Father's Day Special: Mens Traveling Cluster

Packing efficiency runs strong in my family's fathers.  My dear dad's employment often necessitated travel three weeks out of six.

He never took more than a carry on.
Not to any of the six continents he rolled a bag across.

Andrew travels well too, but he dances even better.  Enjoy that, as well as an illustration of how to pack a men's travel capsule here:

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For an introduction to the travel cluster concept, visit here

More travel tips to come.

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Need help assembling your travel trousseau...

1 hundred 98 cents = your own Traveling fashion look book cheat sheet

Or book a Virtual shopping session to compile a complete portfolio for your upcoming adventure.

Vacation Genius: 10 Items of Clothing, 12 Outfits, 1 Carry-On Suitcase

Vacation Packing Math
6 Tops + 4 Bottoms > = 12 Outfits < = 1 Suitcase

In other words, watch this video and see how we turn a dainty rolling suitcase into a prodigious fashion adventure.

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More travel tips to come.

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White smiles go with everything.  Pack as many as you want, it will never necessitate a baggage overage fee.  Get your smile "vacation ready" by joining 80% of Allure readers who enjoyed a noticeably whiter grin with[ Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh Toothpaste and Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh MultiCare Whitening Rinse.

How to Pack a Perfect Suitcase. Everything You Need; Nothing You Don't

Vacations are about rest. Rest from routines, rest from employment, and, if you really want to relax, rest from stuff. Accouterments can make life quite lovely, but trappings have a cost. Personal effects are a responsibility. They need to be carried, tended, mended, washed, and appreciated. Leave excess encumbrances in the secure cupboards and drawers of your home and only accept the liability of a single carry-on bag.

Discover the key to Wardrobe Minimization, the Travel Capsule, by watching the video below:  

click to supersize

Should you select travel minimalism, your first reward will be efficiency. When properly packed, rollies and their equivalents breeze through security, finding repose neatly above your seat. They follow you loyally from connection to connection and would never ask you to wait on them after a long flight. 

But as you continue, you'll also begin to see that carry-on bags are carefree and impulsive. Should you opt to spend the day sightseeing before settling at your hotel, rolly tails behind you without any complaints. If you want to race to catch an earlier train, your single carry-on is ready to race on your whim.

And in reality, that single bag can even end up feeling luxurious. When you do unpack at your destination, you are free to stage your own high end boutique. With only a handful of impeccably selected items on the rack, your closet becomes a highly exclusive and elite event. 

Post Script Answers to Anticipated Excuses

• "But I want to look good for pictures"
  Strategic packing ensures that you will be confidently prepared for the receiving end of a camera lens.  Rather than haphazardly stuffing your case with weak "what if's," you have carefully considered and written a cohesive fashion adventure.  In consequence your scrapbook will rival the precise coordination of your favorite retail catalog. 
• "But I have kids"
  Get each of them their own carry-ons which they are capable of carrying themselves. School book bags are certainly acceptable.
• "But I'm going to be gone for more than a week"
  I spent a month studying abroad in Europe living out of a single carry-on. Trust me, if my shoe-loving soul can do it, anyone can.

Video Wardrobe:
Eye Candy Dress 
and other vintage clothing from

J.Crew Sequin Bow Cardigan (sold out, similar below)

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Fashion 911: How to Make Your Denim Last Longer

Scores of clothing racks combed, snaking your legs in and out of dozens of pairs in order to find your indigo intimate: the pair that simultaneously clasps your waist, skims your hips, and smooths your thighs.  Now duty calls to extend the life of these long sought loved ones as long as possible.

Luckily, preventative care is easier and cheaper then one might anticipate.  And the secret is embedded below:

click to supersize

Video Wardrobe:

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While it's best to avoid washing for a rich, dark denim, the opposite is true for your teeth.  Join 80% of Allure readers who enjoyed a noticeably whiter grin by trying Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh Toothpaste and Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh MultiCare Whitening Rinse.

Three Tools for Calm Parenting

Cleanliness is next to holiness in our home.  We practice daily immersion followed by the cuddling of squishy bodies in fluffy towels, lotioning of tiny limbs, and buttoning of tiny ensembles.  The process is clean and optimistic.  Five minutes later someone usually has a runny nose, a messy diaper, or a dirty shirt, but at least we had that moment.

It stands a familiar fact that accessories can make or break an outfit, the same is true for bath time.

I've been a devoted disciple to Puj since my three-year-old Coco twinned weight with a small cantaloupe.  Now my watermelon of a youngest son Oscar enjoys the benefits of hands-free bliss from a Puj trinity: the Puj Tub, the Puj Hug, and Puj Nubs.  If you're unacquainted with the Puj Tub, proceed here.  Pair this with a Puj Hug, a soft fluffy, pristine white cocoon intended to suspend from the bather's neck.   Providing hands with uninterrupted access to baby flesh, not to mention acting as an apron to keep one's ensemble dry.  Finish the experience with Puj Nubs, hooks which are ready to stick to any smooth surface, keeping your Puj Hug or any other item under 3 lbs off the floor.

Bath time just became slightly more sacred.

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