Rule 060 | Don't Get Your Bikini Waxed The Day Before A Beach Trip
The big finale of our special Summer Travel Series! Jessie + Gerard dive deep into their hardshell rollerbags to bring you the absolute best of their biggest travel tips. This episode is all about efficiency while adventuring, and please consider it a personal survival guide packed with resources just for you!
Thank you so much for tuning in this Summer... We would LOVE to have your support for our upcoming episodes and you can find out how to get involved with the show right over here!
In the meantime, come hang out with us on twitter or instagram and see below for this week's handy show notes...
The Official "Marriage is Funny" Travel Manual
Jessie's 6 Points to Smart Packing:
Capsule wardrobes are key. The Peppers discuss this discovery in Episode 59 and it proves the love that both partners have for form, function, and ultimate efficiency.
Choose a color scheme. Let the season and the destination determine your selection, and don’t forget that complimentary colors make it much easier to mix and match all of your pieces.
Multifunctional clothing is key. Jessie loves pieces like this drapey cardigan, and of course the Pepper Dress was literally MADE for feeling stylish on your next big trip.
Choose a uniform. Figure out what you love to wear most at certain points of transit and then OWN IT instead of trying to get creative each time. Jessie says that a great pair of compression leggings makes for the perfect base layer, and Gerard swears by his fancy leather backpack to keep his personal belongings in tow.
Keep your neutrals in check. Most accessories are either leather (or leather-like) and differing shades can cause a bit of clashing depending what else you bring to wear. Optimize the options by selecting one color (or two that are complimentary) and Jessie personally loves sticking with black and/or camel... with the occasional pop of red.
- Leave the heavy stuff behind. Shoes and handbags should be as light as possible (especially when empty), but it also makes sense to leave out bulky bras, hats, and other cumbersome pieces that you can live without.
Grab Gerard’s style faves here: red chinos, barracuda jacket, and a suede bomber.
Jessie’s favorite boutique is Moss Designer Consignment in Austin, Texas, and here is what she wore on the day she bought the world's heaviest bag.
Gerard explains that planning ahead in the food department is key to keeping Jessie healthy when they’re away from home. Things like grapefruit/oranges, sugar snap peas, protein bars and mixed nuts will keep you full and happy.
The Peppers reminisce about the time when Jessie almost got detained at customs because of a lesser-known Jamaican export.
Jessie uses this ginger tea to keep away the tummy problems and Gerard prefers the stronger method of immodium ad.
Listen in for the secret to getting a mini-fridge delivered to your hotel room so that you can hit up a local grocery store or keep your fancy leftovers cold.
Gerard can’t live without these fancy licorice bites. Or Mountain Dew Code Red. Or Smuckers Uncrustables.
Jessie realizes that Gerard accommodates her food needs so that he can LATER gripe about the make-up and skincare obsession that we’ve talked about on past episodes.
TOILETRY TIPS:
Create a strategy for staying hydrated. Drink lots of water (obviously), use a serum/moisturizer with hyaluronic acid to treat + prevent dryness, and don’t use any sort of powder on your face!
Find multipurpose products for lip + cheek. Jessie loves this aura stick from Vapour, the smile shade from rms beauty, and the plum lip stain from Fat & The Moon.
Looking for smart sun + bug defense? Prevent spills by packing this sport-spray sunscreen with a locking lid, and keep things critter-free (and chemical-free) with the essential oil bug spray from Burt’s Bees.
Eliminate offensive odors. Stick with a natural deodorant whenever possible, but feel free to use hand sanitizer spray for a B.O. emergency. Extra credit can be earned by applying your favorite essential oil blend on a travel scarf and then using it as a stylish smell-blocker.
PACKET PRODUCTS YOU CAN’T PASS UP:
Nail polish remover pads
Murad Resurfacing Peel
Starbucks "Via" instant coffee
Leaner Creamer
Collagen powder
Hand + Face Wipes
Acure Coconut + Argan Oil wipes
Whiskey
Mac + Cheese
We’ve talked about travel rewards points on the show before but Gerard uses this opportunity to dive even deeper into his favorite topic. No word yet on whether he can redeem the frozen yogurt frequent-shopper cards that Jessie has collected from across the country.
The Peppers prefer Southwest Airlines when it comes to a credit card with great earning options. The Chase credit card has extremely versatile points that can be redeemed for almost anything, and we use our American Express to get 6% cash back on our purchases. JetBlue offers family accounts in case you'd like to accrue points as a crew, but regardless of where you start: please SPEND RESPONSIBLY and don’t email us with complaints about your debt bill. (But DO message us here with any questions/additional advice.)
The Points Guy is Gerard’s go-to resource for learning, but the best place to start is with a simple sign up. We love SPG, Marriott + Kimpton for hotel stays, and most of these have transferrable or gifting options.
Download your binge-able content from Netflix or Amazon Prime instead of staring at the in-flight magazine for the umpteenth time.
Get a kindle or e-reader and then download the Overdrive app for FREE e-books (as long as you have a valid library card)! Using your prime membership will also give access to tons of free books + magazines that can come straight to your device!
Figuring out your international data plan ahead of time is the right idea, but if you want to conserve data while you’re abroad: be sure to download the Google Translate app before you go! Duolingo is also a fun way to learn the basics in many languages. (Added Bonus: Their app doubles as an iPhone game and we talk about this more in depth on Episode 18.)
Sleeping on airplanes suck no matter what, but Jessie is going to test out the Trtl Pillow to see if it makes a difference in getting her beauty sleep while on-the-go. It's part scarf / part neckbrace and will hopefully lull Jessie into a reasonable about of rest.
Magnesium supplements act as natural relaxants for tired/tense muscles and you can use the powdered or pill form depending on whatever is most convenient. Gerard swears by melatonin for this same purpose, but it makes some people groggy so you may need to test it out first.
And finally: Some say that you can speed up the jet-lag recovery process by grounding yourself in the grass with bare feet. Gerard plans to try it on our trip to Europe/Africa this fall, and Jessie is happy to have some validation of her inner hippie-girl.
Three Things We’ve Learned From Our Biggest Travel Mistakes:
Always Pack Underwear In Your Carry-on Bag
Never Leave Home Without Anti-Nausea Medication
Don’t Get Your Bikini Waxed On The Day Before A Beach Trip
TRIGGER QUESTIONS:
- Do you have a typical travel uniform that you rely on while flying or driving long distances?
- What is your road trip junk food of choice?
- If you could have tiny, individually wrapped packets of any product, what would it be?