We're off to the races! How I pack lightly yet sensibly for both an occasion & an overnight stay...

Simon and I are leaving the madhouse for the night and staying at a friends house so we can attend the fantastic Cheltenham races.

I absolutely love Cheltenham Festival, it really is one of the highlights of my year. I thought this would be an opportune moment to show you what I'm going to take with me, and how I pack it all away nicely.

There is nothing worse than arriving at someone’s house as their guest with so many bags they think you are staying forever, so here is how I make sure I pack the essentials neatly and efficiently.

I use a little Antler case, hand luggage size. I find it a really great size for overnight stays and small breaks.

First I start with the more hardy items such as my hairdryer and shoes. These go at the bottom.

I then pop in a pair of spare jeans. 

I then put in my Sleep In Rollers. These are really useful for travelling as they are squidgy and don’t take up lots of room. However I don’t sleep in these rollers, I pop them in after blow drying my hair in the morning.

Next up I pack my wash bag, make up bag and jewellery bag.

Now for tights. Firstly I always, always take a spare pair. I also take a pair that have been washed and popped into a small plastic bag to protect against any snags. 

Next we have pyjamas, underwear (I keep mine inside an old shoe bag), and my clutch bag for the races.

I do pack a cardigan for the evening beforehand, and a spare white top - as you know by now I do like to always be prepared! I don’t need the jeans I packed earlier as I’ll be travelling up in a pair, nor do I need the white top - but you never know!

Do make use of the space as you are packing your garments - don’t overlook the corners of the suitcase.

Now for the shirt I shall be wearing at dinner the night before. One of my top tips for keeping clothing such as shirts and blouses free from creases is the wrap them around some tissue paper. It really does help.

For the clothes I shall be wearing for Cheltenham, we take a little extra care.

It’s often really cold at Cheltenham so I like to make sure I am nice and warm. As such I shall be wearing a cashmere top, a skirt with my tights and a Chloe coat. For the cashmere top, I like to wrap it entirely in tissue paper for extra protecting once inside the suitcase. 

For the skirt and coat, these go into a hanging garment bag from Ikea - they are great!

Lastly I have the most wonderful hat from Layla Leigh. I have a really small head so I can’t buy hats off the peg, even the very smallest sizes come down to my nose so I am forever grateful for her bespoke pieces.

Are any of you heading to Cheltenham this week? 

Love,