Travel Tuesday: Top Tips for Surviving Long Haul Flights

Let’s be real. Pretty much everyone I know loves to travel, but I have yet to meet someone who enjoys the 10+ hours of sitting on a plane, surrounded by strangers, trying (in vain) to pass the time it takes to get to their destination.

Over the last 4 years, I have done more than my fair share of travelling, so I thought I’d share a few tips that I make use of when going on long haul flights…

• Be prepared. I can’t stress this enough. A little while ago, I did a post based on my travel essentials for flying. Taking along some products from home help to make me more comfortable when flying, and having things like face masks, scrubs and other toiletries with me keep me feeling clean and refreshed.

• Take a change of clothes. There is nothing worse than sitting in clothes that the 5 year old next to you has vomited on, or that you’ve accidentally spilled a drink on, for the next 6 hours. Trust me.

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! It is so easy to get dehydrated on planes, mostly due to the lower-than-normal amount of humidity in the air. I’m all for having a free wine with my dinner, but it’s important to drink plenty of water. I like to carry a big bottle with me, since airplanes only provide small plastic cups. I also like to carry Hydralyte or something similar, to keep me hydrated.

• Stretch your legs. I like to get up every couple of hours, walk to the back of the plane, and just stroll around for a while and stretch my legs. It gets the blood flowing, and I find it also helps with the swelling I get, especially in my ankles.

• Take something to help you sleep. I’m so envious of people who can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. I am not one of those people. Falling asleep on planes I find especially difficult, so I like to take a sleep aid with me. I try to time my sleeping so that it lines up with my destination, in the hopes of reducing my jet lag.

If all else fails, get drunk on the free alcohol and hope for the best!

Do you have any tips for long haul flights? I’d love to hear them!

xo

Hayley

A Weekend Away: Busselton, Western Australia

Last week, one of my close friends celebrated her 23 birthday, and to mark the occasion, she invited some of her nearest and dearest on a road trip down to Busselton for the long weekend.

Busselton is a beautiful coastal town, located around 3 hours south from Perth (where we all live). So, on Friday afternoon, I packed the car and headed out to pick up my two travel companions, then (after accidentally heading the wrong way on the freeway) we were on our way!

Friday evening was super relaxed – we enjoyed a few drinks around the fire before turning in for an early night so we could be up early on Saturday. Our first stop was breakfast, since none of us had eaten dinner, and we headed in to the town centre, to a little cafe called Samovar. The reviews from our group were a little mixed – some loved their meals and others, not so much. I went for an Eggs Benedict, and while it wasn’t the best I’d ever had, it was still tasty and big enough to sustain me throughout the day.

Afterwards, we decided to go for a drive to Margaret River, which is best known for its wine, and its surf competitions. Since it was too cold to surf, and too early to drink wine (is it ever too early, really?), we headed to the Chocolate Factory, because, well, why not?

After we had eaten as many free samples as we could manage without drawing suspicion from the staff members, we decided to head out to Sunflowers Animal Farm, like the children we are.

We were welcomed at the entrance by some huge Minions made out of hay bales, so of course we stopped for a few quick pictures.

Here’s a bonus close up of me trying (and failing) to jump, just for laughs!

The first stop inside the animal farm, was little sheltered area, where there were baby chicks, guinea pigs, and rabbits, so of course we all went in for a hold.

Next, we went walking through the outdoor part of the farm, and fed some of the animals. There were goats, sheep, cows, horses, dogs, kangaroos, alpacas, emus, pigs and, my personal favourite, plenty of ‘head in the hole’ photo boards, so we could take cheesy holiday snaps!

After a quick nap back at the house, we all gathered outside to start the party, kicking off with a few rounds of beer pong! Unfortunately for me, I peaked too soon and ended up in bed while the sun was still up (for shame!), but we did manage to get in a few good photos first!

