How to Pack Minimal Clothing for a Trip

Traveling light has various benefits. It won't be difficult handling your luggage from one place to the next. Lighter luggage means less strain on your body. You will also be able to have more room for souvenirs. However, traveling light doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style for simplicity. When planning out your travel wardrobe, you can have a solid grasp on what you will wear and incorporate looking good.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet Connection
• Telephone
• Books on Destination
• Suitcase
• Packing List

Tips

1. Do research on the location that you will be visiting. If you want to fit in with the locals, find out what they wear. For example, churches in some European Catholic countries have a strict dress code that forbids shorts, skirts above the knee and bare shoulders. In comparison, a tropical Hawaiian vacation will be more laid back.
2. Create a packing list. When planning out your wardrobe, take into account factors, such as the length of your stay and the location's weather.
3. Decide what your limitations are. In his blog, author Tim Ferriss states that he is a fan of Exofficio lightweight underwear whose tagline is "17 countries. 6 weeks. And one pair of underwear." Some people wouldn't mind saving a little space by cutting down on underwear, while others may cringe at a potential hygiene hazard.
4. Figure out a laundry strategy. This is key in maintaining your minimalist travel wardrobe. Do research or make a phone call and find out whether laundry service is readily available where you will be staying. Consider hand washing and air drying your items overnight in order to get multiple use of your pieces.
5. Reuse items. Some pieces can be worn multiple times, such as a pair of pants
6. Seek out reversible and multipurpose clothing. There are pieces that are made to transform into different styles, such as a top that can also become a skirt or a dress.

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How to Plan a Holiday Party for the Office

In large corporations the annual holiday get-together just happens, as if by magic. Pros - or the boss's assistant - handle all the details and all the employees have to do is show up. In smaller companies and the nonprofit sector it's a different story.

Things You'll Need

• Mystery Kits
• Party Decorations
• Beer
• Liquor
• Party Food
• Soft Drinks
• Wines
• Bar Supplies
• Cocktail Mixers

Tips

1. Find out if your co-workers want to honor the year-end holidays. If your group is small enough, gather everyone around the conference table and discuss it; otherwise, distribute a survey. Don't expect many unanimous decisions, just strive to please the majority.
2. Encourage everyone to be blunt about everything from how they feel about holiday celebrations in the first place to what time of day would suit them best. An evening or weekend bash that singles might love could be a logistical nightmare for single parents or working couples.
3. Decide how you'll finance the festivities. Be sensitive to varying income levels within the company, as well as to all the other expenses people have at holiday time.
4. Ask everyone whether they'd prefer an employees-only gathering or one that includes spouses and significant others. Expect a mixed response. To some people a couples' party is a delightful evening out with their romantic partner; to others it's just one more time they have to find (and pay) a baby sitter; to still others it's a time they feel compelled to produce a date whether they want to or not.
5. Be prepared to throw tradition to the wind. For instance, if you've always had an event at a restaurant, have a catered lunch or after-work party instead. You'll all be able to chat more freely than you could at a restaurant table.
6. Plan some games and activities. By the time the office party rolls around, the holiday social scene has grown a bit stale for some folks. If your work group numbers only a dozen or so, consider playing a murder mystery game you buy in kit form (see "How to Plan a New Year's Eve Mystery Party").

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How to Plan Travel Arrangements

Planning a trip can be exciting because you get to think about escaping from the work place and relaxing. Sometimes planning a trip can end up being more stressful than work itself, though. To prevent this, follow a few guidelines the next time you plan to make travel arrangements. By doing this you can avoid having your dream vacation turn into a disaster.

Tips

1. Make sure that you have a valid passport. Go to the post office and apply for a passport if you do not have one. It could take a month or more for your passport to arrive in the mail, so give yourself plenty of time to apply.
2. Book your flight. Often you will get a better deal if you purchase the tickets early rather than at the last minute.
3. Look for flight and hotel packages. Hotels are offered at a discounted rate when they are bought with a particular destination package. Go to a discount travel website such as Expedia or Travelocity to see which packages are offered.
4. Decide whether you need to rent a car. If you will be spending a lot of time driving to different sites, then a rental car is necessary. Although you can rent a car when you arrive at your destination, you could save a lot of money by purchasing and packaging it with your airfare and accommodations.
5. Tell your post office to hold your mail for the amount of time that you will be gone. You can do this by going to the local post office or visiting USPS.gov. If you have flowers or plants ask your neighbors to help water them. Ask a close friend to take care of any pets, or look into kenneling your pets while you are gone as well.
6. Make sure you have maps of every state you will be driving through if you are planning a road trip. Plan a route on a map and book accommodations in advance. Remember to factor fuel costs into your travel budget.

