Starting Another Year on the Road

Yesterday, I set off for a 10-day training camp in Spain. January training camps basically serve as the start of the season and from this point forward, I really have no idea my schedule and how often or little I'll be home. Different seasons lead to different schedules and I've had years where I've had at least two separate nearly 2-month blocks on the road. Right now, I have no idea how 2017 will play out and to be honest, that excites me. 

It might look like chaos, but that's organized chaos.

I live out of a suitcase and in hotels quite well. There is something soothing about it but it requires planning and organizing. There are times when I'll have a less than 24-hour turnaround at home, which basically means doing laundry and heading back out. Due to this, I like to make packing my suitcase as simple as possible. I own doubles of nearly everything and it lives in my bag so I don't run the risk I leaving my glasses or UK laptop phone charger at home.

Earlier this week, I dumped out my suitcase and went through everything piece by piece to see what may need replacing or refilling. It also meant I got rid of stuff that I don't use anymore and simply cleaned out all that random stuff that winds up at the bottom of a bag.

And then I set off on a few last minute errands to make sure everything was stocked up and ready to go for 2017. First up, more charging cables and a dongle (yes, I giggle every time I say dongle). I travel with three phone chargers--one for my suitcase, one for my backpack/spare battery and then one with my GPS for a rental car. At training camp, I'm doing presentations and training, so instead of always needing to borrow a mac-to-projector dongle, I finally got around to buying my own.

The Lush purchases are the real excitements. Everyone that travels frequently needs to know about Lush's bar shampoo and conditioner. Bar shampoo and conditioner! When you live out of your suitcase for weeks at a time, bottles take up a lot of space and add weight. These bars eliminate both those issues. I've been using them for over two years and I don't think I could ever go back. They've got a huge variety to choose from. I go for the ones that moisturize, designed for blondes and make my hair smell yummy. It took me awhile to find a conditioner that worked but trial and error led me to the Jungle. I'm also a fan of the (affordable) travel tins to keep them from rubbing on everything else. I probably replace those every six months.

And there you have it. I'm set for 2017 travels!

Favorite Things: October

October has been a strange month. I did a fair amount of travel (Japan and China) mixed with sitting on the couch trying to get my foot to heal. So most of my favorite things for this month were connected to the two polar opposites of my life: constant motion and complete stillness. The things that I fell in love with this month were almost all gifts or recommendations from girlfriends. Here are a few of my most favorite things from October:

Bubble Water Bottle

Both at home and on the road for the past few weeks, I've relied heavily on my Bubble Water Bottle. I'm always one of those people who carries around a bottle of water but it's been even more vital lately. I know staying well hydrated helps with healing and I'm also spending lots of time on airplanes, so I need to combat the dry air with water. What I love the most about this bottle is the replaceable filter. I travel to lots of countries where it is safe to drink the tap water (Japan) but I still prefer to run it through a filter. It also comes with a cap that closes the bottle completely, meaning I can throw it into my bag without worrying about spills.

Garden of Life Mood + and Garden of Life Ocean 3

A friend introduced me to the Garden of Life line back in April and I've taken them religiously ever since. At the time, I was suffering from what I can only call as brain fog. I just didn't feel like I had enough energy and my brain never could access information as fast as I wanted. It was such a strange and frustrating situation. I think changing my diet helped some but I'm sure adding the Garden of Life Probiotics for Mood and the Garden of Life Oceans 3 (Omega3s) for Better Brain really was what shook off the fog. I notice if I stop taking these for a week or so. Additionally, I love that I can travel with the probiotics. It helps keep my crohn's stomach in check.

Native Forest Coconut Milk Powder

My sister sent me this coconut milk powder in one of her fantastic care packages (because don't all adults send each other care packages?!) She knew that finding a non-dairy substitute is tough in foreign countries and I try to avoid soy when possible. Yet it would be stupid to have extra liquids due to weight and security. I told her I couldn't find any non-dairy powder and she went on her own hunt and sent me this coconut powder. It is super coconuty and a little goes a long way but I love it. It is great to mask some terrible hotel coffee, top off a cup of airplane coffee or even for coffee at home, when I get back after a trip and don't have any other options.

Swift Wick Compression Socks

I was gifted these socks from a good friend last year and have used them for every single flight since. Typically, I just wear them because it helps me avoid that cankly, swollen foot at the end of a long travel day. Yet since the surgery, I've been required to wear compression socks when I fly. These socks are the perfect combination of tight but comfortable. 

