Travel Gift Guide

I know it's a bit late in the game to be suggesting a gift guide, but these don't necessarily have to be for Christmas alone. With a whole new year coming up, get your loved one who's been bitten by the travel-bug some fun new gadgets that they can take on all their new adventures. I personally know I'll be going on two trips next year, one domestic and one international. There are certain things I love taking with me so I thought I'd share with you all the things I think the travel-lusting loved one you have would like to receive too!

I'm gonna go there and say get a selfie stick. If you're traveling solo or with one other person, it's nice to have that "extended arm" to get the both of you in shot in a nice natural state with a good amount of the background. I know, these little sticks are always spoken of in a poor way but I freakin' love em. Just be cautious of visiting sites that ban these selfie sticks and just keep them in your bag. I got a simple one that just connects to a headphone jack to send the photos through. I know there are some fancier ones that use Bluetooth but those drain your battery quicker and force you to be more mindful of switching it on/off. For those that like to escape into their music when traveling between places, a nice pair of headphones is always appreciated. Brownie points if they're noise canceling too! There are a wide range of headphones available, but ones that I received last year are these Beats by Dre - they don't completely cancel out surrounding noise, but the music quality is quite nice! I'm not really a snob when it comes down to sound quality but I do think they're nice. Although larger headphones may not be as space friendly, just getting basic ear pod type headphones are just as good!

If you're thinking of splurging, cameras are always a good option. If you have a loved one that loves their camera, offer to pick up a new lens for them. I'm eyeing a 35mm prime lens or even a pancake lens for ease of portability. I invested in a mirrorless camera earlier this year and it was the best decision I could have made. I love my Nikon but it's so big and bulky and such a pain to travel with. My Sony a6000 is so lightweight and compact that I definitely have zero hesitations on bringing it along with me for any trip or outing. On the flip side, I love physical photos. Back in college I picked myself up a Fujifilm Polaroid Camera which I still have! Unfortunately I usually only bring these to events at households I know I can leave it with my bag. I like the idea of printing out photos, so I'm looking into getting one of those Fujifilm Instax Printers. It helps to have the same brand for these instant photos as you can buy film packs in bulk and place one in the camera and one in the printer. *Tip - I like to buy my film from the craft store Michael's and use a 50% off coupon - can't beat it.

When I travel I love to bring a little notebook to jot down the places I visited, the restaurants I ate, and just my overall thoughts on a day. It's fun to have this little hand-written travel diary in the midst of all our technological lives. I had a paperback one from Muji but after taking it on two international trips and then some, it's looking a little worse for wear. I've invested in a little black Moleskin which I know will hold up perfectly! It'll also hold any small papers/tickets that I don't want ruined. Get one of these or just any little notebook so they can record their memories! It's a small yet thoughtful gift. I, for one, cannot wait to take this with me on all my trips for 2017 (that feels so weird typing it).

One that would be amazing to give is a new travel bag. AWAY Luggage has incredibly nifty products. I had seen this all over Instagram / Facebook and I'll admit I caved. I ordered mine prior to my trip to Chicago a few months back, but unfortunately I didn't receive it in time (my fault, I ordered it really last minute). [PS Take a peek at my Chicago photo diary here!] I was finally able to take it with me on my trip to SoCal a few weeks back (Disneyland/CA Adventure photo diary HERE) and it was ah-mazing. I've never actually had "nice" luggage before and only had a super old one (10+ years old) that pulled in one direction and had a breaking handle. So many people I knew had ones with wheels that went 360, so you could walk with it next to you and roll it along - I needed one. (#firstworldproblems) For those that are constantly using their electronics, you'll be HAPPY to know that this comes with not one, but two USB ports for charging. So if you're stuck in airport or just happen to get there early to avoid TSA lines, fear not as you can use your luggage to charge. When I was taking photos for this post I showed my boyfriend. Needless to say, he wanted one for himself and hopped online to buy one. (We get to match on our upcoming trip to Portland hehehoho :D) If you're interested in getting one (for someone else or even yourself), try and snag this Gift Set that they're currently having HERE. This set includes a gift card for the price of your luggage of choice, a travel mini case in the same material, and Aesop travel-sized goodies. I was a bit sad that I discovered the gift set after my bf ordered his - I totally would've made get it so I could have the Aesop goods lol - it's the same price!!! 

On top of that, if you shop with my link you'll get $20 off your purchase (and I'll receive $20 towards a future one). [*PS this is not sponsored and if you don't want to use my code I won't be offended :) But I would love any help towards buying a larger one for my International trip! And I fully support the company as I love everything about it and my bag.]

I don't believe in huge wallets so I always carry around a smaller alternative in the form of a card wallet. In my last WIMB post (HERE) I mentioned I had one from Tory Burch - it's gorgeous and perfect if you know you'll just be carrying a few bills and cards. My mom bought me this beautiful Marc Jacobs card wallet which has a few slots and a zipper compartment. I think this is particularly good when visiting countries where coins are used more frequently. I know when I go to Asia next year I'll be getting some coins and it'll be nice to have the option of a zippered compartment. Card wallets are great because they're slim and will fit nicely into any bag or purse, and are also great to use year round! 

Of course, this space is heavily beauty influenced so I would recommend getting them a small hand cream or hand sanitizer. My hands are always dry so I like to carry a small hand cream around with me, some favorites to mention are Caudalie Hand & Nail Cream, Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm, and the TATCHA Hand Cream. For the germaphobe, a little hand sanitizer is a nice gift as sometimes finding running water to wash your hands when you're on the go proves difficult. I love getting the little ones from Bath & Body Works, but a safe bet is always the little ones with Aloe from the dollar section at Target. If you're feeling a little fancy, go for the Soap & Glory or Zoella Beauty ones! 

What are some "travel" bits you would like to receive? I just got my year-end bonus andddd I have some bits on my mind to pick up for all my travels next year. Share away!