Travel More Comfortably with Zensah Coffee Socks

When I travel, I almost always bring along a pair of slippers or fuzzy socks to wear in the hotel room, because my feet are always cold. The problem is that they sometimes get gross and I can't wear them outside with shoes, because slippers. Zensah started out making compression socks, which I also wear on long plane rides, because I have poor circulation, hence my feet being cold much of the time. They have now branched out into other travel socks that are also a must for your trips.

Who's ever sat next to that person who gets really comfortable on the plane? I want to be that person, but gross, right? This is why I always have something on my feet when I fly. Zensah knows about people like me. Worried about regular socks being stinky or not warm enough, so I just leave my shoes on and feel uncomfortable. Or I pull out my slippers and then have to struggle to get them on in the no leg room and then back on when we land. Zensah has developed comfort socks for travelers made with coffee fibers. Say what? It's true. This eco-friendly fiber is both green and doesn't trap odors, so your socks won't ever smell and gross out your fellow passengers. 

These coffee socks are woven with Far Infrared Ray fibers (called Innergy yarn) that make them more durable, give your foot more support and better circulation and also traps your body heat to keep your feet warm without making them sweaty. The fabric is moisture-wicking and breathable while being warm and comfortable.

So, when you're on the plane and it's super chilly, which it seems to be a lot of the time, you can wear these without needing extra warmth. They are also cushiony, so walking down the aisle to the bathroom isn't hard on your feet and you won't feel like you're picking up all the dirt and germs.

I was given a sample pair of coffee socks at the Travel Goods Show and even though I was in Vegas, I knew I'd still be testing them out. My room was pretty cold, even with the air conditioner on low, because it had hardwood and tile floors. I swapped out my normal slippers for these socks and walked around making food and such, then sat on the couch to do a bit of work and watch TV. I was surprised by how cushioning they really were. It was like I was wearing my slippers again, except my ankles were also warm. Bonus! I couldn't feel the hard floors like I would with regular socks on and the cold didn't seep in either. 

Not only that, but they have a bit of arch support, which you can see as the band in the middle of the foot. That's the other cool thing about these socks: They have a clear right and left foot, so it can mold to your foot instead of stretching out to fit either foot like a regular sock. I felt like these were nice and tight (but not too tight) and supportive and kept my feet from getting chilly when the air blew on me even when the rest of me was cold and I had to put on a sweater. I'll definitely be packing these for my future trips, and I would even if they weren't cute. Luckily, they are. They come in several colors for both men and women and wear fairly good inside your favorite sneakers, though you might have to loosen the laces.

Now, if you think that wasting perfectly good coffee on socks is a shame, know that these are made from the fiber of the shell residue, so the same plants that provide the beans that you have for your morning cup of Joe can also be used for warming your feet! That's pretty awesome and multi-tasking.

Other Specs

Where to buy: On Zensah website

How much: $29.99/pair

Colors: Cloud | Sky | Rosy (shown) | Twilight

Fabric: Special fibers coated with oxide minerals retain naturally occurring Far Infrared (FIR) Rays. Extra-soft looped knitting on inside.

Loving Zensah's sock innovation? Find them online:

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Disclosure: I was provided with a pair of Zensah coffee socks for the purposes of this review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Cheeki Ready-to-Wear Undies For Faster Packing

I don't know about you, but I like to keep my travel bag packed with as many necessities as possible, so when I'm ready to travel, I only have to toss in my shoes and travel wardrobe (which obviously will be different, depending on where I'm going, so I can't keep everything packed like I would like). Having fresh undies in my bag at all times is on the top of my list and having new ones is always nice, but then you gotta wash the before you can wear them and they can get all musty hanging around in your carry-on. Cheeki, apparently, knows my pain.

For ladies that always like to have a spare pair in their purse, their car or their gym bag (and their carry-on), Cheeki has created adorable undies for ladies in different styles that are individually packaged and hermetically-sealed, so you can wear them immediately. You don't have to worry about who touched them at the store, because no one has ever touched them. They're clean and ready to wear right out of the pouch. 

