What?? You may be thinking. Wear a dress with a skirt? That sounds ridiculous! I thought so too, until a night a couple of years ago. I was at my favorite wine bar with a group of friends. One of my girlfriends had on a super cute gray sweater tucked into a black skirt. “How did you get that to tuck in so nicely?” I asked. She motioned me closer. “It’s a dress!” she whispered, and pulled up the bottom of her black skirt a little to show me the bottom of the gray sweater dress. Brilliant! Another way to use the same items in different ways, especially in packing.

So. How does it work? Sometimes it’s as easy as, 1) put on dress; 2) add skirt; 3) leave the house. Other times, not so much. There are a few things to look for when combining dresses and skirts for the most successful union.

1. Different types of material. It helps the dress and skirt not cling if they are different materials, for example sweater and cotton, or silk and wool.
2. Different silhouettes. The dress needs to have a more fitted line, where the skirt needs to be a little wider. Think a pencil dress with an A-line skirt. This way the skirt will lay more nicely. For example, this sweater dress from Banana Republic with this circle skirt from Ruche.
3.  Lengths. Obviously the skirt needs to be longer than the dress. It also helps if the skirt has a bit of structure, like this wool skirt from JCrew.

One typical reaction from people when I’ve extolled the wonders of dress+skirt is that they’re worried it will be too warm. That is totally valid–this is definitely more appropriate for colder months. But the benefits? You can pack fewer things and have more outfits! My favorite look is my super comfy gray sweater dress with a maroon A-line skirt. I’ll wear the dress with tights and boots one day, and then with the skirt and flats another day. Less to carry, more to wear? Win!!

Over the last week and a half, I was driving around Texas for some reason or another 7 out of 9 days. That was a lot of driving time, for sure. Driving isn’t my main way of traveling for work, mostly I fly, so this was a bit out of the ordinary. I fly again this week, to Ohio again for several days (which I’m a little nervous about due to the crazy experience I had there last time). Hopefully it will be just fine.

But this story is about a trip a couple of weeks ago. First, some background. My mother and I live in the same town, and despite my constant travel have usually been able to get together a couple times a month.  However, she was promoted a few years ago, and now travels almost as often as I do. At least half of her trips are car trips, if not more, but she does fly periodically. For the past several months one of us has been gone virtually all of the time, so haven’t been able to see each other very much at all. Then, two weeks ago, I was heading to Nashville Wednesday at 6:30, and she was headed to Philadelphia at 5:45. I left early for the airport, and got to spend twenty minutes with my mom for the first time in a month.

Of course, it was great to catch up! Though I’m not sure what it means that the only time we see each other is at the airport…… I guess we’re both just road warriors…..

Readers, have you ever timed a flight so you can see a friend or family member at the airport?

Have you ever gotten to the airport and realized, “Dangit! I forgot my toothpaste/deodorant/razor?” I know I have. Well, that won’t be a problem anymore. If you forget some critical toiletry item, you can now purchase a replacement at GroomingZone. You all know I love a good vending machine (Sephora anyone?), and The New York Times calls it “The New Touch Face of Vending Machines.”  I would say it’s probably 20 times nicer than a mere vending machine, as GroomingZone does not disappoint. It has all kinds of products, including:

• Razors and shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Toothpaste, toothbrush,  and whitening strips
• Shampoo

Many products are available as stand alone or part of a nice little kit. Granted, a lot of the brands are more male-oriented, but there are definitely things here that ladies can use. They are also launching a more female-oriented BeautyBar at a variety of malls across the country on September 5. They sent me a lovely bag of sample goodies from the BeautyBar, and I can tell you that there will be some great products in there. (Maybe one will end up in an airport sometime? We shall see!)

GroomingZones have been set up at DFW in Terminal C (near Gate 28), SFO Terminal G, and ATL Terminal C.  So if you have a few minutes, or forget your toothpaste, check it out next time you’re at one of these airports.

A traveling friend recently confessed to me that she hates her twice monthly business trips. “I’m tired of being away from my husband!” she said. “Plus it’s so exhausting. And what about when I want to start a family? How will I do that and be gone all the time?”

Honestly, it kind of surprised me. She is definitely allowed to feel however she feels–business travel isn’t for everyone! But she’s traveled for years, and this is the first I’ve heard of any negative thoughts about it. I’ve traveled for work for over five years now, and while sometimes I feel passionately one way or the other about it, most of the time it’s….just what I do. There are certainly very busy periods where if I never saw DFW again it would be okay. But there are also periods where I’m home for weeks at a time, and I start getting itchy to go. Plus, I really like what I do. Sometimes I even love it. (Could they pay me more? Um, yes. But that may be a talk for another day.) Pictured: The heart-shaped rock my husband found on vacation.

So I am very interested in what is more common. Do you love business travel? Hate it? Is it just part of your job? As always, feel free to leave comments explaining your answer more.

Don’t forget about the contest from yesterday. It’s open until Monday, and you could win a Kindle!!

