Packing for a Short Trip

I used to be one of those people who brought everything I owned every time I went on even a short trip, yet still forgot stuff.  I once stopped at my parents' house on the way out for the weekend, and ended up raiding their linen closet because I had forgotten a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and face lotion.  Now I have packing down to a science so I always have what I need but don't lug a ton of extra stuff with me.

For clothes, I like to think about what I want to wear a week or so in advance so I can either plan not to wear those items before the trip or so that I can plan on leaving enough time to do laundry before I leave.  For shorter trips, I try to stick to one color palette so that everything can be mixed and matched.  That way, if I happen to drip chocolate ice cream on my white jeans (it happens every time), I have another option, but I'm not bringing a crazy amount of clothes..

Once I put everything in my suitcase, I'll see if there's any extra space.  If that has somehow happened, I'll throw in a couple of items that may have seemed superfluous but could come in handy - a nicer dress, an extra pair of shorts, or another swimsuit (or three).

To make sure I never have another toiletry disaster (since my mom can't help me out every time), I tend to keep my toiletry bag packed all of the time.  There's always at least a toothbrush, face lotion, toothpaste, deodorant, conditioner, a comb, a razor, contact solution, an extra pair of contacts, bobby pins, and hair bands in there.  That way I can just toss in my glasses and be ready to go without having to think about it.  When I get home from a trip, I just replace any items that may have run out and I'm good to go.

Do you have any packing tips you swear by?

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