Gevalia: A Coffee to Travel With

We are coffee drinkers. At home, that's pretty easy to deal with, because we have our Keurig* brewer in the kitchen and all-day coffee at work. When we travel, you don't have too many options, especially if you're trying to stay on a budget. Going to the coffee shop every morning is not an option if you want to save money. Most hotels and vacation rentals have a coffee machine, but the blend they supply you with is some of the cheapest coffee available. It can get you through, but it's definitely not high-quality. You do have a third option, and that is to bring your own coffee. We have started doing this, because we almost always have breakfast in our accommodation.

Wat's the point of all this coffee-talk? So, I can tell you about an awesome coffee brand that you can enjoy at home and on-the-road. It's so yummy, you'll find yourself making room in your carry-on bag to be able to pack it. It's not just perfect for breakfasts on your trip, but the rich flavor complements any treats you pick up at the bakery or that dessert you were too full to finish off, but had to order anyway. (You know who you are.)

Dessert-inspired birthday wrapping

This past weekend, we had a group party where we celebrated three birthdays, a graduation and Father's Day. (There were a lot of gifts involved!) My part was desserts, because I love to bake, and I decided to make something special for each person we were celebrating. And what goes best with dessert? Coffee! That's what! I stopped by Safeway to get everything I needed, including some chocolate mocha Gevalia. Chocolate goes better with more chocolate after all. As soon as I unpacked all my goodies, my mother-in-law made a point of saying "That's my favorite coffee!" And it's no wonder. Gevalia is bold, never bitter and full of rich flavor. It was the ideal partner to each goody I made. 

While I was at Safeway getting my baking essentials, I grabbed a box of new Gevalia Keurig® K-Cup®* coffee for home, too. The Swedes really know how to make their coffee, but I suppose that makes sense - They've been doing it since 1853. Their experts pick the best beans, cast-iron roast them, grind them super-fine and the result is a delicious, delicious coffee experience. Want to see my final dessert buffet?

Salted Caramel Brownies and Espresso Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Roll, Smores Pops and Lemon Basil Poundcake

The desserts were a big hit (surprise!), but the coffee was also a favorite and I'll be finding some room in my carry-on for it on my big trip to London and Paris this fall. Not only because I love, love, love to start my day off with an awesome cup of coffee, but also because most accommodations there don't include coffee and I can't afford to buy one every day for two weeks - a cup can run you $5-6 at a cafe or even a corner coffee shop. Multiply that by two of us and we could eat two (or more) actual meals out instead. Gevalia's richness will add a new level to the quick meals we make ourselves and help us start our days off right. 

Fun opening gifts

Maybe one of our future trips to Europe will take us to Gavle, Sweden where we can tour the factory and sample more premium blends made by the pros. (You  might see a 48 hours post soon!) In the meantime, we can sip our own steamy mugs and imagine what that vacation will be like. It will be a staple at all of our future get togethers, too. Not only was it fun to gather everyone for food and gifts, but it's always lovely to catch up with family and good friends. So, next time you're at Safeway, or your favorite local food store, stop by the coffee aisle, pick up some Gevalia and invite a friend over to catch up. And buy an extra bag for your upcoming trip.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

*Kraft Foods is not affiliated with Keurig, Inc. KEURIG and K-CUP are registered trademarks of Keurig, Inc. 

My Disneyland Paris Wish List

Want to win a great toiletry bag for your next trip? Enter to win the Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit from Travelon.

Well, I'm on schedule. We officially have airfare to London and Paris, so this fall is going to be an amazing traveling experience. If you missed my last wish list posts, you can view my London list and my Paris list. Though we have been to Disneyland Paris before, we were rushed and only had one day to see both parks. Now there are new things to see and do and we are taking 3 days to see it all, including exploring Disney Village. I'm super excited for this trip, as you can imagine. Here are some of the things I consider must-see highlights at Disneyland Paris and the surrounding area.

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

In the dungeon of Sleeping Beauty's castle lies the dragon. It breathes fire, even! It's one of the coolest things we've seen at a theme park and we definitely won't be missing this when we go back.

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

You know how I love a Halloween Party. Well, Disneyland Paris has one, too, though it's only one night. If I can get tickets, we're going to dress up and be there to see special parades, fireworks and shows.

