How to Avoid the Holiday Vacation Crud

With so many people traveling over the holidays, and it being mid-flu season, there are going to be a lot of germs flying around. Like, a lot more than usual. The holidays are already stressful. You don't want to add sickness into the mix, too. Make sure you aren't opening presents while hacking up a lung and holding a fist full of tissues. These tips can be used for every trip you go on, because vacation crud is a thing, and it sucks. 

There are some things you can do to avoid getting sick while traveling, so your trip isn't ruined. I've been sick on a lot of trips, but I've learned to plan ahead and also take a few extra things in my bag.

Antibacterial wipes and gel

Wipe down all the things you might touch on the plane, like the armrests and the tray table. The water on the plane all comes from the same reservoir, which may or may not contain bacteria, because they are super hard to clean, so when you use the restroom, instead of washing your hands in the tiny sink, bring your bottle of Purell with you instead to kill any germs you've picked up.

Avoid coffee, tea and water on the plane

Speaking of dirty water, avoid anything with water on the plane, unless you are handed a bottle of water that hasn't already been opened. When the flight attendants pour water into cups from a bottle, chances are it has been filled from the airplane water system. I buy a new bottle of water at the airport to bring onboard and then order a soft drink when the drink cart comes around. Also, if you like tomato juice, it tends to be the most hydrating and nutritious thing you can get, so that's also an option.

Pack Emergen-C, Vitamin C, or those chewable immune boosters

Start using these at least 3 days before travel, double up on the day of travel and keep using while on your trip. You want your immune system to be in the best shape it can be and extra vitamins never hurt anyone. I also like the Halls Defense lozenges, too. They give you a little extra boost, taste pretty good, and help if you end up having a sore throat anyway. I found that they helped me bounce back faster (with the addition of a mid-day nap) when I started to feel under the weather while in Hawaii.

Hydrate

Your body has to work twice as hard if you aren't treating it right. You need to stay hydrated, so even if you're using wine to deal with your crazy family, make sure you're also chugging water in between, so you don't get sick. You may also benefit from a travel-size humidifier like this one, which you may also be able to add a few drops of essential oil to for a little extra boost. 

Eat your vegetables

You need vitamins and nutrients. Those Vitamin C tablets aren't going to help with all the other things your body needs, so make sure you're also trying to eat well. Eat as many fruits and veggies as you can. I declare pumpkin pie counts, but try not to make it all sweets, because then you're not going to feel that great with all the extra sugar. 

Get enough sleep

Without enough sleep, your body tends to shut itself down...in the form of a cold. Nobody wants that. Skip a few late-night activities or head home early from that Christmas party. If anyone blames you, that's on them. You need to take care of yourself first. Alcohol, crappy party food and late nights are not going to do you any favors. At least opt for the baby carrots and some beauty sleep. You'll thank me. This is also why I like to stay in a hotel instead of with other people. It enables me to have my own space and be able to unwind properly. If you need a little extra help with catching your Zs, some great ideas are Melatonin, Dream Water and this fantastic pillow spray.

Don't forget about your allergy meds and other medication

I have the worst allergies and sometimes moving to a different environment makes them worse, sometimes better. I just remember that I need to keep up my steady stream of meds, whether I need them at the time or not, to be a person. And if you take regular medication, don't forget it at home. 

Here's to a happy and healthy holiday season and Christmas/New Year vacations! How do you keep yourself from getting sick on your travels?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and if you purchase through them (first of all, thank you, second of all, you're awesome) I will receive monetary compensation.

The Oldest Restaurant in Philly

On our trip to Philadelphia, we planned several visits to specific restaurants. One of the places I wanted to eat at was Philly's oldest restaurant, City Tavern. Opened in 1773, it has been a tavern, a restaurant, a meeting house, a place to house prisoners of war, a Army headquarters and celebration venue. 

Now you can relive the Colonial times in an authentic tavern, with 3 floors, metal goblets, wait staff in period costume and traditional dishes. If you're looking about the city where everything is located, you can easily walk to City Tavern. You'll be welcomed warmly and be served huge portions. In fact, you may balk at the prices, but each dish can easily serve two people.  

We had a buy one get one free coupon that I picked up at the Visitor Center, so we saved over $20 on our meal. Dinner is at least $10 more per plate, so if you're trying to save money, opt for lunch.

This was our splurge meal. We also have breakfast before we left for the day, so that wasn't an extra cost factor. 

The bar area is also really beautiful and quaint, with top shelf alcohol and cozy, high-backed booths. It seems a bit like a home bar, but better. They even have a board with drinks on special for the day.

