Business travel apps for savvy jetsetters

We're all pretty familiar with the ins and outs of an airport, but that doesn't make traveling much less of a hassle. Getting onto a flight in itself is inherently hassle filled, no matter how many frequent flier miles you have. Not to mention what is entailed once you actually land. I know I'm always hankering for the same thing as soon as my flight lands, it's usually something like this (in this order):

1) "Get me off this plane asap" (Something about landing at your destination exacerbates the smells like old coffee and BO in the cabin.)
2) "I need a bathroom/ATM/coffee/cab/drink/all of the above."
3) What is there to do in this town anyway?
Or if you're connecting:
4) "What am I going to do with myself for a 3 hour layover? I wonder if I can get out earlier/get a better flight/get a later flight/I better not get stuck with a middle seat again..."

Well luckily there are apps that can actually help you with all these things, and maybe even iron your suit for you after it got wrinkly on the flight (ok not so much...)

They could have named it something better, but if you're an Amex card holder then you should check out the American Express Travel App. The downside is it doesn't work on Android yet, but it solves many of your post-deplaning airport needs. As soon as you land and everybody immediately fires up their smartphones, the app will tell you where amenities are near your gate, give you access to connect directly to things like hotels, shuttles, cabs and rental cars, or find a better seat on your connecting flight. You can also manage your itineraries, and if you have a platinum card (look at you high roller!) then the app will alert you when there's changes to a flight in your itinerary, direct you to VIP lounges, and help plan alternate itineraries for yourself. I think it's pretty cool, unfortunately it's only available if you have an Amex card.

TripIt takes all confirmations and travel plans in your email and sends them to iPhone/iPad, Android or Blackberry, and it'll do it without you asking it to! Talk about a no brainer. So no more searching your archives on a tiny version of Safari or IE to get your flight confirmation code, or calling your travel coordinator while she's on her lunch break lest you use the wrong rental car company and get in trouble again.

I'm not super into Foursquare or GoWalla, I just don't see a lot of incentive to check in aside from determining whether there's a deal going on there, and if there is, it's usually not that great. But Foursquare is good when you're on the road. Fire it up and find out all the insider tips on the restaurant or hotel you're at. Read the tips on the best item to order on the happy hour menu, the cocktail the locals love, and the best time to hit up the bar. Foodspotting is also a great app for finding savvy local-approved places to eat.

Google Translate has an app that allows you to translate words and phrases into 57 different languages using voice recognition software. Speak (or type) the phrase and the translation will appear on the screen, or depending on the language, on audio playback. So when that hotel concierge in Paris is blowing you off by pretending he doesn't understand you, this app probably won't curry their favor, but it means they don't have an excuse to evade your questions.

Are you with a group of coworkers or friends and need to split the bill evenly? Maybe Sally is the kind who had to pick up an extra 5 cents in the tip and won't ever let you live it down, or she only ever carries inconvenient denominations of cash, whatever it is Share a Bill Lite (the free version) is your solution to bill splitting fairness, or people like Sally. It keeps track of who owes what portion of the bill, and who owes you (or whom you owe) money to settle up. The paid version can track and help you budget based on certain trips or events. So if your company allocates a certain per diem, you can make sure not to exceed it.

Travel managers should rejoice at this one. If your company arranges travel and has tons of employees on the road, then the mobileXtend app from American Express is American Express Travel App on steroids, it's the ultimate travel hand-holding experience. It syncs with calenders and reminds travelers of what to do every step of the way, and it keeps them compliant and within company travel policies.

They are yet to develop an app to iron your suit, make your presentation, attend a meeting, or dispense a much needed drink when it's all over, but these apps can definitely help make your traveling a lot easier. Happy Jetsetting!

Girl About Town Top 10 summer beauty & style picks!

To start, (forgive me for the blurry pics) Here are my 2011 Girl About Town summer beauty and style picks! Most of these items are tried and true and field tested by yours truly, and some of them are highly coveted by yours truly.

I'm not forgiving of low quality and expensive products, that are all glitzy marketing and nothing good in the package. Especially makeup. As a busy girl about town, I don't have time to fuss with stuff that doesn't work, so if it's not awesome, I don't bother. You'll notice many of these products are eco-friendly, socially conscious and sustainable; because we all want to do our part, but don't want to sacrifice quality and style. These items are worth the cash and the time to use them! Please feel free to share your favorite summer style and beauty pics below!

1) Josie Maran Argan Oil: This still will change your life, I'm not kidding. Never has my skin looked as good as it does with this product. And it's eliminated the need for other products entirely! I mix it with lotion, use it on my cuticles, and put it on my scalp, and in my hair. Not to mention, Josie Maran works with UNESCO to ensure the women of Morocco who harvest this oil are given the opportunity to earn a fair wage, and the Argan trees are protected. Learn more about these efforts here.

