How to Stay Connected While You Travel (While Spending Limited Time Online)

I've always been a fan of unplugging. I avoided an iPhone for as long as possible, sticking with a phone that made calls and sent texts way longer than most. Now that I literally have the world at my fingertips, I have to be more conscious about making the decision to unplug.

When I studied abroad, we had no cell phones, and wifi was scarce. We might check in on the free computer in the hostel we stayed at, if there was even one available. I just remember feeling so free on those trips, and completely aware of everything around me - because I wasn't distracted by anything else.

It might not always be realistic to be disconnected for a prolonged period of time. When this is the case, I'll set boundaries and check in once a day or every two days on a longer trip (like our recent two week jaunt around New Zealand). I'm still using my phone to take pictures and as a wireless remote for my camera, so it's important to me that it's not buzzing and distracting me. Enjoy every minute!

Here are my tips for staying connected with limited time spent online/on your phone.

1 - Notifications
I don't know how you people do it. The only notifications I get are texts and phone calls. Email and apps are set to be checked manually, rather than pushed through every time someone likes my Instagram photo or J.Crew sends another sale email. If you need/prefer the Push settings during everyday life or for work, I would suggest you take it down to the bare minimum while you're traveling or on vacation. If you want to take it all the way down (or if you're traveling internationally), put it to Airplane Mode!

2 - Unroll Me
I can't stand the little red number in the corner of my mailbox.... so as soon as the emails load, I have to read and take care of them right away or I'm stressed out (Matt lives with 20k unread emails on the regular and I have no idea how he lives with it). I was also sick of waking up to 30 new emails, and only 1-2 of them being anything worth opening. I signed up for Unroll Me and it's really changed my inbox stress! 

Unroll Me scans your inbox and gives you the option to Unsubscribe, Add to Roll Up, or Keep in Inbox. I unsubscribed to everything I didn't care about (promotion I signed up for two years ago), Added to Roll Up anything like Victoria's Secret, Madewell, or PetCo who sends sale emails I'm interested in SOMETIMES, and Keep in Inbox was anything I would need to see as it comes in, like emails from Airbnb bookings, or The Skimm. Anything you add to your roll up will be sent to you in ONE big email, ONE time a day! 

3- The Skimm
The Skimm keeps me informed in about 5 minutes with news from all over the world. Which means I won't get back from a cruise and have no idea that the government was on strike (true story!), or that a plane tragically crashed into the Alps while I was flying to New Zealand (also true).  Sign up here even if you aren't going anywhere!

Just a little excerpt from today's Skimm about the FIFA controversy!

4 - Do Not Disturb
This feature is a miracle worker. It stops your phone from vibrating or ringing AT ALL, while still leaving it available to receive calls or texts. It's essentially "silent". This really should be mandatory in weddings, funerals, meetings and coffee shops (in my opinion!). Just to keep yourself from being constantly distracted, turn on the do not disturb. Swipe up on your home screen, and click the moon symbol :) This can be particularly helpful if you're in a group message. You could even switch that message chain only to Do Not Disturb! Open the message, click Details, and switch on Do Not Disturb. I also love using it at night when I'm in a different time zone - keeps you from accidental wake ups (your alarm still works when DND is activated).

5 - Make a Plan (and stick to it!) 
Before you go on your trip, make a plan - decide how often you'll check email and post to social media. Every evening after dinner? On the train only? Full digital detox? Whatever you decide, stick to it! You'll feel yourself relax so much when you're enjoying the streets of Rome, not wondering which filter to add to your photo of the Colosseum. Limiting your time online can be so FREEING and you'll realize you didn't really miss much anyway ;) 

There are so many beautiful details in the world! Don't miss them because you're checking Facebook ;)
xo

PS - this is in no way a sponsored post. I just love the Skimm & UnRoll me!

Avoid iPhone Data Charges When Traveling Out of the Country

Disclaimer: I don't know anything about Android or Windows Phones, I'm sorry! I can only speak on what I know... and that's iPhones.

Back in the day, there was nothing to worry about when you brought your cell phone overseas - because it just wouldn't work unless you upgraded to an international plan. These days, with smart phones & data, you could find yourself with a hefty bill without even realizing how you got there.

Here are some tips on avoiding data charges, as well as still using your phone freely without worry!

SWITCH TO AIRPLANE MODE
From there, you can turn your wifi on - but this way, you'll avoid accidentally using data.

