stop overpacking—these space saving travel finds are all you need, and they’re under $30

Travel

Stop Overpacking—These Space-Saving Travel Finds Are All You Need, and They’re Under $30

Drescription

In just a couple of weeks, summer will be in full swing, and if you have any travel plans, you’ll need products that will save you some serious packing space.

No matter where you’re going, these space-saving travel essentials from Amazon’s Luggage and Travel Gear store will help you maximize your luggage room. You can score packing cubes, pill organizers, and TSA-approved toiletry bottles to neatly pack your clothing, personal items, and beauty products. Several of these items are on sale, too, with prices starting at just $6.

Bagsmart Toiletry Travel Bag

Keep all of your mini skincare, haircare, and makeup products in one place with this best-selling toiletry bag. The spacious organizer is designed with four compartments to neatly store your belongings, each one complete with a clear front so you can see your items. The water-resistant organizer also has a fold-out design with a metal hook that can be hung on a closet door or rack, and packed tightly when not in use.

Cozy Essential Travel Vacuum Bag Set

These No.1 best-selling travel bags with more than 48,100 five-star ratings come with an electric air pump to seal your things into tightly compressed packs, saving you bag room. The set comes with eight bags, ranging from small to jumbo sizes, so you can pack your undergarments, tops and pants, and outerwear. The bags can be used to neatly store away your seasonal clothing and bedding, too, making the most of your closet space.

Mrsdry Travel Bottle Set

Instead of having to check a bag to pack full-sized shampoo, lotion, and body wash, you can condense your personal products into these refillable 3-ounce bottles. Each container is made with a leak-proof silicone and top that locks securely into place, so you don’t have to worry about spills. The pack comes with four TSA-approved bottles and a clear bag to keep handy in your carry-on.

Continue scrolling to see more space-saving travel essentials under $30, and head to Amazon’s Luggage and Travel Gear hub to browse through the entire assortment of products.

Bagail Packing Cube Set

Quuejenl Portable Travel Steamer

Benevolence LA Plush Velvet Jewelry Box

Holii Travel Pill Organizer

Napfun Memory Foam Neck Pillow

Revisiting A 2013 Project, DesignLoveFest’s Apartment (+ What I Think About It Now)

