The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Rachel at Useful Beautiful Home.
I have vacation on the brain. Time to get away for some R & R. That said, I’ll show 5 of my favorite organizers we use time and again when packing for an out-of-town trip, plus a few extra links at the bottom.
Collapsible Hamper
First up, a collapsible dirty laundry hamper. I showed this to you looong ago but it remains one of my favorite traveling organizers. Something within me cringes at the thought of dirty laundry scattered around a hotel room or crumpled in a heap on the floor with the potential of getting lost forever. This handy bin can be tucked inside a suit case and pops up easily to corral the family’s dirty clothing. Find it HERE (affiliate link).
Large Toiletry Bag
Next on my list, a large toiletry bag. I use one from the Caboodles company that I found at Target (pictured below). I like it because it can stand alone or be packed inside another bag. Rather than using several small bags for various items (like one for makeup and another for soaps & shampoos, etc.), I use one big organizer with plenty of dividers and pockets to keep things accessible.
When I say “big”, I really mean that it’s the size of a full-sized purse. It’s big in comparison to most toiletry organizers or those little zippered makeup pouches but not too big. In fact, those smaller organizers can fit inside this one if desired, while this can easily fit inside a suitcase. I like it because everything random, from medicine to makeup, is grouped together in one convenient location.
Shoe Bags
A third organizer that I love are waterproof, zippered shoe bags. I didn’t start with the shoe organizers that I have today, as pictured below. I originally used plastic grocery bags to wrap shoes. I didn’t like the idea of dirty shoes squished all over clean clothes.
So, for years I would wrap shoes inside grocery bags to protect both the shoes and the clothes. I recently upgraded to THESE (affiliate link) zipped bags that come in a pack of 4 and I’m really happy with the convenience, plus they can hold more than just shoes if needed. The material is more durable than plastic bags but the idea is the same. So if you’re wondering if this idea is for you, start with my grocery bag method first before making a shoe bag purchase. 😉
Large Zippered Bag
Fourth up, a good ol’ fashion large zippered bag. Nothing fancy and no pockets necessary. Just a bag to tuck the extras, like the miscellaneous things you grab while running out the door. There always seems to be something I forgot to pack or a change I make last minute, especially now that I’m packing for a baby. Best of all, this little fave of mine is something I always have tucked in the back of my closet. Something you likely have lying around and an excellent last-minute organizer for any trip.
Packing Cube Organizers
I saved the best for last. My final favorite traveling organizer is no secret to you Organizing Junkies, it’s a set of suitcase cube organizers. Laura did a beautiful write-up about her cube system recently. My talented co-bloggers have written about these many times before. Needless to say, I’m late to the party when it comes to using cube organizers, but boy am I glad I finally jumped on this bandwagon!!! Are you like me and find yourself on the fence about ordering some of these?
This past vacation my family took, I ordered the generic Amazon brand of packing cubes when they went on sale HERE (affiliate link). Oh, how they made a world of difference for our travels! With the baby in tow, I was trying to make packing and traveling easier on myself and these cubes did the trick!
I won’t belabor the point with another detailed description (for details, read Laura’s Easy Organized Packing for Kids), just know that regardless of brand, packing cubes keep everything from clothes to cords organized & accessible while traveling. Best of all, they condense contents to help save space. I still pack the kids’ clothing in bundles within the cubes, making the cube system my top favorite organizer when it comes to traveling.
In case you were wondering, I purchased Amazon brand of packing cubes for the price (they were on sale at the time), the speed of Prime shipping, and the wide assortment of sizes available. Plus, they had decently good reviews.
That’s it for now. There are plenty of other packing organizers that I utilize, some of which I’ve written about before, like men’s ties and women’s jewelry, but the above outlined are my favorite. Of course, there are other travel organizing ideas for you to resource right here on Laura’s blog. A few examples are…
Morgan’s How to pack Like an Organizer
Kristin’s 7 Tips for Organized Travel
Whether you’re traveling or staying home this summer, I wish you a lovely time resting and relaxing with those you love most!!
In the professional world, I’m a nurse by trade. But, around our house, I’m known as Mommy to our young daughters. My two worlds collided and began shaping into a blog. Useful Beautiful Home represents the hours I’ve dedicated to managing my household as efficiently as possible. I offer you motivation to keep your home healthy, organized, and welcoming. My goal is to share what I’ve implemented in my home to inspire you with fresh ideas and to encourage you to keep up the good work in yours! Learn more about me HERE or visit me at UsefulBeautifulHome.com.
- *Please note that affiliate links are included in this post to make it easier for you to find what is being referenced. A small commission is made should you purchase product using these links, but this is at no extra cost to you. As always, any and all opinions are genuinely my own – or the author, in the case of posts by my guest contributors. Thank you!*
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