It’s so easy to get caught up in the craziness of the holidays. Between parties, visitors, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and traveling, the most wonderful time of the year can also be the most stressful time of the year. Girlfriendology, the online community celebrating female friendship, has put together a free eBook with tips and tricks for managing the hectic end of year. Topics include:

• Tips for getting the perfect gift
• Holiday baking
• How to be less stressed
• Having a more meaningful holiday

and…..

• Six Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Travel by Road Warriorette!

I’m super excited to be included in this eBook, and can’t wait to take a few quiet minutes to start reading it. Click here to download it for free.

On Friday at 2 EST I will be on Girlfriendology Radio talking about holiday travel! Check it out!

And the big winner of the USA Network Covert Affairs gift pack is…..Mariah!

My most exciting story is traveling to London and Paris with 20 college students. After the same student burnt out her hair straightener, broke the pull-handle on her 50 lb suitcase, left her purse with brand new camera, passport and all money on the Chunnel, left her cell phone at security in O’Hare, and had the door of the plane shut in front of her because it was over-sold, I now make my students take Travel Boot Camp before we get on the plane.

Congratulations Mariah! Great travel story.

Thanks everyone for participating! You all have very exciting lives. Look for more contests coming up soon!

Aliza and Danielle being interviewed for .tv

You guys have heard a lot from my experience at Blog World, but I haven’t shared everything. One of the best workshops I attended was about empowering women to be public speakers, run by Aliza Sherman, Jill Foster, and Danielle Smith. Aliza and Danielle recently wrote MOM, Incorporated, about how to have a family and start your own business (which I bought, am currently in the middle of, and loving. I will review soon!). When I spoke to them, they were wrapping up a six week book tour. Of course I had to take the opportunity to ask these accomplished road warriorettes a few questions!

RW: You’ve been on the road for six weeks. What are your tips for being on the road a long time?

Aliza: I learned that it would be so nice to be independently wealthy. To have an entourage, Sherpa included. (laughs) Here’s a good tip: Amtrak has something called red-cap service. You can call in advance and tell them what train you’re on, and they will wait for you and be there ready to get your stuff.

RW: So it’s like an entourage!

A: Yes!

Danielle: That’s where the joke about having an entourage came from, because we had so much trouble with all of our bags. Our bags were packed with books, so they were extremely heavy. We had a red-cap help us in New York, and when we told him we were going to Philadelphia he called ahead and had someone waiting to help us.

A: He came onto the train and helped us with all of our stuff! It was a great thing that we had no idea existed.

D: Sometimes they don’t wear their red caps, and that can be highly confusing. Go to the information desk if you don’t see one and they will help you find them.

A: Another tip: travel with someone who has a great accessories bag. Then they can decorate with you with bracelets and necklaces and you look totally awesome.

RW: So find a friend with good taste and travel with them.

A: Yes! That’s the best tip ever. Read more of this article »

It’s early in the week, but there are already some interesting travel stories out there.

CNN has an interesting look into the future of airport security. What does the future hold? Well, thermal lie detector tests and cloned drug and illness sniffing puppies, for starters. Yowza!

Worried about keeping clean on the road? MSNBC has a roundup of some very interesting products designed to keep you refreshed, germ free, and, well, less smelly.

Nuts About Southwest has a post with details about Southwest Airline’s long awaited Rapid Rewards Shopping. Today only earn double points when using the portal. Yay shopping!

Don’t forget to tell us about your most exciting travel experience! You could win an awesome Covert Affairs gift set valued at over $200. Enter here!!

This year for Thanksgiving, my mother’s entire family is going to her house for dinner. This amounts to about thirty people, including my immediate family, plus my grandmother, uncles, aunts, cousins and their kids. Because there are so many people, everyone is bringing something for the meal so no one person is responsible for feeding all of those people. My mom is super brave, regardless, to invite all of those people to eat and figure out the logistics for feeding a horde. Emails have been flying back and forth for over a week, deciding on the menu and who is bringing what. One of my cousins who is flying in on Thursday morning was planning to bring a pie. What kind? I don’t know, and may never know, because last night she called and said TSA wouldn’t allow pies so she was going to bring brownies.

Now, you may not know this about me, but I love pie. Love. It. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays simply because of the expected pie abundance. Pumpkin, pecan, cherry, peach, apple, lemon, chocolate, buttermilk chess (yummmmmm), I love them all. Including my cousin’s pie, there were going to be four pies that I knew about, which was super exciting. But the TSA wanted to ruin all that and take our pie numbers down to 3? That means with 30 people, 10 people have to  split one pie? If we had four pies, that means we would have less than 8 people per pie, which is a much more preferable ratio. This sounds like a Thanksgiving tragedy in the making! Okay maybe not tragedy. But still. Brownies are good, but you can have those any time! I want my pie!!

