WGJ Travels: Airbnb Essentials

Hi friends! This week on WGJ Travels, I am talking about Airbnb Essentials. 

Kyle and I will be staying in an Airbnb next week. This is my very first time ever staying in one and I am beyond excited. When we started look at different Airbnb's in the area we wanted to stay in, I realized each one had different amenities. I had no idea about that. There were a few things that I definitely wanted:

A kitchen

View of the ocean

Ability to walk to places

There were a bunch of places where were wanted to be that matched those three things. It was hard choosing a place because they all looked great. We decided on the one we choose because of the amenities that they provided and it looked like a pretty place to stay. Not saying the 1950's diner decor in the one Airbnb we found wasn't charming but I felt like it would get old real quick; also it didn't have a kitchen, just a hotplate. After the trip, I will share the listing of the Airbnb we stayed at. 

Now there are a few things we definitely are bringing  in to make it more cozy:

Hair dryer- the rental does not come with one

Food- we are planning to use the kitchen; lets be real, I don't go anywhere without snacks and I am not loosing precious luggage space to food. #priorities

streaming service passwords- catching up on bingable TV while eating all the food

Easy peasy. This vacation is going to be full of relaxation and not much planned. I cannot wait for this and  I am so excited to stay in an Airbnb. I cannot wait to tell you how it went. 

Click on the WGJ Travels link on the top of the page to find all my other WGJ Travel posts. 

[[You're magic. Don't ever apologize for the fire in you.]]

Best of 2023: My Favorite Posts

As we approach the end of 2023, I thought it would be fun to compile some of the "Best of" things from the year. 

Today we are looking at My Favorite Posts. 

WGJ is a labor of love and I am so happy to publish posts each week and I am even happier to know when you stop by my slice of the internet. THANK YOU! 

My Favorite Posts are as follows:

2022 Family Photos
Thoughts on Thirty Five
Twelve Year Blogger
Penelope's Birthday
Show & Tell: Backgrounds
Lucky Girl Syndrome
Happy 5th Birthday Eleanor
Chase Rice at Starland Ballroom
Shutterbug: Landscape Photography
Notes on Life
Prayer Journal
Screen Free Activity: Word Search Books
Well Timed Break
Hot Takes
Wake Up Call

and because I love to see what my readers LOVE, here are the top viewed posts YOU read the most:

1.    Thoughts on Thirty Five                           98 Views
2.    WGJ Travels: What's In My Suitcase       77 Views
3.    2022 Family Photos                                  72 Views
4.    Random # 15                                             54 Views
5.    Wild & THREE                                         53 Views
6.    Weekend Rewind                                       51 Views
7.    Random #17*                                            50 Views
       A Well Timed Break*
8.    12 in 12: March                                         47 Views
9.    January Work #OOTD*                             46 Views
       Diary #41*                                                    
       Summer Wishlist*                                        
10.  12 in 12: February*                                   43 Views
       May Work #OOTD*
11.  Random #12                                              42 Views
12.  Happy 5th Birthday Eleanor*                   40 Views
       WGJ Travels: YAY!*
       March Work #OOTD *   

*A Tie

__________________

I love how some of my favorite posts were reader favorite posts too! I love how nosey all my readers are and one of the top 5 posts is WGJ Travels: What's In my suitcase; which totally made me laugh. My three of my Random posts having high views made me laugh too. These posts have no rhyme or reason, but Y'all are nosey and I wouldn't have it any other way!  

___________________

THANK YOU so much for reading along. I know I've said this multiple times at this point but I truly do appreciate it! ❤️

[[

WGJ Travels: Penelope's Adventures

This is the last part in our summer long series.- WGJ Travels and its all about Penelope. 

Who is Penelope? I am so glad you asked, sit down and I will explain. 

Penelope's Mom- OG Penelope- has traveled around with me, mostly to doctors offices and hospital stays. (baby) Penelope joined Kyle back in February on a trip to Alaska. She was very curious about seeing snow and seeing a polar bear (I tried to explain to her she might not see one but she insisted). Kyle took great care of her and now she is living in his work backpack JUST in case he gets called on a work trip at any moment. Her passport is right next to Kyle's and she loves all the neat knick-knacks he keeps in his backpack. She will occasionally sneak out of his backpack and wander around Kyle's office and she has told me, there are so many SNACKS she has found. I think she is living her best flamingo life. 

