Planning a week-long escape to the beach? You’ve come to the right place for our ultimate beach packing list! It’s the perfect mix of comfy casual for days spent lounging by the pool or relaxing on the beach, active wear for exploring & adventuring, and a few nice items for dining & going out. Continue reading
Our New Year’s Resolution is to travel more often and travel differently. When we first read about Clare’s 12 Trips in 12 Months challenge on Need Another Holiday, we knew immediately that this challenge is exactly what we need in the upcoming year. It’s brilliant and inspiring, and we’re ready for the challenge! (And if you’re not already familiar with Clare, go check her out. Like us, she’s a part-time traveler and full-time travel day-dreamer, so we can all relate to her travel style.)
Sometimes that rolling carry-on is just too big for your long weekend! We’re a little too old and a little too well-traveled to be carrying our old high school gym bags around, so we’ve rounded up the best weekender bags that make it easy to carry everything you need. These bags have all the stylish details we love and still hold up to constant travel.
Cuyana Canvas and Leather Weekender Bag
Price: $150
Why We Love It: Cuyana makes a gorgeous twill and leather weekender in 3 colors. We love the leather strap, the contrast lining, and the gold hardware. With the option to monogram it, it’s a great bag to give or to get!
Baggu Sailor Stripe Weekend Bag
Price: $74
Why We Love it: Baggu bags are consistently showing up in our lists of travel must-haves and for good reason! This is a great price for a sturdy and roomy canvas bag, and the sailor stripe is so fun!
Mark & Graham Weekender
Price: $199
Why We Love it: This one comes in at the top of our budget, but we can’t get over the great details. The leather accents and monogram reflect an old-fashioned style of travel, and the long shoulder strap makes it easier to tote around when full. It comes in 4 colorways, and while we love the natural canvas option, this navy version is less likely to get dirty.
Stella & Dot Versatile 3-in-1 Getaway
Price: $138
Why We Love it: You’ve got to love a bag that does double-duty! Stella & Dot’s Getaway bag is the perfect size for the overhead bin when expanded, but it also fits under your seat when zipped down to its smaller size. We love the blue ikat and the red elephant designs!
Everlane Twill Weekender Price: $98
Why We Love it: I have this bag as well as the twill tote, and I love packing it for a long weekend away! The leather straps are very sturdy, and the canvas is thick, water-resistant, and beautifully lined. The interior zip pocket and the outside pocket keep my cords and smaller items contained. It’s a great bag! Check out Hitha on the Go’s instructions for how to pack a duffel – it features this weekender.
Lo & Sons Catalina Canvas Weekender
Price: $120
Why We Love it: Lo & Sons makes an amazing carry-on bag for business travelers, and Stephanie’s currently toting it around Istanbul right now for work! Their Catalina Canvas Weekender is even roomier and more affordable, and it comes in 7 fun colors. We love the lower zipper compartment to keep shoes or dirty laundry separate and organized. The bag is even machine-washable, so it’s ready for an adventure!
Herschel Supply Co. Novel Duffel
Price: $80
Why We Love it: I can’t even begin to count how many designs this bag comes in, but at just $80, it’s worth treating yourself to this fun buffalo check print that is everywhere this fall! Like some of our other favorite bags, the shoe compartment and padded shoulder strap will make your weekend travel a little easier.
Sole Society
Price: $80
Why We Love it: We’ve been seeing this bag all over travel and fashion blogs lately, and the customer reviews are really looking good! It’s a chic vegan leather in a classic style at a great price point. What’s not to love?
Do you carry any of these weekender bags? Let us know your reviews in the comments!
Looking for the perfect carry-on personal bag? You can find our favorites here along with a review of how our Everlane tote held up during a trip to France.
We recently introduced you to two of our Friends Afar, Krista and Ja. We have a new and wonderful friend for you today – Alli! You’re going to love Alli! We sure do! We met her at our church in Atlanta where she had started Lazarus Ministries, an amazing non-profit that does wonderful work with Atlanta’s homeless community. Fun fact: that’s where fellow blog author Stephanie met her husband!
Some of my friends call me crazy. I have a 15 month old son named Jack, and he has been to 22 states, Canada, 13 major cities, and has had his feet in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. I travel for work, to be able to see both mine and my husband’s family, and for adventure. Sometimes he is traveling with me and my husband, but sometimes it is just me and our dog. I didn’t plan his first year to be so full, but it happened. I learned a few things from my various trips, so I thought I would write a few tips.