I snagged a pair of the Frisky Business at the Travel Goods Show. These are one size fits most and have the most coverage. I wore them on my car ride back from Vegas. That amounted to a full 17 hours of sitting in the car, with a few pit stops for food and potty breaks. You know how a regular long day of sitting at your desk can make that situation down there.

I love the look of the Frisky Business bikini. They are soft and edged with lace. (You can get a similar bikini without lace, too.) Now, I don't know about you, but many times when you get lacy undies, they either create pantylines (boo to VPL!) or the lace has no give and cuts into your hips...or both. I had neither of these problems with Cheeki. In fact, they were so comfortable, it was like I has owned them for years, except the lace wasn't all stretched out and they didn't slide down the longer I wore them. They were like my second skin, but in a good way. 

Now, don't judge me, but after I finally made it home, I basically just fell into bed. I took two seconds to chuck off my jeans before burrowing under the covers and succumbing to sleep. That means I also slept in these undies. Even after a full 24+ hours, these didn't ride up on me either, even with moving around in bed during sleep. You'll be glad to know that I did get up and immediately throw them in the wash. After, they were just as awesome as when they came out of the bag. I'm a convert.

Okay, so here's what I will say regarding the sizing. These fit me perfectly. I generally will wear a size 6 or S/M in undies, so I'm not sure if they will fit "most". Anything larger than a Medium or 7 probably won't find these that comfortable or get the desired coverage. However, the other two style (the thongs and g-string) will probably fit more people who like less coverage.

So, no matter where you might need an extra pair of undies, or if you just like having brand new ones on hand when you travel or hit the gym, you don't have to keep your emergency pair in a zip top bag like you're carrying around your lunch. Invest in a pair (or seven) of Cheeki undies and carry them wherever you need them, because you never know what'd going to happen. The airline could lose your luggage (if you make the mistake of checking a bag). You could accidentally dump orange juice in your lap (this has totally happened to me). Your "friend" may come unexpectedly. You end up spontaneously spending the night somewhere. You name it and a spare pair could be a lifesaver.

Other specs
Where to purchase: On the Cheeki website
How much: $12/pair, with free shipping in the U.S.
Colors available: In classic black or blush (so they go under everything you own)
Fabric: Microfiber with 100% cotton lining
Styles: Frisky Business lace-lined bikini (shown) | Racy Lacy thong | Sleekini Bikini | Go-Go g-string | Minima thong 

I'm in love with this brand and this little packet and will definitely be getting more for my life. If you love this idea too, go buy your own pair or find them here:

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Disclosure: I was given a pair of Cheeki undies for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Why You Should Travel with Just a Carry-on

By now you know I'm a huge believer in carry-on travel. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I refuse to check a bag. When I do, it's either at the gate when they ask for volunteers and I can see them put my bag on the plane or on the way back home from somewhere that I've bought too many gifts and need extra bag for those purchases (all my buys go with me and my clothes get checked). 

Have you ever lost a bag while traveling? I mean, obviously, the airline lost it on your behalf, which is even worse, because now you have someone to blame for not having any clean underwear. And there's nothing you can do about it, but wait and hope it turns up. And cry. The five minutes after the conveyor belt stops and your bag never shows up you're in shock and then you quickly enter the five stages of grief:

• Denial: They haven't lost my bag. It's probably just slow coming from the plane. Any second now...
• Anger: This is all they do all day every day! How the &*!$ can they lose my bag?! All my clothes are in there!
• Bargaining: Please Lord. If you find my bag, I swear I'll donate all my extra clothes to charity!
• Depression: (crying in your hotel bed) I'll never be able to replace those cute sandals...or leave this room until I go home.
• Acceptance: I'll just go shopping and then go to the bar. What do I need? A dress and a bikini? Done.

Of course, sometimes they find your bag. Sometimes they don't find it until after you've already bought new stuff to replace what they lost. I've been lucky and had a bag go to LA when I went to Nassau and it showed up two hours after I did, but they were able to track it. I didn't get that shrug from the airline crew member while they took down my information and I had no inkling of hope. 

