Being "grounded" . . . .

I’ve been “grounded” and working from home for three weeks now . . . it’s been an interesting mix of reaction.  I have truly and 100% enjoyed eating dinner with my family every night, taking my son to school every day, attending social events during the week with the fam, and sleeping in my own bed every night.  It has also been nice to grind out the work from my home office instead of trucking through the airport, dealing with flight delays, working in my hotel room each night, etc.  I have always felt you need some of these “breaks” from weekly travel to recharge both physically and mentally.

I have noticed though in following some of you on Twitter or Facebook or online . . . I do sometimes have a little itch or feeling of nostalgia when reading your posts or various travel articles.  It goes away quickly for now . . . will be interesting to see how that changes over the next many weeks.  It’s always an interesting mix returning to work.  While mentally one may be really ready to have a work purpose outside of the home and get out of the house, it is physically and mentally hard with a young baby in the household.  I have always felt that traveling and working while pregnant is much easier than doing so when you return to work after baby.

Less than 3 weeks till this kiddo arrives . . . so I will have more than enough to keep my mind and energy occupied in the interim.  I will continue blogging, Tweeting, and posting on Facebook during my non-travel days and pregnancy leave and will continue still when I hit the road again upcoming as there will be lots to talk about then as well. 

Safe travels!!

Traveling pet peeves . . hopefully good for a smile

Another week.  Another snowstorm.  More headaches.  Can we catch a break here people??  Bet you all need a light hearted read this week.  Thanks to several of your ideas, here’s my effort for the week to give you a few minutes of laugh. 

We all travel weekly.  We all trudge through the crowded airports with our bags and wait in line and sit through delays and wait in more lines and eat on the run and spend countless nights in hotels across the US.  There are those things we love . . . and those things that get on our last dang nerve.  Traveling pet peeves . . .  you know you have them.  Those things or people or situations which annoy the you-know-what out of you until you realize it’s only the frequent travelers that this irritates. 

Let’s have a good laugh together then have a great rest of the week.

Diamonds in the rough amongst rude business travelers

Diamonds in the rough amongst rude business travelers

Has anyone else noticed how rude travelers are nowadays?  I feel as if I encounter so many people each week who can barely crack a smile, please, or thank you.  I have always felt that it is important to be polite to airport and airline employees . . . a little please and thank you each time goes a long way. 

With the terrible weather 2014 has brought, I have witnessed this group of people taking a beating from upset travelers when many things are not their fault (the gate agent in MKE has no bearing on the fact EWR just delayed us because they have a winter storm warning and blizzard there).  

I have seen travelers board a plane, get in line, purchase some food . . . without any sort of acknowledgement to anyone around them.

Flying while pregnant . . .

Flying while pregnant.  Whether you have a one-time trip for personal reasons or are a routine business traveler, this topic generates numerous questions.  I traveled by air throughout my first pregnancy up till 33 weeks . . . through my own experiences and information I gathered elsewhere, below are some helpful tips and tidbits to answer some of your questions.   

(Disclaimer - this is not medical advice by any means, just my own experiences and thoughts.  You should check with your healthcare provider to make sure it is safe for you fly, the recommendations differ if you are a higher-risk pregnancy or depending on your medical history).

Have a question not included below?  Feel free to submit and I’ll share any experiences or recommendations I have. 

Traveling while pregnant . . . you CAN do it.  Here’s how.

Pumping while traveling . . . you CAN do it!

This blog is strictly for the mamas . . . . if you are one of my male friends or colleagues (or anyone not interested in reading about breastfreeding/pumping), full disclaimer this blog is about pumping while traveling.

For those of you who have children who breastfeed and pumped with any of them, you know the effort you put into pumping.  Whether you are traveling work mama or are just a mama heading out on a trip . . . when you are faced with the thought of pumping while trying to get through the airport, in a hotel, during a day-long work meeting, in an 8 hour car ride, etc. the panic hits.  Have no fear . . . I hit the road and pumped for 6 months and have gathered below a few tips and recommendations and experiences to make this as easy as possible for you.  You CAN do it.  Here’s how.

Infinity scarves . . . why they are a road warriorette must plus some of my faves!

I am all about efficiency.  Which is why I have multiple travel apps on my phone, leave my suitcase packed in between trips (minus clothing), and love TSA Pre✓™ so much (per my previous blog).  You may have noticed cooler temps have arrived over much of the country.  I don’t have time to always worry about what coat to pack or to make sure I have my winter scarf plus dressy scarf to wear with my work outfits.  I need multifunctional.  Which is why I LOVE all of the new infinity scarves that have appeared in stores this fall.  They work with my winter coat, they work with my dress outfits, and most importantly they keep me warm during the day and on a plane.  AND I don’t have to figure out how best to loop or wrap it.  I need to put on or pack ONE.  Efficient!  

 I love them so much . . . below are some of my faves I wanted to share.  You may or may not see me wearing some of these . . .

Ann Taylor Loft Stripe Fringed Infinity Scarf

 

The scoop on TSA Pre✓™

TSA Pre✓™  . . . the skinny and why I love it so much

You have probably seen articles or news stories about the new TSA Pre✓™  . . . or have heard me rave about it during the past few months.  What the heck is it?  Who has it?  Why do I love it so much?  Read on.

(I obtained most of this information directly from the TSA website, to read further visit www.tsa.gov)

WHAT??

The Pre✓™ is an expedited TSA airport screening process which multiple airlines and airports are now participating in.  Those who are enrolled in the program have a separate security line at the airport checkpoints and basically after doing your ID/boarding pass check you then put your things on the conveyor belt and walk through the detector.  The best part is, you don’t have to take your shoes off, laptop out, belt off, jacket off, or take your bag of 3oz liquids out of your bag.  LOVE it!!  For those of us who fly weekly, it is SO efficient!