TURN EVERYTHING OFF
Make sure your data is off, off, OFF!
Voice, Data & International Roaming - Settings -> Cellular -> Roaming -> (switch all 3 off)
Cellular Data - Settings -> Cellular -> Cellular Data (switch off)

DO YOUR WIFI RESEARCH
There are lists of free spots with wifi. It's also great to do some research before you go. Does your hotel/Airbnb/flight have wifi? Is it free? Is it pay per use, per minute, per day? Be sure to check out cafes nearby where you're staying and where you're planning to go. Is there a cafe by the Colosseum with wifi to decide where to head to next? It can easily be done with a little planning.

FACETIME / FACETIME AUDIO
If you're traveling without best friends and loved ones (perhaps without your spouse or children!), you'll miss them dearly. You can FaceTime over wifi for free, which you probably know. If you don't feel like staring at anyone (or you're multi tasking while getting ready), you can use FaceTime Audio. It's basically a speaker-phone-only phone call.... but it's free on wifi!
Please note, this is iPhone to iPhone only.

OFFLINE APPS
Some apps require you to be online... but many don't. There are some shortcuts! Apps like Google Maps are useful when you travel, but aren't worth the data plan they'd require. If you use Google Maps while still on WIFI, then type in "ok maps" into the search button, it will save that map offline. It can be a lifesaver!

INTERNATIONAL PLANS
If you plan on needing your phone (long term travels or working while you're away), it might be worth switching to an international plan. Call your provider to see what options they have for the country (or countries) you'll be visiting.

There's no reason to end up with a massive surprise phone bill when you get back from your trip, so plan ahead and use the phone to your advantage!
xo

Gift Guide for Travelers: Gifts under $25

It's that time of year... we're all shopping for family, friends, husbands, co workers and the lot. That's where gift guides come in handy!

This gift guide is filled with gifts for the traveler in your life. These are all gifts that are compact, help in packing, aid in travel, and overall make trips easier... and easy on your wallet since they're all under $25 :)

1 - Vapur Element Bottle / 2 - Nerdwax / 3 - SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus 2GB Card / 4 - Birchbox Subscription / 5 - eBags Packing Cubes / 6 - Anker Lipstick-Sized Portable External Battery Charger

Vapur
I've shared before how much I love this little water bottle. It packs up easily when you're done (or going through airport security) and it pays for itself when you avoid buying 4 bottles of water after the TSA pat down. 

Nerdwax
If you wear glasses (prescription, fake, sun or otherwise), this is a great product for you. A natural beeswax product that you put on the bridge of your glasses so they don't slide constantly. It's amazing, and made locally in Nashville!

SD Cards
These aren't just any SD cards... they flip out and automatically become a USB. They're handy for travelers in 2 ways - you can leave the cord behind if you want to transfer photos on the go, and you can use this as a jump drive if you need to save a document for some reason. This feature has been so handy over the years, I'll never use another normal SD camera card again.

Birchbox
Customized to your own profile (curly hair, combination skin, loves nail polish, hates new perfume, and so on), it's a great way to get fun, new beauty products in travel size. Every month I receive new travel sized hair products, BB creme, dry shampoo and more. It's the best!

eBags
I've said it a dozen times before: packing cubes are the BEST way to pack light & maximize your space in a suitcase or backpack. This multi-pack has a small, medium & large. I use them every time I travel & they're a game changer! They're also super helpful for staying organized when you're living out of a suitcase.

Anker Charger
This is a lifesaver for work when I was on set all day. It charges my phone almost two full times from a dead battery. It charges my iPad about 1.25 times. Long road trip, international flight... any time you're bored & draining your battery... this charger is clutch. It's the size of a lipstick so you've always got room. 

These are my favorite gifts for travelers under $25! I hope you find the perfect gift for the traveler in your life :)

xo

Other Gift Guides!

Gifts Guide for Her Under $25

Gifts Guide for Him Under $25

Gift Gide for Travelers Under $25

Gift Guide for 12 Stocking Stuffers Under $12

Dear Southwest - Why Can't I Find Your Mobile Boarding Pass?

Dear Southwest,

You pride yourself on being a "green" airline with your numerous Environmental Initiatives - and I appreciate them greatly! I respect that you separate your recycling from garbage in flight, adding winglets to help with fuel economy, etc. HOWEVER - I think you're missing a major opportunity in the vein of being green.

When I used your app for online check in last week, I was certain my request wasn't processing - why wasn't it showing me a mobile boarding pass? (After all, that's why I love Passbook!)

After a few tries, I hopped on my laptop with the same result. I couldn't find ANY way to retrieve a boarding pass without printing it at home or in the airport. According to your FAQ's, you offer them. But I couldn't receive a mobile boarding pass despite my best efforts. On top of this, apparently you haven't updated your app to work with Passbook (you say it will be texted or emailed - but this never happened). This means every passenger with Southwest is printing a boarding pass at home, work or airport kiosk. Let's check some numbers.