Scar Erase

I've been rubbing a scar cream (not this exact one, but an all-natural one from Belgium that sounds similar) and it is working miracles. My foot scar looks amazing. Once it fully heals, I think it will be barely noticeable. It is a little over a month old and already looks better than my 10 year old knee scar.

I definitely was not paid for any of these recommendations.

Favorite Things: September

September was a slow travel month for me. I headed to the US for a wedding early in the month and passed through Munich mid-way through, but otherwise, I was home. This all worked out well because I ended up having unexpected surgery during the last week of the month. Here are a few things that I enjoyed most in September:

Rent The Runway

I've been a Rent the Runway fan for years and years. When I flew over to the US for about 40 hours, I had no desire to check a bag. Renting dresses for the pre-wedding cocktail party and then the wedding day was the perfect fix. The dress on the right was fantastic. Major hit and got loads of compliments. Funny story--another girl at the venue had rented the same dress previously and proudly showed me a picture of her in it. Small world. The left one I wore to the wedding. It was a bit more conservative than I typically dress, but it was perfect for an 11am Sunday garden wedding.

Gilmore Girls

I never actually watched Gilmore Girls while it aired. I occasionally caught a glimpse of it and knew the main gist of it, but that was about it. Once Gilmore Girls came to Netflix in Belgium, I started watching it here and there. Then I found myself stuck to the couch where I've completely and shamefully watched up to five hours a day. What shocks me is that I still have four 22-episode seasons left....it's daunting. I have until November 25th to get it all watched before the Gilmore Girls Revival airs.

Michael Todd Kaolin Clay Detoxifying Facial Mask

Apparently, my face hates being bedridden and doing basically nothing. I haven't worn makeup in days, yet my face decided to break out, get very dry and feel overall sluggish. I guess my face is feeling about as good as my foot. Let's just say, it isn't a good look. So I started using the Michael Todd Detoxifying Clay Mask, which uses all natural ingredients and activated charcoal to draw out oil, dirt and pollutants. I'm using it every 2-3 days and it really has helped clear things up and reinvigorate my skin.

L'Occitane Lavender Foaming Bath

I got this bottle of foaming bath wash back in June after some travel hiccups saw me without my luggage for days and days. I grabbed a travel set from the L'Occitane store in the JFK airport out of desperation and need for a new clear quart-size bag. Since having surgery, I can't take a shower until the stitches come out. Luckily, the apartment has a tub and this incredible lavender foaming bath gel actually makes it feel indulgent, not a chore. By the end, I smell like a field of lavender.

Mediterra Sesame Energy Bar

I received this Mediterra Sesame Energy Bar with orange and honey in my monthly gluten-free Love With Food snack box. I didn't know how I felt about sesame seed on a bar until I tried it. Sesame, honey and orange apparently make the perfect mix. I tried to take the smallest bites to make this last as long as possible. I will definitely be ordering a box and bringing them back to Belgium next time I'm in the States.

I definitely was not paid for any of these recommendations.

Favorite Things: August

As much as I am a fan of beauty products, I have many other things that I really obsess over. So I figured this could be more about my favorite things than just beauty products. Maybe a book or two? Food? Clothes? Who knows where it'll take me....

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

I've been tearing through books recently. I go through phases of reading, reading, reading and then I'll go completely dry and won't touch a book for weeks or even a month. Right now, I'm juggling multiple books. When I do this, I try to choose a variety of categories or themes so I don't confuse them in my brain. Typically this looks one book that's fairly technical, a non-fiction, sci-fi or horror, and finally a fairly traditional fiction/chick lit. Currently I'm working on a Tesla biography (Margaret Cheney's...I wanted to read Wizard but couldn't find it), Book 3 of 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, and Emma by Jane Austen.

I've adored everything Curtis Sittenfeld has written and her topics are pretty far-reaching. Her debut, Prep, is one of the few books that accurately depicts boarding schools, followed by American Wife (read it immediately), Sisterland and so forth. So when I saw this new book on one of my many layovers trying to get out of the US, I had to get it. I also absolutely adore Jane Austen, so it was the perfect blend. The story is so well done. If you appreciate Austen or have read anything by Sittenfeld before, read this. You won't be let down.

Lakrids Liquorice

I'm almost a little embarrassed by this purchase. I ordered a box of five differents kinds of this Danish liquorice and had it shipped to Belgium. Who am I?! I always grab some when I'm at the Copenhagen airport and I plowed through all of that during the Tour of Utah. So I decided I had to have more. I ordered sweet liquorice, salty liquorice, red liquorice, habanero chili liquorice and salty chili cranberry liquorice. They are all my favorites, but I would say the salty chili cranberry is a life changer. Strange, I know. (and they are all gluten free.)

