Hot Mess Express ~ On the Road

How I stay organized & ready for anything that comes my way while I'm traveling. Tips, tricks, and affordable tools that help me be prepared to take on the journey ahead of me!

photo by : Tova Conner

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- M I N D S E T -

I'm not sure about you, but even after all the places I've been, I am STILL an anxious traveler! One of the most important pieces of advice I have picked up along the way is to make sure you have the right mindset before your trip begins. Make a plan when you're packing, get a good night's rest before you leave, reorganize your wallet or backpack and make sure you have all the essentials on hand and ready to go. Now I definitely do not always succeed in practicing what I preach, but hey....nobody's perfect! We are all a fabulous work in progress.

"Opportunity doesn't make appointments, you have to be ready when it arrives."

-Tim Fargo

- T I P S, T R I C K S & T O O L S -

Now the fun part! Whether you have media tools, an entire closet's worth of clothes, or multiple trips back to back in varying climates, these items and hacks I've picked up along the way will hopefully make your traveling experience a breeze! Time to get organized before we #hittheroad...

1. Packing Cubes

These things make ALL THE DIFFERENCE in your packing experience. You would never guess how much more you can fit in your suitcase while keeping it organized & avoiding that "bomb went off in my suitcase" look that stresses us all out on the road. Price does not make or break these, so save a pretty penny and head over to amazon, find a color or pattern that fits you, and #getpackin

2. Portable Charger

There's nothing worse than getting on a plane with no charging ports, waking up to a phone that didn't charge overnight, or being at an event with no camera to document the experience because of a dead phone. Our phones hold the photos that take us back to our favorite memories and moments we never want to let go of...especially when the clock strikes midnight and we're headed home. But nobody wants to carry around an oversized, extra-heavy portable battery! These are my two favorite products that I keep on hand to give my battery a #boost while I'm on the go.

3. Self Care & Skin Care

Us girls always have a hard time taking all of our skin care products on the road and trasnferring our routine to a hotel room, living quarters, and sometimes even the car! Here are a few things that have helped simplify that routine on the road without losing the clean, fresh feel I get from a complete skincare routine...

Dry Sponges: These can make a quick face wash on-the-go a breeze! They are inexpensive, save room in your bag, and come without all the harsh chemicals and extra oils face wipes can leave behind. Just add a little water and the sponge expands, ready to leave you feeling fresh & clean! #inexpensive #easytopack #disposable #biodegradable

Personal Care Bags: When we end up in tight spaces and are always #onthego, activating autopilot and not having to worry about losing our precious products along the way is a game changer. I have found that having the labeled bags, as simple as it may seem, makes a world of difference when I am up early or getting ready in the truck to make it to a rodeo on time and need to use just a few less brain cells and conserve all of my energy for the important things!

4. Shoes, Dirty Clothes & More

Now this is one I picked up from my sweet mama who is the most organized, prepared person I know. When we pack our suitcases, an easy thing to throw in are something everyone has at least a few of in their home....grocery bags!! I learned to put grocery bags around my shoes to avoid the tragedy of a white shirt getting into a tussle with the bottom of my tennis shoes & ruining my outfit.

*If you're a little extra like me and want to keep your packing theme consistent...head on over to Amazon and pick out some reusable shoe bags! (possible options below)

5. Double Check Everything!

This goes without saying, but I can not even count the amount of times I have had a flight change the morning of travel, or a gate change while I'm headed one direction and I'm supposed to be going another. I can not say enough times...DOUBLE, TRIPLE CHECK everything! You never want to reach in your wallet and be left without an ID or debit card on the road.

The best way to avoid this is to Make a List. I recommend keeping a baseline packing list that you can add to or take away from depending on your destination. Don't know where to start? Hop on google and search for packing lists.

Check back soon for a post featuring my favorite packing lists!

If there's anything you want to see on the blog or ideas you'd like to contribute feel free to reach out to me by email at contact@busybootsblog.com!

Until next time...

Keep those Boots Busy!