May 2012:

• The results were in! I rated how I did packing for my two-week long conference with both clothes and other stuff.
• I announced some big news, plus gave some tips on how to travel in the first trimester of pregnancy,

May 2011:

• Traveling with someone else? Here are tips for traveling with a coworker or your boss.
• I updated my comfort tips for trans-pacific flights.
• Compression socks and bike shorts both made my packing lists.

May 2010:

• If you’re feeling homesick, here are a few tips to feel better on the road.
• Trouble falling asleep? Try my typical pre-bed routine.

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In my goal to make someone’s first business trip easier, I am creating packing lists, with specific items and photos, of my typical items for a four-day trip. A couple of weeks ago I talked about clothes, and next in my series of packing photos: toiletries!

Toiletries create a very tricky packing situation for the new business traveler. On the one hand, you want to take all of the items you use at home. On the other hand, you want to have room in your suitcase for, like, clothes and stuff. My very first trip toiletries filled literally half of my suitcase. I got one of these hanging toiletry things (which some people swear by, but I personally hate) and filled it to the brim. As you can imagine, I didn’t use half of the stuff I brought, and my suitcase was incredibly heavy. But now (after years of constant travel) I can pack toiletries for two weeks in three little bags.

A few tips:

• Use multiple bags instead of one big bag. This way you can squeeze them in smaller spaces instead of taking up a ton of room. I have had the same toiletry bag for like 15 years (crazy right? I just think it’s so cute and it’s still perfect for my needs.). I use a Ziploc for my liquids bag, but some people prefer reusable ones like this one.
• Bring your own products, just put them in reusable containers (I use Aveda bottles, although from what I can find they are only available in the UK or stores). Don’t buy travel sized items for anything except maybe toothpaste and contact solution. Or if your skin and hair can tolerate complimentary toiletries from a hotel then use those. Strangely, almost all of my toiletries are from hotels right now. This is normally not the case!
• Contact lens cases are great, inexpensive reusable containers for liquids you only need small amounts of. I label the bottom of the one that has face wash in it (S for shower).

My toiletry packing list (everything is listed clockwise):

Liquids bag:

• Lotion (L’Occitane)
• Hair cream (Frederic Fekkai)
• Shampoo and conditioner (Aveda)
• Pumice stone (it doesn’t have to go in there, obviously)
• Body wash (Aveda)
• Face wash (Eminence)
• Eye cream (Eminence)
• Moisturizer (Aveda tinted moisturizer)
• Mouthwash (Peter Thomas Roth)

Non-liquids bag:

• Razor (Intuition)
• Deodorant
• Glasses
• Contact solution (Bio Pure)
• Toothpaste (Crest)
• Contact case
• Cotton balls, q-tips
• Rubber band and bobby pins for hair

Makeup:

• Pencil sharpener
• Tweezers
• Concealer (Yves St. Laurent)
• Lip pencil and gloss (samples from Sephora)
• Kabuki brush
• Eye shadow (Makeup Forever)
• Powder (Arbonne)
• Blush (Arbonne)
• Mascara (Tarte)
• Eyeliner (Urban Decay)
• Eyebrow pencil (Anastasia Beverly Hills)

On certain trips, like the conference I’m going to soon, I will also bring an extra eyeshadow palette (Tarte) and my brush set (similar to this one from Too Faced).

I usually pack all of my bags (along with my curling iron) in my suitcase’s larger inside pocket, but if need be I spread them out.

See? It is totally possible to bring every toiletry you need without it taking up all of your room.

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Last week I mentioned that I discovered a new blog called Outfit Posts, where the blogger takes pictures of her outfits every morning. I love everything she puts together! She travels for work a lot, and has a really great post about how to pack for 30 days in one suitcase. While I have gotten the odd question about long business trips, most of the time I get asked what to pack for four days. For the experienced business traveler, clothes for four days are pretty simple to fit in a suitcase. For the newbie, though, it can be quite a challenge! My first business trip I took four separate outfits, with four pairs of shoes to match, and enough toiletries to fill up half of my suitcase. (The suitcase that I couldn’t lift, and wouldn’t have fit into an overhead bin even if I could. For four days! It’s embarrassing, to think of it now.) So, for the woman who is a new business traveler, I have put together a packing list for a four day trip. But it gets better! Not only have I put together a list, but I have taken pictures from a recent trip of everything before it goes into my suitcase, and once it’s all in.

