Travel Bags

With all of our travel this week (we flew down to Florida for a wedding over the long weekend and I'm currently in San Francisco for work) I've got travel bags on the brain!

I'm finally feeling set in terms of suitcases and what I bring on a plane. I love my carry-on bag (I have the carry-on size) and use it whenever I travel for work. I love that the sections inside allow me to be better organized, and I always fit an amazing amount of stuff inside. I have the same bag in the checked-bag medium size, and love that for when we're going on a longer trip. These do get marked up when you check them, but I just use a magic eraser to get any marks off.

For shorter trips when we're driving, I usually use this weekender bag (also comes in a twill here) - it's so beautiful and looks way more expensive than it is. I had a crazy pattern one of these that Mia commandeered and I never loved the pattern but loved the size and functionality, so I was super excited to see it available in solids! I actually got the black color with a black monogram and it looks so chic. This is what I grab when we go for a night at the in-laws house or a roadtrip with our friends. I rarely bring this on a plane because it gets heavy to carry around on your shoulder!

I also love using my Transport Tote as my personal item on a plane. I have the zip-top version, which is clutch on a plane when you don't want all of the random things you've packed rolling all over the place. I like to alternate between reading / watching videos on my iPad mini and listening to podcasts or playing games on my phone, so I love having this little tech envelope inside of my purse so I can easily pull out all of my electronics (plus a credit card so I can buy myself a snack box ;) and leave my larger bag under the seat.

While I'm set on suitcases and totes, I'm on the hunt for some solutions for my toiletries, makeup and jewelry. The bags I use have been in rotation since I was in college and are basically falling apart. I've long admired the Truffle bags, they are such chic bags for easily getting through the TSA! I bought one for Jeff's sister last year and was so jealous when I saw it in person, I wanted to keep it for myself. But for Christmas my sister-in-law asked for a Dagne Dover bag, and having seen it in person I definitely am looking at ordering one. It has a couple mini mesh bags inside of it for keeping stuff organized, and the whole thing is waterproof and can be wiped clean. 

Here are my picks for the best travel bags:

Truffle Clarity Case / Vera Bradley Weekender Bag / Delsey Carry-On Suitcase / Truffle Clarity Clutch / Madewell Zip-Top Transport Tote / Dagne Dover Toiletry Bag / Mark & Graham Travel Organizer

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Travel Tips: What to Pack for a Long Flight

Since we're headed out of the country on Friday (ahhh!! did I mention at least 10,000 times that we're headed to Paris?!?!?) and just about everyone I know is getting ready to travel for Thanksgiving or will be traveling in December, it seemed fitting to share my carry-on essentials today. I actually meant to share this post after our trip to Southeast Asia but never quite got around to it, but you know, better late than never!

Having survived an (almost) seventeen hour flight to Hong Kong, I now consider myself a bit of a travel expert. So what's always in my carry-on?

The Best Travel Pillow
I've tried several different travel pillows before but didn't love any of them - this one is a total game changer! The sides are harder so you can lean to the sides if that's more comfortable for you, the back is flatter so it keeps your neck in better alignment instead of forcing it forward, and it has a clip in the front to secure it around yourself. Oh, and it's made of foam and rolls down to fit in a little travel bag, so your travel pillow isn't just bouncing around on the outside of your carry-on and (gasp!) potentially touching the floor.

A Cozy Cardigan and a Scarf
I'm probably more sensitive to temperature than the average human being, and it drives me crazy that planes tend to switch between cold and hot and cold and hot as you taxi, take off, and reach altitude. For me, layers are always key. I like to go for a cardigan because it's easier to take on and off than a pullover, as well as a scarf that can double as a blanket.

Colgate Wisps 
Using my toothbrush in the airplane bathroom always grosses me out, so I love pulling out these little mini toothbrushes on the plane whenever I feel the need to freshen up. They have a tiny bead of mouthwash that you use to brush your teeth, and then you can toss them afterwards.

Travel Organizer
I used this for the first time on my trip to San Francisco, and I'm never traveling without it again! Usually when I get on a plane I'm constantly rummaging around in my bag pulling out the different things I need, but now I can put them all into this organizer and just put that in the seatback pocket. It's big enough to fit my iPad mini, phone, a charging cable, headphones, your passport or ID, a credit card, chapstick, hand lotion, a hair tie, and whatever other little knicknacks get lost in your bag. Plus, you can add a monogram. It took me thirty years to get here, but monograms are my new favorite thing.

Card Holder
You likely don't need everything in your wallet when you're traveling, and you definitely don't need it on the plane! I like to pop my ID, insurance card, and one or two credit cards into a little card holder and call it a day instead. I actually picked up my current one in Florence, and use it almost every day instead of my regular wallet because it fits better into my small crossbody bags. My mom asked what I do with all of my rewards cards and store credit cards - I just ask stores to look up my account!