Thinking of the TSA we all know, forbidding pies didn’t seem like much of a stretch. They don’t allow almond butter or hummus, and I guess a pumpkin pie was liquid at one time, so why should they let that through? Trying to figure out their reasoning made my brain hurt, so I just went to the TSA blog, where I got a surprise. According to the TSA blog, pies are allowed through airport security!!

“Pies are permitted, but they are subject to additional screening if our officers see any anomalies. (Additional screening of pies does not include our officers tasting the pie, no matter what they tell you…)”

Wow! Pies and a sense of humor! It’s like TSA had a personality transplant. I am calling my cousin today and telling her to make that pie! We shall see if they actually let it through….. Just don’t show up at the airport with your Jello mold. Unless it’s set, of course

I just discovered this show, and I have to say, it’s awesome. In Covert Affairs, Piper Perabo stars as Annie Walker, a CIA newbie who must balance her complicated personal life with a professional life that’s anything but boring. With episodes filmed on location in some of Europe’s most beautiful and interesting cities, the scenery is almost as exciting as Annie’s fabulous outfits. The chemistry between characters is great, and the storyline just keeps getting better. Check out new episodes on USA Network tonight and every Tuesday at 10/9c.

USA Network has given me a fabulous prize for one lucky reader: a Covert Affairs Jetset Pack! It’s worth over $200 and includes:

• Custom Travel Bag
• Red Leather Passport Holder
• Red Leather Luggage Tag
• World Travel Clock
• Season 1 Covert Affairs DVD
• T-Shirt

To enter, write a comment answering the following: What is your most exciting travel story? We will draw a winner at random on Monday November 28. Open to US residents only (sorry international readers!!).

If you haven’t been keeping up with Annie Walker’s adventures every Tuesday, here is a series recap:

Amazing, right? Check it out! It’s a great show.

Legal Stuff: The prize was provided by USA Network, but USA Network is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this giveaway. Contest open to US residents only.

We have a winner for the Courtyard Marriott contest. They will be announced once they’ve been notified. Thanks to everyone who participated!!

You could win 2 nights in a Courtyard Marriott! I will be drawing the winner today at 3pm CST. Enter to win here!!

The past six weeks have been very travel-heavy. I was gone every week, sometimes twice a week, culminating in the last week where I flew on 12 separate flights. This proved to be too much for my sinuses, and now I’ve got a sinus infection and am on a two week regimen of antibiotics. By definition, road warriors are around situations that can make them sick all the time—lots of people, dry airplane air, frequent pressure changes, etc. Sinus infections specifically are caused when the membranes in your nose and sinuses become irritated and then inflamed, caused by allergens, dust, or exposure to dry or cold air. This leads to a host of things, eventually resulting a buildup of bacteria. Sometimes after a lot of travel our bodies get run down, and we can’t help but get sick. But there are a few things you can do to help your body avoid sinus infections as much as possible.

1. Wash your hands. Standard advice during cold and flu season, but remember to wash up often. Sinus infections can result from lingering colds, and washing hands helps prevent colds. This is even more important for frequent travelers.
2. Drink hot liquids. Drinking hot tea (black, green, or herbal, it doesn’t matter) and soup can help keep your nasal passages moist. This is especially important while flying—ask for hot water and use your own tea bag to reap the benefits.
3. Get plenty of rest. If you start feeling run down, take some time to rest. Laying around taking it easy for a weekend (or even an evening) can do wonders for your body.
4. Use warm compresses. Lay a warm, damp towel over your eyes and forehead a couple of times a day. It’s not easy to do on the road, but try it right before you go to bed and when you wake up. This helps improve circulation in your sinuses.
5. Use a neti pot. I’ve never done it (honestly I’m a little afraid) but people who use it to irrigate their sinuses swear by it. At this point, I’m considering it and will let you all know how it turns out.
6. Take your vitamins. A good multi-vitamin and vitamin C will help keep your immune system healthy, which will prevent against all types of illness, not just sinus infections. Eating lots of vegetables will also pack you full of nutrients.

Currently, my doctor has me on two weeks of amoxicillin, and she wants me to use Sudafed and Mucinex daily. Luckily, sinus infections aren’t contagious so I can be around others without worrying about getting them sick. I’m going to take it easy this weekend so I can be healthy and ready to go for Thanksgiving. So fellow travelers, take care of yourselves and stay healthy this winter! Being sick is no fun.

Readers, what are your best tips for avoiding sickness?

*Note: Road Warriorette is not a physician, so with any OTC medications be sure to consult your physician.

Sources: BottomLineSecrets and Health.com.