In our grown-up pursuit of “timelessness” (which gets more intense as we get older), it sure is fun to see a time capsule of our youth. The year was clearly 2013, and two “internet famous” bloggers collabbed on what now feels like OG vintage influencer content. When I stumbled on Bri Emery’s apartment from 2013, I gasped and then wanted to gossip about it with you. So much to talk about. It still pops so hard and is full of pieces that I love, while also just screaming “2010’s blogger time capsule”. It’s a real lesson in where to bring in trends as well as demonstrating the power of vintage and color. This was my last “blogger collab,” where I designed/styled famous blogger’s homes (who would be called influencers now) to cross promote, garner press, more followers, etc (I decorated Cup of Jo’s apartment, Oh Joy’s (multiple times), Nicolette Mason and then Bri Emery, aka DesignLoveFest, Green Wedding Shoes nursery, and many more). Bri redesigned our website (which has since been redesigned and is DESPERATE for a new redesign – coming soon, I hope), and I designed/styled her living and dining room. If you want to read the original post, check it out -it’s a funny read. That’s Bri, aka DesignLoveFest, and if you haven’t seen her new kitchen in upstate New York, you MUST. She, like most OG design/style bloggers, made a lot of life shifts, and after taking a long creative/personal sabbatical from social media, she is posting again and collaborating with other old friends (which is so fun to watch on stories). She has always been wildly creative and such a visionary, so I’ll follow her forever. I dream of doing a “Bloggers: Where Are They Now” series because most of the OG crew that really took off in the 2010s, have changed careers and are thriving in such different and interesting ways (I think like 10 of us are still here, spoiler – social media caused burn out really fast). That’s a whole other story, but today let’s look at Bri’s 2013 apartment transformation: I swear we didn’t try to take low-light befores back then… But here’s the super bright after! LOL My first gut reaction: this room is undeniably still so fun. If I walked into this apartment now, I would think this person has so much style and creativity, an eclectic, even eccentric, point of view, and we are about to have fun. And then, of course, I’d want to edit it a bit, tweak it for 2025. So let’s talk through the main trends that were big then: 2013 Trend #1: Bright White With Pops Of Bright Colors I was so guilty of this, doing it over and over in that decade (and still am!). The formula: all white walls, big pops of color, drenched in natural light. And the thing is, this still really works in Southern California. Of course, now we’d do a warmer neutral, and employ darker, more subtle greens and lots of muted pinks. Heck, my brother and SIL wanted a version of that in their bedroom (see here). I think for the most part it works, it’s just some of the colors here that make it feel a bit 2013. I would definitely get rid of that scalloped pillow on the sofa and reduce the amount of hot pink (the vintage ottoman could be more of a neutral). 2013 Trend #2: Fig Trees And Whimsical Plants Galore (In Whimsical Pots!) Again, I still like fig trees, but my goodness, they were EVERYWHERE in the 2010s (mostly because of me, I think – remember DesignStar?), so I really don’t think we needed two here. And while having plants galore is more popular than ever, I don’t think doing it like this is working. I think it’s just a bit messy, the pots are a bit eclectic, and it feels generally over the top. If I could do it again, I’d do one big fig tree and a smaller green plant on the coffee table. Also, not sure we need a decorative piñata… 2013 Trend #3 Palm Springs Style Mid-Century Vintage Everything In Bright Colors Again, I don’t mind this trend!! Mid-century is never out, and I don’t think that there is too much of it here. It’s just combined with the big saturated colors and the Moroccan rug and brass that make all the pieces feel 2013. But yes, in the 2010s, before any of us had a budget to buy investment pieces from adult stores, we bought anything from the Rose Bowl flea market, which was full of midcentury vintage from Palm Springs. None of these are dated; it’s just within the context of so much stuff and bright colors that it screams 2013. What’s Not Working?? What Would I Get Rid Of? That’s pretty easy – the black chair with the more Navajo-inspired woven pattern feels like we were trying hard to dip into that next trend (I’m not sure what to call it, I apologize if I’m not accurate here). At the time were really seeing the rise of African mudcloth and Aztec-style prints, and now we know better and to never buy them in a mass-produced