2) Argan Oil Color Stick in Posey: This color is universally flattering and goes on sheer and not greasy. Works great for cheeks and lips and chock full of antioxidants, as well as cruelty free and no parabens. The stick is huge, so it'll last you quite a while. It's perfect for on-the-go "crap I'm not wearing makeup" moments or touch-ups.

3) Naturally Knotty Bamboo Wrap: These are super soft, lightweight and won't pill. Bamboo is warm in the winter and breathable for summer. These scarves are 100% bamboo and so soft you'll want to wear it 24/7. I love scarves like this because in addition to being stylish, they're great for traveling. I don't actually own an NKD one! :( But my dog just ate a hole in my old pashmina (I kid not) So I'd like to replace it soon with one of these.

4) Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Mascara: My eyelashes used to always fall out, but since I started using this mascara it's almost stopped. Of course it has Argan oil in it, but the best part is that for every one you buy, they give one to City of Hope for a cancer patient.

5) Argan Oil Hair Serum: I have a small size of this and I think I'm going to need to upgrade to the big size soon. It smells so good and makes your hair soft and shiny. If you've been at the beach and have sexy beachy waves going on, this will turn them into touchable and yummy smelling sexy beachy waves! :)

6) Josie Maran Eye Love You shadow palette: All-season colors, highly concentrated and just shimmery enough but not too shimmery. They didn't include ugly colors in here either, they're all wearable. I like how they come with a big mirror and the compact itself is really high quality. This compact knocks around in my purse and unlike my old Dior palette, the shadows haven't yet fallen out and made a crumbly mess. This formula doesn't make my eyes itch either.

7) Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 70: Before you bawk at the fact that it's SPF 70, to actually get the advertised sun protection you've got to slather it on thick. Nobody wears it like that. So if you want any kind of sun protection, get a higher SPF. This one isn't exactly sustainable, but so far I haven't found an eco-friendly and healthy one that really works, and I don't want to mess around with getting sunburned. I'm fair skinned with dark hair, so I've got to wear it, this one is not greasy, doesn't smell bad, and won't clog the pores on your face, neck and chest.

8) "Hannah" Aviator from Send the Trend: I love a pair of sassy aviators. These are only $29 at Send the Trend.com. These are more of a fashion accessory than a utility item though, if you're going to be in super strong sun, these don't have UV protection and aren't super dark. So opt for UV protection if you'll be in strong sun, by the pool or at the beach.

9) A neutral wedge: I am not recommending a certain pair, just because the heights and styles vary, but a neutral wedge will take you from day to night, casual to dressy. You'll wear them with everything! I bought a pair of Nicole neutral wedges back in 2005 and I wore them so much. I finally replaced them this year with a pair of Franco Sarto's. If you're going to splurge on some shoes, these will give you some real mileage.

10) Naturally Knotty Tote: I am so in love with this tote, and the funny thing is I don't have one :( But boy do I covet! They are made of upcycled fabrics and recycled plastic water bottles. But that's not the best part, the best part is that they are huge, have tons of pockets, can hold your entire life, are durable and can be wiped out and easily cleaned. They are perfect for the market, school or work, a travel carry-on, or a beach or pool tote. I'd use it as a travel and beach tote to our destination wedding, as a carry-all bag for work travel, and as a travel tote for our March honeymoon in Peru!

What are your favorite pics? Share them below!

xoxo

Jet Setting

Photo credit young married chic

Today we're heading off to San Diego for a quick weekend visiting family and knocking off some wedding to-do's. There is nothing worse than seeing somebody schlumping through the airport disheveled in some sort of sweat suit ensemble they picked up off the floor that morning. I'm not saying we should return to the 50's and fly in nylons and pumps, but come on people, get it together. Here's a few of my tips for traveling:

Don't check bags if you can help it. - Once I land, I want to be there, not stand around at a baggage carousel while the new world beckons outside. Not to mention the hassle if the bag gets lost.

Pack a protein snack - I think the Trader Joe's refrigerated section was made for things like this. The day before I like to grab a small packaged salad, a wrap and maybe some nuts to hold you over when those peanuts don't cut it. If you've got the fixins at home, make 'em yourself! Just don't forget a fork.

Moisturize - Do you feel gross when you get off planes, and can't quite figure out why? It's partly because you're parched. I love these mists. They're refreshing and moisturizing and do wonders as a pick me up. Here's an Evian one and one of my personal favorites is by Caudalie.

