What to pack for a Weekend Trip; Summer Edition

I feel like our family has just woken from a long winter hibernation. Soon we will be taking weekend trips to the cottage.

Unlike winter weekends which are all about the layers I find that I pack more for a summer weekend away because of changing situations. Summer dresses for a lunch out, bathing suits for time at the beach, shorts and a tee for rollerblading and biking.

This is what to pack for a weekend trip to the city or the cottage this summer.

What to pack for a Weekend Trip

Weekend 1: Bag/Dress/Cross Body/Mules/Hat/Sunglasses

Weekend 2: Bag/Tee/Shorts/Bathing suit/Sunglasses/Sandals

Weekend 3: Bag/Dress/Hat/Wedge Sandals/Necklace

Much like a winter weekend trip away I tend to share a weekender bag with my Husband when we are just going away overnight. Summer clothes don’t tend to take up as much space but I do pack for more options. And I do pack more shoes.

Bare minimum I pack two pairs of shoes. One sandal and one pair of running shoes. That way I am covered for general sight seeing (code for going into town for ice cream) and any sort of physical activity (code for a walk after dinner).  If I know we are going out for dinner then I will also pack a pair of heels. Earlier in the season I pack a pair of rain boots for my children so they can go exploring at the cottage.

I try to pack some of our own towels that we can take to the beach, especially if we are visiting friends instead of our family cottage.

When it comes to toiletries I still makes sure to have squeezable bottles filled with my shampoo and conditioner. I tend to pack some curl cream too to go a bit more low maintenance especially since there is no air conditioning at the cottage.

Not all summer weekend trips are about easy going trips to the cottage or soaking up the sun at the beach. If you are off to the city for a wedding or event make sure to pack for that first. It might mean packing an extra bag for a suit and cocktail dress, fancy heels and more makeup that I usually wear on the weekend. I like to use a hanging bag for these types of events which if I can’t hang I can lay flat for the drive to wherever we are going.

Like packing for any trip the key to packing what you actually need and not over packing is being honest about what you plan on doing while you are away from home. If you pack for every eventuality you will end up with more than you need.

When you strip everything away you can easily get away with a few t-shirts, a bathing suit, shorts and the right pair of shoes. That is my simplified summer what to pack for a weekend trip.