Packing Tip

If you have a spare room start thinking about your packing early.

1. Check the weather for your destination.
2. Check for any dress codes. Do you need formal wear for a cruise? Something to cover your shoulders in a church?
3. Plan your days. Do you know what you are doing each day? What you will need to wear?
4. Start laying your clothes out so you can see everything.
5. When you have everything you think you need put back 25% of it.

You should be able to fit all of your clothes in a carry on suitcase without it being expanded. You'll want to expand it to fit all of your souvenirs in.

If you are going somewhere cold like Alaska plan on layers. You can always where a pair of jeans or sweatshirt more than once. Bring plenty of t-shirts to wear underneath.

If you are going somewhere warm like the Caribbean plan on taking more than one set clothes per day. You may also want an afternoon shower. The good thing about warm weather clothes is that they don't take up much room.

In-Flight comfort kit and stretching

Do you miss the days when airlines would provide you with all of the amenities to make your flight comfortable? You can make your own kit for very little money and have the best flight ever. I use Minimus.biz to buy small size amenities and I surf the net for free samples. Sample sizes are perfect and if you start looking for them way in advance you will have no problem finding them for free. Don't forget the liquids will need to go in your quart size bag for security. The key to long flights is keeping hydrated and moving around.

Before you travel, buy a travel guide on the place you are visiting or research on the Internet and print out information about the culture or tips about traveling there. Re-read these on the flight as a refresher course. The good thing about printed pages is that you can toss (or recycle) them when you're done and don't have to carry them around your whole trip.

If you are traveling to a country that you don't speak thier language I recommend buying a language program and practice before you go. I get the learn while you drive ones on CD and learn on my way to and from work. I also copy it to an MP3 player so I can listen on the flight to pass the time.

In-Flight comfort kit
Large Ziploc bag
Lip balm
Toothbrush & Toothpaste - or a "brush up" finger mitt
Floss
Hand lotion
Sleep mask
Slipper socks
Eye drops
Golf ball –foot massage
Dry washcloth
Deodorant wipe (single use packet)
Anti-bacterial wipes
Ear Plugs - if needed
Chewing gum
Nail file
Tylenol PM
Rolaids
Airborne
Snack size Ziploc bag
Vitamin C

Snacks - like home made granola or trail mix. I also put peanut butter and jelly in a small disposable container like a baby food jar and a few pieces of bread in a lunch bag. Make your own sandwich anytime you want.

In-Flight Instructions
At the beginning of the flight:
Use the lip balm and hand lotion. Take off you shoes and use the slipper socks to walk around. Use anti-bacterial wipes to clean both sides of your tray and all hard surfaces including the arm rests. Take Airborne and drink a glass of water.

During the flight:
Use the lip balm, eye drops and lotion as needed. Use the golf ball for massaging the bottom of your feet, your back and legs. If you put the golf ball on the floor under your foot and roll it back and forth it is a wonderful massage. Use the hand wipes to clean your hands before eating every time. Drink lots of water. Use the mask & ear plugs for naps. Take vitamin C every 3 hours.

In-flight Travel Stretching: To be done every hour or so along with drinking a glass of water. Focus your stretching on any trouble areas you have (bad back or shoulder).

1. While sitting cross one leg over the other. Rotate your elevated foot in circular motions. Reverse directions, then reverse feet crossed. (2 reps @ 15 seconds each)
2. Sit with toes on the floor and heels slightly raised. Lower one heel, then the other. (20 reps)
3. Rotate head in circles, move head side to side, touch chin on chest and hold also touch chin to right shoulder then left and hold. (5 reps)
4. Reach as high as you can with one arm, then the other. Lower arms and repeat. Reaching further each time. (5 repetitions)
5. Stretch arms in front of you. Flex wrists up, down and in a circle. Bend your elbows so you touch your shoulders with your fingers. Rotate your arm so your elbow is straight up, then then bring it back down and straighten your arm back out. (10 reps)
6. Stand and hold on to chair back, bend knee, grab your ankle behind you. Rotate ankle while holding position. (2 X each @ 15 seconds per leg)
7. Clasp arms at elbows. Turn to one side 3 times, then the other. (5 reps)
8. Rotate extended arm at the shoulder in a full circles. (10 reps per arm)
9. Sit up straight, draw in stomach and clasp arms in front of you. Drop torso forward and stretch arms to floor. (5 reps)
10. Lift 1 knee to your chest as far as possible then stretch leg as far out as possible. (20 reps)
11. With arms at side, roll shoulders in wide circles, forward and backwards. (10 reps each)
12. Stand with palms on low back, tuck chin and slowly arch back while exhaling. Hold for 10 seconds then relax. (5 reps)
13. Extend your arm across your chest, pulling it towards your chest with the opposite arm. Hold. (15 seconds per arm)
14. Interlock your finger, stretch your arms out in front front of you, bowing your back and hold. (2 @ 15 seconds)
15. Stand with your feet set apart at shoulder width, legs straight, one hand overhead and one at your at side. Bend to side while reaching overhead. (10 reps per side)
16. Walk in place or up and down the isle for 5 minutes. I usually try to walk up one isle and down the other.