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How to Plan a Travel Wardrobe

Preparing for sightseeing jaunts, long travel days and the rest of your trip is hard enough before factoring in airline baggage limits. Lugging multiple suitcases behind you makes travel a hassle, especially when flying. Your wardrobe should fit comfortably into one suitcase for most trips when everything you pack is flexible and neutral. Gathering these perfect items isn't a last-minute job. Start planning a week before the trip, and then make last-minute tweaks the day before you take off.

Research the Weather

• Don’t rely on assumptions or past visits to a locale when considering weather-appropriate gear. The tropical island where you plan to sunbathe by day may turn chilly at night, and you’ll swelter if you fill your bag with sweaters for a trip to a ski resort going through a warm spell. Check your destination’s average daily and nightly temperatures and precipitation averages when you start to choose pieces of clothing. The day before your trip, check the upcoming forecast and adjust accordingly.

Pick Proper Fabrics

• You’ll lose precious sightseeing time if you’re hunched over the hotel room ironing board. Rule out any garments that wrinkle easily, such as linen and silk, and opt instead for fabrics that are advertised as wrinkle-resistant. Knits and synthetic fabrics like nylon and rayon typically travel well. Sift through your wardrobe staples looking for pieces that are darker in color; these items won’t show stains or wrinkles vividly, allowing you to rewear them if need be.

Include Clothes for Excursions

• With most types of travel, casual wear is appropriate for much -- but not all -- of the time. In addition to picking staples like jeans and T-shirts, think your trip itinerary through day by day and consider specific clothing needs. You may spend most of the week in a city, but if you’re eying nearby hiking trails, pack long lightweight pants and bring hiking boots instead of sneakers. Visiting a formal restaurant or sacred site may require more upscale or demure clothing, like a skirt that hits at the knee or a coat and tie.

Visualize Everything

• Before anything goes into your suitcase, lay out the pants, shorts or skirts you’re considering packing on your bed. Hold all your shirt and sweater options next to each bottom. Every item that makes the cut should pair well with at least a few others, allowing you to create multiple ensembles with a few pieces and saving room in your suitcase. You may only need three bottoms and four or five tops for a weeklong trip. Next, choose a few pairs of shoes that will go with multiple outfits – for instance, sneakers and dressy sandals for a beach trip -- and then pack enough socks and undergarments for the duration.

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How to Plan a Holiday Getaway

Nothing makes a holiday more fun or exciting than deciding to pack a bag, grab your camera and take a holiday trip. A holiday getaway can mean long travel times, delayed flights and increased costs , though, if you don't plan your trip wisely. Whether you're going out of state or planning a trip around the world, here are some tips to help you plan a great holiday getaway

Tips

1. Start planning early. The holidays are always a hectic time to travel because there are a lot of other people traveling too. Begin making your travel arrangements as far in advance as possible. This will guarantee that hotel rooms will be available, rental cars can be obtained at a reasonable price, plane tickets can be purchased at normal rates instead of the inflated holiday fares and special events can be anticipated and planned out.
2. Budget for the holiday. Traveling during the holidays is always more expensive than traveling at normal times of the year. Airfare is higher, gas prices tend to skyrocket and there are smaller but necessary expenses, like food and gift purchases, to take into account as well. To avoid this become stressful during your holiday getaway, budget your trip according to a holiday-friendly budget. Account for these extra added expenses and set aside a little more money to cover them so that you can keep track of your money and still have a great time on your trip.
3. Pack accordingly. If you're hitting the slopes for Christmas, you've already got the sweaters and the parka out and ready to go ski. But if your holiday getaway is taking you somewhere tropical, you will be required to do a little extra packing. Begin packing at least a few days prior to your departure so that you can make sure that everything you will need for your getaway destination has been accounted for, laundered if necessary and packed in the appropriate luggage. This will keep you from rushing around right before you leave and will help eliminate the possibility that you will forget something important.
4. Look for holiday deals. While the holidays can be an expensive time to travel in some ways, that particular time of year can also be a great time to find exceptional travel deals and discounted travel packages. Look into travel packages that allow you to purchase your airfare, rental car and/or hotel rooms at one rate. Packages like this will often offer a substantial discount for purchasing them together, especially if you book them well in advance of your anticipated travel date.
5. Account for holiday closures. You will need to visit a variety of places when taking care of your last minute errands and shopping before leaving for your holiday getaway. The bank, pharmacy, dry cleaners and dog boarder are all places that may be important to your pre-travel preparations. Many of these places have shortened hours during the holiday season or are closed for periods of time during the holidays so make sure that you find out if they will have special hours.
6. Anticipate delays or obstacles. Because travel is heavier during the holidays, be prepared for flight delays and long lines. It is rare that travel plans happen exactly on time, especially during the holidays, so keep this in mind when planning departure and arrival times and when meeting people at airports and hotels. Leave yourself a little extra time to get to the airport and through security and pack a few toys to keep the kids occupied or a book to help you pass the time in case you get stuck waiting for a flight or a rental car.

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