Packing for Berlin | Fall Season

Hallo friends! If you've been following along on Insta, you may have seen a snippet of my Germany/Czech Republic trip and if you've been following along on Insta Story you may have seen those snippets come to life.

I've never been that far east in Europe so experiencing the culture (& Oktoberfest) was truly amazing, eye-opening, and tasty. I can only hope I do my experiences justice with the travel guides that are soon to follow. 

For this first one I figure it's better to start at the beginning - what I packed for my nine day trip & a few things we did on Day 1. Don't worry, I'll make sure to share my full itinery later.

What to Pack
Less is more when flying away. We'll be hitting 3 different cities via bus & train which means I'll be lugging my own luggage across those city lines. Finding a carry-on that is light, durable, and stylish (had to throw it in there) is key!

Lucky for me, I came across this Ricardo Yosemite Carry-On. Not only is it affordable (under $100) it also comes with a first year quality guarentee.

A few more things I loved about traveling with my Ricardo Luggage:
- It's super light! At under 7lbs., lifting my luggage into overhead storage and carrying it through tight spaces and over stairs were a breeze!
- There were a few instances of collision that left my suitcase scratch-free.
- The wheels! This is my first time having 360 degree wheels in my life and the difference felt amazing. It makes maneuvering crowded cobblestones, sidewalks & terminals so easy.
- There are pockets and compartments inside for smart packing. No more having to dump out everything little thing to find what you're looking for.
- I am a light packer but I did love how the case is expandable if I went overboard with souvenirs.
- Last but not least the finishing of the suitcase looked so sleek and streamlined; it made me feel like a bonafide traveler

Here's a Look Inside My Suitcase:

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Eastern Europe is in full fall mode and about 20 degrees chillier than New York City. Knowing how poorly I do in colder temps it meant packing layers to stay comfortable during our all-day excursions. I did a bit more digging on the street style scene to narrow down my color palette and realized Berliners love a good black.

I Ended Up Packing
striped bodysuit - white tee - white button-down - striped long sleeve tee - pink champion sweatshirt - black sweatshirt - turtleneck dress - black cotton dress - navy two-piece - black mini skirt - black high-rise jeans - black leggings - pink denim - heavy grey jacket - black moto boots- black vans - pink ballet flats

With an assortment of neutrals and a few pops of pinks, I never felt like I was wearing the same outfit twice.

Don't worry, there's more to follow!

5 Travel Must-Haves for Your Carry-On

This summer was unexpectedly full of fun weekend trips. With my wrist still in sore shape and my tendency to hoard and overpack items, my packing style was in need of a lifestyle change after my first getaway.

Being the optimistic packer that I am, I tend to bring everything with me in the hopes that I can get it done while I'm away. The reality is that nothing gets done, like absolutely nothing, besides disconnecting from the digital life and reconnecting with friends. Oh, and a few too many Mimosas but that's to be expected. 

After a few getaways, I realized I don't need to pack up my entire vanity and six different pairs of shoes for each trip. And it won't kill me if I forget one thing either. With those realizations, the space in my bag gradually increased as did the ease on my shoulders. However, there are a few things that have become my go-to essentials for every trip.

1. My Go-To Bag
After a few rounds of researching backpacks and reading every single review on Amazon, I bit the bullet and bought myself a Tumi convertible backpack (seen above). It's been such a game changer and has made traveling a breeze. There's a place for my laptop and a few well-placed pockets to keep my things organized and my mind sane. The versatility of this bag has made it my go-to for all things work and event related as well. If you're looking for something a little more budget-friendly, another great contender is the Lipault Plume Business Backpack (seen below).

2. Be Safe & Not Sorry: Antibacterial + Beauty Salve
Airports... Can we all agree they're basically a breeding ground for bacteria? There are so many people passing through the terminals each day it's best to play it safe by washing our hands and using antibacterial. Another must-have, beauty salve. A few things in life can make me uncomfortable, one of them being dry, chapped skin. This is kind of unavoidable being high up in the air so it's best to pack a multipurpose beauty salve like this one.

image via pondering-beauty.blogspot.com

3. Stay Hydrated with a Refillable Water Bottle
I honestly hate paying for water at airports - the prices are ridiculously high and there's nothing we can do besides pay for it. Well, it's time we disrupt the system and bring in our own reusable bottle since staying hydrated is crucial when flying. Dehydration hangovers are not fun when you only have a short amount of time away. I'm a huge fan of bobble's Insulate bottles. Their steel bottles keep water (or other liquids) hot or cold for up to 24 hours and won't sweat or leak. 

image via bobble.com

4. Tune It Out Headphones
Also called my daily lifesavers. Traveling is stressful and not being able to tune it ALL out can really make or break a trip. The question is which pair should you go with? For your next trip, I highly recommend Bose's SoundSport Headphones. You can go wireless or wired, but both are amazing when it comes to noise canceling and high-quality sound. They're also easy to pack compared to the over-the-ear kind. I've used these at work, on runs, noisy airplanes and can't ever imagine using something else.

image via bose.com

5. A Cozy Sweater
Similar to the Katy Perry song, planes can leave you feeling hot and then cold. There's absolutely no winning when it comes to climate control when in-flight but you can be prepared. I tend to grab an oversized before each trip to act as my in-flight blanket or makeshift pillow. And if you're simply too hot, you can always take it off. I linked to a few of my favorite ones priced under $50.

Now, I'm turning the tables on you. What are you must-haves when it comes to your carry-on?

Winter Travel Essentials

Travel is good for the soul. And traveling during the holidays to a faraway magical oasis is a treat! I'm hoping to escape to Orlando, not so faraway but definitely contains a magical kingdom my niece loves. If everything goes according to plan we should be there for the last week of December (fingers crossed). 

When beaches and resorts are in my future, I tend to pack light - all I really need is a few denim shorts, a surplus of bikinis, and a cute kimono. Nope, that's a lie... I pack a little bit more than that, but not enough to check anything in - because let's be real, those check-in fees can be better spent on new reading materials and snacks. 

Since my goal is not to check-in baggage, I need to make sure my beauty needs are covered and following TSA's strict guidelines. In my arsenal: I always pack Caudalie's Beauty Elixir - it's a great little spray that refreshes the face after landing. I swear by this and am sure I've written about it here before. Even if you're not traveling you can use it on the daily whenever you need a quick pick-me-up. 

Next, I turn to Clinique's SPF 30 Face Sunscreen - it's crucial for me to get a sunscreen that wont increase my chances of breaking out while keeping me protected, and I find this works great for both needs. 

Because I am dealing with some unfortunate hormonal acne, I pack my bareSkin foundation serum with me, and believe me when I tell you - it makes my skin LOOK so much better!! It gives great coverage while still leaving me looking natural. 

Another favorite of mine that gets repacked over and over again is the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, mainly because it's the best moisturizing lotion on the market and in this size. A little goes a long way when using this which is another #winwin in my book.

I'm not the best at staying asleep or getting enough sleep, but something about being on an airplane just lulls me to sleep - but before I do, I become that crazy lady and smear on Clinique's all about eyes cream. Planes are already dehydrating machines, this is my way of preventing of looking even more crazy.

Now, what's in your beauty travel bag that gets repacked time and time again?

Shop my winter beauty must-haves below: