After a jam-packed first day exploring Boston, we spent a more laid-back Saturday drinking coffee and shooting photos for The Eighty Twenty Magazine at my friend Jenna's house with Katie, Anna, Lindsay, and Julie. Volume one is coming out in January and I'm so, so excited about it (but more on that later). Other than Jenna and her husband, I was meeting everyone there for the first time that day.

Even after years of blogging, it still gets me all emotional to think about the connections we make with people we have so much in common with; who we otherwise would have gone through life just not knowing. It was crazy and awesome to finally cross paths with these women in the flesh and work on something together.

On Sunday, we had a few hours to kill before it was time to head to the airport, so we went to Sinatra Brunch at Lucky's Lounge before walking to North End to explore a bit. There was even a Christmas parade that we watched for a while! North End has so much personality and so much of it reminded me of the Italian side of my family. Rob picked up a chocolate chip cannoli (of which I said I would take a bite, but then ended up eating half) at Mike's Pastry and then we sat down for coffee at Thinking Cup.

Rob and I had such a great time exploring a new city together. Hoping to do a lot more of it in 2015! What are some of your favorite Boston spots? I'm already compiling a list for our next visit!

Hello from Boston! Rob and I landed late on Thursday evening and spent yesterday exploring. I can't believe this is my first visit! We walked ten miles yesterday. Ten! Boston is magical and I already can't wait to come back again.

We started with coffee from Barrington Coffee Roasting Company and a quick breakfast at Flour Bakery (Rob got a delicious-looking sticky bun and I had the egg sandwich on gluten-free bread) before heading to Beacon Hill. Once we got to Beacon Hill, we walked around (all the way down Charles Street as my sweet friend Anna recommended) and admired all the dreamy shops and buildings for a while.

Then we headed toward the Boston Public Library, stopping at Joe's American Bar and Grill for lunch on the way. (The food there was delicious but my Bloody Mary was super boring.) We split a super decadent hot chocolate from L.A. Burdick before finally going to the library, which is beautifully and overwhelmingly majestic.

After the library, we grabbed a Lyft to Harvard Square and walked around there a bit. By 4:30 we were fading pretty fast, so we went back to our hotel to relax and warm up a bit before going to Harpoon Brewery for some beers and cider (I got pumpkin cider and it was perfect).

We had planned to go to 75 on Liberty Wharf for dinner, but it was closed for a private event, so we resolved to go for brunch in the morning and then accidentally wandered into a hotel bar disguised as a restaurant (what can I say, we were tired). It was a lovely day and Rob and I had a great time.

Today, we're at my friend Jenna's house to work on the first edition of The Eighty Twenty Magazine. We'll be Instagramming away all day with the hashtag #8020WinterFest, if you'd like to tag along!

For the past year and a half or so, I have tried to improve my packing skills. It hasn't been easy, and I'm not even sure if I can say it has been successful. It wasn't until Alt Summit in January (with its set schedule and photo ops that suggest you look good in several different outfits per day) that I finally figured it out. You have to pack specific outfits for specific occasions--did you know that?

Until recently, I've just thrown all my favorite things into a suitcase and hoped for the best, which usually resulted in me wearing three of fifteen pieces and wondering where in the world that white top that I didn't bring could be, while marveling at how I ever got all of that stuff to fit in my bag in the first place.

So, because one successful packing experience obviously makes me an expert, and because I'm currently on a trip, I thought I would share a short list of packing tips with you.

1. Seriously, make a list of each thing you're doing and what outfit (accessories, shoes, the whole thing) you'll wear for it. 

2. Pack the things you wrote down, and then add two or three pieces (shirts, skirts, dresses) that aren't on the list as backups in case you change your mind once you get there.

3. Roll clothes instead of folding them. It's space-saving and they won't wrinkle.

4. Pack small, travel-friendly toiletries, like the Venus Snap (available at Target). It's a mini razor (with the Venus Embrace blade) that comes in an adorable little compact case and has a water activated ribbon of moisture, so you really don't even need to pack shaving cream! Having one less thing to bring is always nice.

How do you make packing (and travel!) easier?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.