After a slightly later start on Sunday, we headed in to town again for breakfast, in the hopes of settling our hangovers (by the stage I was more interested in eating my food than taking pictures – sorry!). We then decided to walk the Busselton Jetty. Construction began on the jetty in 1865, and over the years the length has increased to 1.8km.

The fresh air did us all some good, but by the end of the walk we were all tuckered out, so we headed back to the house for another nap. After our rest, the others started drinking again, but Emma and I wanted to head to Simmo’s Ice-Creamery in Dunsborough, so we went for a little drive by ourselves. I had Mars Ice-Cream, which was deeeelish! Emma’s stomach was feeling a bit sensitive, so she gave it a miss, and instead enjoyed the ambiance (hundreads of sticky, screaming children).

Sunday night was a lot of fun – I spectated as the others played beer pong, and then we all participated in some drinking games (with not a whole lot of drinking), before ordering pizza and watching Get Hard.

The next day, we were all a bit sad to be leaving, but I think it’s safe to say we will all be back for more shenanigans in the future!

Huge thanks to Ash for inviting us all down for a weekend of fun, and to everyone else there for making it a weekend I won’t forget any time soon!

Special thanks to Emma and Tash for sending me your photos from the weekend to be included on this post!

xo

Hayley

Travel Tuesday: Scotland, UK

So here I am, delivering on my promise of more travel related posts in the lead up to my holiday in September. I’ve been an avid traveller for as long as I can remember, and I’ve become somewhat of a travel advocate – I believe you should travel as far as you can, for as long as you can, as often as you can.

Anyway, I digress (we get it, Hayley, you like to travel!). Today’s post is going to a more in-depth look at the first stop on our holiday – and coincidentally, my favourite holiday destination so far – Scotland! I’ve only visited Scotland once (I spent 3 days in Edinburgh in July of 2012) but I absolutely fell in love. The charming old buildings, cobblestone streets and the rich history just sucked me in from the moment I stepped out of the airport.

This year, Nikita and I are spending 3 nights in Edinburgh, then hiring a car and driving up to Inverness for 2 nights. As it’s the first stop on our trip, and we only have limited time to cram everything in, we’ve been doing some research on what we want to see and do while we are there. Read on for a look at some of the things we are excited about…

Edinburgh Castle

So touristy, but it’s a must. I really love the history that surrounds Scotland, and the Castle is just full to the brim of history – from the architecture, to the uses behind the different rooms and areas. I’m looking forward to strolling through with a guide-book and re-imagining the Castle in all it’s glory.

Holyrood Palace

Again with the history – I can’t help myself, it fascinates me. The palace is a 16th century building, that is still inhabited by Royals from time to time, but when it’s empty, it’s open to the public so we peasants can see how the other half live.

A happy snap from my last trip to Holyrood Palace

The Witchery

From what I can tell, this is one of the fancier restaurants in Edinburgh, which is not something I’m usually drawn towards, but from the pictures I’ve seen, the interior is reason enough for a visit to this establishment.

The Scotsman or The Balmoral

We decided we wanted to go full British, and experience an afternoon tea while we were in the UK, and after a bit of research, I’m torn between The Scotsman Hotel and The Balmoral Hotel. The Balmoral is where J.K Rowling finished The Deathly Hallows, and the interior of the afternoon tea section is amazing. However, it is a little on the pricier side, which was why we are considering The Scotsman. The interior of The Scotsman is different – lots of darker tones, but it’s equally as lovely. If you have been to either of these places, I’d love your opinion!

The Scotsman (top) and The Balmoral (bottom)

Mary’s Milk Bar

I’ve seen this place pop up on a few different blogs, and I’m  keen to check it out. Full of delicious dairy treats, it definitely seems like my kind of place. I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

Just Burgers and Beers

Again, I’ve seen this place mentioned of a few different blogs, and I am super excited to check it out. If you couldn’t tell from the name, burgers are the house specialty, and the menu looks amazing. I’ll be trying the Mac Attack – a burger with a mac and cheese fritter, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce and mustard.

