For almost five years I have paid for all of my travel expenses (except for flights) with a personal Citi card. Each month or so, I would sit down for a few hours and file my expenses. Yes, it was a pain in the neck. But over five years I’ve probably gotten close to a hundred thousand airline miles. A nice perk!

Recently, however, my company changed over to a corporate card. Supposedly doing expenses will be easier, but we’ll still have to file expense reports. But we won’t get any more miles! I understand why the company is doing this, but I’m pretty unhappy about it. Of course, there is nothing I can do about it. Sigh. It made me curious though. How many companies use corporate cards? Is it just the bigger companies, or smaller ones too? My company has about five thousand employees, so we’re not huge. I guess we are large enough, with a large enough amount of required travel, for this to make a difference.

So, Readers: How do you pay for travel? Any words of wisdom you would like to share?

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I recently found some very cute organic cotton pieces from an unexpected place: Gaiam. If you do yoga, you have probably heard of this company. They make a lot of yoga mats and accessories, among other things. It never occurred to me that I could find work-appropriate clothing there. True, it’s on the more casual side, but there are definitely a few items I plan to incorporate into rotation. Their clothing is soft, made of sustainable materials such as organic cotton and bamboo, and very reasonably priced. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Open Cardigan comes in several colors and would be great on an airplane. It’s made of organic cotton and rayon from bamboo, and would work equally well with slacks or a dress.

I love the Grecian Tunic, a very interesting longer-length blouse. If you paired it with a shorter length cardigan and slim black pants it would be very stylish for the office (and comfy for the plane!) but would be equally cute with jeans for the weekend.

The Organic Cotton Tee is made from 100% Certified Organic Cotton. It comes in three colors, has a high-ish neck, and a thick weight. A great basic tee for under a suit or cardigan.

There are also a number of more casual pieces, like the Wide Banded Skirt and Organic Cotton Stretch Cami, that would be perfect for the weekend. It never occurred to me to shop for clothes at a yoga supply store, I will be adding this site to my favorites and checking it regularly. Cute organic cotton for good prices? Win!

Building a Business Travel Wardrobe is a new series here on Road Warriorette. The focus will be on the key pieces a woman needs to build a wardrobe that is ideal for travel. Based on the “capsule” wardrobe model, each week will feature an item that is professional, stylish, and that travels well.

Finding fabulous separates for business travel is much easier than finding suits. The pants or skirt do not need to match anything other than a top, which allows for more flexibility and a lot more choices. I still recommend that they are in the same neutral “family”, so for example pack a gray skirt with black slacks, or a brown skirt and taupe slacks. It’s best, though not required, that all pairs of shoes match with all bottoms, just in case.

When shopping for business casual clothes for travel, the key elements to look for are very similar to those for suits:

• Neutral color. Neutral bottoms go with the greatest amount of tops. Also, as mentioned above, try to stick to the same color family to make coordinating shoes, blouses, and accessories easier. Look for your most flattering neutral, such as black, gray, brown, taupe, or navy.
• Anti-wrinkle. The last thing you want to do after you’ve been traveling all day is to spend an hour ironing your pants.. When searching for a slacks or a skirt, look for terms like “wrinkle free” or “no iron”.
• Comfort and fit. Make sure that anything you plan to travel in fits you well, and is comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. If those pants are great while you’re standing but make it hard to breathe when you sit, don’t pack them!

Slacks and skirts that are work appropriate and great for travel can be found virtually anywhere. Nordstrom, Talbots, and Banana Republic are my personal favorites. Ann Taylor, TravelSmith, Macy’s, and even Old Navy for those on a budget also have a variety of options.

The whole Theory line from Nordstrom is incredibly cute, well tailored, and perfect for any work situation. I am in love with the Max C Cohesion pants and the Golda – Tailor pencil skirt.

Macy’s has some really great stuff at very reasonable prices. I am digging this black Jones New York pencil skirt (and the top it’s styled with!) for a traditional look,  and the AGB Box Pleat skirt for something unexpected.

For the extremely budget conscious, Old Navy has some fashionable basics for little money. The Essential Wide-Leg Trouser is $29.50 and comes in three colors.

Two weeks ago I traveled to California. Before I left, I made sure I had everything I needed. Pashmina? Check. Laptop? Check. Wallet? Check. Etc. Until I got to the airport, where I realized I forgot one of the most important things I needed to make my long flight bearable: my headphones.

