Showing Up Unprepared

Are you a type-A plan your face off traveler, or a let's just see what happens traveler?

In the past few years I've done both, employing the ultra-planned and laissez-faire approaches. With each type under my belt, I think there's a time and a place for both. For example, you don't want to show up in Nairobi without a hotel, secure transportation or high-level itinerary, whereas, that's totally doable and almost romantically vagabondish if you visit somewhere for the weekend and figure it out as you go.

Showing up Prepared In mid-fall 2010, I went to Maui with my husband. Since I was only there for 3 nights, and it's a destination I know pretty well {but would like to further explore}, the trip was fairly dialed in terms of what we'd do when. During the day, I planned on exercising followed by relaxing in the sun {not sure why I had to plan that, but I did}, and at night we pre-arranged reservations at our favourite restaurants, so we didn't miss our cherished sunset meals or moments. Similarly, when we visited Europe and Africa in late 2009, we had a 24-hour stop-over in London. Because it was short, I pre-planned our transport, hotel and the show I'd been dying to see to make sure we got it all in. The planning paid-off, we had a fabulous night out at Wicked {the musical} and loved our pod hotel.

Showing up Unprepared Because my personality is planning-oriented, in the past, when I didn't plan every second of an itinerary, I somehow felt I wasn't doing my destination justice. In reading every available guidebook and online review about the area, I had the sense I was using all available resources to embrace the city's highlights. Then, after a few bad tourist attractions and less-than-favorable restaurant visits, I embraced the fly by the seat of my pants side. This rendered great experiences talking to locals and various hotel concierges about where they eat and what they do. My newfound organic approach was a hit, for example, while in Laguna Beach, CA this past summer, we were told to go to a restaurant called 230 Forest by a couple we met while sitting at the Roy's Newport bar. Their suggestion was bang-on, and we had a great meal!

All in all, this semi-reformed ultra-panner has lovingly embraced showing up semi-unprepared. I emphasize semi, because I still like to read articles and reviews pre-trip, in addition to consulting my travel apps while at my destination. Although I will still consult guidebooks in the future, I won't plan every second of my getaway and will always seek local input. Along with a little planning, semi-unpreparedness---or what I call strategic itinerary moments---allows us to discover our destination our way, travel unhindered within it and roam with a looser sense of time. Sounds like a vacation to me!

Travel Trends :: 3 Innovations

{Enter to win a gorgeous fleur de lis necklace. Contest closes tomorrow at noon. Details here.}

Sometimes products come onto the market and you wonder how you lived without them. The next three innovations are in this category. From a rollable shoe, to a spray-on wrinkle releaser and mini vacuum-packed diapers, each of these products will save space, simplify and relax {on many levels} your next globe-trot near or far.

Footzy Rolls Designed by two sisters who after bruised heals and soar feet took a break from their lengthy relationship with stilettos and started Footzy Rolls. These irresistible, inventive and rollable flats are the perfect solution for travel because they look chic, can handle multi-concourse treks and pack better than flip flops. At a starting price tag of $20usd, I think I'll take 3! My faves are the silver and gold snakeskins, the rock 'n red sole and the black footzy flops. Find them online.

Wrinkle Releaser I loath ironing. Even when you gingerly pack your wrinkle-prone shirts in your suitcase using all the packing tricks of the trade, wrinkles still abound. So, imagine my excitement when I heard about a new Downy spray-on product that actually relaxes wrinkles sans iron!  Apparently, the 10-second process involves 3 small steps: spray, tug and smooth to release unwanted wrinkles. I can't wait to pick one of these babies up when I head to the US. If it works like it says it does {and most of the reviews are good}, I will be bringing it {decanted into a travel-sized container} with me every time I travel. Bonus, it leaves a fresh scent in case your garment needs a pick-me-up. Find it at stores like Wal-Mart in the US from $9 usd.

Diaper Buds When I have kids, I'm already excited to travel with a little diaper innovation called Diaper Buds. Vacuum-packed to 70% smaller than a loose diaper, these pint-sized protectors are a major space and stress saver for that travel stretch when you can't easily replenish your stock at a store. Once you open the bud, it blooms into a full-sized diaper available in sizes 2 - 5. Find them online from $1 usd.

Travel Beauty :: Olive Oil Inspired

{This week: enter to win a gorgeous fleur de lis necklace, details here.}

I have a bit of an olive oil obsession, which started long before my trip to the Italian Riviera, and I go through a bottle at a frighteningly fast pace. Not only do I cook with it at every meal, I even bake with it {try this recipe for olive oil cake---it's fantastic}.

Olive oil is packed with nourishing ingredients like Vitamin E and Omegas 3 and 6, and has been a beauty secret women have relied on for thousands of years. You can rub it into the hands and feet to hydrate dry, cracked skin, use it as a rinse-out hair masque, and even apply it to the face directly for a natural, ultra-moisturizing anti-aging treatment. Or...you can indulge in new Olive Essence from Spa de Soleil---a Certified Organic, natural skin care line that is formulated with pure olive oil and nourishing 24K gold---another age-old beauty secret that Cleopatra is said to have used to stay young and gorgeous.

This USDA Certified Organic collection fights aging naturally with an impressive list of ingredients that really is chemical-free. My favorites include Organic Gold Healing Nutrient; a silky formula that infuses olive juice, fruit extracts and amino acids into the skin to help it recover from environmental stresses {and living in LA I have enough of those!} and Organic Gold Peptide Complex, which is an intensive formula with powerful antioxidants in a unique oxygenated delivery system to fight premature aging. The Organic Gold Facial Peel leaves skin feeling soft and glowing. All formulas are scented with a delicate, fresh fragrance and absorb instantly---definitely a must-try! All of my favorites come in travel-friendly sizes.