Portable Charger with Built-In Prongs
I got one of these as a promo item at work, and let me tell you, it's a travel game-changer. I have issues with a lot of portable chargers. They either won't stay plugged into your phone, or they barely hold any charge, or they have a separate cord and charger that they need to use to charge up. This one has built-in prongs that plug directly into the wall so you never have to worry about keeping track of another cord, can fully charge your phone three times before running out of batteries, and has a lightning cord built-in so you also don't have to find your phone charger.

Seriously, it's the best. I also recommend putting your phone on low battery mode as soon as you leave for the airport, even if it's already fully charged. I do this for every trip / when I know I'll be out all day, and it makes my battery last so much longer! I actually didn't even use my travel charger during my whole trip to San Francisco earlier this month despite being out all day and taking photos/videos.

iPad and a Paperback
I always load up my iPad with shows from Netflix (I just finished The Good Place - so good!) and games, but in case my eyes get tired of looking at the screen or I somehow run out of battery despite my precautions above, I like to bring a paperback book too. I just finished Little Fires Everywhere and loved it, it would be a great travel book because it's not too hard of a read, but the intertwining stories and complex themes give it more depth than your average vacation read.

Lip Balm and Moisturizer
I'm addicted to lotion and chapstick in my everyday life, so in the dry air of an airplane the problem gets 10x worse! These hand lotions are a splurge but are my favorite for traveling - the little tube fits anywhere! Oh, and I've talked and talked about these lip balms - I love the basic one for travel, but the rose color gives such a pretty hint of color for everyday.

Refillable Water Bottle
I don't know why, but the water on overseas flights tends to be gross. I actually thought it was so gross on our trip to Hong Kong that I made Jeff buy me five bottles of water at the airport for our flight home. Jeff, however, brought his refillable water bottle and didn't have to waste forty dollars on bottled water. Most airports have water bottle fillers these days, so you can easily fill up once you go through security. I love that this one has a straw top so you won't risk spilling all over yourself on the plane. Not that I've done that.

Extra Underwear and a Full Outfit 
Unless you're carrying on all of your luggage, there's always the risk that you could lose your bag. I always bring a full extra outfit plus a couple of pairs of underwear in my carry-on in case something happens, that way I'm ready to go once I reach my destination. If I'm traveling somewhere warm I also bring a swimsuit too, because shopping for a swimsuit is hard enough when you aren't extremely rushed and only shopping at weird beach boutiques!

When I travel internationally, I always love these travel adapters (lifesavers when traveling to multiple countries with different outlet types!), charcoal pills in case the food upsets my stomach (which has happened every time I've traveled out of the country), and this little digital camera that's way more convenient to carry around than my DSLR!

Do you have any travel tips? Let me know!

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How to Plan a Trip to Southeast Asia

When we told people we were planning a trip to Southeast Asia, a lot of the reactions we got were "woah" or "why." From the central US, Asia feels so far away and so foreign, so I get that, but it ended up being absolutely incredible. I would definitely recommend checking out the area if you ever get the chance!

I'll go into detail about what we did on our trip some other time when I manage to get my act together, but today I just wanted to share some of the logistics of planning a trip to Asia - it's not as scary as it seems! Our itinerary included stops in Hong Kong, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and we were gone for 15 days.


HONG KONG 

Why go? Honestly, we only decided to add Hong Kong to our itinerary after discovering you could fly there direct to Chicago (versus three layovers to get to our destination in Thailand), but it's a huge, crazy city surrounded by mountains and the ocean. Plus, there's dim sum ;)

Where to stay: We stayed in Kowloon, which is on the mainland part of the city. This area has crazy views across the bay to Hong Kong Island, and is where most of the big chain hotels are located. Hong Kong is expensive, hotels in this area ran from $250 - $500+ per night. We ended up paying a little more for a room for a view at the Sheraton, but IMHO it wasn't really worth it. Sure, the view was amazing, but it was really foggy during the day (to the point where we literally couldn't see the hotel next to ours) and almost every  hotel in the area has a restaurant or bar where you can see the view. The location of your hotel also doesn't matter so much as long as you're near a subway station! Pro tip - most of the big hotels include a smart phone with your room that you can take around the city with you, so you won't need international data!

How long to stay: We were literally only there for 36 hours, but I could see staying for several days - there's lots to do!

Getting around: The public transit in Hong Kong is crazy good. Traffic is crazy so we didn't attempt a cab, and it was so easy and fast to take the trains and ferries everywhere. Buy an Octopus card as soon as you get there - it's their transit card and gets you onto the subway, the express airport train, the tram up to Victoria Peak, and the ferries, and can also be used in convenience stores. The minimum you can put on an Octopus Card is $50 HKD, but you get it back (minus a small fee) when you return the card at the end of your trip.

