This past weekend I took three flights to celebrate my best friend Amy’s upcoming nuptials. How many friendships do you have that started in kindergarten? Twenty-two years of friendship. Twenty-two! Taylor Swift wrote a song about the length of our friendship.  I don’t know about you, but I am not feeling twenty-two. All my friends are getting hitched!

My reason for traveling to Florida was to attend Amy’s bridal shower on Saturday. I arrived in West Palm Beach late Thursday evening, and we stayed up well into the next morning catching up on life. Typical bestie reunion stuff!

Sometimes all you really need is some beach time and a good shopping trip to pick up right where you left off with an old friend. We spent a couple hours at the beach followed by multiple visits to the dressing rooms. The end of our shopping adventure was met with a serious thunderstorm. I have to admit I forgot about the typical crazy, afternoon thunderstorm (bonus points for the hail, Florida).  We got soaked and laughed so hard our stomachs hurt.

Saturday, we celebrated Amy’s bridal shower. It was so amazing, and expertly planned by Mandy (also in the wedding). The shower was themed around the show Friends. We pitched in to help Mandy set up while Amy got ready. What shower is complete without a mimosa + coffee bar?! The shower looked like you walked straight onto the set of Central Perk. So many fun details, like the show playing in the background, coffee favors and “Smelly Cat” atop the cake.

Traveling can be stressful enough, so it’s important to be comfortable and have versatile pieces. I picked up a romper from Forever21 and sandals from Charlotte Russe for the day of the bridal shower.

If you’re planning a long weekend, here are my top tips for traveling light:

·      CLOTHING – Plan ahead. Choose outfits that make sense for what you’ll be doing on your trip. Roll them. I don’t fold. It results in less wrinkles and more space for what’s important.

·      BEAUTY – When it comes to makeup, pack the essentials. You don’t need your entire kit. One eyeshadow palette can offer multiple looks. Current obsessions are linked. :]

o   Foundation (Kat Von D Lock It Foundation)

o   Eye shadow palette (MAC Veluxe PearlFusion Shadow: Pastelluxe)

o   Mascara (MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash)

o   Lip Stain (Revlon Balm Stain)

o   Bronzer (Physician’s Formula Happy Booster™ Glow & Mood Boosting Bronzer & Blush)     

·      HAIR – I stick strictly to my flat iron. I can use it to curl or straighten my hair, so I never have to pack more than one tool which leaves more space in my suitcase for shoes.

·      CARRY-ON – I bring a backpack on the plane as my personal item to accompany my carry-on. A backpack makes for easy access to my laptop and toiletries when going through security checkpoints. I skip a purse on short trips, and go for a wristlet that I can slide into my backpack to store any cash, cards or identification.

I had an amazing weekend, and I can't wait to return to Florida for Amy's wedding in June. I hope my tips help you in planning your next trip. Where are you headed? Post your travel plans below in the comments. I love sharing travel stories, and dreaming of my next adventure.

XO,

Kimberly