You may have seen the clever ads featuring the always funny Ellen Degeneres during the Oscars. You may have seen the conversations on Twitter and Facebook. Or you may have been to a store and experienced it yourself. JC Penney has a new look, a new feel, and a new pricing structure. And I for one think it’s great. The fine folks at JCP gave me a gift card so I could go check it out for myself, and I was very impressed.

My goal was to refresh my work wardrobe for spring. In my mind, that means bright, vibrant colors, but I’ve been let down the last few seasons by boring neutrals and washed out shades. Not this time! I could not have ordered up a better mix of bold, fabulous hues to inject some life into my winter black. Plus, their new “fair” pricing structure was so easy to work with.  I’m not usually good at math, but even I was able to add up all of my purchases as I went along. Finally, all of the employees were so nice and genuinely happy to be there! It made shopping a real pleasure. I accomplished my goal of great spring work clothes, plus I found some very fun bonus items. Yay!

Here are my favorite finds:

My overall favorite, by far, is the fabulous Belted High-Waist Sateen Skirt by Worthington. The shape is fabulous, I love the pleat in the back, it’s available in several colors, and the price is definitely right. The green is my favorite, with the blue coming in a close second. I really like the way they have shown it in the photo, with black and white, but when I’m in a bright colors mood I will pair it with the yellow Belted Sweater below. (Worthington has another great pencil skirt available in several colors, but it was a tad too short for me. It’s still lovely though!)

Another find—the Belted Sweater Jacket, also from Worthington. It’s a great transition piece for moving from winter to spring, and will work with skirts, slacks, and dresses. I love it with the green pencil skirt above, but it would also be lovely with gray slacks and a teal blouse underneath.

This Bisou Bisou blouse is unfortunately sold out online, but definitely still available in stores. It would be fabulous on its own, or under a cardigan or suit. Plus it just feels so nice!

Even though it’s not a bright color, I love this navy-polka dot dress from American Living. It’s adorable, comfortable, will travel well, and will go with any number of fun accessories. It’s a little low for work, so I’m going to either pin it or wear a navy cami underneath. I plan to top it with my Kelly green cardigan for a fun preppy look, and it would also go well with yellow, red, pink, or purple.

Of course, I had to spend a good amount of time in the shoe section. There are a ton of fun spring espadrilles and wedges (like this adorable a.n.a. MaryAnn wedge), as well as bright heels (like this gorgeous slingback sandal from Studio Paulo). But my first love in shoes will always be flats, and my favorites by far are these color block ballet flats from Nine & Co. I love both versions, the blue/purple as well as the pink/orange. If you need a pair of neutral flats, a pretty gold-beige is also available.

Finally, I spent a lot of time in the jewelry/accessory section, and I will definitely be going back. It was hard to choose between the necklaces, earrings, and scarves….. but I finally narrowed down my favorite to this Mixit Multi-Color Bead necklace. The orange/hot pink/yellow combination will perk up any outfit!

I had so much fun visiting JC Penney, but there was so much to look at that I will have to go back! My local JC Penney is getting a Sephora right inside, which is super exciting to me (more Sephora locations=happy Road Warriorette). The easy pricing structure and fabulous selection (and the clever commercials—love that Ellen!) make the new JC Penney a big winner in my book.

Sometimes while traveling we get so focused and in the zone that we forget we are not the only passengers on the plane. Still, recognizing how to coexist in a metal tube very closely with 150 strangers can make for a better flight for everyone. Here are some of my favorite etiquette tips for air travel.