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According to Google search, the most common length of time for a business trip is three to four days. But what happens when you are gone instead for three to four months? I recently received an email from Reader L that said:

“I have just taken a new job that is clearly defined as a “Road Warrior”, it was even in the job description. I will start in a couple of weeks, and am starting to makes plans and arrangements, but am a little overwhelmed. The job itself is constant travel – as in away from home for up to three months at a stretch with a new place every few days. This kind of travel obviously takes a special kind of packing. I found your blog online and love it so far! I’ve read a number of your posts, but it seems most of them are geared towards three- to four-day trips with a stop at home in between. Any specific tips for this kind of business travel? I would love to be able to carry on.”

Congrats on the new job! It’s true that the majority of my own business travel is for 3-4 day trips, but there are certainly exceptions. Three months is a long time! It will definitely require a lot of planning and strategy. The most important thing is to be as efficient as possible. I know I talk about efficiency while packing a lot, but this time I mean it even more. Planning ahead, carefully measuring the flexibility and durability of every piece of clothing, using helpful items like packing cubes, and the rest of the tips below can make a long-term, potentially tricky travel situation much easier to manage. Here are my suggestions.

• Packing cubes. Cubes will help you so much, allowing you to pack twice as much in the same amount of space. At the same time, make sure your suitcase isn’t so heavy you can’t lift it.
• Neutrals. All of your basics—pants, skirts, jackets—need to be neutral. Black would be my first choice, because it won’t show stains as easily. Just in case you, I don’t know, spill coffee on your pants one morning. Not that that’s ever happened to me……
• Capsule wardrobe!! You guys know I love the capsule wardrobe. Making sure that each of your pieces can be worn together means almost unlimited outfit possibilities, so you don’t feel like you’re wearing the same thing every day. Here is my capsule wardrobe for this summer, to give you some ideas.
• Laundry/Dry Cleaning. Your company should provide for some sort of cleaning service if you are traveling for this long. Definitely take advantage of it! I would recommend taking your clothes to the cleaners for general laundering as well, so you don’t have to mess with washing and folding.
• Stuff that wears well. Quality and durability is even more important when you’re going to be wearing the same 12-15 clothing items for three months. And remember, it’s not typically the wearing of clothes that wears them out—it’s the washing. So try to make your clothes last longer between washings—hang them up with space between the hangers, etc.
• FedEx is your friend. If you can go three months without buying anything, you’re a better woman than I am. Ship stuff home on a regular basis if you buy something that replaces it. If you’re a knitter like I am, once you finish a project, send it home or to its intended recipient.
• Toiletries. This is where things get really tricky. You want to carry-on, but there is no way a 3 oz bottle of shampoo is going to last three months. So there are a few options. First, replace your small bottles when you run out. Sites like 3floz.com and Sephora have travel sized bottles of almost every beauty product available. Another option is to ship your toiletries. If your company will pay for it, I think it’s worth it, and you can have larger bottles of your products with you all the time.
• Invest in an e-reader. I can’t stress how much I love my Kindle. You can carry thousands of books with you at all times, without having to tote around the actual books. On many models you can get magazines as well. Also, a lot of hotels have book exchange programs—you can take a book or leave a book.
• Be healthy. Although you asked specifically about packing, I want to add this one last tip. It is so easy to get into an unhealthy rut on the road—late dinners, heavy food, restaurant sized-portions, fast food, little to no time to work out…. Try to be as healthy as you can as often as you can. Look to places like Whole Foods for dinner, get yogurt or cereal for breakfasts, and try to stay away from fast food as much as possible. Also, plan ahead and work some form of exercise into your schedule. Even a ten minute walk around the block can make you feel better.

Whew! That’s a long list. I wish you luck, and am very interested to hear how it goes.

Readers, any tips that I missed? What is your advice for Reader L?

All of the catalogs and store emails I’ve received in the last week or so have been focused on Fall. Apparently, according to clothing stores, it is no longer 105 degrees. It’s time to bundle up! Wear sweaters and boots! Layer! Honestly, it makes me feel hot and irritable just looking at the pictures of the perky models in their hooded coats. Well, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s still summer, in a lot of places. Since I haven’t done a shoe post in a while, I’m going to find peep toe flats to wear for travel. Because the weather will be warm for at least two more months in Texas, and I need to take the ventilation where I can get it.

These adorable Poetic Licence Danty Doll Flat will add a fun pop of color to an otherwise conservative outfit. I would wear them with a navy pencil skirt and blouse, or gray slacks with a pale pink top. Although it does kind of irritate me that they deliberately misspell “license”. Oh well.)

The Bandolino Warrick Flat comes in Navy, Black, and Gold. The neutral colors are a nice backdrop for the monochromatic floral adornment, which adds interest to an otherwise simple shoe.

Love this fun floral espadrille from Blowfish. Great for a more casual office, I would pair this with taupe slacks or skirt and just about any top. Very summery!