Here is the generic list:
• Two bottoms, one comfortable for travel (i.e. slacks and a skirt)
• Coordinating suit jackets if needed
• Four tops that coordinate with both of your bottoms
• At least one light jacket or sweater (unless you need a heavier jacket)
• No more than three pairs of shoes, including a pair of flip flops or running shoes
• Enough undergarments, including socks/hose
• Jewelry/belts/scarves
• PJs
• Workout clothes
• Toiletries and makeup
• Curling iron (or other styling aids)

Here is my specific list:
• Navy slacks (Gap)
• Black slacks (Banana Republic)
• Green cardigan (this one but green) with white camisole (both from Target)
• Pink cardigan (Talbots) with navy camisole (Target)
• Purple sweater (similar to this one from Banana Republic)
• Turquoise cardigan (Old Navy) with multicolored blouse (Ann Taylor)
• Nude flats (DSW)
• Yellow flats (Old Navy)
• Yoga pants (Target) and long sleeved tee (Old Navy) for sleeping
• Jewelry and belts
• Toiletries, liquids bag, makeup, curling iron
• Flip flops (Old Navy)
• Tablecloth (because I did trade shows during my trip)

Here is a picture of all of my different outfits:

Everything laid out on the bed:

And here is everything all packed up neatly in my suitcase!

It’s not 30 outfits, but you could easily fit a dress and a skirt in there and make quite a few. So newbie travelers, don’t despair! It’s definitely possible to dress stylishly for business travel, and still have it fit into a carryon.

(February is a weird word to write in the plural!)

February 2012:

• I compiled my favorite tips for the plane etiquette round up
• TOMS came out with ballet flats
• The New York Times and I disagreed about the top 5 ways to avoid baggage fees
• A friend got some help about traveling with injectable medicine

February 2011:

• I got some great packing tips for your more delicate items.
• Since missing loved ones is a hard part of business travel, I talked about dealing with homesickness
• The series Building a Business Travel Wardrobe started, with a focus on suits and business casual.

February 2010:

• I learned what to pack for a winter business trip
• After much trial and error, I shared my tips for dealing with swollen ankles
•  Snowmaggedon 2010 happened.

This week, I traveled to Chicago. It was a very productive visit, where I got a lot of work done and I was able to hang out with my sisters. But there was one thing that wasn’t awesome. All of my flights were all on time, which was nice, but they were on small planes. American used to have several direct flights to Chicago every day, all on the Super 80. Not the newest planes, but with a reasonable amount of space. However, now the majority of these flights are on American Eagle planes. Awesome. And since I exhausted my supply of upgrades during my pregnancy and haven’t replenished it yet, I had to sit in coach. Man those seats are tight. But that’s not even the point of my story!

Whenever I travel during the winter, I always put my coat in my suitcase before going through security. It is just way easier to navigate the airport without worrying about tripping over your long coat. Sometimes I will take it out of for the flight (especially if I’m worried about my bag fitting in the overhead bin), but since I knew I would be gate checking I left it in. After dropping my bag off on the ramp I got on the plane feeling so light and free with just my personal item. That continued through the flight, until the very end. See, even though I had appreciated the gate-check at the beginning of the flight, I was less appreciative at the end. Because I had to stand on that jetbridge waiting for my suitcase, and it was cold. By the time my suitcase finally appeared (next to last omg) I was shivering and my teeth were chattering. My cozy red coat would have made the wait much more bearable!

So the next time I fly on a small plane, if it’s cold at my destination I will take my coat with me on the plane. Yes it’s more of a hassle but it’s better than freezing my tail off for twenty minutes!

Readers, have you ever had issues with gate-checking?

I’ve decided there are two types of people in the world—those that carry tissues with them all the time, and those who don’t.

My trip this week was initially pretty uneventful. I went to several offices, got some good work done, and ate a tasty steak. However, yesterday about twenty minutes before I was slated to leave for the airport my nose just randomly started bleeding. I guess the dry air and pollution were just too much for it. Of course, I am not of the “always carrying tissues” type, and so had to frantically hold my nose while asking the lady at the desk next to me if she had any. Thank goodness she did, and so I was able to eventually get it stopped. And OMG how freaking embarrassing. Ugh. So the first item that I will keep with me always: tissues.

On the way to the airport I stopped at a gas station to get tissues just in case it started bleeding again. Well wouldn’t you know , it happened again while I was in there. I ran to the bathroom to grab some tissues, and frantically searched for a place to put my purse. There was nothing. No hook, stand, table, counter, nothing. I hate, hate, HATE putting my purse on a bathroom floor but in this case had no choice. Again, I got the bleeding stopped, but I have now added another item to keep with me always: sanitizing wipes.

Needless to say, I was super glad to get home last night!

Readers, have you ever needed something desperately that you didn’t have while on a trip? Did you start carrying it with you on future trips?

