Carry-On Style: February 2012

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

App Review: TripIT

TripIt - http://www.tripit.com/
Devices: iPhone, Android, Blackberry
Cost: Free (Paid Upgrade Available)

Travel day can be hectic enough, with the packing, getting out the door, remember if you turned off the coffee pot and oh yeah keeping track of all those airline, hotel, car, train confirmation numbers and departure times.

TripIt has made it so much easier to keep track of all your travel information.

- KEEP TRACK OF DEPARTURE TIMES Keeps all airline/train times and flight/train numbers in an easy to read format; Including layovers

- DIRECTIONS FROM AIRPORT/TRAIN TO HOTEL Automatically creates a list of directions that can be sent to email or printed out if you want

- SHARE WITH FRIENDS Share your trip plans with your TripIT Network of friends; Post your travel status to Linked-IN, FaceBook, or Twitter

- UPGRADE TO PAID VERSION To get email/text message regarding flight status and gate information; Keep track of all your airline/hotel/car points earned

Monday, February 20, 2012

Perfect Spring Clutch

Aldo has come up with the PERFECT Spring clutch/bag... the Cosano!!! Pack around a couple of the colors on this bag and be set for a week!! Easily packable in your carryon or laptop bag!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Eating Like A Warrior

Some (hard) lessons learned from eating on the road:

1. I have learned that sugar is the devil! So, to keep my energy up without a sugar crash, I try to balance each meal with protein, complex carbs, and a little bit of "good" fat.

2. For breakfast, I try to stay at hotels that offer the free breakfast that comes with scrambled eggs or boiled eggs, oatmeal, and a fruit, like an apple, banana, or an orange. That's my breakfast.

3. While I'm on the road, it's hard to find sitdown time for a meal, so I'm often stopping at 7-11s, gas stations, or fast food joints. I try to stay away from the fast food at all costs! Starbucks is another popular stop for me. I look for foods like beef jerky (high protein, low carbs & sugar), muscle milk drinks (high protein, low carbs & sugar), almonds, trail mix, fruits at the cash register (if you dare!), string cheese (more protein & good fats), cliff bars or other fitness health bars with complex carbs (where the majority of carbs are NOT sugar-you'll see the number of grams of sugar on the packet), and fat-free milk. It's no gourmet meal, but it prevents me from eating high fat, sugary foods, which are not healthy for anyone.

4. Dinner is typically the time I have to eat a decent meal on the road. I can order a healthy salad with spinach and chicken or shrimp from local restaurants and do take-out. A side of whole grain rice is great when I can get it too. I suggest having a 1/2 cup measuring cup with you at all times! This will help with portion control, which is a HUGE factor when it comes to weight control.

5. If I must have a dessert, I look for frozen yogurt joints or I also order Nutrisystem desserts, which are pretty darn good and only about 150 calories with a mix of protein, complex carbs, and some fat. The coconut chocolate bar and chocolate peppermint cookie are my favorites!

- Suzan

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Airport Pod Hotels

I recently got excited about an article in Seattle Times about Pod Hotels coming to certain U.S. airports. I've been reading about pod hotels around the world for a while, but never thought I would get to experience it here in the States.

For those of you unfamiliar with pod hotels, they are small little rooms that can be rented (usually) by the hour. They usually have a sofa/daybed which are perfect for taking a nap in the middle of a long layover. Sometime they provide a small work area where you can quietly work and/or a TV. I have been waiting for something like this to come to the U.S..

I think these are perfect for a few reasons namely a place to rest and relax while you're stuck at an airport for a long layover. You could either nap or just get away from the hustle of the airport. Its also a great way to conduct business while on the road. I don't know about you, but there have been times where I needed to jump on a conference call and talk about background noise, between the speaker announcements and general conversations, its nearly impossible to contribute to a conference call.

This is also perfect for families if they need to change their kids clothes or just let them nap without chaos all around. The only thing I can think of that they would not be good for families is that pod hotels are, by design, very small so if you are traveling with a lot of kids, I don't know how much peace and quiet you'll get in a tiny room, but its worth a shot.

From my Googling, I found pod hotels at the following airports:

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - Concourse B @ Gate B15
Philadelphia International Airport - Terminal A-B Link
Dallas-Ft. Worth Terminal D **Open at end of 2012

I personally can't wait to try out one of these pod hotels. Have you ever or would you ever use an airport pod hotel?

- Cindy

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Its all about neutrals

Its all about neutrals by cnritchie featuring genuine leather belts

Boat neck shirt, $176
Retro coat, $88
TopShop pleated skirt, £20
White house black market shoes, $98
White House Black Market cotton handbag, $98
DKNY genuine leather belt, £33

Monday, February 6, 2012

Surviving a Long Flight

This spring, I will be going Europe for about a month. It will be a half business/half vacation trip. I don't want to think about packing yet, but I've started to think about being comfortable on a long flight. Flying from East Coast to West Coast to East Coast a LOT has given me time to refine what makes me comfortable on a long flight.

Layers, Layers, Layers. To me dressing comfortably is the most important thing. I'm not one to wear sweats or yoga pants, so I will often wear leggings/tights, dress, cardigan, and a scarf (think cashmere). If I'm going straight to my hotel I might wear a tunic instead of a dress. I'll wear whatever shoes look good with the outfit, because I always take them off and put on chenille socks for warmth and comfort. As with all long flights DVT is a risk, so sometimes I will wear compression socks under my leggings.

Fun Sleep Mask

Overnight flight? Think SLEEP! I am lucky, I am one of those annoying persons who can sleep just about anywhere. Even though I can sleep anywhere doesn't mean I don't want to be comfortable, so I always carry a sleep mask and ear plugs in my carryon bag. If I know I'm going on an overnight flight, I will bring an easily-packable travel blanket. It took me a while to find the perfect blanket and I actually found it at a sporting goods store. Travel pillows....I don't carry one because I've never been able to use it comfortably, but I know people who SWEAR by them, so try it out, see if its good for you.

Always in my carry on

Beauty. There is nothing like an airplane to dry out your skin! So, I recommend taking along a few must have beauty essentials. First on my list is a good moisturizer. If I'm going to be on a long flight I will actually wash off all my makeup (in the airplane lavatory), then slather on my nighttime moisturizer, put on a hydrating lip balm, then go to sleep. When I wake up, I will use (in the lavatory) a hydrating mist (like Evian Brumisateur or my normal skincare toner), apply my daytime moisturizer, Colgate Wisp Mini Tooth Brushes (I carry them with me all the time and love them!), quickly reapply my makeup and then deplane.

Entertainment. You're probably not going to go to sleep right upon takeoff , so make sure you have enough to read, do a crossword puzzle, watch a video, or listen to music. Also make sure you have headphones and enough batteries/battery life to get you though. I like to crochet, and there is no better place to work on a project than at 30, 000 ft. If you're traveling with kids, there is no such thing as bringing too many activities.

Snacks, snacks, snacks. You want to stay hydrated on a plane, so buy a bottle of water at the airport. Also if you have a favorite snack, like nuts, granola bars, trail mix, beef jerkey (good protein) bring double what you think you might need. In my experience with airplane maintenance and weather delays, a traveler cannot have too many snacks in their carry on.

- Cindy