Happy Hump day ya’ll! The holidays are in the air! Thank you to all who participated in my Instagram Giveaway. The winners will be contacted later today and will receive a Rachel Zoe Winter Box of Style!
I have some more exciting news which includes this guest post from one of my good friends (more announcements come Friday).
We all have a friend who is the mama of the group; making sure everyone is taken care of and prepared for ANYTHING. We all also have a friend that is always traveling; hopping around the world, gaining new experiences and forever learning. For me, this friend is Ashlee. She is a natural-born yogi, has mama-bear instincts and can party and kill a bottle of champs better than anyone else I know! When Ashlee came to me with the idea for this blog post of course I loved it! Her knowledge on the ins and outs of travel HAD to be shared, and who else better to share it with than all of you amazing readers! So take a seat back, make a few mental notes and plan your next trip xx
#iliveintexasparttime
While this tag line started as a joke it couldn’t be more true nowadays. Two years ago I moved from Las Vegas and found myself land locked in Austin, TX, the center of the country. A 3 hour flight and a few hundred dollars and I could get to almost any place in the continental United States. With my career being in hospitality and having started in Vegas I’m lucky enough to have friends sprinkled across the states. I’ve always been passionate about exploring and travel but I don’t think it really blossomed till I found myself in a state where I knew few people with more time on my hands than ever.
Now #iliveintexasparttime is a way of life for me… I’ve “lived” in Texas roughly 800 days and the longest time I’ve spent here consecutively has been 47 days (yes I counted). Typically, I travel every three to four weeks, sometimes for a long weekend and sometimes for weeks at a time. This qualifies me in my own mind as some type of “travel guru”. Regardless of the length of my trip I have my top 10 go-to items for my carry on. With holiday travel quickly approaching what better time than to share with the readers of Sweet & Masala some must haves before you board that next flight!
Here we go!
1. Reusable Water Bottle – My beloved S’well Bottle has been all the way to Bali and back with me and let me tell you it’s a life saver. Who wants to spend $3.29 on an 8oz bottle of Fiji water. Be sure its empty for security and fill it up on the other side! Many airports are going green and have waters stations for your use. Staying hydrated for your flight means arriving looking fresh and ready for what adventures may lie ahead, even if that means dinner at your in-law’s house.
2. Mini Hand Sanitizer – I’m not a crazy germaphobe who cleans the entire seat but navigating airport security and getting to your gate can be tricky. You encounter a TON of different surfaces (security bins, hand rails, etc) a quick squeeze after security and one after I get on the plane and I feel good knowing I’m as germ free as I’m going to be. Nothing will ruin a trip like picking up a cold on your way out of town.
3. Headphones – This clearly seems like a no-brainer but I can’t tell you how many pairs I’ve had to buy at the airport. Nothing is worse than getting to your gate and realizing you won’t be able to listen to Pandora or catch some Z’s in-flight to your favorite tunes. I will say personally I’m a fan of earbuds, they are easier to sleep in vs their counter parts and take up much less room in your bag.
4. Portable Charger – What a game changer this has been for my travel! I’m always a fan of ticketless boarding passes plus using any type of free in-flight TV options. Usually this leaves me with 2% battery at landing and the impossible task of calling an Uber or whatever lovely friend of mine is getting me from the airport. Slip one of these into your bag and charge your phone IN FLIGHT while it’s on airplane mode. Not only will your phone charge faster you’ll get more juice out of your charger. 
5. Protein Bar – Yummm airplane peanuts… Said no one EVER. While the snack options have gotten better on some airlines you’ll notice they are all carb based and typically loaded with sodium. Eating a bag of peanuts may result in you ballooning up mid-flight. No one wants to arrive retaining 5 lbs of water… Am I right ladies? But, inevitably you will get hungry. Having your own healthy quick snack will not only curb your appetite but save you on the bloat factor. Added bonus save the extra calories for Champs with the girls when you land!
6. Scarf – This is not just for holiday travel but ANY travel. Have you ever noticed when you get on a plane it’s almost like stepping into an icebox? Airline crews will open all the air vets after landing to cool the plane down for the next round of 200+ 98 degree bodies that are about to board. Most likely you’ll be traveling with a winter jacket and while extremely cute will become too warm mid-flight. A good scarf will save you from almost taking out our neighbor while having to delayer mid-flight. It can also be used (depending on how bulky) as a pillow against the widow or even a way to shade light from your face if your trying to catch a quick nap before arrival. This accessory is a life saver in so many ways and surely shouldn’t be forgotten.
7. Notebook – This is something I recently started. I LOVE having a little notebook to jot stuff down in about my travels. There is always a funny story about security or I meet someone on the plane who is a local of my destination and has a great restaurant recommendation. We use our phones to run our lives these days and somethings deserve to be documented the old fashion way. Getting to the destination is half the thrill of travel and it is fun sometimes in-flight to relive some of my past memories.
8. Gum – Seems like an obvious choice but such an easy item forget! These are not just for you but think about your lovely neighbor who may have been in a rush to catch his 6 am flight to Grandmas. Nothing is worse than morning breathe next to you for 3 hours all the way to San Francisco. Gum also doubles a way to relieve pressure from the inner ear during take-off and landing. Winter congestion is headed for ALL of us this year and having this simple item may help ease the in-flight pain you might not be used to feeling.
9. Cash – I always like to have between $20-$40 on me the day I travel. Usually this is enough to get you away from the airport to someplace safe if something happens to your cards while traveling. Card fraud, theft, I had one too many champs pre-flight and left my card at the airport bar, my card was shut off because I’m using it in Miami and I live in Texas… ALL things that are bound to happen while you’re traveling. Having just a little cash on you takes pressure off the situation until you can sort out what the next steps are.
10. Chapstick – Slather this on during the day of your travel… Seriously between the plane dehydration, airplane temps, and cold weather all over the country (unless you are going to Hawaii and then call me because I’d love to join). You and your lips will thank me when they don’t have cracks upon arrival to meet bae’s family.
11. Lastly a fabulous bag – (with a strap) to put all of this in! Nothing says I’m ready to conquer LAX on Christmas Eve when you have all of your items tucked nicely in your bag and strapped to you! Handles are for rookies who think they can juggle a phone, personal item, and roller bag around the airport. Strap your stuff to you! The more hands the better!
Good luck traveling this Holiday Season and I look forward to seeing you in an airport soon!
