Blog Link Love + 10 Lessons I've Learned on Vacation Saturday, May 10, 2008

10 Quick Lessons Learned from Vacation

So y’all know I went to Dallas TX? Well, here’s what I’ve learned on my first ‘actual’ vacation (all the other cities I’ve been to, were for business and I never had to worry about expenses, money or getting anywhere because I could just ask my colleagues or cab it).


1. Call the hotel and MAKE SURE they are where they say they are on Google. We were looking for a hotel close to the DART (subway transit), and Google said they were 5 minutes by walking. MY ASS, 5 minutes!!! More like 5 MILES. And Dallas seems to have no sidewalks whatsoever, so getting to the Tom Thumb nearby, took a bit of running across highways and walking on grassy, muddy, gross areas without sidewalks..

2. Get a couple of numbers of taxi cabs for the city. We were screwed on this, apparently barely ANYONE takes a cab in Dallas, TX… it’s either you have a car, or you just stick to the transit and you’re done

3. Don’t wear a long trench coat on the plane as your comfortable wear/warm coverup. I’m used to doing that because I needed that coat to wear out to work or for business-y things, but if you’re on a casual, personal vacation, stick to hoodie. You also don’t run into the problem of sitting on your coat and trying to adjust yourself on the plane.

4. Bring mini shampoos + conditioners. Again, we were expecting a hotel that provides these little amenities, and because Google messed up, we ended up getting a Motel 6 with just a bar of soap. I had to try and wash my hair the first day with a bar of soap that I’m sure stripped my hair like no other, and the next day, I found myself a CVS and bought mini shampoo + conditioner bottles. And a mini bottle of dishwashing liquid if it’s under 3 ounces. V. helpful.

5. Learn the transit system and if you do, you could save cash by staying out (away from downtown) at a cheaper hotel (motel) and just taking the train into downtown every day. I think we saved something like $60/night just doing that.


6. Find a grocery store around the hotel/map it out, especially if you have a kitchen in the hotel and plan to cook. Or, if it’s not within walking distance, find it on the transit line.

7. I loved having my hands-free bag. It was the BEST. It hangs across my body, and had two zippered pouches and one inner zippered area, was lightweight, waterproof (nylon) and extremely handy. Much better than trying to keep it on my shoulder the entire time, while walking and trying to take pictures.

8. I regretted leaving my sneakers behind. It was a last minute decision and I thought that my ballet flats would be enough for walking. Turns out, not so much. We walked a LOT (duh, FB)… but I took some comfort in the fact that even though BF had sneakers, his feet hurt as well. So it wasn’t my choice of shoes, really. Oh, and if you’re going to bring ballet flats, make sure your feet can spread out comfortably in them because my toes were SQUISHED at the end of the day, even in Size 8s. But.. that may be due to the fact that my feet seem to have grown to Size 8, even though I’ve always been a Size 7.. Uh oh.

9. Bring an umbrella. Not a pointy kind, but bring one. It rained for 3 days in Dallas (light showers), but if BF hadn’t brought his umbrella, we would’ve been screwed.

10. I LOVED having my Tupperware containers along. When we cooked, we could just store it in the containers to eat it later. Much better than using a plate and trying to buy plastic wrap to wrap it up to put in the fridge, when we can just slap a top on it. Plus, it’s more eco-friendly.

Blog Link Love

Fashion Ivy offers up some fabulous Mother’s Day gift ideas (see above) and she posts some pretty gorgeous dresses from recent events (See the pic on the right)


Looking to sell your stuff at a garage sale? Lynnae of Being Frugal gives us 10 tips to a wildly successful garage sale

Lynnae’s guest post at My Two Dollars, was entitled: Things I Wish I Had Known When I Was 18, and is a really great, insightful piece. I wish I had known some of those items as well!

David at My Two Dollars gives some amazing tips on how to clean your entire house for mere pennies, which fits in line PERFECTLY with my May Challenge, with mostly baking soda, tea tree oil and vinegar, but before you get to even cleaning an abode, check out if you’re ready to buy a house.

Looking for some gym bag solutions? I used to cart around full-sized bottles, but She Finds seems to have found a solution for being gym and travel ready at any given moment…

Tipp is going through some insomniatic thoughts about growing up and being at a different point in your life. Hey, been there, done that, and it’s just a phase, everyone gets worried about whether or not they’re making the right decisions in their life! All you can do is ride it out…

It seems that everyone is in the Spring Cleaning mood to organize, downsize and declutter! Jenny from Alleyesonjenny came up with a fabulous idea of a Look Book which may be an idea I may steal at a later date, once I get my closet situation sorted out.

Who’s up for some delicious MANGO BUFFALO WINGS? Uh huh, I thought so. Elle from Elle’s New England Kitchen, shares the mouth-waterin recipe….(Photo: Credit of Elle)

Ginger at Ginger Won’t Snap is investigating the cost of a Vespa, check out her numbers!

And you’re never too late to start learning something as an adult, says Plonkee of Plonkee Money.


In Yr Fshn (see right) posted some pretty beautiful necklaces for Mother’s Day, but they’re so alluring… you may want to consider buying two (one for her, and one for you.. you know, like BFFs or something)

And an ode to mothers everywhere, Angie posts about style tips she learned from her Mom. The one I’m picking up is definitely to be more polished in general, and to get myself a pair of white jeans (still hunting!) And to go with those white jeans, you may want a white watch to match!

G.G. of the Glam Guide, posted some pretty gorgeous designer pieces from Net-a-Porter that are making my heart flutter.

Frustrated by bogus beauty products that don’t seem to do the job? The Beauty Brains posts the TOP 10 items that actually do what they say they’re going to do. And I’m interested in those scar removal silicone sheets….


Designer Michelle Jank shows at Australian Fashion Week with some gorgeous pieces, reports Icy of Individual Chic. (See pic on the left)

Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen reprimands and helps women battling with the heat, and tells us all how to stay cool while being stylish and professional. I particularly agree with the flip flops comment.

Jim off My Debt Blog is getting steamed that consumers are not being blamed for surviving off their credit cards.

He says:

”Why does a weak housing market all the sudden create a financial problem so people have to use their credit cards? They drained the equity they were getting out of their house to fund their frivolous lifestyle. The system of not being able to tap their house for cash like an ATM has caused them to run to their credit cards. Now their balances are increasing to the point they cannot make the minimum payment. You will never get out of a hole by digging out the bottom.

…And SF Gal agrees. It is not patriotic to be in debt, hear hear!! Personally I think saying that you’re shopping to be patriotic is a bit of an excuse, a cop-out to say that you’re thinking of your country first …. Whatever. But if you can afford it like Single Ma can, then go ahead and spend it! But if you’re in debt… what the hell are you thinking?

Apresenta is making me drool with her post about pretty, shiny ballet flats…!



Always in Style thinks that these two ladies are one hot mess with their costumes. I agree with the Katie Holmes verdict (ICK!) but Eva in this purple gown featured, looks magnificent in my opinion… (Photo on the Right)

The Beauty Brains says that you can actually reduce pollution by not washing your hair.. air pollution that is, not groundwater pollution with your shampoo chemicals!

Out of control grocery spending? How is that possible!? :) Living Almost Large tells you how… and I agree. I used to shop like that too, now I go with a meal plan and a budget, because you just can’t afford to buy ‘whatever you feel like eating’… even if food = love.

To finish off, the Sartorialist posted a GORGEOUS picture of a woman wearing a stunning white dress and accenting it with colour… like a pro. She looks fabulous, and I’m not even a fan of long skirts! She looks simply elegant. (Photo Credit: Sartorialist)