Five-Minute Journal

I've written in journal off and on for as long as I can remember. Maybe what motivates me to journal is the same part of me that writes this blog. As a kid, it was the Dear Diary kind of journaling, but as I matured, I wanted it to be more of a place to deal with problems, work through thoughts and so forth. Since moving to Belgium, I've shifted the focus more to the positives than the negatives. Over the past few months, I've been using the Five-Minute Journal, which has you write about 2-3 minutes in the morning and then another 2-3 minutes before sleep. It focuses on gratitude and positives in a way that I really enjoy on a daily basis, and I already appreciate going back and looking at where I was just days or weeks ago.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

I was skeptical when I first saw the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel. We've all seen the promises of chip proof or diamond strength. None of it EVER works on my fingernails. I like having my nails painted but I can't deal with the upkeep and I always manage to chip my nails within like 12 minutes of leaving the salon. There was something about this two-step polish that seemed promising. It doesn't lie...it works. I'm a total fan and have since bought several colors. I head back to the USA briefly this weekend and grabbing a few more bottles is mandatory. I can finally wear nail polish like a grown woman and not look like a kid who tried to peel it off.

Birkenstock Gizeh in Toffee

Shoes and my feet in general have been the bane of my existence for almost a year. Starting last August, I was struck suddenly with extreme foot pain. By September, I could no longer run and my toes had started to misalign. I've now seen more doctors than I can count and I've been diagnosed with an autoimmune form of arthritis. So far, we've handled it with light drugs, custom made orthotics and cortisone injections. 

Thanks to those orthotics, I could no longer wear any of my shoes. I had to invest in shoes that had wide toe beds and a very stiff floor bed. Basically, the most unattractive, unsexy shoes you can imagine. But I went on a hunt and during the Tour of Britain, I found an amazing brand - Josef Seibel - that makes attractive but orthotic compliant shoes. I bought four pairs and lived exclusively in those shoes for the past 12 months. One shoe that I was really missing was a sandal, but most are way too flimsy for me to wear...or too ugly. Yet these Birkenstocks were perfect (even though I don't wear my orthotics with them) and my feet aren't killing after a day of walking in them. I've basically lived in these all summer.

I definitely was not paid for any of these recommendations.

July Product Reviews

July has been a pretty heavy travel month. It began with a trip to the Tour de France and Paris with my family followed by nearly tens days in Poland. Now I've already hit the road again for another long run beginning in Denmark, then Utah and finally over to the Czech Republic. Obviously, that means a lot of flights. When I'm traveling this much and for this long, it might sound counterintuitive, but I like to keep my bag extra light. I can deal with a too heavy bag for 3 to 4 days, but nearly three weeks of lugging a brick around simply gets old. So, I really make myself be selective about what makes the cut,  especially when it comes to "extras". 

Below are my favorite products this month and the things I decided were must-haves on my current trip.

L'ARTISAN LA CHASSE AUX PAPILLONS EAU DE TOILETTE

I'm obsessed with this scent. It screams total summer with strong notes of lime, orange blossom and jasmine. I like a strong perfume but not a heavy one, if that makes any sense. I like to start the day with a little too much so I have some still lingering at 5pm. This one makes me happy every time I spray it on.

SUPERGOOP SETTING MIST WITH ROSEMARY

As a freckle face, I try to keep them from spreading and connecting. This little gem has been my multitasker. It's saved me on those rainy days where I skip sunscreen and suddenly the sun pops out. I can spray this on and my makeup stays put and it has a lovely refreshing scent. The other time I tend to use it is on insanely long days out in the sun when I can feel my morning sunscreen has worn off. A few quick sprays and I'm safely protected again. 

Lush Montalbano Shampoo Bar

I'm slowly, single-handedly spreading the love of Lush's shampoo bars to all the females who travel in pro cycling. This little bar takes up little space, weighs next to nothing, doesn't count as a liquid and smells absolutely heavenly. Lush has a variety of shampoo bars but for my blonde hair, this one is my favorite. It is made with brightening Sicilian lemon oil, lemon juice and fresh olives and sudess up like a normal shampoo. I never leave home without it. 

KOPARI COCONUT SCRUB

I'm not a body scrub person. Rarely does it do anything for me. But I received this sample from Birchbox and I liked both the smell and the texture. It is free of silicones, sulfates, parabens and GMOs. It isn't overbearing nor has a fake coconut smell, actually the scent is more sugary than anything. But it's thick and does a good job at leaving my skin soft and smooth. I prefer to use it before I get in the shower instead of waiting until I'm already wet. 