fashion. Purchasing from the actual people whose culture these textiles belong to should always be a priority, like with my Boro fabrics. I do like the idea of the pattern, but it belongs somewhere with less bright, saturated colors or trendy pieces. I’d also nix the gold drum table (very 2013), and I’d reduce the amount of stuff by 1/3rd AT LEAST. And I really, really don’t like that colorful pillow on the sofa. I think this was during my “miniatures” phase that I’ve never really grown out of, TBH, but I don’t force it on my friends as much now. Those flowers are WAY too big and busy in here, IMHO. I still love those vintage lamps and would use them in the right project now. The art was from the flea market, and the Blu Dot table is so simple that it’s hard to call it in or out, but the collective vignette just feels very 2013 due to the color palette. Now I’d change the drum shades to be more tapered or pleated (or a color). Nothing really dated here except all my EHD vintage whimsy, which I still love, but it’s a younger version of me. That lamp is still pretty darn cute. The midcentury shelving unit is rad still, just needs to be styled with less stuff and with more grounding colors (i.e. less teal and yellow). So many plants shoved in this shot!!! I really think the culprit here is mostly just the accessories and the styling, both of which were obviously 100% on me. And in a lot of ways, that is refreshing because those are the things that are less of an investment and easier to change. I still really like this!!! It’s just a bit too much, too many small trends that inevitably read as 2013, and too much “stuff”. But those are almost all in the smaller pieces and would be so easy to tweak to make them work. It’s visually so fun and stimulating,g so while it seems like I’m tearing my own work apart, it’s actually really easy to see that with a few tweaks it could feel 2025 really easily. We kept with the same styles and colors in the dining room – that vintage dining set is still so rad, and Mid-century teak is having a big comeback right now, so do NOT sell your stuff, people. Besides me holding the plant hostage in that cage, I think most of this works, but maybe just too much altogether. The Brendan Ravennhill light fixture had just launched, and Max Wanger’s photography was so popular (they both pioneered a LOT of copycats). hi, bri! While I wouldn’t go back to 2013 Emily, I think this room actually has a lot of timelessness. The Lessons In Trends And Timelessness: You will not be able to avoid leaning into some trendy design elements if you are super into design (no one is immune to the zeitgeist), but if you want to avoid looking dated, buy the high quality version of it or just do it in accessories that aren’t as much of an investment to change out. I think the squiggle or amorphous shapes are great current examples – bring them in in limited amounts to avoid looking dated real fast. Bright colors will always be more likely to be “dated”, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid what we love right now. Will they call 2022 the year of dark moody green everything? Yep! But I don’t know how you avoid any color trends without just being so boring. Will warm pinks, browns, and burgundies also be less exciting in 10 years? Probably, but again, there is no such thing as timeless colors, and for the most part, there is a way to make them still work with styling. A well-designed room with high-quality materials done in a balanced way will likely still be very pretty in 20 years. Sure, there are some navy blue tones that feel fresher than others, but for the most part, blues, greens, and neutrals are timeless (coming from someone who has and will always love blues and greens, so I’m very biased). Although if you live in Texas or Arizona it’s likely warmer tones that feel timeless there. It’s so nuanced, folks. Good luck! LOL. Too much stuff can really overwhelm a room (and in this case, make it feel dated). I think this can be blamed on youth, especially when we are younger and we can’t afford the more expensive design elements, but we love to shop, we are drawn to smaller things that we love, because it’s what we can buy. Nothing wrong with this, but just know that displaying it all, on every surface, especially when they are all super eclectic, can just look a bit cuckoo. I had to learn this lesson over and over and over. Authentic Vintage will always be in style – it’s just context, styling, and color combinations that can make the pieces look dated to the specific era that it “came back” in. For the most part, I think that this room could be tweaked so fast to make it feel “in” right now – the main “dated” culprits are in the accessorizing, which feels pretty harmless to me. Thoughts????

