The Perfect Sleep Mask Guide

A sleep mask is always one of our travel essentials we don’t travel without! It’s a must-have item in our carry-on to help with sleeping better during long-haul flights. You may have seen it on our packing lists since it’s  also handy to have in case your hotel room curtains allow light in.  The Perfect Sleep Mask Guide- www.afriendafar.com #sleepmasks #travelessentials #packinglist

For such an important item, why not make sure you find the right one? Here’s our handy roundup of perfect sleeps masks that are comfortable and luxurious. And they make wonderful gifts as well! There are fun options too, like Etsy’s fox and cats, Bucky’s patterned ones  or the eyelashed Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s!

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Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.

The Best Printable Europe Packing List – Two Weeks in a Carry-On

Heading to Europe? Here’s our printable two weeks in Europe packing list!

Europe Packing List - AFriendAfar.com

I always aim to pack in only a carry-on if at all possible no matter how long my trip is going to be. I find it much easier to tote around a carry-on suitcase rather than a checked-size bag. Plus, if you pack right, you can mix and match pieces to re-wear and make different outfits. And there’s always the option of doing laundry (Airbnb is amazing for that) or hand-washing in the hotel sink. Here’s a printable Europe packing list of what I brought on my latest two week trip to Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia. My goal was to strike a balance between being  comfortable and stylish.

Some of the items I am so glad made it into my luggage include a pair of New Balance for J.Crew sneakers (I have these navy ones while Meagan has them in white and gold), laundry detergent packets, a rain jacket, sandals, Downey Wrinkle Releaser, and a scarf! I used my trusty Travelpro Rollaboard as my carry-on piece and my Lo & Sons OMG bag as my personal item on the plane. And of course I used an Everlane Tote as a day bag while exploring!

One last tip: if you’re packing for two weeks in a carry-on, you’re going to need packing cubes!

Is there anything you always pack for a summer trip to Europe? Let us know in the comments!

Printable Summer in Europe Packing List - A Friend Afar

 

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Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.

Lo & Sons Bag Review

Are you in the market for a new personal carry-on bag? I was back in the fall and did some research on Google as well as consulted Meagan, our resident expert in all things related to fashion. I decided on the Lo & Sons O.M.G. medium overnight bag based on reviews, price point and the company’s “travel light and look smart” mantra. Here’s a Lo & Sons bag review based on a few months in of using it almost daily for work and on my travels!

Lo & Sons OMG Bag Review

[photo courtesy of Lo & Sons]

Lo & Sons O.M.G. Bag REVIEW

One of the characteristics that is super important to me is functional pockets so I can (try to) keep myself organized! This bag has a ton of pockets and dividers! The front pocket includes places for your pens, business cards, keys and your work badge. The back pocket zips on the top and bottom so you can use it as a pocket but then attach it to your roll-aboard handle when you travel, which is a key feature I love! As long as I keep everything where it’s supposed to go, this bag helps me keep organized. There’s a sleeve for your shoes if you want to keep a pair of sandals, TOMS, or ballet flats handy when traveling or around the office.

If you have to get work done on such a gorgeous day, head to the pool with your Lo & Sons O.M.G. bag.

If you have to get work done on such a gorgeous day, head to the pool with your Lo & Sons O.M.G. bag.

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Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.

The Best Carry-On Personal Bags

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!

Our Favorite Carry-On Personal Bags

Best Carry-On Bags - www.AFriendAfar.comTop Row: Stella & Dot – The Shift | Coach Leopard Turnlock Tote | Dagne Dover Tote
Second Row: Baggu Duck Bag | Everlane – Tote
Bottom Row: Longchamp Paris Le Pliage | J.Crew – Downing Tote | Lo & Sons – The O.G.

Looking for a great weekender bag? You can find our favorites here!

Meagan grew up in the North Georgia Mountains and spent her first trip abroad in Italy. She’s been traveling all over the world ever since, learning Spanish, Japanese, and Thai. She travels for the food, the culture, and the history.

An [Updated] Everlane Tote Review

An Everlane Tote Review www.AFriendAfar.com

[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!

Everlane Totes

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?!

Everlane Tote Review - Everlane in France - www.AFriendAfar.com

My mom traveled in style in Burgundy with her grey and black Everlane tote.

Everlane Tote Review Update

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:

  1. It’s a great tote for carrying on a plane or train and for keeping your belongings safe from pickpockets because of the zip top.
  2. After filling my tote with everything from wine bottles to dripping wet water bottles and every other souvenir or picnic in between, the material held up very well and kept its shape. The handles never felt like they were carrying too much weight and never threatened to tear.
  3. I was glad I had my tote when exploring Versailles and the Louvre because it held my belongings without being bulky. Those places are crowded enough as it is. A slim profiled bag is a must.
  4. I was, of course, blogging while abroad, and it was a great size for my smaller laptop and my guidebooks.

Follow this link to grab one of your own!

Everlane Tote Review - Everlane in Paris - www.AFriendAfar.com

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!]

Meagan grew up in the North Georgia Mountains and spent her first trip abroad in Italy. She’s been traveling all over the world ever since, learning Spanish, Japanese, and Thai. She travels for the food, the culture, and the history.