UHeart Organizing: Take Away Organized Travel

Summer is the prime time to travel.  And being knee deep in organizing our closet I would love to just toss half of my clothes into a suitcase and run off to a far away land....

But since I am not going anywhere at the moment, I have invited the lovely duo from DIY Playbook blog to share their travel tips instead.  They have really simple yet effective solutions to keeping your travels less about stressing out and worrying and more about enjoying your destination.  I can't wait to give some of these ideas a try in the next few weeks!  Thank you ladies!

We must preface this by saying we certainly are not world travelers. But, we have done our fair share of visiting many cities in the good ol’ US of A. Traveling to a new place is so exciting, but it can also be a bit stressful. To us, being organized while on vacation helps keep these stress levels in check and often times makes the vacay that much more enjoyable. Less time digging through that suitcase = more time enjoying the sights of your destination!

Here are 9 tips to help you stay organized on your next vacation.


CREATE A DETAILED DOCUMENT

Before you bid your home farewell, we recommend taking 15 minutes to whip up a sheet with all of the important information about your trip. On this document you can include the following…

• Airline Information: Confirmation codes & flight times
• Rental Car Details
• Hotel Address & phone number
• List of Places To See/Eat along with their Addresses
• Travel Routes
• List of Key Contacts
• Travel Agent Contact Information

We know we live in 2015 and everyone can look up these things on their phone in about 30 seconds. But having a physical, tangible, piece of paper with all of your important info on it can make things a heck of a lot less stressful (especially when you can’t seem to get a wifi signal). We also recommend sharing a copy of this document with someone at home. That way someone has details in case they need to find you while you’re away on vacay!


HAVE A PLAN FOR PAPERWORK

Along with that important piece of paper chock full of your travel info, there is bound to be other important papers you collect along the way. We’re talking boarding passes, receipts, ticket stubs, and just about any other piece of paper that can get crumpled up and stuck at the bottom of your suitcase. Create a plan before you even leave for vacation that addresses how you will keep track of these items. Perhaps it’s as simple as bringing along an extra Ziploc baggie for receipts. Or maybe you prefer to bring a file folder for all of the important documents or sneak a labeled envelope in your bag. No matter which method you prefer, it’s always best to go in with a plan of action.


CORRAL YOUR CORDS

It’s fairly easy to forget your your cell phone charger or headphones when you’re going on vacation. Heck, we’ve had to run to the Apple store more than once to get a charger while on vacay #oops. But organizing your cords and keeping them in a designated area is the best way to keep those important cords on hand when you’re on vacation. We recommend buying a large pencil case to hold all of your chargers/cords.

Then to prevent the pencil case from becoming a disorganized, tangled mess, we use binder clips and washi tape to keep those cords in check. Wrap your devices in a certain color washi tape, label it, and then use the clothespin to neatly fold up the cord. This also works out great if your travel buddy borrows your charger. Because of the colored washi tape, you’ll know which one is yours when it’s time to pack up and head home!


HAVE A PLAN FOR DIRTY CLOTHES

Living out of a suitcase is never fun. But choosing what to wear and not knowing if it’s clean or dirty is even worse! Make sure you keep your clean clothing & dirty clothing separate. We recommend a small mesh intimates bag for dirty socks & undies. It’s compact and you can toss the entire thing into the wash when you get home.


HAVE A PHOTO SHARING PLAN

When your travel group heads home, it can be a nightmare to track down all of the vacation photos everyone took on the trip. We recommend setting up a photo sharing system before you even arrive at your destination. If you’re taking pics on your iPhone, we recommend creating a photo stream and inviting everyone in the group to share their travel photos. If a DSLR camera is more your style, set up a Dropbox folder ahead of time and invite all of your travel companions to join in. Everyone can dump their photos into one common place (almost immediately with a photo stream) so you all can enjoy the memories throughout the trip and well beyond!


DOUBLE BAG TOILETRIES

This one is pretty self explanatory. Because no one wants to open up their suitcase and see their shampoo exploded all over their vacation wardrobe. For extra credit, throw a few more Ziploc bags into your suitcase... just in case. #bettertobesafethansorry


LESS IS MORE

We’re 2 self-admitted “overpackers”, so this tip is one we can both improve upon. Packing 10 outfits for a simple weekend trip isn’t going to do you any favors while on vacay. Instead do your best to only pack what you need, and you’ll be far less likely to have a chaotic suitcase during your vacation.


MAINTAIN YOUR ORGANIZATION SYSTEM WHILE ON VACATION

When it comes to organization, STAYING organized is half the battle. Take a few minutes (you’re on vacation...so keep this brief!) to maintain your organization system. Perhaps that means clearing out your wallet and adding that collection of receipts to a baggie. Or maybe it means adding yesterday’s photos to the group’s photo stream when you have a few minutes to yourself. Take some time now, to combat chaos later.


RELAX AND ENJOY

As much as you prepare and plan ahead, you’ll probably forget something during your trip or your suitcase may get a bit disheveled. That’s a-okay! Enjoy your time away and make the most of your precious vacation days. And if you’re still struggling to stay organized while on vacay, our advice to you would be -- practice makes perfect!! Happy Travels!

P.S. Finding products that work for you while traveling is half the battle of staying organized. Check out our travel essentials here!

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"Hey There! We're Bridget and Casey, the best friends, Chicago gals, and editors behind The DIY Playbook. Even though we consider ourselves busy girls with full-time jobs, husbands, and never ending to-do lists, we believe there is always time to add personality to our homes. On our blog, we strive to inspire our readers to inject their sparkling personalities into their own spaces with affordable and attainable solutions. We heart Instagram, can't turn down a cup of coffee, have no clue what we're doing in the kitchen, and are beyond excited to be part of the IHeart Organizing team!"