We adore traveling! Not so much the stuffing of all the mini toiletries you'll need for two weeks into a small plastic bag, but the reward of exploring and discovering and learning and tasting is what we long for. We don't have a big expense account to stay at high-end hotels, but we look for charm and uniqueness. We'll share some of our finds here, and maybe some journal entries that qualify as armchair traveling... and remember that we often have some marvelous travel items at the shop, from obscure (but fabulous) travel guides, to journals, travel size amenities, and wonderful travel/everyday totes and handbags from Baggallini. That's us in Amsterdam a few years ago. What a beautiful, interesting, and diverse city! We loved the bicycle culture -- there are thousands of them parked anywhere you go, and everybody rides, whether sweet little elderly lady in a skirt on her way to the farmer's market, or business guy in a suit with his briefcase strapped to the front. Loved the Van Gogh museum. Loved the food (including some of the spiciest asian food we've ever had).

Take a look at our "Find Us & Links" page for some of our recommendations on travel websites. If you have a favorite place to go or stay, let us know and we may include it here.

Our first travel tip is a very simple one, whether you're going around the world or visiting mom for a few days: always bring a petite version of your favorite french soap. You just never know what kind of amenities anyone might have, even in a grand hotel. At Pomegranate, we always stock small 25 gram french soaps in great scents like milk, cucumber, and verbena. They last for a long time, but we usually bring one for each stop in the trip, then leave it behind. At $1.00 each, it's a small luxury. They're so mild you can wash your face with them (in case you forgot your favorite cleanser), use them as shampoo, and even wash your clothes with them. One time we were in Atlanta, bags lost, midnight, and had nothing with us except toothpaste, toothbrushes, and two French travel soaps. The hotel was a horrible dive, and we were so grateful for the little we had with us (hard lesson learned about not bringing extra clothes in the carry-on). Our French soap saved the day, because one of us would have been very, very crabby indeed had we used the awful hotel soap on our face. Added benefit: these soaps smell really good. Scatter a few in your suitcase to impart a pleasant, subtle scent, and they'll be ready to use when you need them.

Lighting the way. When we travel, one of us is always getting up multiple times in the middle of the night. You know, adjust the room temperature, find out where that weird buzzing sound is coming from, etc. We always pack a few of those small, battery-driven faux tealights (the kind that have a flickery, but fake candle flame). Keep it on the nightstand for an instant nightlight that won't wake your partner. Much nicer (and lighter weight) than a flashlight (which never has good batteries in it anyway). And they can provide a bit of (faux) romantic ambiance, too.

Missing the babies. Ms. Paris H. may be able to bring her little pocket dog wherever she travels, but we almost always have to leave our dear dogs behind. Boy, do we miss them! So I decided to paste photos of them in the back of my trusty, ever-present Moleskine journal (yes, it is the best). One day we were sitting at an outdoor café in Paris, sipping a glass of wine and feeling sort of jealous that almost everybody there had a dog or two in tow (mostly sitting politely under the tables). So I popped open my journal to the puppy page and stood it upright on the table so we could feel like they were with us. It's a small enough journal so that no one even noticed (perhaps they did, but were nice enough not to snicker). I love the Moleskines because they have a little pocket for stashing stamps, business cards, etc.; the paper and binding is good quality; and the elastic strap keeps it all closed. If I could paint or sketch, I would definitely keep the Moleskine watercolor journal handy, too.

Divvying up the toiletries. If someone yells "roadtrip" you can probably scoop up a few essentials, throw them in a bag and get going. I love not having to think about toiletries if we're taking a car trip. I don't even bother with my nice cosmetics tote: I just fling everything I might need into a canvas shopping bag and stuff it in the car. But if you're flying to your destination and staying for a few weeks, you have to design your toiletries bag with the precision of a mathematician. You don't want to take up too much room with it, nor schlep more than you need. Some people recommend buying what you need when you get to your destination, and that can be part of a fun learning experience, but I like to have my tried and true favorites with me, and don't want to feel forced to find the right store as soon as you get there. And, I don't want to be buying any full-size containers of anything that we'll have to leave behind.

This is what I do: empty your toiletries/cosmetics case. Gather any small travel size amenities you might want, or "decant" some of your products into small containers. I then lay out shoebox covers open side up on the bed, and label them with my major categories (shampoo, skincare, toothcare, 1st aid, etc.). Into the shoebox covers go the essentials, not any more than needed (I like using the covers because of the little lip on the edge; nothing rolls out of place). If a teeny container of toothpaste lasts for three days and we're going to be gone for three weeks, I take seven or eight of them. I know, it's more environmentally friendly to take one larger tube, but with the little ones, as they get used up, you jettison and go on to the next, until you're almost out of "stuff" by the time you return. Having it all laid out in the box tops lets you see exactly how much you have/need in each category, and prevents you from throwing in too much of one thing, and not enough of another. Comb through it all again, and take out anything not absolutely essential. Now you're down to the bones, and can repack your lightweight toiletries case. Be sure to keep some of your essentials (especially all prescriptions!) in your carry-on bag, just in case your luggage goes on a walkabout.