1) Be mentally prepared and realistic. Just a couple of weeks ago, I loaded up the car with Jack and our dog, Duke, and drove from Washington, DC to Dalton, Georgia. Normally, it’s a 10 hour drive, but it would have been torture to try to make it in that time driving by myself with a toddler and a dog. I managed my expectations to be more realistic and knew it would be closer to 14 or 15 hours. We stopped every 2 hours — mainly so Jack could play. Because I was mentally prepared, it was a pleasant trip. I also try to make sure my expectations of the day match what it will be like.
2) What you wear matters. Of course, I want to be comfortable. But I am more on top of things if I don’t feel and look sloppy. I usually wear stretchy jeans, a shirt that it is not terribly noticeable if it is a little dirty from toddler hands (but still cute), my Puma ballet sneaker flats, and a stylish hat. Also, bringing an extra shirt is ideal. I highly recommend not wearing one piece suits (this is important for the bathroom… I’ll get to that).
3) Ration the toys. I keep most of Jack’s toys up front with me (or in my bag if on a plane or train) and hand them back to him one at a time. I have them positioned to be handed back safely. If I give him all of the toys at once, he gets bored much more quickly. Once I have handed him all of his toys, it is usually time to stop for a break. (It would take about 1.5 to 2 hours to go through all of his toys. We do this at home as well, and I have been told it helps with focus.) I usually bring a mixture of 15 toys and books.
3) Think ahead about entertainment. The last trip I mentioned was 14 hours long. We did that with no TV. I was prepared with a playlist that had songs we both like, some NPR podcasts, and audiobooks. When he was happy, occupied and content, I would listen to the podcasts or audiobooks. When he started to get fidgety, I would play the surefire songs that make him smile and clap (for Jack those are Mind Games by Leagues and Shake it Off by Taylor Swift — pretty much a guaranteed smile). Swing by the library and spend a second on iTunes; you will not regret it.
4) Nature does call. For me the hardest thing when traveling with a baby or toddler (and a dog!) is going to the bathroom. With the baby, I wear him as I go to the bathroom. He is too busy and public bathrooms are too nasty for me to let him down at all. Once in the Seattle airport family room, there was a little chair attached to the wall that had straps. That was a luxury! Especially since I was a wearing a fashionable jumpsuit that was one piece (learned my lesson there because not all airports or bathrooms have those and we had other layovers).
5) Snacks. Jack was 7 months old when I drove from DC to Wilmington, NC by myself. It was the first time traveling alone with him. I was so worried about food and snacks, but another mom showed me the dissolvable snacks. It was such a relief to know that he couldn’t choke on them.
6) Traveling with a dog. Our dog, Duke, is a six year old boxer that is a saint. He is a therapy dog, has a wonderful demeanor, and loves the car! I actually have to spell C-A-R if I am not ready for him to know we are getting ready to go. Traveling with a dog brings its own obstacles. We can only do drive-thru restaurants unless I packed meals. I do not travel with him without another adult in the summer. I have to leave him in the car when I need to go to the bathroom. My sister recommended leaving a sign saying that I am just running in to go to the bathroom so that there is no confusion and so people know he is in there for just a few minutes. I always leave the windows down enough for him to get air and park in the shade. I also put the air on full blast for a few minutes before parking. Dogs should not be left for more than a few minutes. I hurry and then let him out to do his business.
7) Bring the right supplies; borrow the rest. A mirror in the backseat so I can see Jack while I am driving and travel dog dishes that go flat when not in use are the types of things that I find irreplaceable (I am hoping that the right carseat goes without saying, but just in case…). Highchair, portacrib, infant bathtub — I try to borrow in the destination city. In the day of social media, it only takes one post to find someone’s friend’s sister’s cousin who has what is needed.
8) Be ready for THOSE moments. Like when your son is asleep, you’re listening to a Desmond Tutu audiobook, and you are overwhelmed with the beauty of the moment as you drive through the Shenandoah Valley. Or the flight from DC to Minneapolis where he is looking out the windows and giggling at the clouds. Or when a restaurant in Knoxville lets you, your son, and your dog sit in the fenced in patio, and your son stands at the fence holding his sippy cup and waving to people as they pass by. Those are the moments that make you glad you were crazy enough to take him on this adventure no matter how much work it is for you. Those moments.