Wear a pashmina, and bring some fluffy socks - I love these bamboo wraps from Naturally Knotty. They're sustainable and a great bargain. When I travel in the spring and summer I always wear sandals, they're easier to get through security in. But it's nice to slip on a cozy pair of socks on the drafty plane and get cozy underneath your bamboo wrap with a magazine.

Keep nausea at bay - For those of you who get woozy on take offs and landing, Peace of Mind On the Spot from Origins works wonders. Just put it on your pulse points, or just smell it. The peppermint and eucalyptus really helps with nausea.

I'm a little bit weird about germs when I fly. I'm normally not a germaphobe. But when I think about all the germs from across the country (or the world) that have touched my tray table, I get a little eeked out. This is not an official tip. But I also always travel with antibacterial wipes :)

Eating, drinking and living La Dolce Vita at Mama Melina

Photo credit: Seattle Times

I've really been into this la dolce vita concept lately. Not sure if it's my longing for summer and long loungy afternoons that dwindle into muggy nights on the patio. Or the fact that's it's my chosen wedding theme. This is across the street from the Silver Cloud Inn, my home away from home where I stay when I'm up in Seattle's University District for classes. But when you walk inside you're not in rainy Seattle on 25th Avenue stressing about reading your corporate finance case. You're in a swank cafe in Milan, wearing Dolce and sipping Chianti and greeting your friends, "ciao bella!"

Apparently this "new Mama Melina" is quite the departure from what used to be a down-home little Italian joint where the owners putzed around in the kitchen and sometimes serenaded diners. It's sleek and swanky, with tufted white chairs, sparkly chandeliers, industrial chic concrete floors, penny round tile, and even heated toilet seats (I kid you not). But it's still got the nods to the old world Italian roots, an open kitchen with a stone pizza oven turns out Neapolitan pizzas with perfect chewy crust with just the right amount of char. I am a pretty big fan of the paintings on the ceiling in the bar, which has inspired me to do this in my own kitchen or dining room (one day). It's never empty, and usually just the right amount of crowded. The kind of busy where it's hard to find a table, until you find it just in time. You'll find graduate and professional students mingling with professors, to undergrads out with dates or girls nights out. The after work crowd brushing elbows with the university folks.

The best part is the Happy Hour, Mama Melina has the kind of happy hour that doesn't make you feel like you're ordering happy hour. It's every day from 3-6pm and 9-11 pm. All bar menu items are half off, some of the Neapolitan pizzas are $6, and bottles of wine are only $14. Their bar menu runs the gamut of typical happy hour fare, but it does it well. You'll find the burger, calamari, bruschetta, a few pastas and Caesar salad. It's the kind of place to gather in the bar after class for a drink, or late at night after meetings. The new Mama Melina is the new Italia. It's sleek, sexy, and modern with appropriate throwbacks to the culture that made them.

Next time you're up in Seattle's east side, particularly the U-district, try to stop in. And for just a little while, eat, drink and live la dolce vita.

Portland Saturday food cart hopping

My brother lives in a ghost town. It's about an hour from Maupin (where many white water rafting trips originate). The town is called Antelope, Oregon, and he works as a videographer at the Young Life Washington Family Ranch (formerly Wildhorse Canyon). It's so far out, the internet signal there is only 3mbs.

So needless to say he's in town for the week and on this first beautiful and warm Saturday of spring he needed a few things: to use fast internet, to experience civilization, and to eat some tasty food. So we went food cart hopping.

So I loaded Regen (my Bernese Mountain Dog) into the car with us and we headed up to the food carts at approximately 42nd and Belmont. It was packed with people and after making the rounds at the carts we decided on try out the Euro Trash cart. My brother ordered the Oregon Doner, inspired by the traditional doner kebab, and I got the fishy chips.

The fishy chips ($6) are whole sardines (no head, but you can get the fried heads only for $3) with seasoning and lemon and "trashy sauce" which is a tangy yogurt sauce.

I would have liked to see the fish come with a small side like some slaw or something to round out the meal. My dog was happy to eat the tails.

The Oregon doner is a falafel waffle (falafel batter made in a waffle iron, with yogurt sauce and tomato, shredded carrots, olives, and cucumber. So it's not really like an authentic doner, but you can get some meat with it. For $7, it's pretty tasty and healthy, but I think probably a tad too expensive.

After the kebab we opted out of Fifty Licks (note to self...maple bacon ice cream). And headed down to Cartopia on 12th & Hawthorne for Wiffies Fried Pies and Potato Champion.

