The Art of Packing Light.

Whether you pack a week before or the night before, the process is rarely easy or fun. I think I’ve truly mastered the art of packing light in recent years as a way to avoid extra costs on budget airlines and allow myself to travel more. Regardless of if it’s a weekend trip or a ten day trip to Europe, I typically only travel with a hard shell carry-on and a backpack. How do I do it? Read below for some of my biggest tips.

1. Pick what you want to bring, put it in a pile for a few hours, then go through and eliminate a few items. Note: This requires packing in advance.

2. Roll you clothes or use space saver bags.

3. Pack socks in shoes. And on the topic of shoes, keep them minimal.

4. Make a list and stick to it.

5. Rewear. Unless you’re getting really sweaty, you can usually rewear an item without a wash. You can also get small packets of detergent to bring with you and wash an item or two in the sink while traveling.

6. Wear bulky items on plane. For our flight to Germany I wore my thickest sweater, my biggest coat, and my LL Bean boots with two pairs of socks. Not ideal for comfort on the flight, but packing my LL Bean boots in my suitcase would have taken up way too much space and weight.

7. Create a capsule style. This is a big trend lately, that involves picking simple styles that all go together and make packing and dressing easy. Bring items you can layer and swap out for multiple outfits/days.

8. Bring travel sized toiletries. Even if they don’t make your must-use shampoo in travel size, purchase refillable containers to bring along your favorites and reduce your environmental footprint.

9. Don’t forget to leave room! If you’re heading somewhere known for a particular fashion item like purses and scarves, don’t forget to leave a little room for bringing back extras! This can also end up giving you another outfit option on the trip.

10. Ask yourself: do I really need this? Often times we pack more than what we need, or things we think we may finally wear because we’re on vacation. When in doubt, make sure you have some essentials, and leave the rest out.

At the end of the day, the trip should be about the experience over the clothing. Pack less and enjoy the trip more!

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Boston Winter Date Guide.

One of the questions I get asked a lot is, where should I go for a date that’s not drinks? Whether you’re single, dating or in a serious relationship, I think a lot of us get stuck in the rut of usual spots and struggle to explore more. Especially during the winter, planning a ‘fun’ date can feel too tedious to do knowing that you’ll have to brace the cold to get to the date. While this is a date guide, it can be perfect for anyone looking for things to do in the winter in Boston. Here are a few date ideas ideal for winter in Boston.

For the foodie:

• Test out your partner’s chef skills. The city is filled with cooking classes covering everything from basics to fermenting your own food. Check out Mei Mei dumplings, Milk Street Cooking School, Cambridge Education Center, and Eataly for upcoming classes.

• Eat you way through Eataly - you could have a three course menu without ever sitting down at one of the restaurants. They also frequently have events themed around certain foods and regions of Italy.

• If you prefer something sweet, Taza Chocolate has a great tour, but if you like your chocolate with a twist, check out Cocktails & Cannolis.

• Bow Market in Somerville is a great spot with a brewery, plenty of food options, and lots of shops to stroll around.

For the adventurer:

• If you want to do something more active than eat on your date, test your support abilities by rock climbing at Brooklyn Boulders or Central Rock.

• If you really want to test the sanity of your date, try axe throwing.

• If you prefer the blades on your feet, try ice skating on the Frog Pond.

• Test your dates knowledge at an Escape Room, Boda Borg, or one of the many trivia nights in the city through Geeks Who Drink or Sporcle.

• Old school video game fans can check out A4cade in Cambridge or Versus downtown.

• With new spots like Spin, PKL, and Puttshack there are plenty of places to release your inner child.

• Catch a Celtics or Bruins game at the Garden. Better yet, get wicked cheap tickets last minute on StubHub or AceTicket.

For those who don’t want to nix drinks completely:

• Dating is hard, wine helps. While you could go to a trendy bar for a drink, there are plenty of other ways to imbibe in the city. There are a slew of breweries I featured on my rainy day post, but tours and tastings for the other boozes can be found at City Winery and Bully Boy Distillery.

• Check with your local wine store as well for tastings - I have Urban Grape right across the street from me and they host more than I can manage to attend.

• If you want a trendy drink you can only get in the winter, head to the rooftop at the Envoy and drink in an igloo while looking over the city.

For the people who want to see a show:

• I think it’s easy to forget after living in Boston for so long how many great theaters and performers there are in the city. For comedy there is the Improv Asylum, Improv Boston, a show called Dirty Disney at Laugh Boston, and the long running Shear Madness.

• Don’t forget we also have a theater district with plays, ballets and more running on a daily basis.

• Finally between the Garden, House of Blues, and many more, there’s always a concert to see in Boston.

If you still want more ideas, check out my rainy day guide for bowling locations, karaoke tips, museums and more.

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