Grey Swing Tee // Flared Jeans (under $30) // Tortoise Sunglasses // Similar Wedges // Hot Pink Lip & Liner
Hello, and Good Monday Morning! 
I feel like I’m finally coming out of my Vegas coma, as I have been sooo tired since coming home. I actually took it really easy during my trip so that I could enjoy each and every moment, but the staying up until all hours of the early morning and then cramming in a few hours of sleep really did wonders on my body. I was thinking about my trip and thought it might be helpful to do a post about How To Stress Less When You Travel. For some reason, planning and packing for Vegas was harder than any other trip I’ve ever taken. I think it’s because there was so much hype behind the location and also the fact I’d never been before and didn’t want to be ill prepared. I definitely overpacked and will follow-up this post with one on What to Pack for Vegas.

My casual outfit above was what I wore on the plane and I loved it so much I just had to share. I was so ridiculously excited to find these jeans because they are less than $30 and I didn’t have to alter them at all (I’m 5’2″ and always wear a 3-4 inch wedge with my flared jeans). My swing tee is another awesome find at less than $30. It’s so comfortable and cute with high waisted pants/shorts that I ended up buying it in both colors. For my lips, I’ve been lovinggg a bright pop of color and this hot pink is a new favorite. At first, I felt uncomfortable but it quickly grew on me and I’m sure will be making quite a few appearances on the blog. My wedges are old but I linked a similar pair under $50 above and below.

Now onto my tips for keeping stress and anxiety low when traveling. 

Research the weather. Step one, check the weather. Before I start planning any outfits or activities I always check the weather of my destination. If it’s more than 10 days prior I’ll look at the average yearly temps. If it is 10 days prior, you’ll get a more accurate prediction. I do suggest checking daily, though. A day before I left the Vegas temps went up 10 degrees and I threw all of the jackets and layers out of my suitcase. Even if it is HOT where you’re going, it’s always nice to pack a light sweater or cardigan because you never know and the airport/flight may be freezing cold. 

Request an itinerary. I know a boys trip is probably different, but us gals usually have an extensive list of things we want to do (or not do) while we are away. Thankfully, some of the girls I was traveling with planned the whole trip so I was able, for the first time, to just show up. But it was super helpful because a lot of the places we went to eat had pretty stringent dress codes and I was able to figure out how many outfit changes I would have per day. I mean, it was Vegas, so there were always two or three hah! 
Plan before you pack. After I know what I’ll be doing on my trip, I like to put all of my outfits together on my hanging rack. I’m very visual and it helps me to see what pieces can go together in multiple ways, helping me to pack less. Plus, if I pull everything I’ll need out of my closet/drawers, I won’t be tempted to wear it and then have to wash it right before I leave. Sometimes I’ll even make a checklist of everything I need and before I leave will go through it and check all of the items off. When I was younger my mom used to ask me verbally if I had all of the essentials – clean underwear, glasses, contacts, pj’s, etc. I asked Justin to do this before I left for LV and he looked so confused. He said, “Ughh…clothes?” hahah… 

Start packing early. My biggest piece of advice is to pack early. There’s nothing worse than waiting until the night before and realizing you’ve forgotten to buy something or that all of your stuff won’t fit in your suitcase. I’ve actually never waited until the night before to pack for anything because I just know I’ll forget something important. I watch a lot of people on Snapchat that pack 30 minutes before they leave the house and it gives me severe anxiety lol. 


Pack and then repack. This is going to sound anal, but once I pack I like to repack (and then repack again). Usually what happens is that I want to take anything and everything and the next day realize that’s silly and that realistically it won’t all fit. FYI I usually only travel with a carry-on size suitcase. So I’ll take everything back out and ask myself if I really need to bring it or if it’s just going to take up space. It works for me and I usually pull out quite a few things that would have ended up only weighing me down. 

Keep necessities with you. You never know what will happen when you travel so it’s better to be safe than sorry. I always make sure to keep things I can’t replace in my carry-on purse. Nice jewelry, my glasses and contact case, some perfume, touch up powder, wisps (the best easy toothbrush invention ever), possibly a change of clothes if you’re flying out of the country, my phone and computer charger, and definitely my laptop. I try never to put anything in my checked bag that I would be devastated to lose or that I don’t have covered by insurance.  

Take distractions and pray for wifi. The first thing I do when I get to the airport is to buy a magazine or two to keep me busy if I can’t get onto my computer or there isn’t wifi available on the plane. Ideally, you would buy them ahead of time where there isn’t a 50% markup but I sort of feel like it’s a travel ritual for me. First stop, airport store for a large water bottle, spearmint gum, and a “gossip” mag. If there is wifi, then definitely pack your phone, tablet, or computer so that you can watch tv or movies on the plane, especially if it’s cross country. Justin and I watch tv on an iPad and it really helps to pass the time. 

Pack a snack (pick up water after security). I pack snacks even when I’m not traveling hah. Since you can take food through security I highly recommend bringing breakfast bars, goldfish, teddy grahams, etc. that won’t go bad throughout your trip and will tide you over if you end up hungry and in need of food. Plus, food costs two or three times more once you’re in the airport. And we all know you won’t get anything substantial once you’re on your flight. 

Don’t wear complicated clothing, shoes, and jewelry to the airport. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting stuck behind someone who can’t get it together in the security line. Their stuff is disorganized, they forget to take off their shoes, they stand and take their time pulling off their belt, sweater, jacket, jewelry, etc. I feel for people who’ve never flown but everyone else should know how it goes. I try to wear shoes that easily slip on and off and I never wear any jewelry. If I want to put on jewelry once I’m through security, I’ll pack it in a small pouch and wait until I’ve been wanded down, patted down, rolled through the x-ray machine…you know, the basics lol. 

Breathe, travel can get the best of you. At the end of the day, just breathe. Traveling can create some stressful situations and sometimes brings out the worst in people. Always remember there may be a reason fellow travelers and airport employees may be slightly on edge…getting stranded away from family, missing a special event, being tired AND hungry, getting yelled at by travelers that are tired AND hungry etc. etc. etc. Just keep your wits about you and at the end of the day, you can only do so much. If all else fails, take those drink and snack vouchers and watch EllenTube! 

Have a fab Monday guys and gals! Did any of you notice the middle part?! I’m feeling it out!
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XO Amanda