Being surrounded by luggage and travel accessories all day has its advantages. These Vera Bradley staff members (and master travelers) share their advice on summer packing strategies and techniques.
Store sunscreen in a (1) Ditty Bag. It’s always packed and ready to grab and the plastic lining keeps the mess to a minimum. – Jennifer Frazier
I always put extra (2) Luggage Tags on the kids’ backpacks at the airport. You never know if they will leave it somewhere. But the (3) Hanging Organizer is my favorite. You just hang it in the bathroom and all of your necessities are right there! And I always, always pack an empty (4) duffel. It folds up nicely and allows you to bring home acquired goodies. – Cheri Lantz
The (5) Garment Bag! I pack for my boyfriend and myself, and we often have weddings and other events out of town. I feel like I live out of a bag. Not only does the Garment Bag save me from having wrinkled clothing, but it saves me the hassle of having to hang it back up again if we don’t wear it. (Confession: I’m a slight over packer.) – Rachel Florillo
I come from a family of campers and have always used the clear, (6) transparent makeup cosmetics for First Aid kits; one for the car and one for my backpack. You can see and grab just what you need when you need it! - Karen Wiejak
I like to use the Double Kiss Coin Purse to hold my daughter’s tiny hairbands. It’s small enough to toss in my handbag or into a tote for a day at the beach. I also like to use the Hanging Organizer as an art supply tote. The different compartments can organize colored pencils, crayons, markers and other craft items. Perfect for a long road trip! – Kristy McClain
My advice for traveling with little ones is simple: There’s no such thing as over packing! If you think you might need it, you probably will. For car travel, I start by packing “just in case” items for the ride. I use the (8) Get Carried Away Tote and stuff it full of toys, books, snacks, movies, diapers, wipes, etc. to be sure he has things to keep him happy (and us sane). I pack a Cooler with juice and snacks. In addition, I use the (7) Large Cosmetic for his soap, toothbrush, children’s pain reliever, a thermometer and anything else I might need while we’re away. Finally, our Baby Bag. On a long car trip, we might have to make some stops, so I can just grab that bag and go. For me, I pack the Large Duffel, Miller Bag and Hanging Organizer. Like I said, if I don’t pack it, I’ll need it! – Amy Hochstedler
The Tote is my favorite for little ones. I can use it as a diaper bag and fill it with wipes, books and a sippy cup without feeling like I have a lot to carry. The Large Duffel is a favorite travel bag. Since we have a lot of family members (seven total), we can make it fit no matter how packed the car is and, if it’s too crowded, it becomes an oversized pillow. – Becky Morken
We actually have packing down to somewhat of a science. My wife and I each get a 28” piece of Rolling Luggage to start and pack ourselves. Next, all the kids’ clothes are layered in; she typically gets two kids in with her things and I get one. (Women’s clothing is usually smaller than men’s and takes up less room.) Next up, shoes. We usually pack a Large Duffel with all of the shoes and cosmetic bags. My wife combines all the kids’ toothbrushes in with hers and I have a small kit I take along. A separate cosmetic holds all the medication we might need (asthma inhaler, pain reliever, sunscreen, etc). Then there’s the snack bag, usually a Tote or Get Carried Away Tote and maybe a small Cooler with healthy juice boxes and water. Don’t forget the electronics! Each one of the kids has a backpack with their own “entertainment”. – Gregory Jaeger
What you’ll need: Paper with one side solid, one side patterned (we used Envelopes), a pen or pencil, glue stick, scissors, paper clips, a circle to use as a template, and printed “fortunes” or messages to slip inside the cookies
Last week, we announced the new 