Bring The Light In! Hilton Carter Totally Transformed His Attic Into Bright, Plant-Friendly, Guestroom

Hi! Happy Tuesday. I thought it’d be nice to kick off this new week with a bright, happy, inspiring makeover from our dear friend, Hilton Carter. Shall we step inside? (Take your coat off. We’ll catch up.) Now, you might know Hilton from his series of hit books, his incredible Plant Rants, or from his fabulous Target collection…but today, we’re hanging out inside his newly-renovated attic. It’s the hit of positive energy and cheery light that we could all use on these dark fall nights – you’re going to love it. Let me catch you up to speed: with a second daughter on the way, Hilton needed to carve out space for a usable guest room. “Before this, the third floor was mainly used for storage and my Peloton,” he says. “It wasn’t insulated and of course was the hottest room in the house. Great for working out, but not for having guests stay over. Two of the dormers were used for storage and the other for HVAC.” Hilton needed to make it guest-ready as quickly as possible – “mainly [for] in-laws visiting to help with the kids at the moment,” he says” – and undertook a few key transformations. He replaced the falling plaster with new drywall; he removed the carpeting and had the floor insulated; he updated the HVAC; he chose to open the ceiling to give the room more height (such a wise call!); he removed a dormer; and he carved out space for two new skylights. “I can’t exist in space without plants, so in order to make sure any plants brought into this room could live their best life, I needed to add more daylight. So we added two skylights and let the skies in!” “For me, it was exciting seeing the roof getting cut open and seeing the light fall into the room. And then: design inspiration. “The carpet covering the floor had to go and just as you would expect, there was nice wood flooring underneath,” Hilton says. “But it would have taken a lot to restore them to look as nice as the floors and the rest of the house.” He turned to a trusted friend, Leanne Ford, who “convinced me to paint them white…like, Leanne Ford white…like, WHITE WHITE,” Hilton says. “And as she does it, ALL WHITE EVERYTHING.” He complemented the monotone look by transforming his newly-revealed beams into a design element. “I knew there would be beams there, but it was unclear if they would be right to keep exposed,” Hilton says. “I’m very happy we did – it really helps the look and feel of the room.” “The goal was to make the guest room bright and welcoming,” Hilton continues. “It felt like such a dark space and the addition of skylight filled the room with natural light. Now that they’re in, the room is just full of joy.” We’re also no stranger to skylights here – we’re Velux loyalists, having installed them in more projects than I can count! – so I was happy to see that Hilton opted for the same high-quality product that we love. (PS. ICYMI, I’d urge you to enter the Autumn Glow giveaway! You can win two solar-powered Fresh Air skylights – that’s the kind you’ve seen in our projects over the past few years – plus shades and installation. Someone has to win and I’d be so excited if it was you!) Once the room had been painted, Hilton added a bit of charm and architectural detail back to the space. “I decided on the shiplap because with making the decision to paint the entire room white, I thought having two walls with shiplap would create a nice accent but also mimic the lines of the wood flooring,” he says. “And no, it wasn’t DIY. They were purchased.” (Great news for those of us who lack the tooling and/or focus to cut our own planks for our walls!) “As someone that can stare at a blemish on a white wall until it drives them absolutely nuts, painting my floors white seemed like punishment,” Hilton says. “But after thinking about how I wanted the room to feel bright and vibrant, having the entire room white could create that instantly, especially when reflecting light from the skylights…with so much white, it’s time to add color!” And on that note…are you ready to see how he styled his space? HOW CUTE IS THIS? Do you not just want to cuddle up here, grab a book from the shelving unit, and watch the clouds pass overhead? There are so many smart, thoughtful details – let’s dive in, starting with those graphic layered rugs, which served as the jumping-off point for the color palette. “With them covering so much of the room, I knew that I could fill the room with bright vibrant colors,” Hilton says. I love how the flat weave and the plush woven rug work together here – they’re a big statement on their own, but they’re balanced here by the quiet white backdrop. Certain hues of yellow can come off as loud or overpowering, but this warm ochre base tone leaves Hilton’s room feeling luxe, cozy, and comfortable. (“I doubled up on the rugs because I love a good layered look and because I just couldn’t make up my mind,” Hilton says.”) Be sure to clock the outlets and switches that flank both sides of this king-sized bed, too – those are some of the smart, thoughtful details I mentioned! If you’re hosting guests regularly, rethinking the placement and positioning of your lighting and outlets will take your guest room experience to the next level. None of Hilton’s spaces would feel complete without a few well-chosen plants…so naturally, we had to get the lowdown on how he landed on the plants for this room. “My plant styling process always starts with the amount of light that is coming into the room,” he says. “With the addition of the skylights, I was able to place whatever plant I wanted up there because the room is full of light. With my options being endless, my next thoughts were what would fit under the vaulted ceilings perfectly.” He ended up sourcing a Schefflera, Snake Plant, Satin Pothos, Monstera Thai Constellation, Philodendron Florida Beauty, Philodendron Xanadu, and a Ficus Tineke for this room. (And I urge you to watch this clip for more plant styling tips. You can see how Hilton is training some of his vines to grow up the beams – it’s super neat, but also super helpful for those of us who struggle with trailing plants!) Guests are already returning with rave reviews. “The room has been enjoyed by my mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and a few friends. All have loved it and have overstayed their welcome,” Hilton kids. “I’m joking. We wanted to make a guest room that would make our family and friends feel at home. We’re lucky that they want to stay with us. Especially with a toddler and infant in the house.” Weary guests can open or close the skylights’ shades with the tap of a remote, so a good nap (or a restful night’s sleep) is never too far away. “Once it was completed my wife and I were very jealous that it wasn’t our bedroom. Good thing we made plans to make sure our bedroom was also going to be renovated and styled so that we wouldn’t feel too bad about it,” he jokes. (It turned out super cute, too – catch up on their primary suite here!) But wait, there’s more! “We decided to remove the wall and door into one of the dormers to open up, giving us a nice little nook,” Hilton says. You can take a peek at this secret area (and the adorable bistro set that Hilton sourced) by checking out this video tour. It looks great in the photos, but the warmth and care just shine through this clip. Thanks to our pal Hilton for the tour of his inspiring home, thanks to Velux for the tip-off on the giveaway (don’t forget – you have til 11/30 to apply!), and thanks to you for being here! I hope that this bright space can make your day a little brighter, too. Any thoughts?

