Travel gifts are perfect for the holidays

Note: Although I wrote this a couple of years ago, these gift items are still on my packing list. Check them out for your own travels.

Having returned from an overseas trip in late October, I had several suggestions ready when family members asked for holiday gift suggestions. Here are some items I found under the tree on Christmas morning.

Fold-up travel slippers—packed in their own tiny case. I’ll wear
these on long flights since I usually end up untying or removing my shoes to ease any tightness that occurs while in the air for many hours. With these rubber-soled slippers from TravelSmith, I won’t have to walk on a wet bathroom floor in my socks.

      

  Blinks eye mask. I’ve never liked the common cloth eye masks that fit smack on your face. They don’t keep light out very well, and  they are uncomfortable pressing against my eyes. My turquoise TravelSmith molded mask fits snuggly around the edges but doesn’t mash against my eyelashes. This should work much better than cocooning under the too-small blanket provided by the airline.

        Hot Stuff floral printed bag for styling appliances. Everyone got a good laugh when I unwrapped this cute storage piece. After I explained its purpose there was no doubt it’s an essential travel piece. It is lined with a heat-resistant material, so I can pack my

curling iron even if it is still hot. (Not sure where this was from--must be Santa's secret).

 

Digital gloves—Costco had a pair of extra-small winter gloves that fit my kid-sized hands. These warm fabric cloves have special finger tips, sot the wearer can use digital devices without removing  the gloves. I've yet to try them out, but it seems like a great idea.

 

Packable handbag. I needed a smallish purse that would lie flat for packing, yet be roomy enough to carry essentials for a day’s outing, including my camera. The Kipling cross-body bag from Macy's has two outside zipper pockets and two top zippered sections as well as pockets for cell phone and other small items that I’d want to access quickly. The nylon fabric will be easy to keep clean, and it’s lightweight, too. Thanks, Santa!

      Lenova laptop computer. This was a gift to myself (Best Buy's holiday sales were so tempting!). Now I’m learning how to use the touch screen and Windows 8, even though the computer is also set up to work with the familiarity of Windows 7 that’s on my desktop computer. I opted for a 14-inch screen with full keyboard because I type notes on my computer and download digital photos from my camera’s memory card when traveling. A tablet or 11-inch laptop just wouldn’t work for my needs. This one has a great processor and plenty of memory—and it’s much thinner and lighter-weight than my five-year-old laptop. Should be a lot easier to pack and carry.

 

Well, that was most of my Christmas. Now I can’t wait to try out these items on my next trip (Tahiti, here I come!)

Photos courtesy of merchant websites. I do not receive any remuneration for mentioning store or brand names.