Penelope. My faithful flamingo friend. She has been bitten by the travel bug this year and she has been on A LOT of adventures. Her passport is filled with so many destinations and she's so excited to show you her adventures today. 

Alaska is where the story starts, we'll Seattle due to a layover.

Seattle Airport waiting for the flight to Alaska

She met a grizzly bear, which she was promptly scared of!

Living through Captain Cook who transversed the Pacific Ocean
from Antarctica to Alaska. 

BIG Moose aka Bullwinkle who was not very talkative. 

The Fremont Troll in Seattle

Then after that the West Coast Adventure, she got to experience Brooklyn 

Industrial Brooklyn- clearly not impressed. 
Probably mesmerized by her reflection in the water.

Then the whole reason why she got a passport,  she was joining Kyle on an adventure  overseas to Norway! She had to get an official passport and travel papers. Everything had to be in order for her to travel overseas. 

She made it through customs without any problems and she had a great time! Even made friends with another Troll! 

Penelope gets acquainted with the polar twilight

Flying high above Bergen, Norway

Always making friends. This time with a Troll (her 2nd one!)

Foggy morning at Preikestolen- Pulpit Rock

Super Curious about the Kiragg Cliff.

To Kyle's surprise, she turned out to be a pretty great photographer too!

Not even a month after coming home from Norway, she had the opportunity to go with Kyle to the British Virgin Islands. Penelope got super spoiled this trip because not only did she get to go to a beautiful island, she got to experience her 1st super first class experience. From what Kyle told me, she was loving the mimosa's. 

Living her best flamingo life in super first class
(Peep her passport around her neck)

Enjoying the pink skies in BVI

A few weeks, Kyle, Penelope and I ventured down to North Carolina. 

So many trees!

Looking Glass Waterfall

Whew! Penelope has gone some pretty fun places.  She is super eager to see more of the world and share it with you all! :)

 -----------

A BIG THANKS to Kyle for bringing Penelope along on his adventures and taking such great care of her. It's a nice thing when you don't have to hid your quirkiness and someone else loves it and embraces it.  I posted this on WGJ's instagram back in June and its probably one of my favorite things ever!

------

At the time of publishing this post, Penelope and Kyle are on their way to California to ride all the roller coasters.

------

If you missed any of my WGJ Travels posts, check them out here:

| Planning | Destination Bucket List | 
| Travel Must Haves | What's In My Suitcase | 
| Vacation Mode | What I Packed vs. What I Used | 
| Seasoned Traveler Tips and Tricks | North Carolina Recap Part 1 |
| What and Where We Spent our Money in North Carolina | 
| North Carolina Recap Part 2 | Away Luggage Review |

[[I haven't been everywhere, it's on my list.- Susan Sontag]]

friYAY Favorites

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika as usual. Can't wait to read your posts!

Hi September! This has been a pretty awesome week! Running and doing well in the 5K last Saturday and then having an all out ball at the Berkeley Hotel on Sunday afternoon really set the mood for me this week. I have been on cloud 9 all week and my health has been matching my great mood too! Its an all around win. Another bonus this week, waking up yesterday morning and having the weather feel like FALL! (I am pretty sure we are entering into False Fall but I will take it!)

I have lots to share this week for my friYAY favorites, let's jump in with two feet, shall we?!

Wawa App/// If you live by a WAWA, go run and check the app to see that if you pay through the app, you can save  $0.15 a gallon now through October 30th! You and your wallet can thank me later for this! 

I have found some pretty fun articles this week, I wanted to share.

Joe Burrow is an everyday guy/// I am not a huge football fan but I love how down to earth Joe Burrow is! I remember when he won the championships in college and all he wanted to do was smoke a cigar. LOL I think a lot of Pro athletes lose themselves in the fame and noterioty; sometimes its nice to get back to your roots.

Local makes NFL//Jay'Sir reflects on his time in Ocean County and what it means to him to work hard and be disciplined. 

Mom's Night at Football Practice/// I love this! How many times is football a father/son activity? I love that these mom's suited up and tackled (or at least tried to) their sons. The video is just adorable. Yay for the coach for thinking of this. 

Lessons from Women's Division CrossFit Games/// A comeback story, rookies moving up and Americans coming closing to the podium. Who isn't excited for all these things?! Girls truly run the world. 

