fallen in love with them, too.)
• slippers
• 2 beach/pool shoes (I love THIS style that we packed — available in several colors and on sale for $7.99).
• sandals (Eliza’s are Piper Finn but we love THESE similar ones from Old Navy and they’re currently under $8 HERE)
• sunglasses (THESE white cat-eye sunnies from Amazon are cheap and our faves!)
• hair, tools, accessories (THIS neon set of scrunchies on Amazon — Eliza has almost all their scrunchies — is everything!)

Next, I packed our beach bag. I started with our actual beach bag (THIS big canvas EVERYTHING bag), but because I also wanted to include our random family stuff (games and general house necessities), I ended up jumping ship after starting and instead, used THIS XL Scout utility tote (and rolled up the big canvas beach bag and tossed it inside).

My mom and I found these — the best all weather utility totes — this past year; they hold a TON, fold flat, are durable, have a burst-proof bottom, and are perfect for the beach. Mine is huge and honestly, I probably should have just considered using it as the beach day beach bag, too.

XL Scout Utility Tote | Hat Clip (raffia version) | Floppy Hat (similar)

My mom loved it so much, she got a smaller market tote version and she WILL definitely be bringing hers as a carry-all for this trip. It’s the perfect size.

One big “let-go” was limiting each person to one beach towel. We will have a beach set-up with chairs so we won’t need to use them for laying on the sand, we can let them dry overnight (or stick in the dryer), and even wash them if needed. We aren’t taking floats this year and I kept Eliza’s beach toys to a few things that comfortably fit inside a sand bucket, that fit in the beach day beach bag without issue. I’m also leaving some of my “fancier” beach bags at home and am only bringing THIS huge canvas “Everything” beach tote. It’s big but foldable and not bringing multiple bags will save big on car room.

Here’s our beach, family, and all-purpose bag packed, with a lot of room remaining…

What All Did It Fit, With Lots of Room to Spare?

• 2 Large Beach Towels — we have both the navy and black striped ones (the quality is amazing) but they now come in a BUNCH of colors!
• Kids Beach Towel (for Eliza) — we limited her to a single towel (her pink flamingo Lilly P.), but it was tough debating between her dinosaur towel (on sale), and her mermaid towel…
• THIS huge canvas “Everything” beach tote, rolled up
• Beach bucket with toys and net inside
• 2 Mesh Bags for Shell Gathering  — I wish we had had these for previous trips! Love the straps and that they zip!
• Straw tote/purse for Eliza
• Baseball caps for each of us
• Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
• Fire Stick (just in case)
• 2 Coloring Books & Crayons
• Book of 5-Minute Stories (instead of taking a ton of books — Eliza will still bring a couple for the car)
• Wipe Clean Activity Book — Eliza LOVES this!
• 2 24 oz. Hydro Flask water bottles with straws
• Insulated Water Bottle Thermos (for Eliza)
• Swig Skinny Can Coolers — Dave, Gran Nan, and I each have one for spiked seltzers (several prints on sale right now)
• 3 trash bags (for dirty clothes, wet clothes, etc.)
• 2 Cans Sun Bum Sunscreen Spray — our favorite for the whole fam, chapstick, scalp protector, comb — all in a water friendly bag
• Travel sized laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and dishwashing tablets
• Games — Balderdash (my favorite game of all time), deck of cards, a few packs from THIS set of classic kids card games, Kids Sequence game, travel Backgammon) BTW, I LOVE this card game set for Eliza (comes w/ 6 classic cards games) because being able to bring these instead of a bunch of big games saves a LOT of room.

I haven’t yet packed clothing and personal items for Dave or myself but I’ve made our lists and they are way more consolidated than usual. I’m going in, expecting that we will use the washer/dryer, too. My goal is to fit us both in a single large suitcase (I love ours — we both have THIS ONE — and it’s currently $40 off), but likely use THIS duffel for overflow, if needed (shoes, toiletry bags, etc.) I’ll have to report back on how we did! We have that leather and canvas bag in both the large and small size and I gifted one to my mom, too — which is what she is bringing on the trip. I’m dedicated to keeping these limits!

I’m looking forward to having specific outfits set for days with no options to insert confusion, managing less, and not worrying about the disarray all the extra things will cause, floating around the house. If you have one thing, you have to keep up with it. If you have multiples, it’s easy to set something down and then just use a back-up, until you don’t know where things are and surfaces are cluttered.

2. Pack Ahead of Time

Along with more minimal packing than usual and being more mindful of the quantity of things we’re bringing, I’m committed to packing in advance this time around (and I have been!). I am not someone who can pack a bag in an hour. It literally takes me at least a full day to get us packed, along with all the decision/debates that typically go with it, try-ons, etc. With minimal packing and planning, I was confident I could pack us early and not worry — for the most part — about needing certain items before we left. When I pack just before a trip, I think that in itself contributes to over-packing because I’m flustered and in a natural state of thinking I’m forgetting something so “best to over-prepare” without fully planning things out.

