Travel Series Part 3: Backpack Review: Kelty Redwing 50

Hey y'all! So today's video is all about the Kelty Redwing 50. Now, please keep in mind that I have the older version that is shown below (I believe they changed the design in 2013).

http://www.sqweeble.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Kelty_Redwing_50_Hiking_Backpack.png

Just in case you were wondering what the newer version looks like, here it is:

rei.com

So you can tell automatically that the biggest difference is the way the main compartment is designed. On the newer one, it's more rounded and you can actually fit a little bit more versus the old one.

The backpack is quite pricey, at $124.95 (price is from the Kelty website), it comes in 3 different colors (black, a forest green, and a sort of tan/green color). However, it has 5 star reviews on the website which you can look at here: https://www.kelty.com/product/redwing-50#customer-reviews

Something to also consider, this backpack is HUGE. I'm 5'7" and it goes all the way down to the bottom of my butt. You'll definitely have a ton of room to pack anything you need though. All of the straps are adjustable (shoulder and belt), they're very comfortable. I haven't been hiking in forever, but I take this backpack with me when I travel, and I never regret bringing it with me, even if I look ridiculous wearing it.

This backpack (fully stuffed) will fit in an overhead compartment on a plane, but I've also gotten it to fit underneath the seat in front of me in planes as well. Keep in mind though that part of it will be hanging out in the space meant for your feet because it is so long. The bag itself is made of polyester, but it's incredibly tough, so it's okay if you're rough with it.

They have all of the specs  (literally ALL of them) on the Kelty website, just use the link I provided up above.

All in all, if you're looking for a multi or single purpose backpack, I would definitely recommend this one. It survived my freshman year of college, going back and forth from home, and going on multiple smaller trips. ALSO, there are things that I did not mention that the new one has, you can read all about it on the Kelty website.

Do you have a favorite backpack for travel or basically anything?
Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!
-Danielle

Travel Prep! Travel Series Part 2

Hey y'all! So in today's video, I briefly went over how I like to prepare for traveling, whether it's going on a lengthy drive or getting on a plane.

Obviously, I pack the normal stuff (clothes, makeup, personal care items, electronics, chargers, etc.), but I would like to point out some of the things that I've learned from traveling extensively both throughout the U.S. and in other countries:

~you can never have enough underwear (I tend to bring twice as many pairs as the average person, so say I'm going to be gone for a week, I'll end up bringing around 14-16 pairs)

~a mini first-aid kit is essential (if you fall a lot, or just end up getting injured in stupid ways like running into doors like me, it's nice to have something just in case)

~bring stuff for blisters even if you don't think you'll get any (I'm pretty sure no one likes walking around in pain)

~extra hair ties are important (I use small rubberbands that you can get at Sally's, they're compact and take up virtually no room, I also shove them in every single bag that I carry, including my purse)

~keep a small tube of toothpaste in your first-aid kit (it helps if you burn your fingers on a curling iron or straightener and you'll have a back-up in case you forget yours)

~keep tissues, feminine wipes, and on-the-go wipes with you (every mom pretty much has tissues and on-the-go wipes with her 24/7, but adding the feminine wipes can prevent itching down there and helps keep you comfortable the entire time you're traveling)

~keep a back-up set of earbuds (I can't stress this one enough...mine always break when I travel, they're expensive to buy in the airport and it can be hard to find them on-the-go)

~keep a small stack of post-its, or a small note pad (you'll be able to keep track of things you want/need, I tend to use these for keeping track of music that I want to make a point of downloading later on)

~keep some extra pads/tampons with you (this one is a no-brainer...to me at least, you never know when you or someone else you might be traveling with will need one)

~keep a small pill case with you (I have one that is a keychain, I keep Aleve in there just in case I get a really bad headache)

~hand sanitizer is essential (I'm not a germophobe...but it's nice to keep some hand sanitizer with you because you don't know what kind of germs are running around)

~bring a few headbands (I use one specifically for when I wash my face at night, the others are options for the rest of the time that I'm traveling)

~drink plenty of water before hand (especially if you're flying, I find that I get serious headaches from the changes in barometric pressure and it's always because I never drink enough water, not only that, but you don't want to have to pay for water...and the cups on planes are tiny as hell)

~bring twice as many luggage locks as you think you'll need (my mom is always guilty of this, and now I am too, it comes in handy if you have multiple bags that you want to lock up, it makes it easier if you buy a new suitcase while traveling, and you don't have to hunt around and pay twice what it's worth if you need another one)

~only bring jewelry that is already on your body (if you don't wear it while you're traveling, don't bring it; my mom forgot a really expensive ring at a hotel once...and it was because she forgot about it because she brought other jewelry to wear)

~bring a neck pillow...even if you're not traveling for very long (it's a comfort from home, so you'll be more at ease, and you can get some shut-eye on the plane)

~back-up battery for your phone and other electronics (mine can charge my phone all the way...twice, it was around $50)

~keep a few back-up medications with you (for me, birth control, vitamins, and my prozac are the ones that I tend to pack a few more of just in case one of them falls out of my hand)

~don't bother keeping antacid with you (this is America...Diet Coke is everywhere, and if you go outside of the U.S., there's a magical thing called Coca-Cola Light, which is the same as Diet Coke)

~keep some beef jerky with you (it's packed with protein, so you won't be tempted to get shitty airport food and you won't have to spend the money)

~bring a few plastic bags (you can use them for garbage, dirty laundry, shoes, anything really)

~never leave without a book (your electronics can fail on you at any time...it's always nice to have something as a back-up)

~bring some sleeping pills (I tend to sleep better when I'm away from home, but it's nice to have the option of sleeping pills if I need them)

~be mindful of extraneous items (do you REALLY need that bottle of straightening serum, an entire thing of foundation, and a whole thing of body butter? no. you don't.)