• When you are standing up to go somewhere, please don’t grab the seat in front of you for balance. Most people, it seems, simply don’t think about this. Every time you touch the seat in front of you, the person sitting there can feel it. Grab your own seat if you need help!
• Let the middle seat have the armrests. You may be tall, have long arms, need a lot of space…. It doesn’t matter. The person in the middle has less space than you, and it makes their flight better if they get the armrest too.
• Respect the crew. If the flight attendant tells you to turn off your cell phone, do it. If they tell you where to put your bag, put it there. The crew is responsible for the transport and safety of over a hundred people. They are not your personal chef, bartender, or secretary.
• Keep your kids corralled. Whatever it takes to keep your kids happy, be it snacks, juice, music, a coloring book, please do it. Don’t let your child kick the seat in front of them! I know sometimes it’s unavoidable, but if it is constant throughout the flight it can get very uncomfortable for the person in that seat.
• Be mindful of reclining. When I posted about whether or not reclining your seat is rude, the results were definitely mixed. If you need to recline your seat, make sure that you don’t keep it reclined the entire flight, especially during food service.
• Watch your bags when going down the aisle. Make sure you know where your purse or briefcase is. It’s so easy to accidentally hit everyone in an aisle seat by simply not paying attention.
• Don’t shout. The background noise on planes is so loud that it can hinder conversations with people around us. But please, don’t shout. The person next to you may be super interested in what you’re saying, but I bet the guy three rows in front of you is trying to work/rest/read, and isn’t worried about all the details of your daughter’s wedding.
• Know your limits. I have definitely enjoyed a glass of wine or two (especially in first class!) on occasion during a flight. Just remember one drink on a plane is equal to two drinks on the ground. So please, know your limits and don’t get super drunk.

Readers, what are your favorite etiquette tips for passengers on a plane? (And watch for the carry-on etiquette round up next week!)

On a recent trip, I parked my car at the off-site facility I use, like normal. I got on the shuttle and rode it to the airport, like normal. Everyone else got off the shuttle at the first stop, and I was the last person still waiting to get dropped off. The shuttle driver was carrying the final suitcase down the stairs, when the passenger stopped him. “Can I ask a favor of you?” he said. (Now, I expected the favor to be something like, “Can I get change for a $20,” or something similarly benign. Um, no.) “I just realized I have a knife in my pocket. I don’t want to take it through security, because I’ll get in trouble. Can you take it and put it in my car?” Then he gave the driver a piece of paper with his parking space number and the code to unlock his car, along with an extra $5.

Wow. I have so many issues with this! First off, I know that I live in Texas. But seriously. How can you not remember you have a knife in your pocket?? This guy was obviously a frequent flier, he should have known better! Second, to give someone that you don’t know the code to get into your car? That just seems incredibly stupid to me! Finally, from the drivers’ perspective, it seems like setting yourself up for a host of problems. What if this is the one time that someone breaks into this guy’s car? Guess who will get blamed?? Oh and one more—it seems like a favor like this is worth way more than $5. But that’s just me.

One alternative was to have the driver take him back to the facility so he could put it back himself. I’ve had to do this once before (I left my phone in my car) and it took less than ten minutes. (BTW I tipped that guy $10 because I was incredibly grateful.) Granted, it’s not a great option if you’re running super short on time. It just seemed so weird!

So friends, my recommendation to you is to leave your knives at home. It just seems to make things much simpler.

Readers, what do you think? Is it a weird request, or am I being overly analytical?

It seems like more and more travelers have TSA friendly laptop cases. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it is a briefcase or bag that opens a certain way, and you don’t have to take your laptop out at security. According to the TSA website, there are a number of guidelines to look for:

• Your laptop bag has a designated laptop-only section that you can lay flat on the X-ray belt
• There are no metal snaps, zippers or buckles inside, underneath or on-top of the laptop-only section
• There are no pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop-only section
• There is nothing in the laptop compartment other than the laptop
• You have completely unfolded your bag so that there is nothing above or below the laptop-only section, allowing the bag to lie flat on the X-ray belt

I guess my main concern with these security friendly bags is that, while they make going through security a little bit easier, as a rule they look rather utilitarian, which is not exactly my style. (Shallow? Maybe. But if you’ve read my blog for any period of time you know I love a nice purse!) So I’m just wondering what you guys are doing. Do you have one of these bags? Why or why not? How’s it going for you?

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A few weeks ago I posted about a friend who forgot her laptop or phone several trips in a row. I have good advice for this issue—don’t forget stuff! But it pains me to say that I do not have a perfect track record myself. I mentioned it in the post a few weeks ago, and have since had several requests for the full story. So here it is.