I packed Eliza 9 days early and her bag won’t be unzipped until we get to the beach. I’m planning to get Dave and myself packed at least three days before, which I know will ease my anxiety the day before and the typical feeling of overwhelm with everything that goes along with going out of town. I can focus my efforts elsewhere, not stress about making it to church, and pace myself instead of staying up late the night before. I’ll have a few toiletries and hair tools that will likely go in the duffel the morning of, but aside from a few of those last minute items, I am looking forward to low stress and having the car packed the day before.

Even though I haven’t packed just yet, there’s a few things I know will definitely be trip staples…

• Straw Handbag — a reader fave, too, and back in stock and available to ship
• Gauze Cover Up — My top summer staple… I would probably be a-ok just packing a few of these and wearing them as both cover-ups and as day outfits…
• Sunglasses — two of my fave cheap, oversized pairs from Amazon… THESE thick plastic framed ones and THESE gold metal framed ones
• Slide Sandals — these have quickly become my comfortable pair of daily shoes. LOVE them and they have great support.
• Andrea Sandals or Lucia Sandals — I’m going to try to limit my shoes substantially so I’ll try to see which of these two will be the most versatile among dinner dresses

3. No New Purchases

In the past, I’ve used events and trips as an excuse to buy new things (as though I really needed an excuse, haha). And, this is totally legit and fun. But, it doesn’t support what I’m trying to achieve on the home front.

This year, I established early on that we would be making no new purchases before the trip. I mean, sunscreen, yeah, but no new clothes, swimsuits, or any other items just because we’re heading on vacation. I didn’t want it to derail our efforts, we don’t need anything, and I don’t want to bring more stuff in the house when our closets still need serious help. Mission accomplished.

4. Simple But Efficient Travel Organizers

I’ve had enough trial and error to confidently say — not everything needs a container/organizer and some things are fine without shopping for an “improved” travel version. But, I’ve also spent time considering my “pain” points when it comes to travel and while there have been some misses or some things that didn’t really work as effectively as I’d hoped, there’s also been a lot of hits that I’m thankful to have found as they really do help with minimizing packing, organizing, and/or efficiency. Here are a few favorites…

• I’ve done several types of packing cubes and while compression packing cubes (like THESE that I have) are the latest rage, I actually prefer THESE as my all-time favorite for having way more space. Maybe my thoughts will shift a little after packing more minimally, (we’ll see?) but I have a set of THESE for me, Dave, and Eliza — all in different colors — and they’re still my go-to, above the compression cubes. While the packing cubes typically help organize the suitcase and even allow more to fit in there, in most cases, I really like them once we arrive for the ease of unpacking. And certain cubes, with contents like undies and socks and pjs, go directly in the drawer, with the packing cube acting as a drawer organizer of sorts. Eliza’s suitcase was so small this time with so few categories, I didn’t use them for her, but I’ll definitely be using mine and Dave’s, especially since we’re planning to share a single suitcase.
• I am not short on pouches and toiletry bags, but THIS LARGE ONE is my favorite and since I got it, it’s always the one I use first. The small pouch has taken up permanent residency in my purse.
• THIS 3-in-1 travel charger may be my favorite travel accessory and I’ve since purchased one for my mom and Dave, also. I go everywhere with my Apple watch and AirPods and it has cut down the number of chargers and cables I have to haul around, substantially. 10/10 recommend for overnights to long vacations.
• THIS travel pill organizer will hold everything we need from ibuprofen and antacids to melatonin and more. I prefer this size and functionality of this one over a previous one I purchased.
• THIS hair tool travel case will be making its maiden voyage and debut on this trip. I take a lot of hair tools and they typically get tossed in the bag individually — I like that this one not only fits what I need it to, but also has a separate zip pouch for accessories.
• Along with using THESE silicone ties for charging cables, I love them for my hair tools, too!
• THIS light up mirror with hard shell is great, especially when you don’t know what kind of mirror situation you’re going into when you’re traveling, or sharing a space.
• I’ve only been able to use my hat clip for my felt western hat, and I’m excited to use it for the beach for the first time for my big floppy beach hat! I was actually able to fit Eliza’s floppy beach hat inside mine, and the clip holds them both! It’s attached to the side of my beach bag and as proven before, works perfectly for car trips. My exact one isn’t available right now, but the raffia version by the same maker is beautiful and THIS ONE on Amazon looks almost identical to mine, is a fraction of the price, and has a high rating.

5. Groceries Delivered to the Destination

This was one of the best decisions we made last year and we’ll do it again this year. Things easily get out of hand when we try to take groceries, drinks, snacks, etc. We’ll take our cooler for the beach with some travel beverages inside, but everything else, we’ll have delivered via InstaCart. We prep our cart a couple days in advance and schedule it to be delivered the day we arrive, after we have access to the house. Last year, we stayed in a three-story home with the kitchen on the middle level and they even hauled everything up to the kitchen. We did go a little crazy on the volume of food delivered last time, so we’ll be paring that down this time around 😉

I wanted to share this before our trip but I’ll have to report back with how we ultimately do in achieving our goal of comfortable travel and simplification. Do you over pack or under pack? Do you stick to a list? Do you try to bring your entire house with you? Do you make a big shopping trip once you get to where you’re going? Do you prefer to drive or fly?

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