Stay tuned for the traveling bag blog.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
They have only called zone 1.
...and people are already rushing the gate because the flight attendants have threatened us with the whole "we are definitely going to run out of overhead space" shtick.
Stay tuned for the traveling bag blog.
Stay tuned for the traveling bag blog.
Traveling bag
Let's face it. You overpack. Everyone overpacks, thus causing a rush on the gate because the flight attendants have announced that all the bags won't fit in the overhead bin and you are panicking because you might just have to check your bag. So I have a novel idea. Don't overpack. Just be mindful of your clothing choices/options.
But Liz, you are criticizing me. Are you going to provide a solution? I'm glad you asked. Of course.
Here's what I think you should take pretty much anywhere you go.
1. 1 pair of jeans. You should have a pair that's day to night appropriate.
2. Another pair of pants if necessary. Example, when heading to a tropical clime, you can bring shorts or a light khaki. Sometimes dress pants are necessary. You just don't need 4 pairs of pants.
3. A top/shirt/blouse for each day of your journey...and one to grow on. I also suggest 1 layering tank top and 1 cardigan type thing.
4. Bras, panties, socks etc...obviously.
5. No more than 2 pairs of shoes. Stop. Don't bring shoes for every outfit. I love shoes more than you do. I promise. I'm here to tell you you don't need them. But Liz, I am so sporty and I must workout while I'm away. Do sneakers count? Yes and no. Would your life be over if you worked out for a week in your Chucks? I guarantee you that it is possible to workout without Sketchers Shape Ups. Giant shoes do not make for a better workout. If you don't believe me, come workout with us at Mark Fisher Fitness. I used to do that entire workout in Chucks. Now I'm a fan of the New Balance Minimus. The 5 finger shoes are still a bit hardcore for me but I applaud those who make that work. And imagine how little space those take up. So 2 pairs of shoes even if you're working out: Chucks and sandals. Chucks and Toms. Chucks and wedges. Chucks and Frye boot. Or heel and sandal. Heel and heel. Whatever two pairs you need. And of course, wear the chunkier shoe on the flight to save space. Oh and flip flops don't count. They can practically fit in your purse.
6. A dress. These days I am a fan of the maxi dress clearly. Use your judgement here but please don't bring a dress that you feel must be on a hanger. Jersey is a great packing material just please for the love of god wear proper undergarments with a jersey dress. You might like awesome from the front but you don't look awesome from the back and you look even less awesome when you are walking. Just be vigilant.
That's the skeleton of any packing job. Of course things are made difficult by winter weather or an excessively long stay somewhere or the need to bring ones dog and/or instrument or 2. But just try this method and see if it works.
Liz, why are you thinking about this today? Glad you asked. 2 things. I am indeed at the airport right now. Sadly, the new fancy Delta terminal isn't laid out well for picture taking and I havent been able to capture any offenders. 2. I finally left my job of almost 8 yeas yesterday and one of the Doctors I've worked for presented me with this nearly perfect traveling bag below.
Let's talk about this new obsession of mine. It is so NYC ready. I love the material they use to make LeSportsacs. You can just wipe subway grime off with a damp cloth. It's waterproof for the occasional monsoon. I always have a soaking wet bag in the rain. My bags are so big that they can't fit under my umbrella and I'm not going to be that asshole who carries around a golf umbrella in the city and hits people like me in the face with the spiky edges just so my bag doesn't get wet. I am well aware that my body would be much happier if I carried a backpack or a wheely suitcase on a day to day basis. I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. Something just feels wrong about it. But this adorable bag might encourage me to be a little kinder to my shoulders and back. There are backpack straps and a wheely handle thing. It has umbrella and water bottle pockets and a deep pocket in the front. I have room leftover when packing for this 4 day weekend. But then again, I'm going to Florida and bikinis don't take up much room.
So this bag could possibly be the solution to all bag dilemmas, plus, you can't overpack if you use it. The good choices start with the bag. Don't tempt yourself with a gigantic impractical bag.
But Liz, you are criticizing me. Are you going to provide a solution? I'm glad you asked. Of course.
Here's what I think you should take pretty much anywhere you go.
1. 1 pair of jeans. You should have a pair that's day to night appropriate.
2. Another pair of pants if necessary. Example, when heading to a tropical clime, you can bring shorts or a light khaki. Sometimes dress pants are necessary. You just don't need 4 pairs of pants.