It certainly wasn’t the first time. Why do I always do this? Is it because I use different purses when I’m not traveling, and so have to transfer things back? Is it because they are small? Maybe because I have to use them when working so they get moved around a lot?

I ended up spending $10 at the airport to get another pair. Since I don’t do a lot of conference calls when I’m on the road I don’t necessarily need my actual iPhone earbuds, so the cheapies will work just fine. I think at this point I have four pairs of cheap ones floating around my house. Maybe I will put one of those earbuds in each of my potential travel purses so I will never be without them again. Because the only way to drown out the guy snoring behind you is with music.

Readers, what is the one thing you need that you always forget?

Don’t forget about our contest! Win a two-night stay at a Country Inn & Suites of your choice.

In support of the current “Country Means Business” promotion, Road Warriorette will be featuring a weekly sponsored post on behalf of Country Inns & Suites and has been compensated by Country Inns & Suites for her contribution.

The day you have been waiting for is here! I am giving away two two-night stays at the Country Inns & Suites of your choice! How to win? Write a comment to this post about the following: What is your best tip for a new business traveler? Then two people who commented will be chosen by a random drawing on Thursday, March 3, with the winners announced on March4. So easy!!! Only one entry per person.

Legal disclaimers: This giveaway is not run, sponsored, or administered by Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. Country Inns & Suites may use or publish any comment posted here. The Free NightVouchers are subject to additional terms and conditions as set forth on each Voucher.

Here are my own favorite tips for new travelers.

Clothes:

• Try to build your travel wardrobe around a single color. If all of your clothes match with black pants (or brown), it is that much easier to pack. It is also much easier to get dressed in the morning! And you will need to bring fewer pairs of shoes.
• Flat, slip-on shoes are best for day of travel. They allow you to move quickly through the airport, go easily through security, and be comfortable on the plane.
• Bring a scarf or pashmina for the plane–use it as a blanket, pillow, or whatever you need.
• If you can at all avoid it, don’t bring anything that wrinkles or that you have to iron. There are plenty of stylish clothes available that don’t require ironing!

For the plane:

• Don’t throw your bag in an overhead bin that is way in front of your seat if you can at all help it. It’s rude to the people sitting below that bin.
• If it’s a long flight, bring an eye mask and earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.
• Make sure you have something to entertain you on the plane—don’t anticipate working the entire time unless you know that you will!
• Bring snacks. Nuts, granola bars, and veggies all travel well and satisfy hunger.

Packing:

• I bring my own shampoo/conditioner, since I travel so much if I use the random products the hotel puts out my hair acts crazy. I fill up travel bottles from my full size products, but great sources of travel sizes are Sephora and 3floz.com.
• Eagle Creek packing cubes are so helpful for the small items (underwear, socks, hose, etc); they will help you save a ton of space.
• I have three small bags for my toiletries–one for liquids (that gets taken out at security), one for non-liquids (toothbrush, deodorant, etc), and one for make-up. This allows me to fit them in my suitcase wherever they will go instead of taking up a lot of room
• Don’t bring full size (or even travel size!) beauty products. Use spare contact lens cases for small amounts of liquids, such as face soap, moisturizer, eye makeup remover, etc.

General Tips

• Emergen-C! I take it every day when I travel, sometimes twice.
• I use my White Noise iPhone app a lot in hotels, especially when the walls are thin, there is a highway outside nearby, or the air-conditioning unit is super loud.

Now is your chance! Share some of the knowledge you have amassed in your years of business travel. What is your best business travel tip for a newbie? What does business, and business travel, mean to you? Good luck!

I have a love-hate relationship with my email box right now. I love that I keep getting emails about new collections and sales, and I get to see cute clothes when I wake up every day. But I hate that it makes me want to shop all. the. time. Darn you Nordstrom! When I mentioned this conundrum to my sister, she said, “Why don’t you tell them not to email you anymore?” What?? Not get these emails anymore? To be honest, I think the love outweighs the hate at this time. Plus, um, I need to see the clothes for my blog. Yeah, that’s it! For my blog.

