7 days, 3 cities, 1 tired Chick: Summer Travels

Happy Friday!

Today begins Day 1 of a 7 day trip that will take me to three great U. S. cities!

First up, New York City! It's the first day of summer and I can't think of a more perfect place to be. I'm here this weekend attending the 6th Annual Blogging While Brown conference in Harlem. This is my first blogging conference and I'm looking forward to connecting with over 200 African American bloggers, media professionals, brands, learning how to make my blog better and of course some parties!

Check out my feature in their attendee spotlight: 

Sunday evening I'm riding the rails over to the 'City of Brotherly Love' -- Philadelphia. Amtrak gets me there in an hour and the ticket was only $30. Much cheaper than renting a car and dealing with gas. I've never been to Philly and since its so close to NYC I wanted to maximize my travel, smart girl right?:-) I will be staying in City Center East area and taking in some historical sites, museums and finding my way to the Liberty bell and the LOVE statue!

Spouse Travel: Honeymoon Edition

Guest Post by Veronica Weatherspoon-

March 23, 2013, I was fortunate to marry the most intriguing man I’ve ever met.  The next morning, we set off for our honeymoon to beautiful Puerto Rico!  The sandy beaches, blue skies and crystal clear water were something to be rivaled, and my husband and I vowed to enjoy every moment!  Remembering a few things helped us and may help you, too:

What's in my bag? My Business Travel Essentials

I’m on the road or in the air quite often for business trips. In my 9 to 5 gig as a Midwest territory sales manager, 60% – 70% of my time is spent in rental cars, airports and Hilton brand hotels. I want to share with you five of my business travel essentials that are a “MUST" when packing for a trip on my checklist: 

Tote Bag
I try to have as few items of luggage as possible when traveling for business. Moving quickly in and out of vehicles, planes and offices leaves plenty of opportunities to leave items behind.

My Top 5 Go To Travel Sites

Courtesy of The Reefs via TravelandLeisure.com

Planning a trip or for some just THINKING about planning a trip can be overwhelming. There is tons of information available via agencies, travel books and of course the Internet.

I try to avoid all the confusion and just keep it simple.   

Here are my top 5 go to sites:

1. Trip Advisor – this one is my favorite!
I first discovered this site when planning my 26th birthday to Miami Beach. At the time they were the only site that allowed travelers to upload personal photos! 

Guest Post: Too Tight Jeans

This month's guest contributor is Shivawn of "Love, Label and Joneses" Check out her great post!

Have you ever had a pair of jeans that you had to jump into just to put them on? And you knew they were too tight before you put them on but you HAD to wear them? So all throughout the day you had to suffer through being uncomfortable. Uncomfortable when you sat down because they squeezed your legs. Uncomfortable when you ate and had to walk around all day holding your stomach in. But as soon as you got home behind closed doors you immediately struggled to get those jeans off. 

After the struggle you vowed to never wear them again...but you did 3 weeks later!

Vacation Please!

Hi there!

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Today's post is a guest post I wrote for Shivawn of Love + Labels & Joneses. I'm excited to be a monthly contributor to her blog and will be sharing my posts written for LL&J on this blog as well. Enjoy:)

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
~ Mark Twain

5 Tips to stick to your diet while traveling

This week I am traveling to my hometown...TEXAS BABY! I have some work training in Dallas/Ft Worth and then heading down to Houston to be a bridesmaid in my college roommates wedding. 

While I'm always excited to visit with friends and family I get anxiety thinking about the food temptation that awaits me. Staying in a hotel for 3+ days and being away from my kitchen, cookbook and fridge full of fruit and veggies presents a major problem. 

Tex Mex, Whataburger, 44 oz. Sonic drinks and sausage cheese rolls from the donut shop are usually my downfall. Everything really is bigger in Texas, food portions included!

Over the past 7 weeks I've worked really hard to transform my health and fitness routine. I've adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, workout 3-5 times/wk and with the help of Weight Watchers I am down 7lbs a few inches and one dress size:)

Creating travel memories in the most cost effective way

This week's post is a guest post by my friend and client Kine! Enjoy:)

We often think of vacation as an extravagant, luxury trip; maybe something we saw in a movie. Those types of vacations are great but for most people they are a once in a lifetime thing. Keep those kind of vacations in mind when you have saved enough to do it big.

In the meantime, you should small vacation ideas you can take and not really have to break the bank. 

Check out these 3 easy to find great ideas: 

The Perfect Girlfriend Getaway

Last weekend I went to Miami Beach to celebrate my good friend and college roommate's bachelorette party! Miami Beach is one of my FAVORITE cities for nightlife, luxury and fun in the sun! 

I celebrated my 26th birthday in South Beach and had the best time:) Are you planning a trip with the girls soon?  

Here are the Top 3 ways to make sure it’s the perfect vacation for you and your girlfriends!

