When it comes to travel whether it be summer or any other time of year the first thing we tend to think about is "what snacks are we taking"? I mean lets be honest that's an important thing to pack right? Especially if you have kiddos along with you. We recently took a trip down sound to Arkansas and Missouri and took some really tasty treats with us.
First up we took an assortment of new Crunchies Chocolate Covered Fruit. If you haven't tried these yet I will be the first to tell you that you're missing out. Each piece has signature Crunchies freeze dried fruit surrounded by either dark or milk chocolate. Available in four flavors: Strawberries in Milk Chocolate, Mango in Dark Chocolate, Blueberries in Dark Chocolate and Banana in Milk
Chocolate. They are all very good. But I will warn you if you're traveling someplace hot, like say Arkansas, don't leave them in your car! We left a bag of the chocolate covered mango fruit in the truck while we were out on a hike and when we got back they had all melted into one big puddle in the bag. An overnight in the fridge firmed them back up, but it was a little tough eating them after that. Of course we didn't waste them we just broke off pieces to enjoy.
We also took an assortment of Crunchies freeze-dried fruit. Now these don't have a chocolate coating so they were much better for leaving in the truck. My favorite is the mixed fruit assortment because it has all of my favorites together in one bag. These are great for an on the road or in the hotel snack because they are easy to eat right out of the bag and not messy. Plus the bag is resealable so you can enjoy a few and save some for later. My daughter says she likes to put a few in her mouth and suck on them until they are dissolved. I say whatever keeps her happy in the back seat of the car. :-) Crunchies are available in strawberry-banana, strawberry, cinnamon apple, mango, pineapple, and mixed fruit.
Whether you do it for pleasure or business, there's no denying that part of the joy of traveling is thinking back on your memories. Travel journals are a great way to not only plan your trip, but look back on your memories with. Part trip planner and part travel journal, My Travel Planner includes a day-by-day log that prompts you to preserve your most memorable experiences. Keep track of your reservations, departure times, and vaccinations. Record emergency contacts, prescriptions, and phone numbers. Plan your packing list and trip budget, and check off your destination bucket list all in one place. It's a convenient 6" x 8" so it fits right in your purse or tote bag making it super easy to take along with you no matter where you travel.
Protecting your electronics while traveling is a must. Especially when you're doing things like we did and trekking in the woods and around water. I use my phone alot for taking photos when we are on trips. It's just so much easier than trying to lug around a bulky camera. I can easily take my phone out of my pocket, snap a photo, then put it back in my pocket and continue on. So for me a good protective case is very important. Catalyst has a really nice line of Impact Protection Cases and Waterproof Cases. I like a slim fit case so I opted for one from their Impact Protection line. It protects my phone from all sides with it's raised edges protecting even the face of the phone. It's even rated for a 9.9 ft drop! Not that I tested it out, but I did drop it a time or two from a few feet up and it did just fine.
With many having Apple Watches now days protecting those has also become a priority. Since I'm mostly a land lover I again opted for an Impact Protection Case. I even got a case that matches my phone case so I was styling! My husband on the other hand does a lot of fishing so we went with the waterproof case for his watch. It fully encases the entire watch keeping it safe in up to 330 ft of water. We didn't test it out, but I have faith in the line that it will do it's job if ever necessary.
Catalyst also has a nice line of Galaxy phone cases to choose from if Apple isn't your thing. Additionally, if boring and bland covers are not your style, you can get a customized phone cover uniquely designed to your taste. They even have Airpod case covers, iPad cases and backpacks too.
What is the Parco Protective Backpack?
The Parco Protective Backpack is for students, travelers, hunters, and any individual who may encounter a potentially dangerous situation. A soft, lightweight ballistic panel protects the user while providing all the features expected from a high-quality backpack.
How is the Parco Protective Backpack Unique?
Unlike our competitors, the Parco Protective Backpack does not have a protective panel permanently attached to the backpack. All Kevlar®-like material expires and must be replaced. Thus, our specialized compartment allows the protective panel to be easily replaced. Also, our backpack has a modern design. Competing “bulletproof” backpacks have militaristic designs and/or are made of lower-quality materials. We offer safety, style, and quality at a competitive price.
The Parco Protective Backpack has three main pockets with additional pockets and storage areas inside making it perfect for toting around all those random things we call "necessities" when on the go. Travel brochures, snacks, pens, first aid kit, blanket, you name it! We actually loaded this one up and took it with us when we were hiking at the national parks down in Arkansas. It's really quite comfortable to carry even long distances, and with the "added protection" feature it helped us feel safe having my husband carrying it while walking behind us on the trails. Because lets be honest you never know when you might end up in a situation where someone comes up behind you in a threatening manner. I'm actually planning to send this one off with my son this fall when he heads off to college to help give me a little added peace of mind for when he's walking across campus between classes.
Being a girl protecting my makeup is a priority when traveling too. There's nothing worse than having a makeup container come open and leaking all over your favorite outfit. Or having your favorite make-up brush get crushed and the bristles all messed up from being tossed in a random bag. Well I will worry no more with my stunning new cases from the Ellis James Designs line. They are the perfect way to organize and protect all of my beauty supplies and look pretty sharp tucked into my suitcase if I do say so myself :-)
The Mini Makeup Train Case (left) features the ability to use either the included foam insert for nail polishes and lipsticks or three adjustable dividers. This gives you the ability to customize the bag to your personal needs. On the top flap you also have makeup brush and tool holders and a large zipped pocket for other accessories.
The Makeup Brush Bag (right) features 16 multi-sized brush slots for the BIGGEST and smallest brushes complete with brush covers. Also included is a detachable cosmetic pouch for all your on-the-go essentials.
Both cases come in really nice Ellis James Designs Gift Boxes making them perfect for gift giving too.
If you've ever traveled 8+ hours in a vehicle in a day you may have experienced some lower back pain from all of the sitting. I know I sure did when we were on our vacation recently. We did stop a couple times to potty and grab food, but for the most part it was non-stop riding for me all the way there and all the way home. And that made my back really tighten up. Thankfully I had tossed a few of my Salonpas patches and a roller in my suitcase. I actually applied one of the patches before we got on the road to head home because my back was already achy from sleeping on the bed at our hotel. Thankfully they have patches that last up to eight hours because it was a long ride home.
Salonpas patches are applied right at the site of pain, so they don’t have to travel through your stomach and get processed by your liver before they start to work. They come in a variety of forms and sizes, so regardless of where your body pain is, there are products that are designed to fit. There’s no need to worry about incorrect dosing or side effects; it’s an effective and safe plan for pain management.
Have you ever been on a hike in the muddy woods only to look down and realize your shoestrings have come untied and are now coated in mud? Or maybe been jogging and tripped yourself because the long sneaker shoestring is dangling down to the ground instead of being tied like when you started out? No matter how you look at it having your shoes come untied at an inconvenient time (or any time you don't want) is never fun. Well you can fret no more with a the Xpand No Tie Shoelaces System. Let me tell you I was pretty excited I switched over to the Xpand System before we went on our cave exploring trip because the floor was wet and slippery. And guess what? Someone actually stepped on another person's untied shoelace and almost tripped them! Made me thankful I didn't have to worry about dangling shoelaces.
Xpand is the original no-tie elastic shoelace system that allows you to turn any shoe into slip-ons. The Xpand System works on all kids and adults shoes including sneakers, running shoes, boots, high-tops, you name it. There are 44 colors to choose from, including reflective laces and glow-in-the-dark.
I hope after checking out my round-up you've found at least one (if not more) thing that would be of benefit to you while traveling this summer - and beyond.