We’ve been traveling a lot lately for both work and pleasure. That means we’ve been doing a lot of packing and unpacking and a lot of browsing online for better options and ideas. We even have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to Packing Tips! All of that travel has us thinking that what and how you pack can really make a difference in your transportation experience.
As checked bag fees have become the norm, traveling with only a carry-on whenever possible is now the primary goal for most travelers. If that’s the case for you, and you’re heading out for longer than a weekend, you’re going to want to make the most of your personal item. [See what we include in ours here!]
There are many options out there in a lot of price ranges. We’ve pulled together our favorites for the budget traveler and those with a little more money to spend. If you haven’t read our review of the Everlane tote, which includes a lot of the details we look for in a bag, check it out here. Also check out our review of the Lo & Son’s O.M.G. bag, which is very similar to the O.G. bag featured below!
Top Row: Stella & Dot – The Shift | Coach Leopard Turnlock Tote
Second Row: Baggu Duck Bag
Bottom Row: Longchamp Paris Le Pliage
Looking for a great weekender bag? You can find our favorites here!
Like all good travel sites, we’ve been compiling lists of our favorite tips, tricks, and products to make your next trip easier on you and your budget. If you remember from our post on organizing your travel documents, I mentioned that I keep my itineraries and confirmation numbers in Google Drive and then print out some hard copies just in case I can’t access mobile data or WiFi.
Well, friends, no more! I have FINALLY found an app that organizes my travel confirmations easily and with as much detail as possible. Introducing…
My biggest concern with apps that organize details for me is that I rarely like the layout or the amount of detail shown. Details recorded in Tripit are organized by date, then by item (plane ticket, train ticket, hotel confirmation, etc.), and they all expand for additional information. That even includes your email correspondence with your AirBnB or your bike rental receipts.
1. Make an account at www.tripit.com and download the app to your mobile device from Google Play or iTunes. It’s free, but there’s also a pro version that is ad-free and has a few more features.
2. Just forward all of your confirmation emails to the Tripit email address they give you. Tripit will notice the email address that you send them from, and it will assign them all to your individual account. It’s pretty darn smart and really good at sorting out what information to pull from each email. For my hotels, AirBnB, and Bed & Breakfast, for instance, it includes confirmation numbers, addresses, and phone numbers in the main details.
3. You can then go to the website if you need to adjust any details. For instance, I have a casual email from the bike rental company that we will be using in France. Tripit didn’t recognize that it was a receipt for an activity, but it did file it into my Trip Details for the right date. I was able to go in and edit the activity type and name so that it fit in easier with my schedule. In fact, I also changed hotel check-out times to the actual time that we’re leaving so that “check-out” would appear prior to my train ticket. See? I told you I can be picky.
Train Ticket Details
4. Tripit even includes directions and adds them automatically. When Tripit recognized that I’ll be flying into CDG airport and that I have a reservation at this darling hotel in the 17th arrondissement, it included directions via car and the Paris Metro. Merci beaucoup, Tripit!
Cooking Classes, Hotels, and Flights
Train Tickets, Hotels, and Maps
As I’m at home writing this, I decided to turn off my mobile and wireless on my phone to see what details I could access with no data or WiFi service, and I was still able to open all of the details I’ll need. How’s that for accessibility?!
Have you used Tripit to organize your travel itinerary and confirmations before? If so, tell us about it in the comments!
I absolutely love going places, such as Cuba or even remote national parks stateside, that afford an opportunity to unplug for a while. That being said, technology is usually available while traveling, so it might as well be used to help make travel easier! Here are few travel hacks to help make your next adventure go smoother that we implemented before our recent jaunt to Greece.
Browsing on Phone in Shop
We decided to make the switch from Verizon to TMobile mainly because of their Simple Choice Plan. It offers unlimited data and texting internationally in over 120 countries worldwide. Even though it was slow at times in Greece, it was so convenient to be able to browse, text, use maps, and post to social media when we wanted and not rely on Wi-Fi. If you’re renting a car, I’d still recommend downloading an offline map app such as MAPS.ME as a backup in case you have issues with your signal. As you can tell from the photo above, it came in handy so my husband could browse while we were shopping at the sandal shop in Athens!
Given how much we used our phones because we could, our iPhone batteries went fast! But we were prepared because we bought a portable charger to take along with us when we were out and about. I think it’s even a nice travel accessory to bring along for domestic trips since it’s often hard to find places to charge while you’re waiting in the airport, traveling for business, or taking in the sights while being a tourist.
