Unlike last year’s trip, I had less-strict guidelines for packing for this trip. In some ways, this made packing a little bit tricky because there was just more room for error, so many possibilities! Of course, with another trip to a Disney park, I was going to do more Disneybounding. Let’s just jump straight to it, shall we?

I took some photos of the packing process but am not happy with them. Would you all mind if I reshot and posted those photos after I come back? Just looked over these photos upon getting to our AirBnB in LA and am not satisfied with them at all.

(Warning: This post is much more in-depth than it needed to most, mostly because it served as my packing guide.)
(This is a long post; I warned you!)

Clothes

It feels strange to be writing so much about what I will be wearing, but packing clothes gives me the most anxiety when it comes to packing. (Even though I usually forget something that isn’t clothing-related but we’ll get to that.) We will be out for about a week and do not have the restrictions of a single backpack for our packing as we did for spring break last year. That being said, I tend to overpack and would like to not do that this year. The weather isn’t going to be a whole lot warmer than it is here in the DC area, so my outfits will not suddenly change seasons they way they did last year. We have a lot more room, so I’m able to expand my activities thanks to more space for different shoes.

Dresses

Black // for clubbing
Blue // for the wedding / Disneybounding
Floral // for other dress occasions

Tops

2 T-shirts
1 blouse
2 cardigans (1 red, 1 black)

Bottoms

2 pants // blue jeans, black jeggings
1 skirt
Athletic shorts // for “exercising” and probably more likely for sleep
Dressier shorts

Shoes

Nude heels // for if I feel masochistic for dancing/the wedding
Black flats // for when I inevitably decide I don’t hate myself
Sneakers // for “exercising” and hiking (“”)
Sandals // for poolside and feeling summery

Other

Underthings
Socks
1 black tank top
1 nude camisole
2 swimsuits // because the one I ordered arrived literally the day of my flight
Safety shorts // for wearing under dresses/skirts
2 black leggings (1 fleece-lined, 1 regular)
3 tights (1 black, 1 nude, 1 mock knee-high)
Pajamas // for sleeeeeeping
Blanket scarf // for cooler evenings
Beanie // for the cold and bad hair days?

Jewelry

Apple necklace // for Disneybounding
Galaxy necklace // for Starr-ness
Heart necklace // for Ben and for love at the wedding
Star necklace // for additional Starr-ness
Watch // for telling… the time…

Wearing On the Plane

I will post a travel tips series really soon (how often do I say things like that…), but one of my biggest areas of tip-giving really comes from what you wear onto the plane. In short, it should be bulky items (to save room in your bag) that are comfy (because planes are uncomfortable enough) and including outerwear with pockets that you can throw lose stuff into and into a security bin.

Sneakers // bulkiest, fast to put on/take off, comfy
Leggings under black pants // reduces luggage bulk, layers for warmth
Tank top under blouse // reduces luggage bulk, layers for warmth + modesty
Cardigan
Jacket w/ pockets // for throwing your watch, change, glasses, phone, whatever metal objects you’re worried about into them and worry about them when you make it out of security
Beanie & scarf // because it was freezing on that plane, lemme tell ya
Suitcase + backpack // with purse inside because you can only have one personal item

Toiletries

Do not fear TSA-compliance. Save your sample-sized items. Save your free-gift-with-purchase items. Bust ’em out when you go on vacation. ~~Profit.~~ Just remember the 3-1-1 rule: 3.4 fl oz in 1 single, clear 1-quart bag. (For friends on the metric system, it’s 100 mL limits.) Maybe this is a no-no, but I never put my toiletries in the 1-quart clear bag. I always keep my stuff in a small toiletries bag that is well under one quart in capacity and have never had an issue, but I would err on the side of caution and use a clear bag if you can. (Don’t be a hardcore rebel like me, kids!)

Toothbrush + toothpaste // must fall under 3-1-1 compliance!
Cleanser + moisturizer + softener trio // yay free gifts with purchase
Moisturizer + facial SPF // a lot of desert time means an extra moisturizer
Shampoo + conditioner // pretty sure these will be provided throughout our trip, but just in case!
Baby powder // multi-use but primarily as dry shampoo
Oil-based cleanser // for removing makeup
Sheet mask // on the off chance that I have a minute to try to give my face a break

Since I will be in town for a special occasion and there may be some clubbing going on, I’m going beyond my usual and bringing some special event wares:

Basic makeup // brow kit, eyeliner, eyeshadow + brush, mascara, red lip pencil, blush + brush, BB cream
Curling wand // cheap-o one from TJ Maxx that I rarely use (maybe because it’s so cheap)

Because of the 3-1-1 rule, I will be purchasing these things when I arrive in Vegas and discarding before I fly back from LA:

Bigger bottle of SPF 50+ // SPF 50 or bust, for my body
Insect repellent // because if there are mosquitoes, I am always the first to get bitten
Heat protectant // for when I attempt to bend my hair to my will

Etc.

Everything else that hasn’t been mentioned so far is about to get its moment!

Umbrella // never leave home without a [s]umbrella
Collapsible water bottles // handy for taking through airport security and having a reusable water container
Beach towel // in case we splash around at the beach, need towels at Vegas (better not), or just need a blankie
Camera + charger + extra battery + extra memory
Phone + charger + extra battery + extra battery’s charger (thanks Dad!)
Laptop + sleeve + charger // I normally hate bringing my computer on vacation, but I get the feeling I’m going to want to do some last-minute planning while I’m in LA and I’ll also like to get photos from the camera to the computer as frequently as I can, just in case
First aid essentials // bandages (/plasters) & painkillers
Feminine hygiene products // hey, it is what it is

Day-to-Day Bag

aka What Will Be In My Purse, I guess?

Wallet
Phone
Camera
Notepad + pens
Lip balm
Hand lotion
Perfume rollerball // for smelling nice
Hand sanitizer // for dirty situations
Small mirror
Fistful of assorted napkins // for when I inevitably spill something somewhere
Mini first-aid kit

What are some things that you think I should’ve packed? Off the top of my head, I know I forgot to pack my face sponge/scrubber (that helps my cleanser work a little harder; and I had originally included it on this post as well when I was designing my checklist, so I am just plain careless). I also think I should have reconsidered some of the clothing items I picked to be more colorful; I wound up packing a decent bit of black. What can I say, I love wearing black and it goes with everything but makes me look very dark and emo in photos.