Pasta Salad/// Kyle and I made this a few weeks ago and it was so good. I added chicken to this too! Go run, make it!

1st Lady Gaga concert in 8 Years///  Being at this concert, Lady Gaga truly put on an AMAZING concert. She is all about her fans and wanted to give them a FULL experience. She wasn't there to sell her products or promote something other than her music. She wanted to give the fans a music experience. 

----------

I am looking forward to this long weekend. I am hoping to get some odds and ends done that I have been putting off for a while now and to spend some time with my parents. Maybe go to the beach for the first time this summer. (Shocking I know!) I am looking forward to local summer and this area not being so crowded. 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend, stay well and have fun! 

----------

Did you miss any of my posts from this past week? Find them below:

WGJ Travels: North Carolina Recap Part 2 | Away Luggage Review

Race Day | WGJ #32 | Diary #32 | Lacey 5K Recap | Dear August

Check back later today for the very last WGJ Travels post; its all about Penelope's Travels. Don't know who Penelope is? You are going to want to read all about her; I promise you won't regret it. :)

[[Joy is a brave decision]]

WGJ Travels: Packing for Florida In November

Yay! It's about 10 days until Florida and I am starting to pack. 

The problem with packing for Florida in November is that I honestly don't know what to pack.  It's been in the 70s here in New Jersey and while I keep an eye on Accuweather, checking it each week to see if the weather has changed, I cannot gauge what to pack.  (What a problem to have huh?!) 

As I am writing this on November 8th, 12 days out the range for the weather is between 64 and 76 for the highs and 44 and 52 for the lows.  

My gut is telling me, jeans and layers, which seems reasonable. BUT then the problem is, shoes! I know my idea of boots is out of question but then do I bring sandals? I am planning on my running sneakers and my boat shoes but I want a third option. Maybe a pair of flats that would work with the clothes I brought?

Usually, I plan my outfits out to the detail and while I have kinda an idea, I am worried about being too hot or too cold.  Our plans for this vacation are to relax and explore. I know the place we are staying has a gym so I am hoping to take advantage of that as well. 

Here is a preliminary outline of what I plan on wearing:

After the trip, I will update the planner with the outfits, I actually wore. I left off the boring necessities and toiletries...no one wants to read about that!

I am really trying to be a more thoughtful packer and its really hard to do. Those memes about girls overpacking is real! 

Now, I was excited before creating this packing list but making my outfits is making it feel even more real. I hope to gather most of the toiletries and necessities during the week and then Saturday morning finish packing. 

I am deciding if I want to bring my backpack on this trip. I am hoping I will have enough room in my suitcase for my laptop, charger and other miscellaneous items that would normally be stored in my backpack. I am planning on listening to a podcast or a book (shocking I know!) on the plane ride and since we have a short time between flights, I don't really need anything special. 

I will most likely bring my blanket again, that was very much welcomed on the plane. 

You can find all my WGJ Travel posts at the top of the page under WGJ Travels.

[[ You can never be overdressed or undereducated- Oscar Wilde]]

WGJ Travels: Travel Must Haves

Week 3 in my WGJ Travels series and this week I am sharing what I think are some must haves when you are on vacation.  

Perhaps in another life, I was a girl scout because I always like to be prepared for as many situations as I can be.  When packing for any vacation, I always start with a list with the staples and move on from  there. These staple items are the items that you always pack and will always be useful. Packing for me can be stressful so having a list of staples that I know I will use is super helpful to alleviate the inevitable stress of packing. Here are some of my travel must haves:

Snacks. No one likes you when you get Hangry (small reminder for me) so snacks are perfect for keeping everyone on an even playing field and sometimes you just need a pick-me-up.

Blanket. I tend to get cold quickly and travel blankets make it easy for me to warm up and I can double as a pillow if need be. 

Sneakers. You need comfortable sneakers. Travel days are usually long and hard so you want to be comfortable and sneakers are the easiest way to ensure that. ALSO if you wear your bulkiest items, ie sneakers,  you will have more space in your luggage to pack more clothes. 

Portable charger. My phone holds a pretty good charge but sometimes, it can run out of battery quickly. Having a portable charger makes life easier and you will be able to charge on the go. Having your charging cable with you, if you will be in the car for a while is also a smart idea. 

