Happy Monday!! It has been a full week since I came back from Hawaii. (Since I was sick last week it feels like much longer.) It’s always sad to come back from vacation but I had some exciting stuff to come back to that made it a liiiittle bit easier. I’ll be writing more Hawaii travel guides this month so that’ll help me relive the memories! First I wanted to share some of the essentials that I brought with me. No surprise to anyone, I’m an overpacker but a lot of what I brought proved to be super useful. I’ve been accumulating some fun things over the past few months and working with companies here and there in preparation for this trip. I’m excited to share these goodies with you all!

PacSafe Citysafe CX Convertible backpack* – Available on Amazon Prime
A few months ago I attended an event with PacSafe where I learned more about the brand’s unique features. I was thrilled to receive a backpack (in black, my favorite) because it’s amazing for travel and everyday. This bag is the smaller version of your typical commuter-size backpack which is awesome. It’s a great 2-in-1 product because it converts into a small crossbody bag as well. I never used it as a bag because I’m an overpacker however it would be great for someone who doesn’t want to pack too many accessories. Since the backpack itself is very lightweight it’s easily packed into your suitcase – it doesn’t take up much space or weight.

Despite taking it to sandy beaches and out by the pool it held up nicely and any stains can be easily wiped off. The gold accents on the zippers and hardware are so cute! A cute but also functional detail is the pink lining inside the backpack. A light interior allows you to find things easier which I know all you ladies can appreciate. I also can’t express how much I love the safety features on the backpack. There are TurnNLock security hooks, RFID blocking pockets, zipper tabs to lock them in place, slashproof materials, and more. Even when I had to leave my backpack with the hotel’s concierge I felt safe locking the strap of my backpack to my suitcase. This is a bag I know I will take with me for many trips to come! I’m eyeing a larger backpack for commuting purposes soon!

Waterproof Phone Pouch – Available on Amazon Prime
If you are going kayaking, hiking to a waterfall, traveling somewhere tropical, etc. you NEED a waterproof pouch for your phone. These pouches are amazing and allow you to still use your phone camera when you’re around water. Since they go around your neck, your hands are free as well. When we went on a 5 hour kayak tour, my hands were free the whole time but I could still reach down to snap some pictures. I was skeptical and never dunked my phone completely in the water but it would’ve been fine. They all tell you to do a test with a piece of paper inside the pouch and I can tell you that no water will get inside. Definitely buy on Amazon before you need it because I saw the same pouches for over $15 in Hawaii.

Vision Global Wifi Device* – Get 10% off here
One of my favorite things we brought on this trip is this small Mifi device that I got to rent from Vision Global. It’s not absolutely necessary to have portable wifi when traveling domestically, however it’s important to Jared and I to have reliable Internet whenever we need it on vacation. Whether it’s to use GPS while driving in a new city or being able to pull up our travel documents or do research during travel mishaps (all scenarios that we experienced this trip) we loved having a strong Internet connection at all times. Plus we never had to worry about going over our data limits as we both share with our families. The Mifi device is super small and fit in my bag at all times. Sometimes Jared just carried it in his pocket! 

The reason why I will never get Internet through my phone company again (especially on an international trip) is because it’s not as convenient or flexible. With Vision Global you only pay for the dates you need. I bought a local SIM card when I was in London and the cheapest option I could get for my whole trip ended being an entire month of data! I love that this is customizable and I can keep my original SIM card in. The Vision Global team is super nice and helpful should you have any questions!

Book: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan  – Get it on Amazon
We did a lot on our trip so it was important that whenever we had down time, I got to unwind and read a little. I brought Crazy Rich Asians which I’ve been trying to get through for sooo long. It’s not that it’s hard to get through, I just haven’t made time for reading! The book is filled with laughs, drama, and culture. I didn’t want to put this one down! 

Tesalate beach towel* – Free worldwide shipping here
Tesalate is an Australia based company that makes sand-free towels that dry in half the time a normal towel does. The towels roll up into really compact sizes and come in a drawstring pouch. I was so excited to try this towel at the beach and by the pool! It turned out to be just as good as the brand promises. After the beach, all I had to do was shake the towel once or twice and all the sand came off easily. Again, as an overpacker it was really nice that I could fit a towel in my suitcase. I would normally never have room for one!