Olive Essence is priced accessibly, with the most expensive item being only $32.99. Available online at www.homespacollection.com.

{Want more travel beauty? Get your fill the third Wednesday of every month. Lauren, our travel beauty expert is already whipping up her next concoction post!}

Travel Apps :: TomTom

{This week: enter to win a gorgeous fleur de lis necklace, details here.} If you haven't yet heard of TomTom, it's not the male cheerleading version of pom poms. It's a GPS system, or if you want to get fancy, a dedicated portable navigation device (PND). To be exact, TomTom is actually the world's leading provider of location and navigation solutions with more than 45 million people using their solutions daily. If I'm stuck in the middle of the Sahara desert, I'll want the guys 'n gals behind this company on my side {though I'm not really sure what they'll tell me, turn right at the next sand dune?}.

I've used both Google Map directions and a hand-held GPS on multiple road trips down to the US, and I MUCH prefer the hand-held GPS {borrowed from my Dad, thanks}. For navigating the bazillions of interconnecting highways, it's nice to have turn-by-turn directions that can correct with you in real time if you make a wrong turn.

Now There's An App For That... For a fraction of the price of a hand-held GPS, you can download TomTom to your iPhone, eliminating the need to bring an extra device with you on the road. The app's pièce de résistance is its ability to function without a mobile connection or data plan. In other words, maps and routes are stored in your smartphone's memory. Inevitably, this will save you a lot of mobile roaming dough, so you can spend it on doughnuts and other road-side delicacies.

TomTom App Details

• $59.99 usd
• works with iPhone, iTouch & iPad; apparently it's in development for android, and blackberry is up in the air
• comes with the latest and most up-to-date maps, ready to navigate
• make on-the-fly changes to your own map and benefit from free, verified updates made by TomTom users every day--delivered automatically on a weekly basis and on-demand anytime you want

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Other Travel Apps Don't forget to peruse the other 60+ travel apps we've reviewed from travel first aid, to luxury and boutique hotel finders, to border waits, to trip itinerary management. Here are the most recent:

• Get Packing
• Picture Translate
• Flightcaster
• Boiling Frog
• PageOnce

Jewels & Jaunts

[See details below on how you can win a gorgeous fleur de lis necklace from Chantale Jewelry Designs.]

Knowing it's not always easy to select and plan the perfect jewels to accompany our outfits for each trip, I've asked one of my favourite Vancouver-based jewelry designers to share her expert tips on traveling with jewelry. Whether galavanting to Paris or Palm Springs, Chantale knows a thing or two about which pieces to bring, and how to transport our delicate decorations.

I've travelled with her necklaces and earrings for the past 10 years, and not one piece has EVER broken. Although times have changed, my once-all-the-rage chandelier earrings must have been packed and re-packed 50+ times, and the intricate, literally bejeweled, multi-piece Swarovski crystal danglies never once broke. This is a testament to the excellent skill and care that goes into to making Chantale's hand-crafted designs, in addition to packing things right!

Jewels & Jaunts 101

1. Wear simple jewelry through security a) so you don't hold up the line by removing multiple pieces, and b) so you don't beep in the metal detector and take a trip to the body scanner!
2. Let your trip style and destination dictate which pieces you'll bring. For example, the jewelry you bring to NYC will on the fancier side, whereas the jewelry you bring on safari will be on the minimal side.
3. If you go away semi-regularly, cut down your packing time by keeping a set of your basic, go-to jewelry cued-up for your next trip.
4. Always pack a long necklace that can be doubled or worn at its full length.
5. Bring pieces that can be worn apart or together for an eye-catching, layered look.
6. Pack your jewelry in little, clear ziplock bags {like the ones used for buttons when you buy a new garment}. Then, pack all your necklaces, earrings and bracelets together in one sandwich-sized ziplock. If you can't fit all your items into this size of bag, you're likely bringing too much. Plus, using clear bags means you can see all your jewelry at-a-glance and it stays organized!
7. Always clean your jewelry with a polishing cloth before you take off, so your adornments don't look dull and drab.
8. When getting ready, make sure your jewelry is the LAST thing you put on. Lotions and potions can damage and dull your treasures and trinkets.
9. Keep your jewelry out of the direct sunlight.
10. Always lock up your jewel-filled ziplock in the hotel room safe.

Win This Chantale has provided this gorgeous, hand-made {and apprpriately Canadian} necklace for one lucky winner to nab. Here's how you enter: 1) Comment on this post and tell us your favourite piece of Chantale's Jewelry, AND if you haven't already, "Like" the Trip Styler page on Facebook. 2) For a second entry, share any Trip Styler post on Facebook with friends and tell us about it in the comment you leave (per step 1). 3) For a third entry, follow @tripstyler on twitter and RT this: RT @TripStyler to learn how to win a fab necklace from Chantale Jewelry Designs & traveling with jewelry 101 http://ow.ly/3ENC1 Winner will be announced at the end of THIS week, on Friday, January 21, 2011. *Open to residents of Canada and the US.

{Thank you to all those who entered. Katherine KW, you've won and we've contacted you via Twitter!}

[photos and jewelry by Chantale Jewelry Designs]