Packing cubes. I have used these on previous vacations and I totally get the hype, they make your life so much easier and more organized on the go. I read one person takes the packing cubes, full of clothes, out of the suitcase and places them right into the drawers so you don't have to your suitcase open ALL THE TIME. How smart is that?!

Sanitizing wipes. My mom was toting these around WAYYY before COVID and to be honest, they always came in handy. Wiping down shared surfaces on the plane, in hotel rooms, in cars etc. The possibilities are endless and those flat little packs that fit easily into your luggage. ADD.TO.CART.

Hand Sanitizer. My mom was toting around this too WAYYY  before COVID (I remember her having handi-wipes in her purse back in the 90s!) and sometimes you just want your hands to feel clean. Bath and Body Works still is my favorite  place to buy hand sanitizer in those cute little bottles.  

Pouches. Emily Ley talked about using these when traveling in her podcast and I love using these in my everyday life. It helps keeping things organized especially little items that could get lost and grouping like items together. Makes life easier to pull out a pouch that you know has lipstick in it rather than dig through three layers of crap at the bottom of your purse.

Reusable Water Bottle. I drink my fair share of water during the day with my Camelbak water bottle. Its so easy to pop the straw up and drink. I looked into a different lid for my Camelbak- one that doesn't expose the straw to everything, (#travelgerms) and found Camelbak has two other options- a water 'chute' and a carry top that are interchangeable with the Eddy+ bottles. 

Small Notepad and Pen. I am a pen and paper kind of girl. As much as I love technology, something about writing things down or doodling to pass the time is soothing. It does not have to be anything fancy, it could be something as easy as a few note cards stapled together and stuck in a pouch with a pen/marker. 

This was a fun, random list to put together and it helped me think about some overlooked items that I need to pack for my trip. Thanks for reading along today. What are your Travel must haves? Let me know in the comments.

Be sure to come back next Friday when I share exactly what I'm packing and how it fits all in my carry on suitcase. (Prayers are needed for making it all fit, please and thank you!)

Did you miss my previous WGJ Travel posts? Catch them here: Planning; Destination Bucket List.

[[Life's not meant to be lived in one place.]]

WGJ Travels: Destination Bucket List

 

Its Week 2 in my WGJ Travel series and this week I am sharing my Destination Bucket List. All the places I would LOVE to go, if money and time wasn't an issue. At the end of this post, I will also be sharing where Kyle and I will be going on vacation. 

I have never been one to have the travel bug. I am pretty content with stay-cations but this has been a fun list to put together and to dream of possibilities. Dreams can come true.

source

Destination Bucket List

30A area in Florida/// I have seen so many beautiful photos from this area, I have been dying to go. The beaches, the houses, the aesthetic, the sunsets!!!! This is probably one of the places that I REALLY want to go to.  

Italy/// Who doesn't want to go to Italy and eat all the pasta?! I would probably invest in  ALOT of flowy dresses and stretchy pants for all the eating I would be doing. 

Maldives//// fun fact, I had NO idea where in the world the Maldives actually was. (Its in the Indian Ocean by India. All I saw were those cute little huts in the water AND today I found out they have bioluminescence crustaceans!!!! It looks absolutely beautiful and relaxing besides the almost 24 hour flight.  

Alaska/// I blame this one on Baywatch. Here me out: My grandmother and I used to watch CHIPS and Baywatch together when I was like 4/5. (This is a core memory) and Baywatch had an episode or a few episodes where the gang went on an Alaskan Cruise to see the glaciers. Ever since seeing that, I have always wanted to go. 

Key West/// This looks like pure fun. You have to go into this trip knowing you will be in a bathing suit the whole time and drinking/ eating all the time. I am totally okay with that. 

Montana/// I can't explain this one. It just looks so vast and beautiful. Sleeping under the stars would probably be breathtaking. 

Idaho/// I might have been influenced by a certain boy in my life and a certain Amazon Prime Documentary about this state. I am totally okay with it though. Idaho looks beautiful and it has so many different areas to explore- mountains, plains, deserts, cities. It would be truly an adventure.  

Iceland/// Northern Lights.  That's all. Plop me in an igloo and make for clear skies and I would be one happy girl.  

Nova Scotia/// Thanks to the NYT's 36 Hours in the North East book, I have been so curious about Nova Scotia and the natural beauty of it. 

