how to: pack for a business trip

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Well, I'm back from an unexpected work trip.  I was in Calgary, AB, for the week helping out at a store that had just finished up renovations.  This was my first ever business trip and it was pretty exciting.  We worked very long days, so unfortunately I wasn't able to do any sightseeing in the city, or really have much downtime at all (hence the quiet abyss of this blog).  But I was travelling with some great co-workers, so it made the long days go by quicker and the end of work day dinners that much more hilarious.

Because it was last minute, my packing skills were not at their best.  Let's be honest, I'm an over packer.  Packing smartly is definitely a skill I've been trying to perfect for a long time now, but I just can't seem to leave the kitchen sink behind!
I wish I was able to just bring my carry-on sized suitcase on any trip and be able to make it work.  This time I figured, I'm going for a full work week, that the next size up wouldn't be so bad, and luckily I wasn't the only one, but seeing the other girls whip through the lines with their cute little suitcases really made me want to try harder.  I did notice, however, that this time I didn't have it completely jam packed full of silly, useless things, but having to wear all black for work helps.

I'm starting to call myself a bit of a traveler and with that I've picked up a few tips along the way.  I'm slowly getting better, and one day will make it to just that cute little carry-on sized suitcase!!
Hope these tips help you pack your bags!  Do you travel for work? Any tips you'd like to add?

1. Pick a colour story for your trip, it's makes pulling complete outfits that much easier.  Obviously my colour this time around was black, but burgundy, or grey would be great for this time of year.

2. Wear your biggest items on the plane.  Wearing your tall boots makes sense, because they'll take up lots of space in your suitcase. And wearing or carrying your jacket saves you some space, and will give you the option to layer on the plane, where there's always a random draft.

3. Travel sized toiletries, aka. free samples!  I save samples of shampoo, moisturizer, or anything else handy from swag bags or cosmetic counters to pack instead of the regular size I use daily.  These little guys are so small that you can have them in your carry-on and won't lead to having to dump them at security. That's the worst!

I don't have any travel plans coming up, but I just may have to change that! Here's to my next trip!!