According to your website, the following averages exist:

• 3,600 flights daily
• 138 seats per flight
• 21.1 Million flights have been booked in the last 12 months

Based on these numbers, you have the capacity of 496,800 passengers per day if all seats are full. Even if it's only an average of 75% full (just for arguments sake... but I haven't been on a plane less than 90% full in the last 5 years), it's approximately 372,600 passengers. 

That means between 1.36 and 1.81 MILLION flights are taken per year on your airline alone.... and every single passenger is printing at least one piece of paper per flight. And that's just in one year.

Why isn't this option being pushed? Why is it like pulling teeth? For someone like myself who is interested in the option, it shouldn't have been so impossible to accomplish. 

A few easy ways to get people to use your mobile boarding pass option:

• Reminder in their "Your Flight is Around the Corner!" email
• Emails are sent automatically
• Prompting them via online check in
• This never happened during my check in. Why not?
• Airport kiosk staff suggesting it to passengers 
• Would help decrease the line for passengers w/carry on bags, would speed up check in time for others

These options cost you nothing once the app is modified. It will save you money and help our environment. 

Come on, guys. It's 2014. And if "being green" is as important to you as I think it is, save the trees! Make it obvious for those who will use it! Let's fast track this party so we can keep our boarding passes in Passbook. 

What do you think? Do you use mobile boarding passes or Passbook?

xo

How to Use Passbook On Your iPhone For Travel

Leaving for Chicago in just a few hours - I can't wait! 

I checked in for my flight last night and had a revelation - I use an app for every trip that I think most people ignore.

Now, if you're a human and you own an iPhone, you're probably annoyed with the handful of apps you're FORCED to have on your phone (Stocks! Why do I need this??!?). However, I'm here to tell you about the one I LOVE and how it makes traveling easier.

Enter: Passbook. 

I know a lot of you have never used Passbook before, and you're definitely not alone! It's a breezy way to get organized for any upcoming travel, and it's been a huge help to me. 

1 - Flights

We live in a digital age -- why are we still printing boarding passes?

Most major airline have apps available. Create a frequent flyer number, download their app and login. You can change your seats, check in - and voila! - obtain your boarding pass. 

Click "ADD" in the top right corner and it will be auto saved into Passbook.

You can change your settings (use that "i" button at the bottom right), but mine is set to pop up on my home screen automatically beginning two hours prior to my flight. So security checkpoint & boarding the plan are really simple and there's no searching through your phone when your place comes up in line.

2 - Lodging 

Airbnb as well as some major hotels (Starwood is an example) give the option to download & save your itinerary to Passbook. 

This includes all of your check in/check out times, location and any instructions you might need.

3 - Events

Fandango, Ticketmaster, MLB, and LivingSocial all work hand in hand with Passbook. When traveling for a concert (like this weekend!) my Ticketmaster purchase was ready to go. No worries if I left the tickets at home or still had the confirmation in my email.

Passbook allows you to tweak each "app" within it to decide when you want it to pop up. For example, turn it off so your Starbucks or Sephora cards don't pester you every time you're within 50 ft of a mall. But I love the ease of having my boarding pass ready to go at all times on busy travel days!

Learn more about Passbook here.

Well... I'm off to the airport for the first time in almost a month. Think they missed me?

Do you use Passbook or any other travel apps? 

xo

Travel Necessities: What's In My Carry On

1: Bobino Cord Wrap // 2: Larabar // 3: Vapur Collapsable 

Water Bottle // 4: West Elm Travel Set (sold out) // 5: iPad with Smart Cover

You literally won't find me on a plane without these things. 

After years of overpacking on the "what if's" (read: scarves & shoes) and leaving out some essentials (like a snack), I think I've finally mastered it. But the great thing about every item up there is that 

Bombino Cord Wrap

You can find similar alternatives to this little cord keeper, and any of them will do. But I will so that I love grabbing my headphones and not spending 15 minutes sorting out the tangles every time I want to use them.

Larabar

Once again, this is personal preference. But I find that short flights (like the one-hour-and-some-change Nashville to Chicago) is always the time I'm the most ravenous. Since gems like American Airlines don't even serve a crummy little bag of peanuts or pretzels anymore, it's wise to have something to much on! I find granola bars are a good choice because they can live in your purse for a quite a while and still be edible. Almonds are another go to. I personally prefer Larabars because they  contain very few ingredients, and all of which can be read without a translator & purchased easily at a grocery store (the coconut one has: dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews, and extra virgin coconut oil. THAT'S LITERALLY IT.)

