Planning Your Holiday Trip On a Budget

You may not be planning your winter travels, but you should be. We've already passed the best prices for Thanksgiving airfare, but that doesn't mean you still can't fly on a budget. Sign up for flight alerts right now. If you just aren't sure how to pull off an affordable holiday trip, my ebook can give you all the inside tips for planning, booking, packing and not killing your family out of stress.

For just 99 cents, I give you all the ways to sneak savings out of your planning and how not to lock yourself in the garage with a bottle of wine because your family is stressing you out. So, not only will you save on your trip, but also on this fantastic info. (Remember, you can download this book even if you don't have a Kindle. The Kindle app is free on iTunes and Google Play and works on all your web-enabled devices.)

Closer to the holidays, I'll be posting some new reviews and lists of fabulous travel gifts that can be ordered and shipped or easily slipped into your carry-on, so you don't have to check a bag just to bring your presents with you on the plane.

If you like this ebook, make sure to check out my ebook for summer travel savings, too!

My Portland Coffee Tour - Part 17

Like all places, Portland seems to be filled with places that make excellent coffee, places that only serve coffee because it's a breakfast staple, places in between and then places like my local Einstein that said I couldn't order vanilla lattes anymore, because it's no longer on the menu. What the? 

Luckily, this month found me at some of the better coffee joints in the city. 

Stomping Grounds

I've been going to the same hairdresser for longer than I've been with my husband (12 years married, 4+ years dating). She moved a few times, but I've still been going to her salon in the same area for at least a decade. I've seen this coffee shop over the years and have never stopped there, because either I was on time for my appointment or off to have lunch/bruch with my mother. We arrived super early for our last appointment and decided to go in, and I'm so glad we did.

Stomping Grounds is cozy and welcoming with a lot of places to sit. It was really busy and you could tell it was a usual haunt for a lot of people. They have a nice drink menu and lots of food options, but we were in (sort of) a hurry, so we ordered a couple bagels with cream cheese ($2.75 each) and some coffees to sip  a little faster than normal.

My mom got a regular latte and I asked for their most popular drink and was told that was the Spanish mocha ($4.75), also cinnamon in anything is pretty top notch in my book.

The coffee had some lovely depth to it and my cheddar bagel was toasted perfectly with the exact right amount of cream cheese. I'd definitely come here again and try their other food options. I can see why this is a hoppin' place on the weekend and why so many people choose this as a place to meet up with friends.

40 LBS.Coffee Bar

I was meeting a friend one afternoon and decided to go early so I could hit up a few coffee shops I hadn't seen in the downtown area. 40 LBS. looked intriguing and the inside is really clean and industrial looking. 

I went in asking for a recommendation, but the barista was like "I dunno. I just drink cold brew all day." Not a great start in my book, but I settled on a vanilla cardamom latte ($4.50) and a tasty-looking cheese and butter baguette ($4.95) that reminded me of walking the streets in Paris. I love the coffee cups, but the coffee itself was perfectly balanced and aromatic. I loved the baguette, even without it being toasted. I suppose that's just how they serve them, unlike the stalls in Paris, since I wasn't asked if I wanted it warmed up. It wasn't disappointing though.

As you can see from the decor, if you think about what a Portland coffee shop would look like, this is pretty much it. Despite the barista's attitude about their non-cold brew coffee drinks, I'd return.

Café Ponté

Just around the corner from 40 LBS is Café
 Ponté. It's a cute little European shop with warm woods and friendly baristas. You feel really welcome there.

They had a small board of specials and, with fall almost here, I couldn't resist the maple chai latte ($4.75), which had the perfect hint of maple flavor under the chai spices. It's perfect for a cold weather pick-me-up. Even though I'd already indulged in a baguette, I decided to get all my carbs and order a croissant ($3.50). I was less impressed with it, as it felt a bit more dense than your typical flaky croissant. They do have other offerings though, so don't be put off by their sad croissants. Go for just the coffee or opt for a different pastry or food choice. The coffee's worth the visit.

The shop is smallish and narrow, but it has this whole front  full of windows that faces the morning sun, so even if you're inside, you can feel like you're outside too. It's in a great location and if you sit in the window, it's great for people watching.

There you have it. My September edition of my Portland coffee tour. Follow me on Instagram if you want to see my visits as they happen, or if you want to view photos of my travels, things I do around Portland and sometimes cute pics of my dog.