A couple of years ago, I was headed to El Salvador for a few days of meetings. On the way, I stopped for a night in South Texas to celebrate my grandmother’s 85^th birthday. While planning and preparing for this three night trip, I realized that clothes would be easy—the weather was about the same in both locations. So I made a rookie mistake, and didn’t make a packing list.

Travel that day did not go smoothly. It was raining all over Texas, so my plane was delayed and my parents didn’t make our connecting flight in DFW. As a result, I was a little frazzled when I finally reached McAllen. Once I found my grandmother and cousin, I started to feel better. Yes, I was late, and yes we were going to have to drive back to McAllen to get my parents when they arrived, but in South Texas the sun was shining, the weather was gorgeous, and we were celebrating.

During the thirty minute drive from McAllen to my grandmother’s farm, my cousin (the former flight attendant) was quizzing me about my El Salvador trip. She wanted to know where I was going, where I was staying, how safe it was, etc. Then she started going over her packing list, making sure I had everything I need. Clothes for work? Check. Cash? Check. Computer? Check. Passport? Ch…. Wait. Oh CRAP.

A frantic call to my husband got him to drive home from work, where he found my passport on top of the filing cabinet—exactly where I had left it after my last trip to El Salvador. Then came the tricky part. Obviously, we needed to FedEx the passport overnight. But where to? They don’t deliver to my grandmother’s farm. My flight out was at 2pm the next day, so I had to have it by then. My grandmother came up with the brilliant idea of having it sent to my uncle’s office in town. At least we knew someone would be there!

The Home Warrior sent my passport overnight, and it was supposed to arrive by 10:30. At 10:15 the next morning I was waiting in my uncle’s office, pacing back and forth. It didn’t arrive until close to 11, but that was time enough. Phew! Bullet dodged.

That is when I started saying to myself, “Okay, as long as I have my __________ and my __________, the trip will be fine,” every time I left my house for the airport. So again, if you have forgotten stuff in the past, put a post it on your door that will remind you to check for your Very Important Items. Because next time it may not be as easy as having someone mail your passport to you!

Readers, what is the worst thing you have ever forgotten? Did it turn out okay?

It’s getting to be a little warmer here in the South. This means that socks and boots are less prevalent, and flats and heels are having a bigger presence. And you know what that means–the bigger possibility of bare feet in airports! Okay maybe that’s not everyone’s logical conclusion, but as a frequent traveler, it’s just where my mind goes. And the next place my mind goes is: “Bare feet in an airport? Not if I can help it!” Certainly there are some times when it’s unavoidable, but I try to keep those times few and far between.

There are a couple of easy solutions to this problem. The first, wear socks or hose with your flats. Unfortunately, this can get really hot depending on your location and the time of year. Another suggestion–keep a pair of socks accessible in your bag, and slip them on before going through security. This works pretty well most of the time, although could require some balancing, which I am not awesome at. The solution that seems to work best for me was suggested a while back by Reader S, which is to use those little footie socks (like Peds). Super quick to slip on and off, and they take up almost no space.

Of course, the BEST way to avoid this problem is to sign up for the TSA Pre-Check program, where you don’t have to take off your shoes…… Hope that continues to expand to new airports! Then this traveler will never have bare feet in an airport again.

Readers, what is your preferred method for avoiding bare feet in the airport? Or do you even care? Male Readers, do you try to avoid this as well?

When you think of hotels created with the business traveler in mind, one of the chains to immediately come to mind is Courtyard by Marriott. I don’t think I know a single person who travels regularly for work that doesn’t stay at Courtyards at least some of the time. The nice folks at the DFW location invited the Home Warrior and me to stay there for a few days last month so that I could do a review.

