How To Pack Light For A Weekend Away

York Train Station

Last weekend I went on a girly trip to York with two of my friends, Danielle and Amelia, who I went to Uni with. We went to Uni in York and try meet up as much as we can, this time was a celebration of Amelia’s graduation!

Here’s my guide to packing light and making sure you only take the essentials.

Packing Prep

First off, I always start by deciding what we’re going to be doing each day. Once we’ve come to a conclusion, I then start planning my outfits. If you’re unsure what the weather’s going to be like, I suggest checking that first so you know what kind of outfits you’ll need. I went for 3 days, Friday – Sunday, and knew the weather was going to be rainy with possible snow, so I needed:

An outfit for travelling in (obviously I don’t need to pack this but it saves time on the day of your journey), an outfit for Friday night, an outfit for Saturday day and one for night, and an outfit to travel home in on Sunday.

In order to make the most out of the space in my case, I decided to wear leggings and boots to travel in both there and back. This means I only needed to pack a top for the last day because I was already wearing half of it on the way there!

Once you’ve decided your clothes, it’s time to make a list. I actually make two or three lists, one with all my clothing items and outfit pieces on (including extra bags, socks, underwear and jewellery), another with toiletries and then one for extras (headphones, chargers, etc).

Lets Get Packing

Shoes:

I pack shoes first as they’re heaviest so should be on the bottom. If you’re worried they might dirty your clothes, you can wrap them in bags.

Clothes:

Next I roll all my clothes up, this is a tip my mum taught me, it saves space and reduces creases. Think of the case standing up, I put clothes in the top half of my case. This is because, if you put them on the bottom and heavier things on top, the heavier things will squash the clothes down.

I put my underwear/socks/tights into the front compartment of my bag to keep them all in one place.

Toiletries:

I pack all my toiletries and make-up into this bag and try to take as many travel-sized items as possible. I use this little tin (shown on the side of my case) for storing some cotton buds, hairgrips and cotton pads. Only take as many as you need and then a couple extra. What I mean by this is; I’m going for two nights so know I’ll need four cotton pads, but I’m taking six just in case. I'm not going overboard and taking a full packet though.

A good tip is to decant some of your products. The lid on my moisturiser has gone missing so I’ve squeezed some into a little pot. You can do this with a variety of products to save some room.

Always remember to utilise your space as well as possible. For example, my heels take up a lot of room, but there are gaps in between them. In here I fit my hairbrush and small jewellery case (as shown above). If you plan to pack full sized toiletries, these can often fit inside shoes or be rolled up in clothes, also saving space and keeping them secure.

Extras:

Check on the hotel website what the rooms include. More often than not, you won’t need to take towels so don’t worry about making room for these. A lot of hotels also provide hairdryers in your room but these can be, for want of a better word, rubbish, and also sometimes painful (I’ve had my hair caught in a few before!). Therefore, if you want to take your own hairdryer I highly recommend getting a travel sized one such as the Ego Gold Travel Set, which I reviewed here. I probably won’t take a hairdryer, as one of my friends will be, but I’ll be taking my travel straighteners from the same set. They save so much room and work just as well as normal straighteners.

I put my phone charger and headphones in my handbag so I can use them on the train.

And that’s it, we’re done! Packing is a bit like playing Tetris, you just have to put the pieces where they fit together best.

Happy travels :)

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Becky
XO

Three Ways To Wear Long Dungarees

I recently bought these Long Black Dungarees by Liquor & Poker from Asos (identical ones from Boohoo here). I'd been wanting some for a while, I looked at the blue denim ones, but decided they weren't for me so eventually took the plunge and went for black. They only had a size 10 left so I bought them and hoped for the best as I can sometimes be a 12 on the bottom. When they arrived I liked them and they fit but I wasn't 100% sure on them (I thought I maybe looked a bit too much like a painter and decorator...), but now I really love them and I've come to realise how amazingly versatile they are!

I decided to make this post as I think a lot of people might be wary of buying dungarees for fear they won't suit them, or they won't get enough wear out of them, as that's exactly what I thought. Hopefully this might help you decide whether to buy some or not, or if you already own some, give you some quick outfit ideas. 

Outfit 1: Everyday Casual

 -

Miss Selfridge Crop Top (similar) // Miss Selfridge Necklace // Forever 21 Bag (similar)// Steve Madden Shoes

I like the look of long sleeved crop tops with dungarees as it breaks up the outfit a bit by giving a flash of flesh on the waist. These Steve Madden slip on's are perfect for the cold damp weather, the keep my feet dry and warm throughout the autumn/winter seasons. 

Outfit 2: Winter Layering

H&M Scarf (similar) // New Look Sleeveless Jumper // River Island Boots (similar) // Apple Watch

I love layering and dungarees are perfect for this! Throw a jumper on underneath them with an oversized scarf over the top and you're good to go. Pair with your favourite boots and you'll be ready to tackle the cooler autumn days. If you want to wear a sleeveless jumper, like I have here, but are cautious about your arms getting cold. Make sure you wear an oversized scarf because they can often double up as a cape or shawl so you'll never get caught out. 