Worried About Bedbugs in Your Hotel? Try This Hack the Moment You Get to Your Room

There are all sorts of nightmares one might encounter while traveling (delayed flights, lost luggage, cancelled hotel reservations), but encountering bedbugs might be the scariest of them all. These brownish-red insects are hard to get rid of and can quickly infest a room, and therefore, anything you bring into that room. So, before you unpack or even bring your suitcase all the way inside, do yourself a favor and do a thorough room check. You'll want to look for red-brown bugs as well as blood stains on sheets or mattresses, eggs, or shedded skin (ew). Take a look through all of these common places: mattress, box spring, sheets, headboard, and curtains. If you haven't spotted anything (and it's likely you won't), you can start thinking about unpacking. But, all of this potential grossness probably doesn't make you want to toss your clothes everywhere. We spoke with entomologist Emma Grace Crumbley about how travelers can best keep pests out of their stuff. The secret? Your hotel bathtub. What Is the Bathtub Method? When you enter your hotel room, don't lay your suitcase on the floor, bed (ew), or even the convenient luggage rack. Instead, take it to your hotel tub and keep it there while you check for bedbugs, and even after you've checked. Why? Because bedbugs aren't really into cool ceramic or porcelain. "The smooth, cold, and non-porous surface of a bathtub or even a bathroom is typically unattractive to these pests," Crumbley says. "They will also be easier to spot on these surfaces." Bedbugs are thigmotactic, Crumbley says, so they prefer to feel pressure on all sides. This means that they're much more likely to be found in dark, tight places, like in the mattress. Just note that you should always check your bathroom for bugs too (think towels, shower curtains, bathmats)! It's unlikely but not impossible. Tips for Avoiding Bedbugs While Traveling If you've searched the place and don't see any bugs, you'll still want to keep your prevention efforts going. Here are some helpful ways to keep bugs at bay. First off, elevate your luggage and avoid putting it on your bed. Crumbley suggests doing this when you're back home as well. "I also recommend keeping your suitcase closed whenever you’re not using it or even storing it inside a large trash bag," she says. Keep your dirty laundry in a separate bag whenever possible and hang your clothes in the closet instead of folding them and putting them in hotel drawers. What to Do When You Get Home "After returning from your trip, leave your bags outside or in the garage until you’ve had a chance to thoroughly inspect them," she says. Check through your items on a hard, light colored surface before bringing them in. Check your luggage as well, looking at zippers, seams, or pockets. "Next, run all washer-safe clothing on a hot water cycle," Crumbley says. "For added protection, you can also toss clothes in the dryer on high heat for roughly 30 minutes before washing—this will help remove bedbugs in all life stages, including the eggs."

