TheClick

Time Travel - Home Away from Home

Travel ipod speakers - those might not seem like a necessity when you have an ipod and headphones, but they recharge your ipod and fill a hotel room with music when you take a bath or are working - and can create a fast party anywhere you want.  The Logitech white portable speaker sets is $57.99 at Overstock.com, and the iboom speaker set in black is $92.99 at eCost.com.

A travel candle might seem a rather unnecessary item - but in fact, a nice smell and pretty light can make a trip more romantic and relaxed.  And there are so many good smells and designs:  The Green Tea and Ginger Essential Blend burns for 20 hours - on sale for  $6.13  at Perfume.com.  Paper Source has a peony travel tin candle for $4.50.  Bergdorf Goodman has a basil candle travel collection for $80 that could make an urban trip more garden-like.  I also like the Tea Travel Collection from Jo Malone at Neiman Marcus for $95.

Travel Blow Dryers- sure, you can drag out the giant hair dryer - but chances are, you might need a converter or adaptor for it in another country, and chances are, it's going to take up a whole lot of room.  Small travel hair dryers are a great investment because you can keep them in your suitcase, they fold up, and they're small to begin with.  The BaByliss Pink Turbo Dryer  is $59.95 at Folica.  But if you want one in Europe, go with the Travel Hair Dryer European 1200 watt for $35.00.  If you want a less expesnive one, Revlon has a $14.82 one at Walmart with 1875 watts of power.

Happy Organized Travels!!!

Lingerie holders & Suitcases

Lingerie Bags separate the clean from the not, and you can pack a little handwash kit in them, too.  Elizabeth W Lavendar scented Clean and Dirty Lingerie Travel bag is in off-white, smells so clean, and costs $34 at alamolingerie.com.  Calliope sells a shoe and lingerie bag for $29 that's a pale, pinkish silver color and it can get anything in it.  The FL lingerie and jewelry roll combo is a great deal - matching bags, large and small, for $52 - and jewelry is best traveled when rolled up.  Celadon.com is where to find it.

Of course, you can find a zillion varieties of suitcases on TheFind.com, from Tumi, Samsonite, and a million other brands - but don't wait till the night before your trip.  And if you do, TheFind can tell you which stores near you have what you want before you attempt a whild suitcase-goosechase!

Passport Holders - do you really need one?  Maybe not, but they passport holder will preserve the life of your passport - and they also have room for airline tickets, and make it harder to lose said passport.  Royce makes the best leather ones - the oversized Airline ticket and passport holder in brown or black is $54.99 at ShoeBuy.com. The smaller size by Royce at bagsbuy.com is $28.45.

Cosmetics Travel Cases & Carry on Bags

Cosmetics Cases - not only do I put makeup in there, I fit it with mini versions of my favorite products - in just mini plastic bottles.  This is Toiletry Central, my traveling ladies room, so it's got to be big, sturdy - and attractive.  Type in "cosmetics travel case" on TheFind.com, and the ones from Royce are clearly the best cases, worthy of Grace Kelley in "Rear Window".  The leather case with upper and lower zip compartments come in chic gold tone ($89.95 on Worldtraveler.com), a bright lime color ($79.94 on ShoeBuy.com) and a red leather beauty ($100.00 on ebags.com), or a turquoise leather ($79 at CSN Stores).  However, if you prefer the safety and simplicity of a black cosmetics travel bag, Whiting and Davis has a chic black bag for $60.00 on 6pm.com. 

Carry On Bags - there are all kinds of options here, whether it's a super large handbag or wheelie bag with a metallic protective coating.  The wheelies might seem a bit nerdy or embarrassing - but they save your back and shoulders and a lifetime of cramps.  So only resort to the shoulder bag if you are not carrying ten magazines (like I do) and four books.  The Delsey Silver Helium wheelie carryon is pleasantly expandable (for Christmas in December, on sale at Macys).  The black High Sierra wheeled business tote is perfect for a man or woman who is bringing work home with them - or their computer and books ($119.99 at SportChalet).  By the way, these prices are excellent: the Tumi Tourbach versions are in the four and five hundred dollar range.  And if you're doing a weekend trip, this is all you need.

Travel Pillows

Travel Pillows serve two important purposes:  they comfort you on a plane or train or bus, and then you can use them at any hotel, motel, or friend's crash pad, bringing a little bit of home with you.  Brookstone has an ergonomically shaped travel pillow that will keep your neck from cramping on that long plane ride to Australia or South America (in midnight blue, $25 at Brookstone.com).  Restoration Hardware had a luxury pillow in a more traditional square shape for $18.  TheBedBathStore calls their white, goose down travel pillow the "Toddler", but I know one adult would be happy to cuddle up with it ($49.99 at BedBathStore), even at home.  If you don't want to think about toting around a pilow in an airport, which could make you resemble a character out of "Peanuts", consider the Concierge inflatable travel pillow ($18, in black,  at Macy's).

Time Travel

It's almost July 4th, and it seems everybody's got travel on the brain.  Okay, so maybe you decided against St. Tropez and Capri due to economic "restraints" - but that doesn't mean you can't take a drive trip, a bus trip, a train trip - Americans don't let a little thing like the economy get in the way of being on the go in the summer.  An Australian friend once told me that Aussies refer to us as "go go Americans."  Sometimes, even if it's just a weekend away or an hour's drive, a trip can change your outlook, relax you and alter your entire perspective.  But it can also throw you into chaos if you're not prepared with the things you need to keep a semblance of order - and if you're female, if probably takes some doing to keep the flip flops from falling in with the high heels, the bathing suits separate from the lingerie, and the jewelry in one place where you don't lose it - or confuse it with a keyring.

I have a New York friend, a magazine editor, who has a city and a country residence, and she also travels to Milan and Paris four times a year for Pret a Porter and Couture fashion shows (which are coming up next week).  She also has extreme fashion clothes - and very low key country looks.  What I've observed of her travel skills is that she has a myriad of bags - small bags, large bags, and bags inside of bags - all slightly different looking, so she doesn't get confused about what's in what.  So even when she takes out the bags, everything has a place and feels organized.  I decided to do a little homework for you on TheFind and dig up all the things you'll need to feel organized over July 4th, or Labor Day, or throughout August for a long or short sprint.   Stay tuned this week as we cover all the travel basics as we lead into the July 4th Holiday!