travel tips

Keep Calm and Carry On (Your Luggage)!

March 17, 2018 By Lena 24 Comments

I am a reformed over-packer.

In fact, phrases like “emergency outfit”, “extra jeans just in case” and “after dinner shoes” were once in my vocabulary! However, a combination of checked baggage fees, managing two energetic little boys and – okay, it’s really all about the checked baggage fees – made me rethink my packing technique. Now, more often than not, we do carry on luggage only! Since we travel so often, after just one year I was able to purchase four airline tickets from Toronto to Orlando with the money I saved on checked baggage fees alone. Crazy, huh?
Today, I’m sharing a few of my fave tips for travelling with carry on luggage only!

1. Edit your wardrobe. Here are two things I want you to remind yourself of when packing for any vacation: 1) plan whole outfits, not items of clothing, and 2) people RARELY (if ever) notice or care what you’re wearing. Seriously. …

You Can (Totally) Leave Home Without It

June 13, 2016 By Lena

Until now, all of my “Travel Tips” and “What to Pack” posts have focused on what to take on vacation. You know, the must-haves for mom, families and children alike. However, it occurred to me this morning that often, we needlessly complicate the process. Packing cubes! Reminder notes! To-do lists! We know how to keep on top of the things we need to take, but what can we leave at home?
12783999_1566234280334864_1614171988_n Today, I’m pleased to share tips for things you can absolutely, positively, totally leave home without.

(Sounds like your kind of list? Me too!)

1. Your Life Story. Take a peek at your wallet. If you’re travelling with your Social Insurance Card, every credit card and store card you own, your membership cards, frequent customer cards and more, you’re travelling with too much damned access to your entire life story. Edit, friends! In the unfortunate event that your wallet is misplaced (or stolen), you don’t want to add identity theft to your list of troubles. …

Vacationing with Kids? Piece of Cake.

July 23, 2015 By Lena

NOTE: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

The original concept for this post was to share my very best tips for vacationing with kids. After all, I’ve got kids… and I’ve travelled with them…. so that makes me supremely qualified to dole out advice, right? Right?

The thing is, I wasn’t always down with family travel. I actually avoided it for years, rationalizing that any vacation where you’re forced to bring your kids along is NOT A VACATION at all. If my suitcase was headed down south, the last thing I wanted to pack next to my swimsuit was swim diapers.

However, that’s in the past. Because somewhere along the way, I realized that vacationing with kids is not scary at all! In fact, with a little preparation and a lot of patience, it’s actually one of the most rewarding things in life. And after I sucked it up and took that first family vacay, we’re somewhat stealth travellers. Case in point: since 2012, my kids have been on an airplane 18 times. Crazy!
20140819_115521 (2) So maybe I haven’t quite reached “expert” status, but I’m certainly confident enough to share my favourite tips for vacationing with kids. It’s just what worked for us – and for those families embarking on their first trip together, I’m hoping my suggestions will work for you too. …