Less Stressful Holiday Travel

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It's that time again. The holidays are upon us and many of you will be traveling. Whether you'll be visiting friends and family or getting away from them with a relaxing getaway, the airport over Christmas is crazy, packed and chaotic. After packing, just making your way through security and getting on the plane is a challenge. Here are some ways to make it easier on you and everyone around you.

Keep your ID and boarding pass handy - Nobody likes waiting in line, but having to wait for someone to dig around in their bag for things they know they need is like when you're stuck behind the person in the checkout line that waits until the checker rings up everything and tells them the price before pulling out their checkbook. You know what I'm talking about. Don't be a check-writer. Have your ID or passport and boarding pass in your hand by the time you get to the TSA agent letting you into the lines for security screening. 

Bag your liquids - The 3-1-1 bag can be a pain and sometimes hard to pack, but don't make it harder by not packing it ahead of time like some people. It has been a rule for years, so when you either don't pack your gels and liquids in one before you get to the airport and are trying to hunt and gather for them in your carry-on while in line, it just makes people angry that they are behind you. You can buy quart-size zip-top bags at the grocery store and discount stores, like Target. Pull together all your toiletries and pack your 3-1-1 before you leave home. You'll save time, make friends and make sure that everything you want to take fits inside it. It's good to also place it near the top of your carry-on, so you can easily pull it out and throw it in a bin.

Wear some shoes you can slip on or off - Every airport you go to will make you take your shoes off to go through security. Why not make it painless for you and everyone behind you by wearing shoes that don't take forever to get off or on. Leave your combat boots at home and opt for more reasonable options, like loafers or sneakers. Heck, wear your stilettos if you must be glam, as they will take seconds to remove and put back on. Other travelers will thank you when you can grab all your stuff from the other side of the conveyor and get out of the way for them.

Keep your gifts unwrapped - As much as you'll want to wrap any gifts you're bringing before you leave home, resist the urge, because TSA doesn't like them. While they can x-ray your box, wrapped gifts are still suspicious, so you will have spent all that time and energy making it look pretty and then getting it into your bag, only to have an agent rip your paper to shreds to find out what you packed. Bring small gifts that can be packed without boxes and wrapping paper. You can always bring those staples with your and wrap them at your destination.

Make your laptop easily accessible - Yes, yes, you have all that other stuff you need to have in-hand and now I'm adding another. It's one more thing that will need to go in the bin, next to your shoes, 3-1-1, jacket and contents of your pockets. If you're bringing your laptop, netbook or iPad, make sure you can quickly slide it in and out of your carry-on. The faster you can get all your belongings into a bin, the sooner you can push them towards the conveyor belt and the X-Ray machine, making room for other travelers' belongings and causing everyone around you to be happy that you're helping to move the line along as best as possible, so they can get to their designated gate with minimal hurdles. 

Make sure you get to the airport with plenty of time to spare. You never know what can happen, so check wait times and give yourself at least 2 hours before you flight. If you get to the gate and find you've been bumped or your flight has been delayed, know your rights.

What are your tips for traveling a little more stress-free?

French Macarons

My birthday was this week and I received some fancy kitchen stuff that I wanted, including a book on how to make macarons. That's not a typo. I'm talking about the French macarons, not America's chewy and coconutty macaroons. If you don't know the difference, here's a chart! 

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I tried making these lovely little confections before with sad, sad results, but I'm going to try again. While on vacation, I got my hands on quite a few professionally-made macarons, because knowing how difficult they are to master, I definitely couldn't pass up the chance(s) to much on some yummy cookies from big names like Pierre Herme and Ladurée. To get your mouth watering and encourage you to seek out a French patisserie near you, I have gathered some of my favorite photos of these little flavor-packed pastries. (Also, these make a pretty affordable alternative to dessert on your travels...and lower in calories than you'd think.)

Do you have a favorite macaron flavor (mine is gingerbread!) or other dessert/goodie?

5-Star Vacations on a Budget in Puerto Rico

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a budget traveler, I love to get a fantastic deal, especially on a luxury travel experience. I also love my trip to be stress-free. It's not always easy to get both of those things in on vacation, but you can if you travel to Puerto Rico. You get to visit a foreign country without a passport or exchanging money or learning another language (though if you speak some Spanish or want to work on it, it's probably appreciated).

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With the temperatures dropping, you're probably wishing you were somewhere warm and sunny. It's summertime in Puerto Rico, which is enough to make anyone start packing their shorts and swimsuits. You can't go wrong with 270 miles of coastline and some of the world's best beaches. Enjoy them even at night with bioluminescent bays that are full of plankton that light up when the water is disturbed, so you look like you're glowing when you are out for a swim or kayaking at night. These bays are very rare and amazing. Three of the only five in the world are located in Puerto Rico! That seems like a reason to visit alone.

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You don't have to be a beach lover to head to island though. There is so much to do, you might find yourself thinking there ins't enough time to do it all in one trip. There's:

• hiking, rock climbing and ziplining for the adventurous. 
• fishing, horseback riding and biking for the sports and outdoor enthusiast. 
• haute cuisine and coffee for the foodie.
• art, music and historical sites for culture buffs.
• casinos, dance clubs and bars for for the night owls.

If you can't find it in Puerto Rico, you probably haven't left your hotel room! I mean, you can even visit the only rainforest of the U.S. National Parks. This is your chance to see some unique species of flora and fauna in their beautiful natural habitat. The country gets top ratings from travelers and, to show you how much people love it, SeePuertoRico.com has teamed up with TripAdvisor to bring life to travel reviews. See just how awesome a trip can be with short films inspired by these reviews, like the one below:

If you don't think you can afford a vacation this holiday season, think again, because you can start planning an affordable trip right now. In fact, you can plan a mid-January arrival and get in on the San Sebastián Street Festival. It's four days of culture, music and art. Fun, right? If I were planning a trip, I'd want to stay at the Casa Condada Hotel in the historical San Juan, because it's just one block away from the beach, has a terrace where one can just laze away in a hammock and is convenient to nightlife and restaurants. Under $100 per night for a plush room in a boutique hotel with less than 25 rooms is almost impossible to find nowadays. Here are some of the things I would have on my itinerary:

• Rum tasting! What happened to all the rum? If it's good, I probably drank it. You won't fined better premium rums that in PR.
• Snorkeling! My husband, Eric, loves the water. Though I have had mixed emotions about getting in the deep end, I'm willing to give it another shot because he likes it and to get a glimpse of some of their local marine life, including an abundant sea turtle population.
• Agrotourism! Have you ever heard of this? Me either, but I want to go to a plantation and taste coffee and learning about eco-conscious and fair trade growing processes.
• Ziplining! I'm definitely not afraid of heights and soaring through the canopy and over the Tanama River sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon.
• Boat tour! I'm really into seeing those bioluminescent bays, and taking a nighttime tour sounds like the perfect way to see them. I'm especially interested in seeing them from the comfort of a dry boat.
• Food, food, food! Yup, you know how much I adore trying new foods when I go on vacation. With local delicacies like mofongo, asopao and lechón, my taste buds are going to be working overtime.

All these things and more can make you turn any budget adventure into a 5-star experience! So, what are you waiting for? Are you adding Puerto Rico to your travel list? Live your own 5-star vacation story in Puerto Rico.

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