3. A top/shirt/blouse for each day of your journey...and one to grow on. I also suggest 1 layering tank top and 1 cardigan type thing.
4. Bras, panties, socks etc...obviously.
5. No more than 2 pairs of shoes. Stop. Don't bring shoes for every outfit. I love shoes more than you do. I promise. I'm here to tell you you don't need them. But Liz, I am so sporty and I must workout while I'm away. Do sneakers count? Yes and no. Would your life be over if you worked out for a week in your Chucks? I guarantee you that it is possible to workout without Sketchers Shape Ups. Giant shoes do not make for a better workout. If you don't believe me, come workout with us at Mark Fisher Fitness. I used to do that entire workout in Chucks. Now I'm a fan of the New Balance Minimus. The 5 finger shoes are still a bit hardcore for me but I applaud those who make that work. And imagine how little space those take up. So 2 pairs of shoes even if you're working out: Chucks and sandals. Chucks and Toms. Chucks and wedges. Chucks and Frye boot. Or heel and sandal. Heel and heel. Whatever two pairs you need. And of course, wear the chunkier shoe on the flight to save space. Oh and flip flops don't count. They can practically fit in your purse.
6. A dress. These days I am a fan of the maxi dress clearly. Use your judgement here but please don't bring a dress that you feel must be on a hanger. Jersey is a great packing material just please for the love of god wear proper undergarments with a jersey dress. You might like awesome from the front but you don't look awesome from the back and you look even less awesome when you are walking. Just be vigilant.
That's the skeleton of any packing job. Of course things are made difficult by winter weather or an excessively long stay somewhere or the need to bring ones dog and/or instrument or 2. But just try this method and see if it works.
Liz, why are you thinking about this today? Glad you asked. 2 things. I am indeed at the airport right now. Sadly, the new fancy Delta terminal isn't laid out well for picture taking and I havent been able to capture any offenders. 2. I finally left my job of almost 8 yeas yesterday and one of the Doctors I've worked for presented me with this nearly perfect traveling bag below.
Let's talk about this new obsession of mine. It is so NYC ready. I love the material they use to make LeSportsacs. You can just wipe subway grime off with a damp cloth. It's waterproof for the occasional monsoon. I always have a soaking wet bag in the rain. My bags are so big that they can't fit under my umbrella and I'm not going to be that asshole who carries around a golf umbrella in the city and hits people like me in the face with the spiky edges just so my bag doesn't get wet. I am well aware that my body would be much happier if I carried a backpack or a wheely suitcase on a day to day basis. I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. Something just feels wrong about it. But this adorable bag might encourage me to be a little kinder to my shoulders and back. There are backpack straps and a wheely handle thing. It has umbrella and water bottle pockets and a deep pocket in the front. I have room leftover when packing for this 4 day weekend. But then again, I'm going to Florida and bikinis don't take up much room.
So this bag could possibly be the solution to all bag dilemmas, plus, you can't overpack if you use it. The good choices start with the bag. Don't tempt yourself with a gigantic impractical bag.
Monday, August 27, 2012
submission from Turner
Yes Turner, you made the cut...
I love traveling in France because it requires looking good. They will straight up throw you off the train for wearing sweatpants. Not a pillow in sight, not even for babies. In fact, I think I saw more designer labels and heels on trains than I did on the ground. Like you, Liz, there's not much I like better than traveling and looking good. The two together? Sublime.
I was glad to have brought my seersucker with me this summer. It's as light as khaki in terms of weight and temperature, but the lines in the fabric disguise the inevitable (for me) "chocolate crumb melting on the seat" situation, or speck of pasta sauce dropped in the lap. Even better than khakis, from a packing perspective, is that you can go from travel comfort to upscale garden party just by throwing on a jacket - neither of which are you required to iron. WINNING!
My outfit for CDG-ATL added some French vocabulary to my otherwise Southern accent. A fashion tee I picked up at a boutique fits well enough, with an interesting enough design, that it kept me both classy and cool. I mean, c'mon, anything with French writing on it is immediately classier. And remember, ain't no A/C in all of Europe, so you want a tee when you're hauling luggage and sitting in a crowd of 400 people for 9 hours.