Right now, Nordstrom has some lovely, well priced cardigans in happy spring colors. They are not on sale – the regular price is $44. Seems like a steal, even without a sale! With the 3/4 sleeve length, close fit, and variety of colors available, this cardigan may be my spring travel staple. I like the way the cardigan in this photo is styled, with an interesting white blouse and “pumice” pencil skirt (substitute slacks for a travel day). Simple, yet polished. Add some brightly colored flats and you are ready to go!

Building a Business Travel Wardrobe is a new series here on Road Warriorette. The focus will be on the key pieces a woman needs to build a wardrobe that is ideal for travel. Based on the “capsule” wardrobe model, each week will feature an item that is professional, stylish, and that travels well.

When building a travel capsule wardrobe, the foundation piece is the suit. It is the clothing item that all of your outfits are built on, and I can’t overstate its importance. When shopping for a suit, don’t settle! There are so many types, colors, and price points out there that I really believe there is something for everyone. If you find something that is close, take it to a tailor so it will be as perfect as possible.

I know that not everyone who travels for work is required to wear a suit, so next week’s post will be on business casual.

The features to look for when searching for a travel suit:

• Neutral color. While a suit needs to look professional, it does not need to be distinctive. It also has to coordinate with different tops, so neutral is best. Look for your most flattering neutral, such as black, gray, brown, taupe, or navy.
• Anti-wrinkle. The last thing you want to do after you’ve been traveling all day is to spend an hour ironing your suit. Of course, you also don’t want to arrive at the office in wrinkled pants and jacket. When searching for a suit look for terms like “wrinkle free” or “no iron”.
• Comfort and fit. Make sure that your suit fits you well, and is comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. It took me a long time to find a suit I could comfortably travel in, but they do exist!
• Multiple pieces. This is standard suit buying advice: look for a suit that has a jacket, pants, skirt, and even a dress. This way you can pack (and buy!) less but still have many different outfits.

Tip: If you need to pack your suit jacket, check out Corporette’s “How To Fold a Suit Jacket” video.

I love the Elie Tahari Exclusive for Nordstrom suits. They come in black and gray, are simple, well priced, well made, and shouldn’t wrinkle. (And I think the Simone pants in the grayish “Chestnut Malange” are so fabulous!) The black version has both pants and a skirt.

TravelSmith has suits designed specifically for travel. Some of their stuff is a little….ahem…..matronly. But they have a few very cute items, and tailoring can help you get a more fitted look.

Talbots has suiting for many sizes, including petite and plus. They also offer several colors of suits with multiple pieces, including skirts, pants, and dresses.

Banana Republic and Ann Taylor often have lovely suits. A word of caution: be careful the skirt isn’t too short.

Suit shopping can be daunting, but it can be done! Once you’ve got your suit in hand, the hardest part of creating a travel capsule wardrobe is over. After that, it’s fun shopping all the time!

Right after I got married, I started a new job, which involved a lot of travel. After my first trip (remember the four outfits and super full suitcase?) I needed to figure out how to pack for work trips moving forward. The pendulum eventually swung very far the other way, resulting in a year long period where I took the easiest possible route when traveling.

My uniform became black stretchy pants that were professional and traveled well but weren’t super flattering, a company shirt, and serviceable but not fun shoes. Yes, it was easy. Packing was simple, getting dressed was fast, and nothing wrinkled. But I felt boring. Frumpy. Matronly! For years I had been interested in fashion, shopping was a sport, and I planned my outfits a week in advance, coordinating down to the earrings. But once I started traveling, my life got busy in an unfamiliar way.

I almost feel like I became a shell of myself. Or, more accurately, my personality retreated and there was a layer of frump covering the interesting parts. This all sounds very dramatic, and you may be wondering how it ties in to clothes.  All I know is that looking back on that year  I hardly recognize myself, physically and mentally. I gained weight, I stopped doing my hair and settled for ponytails every day, I didn’t do anything fun with makeup….. I felt bad about myself. I remember being on a plane and looking down at the shoes of the woman next to me, fabulous purple flats with jewels. As I looked at them I realized how long it had been since I had made an effort with my appearance at work, and thought, What has happened to me?

I don’t know what happened, but after a trip to Chicago to see my sisters in November of 2007 things started to change. I started eating better and got back into yoga, so lost some weight. That made finding new clothes fun, and getting dressed a joy instead of a chore. It didn’t happen overnight – I still wore those terrible company shirts, and sometimes the stretch pants, but I wore cute black ballet flats and found some fabulous earrings. The next step: I got some new slacks – still black, but actual slacks that were flattering. Later I bought my favorite magenta flats (which I still wear all the time) and became a little more adventurous with my outfits. A light teal cardigan over a gray blouse with teal and pink dots? Yes please! 2008 ended with a newly red and significantly shorter hairstyle, exchanging my black work purse for a brightly colored one, and amping up my makeup routine. I felt like a new woman!

