My New Favorite Carry On Accessories

I'm always looking for ways to pack smarter, lighten my carry on, be more comfortable in flight, or maximize what I bring along. I'd mentioned a few things I was searching for over the last few months, and Matt made my Christmas presents mostly travel themed! These three items will really make my carry on & in flight experience a better one. While I haven't actually been able to test them out yet (we're on a travel hiatus until the end of March!) these are quite the upgrade to my current carry on situation!

Travelrest Travel Pillow

I am SO EXCITED about this pillow! It looks super goofy, but it is so incredibly comfortable. First of all, I refuse to carry a stuffed or filled neck pillow. I prefer an inflatable pillow because they take up less room when you're not flying... and I couldn't bear dragging around a big pillow the other 95% of your trip, but I really can't get any sleep on a plane without it. The pillow I have is the traditional "C" shape, but I always found myself needing another inch of pillow on the sides to actually rest my head. This cross body pillow is PERFECT! And it folds up to the size of my straightener when deflated. I should also note it has this amazing valve that keeps the air in, and doesn't leak in between each breath (like a traditional inflatable). You can see the valve in this video.

Contour Eye Mask

I have only started using an eye mask to sleep on planes in the last year. Previously, I thought they were just annoying, but I've realized that I'm more likely to get some sleep if my eyes are covered and I can't open them! It's not a light issue for me, it's just FOMO and curiosity :) What I don't like is that most masks don't fit your face right - they can be too tight on your head and even feel like they're pulling on your eyes. Matt found this amazing concave eye mask, that not only keeps pressure off your eyes, it's completely black out! It's so comfortable on your face, you can barely feel it. This isn't the exact brand I have, but it has all the same features. 

Madewell Transport Rucksack

And the cherry on top -- my new "personal item". I love my big travel tote I've used for the last couple of years, and the pockets make sense sometimes, but often it feels very over stuffed and heavy. It also is hard to fit a small purse inside. I've been seeing all these cute leather backpacks and decided that would make a much better personal item. I'm selling my tote because this Madewell backpack is a much better option for me! I did a trial pack and fit my laptop, iPad, small cross body bag, my big headphones, two magazines, a book my phone, and a handful of random items in with room to spare! Plus the backpack fit makes it feel much lighter on my shoulders than the large tote did. It also has 4 different small pockets to keep things like lipstick or other littles in, which is something I loved in my tote. The tote might be a better fit for me if I had a commute for work, but I think this backpack is a much better option as my new personal item!

Those are my upgrades! The travel pillow & eye mask are very reasonably priced. The backpack was a splurge, but I am a 1 bag kind of girl, so I prefer to have one perfect bag that I'll use for a long time rather than several options. (Plus, the resale of my tote almost paid for the backpack! win win!)

What are your favorite carry on items?
xo

Packing for Two Weeks in Europe in a Carry On

This is pretty close to what I brought with me to London, Bruges, and Copenhagen. I didn't include my underthings or 1 pair PJ's, but that's all the clothing that was in my bag. I didn't even go roller board suitcase, we opted for our backpacks, because after you go over about 5 cobblestone streets you'll be SO GLAD you're not rolling anything. (This is the bag I have and I LOVE IT!) Plus, three of these eBags packing cubes fit perfectly and carry everything we need!

I can honestly say I wasn't sick of these clothes, which is amazing.

2 Weeks in Europe by reneecutaia featuring sport pants

Alberta Ferretti long dress / Alexander Wang long sleeve top / Chicnova Fashion v neck top / H M marled sweater, $38 / T By Alexander Wang grey t shirt, $105 / City Chic scoop neck top / Field jacket / Alo Yoga sport pants, $115 / J Brand red jeans, $265 / Charlotte Russe black pantyhose / Avenue plus size stocking / River Island skinny jegging / H M activewear top, $45 / The North Face activewear top / Franco Sarto leather ankle boots / NIKE lace up shoes / MICHAEL Michael Kors satchel bag / Peach Couture accessory / Forever 21 scarve / Long fingerless glove, $45 / UGG Australia knit beanie

5 Tops
These 5 tops vary in weight, color and warmth. Black tank and grey t shirt can be layers or worn alone. The three sweaters have varying sleeve lengths, different types of knit, etc.