Loch Ness

So I can find proof of Nessie, obviously. Seriously though, I feel like it’s one of those places you have to visit at least once, given the opportunity. I’d also love to see Urquhart Castle, which sits right over Loch Ness.

Eilean Donan Castle

I have this picture that I found years ago, and I’m dying to recreate it. I’m not really sure why – I’m not male and I definitely won’t be going shirtless – but it’s been on my bucket list ever since I found the photo (so keep an eye out – I will make it happen).

Dunrobin Castle

I mean, do I really need to say why? LOOK AT THE PICTURES!!!

If you guys have any suggestions for places to see or eat, I’d love to hear them!

 All photos sourced via Pinterest

xo

Hayley

Whats In My Carry On Bag (My Travel Essentials)

I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to over-do it when it comes to the carry on items I take with me on long haul flights, but it’s better to be over prepared, than under prepared (I get that from my mumma)! Once you set foot on a plane, that’s it – you’re on your own. No popping down to the shop if you forgot something. It’s just you and your carry on to get you through the hell that is to come.

I usually take two bags with me when I’m flying – this year I’ll be taking a tote bag from Kate Hill as my handbag, and a rolley suitcase from Kate Hill as my carry on bag. The handbag is mostly for easy access items (passport, wallet, phone etc), while the carry on holds a variety of things I might need or want during the flight, or whilst sitting in an airport, waiting for a connecting flight. Read on for a look at the things I like to have with me when I’m travelling long distance…

Electronics

• Phone – duh.
• Tablet – well stocked with movies and TV shows to keep me entertained on my trip, as well as my kindle app.
• Chargers for said electronic devices.
• Headphones.

Comfort Items & Clothes

• Travel Pillow – For obvious reasons.
• Eye Mask – To help me sleep. It’s also a good way to signal to the Air Hosts/Hostesses that you are trying to sleep, and no, you don’t want dinner.
• Comfy jumper – To keep me warm, and to provide enough comfort to lure me to sleep.
• Fluffy socks – I tend to wear boots on the plane (a. because they are my favourite type of shoe and b. it’s a bit of weight that doesn’t get included in my checked bag) so as soon as I get in to my seat, shoes go off and fluffy socks go on.
• Change of Clothes – In case I want to change in to clean clothes during our stopover, or in the case that something happens to my suitcase on the way over (touch wood it doesn’t).
• Coat – This is mostly because I’ll be landing in the cool temperatures of Scotland in late September, so I’d like to be prepared.

I found these little toiletry bags in Priceline – perfect size for travel!

Medication

• Pain Killers – I like to take different strengths, so I’ll usually take a standard Panadol and also a Neurofen Plus.
• Cold and Flu – Mostly for the drowsy night time pills, but also as a preemptive measure. I’m doing a group tour this year, and in my experience, as soon as one person gets sick, pretty much everyone gets sick.
• Decongestant – Ever since I had my tonsils out, I’ve struggled with Post Nasal Drip, on and off. It’s gross and when it gets super bad, it can be a struggle to take deep breaths. Hence, decongestant.
• Buscapan – I’m also lucky enough to get rather bad stomach pains, that seem to strike at the most in-opportune of moments, I am rarely without Buscapan. It’s a must have for travel!
• Gastrolyte – Or Hydralyte. I take one on the plane, and one in my checked suitcase. It’s really good to keep you hydrated, which is a good things on planes – all that re-cycled air conditioning and free alcohol!

