Ever wish your travel outfit could look as good when you disembark from the plane as when you boarded?  Well, here are some wrinkle resistant travel dresses which are versatile, comfortable and most importantly look good on!  You can wear the same outfit on the plane, at the beach and even out to dinner.   To dress up, just add jewelry or a scarf.

For one option, check out SkirtSports’ Footloose Dress.  This sporty dress has a built-in shelf bra, V-neck and flattering empire waistband.  SkirtSports was founded by Nicole DeBoom, who has won several triathlons across the country.  Wanting to look good even during her work outs, Nicole created a whole line a sporty tanks, skirts and swim suits that are both functional and stylish.

Another great travel outfit option is Patagonia’s Morning Glory dress.  This dress is made of jersey knit that feels great on and doesn’t wrinkle.  With a flattering cut and halter-style neck, this dress can be easily adjusted to different bust sizes.

For a couple of other options check out The Territory Ahead site.  Their Sojourner Dress and the Vintage Moderne Dress are also resistant to wrinkles.  The Vintage Moderne dress is made of Tencel – a fairly new natural fiber which feels and drapes like silk but is actually made of wood pulp cellulose.   Glad they’re putting that wood pulp to good use!

Links:  SkirtSports  |  Patagonia   |  The Territory Ahead

Girl getaways have become so popular that now there’s even a television show about them! All-Girl Getaways premieres on the Fine Living channel Thursday, April 24 at 9pm EST. The show will follow a different group of women each week (friends, co-workers, family members) as they plan their ultimate getaway vacation. 

In case you’re wondering if you get the Fine Living channel, go to FineLiving.com and enter your zip code to look-up your local channel, if available.

Via  Fine Living Channel

On Earth Day last year we were visiting Santa Barbara – a beautiful and eco-friendly destination.  In Santa Barbara hotels, restaurants and a variety of businesses offer discounts to travelers who take advantage of alternative forms of transportation like trolleys, kayaks, the train, bicycles and walking.  Wouldn’t it be great if other cities followed their example?

It’s nice when cities take the initiative, but you can do your part as a traveler as well.  Here are a few suggestions on how to be a green traveler:

1. Adjust the thermostat of your water heater and A/C before leaving on your trip.

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Normally when I fly, I pack only one bag and try to carry-on my luggage.  I can avoid baggage claim and be on my way that much faster.  There are some trips – especially those with lots of varied activities - where it’s a challenge to fit all my outfits into one bag.  The shoes alone seem to take up half the space!

Checking a second bag when needed is currently free, but that changes May 5th.  Delta, United, Continental, US Airways and Northwest Airlines will be charging normal passengers an additional $25 for a second checked bag. 

Why the change?  Lighter airplanes mean less fuel is burned on the flight.  United expects the new baggage policy to generate $100 million in revenue and cost savings.

To avoid paying this surcharge, brush up on your packing skills and check-out our post on packing tips! 

To put it mildly, this has not been a good week for air travel.  Thousands of American Airline flights have been cancelled, along with cancellations by Alaska Airlines, Midwest Airlines and Delta. 

The reason?  Stricter guidelines by the FAA. The airplanes for these flights are MD-80s — and subject to FAA wiring guidelines that many of the airlines seem to have either ignored or just been confused by. 

We all know air safety is important, but I can’t help but wonder if the FAA and the airlines could have handled this in a better manner.  During the past week over 250,000 air travelers have been affected and the cost to airlines like American will be in the tens of millions of dollars. 

A word to the wise: check your flight departure status before heading to the airport.

Via: MSNBC

It’s so nice when spring arrives – leafless trees suddenly explode with colorful blossoms and birds shift into “high chirp” mode.  I think one of my favorite spring blooming trees is the mountain laurel.  Large clusters of purple flowers form with a wonderful fragrance that reminds me of grape chewing gum. 

Here are some of the more spectacular flower and tree blooming festivals around the country.  Grab some girlfriends and take a road trip to see some of these amazing floral displays! 

National Cherry Blossom Festival (Washington, D.C.)
March 29 – April 13
Given as a gift from Japan in 1912, the cherry blossom trees surround the Jefferson Memorial and nearby monuments.   During the spring bloom, the trees are covered with exquisite pink and white blossoms.  web site

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Planning a trip in the next few weeks?  You may or may not enjoy going where the crowds are.  Before you decide, check out this year’s top ten Spring Break destinations:

1. Destin, Florida
2. Disney World
3. Myrtle Beach
4. South Padre Island
5. Cancun
6. Key West
7. Gulf Shores, Alabama
8. Lake Tahoe
9. Outer Banks of North Carolina
10. Honolulu

via weather.com

Do you like to travel with 3-4 other women on girl trips and live near New York City? If so, then the Tyra Banks show is interested in talking to you about an upcoming show. 

The theme of this show is how many of us women dread going to the beach in our swimsuits with less than perfect bodies.  Your group will try out some cellulite reducing products at home over a 4-6 week period and report your results on the show.  You’ll need to come to their New York City location twice (once for casting, once for taping the show), so a group close to New York City is preferred. 

If you are interested in being on the Tyra Banks show (and help us all prepare for the swimsuit season) fill out this form on the show’s site.

I spent a perfect weekend in Seattle recently and wanted to share some of the high points in case you plan to visit in the future.  Visiting Seattle in February is, as most locals will tell you, very risky since there’s a good possibility it will be cold and rainy.  We were in town to see our cousin sing the lead in the opera, La Boheme, so we crossed our fingers and hoped the weather would cooperate.  

We stayed at the Hotel Andra, a very chic hotel ideally located within walking distance of Belltown, retail districts and the famous Pike Place Market.   We all loved the stylish and progressive feel of the hotel which carried through to the rooms. 

As it turned out, we were in luck with the weather – it was in the 60’s with plenty of sunshine.

My sisters, niece and I strolled over to Pike Place Market our first afternoon there and took in the huge array of vendors, including artists, craftsmen, fish mongers, farmers, and flower growers. 

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Swarovski chandeliers, a champagne bar, spa treatments and private cabanas aren’t normally what come to mind when I think of an airport terminal.  However that’s what premium passengers of British Airways’ (BA) will be able to enjoy at Terminal 5 in London beginning next month.

The $8.8 billion state of the art terminal opens on March 27, 2008 and British Airways’ lounge complex, known as ‘Galleries’ is the largest and most luxurious in the world. It is for the exclusive use of up to 2,500 British Airways premium passengers and top tier frequent flyer members.

British Airways’ premium passengers will be able to enjoy 15 minutes of ‘heaven on earth’ in Terminal 5 before they fly.  The airline’s new spa partner Elemis has developed an exclusive range of treatments to revive or relax which include facials, foot, head, shoulder and back massages.

The Elemis Travel Spa will offer “Flying Facials” - four types of customized flying facials to combat the dehydrating effects of flying:  the Flight Rehydrator, the S.O.S. Skin Saver, the Skin Thirst Quencher and the Anti-Age Wrinkle Control. 

British Airways’ frequent flyers can also cool down with a glass of bubbly at the Gold bar featuring intricate gold leafing or shop in any one of 100 boutiques and restaurants including Harrods, Prada, Tiffany & Co. and Mulberry.  

April 7th update:  So far Terminal 5 is off to a rocky start. Since its opening on March 27, hundreds of flights have been cancelled and thousands of bags lost. Once it can handle the basics smoothly and efficiently, maybe passengers will begin to notice their luxurious surroundings. 

Links: Terminal 5