Outfit 3: Going Out Out

Miss Selfridge Embellished Top // TK Maxx Clutch (similar) // New Look Heels (similar)

You might not immediately think of dressing up dungarees, but they look perfect with heels and an embellished top like this one I got in the sale at Miss Selfridge recently. I like the all-black look for a night out, I feel it makes the dungarees look more night-time appropriate and classy. However, if you're more into colour, you could easily inject some in there with a pair of bright heels and/or a colourful clutch.

Becky

XO

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Asos A/W 2015 Wishlist

I find this time of year a really difficult time to buy clothes. It's in-between Summer and Autumn so shops just seem to have a bit of everything in, and none of it is really all that great if I'm honest! However, I was having a bit of a look through Asos and came across a few pieces I liked, so here they are. 

Daisy Street Maxi Shirt // ASOS 2 Pack Bardot Tops // 

ASOS Raw Edge PU Wrap Skirt // New Look Wide Fit Block Heeled Boots

I think bardot tops are so versatile, you can dress them up or down, and this 2 pack is great because you get a long sleeved and a short sleeved one for just £20! Another one of my favourites from this list are these New Look boots. The only problem is, they only come in Wide Fit and I have slim feet so I know these just won't fit me, but I decided to include them anyway because I love the look of them. 

All the pieces I picked can be worn most of the year round (especially here in England when you sometimes need to bring the boots out when you should actually need sandals...), and this is what I liked about them. The weather's been unpredictable at the moment so all these items can be layered up or worn on their own, which is perfect for this time of year.

Becky

XO

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OOTD: New Month, Old Shirt

Seen as though it's the 1st September today I thought I'd go a bit out of my comfort zone and try something new, an OOTD post.

I think the reason I've put off doing an outfit post so far is because 1. I don't really like my picture being taken anyway and 2. Trying to find somewhere to take the pictures can be a bit of a pain. I was originally going to take these pictures outside but, in true British style, the weather wasn't on my side and it started raining. This meant I had to find somewhere in my bedroom to take the pictures. That wasn't exactly the easiest task because, not going to lie, my room's not the tidiest of places at the moment. Anyway, that's enough about that.

Outfit Details: 

Shirt - Dorothy Perkins (Similar) / Jeans - H&M / Shoes - Sainsbury's* (Similar) /

Bag - Forever 21 (Similar) / Watch - Apple

I haven't done all that much today. I've been off work so volunteered to go get a few bits from the shop. I like to get out and about when I can because otherwise I'm either stuck at home or working. Due to this, any chance to get out of the house, I'll take it. I also had a little drive up to a retail park that's quite close to me. They're opening a new TK Maxx there and was wondering what the actual opening date was, turns out, it's this Thursday, so I'll be going up to have a look in there when it opens.

I chose this outfit as I just wanted something casual and comfy. The shirt I have on is actually quite old, but I recently found it in my wardrobe so decided to wear it. I like the military style, the pockets and buttons on the shoulders add a little touch of detail without being too over the top. I find with a lot of my clothes I wear them once and forget about them, so when I find them again (or remember I have them) it's like a new piece of clothing, but obviously a lot cheaper!

Have you been up to much today?

*The shoes I'm wearing are now half price in store at Sainbury's, but they don't have them online so I've linked similar ones.

Becky
XO

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A Very Monochrome Summer Wish List

In two weeks time I'll be jetting off to sunny Santorini with my Boyfriend, but there are still a few last minute things I've been lusting after. 

1. Oakley Bikini from Asos (Top and Bottoms sold separately) - I've been on the hunt for a black bikini and this one is just what I've been looking for. It's simple but not too simple. I love the wet look material and how the small metal detailing makes it a bit more interesting. 
2. Leather Backpack from Accessorize - I really want a backpack to take on holiday with me as they're so easy to wear and having one with you means you don't have to carry anything in your hands. This leather one from Accessorize with silver hard wear is just the right size and is perfect for me. Also, it currently has £30 off.
3. '#Girlboss' Book by Sophia Amoruso - I've heard a lot about this book and all the reviews I've read seem to give it high praise so it's definitely on my list of books to purchase. I think I'll be taking my iPad with me on holiday so I'll be downloading it on that to read around the pool.
4. Striped Monochrome Pumps from TU at Sainsbury's - I'm loving the look of monochrome stripes at the moment so when I saw these textured pumps from Sainsbury's I really wanted them. Unfortunately, I went into my local store a few weeks ago but they don't stock them there. I'm hoping if I pop in again they'll have got them in so fingers crossed!
5. 'Cameo Rose' Gypsy Crop Top from New Look - I was out shopping a few days ago and spotted this cute crop top in New Look, I almost tried it on but in the end decided to leave it. However, since then, I've realised I made a mistake and thought of so many different ways to wear it. I think I'll have to take a trip to New Look and see if they still have it in. It also comes in Black so I'm not sure what colour I'll get but, for only £9.99, I could always get both!

I hope you enjoyed having a look at a few things I've been lusting after for my holiday. Are you going on holiday soon? Is there anything you've been wishing for? If so, leave me a comment below, I'd love to know :)

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Becky
XO