You start your meal off with a drink (they have iced tea and sodas available) and a bread plate. You get two different kinds of bread and Thomas Jefferson's favorite sweet potato biscuits, which were quite good and nutty. Definitely try those if you don't have a nut allergy. 

I was starving, so I also wanted an appetizer. I knew the mushroom toast was for me as soon as I saw it on the menu. If you love mushrooms, you have to try it. The mushrooms are sauteed, put on toast and covered in Bernaise sauce. Heaven! 

I chose the rabbit for my entree and it was enough to feed two or three people. It's basically a leg of braised rabbit and a ton of veggies put over a huge bed of egg noodles. It was delicious, but also way too much for one person to eat, so you'll be taking part of it home in a box. The table next to us also ordered this and the fried tofu (made to the specifications of a letter from Benjamin Franklin) and both said their food was fantastic. I didn't even know they had tofu then, but apparently it was such a hit that they kept this on the menu.

Eric, who really doesn't love pork, ordered the applewood-smoked pork chop. The meat took up half the (not small) plate and the other half was heaped with sauerkraut. He said both were great, but his was also too much to finish, especially since we wanted to save room for dessert. My title picture shows the large selection of desserts. Some are year-round options and some are seasonal.

Eric got all excited about Martha Washington's chocolate mousse cake, as it is made with the original recipe. I've had a lot of meh chocolate cakes in general, but this was light and fluffy and the perfect amount of chocolate and I would have eaten a whole second piece if it was on the table. I'm glad we didn't get tart that I originally wanted. I loved Martha Washington more in that moment.

The wait staff were all super friendly and I loved the outfits. This is exactly my kind of place, even though you have to go downstairs into a whole separate dining area to use the restroom and the stairs squeak a bit and make it sound like someone's walking behind you. That seems to be something you'd expect from a place this old though, so if that freaks you out and the restaurant isn't busy enough for other diners to be downstairs, ask a dining companion to come with you.

So, if you're in Philadelphia and want an excellent meal that's a bit of a splurge, this is the place to do it. Hit up the Visitor Center for a coupon (it's on a postcard for the restaurant) to get your free entree. Then you can save that money for one of their cookbooks or a souvenir to take home from Philly. 

Check them out online: website | Facebook | Twitter

Do you have a favorite historical restaurant from your hometown or your travels?

Disclaimer: I did not get paid to write this review or get a free meal (except through that coupon). I just genuinely enjoyed my experience there.

So Much Harry Potter Cosplay

Since July, we've done a bunch of fun Harry Potter-related stuff. We went to Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia to take part in their new, revamped and renamed HP festival, called Witches and Wizards Weekend. We also attended Wizard School at the Franklin Institute. This past week was my birthday, so I had an early Yule Ball for myself at home, in preparation for our Harry Potter Alliance chapter's Yule Ball, which was fantastic. 

I figured I'd share some of my photos of all the awesome Harry Potter cosplay and fun.

Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania

This was a (mostly) 2-day event. There was a nighttime pub crawl on Friday and then a full-day on Saturday with activities, shopping, food, and fun seeing all the cosplays. I saw this magical school hate and I had to have it for my witch outfits. Only $10. Of course, it only comes in the one size.

This lady wins all the awards for creativity...and that baby was adorable!

Quidditch represent!

Eric bought ALL the flair. For those wondering, the giant buttons say "Keep Calm and Carry a Wand" and "Make Magic, Not War"

Franklin Institute - Philadelphia
This was a 21+ event put on at a science center, so therewerea lot of really cool science-y magic things, and this lecture on Nicholas Flamel.

Ha! This actually led into a room with a train.

We made "magic" wands and then recreated these at home with our own materials.

Yule Ball birthday party

Everyone dressed up and we made wands and played games and chatted about Harry Potter. This was my very Ravenclaw look.

My friend Stephanie wins for most creative costume. She came as Christmas Dobby. 

HPA Yule Ball

So, I can't sew, but I still try (for some reason) and came up with this offset cloak for Eric to wear and show off his Hufflepuff-y-ness. It was good if you didn't look too hard at it, but it was a fun look.

I went with a more Ravenclaw look with a giant puffy tulle skirt that I sewed lights into. This is super easy to do and everyone thinks it looks professional and amazing. I got so many compliments on my "dress". 

I'll post more of our adventures of in Philadelphia soon, including more of the Franklin Institute, which I highly recommend for just a regular day of educational fun.

Have you done any fun costumed stuff lately?