A Weekend Packing List (in My Favorite Travel Bag)

Do you have any trips coming up? The guy I’m dating just took me on an upstate weekend getaway. Here’s what I packed, with help from Lo & Sons, the brilliant travel bag brand I’ve loved since my kids were babies…

Lo & Sons is run by a mother and her two sons in New York City. I actually fell in love with their weekender bag — the Catalina Deluxe — back when I was pregnant with Anton and brought it to the hospital! It comes in a wide range of beautiful colors and is made with durable cotton canvas.

What do you bring on a romantic getaway? I landed on three soft sweaters (so I’d have options), two layering shirts, a pair of jeans, a leopard print skirt, comfy sneakers, loafers, two pairs of socks, two lacy bra and underwear sets, pretty pajamas, the novel I can’t put down, and a toiletry pouch. In total, 16 items. After packing them all, I even had room to bring my trusty trench coat.

Did you know that Lo & Sons was the original genius behind the bottom compartment in weekend bags? It’s a truly useful feature — where I store my shoes or separate my dirty laundry. Other friends who have the Catalina Deluxe use the zippered compartment to hold beach towels, hair tools, babies’ diapers, you name it.

Finally, we love Lo & Son’s commitment to sustainability. They have bags that are made out of recycled water bottles, eco-friendly canvas bags, and even upcycled products where they designed a way to transform damaged or returned products into new ones.

Over the years, I’ve tried out different luggage options, but I always come back to Lo & Sons because of the timeless feel and smart design. All their travel bags are light and roomy with interior pockets and a padded (removable) messenger strap. The bag is also great for longer trips, too, since you can slide it over your suitcase handles. It helped make this romantic getaway feel fun and easy — and fyi, we stayed at this New Paltz farmhouse and ate eggs at Cafe Mio, visited friends, walked on trails, explored an apple orchard, watched The Sopranos, and spent two blissful hours reading on a giant sofa at Rough Draft — the dream!

(The bag happily settled into the farmhouse we stayed in upstate!)

What do you always pack for trips? I’d love to hear…

(Photos by Julia Robbs for Cup of Jo. This post sponsored by Lo & Sons, a New York-based brand we’ve loved for years. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cup of Jo.)