One hour before the flight landing:
Ask for a cup of hot water, put the washcloth in your small Ziploc bag, carefully pour some of the water into the bag to create a steaming washcloth, use it to wipe your face, hands, arms and anywhere else. I typically go to the rest room for this with my toothbrush and deodorant.
Use the toothbrush, toothpaste & floss. Use the lip balm, hand lotion, and deodorant to freshen up. Take off your slipper socks and put your shoes on because you are almost there!!

When you get to your hotel take out all of your clothes as soon as you can. If any of your clothes are wrinkled hang them in the bathroom and take a hot bath with bath salts. The heat will help release some of the wrinkles and the bath will help relax and hydrate you.

My Favorite Trail Mix

This mix is great for traveling or just an afternoon snack.

3 cups Unsalted Whole Almonds
1 cup Dried Cranberries
1 cup Chopped dried mango
1 – 2 cups Cashews
1 – 2 cups Peanuts
1 cup M&Ms

I add more of the almonds and less of the peanuts and M&M’s. It is really up to your taste. I use the unsalted almonds because I’m not a big salt fan and the peanuts and cashews add enough salt.

You can also add seasoning like Caribbean Jerk season, spicy taco season or cinnamon sugar for a variety of mix. Be creative.

This is great for an in-flight snack because you get the protein from the nuts and the health benefits from the fruit. The M&M’s are just yummy.

For sightseeing during the day in hot weather I omit the M&Ms so they don’t melt. A baggie of trail mix and a bottle of water in your back pack or purse can be a lifesaver while waiting in line for a museum or on a bus.

Kelly's Granola

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups rolled oats
½ cup wheat germ
¾ cup oat bran
¼ cup or less sunflower seeds
¼ cup or less Sesame seeds
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
¼ cup or less pumpkin seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
¼ cup finely chopped pecans
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup honey
½ cup vegetable oil, olive oil or coconut oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ tablespoon vanilla extract and or almond extract

¼ cup flax seeds
1 ¼ cups dried cranberries


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.

Combine the top ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir together the other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 35-40 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Immediately after baking add ¼ cup whole flax seeds.

Let the mix cool in the pan, then stir in the cranberries before storing in an airtight container.

Keep an eye on it the last couple of minutes in the oven so it does not burn.
It will harden and clump when it cools.


OPTIONS AND TIPS:
¾ cup of honey only instead of maple syrup and brown sugar
1/2 wheat germ and 1/2 ground flax seed
Do not use oat bran, just increase the rolled oats.
Ground flaxseed in place of the wheat germ
Add a tablespoon of water to help it clump a little better
Add other dried fruits too

Make your own in-flight snack box

The days of free snacks or meals on your flight are gone, but why pay for $10 for a box of pre-selected snacks when you won’t like half of them.

Here is some of what I pack in my lunch box to bring with me. A paper or plastic bag work fine too. These snacks are great for any day trips or flights because they don’t need to be refrigerated. My favorite website for travel sized snacks (well, really anything travel sized) is Minimus.biz.

A baggie of Kelly’s Favorite Snack Mix (see recipe in July post below)
Kelly’s granola (also in July post below)
Pretzels
Beef Jerky
Chewing Gum
Crackers and cheese pack
A favorite candy bar
2 pieces of bread and a few tablespoons of peanut butter (For a PB sandwich- but don’t put it together until you are ready to eat it)
Hard candies like lifesavers or butterscotch
A baggie of salad mix, a baggie of toppings and an individual size dressing. (I’m not sure if the dressing is technically a liquid, but I’ve always had it in my lunch bag and I’ve never been asked about it by security) The salad will be fine for a while, but I do eat it first.
If you are traveling in the morning an individual sized cereal is yummy. You can usually get milk on the flight if you need it.
Fruit Snacks
Granola Bars

Packing Tip

Pack like a boy scout, but don’t pack the whole medical kit. Here are a few things you should never leave home with out.

Ibuprofen or aspirin
Antacid tablets
Band-aids
Topical antibiotic ointment like Neosporin
Sunscreen and bug repellant
Anti-diarrheal like Kaopectate
A small flashlight
Collapsible drinking cup
Travel sized package of tissues
Anti-bacterial wipes
Stain eraser pen