At Wiffies we opted for the basic apple sweet pie. They are like the McDonald's pocket pies, but SO much better. The crust is the perfect flakiness, and not too greasy. The filling is tasty, pretty basic apple filling, but a good consistency. They were also offering a mounds pie (coconut cream and chocolate chips), and I have been in the past when they had peanut butter chocolate chip cream pies and double chocolate pies (to die for). They also have savory pies (yet to try) including brisket and mac and cheese.

My brother being 21 and a growing boy was still not satisfied so he headed over to Potato Champion while Regen hoovered for crumbs underneath the picnic tables. After some debate over their monstrous list of french fry dipping sauces he finally settled on the legendary Potato Champion poutine. Poutine is comfort food to Canadians like like peanut butter and jelly is to Americans (Potato Champion has PB&J fries too). If you haven't tried it yet, it's fries with cheese curd and smothered in gravy. The Original Dinerant downtown also has it and it's also very good. I'd be tempted to mention I prefer the consistency of the gravy, but I really don't like the Portland hipster "dain to serve you" service there, so I'll refrain. :)

There is also a pizza place on 12th and Hawthorne called Pyro Pizza that actually has somehow managed to put a traditional brick pizza oven into a food cart. These pizzas are totally gourmet and who knew you could get real wood fired Italian style pizza from a food cart? They told me the oven renders their cart immobile, so they can probably never move it. The only one I've tried to far is the romano cheese and white truffle oil pizza. I think it ranks highly amongst the best pizzas I've had in this town. (But I haven't been to Apizza Scholls yet.)

IF you make it to 12th & Hawthorne, they stay open late for after bar hopping fun, have heaters to keep you warm while you sit outside, and there's even one of those tiny merry go round's that you used to put a quarter in and play on outside Fred Meyer's when you were a kid. So just picture yourself, gleefully eating a savory pie, a belly full of poutine, riding on a merry go round. It doesn't get much better than that.

A wine tasting trip to Willows Lodge in Woodinville Washington

In February I had cabin fever like one only really gets at sea. Terrible gloomy moods, boredom, irritability and all the stuff that just doesn't suit a girl about town very well. Needless to say, no sooner was D home from his month-long trip to India before I was forcing him back into the car for a much needed weekend getaway.

I found our hotel, the Willows Lodge on Jetsetter, the great thing about Jetsetter (aside from its affiliation with the droolworthy Gilt Groupe) is that their staff has actually stayed in all the hotels they feature, and they seem to have pretty good taste!
The Willows Lodge is also dog friendly! Here is my dog about town, Regen enjoying the fireplace in our room. All the rooms are rustic chic, with fireplaces and big soaking tubs. There is even a doggie turn down service, and dog treats on the room service menu. Look at the size of the bathtub! The staff was super friendly, and the hotel is perfectly located for wine tasting. And tasting we did!


The thing about Woodinville compared to Oregon wine country is they don't actually produce wines there. So the wineries are usually just tasting rooms. Unlike Oregon where they are very far apart and you have to designate a driver or hire a tour in Woodinville you can walk!


Next door to the Willows Lodge is the the Red Hook Brewery, a rather large "microbrew" where for only $1 you can take a beer tour, complete with your own Red Hook pint glass to keep, and if you answer the beer trivia questions right, they'll fill up your glass with more beer! In the summer Red Hook is usually hopping, with concerts, movies, and all kinds of fun events taking place on their grounds.

After a quick lunch at Red Hook we walked over to Novelty Hill/Januik. A beautiful ultra sleek and modern building, where we tasted wine as the snow fell on a courtyard featuring traditional stone bocce ball courts. Foursquare told me in the summer they have events and allow dining on the courtyard where they serve wood fired pizzas. We took home a bottle of the Novelty Hill Syrah.



From here we walked over to Chateau Ste. Michelle. Which happens to be the winery that introduced me to wine! The largest winery in Washington (I think) with a huge grounds, that is also absolutely beautiful and probably just as well known for their summer concert series as their Riesling. I don't recommend tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle since their wines are widely available in most grocery stores, but we walked around the grounds and made a point to find the peacock

After walking Chateau Ste. Michelle we'd processed most of the wine we drank at Novelty Hill, so we headed to Mark Ryan, probably one of the most unique tasting rooms I've visited. Their website does absolutely no justice. They had a rock and roll theme with vintage and modern rock and roll posters and classic rock music playing. I was totally enamoured with those rock and roll posters and now I regularly fantasize about having posters like that in my house. The wines even had edgy names, like Black Love, and Long Haul. I think one of the best parts of this winery, (aside from that gorgeous yellow buffet) is the restored Indian motorcycles on display in the tasting room. I love brands that take two unexpected elements and combine them together to form their identity. The combination of "classy wine" meets edgy rock rebel is looking pretty good so far at Mark Ryan!