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Everyone loves Space Mountain, but Space Mountain Mission 2 is a whole other adventure. It's a traditional roller coaster that goes upside down. It's crazy fun and worth waiting in line for...though the line is still never as long as the original ride at Disneyland.

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Cars Land is a thing in Paris, too. We're hoping it's less crowded than California and we can enjoy it more this time. Don't you love Luigi and Guido?

This photo of Walt Disney Studios Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Instead of just a show, Crush has his own ride! It looks a lot like the Matterhorn, but we love that ride, so we are excited to test it out.

This photo of Walt Disney Studios Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I wish Disneyland also embraced more of the Toy Story franchise. We're going to be getting on the new (to us) RC Racers, Slinky Dog Coaster and Army Men Parachute Drop.

This photo of Walt Disney Studios Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

No trip to Disney is complete without a few meals out. I've read such good things about the Earl of Sandwich, though it won't be the only place we eat at Disney. I'm looking forward to making reservations for some actual sit-down restaurants, too.

This photo of Disney Village is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Have you been to Disneyland Paris? Did you have a favorite ride?

Review & Giveaway: Travelon Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit

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So, I don’t know about you, but when I travel, I like to have all my toiletries together and organized. I am not one to just toss a bunch of stuff in a bag and assume it’s everything I need. I have a list of every necessity and then add a few non-essentials to make me feel pretty. At the end of this month we are going to Las Vegas for three days and I am starting to pack already.

Travelon set me up with their Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit, which is perfect for taking the necessities – and then some – for one person and most likely large enough for several people going on a long weekend (or a longer trip if the majority of your stuff is liquids and goes in your 3-1-1 bag and you are good at paring down everything else). Usually when I travel, I take the regular size hanging toiletry kit, but I find it can be a little large if I’m going alone or we go for a short trip.

Look at all this stuff that fit in there!

This kit is definitely compact, but it has a lot more room than you think it does. Look at all this stuff I was able to get into it. Half of it will go in my 3-1-1 bag, but when I get to my destination, I like to have everything in one place, so keeping it all in the bag is really convenient, because I don’t have to search a bunch of places. It’s easy to keep organized, too. There is one large compartment, which is where we stash things like our toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorant. Items that we need to find more quickly, like sunscreen and shampoo, can be slipped into the elastic loops – and it keeps bottles from turning over and spilling on everything by accident.

There are two zipper pockets, one mesh on the top that we use for small things that we might need: bandages, tweezers and stain remover towels. In the front is a PVC pocket that is good for things that might make a mess. I like to use it for little things that I use a lot, like my lip balm and contact lens cases.

 

When we get to our room, the compact toiletry case is never in the way. Closed, we can hang it on a hook in the bathroom by the attached loop on the back. When we are actively using the bag, we can unzip it and use the sturdy hanger to hang it on that same hook, from a towel rod or anywhere else it might be fitting. Your necessities can always be at your fingertips, and if someone is using the bathroom, you can hang it somewhere else in the room and have access to your toiletries.

As you can see, once my liquids have been put into my 3-1-1 bag, there is a considerable amount of free space in the toiletry kit. I probably could fit my mini flat iron in there or some hair accessories. It’s the perfect size for my trip later this month, and both Eric’s and my stuff fit into it. It won’t take up much room in our carry-on either, which is important when we are just trying to take the bare essentials and still have some room left to bring purchases home. And you know there will be some, because I’ll be wandering the Forum Shops for a while during the NBA Draft. Eric isn’t going to shop at H&M or drool over Jimmy Choos and I can only watch so much of the Draft before I fall asleep, so there will probably be a few buys to go back home.

We’ll also be staying in two different places within three days, so being able to pack up quickly will be very useful. Since everything can fit into my toiletry kit, I can zip it up, toss it back in my carry-on and then hang it up at my next destination. Easy peasy! Can you tell I love this bag? I think you will, too.

More information

Where you can buy it: Travelon online

How much it costs: $25.00

Colors it comes in: black | blue steel | snake | leopard | zebra

Other specs: 420 D. Polyester fabric that is easily wiped down if you spill on it – the snake print comes in crinkle nylon fabric, 9 X 7 X 4.25 

Want to win your own Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit from Travelon? Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided with the Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.