Let CardNinja Make Travel Less Bulky

Do you find juggling all your stuff when you travel difficult? I know I do. I have to have my ID out and my boarding pass, plus I like to have my phone on-hand to check my email, flight status changes and to take pics. I've always got a last-minute purchase to make; usually a bottle of water and/or some gum, and rummaging around in my purse to get stuff out multiple times is annoying. Of course, you could put it all in your back pocket, but chances are, at least one of those things is going to fall out and break or get lost forever. Not optimal.

Want to make your travel days easier? CardNinja wants to help you out. What if you could keep all your important things on the back of your phone? Now you can! CardNinja is a stretchy little pocket that attaches to your smartphone (any smartphone) that holds your ID, credit cards, cash and more. I'm loving this idea, because I only have to take one thing out of my bag at any given time and everything is right at my fingertips. 

 

I mean, do you ever go through security, then throw everything into your bag, so you can send it through the X-ray machine and not have anything on your person, then panic later because you have no idea where it ended up? This happens pretty much every time I go to the airport. You'd think I'd come up with a better way, but nope. Frantically digging: "Where the *@#! is my driver's license!?" Every. Single. Trip. I finally ditched paper boarding passes and went with e-tickets, but that didn't keep me from misplacing my ID, again.

CardNinja solves my problem. I slip my ID credit card and cash into the CardNinja pocket - it has a textured inside to keep everything in place - and just have to keep track of my phone, through TSA checks, through security screening, through the airport shops, past gate boarding and right onto the plane. It's pretty awesome and I feel totally organized.

It is nice and snug, so you can just stash it in your back pocket without everything falling out or being all bulky. And when you're not traveling? Easily toss your phone into your purse, no matter how small, or your jacket pocket if you're not into carrying a purse. On your trips, you can still keep everything you need together. This is a perfect solution to keeping your tickets and ID together at theme parks when you have to show them throughout your visit. If you are the holder of everyone's tickets, you can hold them all together in CardNinja, because it's stretchy enough to hold up to 8 credit cards and cash. Even with the few items I had in mine, I turned it upside down and shook it vigorously. Nothing moved at all.

Another plus is that it doesn't obscure your camera or your speaker. You may need to take your stuff out if you want to use your flash, like I might on mine, but I hardly ever use that anyway, so it isn't that big an issue.

Want a bit of security? I don't particularly like to travel around showing people that I've got cash and credit cards on display. That's just asking for trouble really. Put a business card in front of the other stuff in there, so it just looks like you're ready to network at any point. 

As you can see, you don't have to apply CardNinja right to your phone. It fits nearly all cases as well and removes just as easily as it is to apply. The sticky 3M backing won't harm your device or take muscle to take it off when you change phones. CardNinja comes in a bunch of colors and styles to match your phone and/or personality, and the price is so affordable, you can easily buy these for everyone you know. They make great stocking stuffers.

More details:

Where can I buy CardNinja? On the Cubi website or on Amazon

How much is it? $9.95-11.95

What's it made of? High quality, spandex blend fabric with durable ultrasonic welding, so it holds it's shape over time and everyday use.

Think CardNinja is cool? Connect with them on Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

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

Jet Lag Is The Worst, So Don't Get It

If you're traveling across the country for the holidays, there's nothing worse than suffering from jet lag. It can ruin a day or more of your trip. It can also make you cranky when stress is already running fairly high. Here are some ideas on how to combat the dreaded jet lag, so you get to your destination bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, or sleepy and ready for bed if you get there at night. It can be hard getting into the swing of things at first, but if you get your internal clock on your new time as soon as possible, I find that's a good start.

photo credit

On our first trip to London and Paris, I didn't try to acclimate myself to local time before I got there, we arrived early in the morning and the first day was a disaster, stressing me out even more. We spent our first two days in London, then took a three-day side trip to Paris. I fell asleep on the train and was pretty much useless for an entire day when we arrived, sleeping most of the day away. Since, I've learned how to deal with jet lag and don't push myself the first few days I'm at a new, far away, destination. Have you ever had a situation where jet lag ruined your vacation?

If you want some more practical tips for jet lag, see my posts here and here.

How to Buzz Through TSA During the Holidays

The holidays are officially upon us and that means more travelers hitting the airport to visit friends, families or possibly just take advantage of a rockin’ travel deal. There’s no doubt that the airport will be crowded with travelers and lovely people picking up and saying goodbye, but the busiest place won’t be the stores or eateries, or even the waiting room, but the security line. No one likes to wait in it and everyone thinks it’s a hassle, even though it’s kind of exciting, because you’re going somewhere, hopefully, fun. While your airport might be more organized than some others out there, they still need you to do your part in making security an easier process for everyone. Here are some tips to help you get through security quickly and easily, even if they pull you aside and dig through your bag.

Have your photo ID and boarding pass in-hand – You can’t even get to the security conveyor belts and scanners if you don’t make it past the TSA agent in the line. Make sure to be prepared and keep the line moving, by having your photo ID (or passport) and boarding pass at the ready. Nobody wants to wait for you to dig around in your bag to find it and you will just make enemies of those people in line behind you. Even better, download the airline app and use the e-ticket to check in and get through security. You can use your phone to show the passes of everyone in your travel group, as long as they have their identification out.

Have your 3-1-1 bag out – Don’t wait until you get to the airport to start rummaging around in your toiletry bag and finding all your liquids and gels. Buy a TSA-approved 3-1-1 bag online or at the store or pick up a box of 1-liter zip-top bags and fill it up before you leave home. It will make you less stressed and you’ll know that everything fits in there.

Wear easy-on, easy-off shoes – Do you want to spend 20 minutes untying your hiking books to take off and put in the security bin? Probably not. Also, the people behind you do not want to wait for you either. Make sure you wear shoes that can easily be taken off and put back on, so you can make security procedures that much less painful for you and everyone else involved.

Do not wrap your gifts – TSA is all about seeing everything in your bag. Even if you only have one gift in your bag, don’t wrap it. 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. By all means, bring those staples with you to wrap at your destination if you have room in your bag.

Make sure your laptop is easily accessible – If you’re bringing a laptop, netbook or iPad, make sure you can quickly access it and slide it in and out of your carry-on. It will make the security line that much faster when you have to dump all your individual things into a bin: shoes, jacket, purse, pocket contents, laptop, 3-1-1 bag. The quicker these things can be put into a bin, the faster you can push them towards the X-Ray machine and make room for other travelers’ items and bins on the counter.

Go to the left – Most people are predisposed to turn right, probably because they are right-handed, but that means the left lines are usually shorter at TSA. If you aren't being directed by a security person, try this, or look for the line with fewest kids. I'm not being ageist, but you know those harried moms and dads have to do a bunch of things to get their little ones through the line, especially if strollers are involved. They're going to hold you up, too.

Apply for Pre-Check – There's still time before Christmas hols to get on the Pre-Check list. Why is it awesome? Because you can leave your laptop and liquids in your bag, plus keep your shoes and jacket on. Remember when travel used to be so easy? Eric and I have gotten approved for Pre-Check and It's. The. Best. You save a ton of time, too, because the line is shorter and you don't have to do all that extra stuff. It costs $85, but it is valid for 5 years, so if you travel at least twice per year, or through really busy airports, then it's worth it.

If you're traveling for the holidays, where will you be headed?