During my stay, I kept a particular eye out for things important to road warriors. Here’s what I found:

Lobby/Bistro. The lobbies are so cool now—a real gathering spot. Less formal, more modern, and definitely friendlier. (See a more in depth description with pictures here.) Although I knew that the dining area had been revamped, I was not completely aware of the full extent of it until we ate breakfast. Before, Courtyard hotels had a buffet that was open until around 10am, and that was it in the way of food. But now not only do they have breakfast to order, they are open for dinner and provide room service as well. This was a pleasant surprise! The menu was surprisingly interesting and varied, with everything from salmon to hummus to vegetarian options. And a decent wine list (important!). We tried several things, and they were all very tasty (my favorite—the French Toast with fresh strawberries).

Outdoor area. The courtyard was really lovely. There was the requisite pool (which was closed for the season), but there was a very nice outdoor seating area with couches, tables, and a fireplace. I wish it had been warm enough to actually use!!

Free Wifi. As has been the case in all Courtyards I’ve visited, the wireless internet was free. Logging in was fast and simple, the speed was good, and the service worked with all of our myriad devices (laptops, phones, and iPad).

Room. The room was spacious and serviceable. The bed was large and comfortable, with plenty of pillows. Sitting at the desk working for hours was a great test for the office chair, and it didn’t disappoint. The bathroom had all of the required features, plus an extra we weren’t expecting, but came in handy—a bottle opener. Our window view was of the courtyard, which was much preferable to the parking lot.

Staff. The staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and gave great advice. We ate at Campisi’s Egyptian Room (on recommendation of my brother-in-law), and the desk clerk gave perfect directions. When we were looking for a nearby park to take our dog, we were given several options within just a few miles. Courteous, excellent service was all we ever received.

Overall, our stay was great. I highly recommend Courtyard by Marriott to business travelers. They are constantly thinking of ways to make our lives easier, from boarding pass printing stations to delicious, accessible food to comfortable lodgings. They also have a great rewards program, plenty of locations, and reasonable prices. Win!

I recently heard about a promotion Hyatt is doing this spring. It’s already underway, but goes until the end of April. It’s a pretty good deal, and an even better deal if you have a Hyatt credit card. I don’t typically stay at Hyatt properties, but this makes me want to rethink that… Just thought some of you may be interested!

Details:

• Dates: February 1 – April 30, 2012
• What: Earn up to two free nights at any Hyatt (or up to eight free nights at select hotels), anywhere in the world during the course of the promotion. Guest will have the opportunity to earn thousands of points after every four eligible nights, with the number of points increasing after every additional four nights.

o   Bonus: Hyatt Gold Passport members with a valid Hyatt Credit Card can earn a 25 percent bonus during the promotion period.

A breakdown of point allocation is below:

To be eligible, travelers must:

• Be a Hyatt Gold Passport member
• Register for the upcoming promotion from February 1 through March 31, 2012 by visiting hyatt.com
• Stay at least four eligible nights through April 30, 2012
• Provide their Hyatt Gold Passport membership number at the time of reservation and check-in
• New members who enroll in Hyatt Gold Passport through March 30, 2012 will automatically be registered for the promotion
• Participating members with the Hyatt Credit Card can earn an additional 25 percent bonus during the promotion period, for a cumulative total of 55,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points.

Full details are now available on the promotion site, here: www.goldpassport.com/possibilities and details on the Hyatt Credit Card promotion are located here: www.goldpassport.com/hyattcardpromotion.

Today, the Home Warrior came across this story and he thought I would want to see it. He was right, as usual. Sounds like Jennifer Winning was trying to fly home from a small Wyoming airport, and for some reason security was closed and she wasn’t able to make her flight. Once I read the article from MSNBC, I felt like I had a lot of questions.  Another (short) piece was written about the incident in USA Today, but there’s still a lot of missing information.

“They wouldn’t let me get on the plane because I’m female,” Winning told FOX31 in Denver.

Well that’s pretty inflammatory! You see that, and you think, wow! That’s unacceptable.  Is that what actually happened?

From MSNBC:

Winning told the TV station that she arrived at the security checkpoint at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of her United Express flight (operated by SkyWest) to Denver, but was informed by a Transportation Security Administration employee that she couldn’t be screened because the security checkpoint had been closed and that all the female agents were off duty. If Winning needed a pat-down, there was no one available to perform it.

She told them that was fine, she would sign a waiver, but no dice. So she ended up renting a car to drive home instead of flying.