~bring moisturizer! (your skin gets drier if you fly, but it can also get dry if you drive, just keep some with you, you'll never regret having it)

~bring sunscreen (yes, even if you're not going somewhere sunny, bring it. You don't want to look 400 years old by the time you're 45)

If you guys think that I missed anything, let me know!

Thanks for reading and I hope y'all have a great rest of the week!

-Danielle

Travel Series Part 1: Entertainment!

Hey y'all! So today's video is all about the ways that I like to keep myself entertained while I'm traveling. It usually depends on whether or not I'm currently in school.

If I am in school:
~I will usually bring something to study
~I'll do homework
~or I'll try to get ahead in my classes

If I'm not in school, I'll be:
~Listening to music
~Making new playlists
~Making to-do lists
~Adding to my wishlist
~Writing down current and long-term goals
~Making sure that my planners are up to date
~Double checking that I copied everything correctly from my syllabi into my planners
~Editing videos
~Reading
~Watching movies

Usually, I find myself filling out my planner because it gives me peace of mind to know that I accomplished everything that I wanted to before I started my trip and it calms me down when I start to freak out about things that I have planned in the future.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Danielle

Planner Pad Series Part 1: Stickers

Hey y'all! Happy Friday!

So, in today's video, I show the stickers that I use in my Planner Pad that help me to stay on top of my activities and the things that I need to take care of.

The larger, circular red, blue, and yellow stickers are actually from the dollar store (Dollar Tree). I bought more than one pack of them and cut them up individually so that I don't have to drag around an entire sheet when I take them with me somewhere. I use these stickers pretty sparingly, mainly because they pertain to when I get paid, when I order something online, and when I need to pay off my credit card.

The smaller, circular stickers that come in red, blue, green, and yellow are by Avery-Dennison. You can find them at Staples. These are used in the month section of my Planner Pad (which is at the front). The red one is to track my period, blue is for holidays, green is for trips (anything that takes over an hour), and yellow is for birthdays.

The neon green, orange, and pink stickers are all for when movies come out (I'm a huge movie person) and get used in the month section of the Planner Pad, as well.

The rectangular label stickers that are neon green, yellow, orange, and neon orange are for grocery shopping (which I tend to do on a daily basis or every other day, anyways), writing in my Fit Happens Journal (which will be explained in a separate video), meal planning for the upcoming week, and my weekly planning session. I use an X-acto knife to make these stickers smaller so that they fit on the Planner Pad a little bit better, and it's also to make them last longer.

Last, but not least, are everyone's favorites (from what I've seen), the Martha Stewart for Staples Home Office stickers. I actually haven't found a use for these yet, so if you guys have any recommendations, please let me know!

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

-Danielle

Drink Station Organization!

Hey y'all!

So Monday's video was all about my Drink Station Organization. If you're wondering where I got the shelves from, they're from Aldi (only available for a limited time for $15). I believe that they are getting a bunch of 5-shelf units in their stores in the next few weeks that will also only be available for a limited time. If you're in need of storage, I recommend going to Aldi and getting some of those shelves. I went to Home Depot and Walmart just to compare products and prices, you can save around $5 if you buy the ones from Aldi.
 My coffee maker is just a standard 12 cup Mr. Coffee from Target that was on sale a few months ago for about $20. The instant tea kettle (by Delfino) is from Tuesday Morning, I got it back in 2012 right before I started college and it was about $40.
The bins that I used to store all of my coffee and tea are the Sterilite Stackables in the larger size that you can get from Target, they come in 1 stack of 3 separate dividers for about $10.

I have some new videos coming up that I hope you'll all like, and don't forget that I'm now posting videos every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, so don't forget to watch!

Thanks for reading and I'll talk to y'all later!

-Danielle

Let's Talk Skincare!

Hey y'all! So here are the products that I use:

Carrier Oils: argan oil, olive oil, almond oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, jojoba oil, and macadamia nut oil.

These can be combined with each other and with essential oils (such as tea tree oil), they work very well.

These are all of the things that I use on a daily/weekly basis:

Dermalogica Body Microfoliant (this was purchased online through Amazon, I believe), Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer, Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum, Philosophy Turbo Booster C Powder, Equate Beauty Naturally Beaming Daily Moisturizer with SPF15 (Walmart equivalent of Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer), Dove Beauty Bar for Sensitive Skin, Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray, Acne.org The Treatment, Suave Advanced Therapy Lotion, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, Sephora Micellar Cleansing Water, Aquaphor.

If you have any questions regarding any of these products and how they worked for my skin, please let me know!

Thanks for reading!

-Danielle

Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale Haul!!!!!!!!

Hey y'all!

So let me begin by saying this: I have never tried Wallflowers before buying them as the main part of this haul. I always would use Glade or Airwick, but there was never enough of a scent. Currently, I only have 1 Wallflower plugged in (it's in my bathroom, the scent is Black Teakwood) and I can smell it throughout my entire apartment. So I do believe that I'm getting my money's worth.

I got multiples of the Kitchen Lemon, Mango Dragon Fruit, and the Black Teakwood because I found the smells so light and pleasing. All of the Wallflowers were $3 each, with the exception of the Coastal Sun Wallflower, which was $3.50

The Wallflower holder with the night light that I mentioned before was $5 and the one with the gold and white flower on it was around $3 or $4 (on clearance).

I'm also noticing how long the Wallflowers seem to last, which is significantly longer than their Glade or Airwick counterparts.

Overall, I would have to say that I'm happy that I took the plunge in deciding to buy them, they've become my new favorite thing.

Thanks for reading and I'll talk to y'all next week!

-Danielle