While many banks offer special accounts that don’t charge international ATM fees, Charles Schwab is great because their normal checking account comes with no ATM fees worldwide! Additionally we’ve been really impressed with the quality of service we received from them so far.
Hopefully these tips will make your next trip a little easier and perhaps even a bit cheaper so you can travel more often! Happy trip planning, friends!
Did you read my Everlane Tote review last week? I’ve decided it’s the perfect affordable carry-on tote bag for your flight, and with its slim silhouette, it transitions easily to a great day bag. Below, you’ll find my best packing tips and the items I can’t leave home without when I’m flying, and they all fit in my new Everlane Tote!
My Everlane Tote: High quality construction, chic style, and a zipper top make this my go-to travel tote for business and vacation.
Travel Wallet / Passport Case: I love a passport case that is long enough to hold my boarding passes, my cash and cards, and my passport. These are a few of my favorites right now.
Travel Journal: I grabbed a pocket-sized one from Rifle Paper Co. for a specific short trip, but I’m thinking about getting this one to record a lot of future trips in one location. And of course, a Moleskine Journal is always a great option with that pocket in the back!
Baggu Shopping Bag: I know we’ve mentioned them a few times, but we really don’t leave home without them!
Cardigan and Scarf: It can get really chilly on a plane. We love cardigans like this in colors that go with everything and a lightweight but large scarf that can double as a blanket if needed. We’re also crushing on this cape for winter travel!
Reading Material: I found a few magazines on France tourism on my most recent trip, but I always have a large selection of AFAR, Travel & Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and my new favorite: Wherever Magazine. They all fit in this bag with room to spare.
Small Zipper Bags: I bought this cute elephant one in Thailand a long time ago, and it holds my smaller camera, ipod, headphones, and any power cords I’m bringing with me on the flight. Smaller zip bags are the best way to keep things organized, and here are a few of my favorites: Nylon Baggu, Leather Baggu, Stella & Dot, and Flight 001
Small Make-up Bag: I keep a few of my solid toiletries in here so I can freshen up after the flight without getting into my rolling carry-on. I love these NARS lip pencil (I like the Velvet Matte in Cruella Scarlet Red) and the L’Oreal Concealer Crayon as great solid alternatives to my usual liquid concealer and lip gloss. Savannah Bee Company makes a great chapstick in wonderful flavors like blackberry and Earl Grey tea.
Clear Zipper Bag for Liquids: I’m thinking about just investing in one of these so I won’t have to keep using Ziploc bags. For your 3oz liquids, check out this great website with tons of really nice travel-sized products. I always bring my small bottle of Fresh Seaberry Face Oil and my travel-sized Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.
Downy Wrinkle Releaser: This is one liquid that I can’t travel without! I’m allergic to ironing, especially when I’m on the go, so this amazing de-wrinkling spray keeps me from looking like I’m living out of a suitcase.
Eye Mask: Falling asleep on flights comes easily for me, but staying asleep does not.
Sunglasses: My Warby Parker prescription sunglasses have been game-changers. I love their quality and their price.
Check out our other favorite packing tips and tricks here, and follow us on Pinterest for more great ideas!
[This is not a sponsored post, friends. We just wanted to share our must-pack items!]
[We’ve updated this post with a review after taking our Everlane tote across France. See the end of the post for more on how it worked for us. ]
My mom and I have been searching for the perfect carry-on tote for our upcoming trip to France, and we had some pretty high standards. We needed a bag that was:
– large enough to hold all of our needs
– but not too big that it can’t be used as a day bag
– zipped!
– chic, obviously!
– well-made with great reviews
– and at a really good price point
Not only that, but since it’s easier to pack light when you stick to a color palette, Mom needed one that came in black, and I needed a brown one. We didn’t need the same bag, of course, but when we started reading all of the great reviews about the Everlane Tote, we knew we needed to check it out. It seemed to fit all of our needs, so we ordered the black leather with reverse denim, which is a pretty heather gray. I was eyeing the brown leather with navy twill, but decided to wait and see what the black one looked like in person. Let’s just say, I’ll be ordering the navy for me really soon!
I already have one of Everlane’s amazing weekenders, and it has been such a JOY to pack for trips to my mom’s house in the mountains and all of our other weekend trips! I was thrilled to see that the tote we received (with free shipping!) was of equally great quality!