United said that in this airport, customers are required to have completed their check in process at least 30 minutes before the flight takes off (Of course, my question is–does that include going through security?), and that Winning tried to go through security 27 minutes before takeoff.  The TSA says that once the airline lets them know that security screening is no longer needed, the checkpoint is closed. From USA Today:

However, the TSA says Winning wasn’t allowed to board because she was late and the flight had been closed after several final boarding calls.

It just seems so weird. In small airports, they will often close security if there are no flights going out. I’ve seen it happen, and I’ve seen people miss flights they easily could have made because of it. What neither story answers is: would they have re-opened the security checkpoint if the passenger were a man? If the issue is that the security checkpoint was closed, well, that’s unfortunate but that’s what happens when you cut it super close to your flight time. If the issue is that they could have reopened it, but didn’t because there were no female screeners on hand, well, that is another issue entirely.

The USA Today version adds another twist: it says Winning was there, at the airport, and the flight was delayed. She went outside, came back in, and it was too late. There’s no mention of that in the MSNBC article–just that she got there about 30 minutes before her flight took off, and the checkpoint was closed. If it’s true, and she were right outside, wouldn’t she have heard those “Last call for security!” announcements TSA made?

It sounds to me like when TSA tried to explain to her that the checkpoint was closed, she wouldn’t accept it. So they told her that there were no female officers on hand, hoping that would work. Not a smart move (and TSA isn’t exactly known for being at the top of their game all the time), but not the dumbest thing they’ve ever done.

Readers, what’s your take? Do you think she was denied because she’s a woman? Or that she was just too late and refused to accept responsibility?

Last month, I submitted my expenses for a recent work trip. There was nothing out of the ordinary for the trip. Hotel, car, food, a few tips, and a dinner with customers. All very standard. So imagine my surprise when I got the report sent back to me with a correction: “Company policy does not allow gas to be purchased from the rental agency directly. Employees must get gas prior to returning rental vehicle.” Whaaa?

I always, always fill up my fuel tank before turning in  a rental car. Why? those of you unfamiliar with rentals may ask. Well, unless you prepay for the fuel before you take the car, you will likely pay at least twice the going rate for a gallon of gas. It makes plenty of sense why a company would not approve that. However, Budget has an option called E-Z-Fuel–if you drive less than 75 miles, you will be charged $13.99 to fill up the tank. This is a pretty good deal, especially for a larger (less fuel efficient) car. My company has no problem approving that. And for this particular trip, I knew I hadn’t gone over 50 miles, much less 75. So what was the deal?

When I pulled up my copy of the receipt, the problem was obvious. Whoever had processed my car at the returns center had incorrectly input the new mileage, stating that I had driven close to a thousand miles. Uh, no. I drove around Raleigh for a couple days, staying pretty much out near the airport (with one memorable trip to Angus Barn–deeeeeeelicious!!). I don’t know how big North Carolina is, but I would have had to have driven pretty far to get almost 1000 miles on that car. Once I called them and explained the situation, they straightened it out pretty quickly and refunded me the cost of the fuel.

The problem is that I have gotten so used to just grabbing a receipt and shoving it in my wallet. But really, it doesn’t take that long to glance at it to make sure the costs are right. I’m lucky this time that the problem was solved easily–but that might not be the case next time!! So definitely check your receipts and make sure everything is correct before walking away. You may catch something, and you’ll be glad you did!!

Readers, have you ever caught a mistake on a receipt? How did you fix it?

Earlier this month, TOMS came out with their new line of ballet flats. They are suuuuper cute, and are supposed to be as comfortable and dependable as their regular line. Yay! Now I really can wear TOMS to work! My favorites are the Natalia Rose Linen, the Gisele Gray Suede leopard print, and the Alessandra Burlap flats.

The reviews are overall very positive, although it seems they run at least a half size too big. Nordstrom will start carrying them in March, so fans will be able to try them on in person soon.

Unfortunately, they are so popular that a lot of sizes are currently sold out. There are plenty of sizes available, though, so check them out!!