Show me what you flyin’ in
Posted: April 12, 2013 Filed under: Clothes, Me, Travel | Tags: backpacking Europe, france, travel attire, Travel clothes Leave a commentTo round out everything I’m bringing on our trip, here’s the in-flight (and most days following) outfit:
Details –
Black coated jeans, Patagonia undershirt, Denim button-down shirt, Grey Cashmere Cardigan Sweater, Black Jacket, Socks, Undies, Bra, Blundstones, Sunglasses
Au revoir.
P.S. I have asked my husband to detail his pack and carry-alongs, which includes the kids’ clothes. He’s considering my request, right now he more concerned with switching up our walking route from Northwest France to South France. While walking in the rain can be romantic, we thought it would pretty much KILL our trip, hence the re-navigation.
Cool Kids
Posted: April 12, 2013 Filed under: blog referrals, Me | Tags: dinner with friends, Kinfolk Leave a commentMy husband and I recently had dinner with two new friends, they are both about 10 years younger than myself. Creative types, one’s an actress, the other a writer, both “involved” in the world. Far from “kids”, these two are squarely in the adult realm of their 20’s; still their views on troubling topics like education, health care, the fiscal impasse all had a ring of hope to them. I suppose I attribute hope to youth….not in a naive way, more like a “young at heart” sentiment. This hope says you still have the courage to face down our world’s conundrums and happily go in search of the ways you can make a positive difference you believe in.
It got me thinking about some other cool kids, the ones that started and work on Kinfolk.
image via Kinfolk
It’s an online (and print) publication, but far from your typical magazine. I’m not sure anything is even for sale in their pages, you don’t find oodles of recipes, it’s more like a cookbook for a life well lived. Sharing meals with good people, short stories on baking bread, poetry about chicks hatching in a well loved coop. Basically it’s a lot about what life was like a hundred or so years ago, accept now we long to embrace the simplicity rather than run from it. The videos are also super cool. Happy Friday.
Show me what you’re walkin’ with 2
Posted: April 1, 2013 Filed under: Clothes, Me, Travel | Tags: backpacking Europe, Berlitz, California Baby, Dr. Bronner's, Echo backpack, Exofficio, Fresh Soy Shampoo, Go Ruck backpack, John Masters, Mineral Fusion, Patagonia, Smartwool, Soapwalla, Spry gum, Toddland's Greatest Pants in the Universe, Tom's Toothpaste 1 Comment
Me and my backpack
Photo courtesy of my daughter, thank you little lady. My Goruck “Echo” backpack, as you can see, is SMALL, the fact that it comes no where near my derriere (notice the french) highlights this beautifully, but if you want actual measurements, here you go.
image via goruck.com
Unlike my shoes, the backpack needed serious breaking in. Built in the USA, Go Ruck packs are patterned after military gear, translation, it’s tough, further translation, it almost caused shoulder blisters the first time I took it on a practice walk. However, now that the pack is embracing my shape better than my Birkenstocks ever did, it feels like a second skin. It sits very high on the back, placing the weight on my upper shoulders which is far more comfy than my lower back or hips.
So, what will I be taking in my back pack? For our 17 day trip that will include time in Paris as well as 10 mile/day hikes through Normandy, here’s what’s going in my “turtle shell”:
Toilet tree bag: 4 toothbrushes, Tom’s cinnamint toothpaste, Soapwalla deodorant, Dr. Bronner’s lavendar soap, John Masters Organic sunscreen, California Baby sunscreen stick, Fresh Soy Shampoo, Pureology Hydrate conditioner, Mineral Fusion mascara, lip gloss, band-aids. (everything no larger than the airline appointed 3 oz)
Gray Greatest Pants in the Universe – and yes, in my opinion these are the greatest I’ve ever tried (my husband is also responsible for me falling in love with his, I mean these pants)
Patagonia undershirt (white)
Black sweater
Smartwools (2 pair)
PJs – black leggings, black l/s shirt
Exofficio undies – why mens underwear trumps ladies so completely is beyond me, but these things are magical
Berlitz French travel companion (thank you Janet)
Book – TBD
Phone/Camera
Spry Cinnamon gum (aka bribes for my children when a rebellion seems imminent)
Water bottle
Mesh draw string bag (to carry outside pack in case “laundry” is not yet dry when we start walking)
Bandana
That’s it……oh, maybe a small hairbrush for the little lady who took the first picture. To date, the purchases for the trip include: shoes (4 pairs), backpacks (2), Patagonia undershirts, Exofficio undies and a LARGE map of Northwestern France. Other foreseeable purchases may include, the aforementioned travel hairbrush and a book for pleasure reading. I’ll be so happy if we can keep that as our total tally for new items!
Next time – what I’m flying in for the trip. No promises but I’ll try for some photos. And then you will have, in probably far too much detail, what I’ll have available while traveling.
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