swimsuit | sandals | sunglasses | disc necklace | bar necklace
As most of you know, Joe and I just got back from a week long anniversary getaway in Hawaii! To say it was dreamy is an understatement. With the crazy hours he has been working, and the non-stop schedules for the little people, we hadn’t realized how much we were missing our “us” time. I shared quite a bit about our trip over on Instagram, and have had SO many questions on everything from swim suits, hikes, food, and where we stayed. Since I didn’t want to overwhelm you, I’ve broken it down into two posts! Next week I’ll be sharing our top things to do, see, and eat in Oahu, so today I’m covering inside my suitcase! All my favorite swim suits, cover ups, hiking gear, and beach essentials!
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First up, before we get into all the nitty gritty of my suitcase, I have to let you know how much of a game changer packing this time around was for me. Due to the way our flight was, we could only take one carry on, so I really had to put my own advice (from this post) to work you could say. Haha. I really tried to pack my suitcase very minimally. I’ll be honest I was worried I would be missing something, or not loving what I had.
I was so wrong and have LOVED it so much. It has been so great to have pieces that are multi-functional that I can wear to the beach and then dress up to go out at night. I loved having the simplified outfit options, and honestly just what I needed, nothing extra. So honestly, take the time to think more about the functionality when you’re packing. You will love it and never go back!
swim top | swim bottom | hat | sandals
:: SWIMSUITS
Being a beach vacation, of course my top priority was cute swimsuits! A girl can never have too many right? Haha! As much as I hate shopping for them, I love finding great timeless pieces, and felt like I found a lot of new favorites this time!
swimsuit + shorts + loopy case (kailee10 for 10% off + kailee15 for 15% off 2)
swimsuit top | swimsuit bottom | similar pattern one piece | hat | sunglasses | cover up
:: shop my favorite swim suits ::
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white tunic | hat | sandals | sunglasses
:: HATS
It is no secret around here that I am a major hat lover! But traveling with hats can be tricky. When you are limited to one carry on, the last thing you want to do is try to fill it up with unnecessary items, aka extra hats. My biggest tip is to wear you hat on the plane. If you have a quick flight you can keep it on your head. If that bugs you, I will usually just take it off and put it on top of my carry on or even carefully in the overhead bin on top of my bag. For this trip I picked one hat that I knew would go with everything. In addition to that, I picked a baseball hat that takes up hardly any space and was perfect for our hikes!
:: shop my favorite hats ::
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hiking sandals + here | similar shorts + here | similar jacket | tank | hat
:: WORKOUT + HIKING GEAR
One of the things Joe and I really looked forward to on this trip was trying out some new hikes together. We usually have all the little people with us when we come to Hawaii so we haven’t been able to do too much. We LOVED getting out and enjoying the weather. I’ll of course be sharing our favorites on next weeks Oahu Favorites post.
Since we knew hikes were happening, it meant I had to get some dreaded hiking sandals. I finally gave in. While they are still far from my style, and I’m not a fan of the looks, the function is incredible and exactly what I needed! In addition to those I packed a couple of tanks + some shorts. They both could double up for hikes or morning workouts, again saving on space!
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swim top | swim bottoms | overalls | sandals | hat | sunglasses | pendant necklace | crescent necklace
:: TRANSITIONAL COVER-UPS FROM DAY TO NIGHT
If you only pay attention to one part of this post, this needs to be it. This mindset alone is what made packing for this trip a game changer. Almost every single piece I brought to use as a beach or pool cover up, I was also able to dress up to go out at night. It literally cut my normal packing line up in half.
For example, the overalls I wore as cover up above. For the day, I just threw them on over my swim top + bottom. Later that night, I switched out the swimsuit for a basic white long sleeve top and wore them to dinner. Instead of bringing a completely different outfit, I only had to pack one tiny no space taking basic tee and I was set. Another one was this sweater. It is so cozy! I wore it as is over my swimsuit to the beach, and then with a pair of leggings on our helicopter ride and to dinner.
Same goes for my sandals. I am so in love with them. They look nice enough to wear out in the evening, but since they are plastic, they worked great for the pool and beach too! I love that they took up hardly any space in my suitcase, but we so so functional for almost everything we did! These are another great transitional option that I’ve used in the past and loved too!
:: shop my favorite cover ups ::
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swim top + bottom | wrap top | denim shorts | hat | sunglasses | sandals + white here
:: TOILETRIES
I guess that is what you would call them. Why is that such a weird word to me? Basically my must have hair and skin care items. I shared a little about these on my stories, but wanted to make sure you had all the links (AND DISCOUNTS) easily accessible!
First up is of course my Tula line up. My must haves are the cleanser, the toner, the day/night cream, and the new eye balm. I love that they have a travel size kit so I don’t have to ever switch up my routine. (use code kailee for 20% off!) In addition to those, the only other must haves this time were my Vitamin C Serum and Tinted sunscreen from Form. If you are looking for a good face sunscreen, this is it!! I love that it protects my face AND I don’t have to put heavy makeup on just to go to the beach. It is just enough to even out your skin tone. So so lightweight and not greasy at all! (use code kailee10 for 10% off!) Besides those, I threw on some of this amazing lip mask and that is it!
For hair, the only thing that is really a must have for me is dry shampoo! This is because I rarely wash my hair while we are traveling. Then you have to drag along all the tools and products you need for that too. I can maintain clean looking hair with my hat and dry shampoo power couple!
And last but definitely not least when it comes to beauty is my tanning stuff! I’ve shared here before that I love this tanning machine. But it is such a pain to bring along traveling, especially when you are just doing a carry on. So you can imagine how THRILLED I was when I found the same brands travel solution set. It was exactly what I needed to keep up with my tan through the trip. Highly highly recommend!
:: shop my travel toiletries ::
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dress | sandals | sunglasses | hat
:: BEACH BAG ESSENTIALS
Last but not least are my poolside/beach essentials. I didn’t have a lot this time around. I swear little people are the reason I need half of the stuff. Am I right?! But I still had my go to’s organized in these little clear bags I love. This portable charger never leaves my side. I always have it on the go with me, especially when we travel and are using our phones more for podcasts, directions, and pictures. I love these hair ties so I don’t have to worry about getting a kink if I want to throw my hair up at the beach. And of course a good book since time to read without distractions is pretty rare at home.
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I think that covers all the things inside my suitcase for this trip! If I missed anything or you have any packing questions, please ask here or on Instagram! I am happy to help!
could you link your husbands hiking shoe? Thanks! What color are yours? I’m not seeing a black and coral color anywhere!