Vapur

I'll never forget the day I invented this. I was sick of buying bottles of water when I was out, but also sick of carrying around a HUGE reusable canteen or Nalgene just incase I was thirsty. I thought to myself, "What if there was a re-usable Capri Sun type bottle that I could fill up with water, and leave flat in my purse when I wasn't using it?!" I swore I was going to be a millionaire.... until I googled it and found out it was already invented. Dang it. Well, if I'm not going to be rich, I'm just glad it's already a thing, because I use it constantly. I got mine on Amazon (certain colors go on sale from time to time).

Travel Set

I've found that being short on airplanes comes at an advantage & a disadvantage. The advantage? Leg room is not an issue for me. However, my head is always being pushed forward/down by the headrest, because it's where everyone else's necks are. A neck pillow seemed like a nice option, but the inflatable ones were sticky plastic and the plush ones took up too much space... so I just skipped it. UNTIL I found this great set at West Elm! The jersey knit cover makes it soft, but the pillow itself is a blow up... best of both worlds! It's awesome. The West Elm set is sold out, but here's a similar one.

iPad Mini & Smart Case

I never thought I'd get an iPad, especially a mini one (I'm definitely one of those people who thought they were just oversized phones), but I'm so glad we have it. On trips where we're only doing light work, we just use that instead of hauling a laptop. Plus, the iPad can have books, movies, magazines (all Condé Nast magazines include a free digital subscription!), and the battery lasts forever. We load it up with movie rentals from Amazon & use the Smart Case to prop it up. The Smart Case was a non negotiable to me when we decided on getting an iPad. But, we're cheap, so we got one off eBay that came with a hard case for the back, too. 

So there you have it! Those are my essentials. Do you use any of these when you travel? Think it's over the top? What are your must-haves?

Gifts Ideas for Him

I'm sure I can't be the only one around here who has a husband I find difficult to shop for.

First of all, he's extremely practical (unless it comes to cars and motorcycles!).
He's picky.
And if he wanted it, he probably bought it for himself already!

Not to mention.... our anniversary, his birthday, and Christmas are all within a microscopic six-week window.

What's a girl to do?

I've been scouring the internet trying to find some ideas of what to get my hard-to-gift guy, and this is what i've come up with.

The Gift of Drink

Whisky Stones - $20

buy here

These little stones keep your whisky cool without watering it down. An excellent invention.

-OR-

IPA Beer Making Kit - $45

buy here

Williams-Sonoma knew what they were doing - now tempting your guy in for a cooking class won't be so hard if he knows they sell Beer Making Kits! Perfect for a guy who loves to do it himself or try new things, who also likes beer. Win-win.

The Gift of Travel Accessories

Patagonia Fuego Backpack - $89

buy here

This 32L backpack is great for hiking, a weekend trip, or a good carry on. The size is great for the price, as a lot of more technical backpacks are north of $150. This is a steal.

-OR-

Everlane's Reverse Denim Weekender Bag - $95

buy here

This bag is beautifully crafted, and is the perfect carry on size for a weekend tote. The best part about this bag (in my opinion) is that you can steal it from time to time and use as your own weekend tote! I'm particularly fond of the reverse denim, it looks so sleek and unisex.

The Gift of Technology 

iPod Nano Watch Set - $24 (Would make sense if he already has a Nano)

buy here

This is one of the most practical gifts for guys! Perfect for a traveler or a runner. The wrist band attaches perfectly to your iPod Nano and appears to be a normal watch... until you're ready to listen to music! There are many varieties of color and style. This leather one sticks out to me because it can easily go from guys night, to an important meeting, to date night with you. Matt particularly is a watch fanatic, so this invention might save me!

-OR-

Roku Streaming Device - $49

buy here

Roku is a great little device for those of us that have Nexflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime but don't have an XBOX to stream them through our TV. Roku changes all that. Simply hook up to your TV and choose your 'channels', and you're good to go! A common misconception is that you pay for a Roku subscription, and that isn't true. You only pay for the services you want (Hulu, Netflix, etc). Bonus, you can rent movies on Amazon (from a computer) and then view them from your TV as well. Goodbye expensive iTunes rentals and sifting through awful Redbox options! Who need cable, after all?

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Beer of the Month Club - $24/month

buy here

New craft beers get delivered every month. He will of course love you forever, and probably start checking the mail daily.

-OR-

Birchbox for Men - $20/month

buy here

I personally LOVE getting my Birchbox every month (confession: i'm a beauty product addict!), all of the samples are so fun. And they lead me to new products i've been missing out on! The boy-box is similar, but they actually get less product and more 'stuff'. Friends have received sunglasses, journals, wallets and more. It's a steal at $20 a month.

Do you have a hard to shop for spouse or boyfriend? I'm open to any ideas!

xo