6 Travel Hacks That Make Every Vacation Less Stressful

As glamorous and exciting and soul-nourishing as travel can be, we all know that any bon voyage has a few not-so-bon moments. Flights can get delayed (or worse—canceled), the hotel you were so excited about can be a total let down, and your itinerary might leave you tired and, ironically, in need of a vacation. I’ve been lucky enough to have lived abroad and traveled to over 40 countries, and have certainly bounced around the United States quite a bit. Over the years, I’ve figured out ways to create a "soft landing" upon arrival so that even if things don’t go as planned, I’m able to roll with the punches. 01 of 06 I Pack My Essentials in My Carry-On I definitely consider myself a “carry-on only” girl, but there are times you need to check a bag. Like when you’re spending more than a few weeks in a destination, or traversing different climates, or attending a variety of event types in a single trip. I prefer to carry on because I don’t want to deal with lost luggage…something that’s happened to me with a suspicious frequency. For a calm mind and worst-case scenarios, I always pack my essentials in my carry-on—the things I absolutely need the first few days of travel (it often takes airlines 24 to 72 hours to return your misplaced bag). This includes any important clothing for events, toiletries, a change of underwear, chargers, electronics, valuables, etc. 02 of 06 I Work in "No Alarm Clock" Days We can all laugh at the travel memes featuring sunrise go-getters versus laid-back dilly-dalliers. I happily fall somewhere in between, largely because I swear by the “no alarm clock” approach while traveling. While I like to pack a ton into my day, the reality is that I’m on vacation. My body deserves to rest, and a rested body and mind have way more fun in the long run. If that means sleeping in until 10 a.m. and having a lazy brunch in my hotel room and not venturing outside until noon on a few days, that’s a win in my book. 03 of 06 I Arrive a Day Earlier Than Necessary This one I learned by proxy. Early in my travel days, I had a trip booked to Ireland with a connection somewhere on the East Coast from Phoenix. The first flight was delayed a few hours, and me and a family, all heading to Ireland, nervously twiddled our thumbs and hoped we wouldn’t miss the connection. We all ran through the airport together to literally watch our plane pull back from the gate without us, and ended up on the same flight a full 24 hours later. They unfortunately had a cruise scheduled within a day of landing, and had a mess of a time figuring that one out. Now, I always add a buffer day or two to ensure I don’t miss a cruise departure, important event, booked concert, tour, etc. 04 of 06 I Create a "Must See" List of Restaurants and Attractions Itineraries are great, but there’s a rigidity to them that doesn’t feel like a vacation to me. (Also, it puts you at risk of an over-packed schedule.) I mean, if it’s a business trip, then an itinerary is essential, but otherwise it’s nice to have a little spontaneity to drop by a cute boutique, swing by for some gelato, or linger a little longer at your previous destination. That said, I also don’t like to show up without any sort of plan. My happy medium is to research cool restaurants, cafes, museums, and attractions I want to see, and put them all on a list, noting which part of town they’re in. This allows me to pick and choose my own adventure with a modicum of structure (outside of anything that requires a hard reservation). 05 of 06 I Look for the Little Joys This is such a tiny thing, but the difference it makes in my overall travel experience is pretty profound. Keeping my eyes open for little joys and happy moments around me helps me really take in my surroundings, softens my perspective, and it also just makes me feel grateful for being alive. These can be the tiniest things—a sticker on a padlock that says “I like you,” a man carrying an oversized potted plant, the way a doorstep is decorated, a silly phrase written on a cafe board, or a butterfly fluttering around a rose garden. 06 of 06 I Try to Keep Up My Routine Travel introduces so many variables into your day, which is fun until you realize you’re beat, not eating well, and your skin is breaking out. I’ve found that keeping some semblance of my routine intact helps a lot. This means using the same skincare (this is not the time to try a new skincare sample, especially if you don’t know how long you’ve been holding onto it), going to bed around the same time, staying hydrated, getting in my 10 to 20 minutes of nightly reading, and—if possible—working out regularly.