YOU ARE AMAZING LEMON MERINGUE BODY LOTION

I bought this lotion by complete accident. I was in the US for another day or two and had run out of body wash. I wanted to grab something cheap just to get me through a few days before returning to Europe and I always gravitate towards lemon. The price point was ridiculously cheap and I was planning on leaving it in the US, so I was sold. I got home and figured out it was lotion, not body wash and I was bummed. Then I tried it. The smell is absolutely amazing. The best way to describe it is Girl Scout Lemonade cookies. It is delicious but not so strong someone standing next to you would find it offputting or sickeningly sweet. What turned into an accident will now be a regular purchase.

I definitely was not paid for any of these recommendations.

Travel Favorites

I admit it. I'm obsessed with samples. It used to be any free sample, but in recent years, I've scaled back to basically only perfume, wine and beauty products. And thanks to a more respectable salary, I've moved on to paying for samples. Yet my love to try hasn't diminished. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to pay full price, but before I invest a ridiculous amount on a face scrub (looking at you dr. brandt microdermabrasion skin exfoliant...how I crave you in full size.), I want several chances to try before I buy.

All of that is just my natural instinct. Then I add in a job where I live on planes, out of suitcases and switching hotels. My lifestyle doesn't allow for full size. When Birchbox launched, I was an immediate fan. (Same with RentTheRunway for basically the same reasons... And I love the idea of a new dress and no dry cleaner.) I can lose a unplanned and large amount of money when I find a Sephora in a foreign country. 

Due to international shipping and the fact sometimes I leave my apartment for nearly two months straight, I send my Birchbox's to my mom's. This means roughly twice a year, I get six boxes all at once. Christmas doesn't hold a candle to the fun of opening those beautiful boxes. Last year, my mom had surgery and I flew in for about 30 hours. I took my boxes to the hospital and we opened them together post-op. I wish I had taken photos because thanks to all her pain meds, I played the world's best game of adult beauty parlor. 

Travel size, sample size, whatever size are my staples. And I'm addicted. I also love reading blogger reviews of these products, so I figured I should add in my two cents.  

I am currently living out of a suitcase for six weeks. Below are my top five new products that had to come along:

• Malin + Goetz Clarifying Clay Mask
• Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk
• Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer
• Dear Clark Thickening Balm
• Tocca Eau de Parfum Bianca

Malin + Goetz Clarifying Clay Mask

I go through love and hate phases with masks. It's like I forget I have them until my skin hits that dull, lifeless phase where it needs desperate attention. This mask is great because it smooths on so easily and feels like it gently polishes my skin. Ten minutes later and after a quick wash, I feel like new. And the witch hazel and arnica extract, both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, couldn't hurt.

Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk

Caudalie is a brand I see constantly in Belgium but was never willing to splurge on a full-size item without trying it out first. I actually have had a few Caudalie items in my boxes over the months (glycolic peel, Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet and Vinoperfect Radiance Serum) but it was the gentle cleansing milk that touched my heart. It is so creamy and smooth. I use it in the mornings when I wake up and don't need to put on makeup right away. I feel like it leaves my face fresh, clean and well-moisturized without any extra weight.

Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer

In general, my skin is combination but with all my travel (and not always drinking adequate amounts of water), it tends to get dry, especially in the winter. I wanted a moisturizer that I could wear under my foundation (currently wearing Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Cool Sand) without making it too slick or thick. This moisturizer is packed with avocado and olive oils. All those healthy fats make my skin feel hydrated and nourished...and ready for a slick of foundation, bronzer and the day. 

Dear Clark Thickening Balm

There aren't enough words to explain why I love this thickening balm. I have thin hair, but I have a lot of hair. Hair product doesn't always leave me feeling thrilled. It either gets lost in there or it weighs me down. More often than not, I feel hair products make my hair look greasy. Not this thickening balm. It uses natural ingredients like Rose of Jericho, sunflower seed oil, aloe vera, yucca root, shea butter, rice protein and other plant proteins to plump, protect, and add shine. It's one product that totally multitasks.

Tocca Eau de Parfum Bianca

When packing for a month in warm weather, I wanted a perfume that would be light and fresh, but that could hold up to a 16-hour day. This perfume starts with a citrus, lemon scent but then finishes with some musky undertones of rose and sugar, which means it was perfect over the past six week. I was happy and excited each morning when I sprayed it on. It set the perfect tone for the day. 

I definitely was not paid for any of these recommendations. I received all of these products through my paid Birchbox.