This morning I was looking through my emails and saw that many retailers are already having Black Friday sales. What? It’s only November 2nd! With that sentiment however, I was reminded that the Holiday season is almost upon us. With sales and shopping and cooking, it also means that most Americans will be shuttling off to one location or another for gatherings with friends and family.
I pride myself on being a problem solver. I like to anticipate problems before they happen, and then reach into my bag of Girl Scout tricks and make everything OK, or at least tolerable.
Here’s a list of things that I bring with me while traveling to make the journey more enjoyable, and to be prepared in case of *problems*.
Staying With Friends and Family
Bedding
I love staying with friends and family. I love the late night chats, the food, the wine and new environments. Occassionally however, I’ll encounter a situation that is not ideal, but I would never want to embarrass my gracious host. Case in point, I once stayed with a friend who had lots of cats and dogs. I have cats and dogs too, but have rules about them not sleeping in my bed. My friend, however, did not have this rule. There was pet hair embedded in all of the fabrics throughout the house, which was no big deal for me, except for the sheets. While the sheets were clean, they were still coated with hair. Hair embedded into the fabric of the pillow cases and sheets. Again, I love cats and dogs, but I don’t necessarily want their hair all up in my nighttime business. Here’s something I just obtained that will make this *problem* go away in the future. It’s a personal coccoon. Ok, actually it’s a personal sleeping bag liner. They are great for camping because you can keep your sleeping bag clean, and just wash the liner inside. However, these are also great for hotels and visits with others! This YUEDGE Travel liner is spacious, and even tall people will have generous space to move around. The sleeping bag liners are lightweight, so they are easy to pack and won’t take up a lot of room.
(Nice try, Kitty!)
You need this for holiday traveling, and if you know someone who travels alot, they will either already have one or they will want one. Available on Amazon here. { You can get 50% off this Sleeping Bag Liner until November 30, 2016 by using code U6C74JH2}
Smells
Why is it that the non-smoking hotel rooms always smell like cigarette smoke? Whether it’s smoke, mold, yucky carpet, pet smells, etc., smell can really influence sleep. I remember staying in a super expensive bed and breakfast in Napa once and all I could smell ALL NIGHT was dog pee! I now pack tiny little travel candles that are scented. I am also an adult and am responsible with their use. No, I don’t light them under curtains or leave them unattended. They are always very vented and in a proper container.
Soy or coconut wax candles are nice because they burn cleanly. A scented room (like lavender or other herbal scent) really helps mask yucky smells and can contribute to a much better night’s sleep. Bath & Body has perfect travel size candles, but small ones may be found in stores such as Target and Home Goods as well.
Coffee
Coffee is a basic human need, at least to me. Sometimes I’m in a hotel room and they have a coffee maker, but as I peer into the dark plastic compartments that hold the water, I think, “Ew, does this thing ever get cleaned?” Or, worse..” I wonder what other people have put in there.” Rather than think about it and get grossed out, I like to bring good old fashioned INSTANT COFFEE. Folgers or other dehydrated varieties work just fine. I often just use hot water from the tap, or sometimes luck out with a microwave in the room. It’s also a nice thing to have when visiting friends. Sometimes I’m up early and I don’t want to wake everyone over my caffeine addiction.
The instant coffee gives me my secret in-room boost, and then I can join everyone for ‘real’ coffee at breakfast. I know not everyone drinks coffee, but for those of you who do – you will totally get this.