Flying Solo

Today's post is a guest post I wrote Jan.31 for Presidential Lifestyle Blog. Check out her blog for wisdom, inspiration and practical tips on how to create your perfect lifestyle! She also recently wrote a book, "The Art of Starting Over: A 30 day guide to creating more Power, Peace and Pleasure in your life". Awesome read! Read her other blogs and find more info about her book at kinecorder.com. Here's the post:

This past October I went on an AMAZING 7 day Italian vacation to Venice, Florence and Rome. I traveled with a group of 4 close friends and once there we met up with our travel group of over 20 people. It was great to sightsee, shop and indulge in food and wine with a group of great people!

Travel Chic Thursday: Weekly Deals

It's Travel Chic Thursday! Here are this week's best deals! 

Wisconsin

Rates as low as $83/night for a cozy long weekend in Lake Delevan, Wisconsin. Spa, shopping and relaxation awaits. Book this deal here!
 
Ms Travel Chic Tip: Make dinner reservations at the Baker House and enjoy a beautiful view of the lake, outdoor seating and a stylish hat to wear when you walk in this 1920's themed mansion turned restaurant. 

Verses & Flow Recap and Carl Thomas Interview

This past Thursday (Jan 24^th) I attended the swanky Verses & Flow event in Chicago. Verses & Flow are a series of events (sponsored by Lexus) that showcases musical and spoken word talent.  Past performers have included Luke James, Elle Varner and Musiq.

On this night at the modern and spacious Chicago Illuminating Company venue we snacked on heavy appetizers, enjoyed cocktails from an open bar and checked out the new Lexus GS parked inside.  Spoken word artists Sonya Renee and Rudy Francisco entertained the crowd with their moving and soulful poetry. 

57th Presidential Inauguration Recap: Why I love DC!

Official White House Photo. Jan 20, 2013 Swearing In.

This past weekend I was in our nation’s capitol for the 57^th Presidential Inauguration of Barack H. Obama.  I attended his first historic inauguration in 2009 and didn’t want to miss his last one! I must say that as an African American I was even more excited and emotional as this particular day had significant meaning.  

Jan 21^st marked 1) The 50^th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I have a Dream Speech” 2) The U.S. holiday and celebration of MLK day . 3) The re-election of the first African American President. (You did it twice America!) I couldn’t help but get emotional that day standing in the midst of history! AMAZING!

Ways to save on food while traveling

When planning a trip it’s very easy to budget for hotel, transportation and tours since you have the figures up front. However it can be a bit more complicated to anticipate what you will end up spending on food once you arrive.

Here are some tips to help you save money when dining out on your travel journey:

Chic Travel Outfits: Inaugural Edition

Every month I will be featuring a guest blogger! If you are interested in guest blogging, just let me know:)

Today's guest post comes from the stylish Ms. Ebby K from Elevated Inspirations! Connect with Ebby K on Twitter @itsebbyk and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/itsebbyk Fan Page.  

It is time to CELEBRATE!!!

Travel Chic Thursday: Weekly Deals

It's Travel Chic Thursday! Here are this week's best deals!

Orbitz is having their 2013 kick off cruise sale! Book now to take advantage of reduced rates, excursion credits and airfare deals. Lots of savings!

Ms. Travel Chic Tip: Traveling during the off peak season (Aug – Oct) guarantees you the best deal!

Click here to book these deals! 

What's in my Bag? My Chic Travel Essentials

I’m on the road or in the air quite often for both work and personal trips. 

Whether it’s a road trip, quick overnight stay or weeklong vacation, I have a few go to travel essentials that are a “MUST PACK” on my checklist



…and of course they are chic and stylish!

Travel Chic Thursday: Weekly Deals

Hello!

Travel Chic Thursday is a new weekly feature! I will compile what I feel are some of the best internet travel deals of the week, along with my tips and recommendations. 
Fabulous vacations can easily be budget friendly!

Perfectly Imperfect

Happy New Year!

Last year when I kicked off 2012 I said I wasn’t going to make New Years Resolutions rather I was going to make a “Commitment List”.

It was very ambitious: Blog weekly, wake up at 6:15am. on Wednesdays, go to boot camp 3 times/week, pray and journal every night, only spend 1hr on Facebook a day and go out to eat ONCE a week.

I kept this up for 3 weeks and after that all bets were off! It was clear I had commitment issues. I initially started to beat myself up about what a failure I was for not being able to discipline myself to stick with "the list". 

2012 Year in Review: What I've Realized....

Hello:)

This post is different from my normal. Beginning Jan 2013 this blog will be changing a bit..for the BETTER! In 2013 I will be bringing you weekly posts on travel deals, host guest bloggers and incorporate some faith based and life updates. I'm also working on some merchandising! Keep hanging around for all the fun:) 

This post is powered by #BLMGirls. Learn more about #BLMGirls HERE. You can check out other posts from #BLMBlogHop by visiting the following link: BLM Holiday Blog Hop

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