I really love that the tote has a slim silhouette. I often find bags that I like, but they end up being rather bulky. This bag will hold my make-up and small toiletry bags, my travel magazines, my camera, my tablet, and it doesn’t take up too much space. The inner pocket is the perfect size for my wallet and passport case. The zip top stays hidden instead of sticking out on the ends, which I think is a wonderful detail that makes it even more sleek. The black leather straps are sturdy and a great length for throwing over your shoulder, and the cotton twill is wonderfully thick. Even after all of those great details and the sturdy construction, it’s still incredibly light weight! Friends, we have found our new favorite bag! Oh, and did we mention it’s ONLY $40?!
My mom traveled in style in Burgundy with her grey and black Everlane tote.
After trying out the grey and black tote with my mom, I ended up buying the navy tote with brown leather handles for myself. As I had expected, it worked great for my trip to Paris, Provence, and Burgundy. Here’s what we learned:
Carrying my tote around Paris on a drizzly day!
[This is not a sponsored post, friends. We just adore our new Everlane tote, and we can definitely vouch for the sturdy construction and timeless style of our wonderful weekender. If you’re on the lookout for some stylish and affordable luggage, do check them out!]
We put a lot of effort into not getting lost in our daily lives. We put even more effort into avoiding it while traveling. We use the GPS apps on our phones. We take guided tours in foreign cities. We stop and ask for directions at every turn. We make sure to get from one important location to the next, and we take the easiest and the fastest way possible. We don’t even notice the buildings, the scenery, the restaurants, and the people who we’re rushing past. Sometimes, however, we get really, hopelessly lost.
Below, you’ll find two great reasons to enjoy those times when you’re not quite sure where you are and two of our favorite stories about what we’ve discovered when we’ve been lost. We hope they’ll inspire you to be both curious and calm when you can’t find your destination. Maybe they’ll even inspire you to put away the map and get intentionally lost!
My husband and I honeymooned in Italy, and we were lucky enough to spend 5 days in Venice, far more than the typical tourist schedule of a quick day trip. We had just spent the last week and a half in Florence and Rome, checking off those must-see museums and historic sites. By the time we arrived in Venice, we were ready for a change of pace.
I know what you’re thinking. Venice is full to the brim with tourists! How could we possibly find a change of pace or any peace and quiet?
Once we checked into our darling bed and breakfast, which was wonderfully located away from the crowds on a quiet street and quiet canal, we made our way out into the city. Unlike every other tourist we met, though, we weren’t headed to the Rialto Bridge or the Piazza de San Marco. We weren’t even headed to Lido or the Guggenheim, Murano or Burano. We decided to just wander along through the alleys with no map in hand. We discovered empty streets that ended at canals lined with archways and window boxes overflowing with flowers. We found great bars where we enjoyed an aperol spritz and a gelato. We ate dinner in a great restaurant, and we honest to goodness didn’t hear anyone else speaking English. We watched beautiful boats pass singing gondoliers. We sat along the canal and watched daily life pass us by. We saw Venice, but we saw it without the rest of the summer crowds jostling past us.
Don’t worry. We had more than enough time to see everything that one goes to Venice to see. We even took time for a Vivaldi concert. That first day in Venice, however, was one of the best days of our trip.
It’s one thing to set out with the intention of getting lost. Well, as lost as one can get on a small cluster of islands. It’s another thing altogether to have a limited amount of time and not be able to find the destination that you’re most excited about. This is what happened to my husband and I while we were in London.
To add to the stress of not being able to find the British Museum, we were chaperoning nine of his high school students on their first trip abroad. It was not an easy feat. You might be thinking, “How hard can it be to find one of the most popular museums in the world?!?” I would have agreed with you prior to our attempt to get there from whatever random spot we were dropped off at, but we were given wrong directions twice, and someone even said, “I don’t know which museum you’re talking about; they’re all British,” and he MEANT it. Yes, thank you very much. (I should note that we landed a few hours earlier, and neither my husband nor myself were at the top of our travel game because, as I mentioned, we were dragging nine exhausted teenagers behind us.)
This ended up being a great learning lesson for our students. We helped them step out of their comfort zone and ask for directions, and we also talked to them about how to stay optimistic and not get scared when things go wrong. But do you know what the best part of our extra long walk to the museum was? Just when our students said “we have no idea where we are,” we looked up to see a street sign. We were on Drury Lane! Yes, DRURY LANE where the MUFFIN MAN lives! It was the best detour ever!
So there you have it: some of our favorite stories from getting lost abroad. Do you have any similar stories? We’d love to hear about them! Tell us your favorite stories about getting lost in the comment section.