London/// The chance of running into Prince William, Princess Kate and the Queen is probably very small but there is so much else to see, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and The London Bridge. Given a chance to wear welles, an adorable raincoat and see those British guards and try to make them laugh, who would turn that down. 

Norway/// I loved the Norway pavilion in EPCOT and seeing the photos Kyle took in Norway AND finding out they are so allergy friendly, I want to go find myself a troll! 

Paris/// The Louvre. The Eiffle Tower. The wine. The bread. Just wandering through Parisian Streets admiring the sights around. Oui! 

There we have it. Now this isn't a complete list, these are the things that come to mind when I think of travel. I love how diverse the locations are, beaches, mountains, cities, middle of nowhere, historic, modern. Its just beautiful. 

As a kid and even still now, I want to visit all 50 states to see what makes them beautiful. I think I've visited 1/5 of the states. Adventure awaits, domestically for me. 

AND LASTLY....

As promised..... Kyle and I will be going to Charlotte and Ashville, North Carolina! We both are unfamiliar with this area but are super excited to explore these two awesome cities.  Everyone I have mentioned the location to has said "OHHH! Its really nice there!" or "Oh! I've been there you need to do XYZ!"  This will be state #11 for me and this trip is what spurred me to create this series. 

Check back next Friday where I am sharing what my vacation must-haves are. 

If you have missed my previous WGJ Travels posts, find it here: Planning

[[Adventure is just around the corner.]]

WGJ Travels: What and Where we spent our Money in North Carolina

WGJ Travels is back again for a compilation of all the places we went, things we did and places we stayed in North Carolina.  Kyle and I discussed BEFORE our adventure how we were going to handle the money portion of it and I think it worked out really well because there was never a problem of who was paying.

If you were wondering, Kyle booked and paid for the flights, hotels, car rental and the tickets for the baseball game, Sliding Rock entry fee and Carowinds. I booked and paid for our food, the Biltmore Estate, Wai Mauna Tour and the Salt Cave. We split the fee for the Lime Scooters.

Being open and up front about our expectations with money really let us enjoy the vacation and not worry about "keeping track". 

Flights: United via Newark Liberty Airport.

Hotels: HomewoodSuites, Home2Suite, Cedar Crest Inn

Car Rental: Budget

Restaurants: The Montford Rooftop Bar; Waffle House; Wicked Weed Brewery; Charlotte Beer Garden; The Hub; 1897 Market

Adventures: Biltmore Estate; Sliding Rock; Mount Mitchell; Wai Mauna Tours; Truist Field; Lime Scooters; Carowinds; Asheville Salt Cave

Other: Asheville Emporium

Guides: TravelGuidesAsheville, VistAsheville

-----------------------

We cannot wait to go back to Asheville and see more of what this city has to offer. 

Did you miss any of my previous travel posts? Find them below:

Planning | Destination Bucket List | Travel Must Haves | What's In My Suitcase | Vacation Mode | 
What I Packed vs. What I Used | Seasoned Traveler Tips and Tricks | North Carolina Recap Part 1

How do you handle money and who pays when you are on vacation? Let me know in the comments below. 

friYAY Favorites

Hi friends! Happy friYAY! 

I am linking up with Erika and Andrea today, I can't wait to read your posts! 

This week I felt like I had a Halloween hangover. What is a Halloween hangover? Thanks for asking, I would love to tell you. With Halloween being on Monday and the end of the month, I feel like this week should have been a wash but it wasn't. We jumped right in to the beginning of the month. My brain has been trying to process it all week!

Halloween Weekend was fun this year. Saturday, Kyle and I got dressed up as a Yacht Captain and her Sailor, and ventured to Asbury Park Distillery to meet up with some of his gym friends. They had such fun costumes on! I loved guessing other peoples costumes. I saw a casual Princess Diana, Jim Henson and Kermit, 3 hole punch Jim (from the Office) and Princess Mia (From the Princess Diaries)! In case you missed my Halloween post, Kyle and I loved our costumes and my oversized hat.

I was so sad that neither my mom or Kyle got any trick or treaters. I wore my festive halloween socks to the gym Monday night. I was sad to see no one else was dressed up. Fuddy Duddies! 

I am getting so excited for all the holiday fun that is awaiting me. Christmas themed 5K's, Longwood gardens trip with Kyle, Christmas light peeping, all the Christmas music AND all the Hallmark/Lifetime/Netflix Christmas movies. 