The hat, which I brought for the purposes of sunbathing while blonde, had to come with so as not to get squashed in my luggage, and had to go on my head so as not to get squashed in the overhead bin. Except for intense scrutiny at US Customs, it was met with general cheer. I look so anglo, there's no way I could ever pass for French, so why bother trying not to look like a tourist? Which this hat admittedly screams.
Finally, you can't go wrong with old school adidas. No matter what you think or how you feel about them or the Puma war, they say casual, but serious about it. And I am.
Then I went to the airport and stood behind this: An entire FAMILY of fannypacks. In fairness, they were leaving France, and not just arriving.
Note from Liz: I disagree about the Adidas. I am not a fan of the Adidas. This would have been made perfect with a loafer or driving moccasin.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Apology and Update
Dearest Readers,
I have been very lax with the posts recently. For that, I apologize. I have traveled but I have not felt very inspired by what I have seen. My husband took some pics for me on our last trip, but I haven't uploaded them and I have a variety of submissions to get through. Never fear, they are on their way.
Our last trip was down to North and South Carolinas. We had such travel woes that I didn't have the energy to capture all that was swirling about in the airport. On the way, for our 8am flight from LGA to CLT, the jet bridge got stuck so they couldn't board us through the gate. They finally decided to have us enter through the adjoining gate, walk down a flight of stairs, walk out onto the tarmac and board up stairs into the plane. Now, I would imagine that to be very glamorous and retro and Presidential, but there was no paparazzi for us to gloriously wave towards and we had to carry our bags up the stairs. Glamor abated.
Right before they called our zone to board, they just stopped boarding, without a word. After what seemed like a year, some one came over the intercom and said that they lost a flight attendant. Well played USAir. They just didn't know where he was and we couldn't board without him. I guess they found him, because we finally boarded, 30 minutes later.
On the way back, we were to fly from Myrtle Beach to Charlotte to NYC. Of course, summer storms are the enemy, and our first flight was delayed so we would miss our second. My father kindly drove us back to Charlotte, so we could sleep at my parent's house and take a flight out in the morning. Of course that flight had a mechanical delay that they found out about well after we had boarded. I'm not sure why no one ever knows there's a problem with a plane until everyone is sitting on it, but yet again, well played USAir.
What is the lesson I've learned through this? It's very important. My favorite form of travel is car. Hands down. I mean, even in traffic, which sucks, you can control the temp, you can control the music and you aren't subjected to fashion disasters. All you need for car travel is sun glasses...and there you go. (can we just talk about glorious beach hair for a moment? Oh I just love it so much)
I have been very lax with the posts recently. For that, I apologize. I have traveled but I have not felt very inspired by what I have seen. My husband took some pics for me on our last trip, but I haven't uploaded them and I have a variety of submissions to get through. Never fear, they are on their way.
Our last trip was down to North and South Carolinas. We had such travel woes that I didn't have the energy to capture all that was swirling about in the airport. On the way, for our 8am flight from LGA to CLT, the jet bridge got stuck so they couldn't board us through the gate. They finally decided to have us enter through the adjoining gate, walk down a flight of stairs, walk out onto the tarmac and board up stairs into the plane. Now, I would imagine that to be very glamorous and retro and Presidential, but there was no paparazzi for us to gloriously wave towards and we had to carry our bags up the stairs. Glamor abated.
Right before they called our zone to board, they just stopped boarding, without a word. After what seemed like a year, some one came over the intercom and said that they lost a flight attendant. Well played USAir. They just didn't know where he was and we couldn't board without him. I guess they found him, because we finally boarded, 30 minutes later.
On the way back, we were to fly from Myrtle Beach to Charlotte to NYC. Of course, summer storms are the enemy, and our first flight was delayed so we would miss our second. My father kindly drove us back to Charlotte, so we could sleep at my parent's house and take a flight out in the morning. Of course that flight had a mechanical delay that they found out about well after we had boarded. I'm not sure why no one ever knows there's a problem with a plane until everyone is sitting on it, but yet again, well played USAir.
What is the lesson I've learned through this? It's very important. My favorite form of travel is car. Hands down. I mean, even in traffic, which sucks, you can control the temp, you can control the music and you aren't subjected to fashion disasters. All you need for car travel is sun glasses...and there you go. (can we just talk about glorious beach hair for a moment? Oh I just love it so much)
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