Across the parking lot from Mark Ryan is Alexandria Nicole, one of the 2011 Washington Wineries of the Year. Their tasting room is located in the cellar portion of a cool old schoolhouse, giving it a cave-like feel. Apparently Alexandria Nicole also sponsors "glamping" trips in their vineyards. Sneak peek at Glamping in a vineyard. Um, yes please.

If you're the type that likes to mix things up a little bit, you're in luck because Woodinville has a fledgling distillery industry as well. We made a quick pitstop at the Woodinville Whiskey Company. Currently all their whiskeys are still white dog, which means clear and unaged, so it's got a more mild and smooth taste. Great for non-whiskey drinkers.

I'd keep an eye on them. Not to mention, you can buy your own mini whiskey barrel for tabletop aging.

During this trip, we also ate some great food. I'll be sure to post about the restaurants we visited very soon. But in the meantime, check out Willows Lodge if you are looking for a destination hotel in the Seattle area!

La dolce vita found.

Today I have done nothing but go-go-go. I was on the road at 8am, a box of a dozen Voodoo doughnuts in tow, pedal to the metal to Bremerton, Washington. Then I just barely made the 1:45 ferry to Downtown Seattle for yet another. Then I found myself in one of my absolute all time favorite coffee places ever, Caffe Umbria (doesn't matter the city). The Portland location is in the bottom of The Casey in The Pearl, but in Seattle it's nestled into an old brick building on Pioneer Square. I love this cafe, because aside from making fantastic coffee, it reminds me to live la dolce vita. Work to live, savor the small things, live and love life. So I put my cell phone in my bag, closed my email, stopped working (for a second) and opened my blog, and began to dream about dinner.

In honor of my la dolce vita found moment in Seattle today, I want to tell you all about the place I am dreaming of at the moment, the Purple Cafe and Wine Bar . Like Caffe Umbria they have a few locations, sadly none in Portland. I visited the one in Woodinville on a recent and much needed sanity excursion, aside from the slightly overwhelming presence of wrought iron accessories in the place, it exudes la dolce vita. People are chatting, lingering and savoring. There was a great menu. It was a cold to the bone kind of day when I visited. I wanted warm and filling comfort food, so I got the brie en croute appetizer to start, lobster mac and cheese, and finished with their house made sea salt caramels. On Foursquare everybody was raving about the pizza at Purple Cafe, so D got the Gorgonzola and pear pizza. I'd have to say the pizza was nothing to write home about, but the lobster mac was absolutely decadent, the right blend of cheeses, pasta was perfectly al dente, and it was steaming hot. The sea salt caramels were pretty good too (also a Foursquare recommendation).

Sorry no pictures, they're on my other computer at home! But I'll try to remember to load them in when I get back tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a cell phone shot at Caffe Umbria:

Look at that fantastic marbled foam on top of my latte. Now that's art.

Pies and Pints in Seattle

I have a confession to make. I love pot pie. It's terribly unhealthy. Especially the frozen kind from the store. I got one at Costco once and the first ingredient listed was partially hydrogenated oil. So when I met up with a friend after a long day of statistics and corporate finance class and she suggested pot pies, I could barely contain my excitement. Actually I didn't really bother to try and contain it.

Pies and Pints is on 1215 NE 65th St. in Ravenna. It's has an Irish pub feel and is a great place to tuck in some comfort food and a cold beer. The pie (on the right) was chicken in a thyme cream sauce, with a "side" of macaroni and cheese, the cheese had a hint of beer taste to it. Which complimented my beer nicely. ;) I can't attest to the potential levels of trans fat, but it didn't taste like a frozen box to me.

They have a pot pie and a macaroni and cheese of the day. And their happy hour is 4-6pm Monday-Friday and 10:30-close every night.

Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle

You may be asking yourself what this glorious picture is and where you can obtain this deliciousness. If you're often out and about town in West Seattle, you've got to stop at Bakery Nouveau at 4737 California Avenue, right down the street from Cupcake Royale. Like how all my directional references use pastries as landmarks?

This my friends, is a cherry vanilla croissant. The cherry filling paired perfectly with the subtle vanilla flavor in the pastry, it was perfectly flaky, and a teensy bit sticky. But it was really the flavor blend that made it fantastic.


As you can see, their pastries are beautiful. Bakery Nouveau also has a case of handmade french macaroons, which evokes painful memories for me, because I ordered a bag of them and my wonderful dog ate them. No joke. I still haven't forgiven her for that.

I like to think she at least felt guilty about it.