For those of us who travel all of the time, our suitcases don’t always get a chance to air out. Between dirty clothes, dirty airplanes, dirty streets, and dirty airports, there are a lot of chances for our bags to get a little….not-so-fresh smelling. Luckily, there are several ways to avoid this. One is to get a second suitcase, and alternate for each trip. This is not ideal, however, due to the chance that important items will be forgotten when switching back and forth, not to mention the additional cost. An easier way to maintain a bit of freshness with your luggage is to use a sachet. Yes, the same kind of thing you use in your delicates drawer. Just drop one in, and your rollaboard will remind you more of a spring day and less of a locker room. I prefer lavender, but there are tons of scents out there. You can get them pretty inexpensively just about anywhere, from Target to Amazon to Etsy. (I love these simple yet pretty ones from Homemaker Accents on Etsy). If you feel that a sachet is too girly, or just not your style, a drier sheet also does the trick. It’s so easy to keep your suitcase smelling fresh!

We all know that printing our boarding pass before we go to the airport can save us time, but how many of us actually do it? My home airport is typically not that busy, and since I have Platinum status with American, I can go to a special machine. When I fly Southwest, I always check in 24 hours ahead of time, but never print out the boarding pass. Since I know I will typically be able to do it quickly at the airport, plus I hate wasting paper and ink, it just isn’t worth it to me.

When returning home, though, it’s totally different. Most of the time I will try my best to print it out ahead of time, especially if I’m going to a bigger airport or one I’m completely unfamiliar with. There are still a few airports I use all the time, like Nashville or Oklahoma City, where I won’t worry about it. Finally, if I know I’m going to be cutting it really close time-wise I will print ahead of time.

So readers, what about you?

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My parents are in Northern California this week, enjoying a well deserved vacation in a place where it’s not 105 every day. They left last Monday, and packed the night before so they could leave for the airport on time. Because they had an early flight, at 810, they planned to leave for the airport around 645–early, but my mom felt she still had enough time to get a few things done in the morning before leaving. Well, when they woke up they had a notification that their flight was delayed (due to waiting for the crew), and they were going to miss their connection. Great way to wake up, right?

A quick call to the Aadvantage desk confirmed that they wouldn’t make it to their second flight, and that all later flights to San Francisco from DFW were overbooked. Oh no! But, they found out there was an earlier flight to DFW that left at 710 instead of 810, and if they ran they could make it. So they grabbed their suitcases and ran for the  car, and were able to make the flight. (Side note: I would just like to say, wow. I have never gotten up early enough for an early flight to have any chance of making a flight an hour earlier. Go, parents!)

Of course, what this means is that a) my mom left without putting any makeup on or drying her hair (oh well) and b) she didn’t get those little things done before they left. Not a super big deal, but she did manage to leave without a long sleeve shirt, and the high yesterday was 55.  (That is literally 50 degrees colder than our high today. I’m just a tiny bit jealous of those temps. Anyway.) Honestly, though, those things are not that big of a deal considering that they could have completely missed the flight to SFO.

The moral of the story? If you have an early morning flight, it’s a good idea to have everything ready the night before. Maybe your flights are messed up, maybe you oversleep, maybe there’s a pet/child/house emergency…… It’s so easy to think, I just want to go to bed! I will pack my purse/get my toiletries together/find my Kindle charger in the morning. But it’s better to just suck it up and finish the night before, so that the morning goes as smoothly as possible. It would be terrible to miss your flights just because you left something for the last minute!

Adding your boss or coworkers to a business trip can be fraught with issues. Traveling Together is a series on Road Warriorette about avoiding the pitfalls that crop up when traveling with others.

Sometimes traveling with a coworker can make an otherwise monotonous trip fun. Or it can make an otherwise productive trip really, really awful. These are all issues that I have personally experienced, but there are many other potential problems. A few tips for minimizing the things that could go wrong:

• Don’t overindulge. Winding down at the end of a long day with a glass (or two, or three…) of wine can be fun. But don’t get sloppy. It doesn’t look good, and can lead to a multitude of problems and make the next day really painful. Plus you will be more likely to share too much personal information if you drink too much. Which leads us to…..
• Avoid oversharing. Traveling with someone creates a sense of intimacy. Working together, flying together, and eating meals together can foster a sense of closeness that may not hold up once you’re back in the office. Remember, the person you are traveling with is still a co-worker, and just because you are with them for three days solid doesn’t mean they need to know that you and your spouse are trying to have a baby, or that your husband cheated on you, or that you’re looking for another job.
• Maintain boundaries. During a trip this year, my coworker got a little drunk and told me long stories about marital troubles, going on in detail for a while. It was kind of awkward for me, to say the least. When you are the recipient of oversharing, exiting gracefully can be a challenge.  If it seems like things may be getting too personal, try to steer the conversation back to neutral territory, and wrap up as quickly as you can.
• Get your work done. Just because someone is traveling with you doesn’t mean your working obligations just go away. You will still need to check email, finish documents, and prepare for the next day. Make sure you’re not sacrificing work or sleep for socializing.

Readers, what issues have you encountered when traveling with coworkers?