I revealed in my WGJ Travels post this week, Kyle and I are starting our holiday season off in Panama City Beach, Florida, Thanksgiving week. I am BEYOND excited for vacation, but I am definitely In disbelief that its only 2 weeks away! I got to get packing! 

Did anyone else just realize daylights savings in SUNDAY.... ugh.  As a kid I had this terrible fear of daylight savings time. I always thought I would be late for school. I still might have that fear, now as a level 34 adult. Some things never change.  

-----------

I did come across some fun articles this week:

Oprah's Stocking Stuffer Ideas/// Once again, Oprah knocks it out of the park with her Christmas lists. Gosh, that woman can do no wrong. 

Match.com Success Story at 93 /// This is just too cute not to share. Can you imagine finding love again at 93 and 88?! YESSS! I am here for this and I want to know more! 

Love is Blind Season 3 Fan Reactions/// This season of LIB is out of control and I am here for it! I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Clever Christmas Tree Hack/// I love a fun hack that looks so expensive! I am itching to try this. I want to see if it looks as good as it is pictured. 

-----------

This weekend is all about getting things in order- my desk, vacation things and life. I am excited for a low key weekend. I hope to get to the gym as well and eat lots! 

What are you up to this weekend?

-----------

Did you miss any of my posts from this week? Find them below:

Happy Birthday Kyle! | Rock the Climb: 1 Year of Bouldering | Let's Look at: Selecting a Halloween Costume | Happy Halloween | Random #10 | WGJ Travels: 30A

[[Run hard and be nice to people]]
 

WGJ Travels: What's in my Suitcase

Week 4 of WGJ Travels. Today is probably my favorite post out of this series thus far. I am sharing what I am packing in my suitcase for vacation.  Don't you love taking a look into someone else's kinda private life? I love the posts "what's in my bag", "what I buy for travel" etc. I think its the curiosity/ being nosey to see what others do/have. 

I am a notorious over packer. Its been like this my whole entire life. I used to bring bags (yes plural) when I went for sleepovers and my last real vacation, I had so many clothes and I didn't plan the outfits thoughtfully. 

This time, using a carry on luggage I have a finite amount of space and I am determined to pack everything between the carry on and my personal item. 

I am actually very curious if I am going to be able to pack more efficiently. 

I am using packing cubes again and rolling my clothes to maximize the space in my suitcase. 

Below is a list of almost everything that is going with me. 

True to myself, back was Instagram was new and all the girls were fashion bloggers, I loved to post my OOTD and it just seems like something I keep coming back to throughout my life. SO sharing my outfits seems like the thing to do when packing. This way, I know exactly what I am wearing when, to make life/getting dressed easier. 

My Carry on Luggage and Backpack

Travel Day 

Halara Navy T-Shirt Dress
Lavender Sweater
White Denim Jacket
Grey Nike Sneakers

Day 1 Explore Asheville

Day

Coral Flower Dress
Tan Sandals

Night

Bright Blue Dress
Tan Sandals
White Denim Jacket

Day 2 Adventure Day

Day

Black Skort
Aqua t-shirt
Coral bathing suit
Socks
Grey Sneakers

Grey Running Shorts
Coral Tank with attached Sports Bra
Grey Sneakers/ Flip Flops

Night

Yellow Skirt
Peach Tank
Tan Sandals
White Denim Jacket

Day 3 Amusement Park/Baseball Game (4th of July)

Day

Pink Shorts
Navy Tank
Watercolor Bathing Suit
Grey Sneakers/Flip Flops

Night 

Navy Polka Dot Dress
White Denim Jacket
Tan Sandals

Travel day 

Navy and Ivory Striped Dress
Grey Sneakers

Miscellaneous Items 

Toiletries in a clear makeup bag- shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, face wash, sunscreen, hand sanitzier, tinted moisturizer, mascara, blush, eyebrow pencil, chap stick, "you're the pom" tinted balm, oil blotting sheets, contacts. (Liquids get their own bag) 

Medicines/Just in case items- Tylenol, bonine, Allegra, Imuran, elderberry, Flintstones vitamins, flonase, lactaid, gas-x, anti diarrhea, baby wipes, make up remover wipes, disinfectant wipes, band aids, anti blister stick, tooth brush and tooth paste, bug bracelets.

loose in pockets of backpack- glasses, phone charger, ear buds, Penelope, hair brush, epi pen in a box, gum and mints, snacks, empty water bottle

Purse in backpack and belt bag in suitcase along with my beach waver. Phone and wallet will be in the backpack with ability to access easily and quickly. 

