10 Things to Keep in Your Carry-On

Do you hate packing? Let's make it easier! When you keep things packed, it's easier to just pull together the rest of your stuff and get on your way to your destination. There are some things you should just keep in your carry-on. They will make your trip easier, more comfortable and you won't need to buy them when you get there and realize you should have brought them to begin with.

Sunscreen - Sunny or not, it's really important to protect yourself from the harsh rays of the sun. If you don't use the same sunscreen on your face as the rest of your body, you may just want to look for makeup with SPF in it, to cover both bases in one product. You still want to cover your other exposed skin with sunscreen, including your ears, back of your neck and the part in your hair.

Sarong - Multipurpose! Can be used as a cover up, skirt, towel, picnic blanket, scarf or more. It's a great item to have and packs super small.

Tote bag or reusable bag - Carry around your groceries, laundry, beach essentials, souvenirs and anything else. I love one that packs into itself and I can carry in my day bag to pull out in case I need it.

Packable rain jacket - Better than an umbrella, keeps you dry and can also be used as an additional layer if it's chilly wherever you are.

Eye mask - Ever been woken up with sunlight right in your eye as soon as the sun comes up? So many hotels have horrible drapes. If yours do, these will help you sleep past the crack of dawn without having to burrow under the covers like a groundhog.

Ear plugs - You never know when you'll be a victim of noisy neighbors or construction. They are smart to have just in case.

Flip Flops - Wear them to the beach, down to breakfast, out on the deck, to the pool or wherever else you don't want to wear real shoes, but aren't about to go to barefoot.

Vitamin C - Keep yourself from getting sick on vacation. You're being exposed to random germs, recycled plane air and unhealthy food. Even if you choose nutritious options, you still might not be eating as you normally do, which could lower your immune system, along with not getting as much sleep as usual.

Papaya enzyme - Along with new foods you might never have encountered and all the delicious, but unhealthy options you are faced with, you're bound to have some digestion issues and/or heartburn. Papaya enzyme are chewable tablets that aid in breaking down food and making you not feel like you ate one of those Taco Bell burritos that just sits in your stomach.

Aspirin/ibuprofen - Well, this is pretty self-explanatory. Helps with headaches, swelling, minor aches and pains, etc.

What are your must-have travel items?

TunnelBear: Watch Your Favorite TV Wherever You Are

Okay, so I know I'm not the only one who has issues with wishing they could watch stuff from their DVR or Netflix queue or even stuff on network websites like NBC.com while I'm on vacation. Not that I have that much time to watch TV, but sometimes you just want to veg out while relaxing and either there isn't anything on or all your choices are in a foreign language. Once we were in the Bahamas and waiting out a hurricane watch with the only thing on every channel the coverage of the hurricane's route. We tried to watch stuff online, but because we weren't in our own country we were blocked from any streaming videos. 

While bringing along a couple DVDs or downloading movies to our laptop is a solution - because we did watch the last 4 episodes of Dexter while in London and France on DVD - it's not always convenient and you may not always bring enough or fell like watching what you brought. So, how do you fix that? A VPN (virtual private network) like TunnelBear is the answer! In short, it uses "tunnels" to hide your IP address from the network you're trying to access and makes it look like your computer is in the country of the website you're trying to use. For example, say I want to use my Netflix account, but I'm in Germany. Using TunnelBear, that will be downloaded on my computer, phone or tablet, I can select US as my country and then log onto my Netflix account as I would from home and then stream anything I want.

Another awesome thing the TunnelBear app allows you to do: connect to your Pandora/Spotify account. Eric likes to listen to music while getting ready in the  morning and he often either uses Pandora or his phone playlist. As much fun as listening to local music stations can be, sometimes you just want to listen to your favorite tunes so you can sing along in the shower. 

So, what else can it do? If only having access to your streaming services isn't that exciting to you, there are two other great things about TunnelBear:

1. Keep your browsing activity totally safe! TunnelBear takes your privacy seriously and that mean that you can feel free to use your credit card, personal information and check your banking account without worrying that someone is going to snipe your information. All your activities and info are coded and completely hidden, which makes this a great app even for domestic travel, because public WiFi is not always a great thing.

2. Ever traveled and found an absolutely amazing show that you love, love, love so much and then go home and can't watch it? Yeah, me too. I have two shows that I wish I could have watched once I came home from trips: Es Incroyable and Two Pints and a Packet of Crisps. Of course, on this last trip, I found the French version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and even though I can't understand most of the words, it's super funny. With TunnelBear, you can pretend to be in those other countries and watch these shows online if they're available. Awesome!

There are three different plans to choose from on TunnelBear: The basic plan called Little Bear, which is free and two unlimited data plans. The Giant Bear enables you to download to your computer and two other devices for $4.99 per month and the Grizzly Bear, which gives you the same great deal, but at a 17% discount if you pay for the entire year ($49.99). It's super easy to download and to sign up, too.

Once you've set up your account and downloaded the app, all you have to do is choose the country you want the internet to think you're in, turn it on and then browse away. Simple, right? The video above shows you just how simple. Use it on your PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android phone or tablet. Use it for Skype, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify, Apple TV, all your web browsing and more! 

I'm really excited to start using this app more to view shows I never thought I'd get to watch again and feeling secure wherever I go with my laptop and phone and not feeling like I might be the victim of identity theft because I want to look at my credit card transactions from the last week. The rates are totally affordable and let you bring your fun with you, while also giving you peace of mind. Download it now!

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

Virginia Beach Wish List

It's been a while since we've taken a vacation that has taken us to the beach, but this year we're including a side trip to Virginia Beach to our trip to Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg. I've visited Newport News, but never Virginia Beach, which may seem odd, but we didn't often get to the coast. We may only have four days there, but we're going to use it to relax, get some sun and eat some seafood. Of course, there are other things there we plan to "take in". 

This photo of Virginia Beach Boardwalk is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Boardwalk

You can't go to a beachside city and never go to the boardwalk. Who doesn't love browsing shops, people watching and enjoying the view of the ocean? I'm packing my sunscreen already!

This photo of Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. Association for Research and Enlightenment is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. Association for Research and Enlightenment

This place has a stone labyrinth! Okay, that's not the only reason to go. Edgar Cayce was the father of holistic medicine and a psychic, which makes him totally fascinating. A.R.E. houses all of his work and daily free lectures are given. 

This photo of Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

Have you ever been to a lighthouse? After hiking up 488 steps to get to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, the 91 steps to the top of this thing should be a breeze and quicker to get to the view! This lighthouse was built in 1792 and was one of the first acts of the newly formed Federal government, authorized by George Washington. Cool, huh?

This photo of Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Ooh...barracuda! They have those here and many other ocean critters. I love an aquarium and I'm not about to miss the chance to get hands-on with some fun marine life, have fun with interactive exhibits or try out their fabulous potato soup. Yeah, random, but visitors raved, so I figure I should try it!

This photo of Old Coast Guard Station is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Old Coast Guard Station
I don't know how much I really know about the Coast Guard, except they save lives and police the waters. This museum tells you all about them and has exhibits of their equipment and their history in the Virginia Beach area. Also, a $4 admission sounds like a bargain!

We may do more stuff while we're there, but this seems like a good selection of things that will take up some time, but still leave us enough free time to lay on the beach, jump in the ocean, eat delicious, delicious food and browse funky shops. 

Have you ever been to Virginia Beach?