Toiletries

• Cleanser – So I can feel clean, even if I’m not. Also helps to control my problem skin – the last holiday I went on, I ended up with dry skin all around my mouth and under-the-skin pimples down my neck for half the trip. Not fun.
• Face Mask – Being stuck on a plane for 8+ hours is prime time for a bit of pampering (as long as you don’t mind funny looks from other passengers).
• Moisturiser – I am taking a night cream this year, as they tend to be more hydrating, which is definitely a good thing on a plane.
• Makeup Wipes – To keep my face clean in between washes (and to take off the makeup I will wear on to the plane – for some reason, my parents decide that right before I get on a plane to the other side of the country is an appropriate time to take family photos).
• Baby Wipes – I guess to sponge bath myself? 24+ hours is a long time to go without a shower, and it helps me to feel a little cleaner.
• Roll on Deodorant – Again, obvious reasons.
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste – To keep my mouth minty fresh
• Lucas Paw Paw – Mostly to use as a lip balm, but it’s also super handy to have – it’s good for itches, burns, rashes and more.
• Hair Paraphernalia – Ties and bobby pins, for the inevitable moment I get sick of having my hair down.
• Makeup – Just enough so that I don’t look like a zombie when we land – some concealer, powder foundation, a bit of blush and some tinted lip balm.

Other Bits and Bobs

• Passport
• Wallet
• Coin Purse (for the ridiculous amount of coinage in the US!)
• Cross Body Bag – As I don’t usually carry a full size handbag while I’m on holiday

What are your must-haves for a long plane trip?

xo

Hayley

 

Travel Tuesday: My Upcoming Holiday

Late last week, my friend and I paid off our Topdeck tour in preparation for our holiday later this year. It may not seem like a huge thing (after all, we booked the tour almost 6 months ago), but it has made me realise something – this trip is rapidly approaching, whether I am (financially) prepared for it or not. In an effort to keep my excitement at an all-time high (not that I really need any help), I have decided to do a series of travel-related blogs. These will vary between insights to my own upcoming holiday and also general tips and tricks I have picked up over the last few years that help to make long periods of travel more manageable.

One of our stops along the way – Savannah, Georgia

For a more in-depth look at our trip, check out my travel partner/finance manager/best friend/general all-rounder Keet’s blog – she is putting together posts of each place we will be visiting and including things like the places she is excited to see, things she is looking forward to doing, and of course, the food that we are both keen to try out.

Today’s blog, is just going to be a brief overview of the trip that Nikita and I are taking – the places we will be seeing and the tour that we will be taking, and where we stop along the way. I might do a few in-depth posts later on about some of the places I am most excited to visit, but for the meantime, I thought I’d keep it short and sweet!

When we booked this trip, it was just meant to be the main tour (28 days) with a few extra days on each end, so we could explore New York City and LA. It snowballed a bit from there – we have since added in a week in Scotland, a couple of nights in England, a trip to Boston, an extra night in Vegas, and additional days in LA so we can visit San Diego and San Francisco.

Edinburgh / The Scottish Highlands

Our 8 week-long dream holiday begins in Scotland (anyone of my friends will tell you of my love for this place – I’ve only been once but it just felt like home to me). We spend a few days in Edinburgh, before renting a car and driving up to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands for a couple of nights.

Guisborough Priory Arch on a sunny day!

Afterwards, we drive down to a beautiful little town named Guisborough, located in North Yorkshire, England. This is where my dad originally hails from – I couldn’t travel all that way and not stop in to see his side of the family! We then drive down to London, and stay a night before flying out to Boston, Massachusetts.

Our next stop is New York City, which is the official start of our Topdeck Tour – Roadtrip USA! There are so many stops on this tour, I don’t even know what to get excited about first!

Our Trip Itinerary – we go backwards, though!

The trip takes us from New York, all the way to Las Vegas (it finishes in LA, but we are leaving the tour a day early to spend an extra night in Sin City), with a plethora of stops on the way. I am looking forward to meeting lots of new people, trying lots of new things, and making memories to last a lifetime.

I am so excited to be taking this trip – it’s something Keet and I have dreamed about for a very long time and I can’t quite believe it’s become a reality.

Keet and I wearing our excited faces

If you have any suggestions on things to do/see, or places to eat, I’d love to hear them!

xo

Hayley

Get to Know Me! 25 Questions Tag

I thought this would be a fun way to share a bit more about myself. I considered doing ’25 Facts About Me’ but as it turns out, I am not very good at thinking of random facts about myself!