We flew direct from Chicago via Cathay Pacific, which I thought was the best airline of our trip - best food and best movie selection, plus zero delays. The flight was almost 16 hours which is basically going to kill you no matter what, but better than the 30 hours it would have taken us to go straight Koh Samui.

Currency: Hong Kong Dollar, exchange rate is about 8:1. Things for the most part were not cheap in Hong Kong, except for public transit!

Electricity: UK plug.

Health: Supposedly mosquitos are a big deal there and can carry fun diseases, but we didn't even see a mosquito. Go ahead and drink the water unless your hotel specifically says not to - Hong Kong has incredibly clean water but older buildings may have unsafe pipes.

Visas: No visa is necessary when traveling from the US.


KOH SAMUI, THAILAND

Why go? Amazingly beautiful beaches, scuba diving, less touristy than Phuket (although still pretty touristy), hiking and waterfalls. Or because your brother is already going there for spring break and you want to meet up with him.

Where to stay: We stayed near Bophut, which is on the north side of the island and is quiet and family-friendly. The south side of the island is more of the loud party area. We saw hotels for as low as $50 a night, although for a nicer resort you'll probably pay closer to $100-150 per night. We stayed at the Bandara Resort & Spa, which had a beautiful beach, four pools, happy hour for four hours every day, and was walkable to Fisherman's Village (an area filled with restaurants and shops).

How long to stay: Umm, as long as your money holds out? We met people who were staying in Koh Samui for three weeks! We were there for five nights, but I would have loved to stay a few more days.

Getting around: We only took cabs to and from the airport, and once when we decided we were too tired to walk home from dinner. Cabs were kind of expensive - definitely negotiate a price up front! The area we stayed in didn't really require much transportation because we were so close to everything, but if you're staying further out definitely rent a car. One of my brother's friends said the car he rented was the same price as taking one taxi per day. You could also rent a mini bike, but the roads are kind of scary, and Koh Samui has the highest accident rate for all of Thailand.

Currency: Baht, exchange rate as about 35:1. Things weren't as cheap as I hear they are on the mainland because it's a tourist heavy area, but we could still find lunches for $5 and fancy dinners with many drinks for $15-20 per person.

Electricity: Technically they use a European plug, but every outlet I saw could accommodate a Euro or US plug. Just remember that the voltage is different!

Health: There were lots of mosquitos so definitely use DEET! Thailand has Zika but is not in an outbreak there so it's not as dangerous as in Central and South America. If you're going to remote areas of Thailand, get vaccinated! Don't drink the water, and make sure the ice in restaurants is machine made - should be circular with a hole through the center.

Visas: No visa is necessary when traveling from the US.



SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

Why go? To see the temples, including Angkor Wat, which are a thousand years old!

Where to stay: We stayed in downtown Siem Reap at Memoire d'Angkor. Staying downtown is preferable, as you can walk to restaurants, the markets, and Pub Street. Most of the hotels downtown are small and run from $30 - $100 a night. There are huge hotels further outside of town, but they're in areas where there are only hotels with nothing else to do.

How long to stay: We saw everything we wanted to in two days, and I can't really see staying more than three. Besides the temples there isn't a ton to do.

Getting around: Tuk tuks, which are little carts pulled by motorbikes, are the main form of transportation around Siem Reap. Rides downtown cost $1-2 and are fast and fun. Tuk tuks can also take you around the temples for $15-20 per day (make sure to negotiate first!) but we rented a car for $40 a day instead because it had air conditioning and it was hot.

Currency: Riel, exchange rate is about 4,000:1. But, everywhere we went accepted both riel and USD and prices were mainly in USD. If you got change back that was over $1, you would get it in USD, and if it were under $1 they would give you riel. Just note if you're planning on using USD - they won't accept any bills that look old or are ripped! Most things were super cheap (think 25 or 50 cent beers in Pub Street) but souvenirs in the markets were surprisingly expensive - come ready to barter hard!

Electricity: Technically they use a European plug, but every outlet I saw could accommodate a Euro or US plug. Just remember that the voltage is different!

Health: There were lots of mosquitos so definitely use DEET! Cambodia has Zika but is not in an outbreak there so it's not as dangerous as in Central and South America. If you're going to remote areas of Cambodia, get vaccinated! Don't drink the water, and make sure the ice in restaurants is machine made - should be circular with a hole through the center. Also, stay away from areas where there aren't a lot of people and don't wander too far from the temples. The war in Cambodia didn't end until the '90s, and there may still be land mines!