Sun hat & baseball hat – Similar here and Seahawks hat here
This one is probably way obvious to you but I think having two hats is the best! I always get nervous about trying to fit a hat into my suitcase but if you pack things like socks and underwear into the hat, it can lay flat and doesn’t actually take up much room. Sun hats are great for laying out by the pool and are cute accessories, but sometimes you need function over fashion. I love how 47 caps fit and this is the one piece of Seahawks gear I own :) When we went hiking and kayaking this was a life saver under the intense sun! Sun hats aren’t practical to wear when your hat could blow off into the water but a baseball hat stays on securely. 

Ollie Quinn sunglasses* – Mine are in the color London Weather
It goes without saying that sunglasses are necessary for Hawaii as well! A few months ago, I attended an opening party at Ollie Quinn in Capitol Hill. It was my first introduction to the Canadian brand. Instantly I was blown away by the brand simply because of the people I met from their HQ. Everyone from the marketing team to the designers was so excited about the brand and gave me a great idea of what the brand is about.

Ollie Quinn makes incredibly high quality glasses that are perfect for those who want something minimalistic, yet stylish, at a great price point. The space itself is beautiful and in the best location on the hill. If you’re into bright and sophisticated spaces, get your phone out and snap some pictures next time you’re in the neighborhood. You can even bring your laptop and just stop by to take advantage of the shop as it is also a co-working space.

I stopped in to get a pair of glasses and Amy, the Capitol Hill boutique manager, helped me choose out the Suzie glasses. I always have a hard time when it comes to glasses and she made the process SO quick and painless. Bringing these to Hawaii was a no brainer because they are cute but also functional – all OQ glasses are polarized and scratch resistant. They come with both a soft and hard case too!

Amazon Fashion – Scalloped bikini & off the shoulder dress
I’m a total last minute packer. I also leave outfit planning to the very last minute so going shopping for off-season items wasn’t going to happen before this trip. Luckily I found that a lot of Amazon Fashion items are eligible for Prime shipping. One thing I knew I wanted to find was a scalloped swimsuit and luckily I found the best one for SO cheap. The size small fit perfectly and it even comes with detachable straps. (Side note: highly recommend using the straps when you’re swimming. I may have flashed some people trying to get out of my floatie. Ahem.) I ended up wearing these bottoms so much because of how comfortable they are.

The dress was a last minute purchase I made on a whim. Let’s be real, I don’t need another dress. But I mean….when it’s under $13 sometimes you have to pull the trigger and just try it out. I saw that there were free returns so if it didn’t work out, I could ship it back. When I tried it on I was blown away because it looks WAY more expensive than it really is. Score! The arms get a little scratchy after a while but otherwise I have no complaints. It has a lining and isn’t see through and it was perfect for the night we went to a fancy restaurant. I could see myself wearing this to a wedding later too!

Whew! I thought this would be shorter than it was but clearly I have a lot to say about things I like. We did so much on our trip that the rest of my Hawaii posts are going to be very lengthy, so get ready for those :)

I hope you get a chance to check out some of these products and brands that I mentioned! As always please feel free to email me or contact me if you have questions or other recommendations.

Items marked with an asterisk were gifted to me. All opinions are 100% my own. 

I don’t really like trip planning.

There, I said it. I know that’s a privileged statement to make but I’m just being honest here. For someone who likes planning out their daily life so much, I lack the same kind of enthusiasm when it comes to trips. I love to travel but if I could have someone plan out the itinerary for me that would be awesome. The overwhelming amount of options, lack of knowledge of new places, and so on can make it a long process.

Here are some of the best websites I’ve come across that have helped make trip planning easier. It’s worth noting that most of these are useful if you’re like me, a normal person with limited funds. If you have an unlimited travel budget, let’s be friends. Cheers to saving some $$ so you can splurge more on food for the ‘gram.

Websites for Airfare

Skyscanner
If you’re flexible on dates (or even locations) then this is a great resource to search for flights. A quick search will yield a list of all flight options with a summary at the top of the best, cheapest, and fastest routes. You can also set up price alerts for specific destinations and dates. It’s a simple, no frills website that makes deal hunting easy. I also like the homepage where they post deals for popular locations like London or Bangkok (see second picture below). The range of prices are all based on estimates but it’s helpful when you’re trying to figure out when to book a trip.

Route Happy
For the extra nosy travelers like myself, this is your new best friend. How many times have you wondered if your flight has USB outlets or TV screens on the seats? On Route Happy, simply fill out the flight dates/destinations and you’ll get all the information. Below is Jared’s upcoming flight from SEA to FRA (so unlucky, I know) and you can see all this helpful information. Personally I’m most intrigued that the food is served on fine china. HAHAHA. I kid.