Anyway, I digress, on to the questions….

1. What is your middle name?: May. My initials are HMS.
2. What was favorite subject at school?: I loved history. I still love history! Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong century!
3. What is your favorite drink?: Probably tea. Although I also love wine. And sometimes I crave the post mix Coke that McDonalds sells 🙂
4. What is your favorite song at the moment?: It depends on my mood really. I can’t narrow it down to a specific song but lately I’ve been loving Lana Del Rey and Hozier. My family and I have also spent a lot of time jamming (very badly) to the Classic Rock channel on Pandora. 🙂
5. What is your favorite food?: As a self-confessed foodie, it pains me to list just one. So I won’t! I love Mexican, chocolate and crispy bacon. Also after my trip to America last year, I am in looooove with the food they serve in the south.
6. What is the last thing you bought?: Petrol. How boring.
7. Favorite book of all time?: I like too many books to answer this question properly. Some of my favourite series would be the Highlander books by Karen Marie Moning and the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. I also recently read The Bronze Horseman books by Paullina Simons, and I’m still not okay (in a good way).
8. Favorite Color?: Purple! Also emerald green. As for clothes, I tend to stick with black and white mostly.
9. Do you have any pets?: One. Muffin (real name: Pearl). She is adorable;
10. Favorite Perfume?: At the moment it would have to be Candy by Prada.
11. Favorite Holiday?: Christmas!!! I love Christmas! My dream is to one day have a White Christmas abroad – no chance of it here in sunny Australia!
12. Are you married?: Negative. Maybe one day, if I find someone worthy.
13. Have you ever been out of the country, if so how many times?: Yes I have, and rather a lot. My dad was born and raised in England so we have been lucky enough to make multiple trips to see his family, as well as mini holidays to Thailand, Bali and Singapore. Plus I love to travel so I have made my own trips through Europe and America.
14. Do you speak any other language?: Does sarcasm count? I can speak and understand a little Italian, but I’m nowhere near fluent.
15. How many siblings do you have?: I have one younger brother. He’s a pain, but I love him.
16. What is your favorite shop?: Pretty much anywhere that sells makeup. Or accessories.
17. Favorite restaurant?: Either Panchos Mexican, or Oscars in Ellenbrook. They make amazing food that is somewhere between Western and Portuguese. Plus the servings are gigantic!
18. When was the last time you cried?: About a week ago. Someone very close to me was in the hospital. 😦
19. Favorite Blog?: There are so many good ones! I don’t know if this counts as a favourite, but the one that really inspired me to start my own is The Little Magpie – http://www.thelittlemagpie.com/
20. Favorite Movie?: Probably She’s the Man. I can watch it over and over and not get sick of it! I also love Bad Boys 2 and Fired Up for a laugh. When I’m looking for something a little more girly, Pride and Predjudice.
21. Favorite TV shows?:  Currently, Supernatural, Black Sails, Pretty Little Liars, Hart of Dixie, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, The Mindy Project, Forever, Once Upon a Time and The IT Crowd.
22. PC or Mac?: PC. Mac’s confuse me 🙂
23. What phone do you have?: An iPhone 6. It’s gooooooold!
24. How tall are you?: Amazonian! I’m 5″10.
25. Can you cook?: Not as well as I would like. I know enough that I wouldn’t have to live on microwave meals, but I’d like to get better!

Well that was a bit of fun! I’d love to see some other people’s Get to Know Me Tag (I’m nosy like that)!.

xo

Hayley

Friday Favourites

I can’t believe it’s Friday again already – March seems to have just flown by! I’m looking forward to a weekend filled with absolutely nothing, after being super busy over the last few days. Some of my favourites for the week…..