2 Pants
I only ended up wearing the black jeans. For some reason once I pack those burgundy pants, I never want to wear them. Not packing them anymore! We were able to wash our clothes 1/2 way through the trip, so this wasn't a problem.

2 Coats
This was really 1 coat, and 1 kind-of-jacket that's more like a cardigan. It was more to change up my layers, as it wouldn't keep you warm below 75* weather. I was a little sick of my 1 black coat, but it was keeping me very warm and dry, so I stopped being sick of it and was just thankful I brought it!

2 Shoes
1 everyday and 1 running shoe. Last year I brought 2 pairs of cute shoes to Italy and I never wore the 2nd pair. I decided to stick to one pair that would cover all sins - and it worked great! These have just enough of a heel that they looked dressed up with a nice necklace and my dress.

1 Black Dress
This dress is a favorite of mine over tights, and it worked for our few nice dinner nights. I could also layer sweaters over it for a casual daytime look.

2 Scarves
This is a milestone for me - i love bringing millions of scarves, but I stuck to 2! I kinda wish I brought 3, since it's basically the only thing you see in our photos except my jacket, but I also thought I might buy one while we were there and thought i'd save my space. At the end of the day I love these two fun scarves and thought they were great choices.

1 Beanie/1 Gloves
Also, wish I would have brought 1 more beanie. I kind of brought it thinking I would use it 1 day, if even - but I wore it almost every day because of all the rain! My grey fingerless gloves were perfect for the whole trip. They're from H&M and my favorite!

1 Set Workout Clothes
Biking in Copenhagen, going for a run in a park - glad I had a set.

2 Pairs Stockings
These were great for my dress and also to add a layer of warmth under jeans on a chilly day. You'd be surprised how warm tights can be!

Just a few outfits - unfortunately, you can't see what's under my jacket half the time. But with different hair styles, lipstick, and switching up scarves and beanies, you can get a few different looks without bringing your whole closet with you.

Two weeks carry on only in Europe in the COLD - you can do it!

Let me know if you need help, have questions or just think I'm crazy :)

xo

Gear for New Zealand

While we're not going on an all out backpacking adventure in New Zealand, we are doing some hiking and fun outdoors-y stuff! Including Tongariro Alpine Crossing, kayaking in Abel Tasman & exploring Waitomo Glowworm Caves! Here is some gear we're bringing to make the adventure go more smoothly.

Travel Tripod
Ok, so this might not be technical, but I'm really excited about it! My friend suggested the Joby GorillaPod Hybrid Gray... it looks so goofy but can be wrapped around anything! On our trip to Italy we were always hoping for a rock or something to set my camera on, but this will make me feel more confident my camera won't fall off a cliff :) And it really eliminates the need for a stranger to take a terrible photo, cutting off the top of Matt's head. Win-win.

The Right Layers
During the Alpine Crossing, they advise you two bring layers because the weather is much cooler at the top of the summit. It can drop 30 or 40 degrees in just a couple of hours! We're preparing with warm, insulating, and moisture wicking clothing, in light layers. Technical clothes (running shirts and snowboarding shells) are the best, as they weigh the least and work so well.

The North Face activewear pants / The North Face activewear jacket / Athleta activewear / Charli Cohen wetlook legging, $275 / NIKE slim fit shirt / Sweaty Betty activewear top / Sweaty Betty racerback sports bra / Pieces ribbed socks, $16 / Salomon low cut shoes / Black hat / Asics glove

Travel Hammocks
These just looked too fun! This isn't the exact hammock we got, but it seems similar. It packs up into itself and take up pretty minimal space in our suitcase. I'm day dreaming about pulling over on the side of the road and posting up for an hour or so. Sounds awesome, right?

via

Collapsable Hiking Poles

Rocky terrain, clumsy people - enough said. We bought a set of 2, so we will use 1 each when needed. But they can stay tucked in a backpack when they aren't needed. These are the hiking poles we purchased.

This is some of the gear we're taking! Have any other suggestions for us to bring?
xo