Visas: You need a visa to enter Cambodia, but it's incredibly fast and easy to apply for one when you get there. It probably took us three minutes total to get our visas, and that includes waiting in line. Bring an extra passport photo for them to use for the visa, or you can pay a small fee if you don't have a photo. The visa was $30 per person.


HANOI/HA LONG BAY, VIETNAM

Why go? Vietnam is so beautiful, especially Ha Long Bay, plus there's Vietnamese food!

Where to stay: Definitely stay in the Old Quarter in Hanoi, it's crazy busy and hectic but gives you the full Vietnam experience (as opposed to the French Quarter, which feels like you're in Europe). Hotels in this neighborhood range from $40 - $120. We also spent two nights doing a cruise through Indochina Junk in Ha Long Bay, which is definitely a must if you visit Hanoi!

How long to stay: I could see doing a two week trip in Vietnam if you had the time, but one or two days in Hanoi is enough. If you do a cruise in Ha Long Bay, definitely go for a three day/two night cruise. It takes about four hours to get there from Hanoi, so a two day cruise isn't worth the travel time.

Getting around: It's really easy to get around the Old Quarter and the French Quarter by foot, but further than that take a taxi arranged by your hotel - scam taxis are big there. We also booked airport transfers through our hotel because of recommendations from friends - just crossing the street is exciting in Hanoi so I wouldn't try taking public transit unless you're really in for an adventure.

Currency: Dong, exchange rate is about 23,000:1. USD is accepted in some places, but like in Cambodia old or ripped bills are not accepted. Some things were super cheap (50 cent beers and dinner for four for $16), but we also managed to find a $14 cocktail in the French Quarter.

Electricity: Technically they use a European plug, but every outlet I saw could accommodate a Euro or US plug. Just remember that the voltage is different!

Health: There were lots of mosquitos so definitely use DEET! Vietnam has Zika but is not in an outbreak there so it's not as dangerous as in Central and South America. If you're going to remote areas of Vietnam, get vaccinated! Don't drink the water, and make sure the ice in restaurants is machine made - should be circular with a hole through the center.

Visas: The visa process almost made me cancel this part of our trip, but it wasn't as scary as I thought! You need to get a visa ahead of time, or arrange for a visa upon arrival through your hotel or a travel agency. We got ours ahead of time by mailing off our passports to the Vietnam Embassy in DC, which completely freaked me out but ended up being fast and snag-free. They don't publish the price of their visas anywhere so you have to call and ask - for us it was $100 per person. Visas on arrival are cheaper in theory, but there are a lot of scams so you might end up paying a ton at the airport when you get there.


Whew, so there you have it! Any questions I didn't answer here? Feel free to email me, I'm happy to help!

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Travel Style

Oh hey there! Today I'm headed to Kansas City, and by the time you read this I'll probably already be on the ground and heading out to explore. Whenever I travel early in the morning, I try to pick an outfit that will be comfy for the plane (and make getting up so early not seem quite so gross), but will also work once I land. This weekend, that means leggings, a comfy sweater, and cute but easy accessories.

Sweater (similar) - Banana Republic / Tee - J. Crew Factory / Earrings - BaubleBar / Necklace (similar) - Girly / Leggings - Zella / Bag and Booties - Sole Society

Have a great weekend!

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Packing for a Short Trip

I used to be one of those people who brought everything I owned every time I went on even a short trip, yet still forgot stuff.  I once stopped at my parents' house on the way out for the weekend, and ended up raiding their linen closet because I had forgotten a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and face lotion.  Now I have packing down to a science so I always have what I need but don't lug a ton of extra stuff with me.

For clothes, I like to think about what I want to wear a week or so in advance so I can either plan not to wear those items before the trip or so that I can plan on leaving enough time to do laundry before I leave.  For shorter trips, I try to stick to one color palette so that everything can be mixed and matched.  That way, if I happen to drip chocolate ice cream on my white jeans (it happens every time), I have another option, but I'm not bringing a crazy amount of clothes..

Once I put everything in my suitcase, I'll see if there's any extra space.  If that has somehow happened, I'll throw in a couple of items that may have seemed superfluous but could come in handy - a nicer dress, an extra pair of shorts, or another swimsuit (or three).

To make sure I never have another toiletry disaster (since my mom can't help me out every time), I tend to keep my toiletry bag packed all of the time.  There's always at least a toothbrush, face lotion, toothpaste, deodorant, conditioner, a comb, a razor, contact solution, an extra pair of contacts, bobby pins, and hair bands in there.  That way I can just toss in my glasses and be ready to go without having to think about it.  When I get home from a trip, I just replace any items that may have run out and I'm good to go.

Do you have any packing tips you swear by?

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