Favourite Beverage: Velvetberry Teza Tea

Favourite Beauty Products: Milani Baked Blush in Delizioso Pink, MAC Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle & Lucas Papaw Ointment

Favourite Reminder: In the End… 
Favourite Cover: From Eden (Hozier) by The Little Magpie

Favourite Holiday Reminder: Mine! UK & USA September 2015

What have you guys been loving this week?

xo

Hayley

Holiday Packing 101

Packing for holidays is something I believe most people struggle with – especially girls. This isn’t a reflection on guys – we just tend to have more stuff we need on a daily basis (think bras, makeup, hair styling tools, accessories). And I’m not talking packing for a 5 day trip to Bali, I’m talking about a trip that requires blood, sweat, tears and living out of a suitcase consistently for a month or (dare I say it) longer.

I’m lucky enough to have made a few of these kind of trips in my lifetime, so I thought I’d share a few of the tips I’ve picked up along the way, that help to make packing for an extended trip more manageable.

1. The Trial Pack

Guys, I know this seems like the most tedious thing to do – no one wants to spend an entire afternoon packing everything into a suitcase, only to take it all back out and hang it up. But trust me, it helps. My first big trip abroad, I made the mistake of leaving everything to the last-minute, and this resulted in me sitting next to my suitcase, head in hands, with clothes thrown all over the floor. Since that day, I have made it my mission to never be in that situation again – hence the trial pack. Obviously, it’s likely that you will end up with new items that you want to take away, so the final contents of your suitcase might differ slightly, but it’s good to have an idea of what you are thinking of taking – do you have too much? Too little? Not right for the climate you will be in? If you know beforehand, you’ll be able to make the changes you need in plenty of time, not 30 minutes before your due at the airport.

2. The ‘Look-book’

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to put together an extensive list, complete with photos, of outfits that you will be taking with you (that being said, if it’s something you’d enjoy, full steam ahead!). It just means, make sure that everything you pack will look good with at least 1 other item of clothing (preferably more) that you are taking. There is no point packing a certain item if you have absolutely nothing to wear it with – it’s a waste of space and you will just get frustrated seeing it constantly sitting in your suitcase.

3. Be Brutal

The last time I went on an overseas holiday, I actually halved everything in my suitcase after my initial pack – and there were still things I took that didn’t get worn! So keep in mind, now is not the time to be packing things that haven’t made it out of your closet in the last 6 months. I tend to be of the mindset ‘but it’s really cute, and you never know, I might need it’. NO. If you haven’t worn it in 6 months or longer, put it down and back away slowly.

4. Stick to the Basics

This isn’t so much a tip, as something I like to do when I pack. I try to stick with basic/neutral colours like black, white, grey, denim etc and spruce them up with a pretty scarf or some bright jewellery. I will also throw a few bold colours in, just to mix things up a bit.

5. Toiletries: Less is Best

For me (and most of my good friends) this is the hardest tip. I’m not really even sure why – it’s like we don’t want to be without any of our usual products, but we seem to totally forget the fact that most places we travel will have those very same products (often at a cheaper price). Now, some things (contraceptive pills, face cleansers that suit your skin type, products you 100% can’t live without) are okay to pack. But don’t go packing huge bottles of shampoo/conditioner/shower gel etc. Your best option is to take travel sizes of most things, and restock them as you need them while your travelling.

6. Pinterest is your friend

I am venturing off on holiday again later this year, and in an effort to be prepared, I’ve been scouring Pinterest for all the tips and tricks I can find. One of the best articles I have found to date is a “One Suitcase: 16 Pieces = 40 Outfits”.

Obviously, not everyone has the same style, but I think this provides a good structure for packing. The basics are there, and key pieces (patterns, colours etc) and accessories can be tailored to suit individual personalities. I love that it shows you how to make so many different outfits from the same selection of clothing.

These may seem like pretty obvious tips, but I know if I had come across something like this before my first big holiday, it would have been a big help!

Do you have any tips for packing for a big holiday?

xo

Hayley