Dress (old from last year, but I love these floral versions here, here and here!) // Wicker Purse // Blush slides {$34 from Target and actually super comfy! These are also cute too for $13}

TGIF, friends! I’m so excited it’s the weekend and happy that it finally look like we’re going to have some sunny days in Chicago this weekend. After the rain last weekend, we definitely deserve some sunshine – and I’m planning to soak up as much of it as possible with some beach volleyball, pool time and enjoying patio season before the summer sneaks away!

Speaking of, I feel like this summer has completely flown by – and I can’t believe next week is already August. Starting a new job right before summer is great, but when you’re learning a new company, brands and settling into work, it doesn’t leave much extra time for vacations. I promised myself I would at least take one or two days off before the end of the summer, so I’m packing my bags to visit a friend in Toronto later in August, and planning an extra day off at the end of the month for a wedding around Portland, Maine. I’ve never been to either places, so I’m excited to explore, try some new restaurants and get a fresh perspective. Chicago is amazing (especially in the summer), but it’s so refreshing getting to escape the city (and work!) for a few days to get a new lease on life. If you have any recommendations for either cities, let me know! I currently don’t have anything planned so I’m very open to suggestions 🙂 One thing that I’m really, really terrible at when it comes to vacationing is packing – either I don’t pack enough, or I pack waaaaaaay too much. I’m what I’ve coined to be a “panic packer”, which is mostly putting off packing until 10PM the night before a flight, or just stuffing a bunch of things in my suitcase 30 minutes before I have to head to the airport. Clearly neither are very good solutions and I usually realize on my way to the airport that I’ve forgotten a few key things – toothbrushes, hair ties, shampoo, a razor, underwear…pretty much everything I would actually need when leaving home. Not great at all, and definitely makes my existing travel anxiety that much worse, haha.

So…I’ve been trying to improve my bad packing habits and have started planning a little more in advance when it comes to my end of summer trips. I love going to Hair Cuttery, and I noticed that they have the cutest travel sizes of a few of my favorite hair products that I use at home. While Hair Cuttery is usually known for their awesome hair services (styles and cuts!) around the U.S., they also have an amazing selection of professional hair care products for all hair types. Rather than forgetting to pack all the beauty supplies, I picked up a few of my favorite Cibu Hair salon quality products I love (a brand developed by Hair Cuttery!) so I didn’t have to sacrifice my usual routine while traveling next month. While I love all Cibu products, my favorites are their 3 in 1 shampoo, conditioner and body wash, KaPow Dy Shampoo (which you need on a hot, summer day exploring a new city!), their Finista Finishing Spray (to keep my crazy strays at bay!) and their Shine Squad Argan Oil serum which keeps my hair so shiny and much more maintained than without it. Oh, and I always pack nail polish and top coat, because you never know when you’re going to royally fuck up a nail 😉

Anyways – do you have any tips to avoid last minute packing? I could definitely use some tips before I head to Toronto, so please share with the class! And also – have any fun trips planned before the end of the summer? I might try to squeeze in one or two long weekends and I’m totally down for some good travel ideas! xx

A big thanks to Hair Cuttery for sponsoring this post! I love their salons and products, and as always – all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Charmingly Styled possible!