Do you have a favorite coffee shop from your travels or at home? Tell me about it in the comments!

How To Be An Airport Security Pro

The holidays are coming and it's time to start planning and packing. Soon you'll join the millions of people traveling to visit friends and family or, if you're lucky, going on a winter getaway. I definitely approve of those, because the holidays can be stressful and getting away from everything is always nice and relaxing.

The airport during the holidays is a madhouse and security lines can be longer than usual, so let's talk about how to get through them with as little annoyance as possible (at least when it comes to yourself).

Eric, awkwardly, trying to pose for a pic while navigating this tiny Precheck hallway.

Sign up for TSA Precheck

You have time to do this and get approved before the holidays. For $85, you get 5 years of bypassing the main security lines and going through a much shorter line with less strict rules. You can keep your jacket, hat, belt and shoes on and your laptop and toiletries can stay in your bag. We're on our fourth year of using it and I'll never look back. Next year, when we renew, we'll be getting Global Entry, which works internationally and also includes domestic Precheck for just $100.

Get There Early

Longer lines mean longer wait times and the holidays means more traffic. Don't cut it too close to get to the airport. Give yourself at least two hours before your flight if it's domestic and three if its international at the airport. Accidents happen, extra long lines happen, computer glitches happen. Just be prepared. Bring a book or magazine to keep you occupied if you end up having a long wait at the gate...or go check out your airport's art or do some gift shopping.

Fly With Just a Carry-On

I've been flying with just a carry-on for a decade now. I've gotten my packing down to almost just the bare essentials, since I now know what will get worn and what won't. The trick to packing small in the winter is layering and not caring if all your pictures are you wearing the same coat and scarf (maybe two). Here's a post I did on packing light in the winter.

Don't Wrap Any Gifts

If you are visiting friends and family and haven't shipped your presents ahead (which I highly recommend), don't wrap them and stash them in your carry-on. TSA may very well want to inspect them and will not be sorry for you if they have to unwrap them. So, I suggest packing small gifts and saving the wrapping when you arrive. This takes up much less room too.

Go Left

Most people get to the security lines and head right to go through the x-ray machines. This makes these lines longer. Instead, go left if given a choice. These lines are shorter, making them a bit faster. Try skipping any lines with small kids, because they usually take longer.

Keep a Zip-Top Bag On Hand

Always have a bunch of things in your pockets? If you don't have an empty accessible pocket on your bag, have a plastic bag with you and then empty your pockets into it, so it doesn't get lost in the bottom of your bag or you don't have to stand at the end of the conveyor picking everything out of one of those little round bins to load your pockets back up.

Have Your Liquids Bag and Laptop Easily Accessible 

This is super annoying. All your liquids need to fit in a one quart see through bag in 3.4oz or less containers. Have this out and ready to toss in the security bin along with your shoes and laptop. When you're holding of the line rummaging for things that you knew you needed to have out, everyone gets that much more irritated and grumpy. You saw the signs. Don't pretend you didn't.

Wear Slip-On Shoes

Having to tie and untie your shoes to get through security is just another hassle you don't need. Pack those in your bag and wear some easy on easy off shoes. You will thank me. Anything that's hassle-free is nice, and can get you on your trip faster.

Don't Wear Any Accessories 

If you can get away with it, skip the jewelry and watch and belt. Those are just more things you'll need to take off to put through the scanners and nobody wants to wait behind you while you're spending an extra five minutes de- and re-accessorizing.

Download Your Airline's App

Carry one less thing. You're already walking around with your phone, so download your airline's app so you can easily check in, get updates and have your boarding pass on hand instead of stuffing it into your pocket or a book and then having a small panic attack when you can't find it. You can have everyone's boarding pass in your party on your app. Another brilliant tip: screenshot your boarding passes in case your app logs you out or the airport has shoddy WiFi right before you need to show it to someone. This has totally happened to me more than once. Never again!

Keep Your Chill

Don't be that person who gets all irritated when things don't go your way. Everyone's trying their best, the airline employees are already dealing with dozens of jerky people everyday. Don't make their life harder. Just close your eyes and breathe before you start yelling. Find your chill. Ask if it's really that important. Everyone's having a hard time, but they're dealing with it. Lots of things can't be helped, so you being grouchy and mean isn't going to change anything.

The holidays are supposed to be a happy time. Smile, even when you don't want to, think of the awesome trip you're about to go one, play games with your travel buddies and think of this as just another part of your adventure.

Happy travels!