The sense of confidence I now feel is still a joy to experience. I know that sometimes the path of least resistance is so tempting, and making the the effort is so much work.  If you are struggling with the extra effort, don’t give up! I’ve been there, I know how it feels. But it is so worth it to know that you look good, and feeling secure and confident about yourself will make those long travel days just a little bit brighter. You can do it!

In support of the current “Country Means Business” promotion, Road Warriorette will be featuring a weekly sponsored post on behalf of Country Inns & Suites and has been compensated by Country Inns & Suites for her contribution.

When I mentioned to friends that I would be writing some sponsored posts for Country Inns & Suites, the reactions were very similar. “I love that place!” “They’re so cozy!” “I’ve stayed there, it’s great!” Of course I had to go see for myself! The folks at Country Inn & Suites, San Marcos, TX were kind enough to let the Home Warrior and I stay the night last week so I could check it out.

During my stay, I kept my eye out for several specific things that appeal to road warriors.  Here are some of the particulars:

Nice entry. In contrast to an apparent hotel trend of large, open areas, the shared areas are divided into smaller spaces. The effect was quite homey! The lobby has a couch and a few chairs gathered around a fireplace, with books available for borrowing on the shelves. The breakfast area was a separate room. All of this gave the impression of visiting a house, instead of a hotel. In addition, the porch outside the hotel has rocking chairs, which is a nice touch.

Free internet. This particular franchise had free wifi, which was great. Home Warrior was able to use his iPhone on the network with no trouble, while I used my computer. It was easy to set up and the speed was good.

Comfortable rooms. We had a suite with a sitting room, bath, and a king bed in the bedroom. There were flat screen TVs in both rooms with free HBO (which was a nice treat since we don’t get that at home). The bathroom was serviceable, with the expected amenities. There was also a little bar area, with a coffee maker, mini fridge, and microwave. The bed was very comfortable, as was the furniture in the sitting room. There was plenty of room on the desk for my laptop and files.

The one thing lacking was an ottoman in the sitting area. I know it’s super picky, but I like to put my feet up when I’m working or reading. My husband solved this by bringing over the office chair to use as an ottoman. Works for me!

Good breakfast. Breakfast is not required, but if a hotel advertises breakfast as an amenity I want it to be hot and, more importantly, tasty. The breakfast at this Country Inn & Suites had an array of offerings, including cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, pastries, eggs, sausage, biscuits, and potatoes. I loved it! I really enjoyed my biscuit and sausage, and Home Warrior loved the cinnamon rolls. The coffee was hot and fresh, and they even had Splenda for coffee. I give two thumbs up for breakfast!

Knowledgeable desk staff. The front desk staff was efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly. Upon arrival they offered us a detailed map of local attractions and restaurant recommendations. When I realized I had run out of toothpaste (d’oh!) they had a replacement available.

Pool /fitness area. The indoor pool and accompanying hot tub were impressively large. Spacious and well lit, and the fitness room was a pleasant surprise. There were several types of cardio equipment, as well as free weights and a weight machine. The flat screen TV was large enough to be seen from all sides of the room.

Overall, I highly recommend Country Inn & Suites for business travelers. They have all the amenities road warriors need, with enough extra comforts to make them feel at home. Combined with their fair prices and excellent rewards program, this is a great option for your next work trip. Check it out for yourself-book your next trip at www.countryinns.com.

During a recent overnight trip, I realized that I may need a short suitcase. Until now I have always used my normal sized rollaboard suitcase, regardless of length of trip or how much I am taking. But for that particular trip, my suitcase wasn’t even half full! So while I was traveling I looked around to see what other people had. I saw several short suitcase, but it looked like people were using them as wheeled briefcases, not carrying their clothes.

So my question to you is, do you have a short suitcase? Do you use it as a briefcase or for clothing? Do you recommend that I get one? My main reason for not getting one is that I am running out of room for storing travel-related items, so it has to be worthy of the closet space and therefore super useful for me to bite the bullet.

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