If you're unfortunate enough to never get your stuff back, you should know that eventually other people will enjoy it by purchasing it from Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama. It's basically lost luggage heaven, though it gets the chance to travel again with new owners.

The only way to make sure your stuff makes it with you to your destination is to fly carry-on. It can take some practice to learn to do it effectively, and even I am still perfecting my packing, but I now pretty much know the magic formula for what to bring and what to leave at home. I'm willing to do laundry in order to bring fewer pieces and make sure I know when I will do it, so I don't suddenly find myself without any clean shirts or have to leave in the middle of something to get it done. Having it on my schedule means I have clean clothes and also down time to relax and decompress, which is important for any trip. 

Even on a short trip, like the road trip I took last week to Vegas, I plan to do a load, because I don't want to come home with a bag of dirty laundry. I was able to come home and put it all away, which I have an issue doing, because I hate unpacking. Knowing everything in my bag, with the exception of pjs and a pair of undies, are clean makes unpacking a little more exciting.

So, how do you pack for a week or two in just a carry-on? This is the part where it helps to have a piece of paper and know what's in your closet. Choose a color palette that you want to work with. Somehow, my travel wardrobe leans to blue and tan. Not on purpose, but because the things I like that match are mostly blue. I always choose a neutral bottom color like khaki or black and then choose tops that will mix and match with those. That means if you have two tops and two bottoms, you can make four different outfits. 

The magic formula for me is 3 bottoms + 5 tops = 15 unique outfits. Remember that you can rotate in your commuting clothes into your wardrobe as well, so dress accordingly, if you can. I like to wear stretchy jeans on the plane, because they are comfortable and also go with pretty much everything. I'll also throw in a travel dress, which gives me more options as well. 

Shoes. I'm a chick. I love shoes. It's not a secret. Where I don't love shoes is when I'm traveling, because they take up too much room and weigh down my bag. I'm short and not incredibly strong, so the less my bag weighs, the better. Besides, I usually travel with my full-size laptop for getting work done, so I need to make a trade-off. I say take only two pairs of shoes. Don't freak out. You can do this. In fact, I ended up wearing just one pair of shoes for two weeks in Europe the first time I went and was fine. 

Bring a pair of walking shoes. Good ones that'll allow you to sightsee all day if you need to. Usually these are bulkier, like sneakers, and I wear these on the plane to save space in my bag. I then pack a pair of nicer shoes that I can also walk in and wear with a dress. Either a pair of ballet flats or a pair of sandals, depending on where I'm going and what I'll be doing. I will also tell you to throw a pair of flip flops in your bag. I don't count them as shoes, because they don't take up much space. They're also great for trips to the pool, beach, continental breakfast. You name it. And if you find that your feet are swollen from the plane ride or walking all day, they will be your best friend when you have to leave your room.

Are you going to go out and want to get a bit dressy? Leave your fancy dress and stuff at home. Instead, glam up what you've brought with you with accessories. Chances are, you're not going to wear anything clubby or too dressy enough to justify putting it in your bag, so pack smaller things like statement jewelry. You'll be happy you went that route than if you packed heels and a mini skirt. After a long day of walking and being touristy, putting on those shoes are going to be torture. I've never once made it out of the room wearing those dressy shoes I brought, so I stopped bringing them altogether and used that room for something useful.

Once you've figured out what works for you, you'll enjoy packing and traveling much more. Here's what I suggest for ladies: 

3 bottoms + 5 tops + 1 dress + 2 pairs of shoes + 1 jacket + 5 pairs of undies + 1 sweater/cardigan + 1 packable rain jacket

And here's what I suggest for men:

3 bottoms + 5 tops + 2 pairs of shoes + 1 sports jacket + 2 ties + 5 pairs of undies + 1 jacket + 1 packable rain jacket

Now, for your next trip, you can save baggage fees, eliminate the possibility of lost luggage and not struggle with carrying all your stuff. If you need help with your toiletries, here are tips for your 3-1-1 bag. By traveling this way, I've never once said "I wish I'd brought..." Usually I make a note of the items I don't use. 

Where will your next trip take you?