What are your travel essentials?

One change in my life in recent months was a promotion at work (yay!) which has led to a lot more travel (I just got back from Calgary today!). As tiring as it can be, I love visiting different cities, and I actually find air travel pretty relaxing, most of the time (ie, when I don't have a snoring, gaseous man next to me or a screaming child across the aisle). All of these trips have turned me into a well oiled travel machine...here are my must haves to ensure I stay happy, healthy and entertained on trips!

1. & 2. - Thanks to Hubby, I'm now the proud owner of an ipad 2. I tend to be a little bit destructive, so the first thing I did was order this case from J. Crew to protect it! Having my ipad on my trip this week was fab - the magazines I downloaded kept me entertained during the flight without weighing me down, and the Face Time app was great for saying good night to Hubby.

3. Once I battle my way through security, the first thing I do is grab a giant bottle of water. Nothing is worse than being parched in the dry airplane cabin.

4. Simple dresses like this one from Claudia Schiffer's cashmere line are life savers for business travel. It won't constrict you on the plane, and you can walk straight into a meeting from the airport wrinkle free.

5. Did I mention I hate dry airplane air? Lip balm is a must, like this pai bergamot lip balm from Spirit Beauty Lounge.

6. It's so hard to find healthy options at the airport and in-flight that I've taken to carrying around snacks to keep me from getting ragefully hungry. The best thing about Larabars is that they have practically no ingredients - it doesn't get much more natural than a bar made only from dates and cashews!

7. I'm building up a little collection of travel-sized beauty products like this thickening hairspray from Bumble & Bumble. The less I have to worry about packing my full-sized products from home, the less likely I am to forget something crucial. Plus, no need to check baggage.

8. Sometimes I'll grab a couple of bags of my favourite teas from home ...that way on the plane I only need to ask for hot water and I'm good to go. The Kombucha in this green tea is great for digestive health, so important when you're on the road and eating restaurant food!

I hope you enjoyed this post Birdies! What can you not live without when you travel??