Anyway, next time your flight doesn’t have an outlet for your laptop or doesn’t provide in-flight entertainment you don’t have to be unpleasantly surprised.

Scott’s Cheap Flights
I LOVE Scott’s Cheap Flights. This is a free email subscription where Scott emails out flight deals from various regions/airports as he finds them. There is a premium version that sounds amazing – my friend Sam got it after I recommended her check out the free version and she says it’s great! (Not to toot my own horn but I’ve referred so many people to Scott’s Cheap Flights. I get nothing but the satisfaction of helping my friends book awesome, cheap flights.) The website boasts cheap international flights but I’ve actually booked domestic flights from Scott before. West coasters, if you like going to Hawaii then I’d subscribe asap because there are frequent Hawaii deals! Even when I don’t book the flights, I love seeing the deals for all regions and destinations.

Below is an example email I received for nonstop flights to Reykjavik. I like how Scott gives an overview for general flight availability, the normal price, what airlines are offering the deal, and when you should buy tickets by. 

Websites for Accommodations

Everyone has their preferences when it comes to hotels but I think everyone would prefer to book efficiently so you can get the best deal for your choice. The type of hotel I pick varies on the destination. If I know I’m going to be out exploring a city all day and just need a clean place to sleep at night, I will almost always book a room that’s budget friendly. I usually pick something based on proximity to the places I will be exploring. On the other hand, for a destination that’s going to be more chill and relaxing I would spend more to stay in a higher end resort. I think most people default to websites like Expedia however I’ve never had great success there.

Costco Travel 

Jared and I are Executive members at Costco because Costco is the BEST. (Seriously, I’m a cheap date and would be content being taken out to dinner at Costco. This is not a joke.) One of the perks of Costco is their amazing travel site that has stellar customer service. They have really helpful and dedicated people ready to assist you with booking, questions, and any issues you might run into. If you like a travel agent type of experience, booking an entire vacation package through Costco can be really rewarding. There are often perks for Executive members too! We booked our hotel package for our next trip through Costco because it included a complimentary airport pickup/dropoff service and we got a $50 room service credit. Other perks often include free cash cards or Costco gift cards. The only downside is you can’t book just flights through Costco Travel.

Momondo 

Scott’s Cheap Flights is actually where I learned about Momondo. This is a really user-friendly search engine to search for the best flights, hotels, etc. Since you can’t book directly through Momondo you can trust that they aren’t inflating the prices. It’s simply a way to display options and then you book through a third-party site from your search. I usually default to Google Flights if I’m looking for the cheapest flights but recently discovered that this is a great option for hotels too. Below is an example search where I looked up the famous Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort on Momondo. It might not show the cheapest of all the Internet but it’s a good starter. I like to use it as a first stop then I shop around.

Google Trip Planner

My entire life is on Google so another Google product just makes sense when it comes to trip planning. I am new to this app actually, so there are probably more features that I will discover as I travel more in the next few months. Basically it’s an app that can store all of your reservations, itineraries, offer discounts, and suggest attractions. What I don’t like is that it’s only an app so far and the list of attractions is fairly limited. For frequent travelers, it’s nice because it stores all of your reservations in one place and you can even browse old trips you’ve taken. I just downloaded the app recently and I found tons of trips I’ve taken years ago.

Airbnb

For those that prefer to rent a room or a treehouse or an entire house, sometimes Airbnb is the way to go. I think my favorite thing about Airbnb is that there are so many unique accommodations to fit all your needs. Be careful to check the cleaning fees or minimum stays for certain properties. For $40 off your first stay using Airbnb, click here! 

Have you used any of these sites? One that I’m not mentioning is actually something that I frequently use for travel but it’s related to credit cards. I don’t know if there would be any interest in me writing about my travel card but let me know! Jared and I have loved having our Chase Sapphire reserve card. It’s not for everyone since it comes with a hefty annual fee but in our experience, it’s totally worth it.

If you’re wondering what types of sites I use for planning the itineraries, I have to be honest – I don’t have a good system! I usually just rely on social media like Instagram, Pinterest, and blogs. The lists I build when researching for trips are always dominated by restaurants I want to try, of course.

I have a lot of travel posts coming up in the next few months and cannot wait to share them with you all!