A few weeks ago I went on my first trip in five months. I was pretty anxious, but had a plan in place. I was going to re-read some key blog posts, give myself extra time, figure out the “new-mom” stuff, and make a very specific list of what to pack. I was only gone for one day, so didn’t actually need that much clothing. That made it way easier than it could have been!

Suitcase:

• Outfit for work (black pants, nursing shirt, cardigan, black coat, pink flats)
• Travel outfit (jeans, sneakers, gray tee, maroon long sweater)
• PJs (yoga pants, tank, long sleeved tee)
• Toiletries, makeup, curling iron
• Jewelry (turquoise necklace and earrings)
• New-mom stuff
• Pump
• Tablecloth for trade show
• Chargers

Purse stuff:

• Pashmina
• Knitting
• Thank you notes (sigh, still trying to finish them)
• Book
• Wallet, keys, lip balm
• Computer
• Cooler, bottles, ice packs
• Office supplies (notepad, pen, usb key, headset)
• Comfort items (tea, Splenda, Emergen-C)
• Magazine

Honestly, it was a tight fit. My pump took up half of my freaking suitcase, and I had to fit the cooler in my purse. If I have to bring clothes for more than one day I will have to be super creative about getting everything in. My trip this week is two days, but since I’m wearing my work clothes on the plane I only have to pack enough for one day. We’ll see what happens on my first longer trip….

It’s the time of year for giving! In case you are stumped about what to get the Road Warrior and Road Warriorette in your life, I have rounded up a list of great gifts for your traveling loved one.

E-readers. The best gift for someone who is on the road a lot, or who reads a lot. I got my Kindle three years ago and never looked back. Other popular options are the Barnes and Noble Nook and the Sony eReader.

Headphones. Whether they’re earbuds or of the full-on noise canceling variety, headphones are a great gift! I like these J. Fi Natural Accoustic earbuds, and the originals, the Bose Quiet Comfort Noise Canceling Headphones. Of course, you could always get a headset like the awesome Plantronics Voyager Legend too.

Pashmina. Love, love the pashmina. Available everywhere, ranging in price from $10-$100 or so. If you want a good inexpensive version, try this one from Sakkas. For a luxe experience, definitely go cashmere like this one from Nordstrom.

Compression socks. Necessary for anyone who makes long flights! Available for men and women, all over the place. These super cute striped and argyle versions are from TravelSmith.

Travel purse/briefcase. I am totally asking for the awesome
eBags Laptop Collection SOHO Leather Mobile Office this year. It has room for all of my stuff, but won’t take up too much room on a short trip. Plus it’s super cute!

Stocking Stuffers. Travel-friendly items come in small packages too! Travel sized toiletry bottles, luggage tags, and water bottles that pack flat  all make great gifts that will fit in a stocking (and won’t break the bank!). Other options are a nice toiletry set—help pamper your loved one when they’re away from home with this L’Occitane Shea Butter set.

Gift cards! If you don’t have time to shop or your person is super hard to shop for, gift cards are always a winner. ITunes are great, as are Amazon gift cards (especially if your person has a Kindle). Or think about buying airline upgrades as a gift!

Readers, what items are on your gift list this year?

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One year ago….

• TSA crossed the line….again.
• I fell in love with navy and discovered the awesoness of gel soles.
• On my journey to more miles, one strategy worked (a miles credit card) and one backfired (trying for a travel voucher).
• Movie streaming apps on my phone changed my life. No joke.
• The Top Five Travel Necessities: Things I Wear is still very true, and something I consult for packing all the time.

Two years ago…..

• I answered readers’ question about traveling to rainy destinations and plus-size travel outfits.
• The TSA announced some updates to its liquids carry-on rules.
• I got super excited about flats, boots, and travel wallets.
• Andi Fisher from Misadventures with Andi wrote a great post about healthy eating on the road.
• Readers voted, and decided the correct term is “rollaboard” instead of “rollerboard”.

Three years ago…..

• The Home Warrior and I had a fantastic trip to Napa.
• I wrote about the importance of sleep on the road.

Hard to believe it’s already been a year! Talk about time flying. This time last year I was planning a trip to Manila and getting ready for Blog World. Fun times!

One year ago:

• I shared my Top Five Travel Necessities for Airplanes, Hotels, and Grooming.
• A friend reminded people how important it is to check into flights early.
• There were multiple instances of passengers joining the mile-high club, one from friends and one made the news….oy.

Two years ago:

• We had some good discussions about women business travelers being treated differently and bringing family on the road.
• Some friends discovered that almond butter is a big threat to national security.
• I realized that printing itineraries for international trips is a very good idea.