All my clothes, shoes and under items will be pack in packing cubes in the suitcase along with the clear makeup bags. The bag with my liquids will be in my suitcase but I won't need to remove through security thanks to TSA precheck. I am hoping and praying everything fix easily and it wont be so packed.  (we will see!) 

I am sure going to put Away's 100 day trial guarantee to the test during this trip. 

The backpack I bought has so many pockets and secret spaces that I truly don't know if I will be able to fill the all. HAHAHA who am I kidding? Of course every nook and cranny will be stuffed. 

Looking forward to see how it goes!

[[Adventure awaits]]

WGJ Travels: YAY!

 Hi friends! 

I'm back with a WGJ Travels post and that can only mean one thing..... im off on another adventure. 

This weekend Keith and I are going to a sunny Florida for the week. 

I can't wait to share all the fun and pretty photos from this vacation. Don't worry, I will share all my vacation #ootd's and all my favorite spots later in the month. 

And as always, Penelope will be tagging along with her pink suitcase filled with all her necessities- snacks! 

[[Sunsets are little glimpses of the golden streets of heaven- unknown]]

WGJ Travels: Away Luggage Review

 I heard about Away luggage probably 5 years ago.  I was really intrigued by it and super curious. It would take until 2022 for me to actually purchase it.  

When Kyle and I were planning our North Carolina Adventure, I realized that all of the luggage my parent and I have are over 10 years old. Funny enough, when we pulled our old luggage out, a few of them were completely  dry rotted and some of them just disintegrated. My parents and I had a great laugh with that.

I did some research and I kept coming back to Away. The good reviews by not only clients but third parties websites AND the lifetime guarantee sold me. What was the icing on the cake and verified by contacting Away, was the 100 day trial. If after 100 days after purchase and usage, for any reason I can return the suitcase for a full refund. What?! I can use it and still return it? That sounds crazy but I have the emails as proof. 

Do I even have to mention the pretty lavender color?! 💜 

I'm pretty sure it arrived within a week and I was so excited. 

I ended up with the Carry-on size in lavender. The color was never a question for me, it was trying to figure out a size. I ended up going with the regular carry on size not the expandable one. I was worried that if I got the expandable one and I packed it to the brim, it wouldn't fit in the overhead bin. ((We were planning on just doing a carry-on plus a backpack for both Kyle and I when traveling)) 

If I'm telling the truth (which is something I usually tell) I didn't like it. I thought it looked and felt flimsy. I was slightly disappointed. I left it in my room for a while and just stared at it. (No joke!) I started using it when I stayed at Kyle's and the amount of things I was able to pack in there was really remarkable. 

After a few weekend trips, I decided to keep it. The true test came when we traveled to North Carolina. I was very nervous putting it into the carry on sizer and what do you know. It fit perfectly without problem! Phew!

It fit easily into the overhead bins- Kyle easily lifted it and got it in the bin! Whew! 

The next test came when I needed to repack it after our first hotel, second and third hotel. This suitcase took a beating and it still performed really well. I might have sat on it, putting my full body weight on it to get it to shut completely. I was not gentle with this at all BUT it really withstood all the pushing and squishing I did to get it closed. I was really impressed. 

It held up really well and in just a few weeks, my 100 day trial will be over. I am confident to say that this small but mighty suitcase really does live up to the hype and I think its totally worth the money I have spent on it. 

Check out Away's website here to see all the options they have and to check out their newest color, Teal! To get $20 off you first purchase,** click here, you definitely won't regret it.

If you missed any of my WGJ Travels posts, check them out here:

Planning | Destination Bucket List | Travel Must Haves | What's In My Suitcase | Vacation Mode | 
 What I Packed vs. What I Used | Seasoned Traveler Tips and Tricks | North Carolina Recap Part 1 |
What and Where We Spent our Money in North Carolina | North Carolina Recap Part 2

**This post was not sponsored by Away Travel. I have purchased this suitcase and received no compensation from them. My referral code for $20 off is available to anyone and can be found on their website under refer a friend. 

***Away Travel, If you are reading this, I would LOVE to be sponsored by you! Reach out to me at wondergracejoy@gmail.com