Mobile blogging from BlogHer!

Hi friends, its been awhile... I know, I know. Blame it on travel month. (Free internet in hotel rooms is not as common as you might think...) At least I was able to work in a trip to BlogHer in San Diego! Which is awesome by the way. If you'd like to follow along live, keep up with my tweets at @LittleAshleigh. And of course I'll have more to share when I return home. (I still have to fill you in on Asia, Vegas and L.A. oh, and birthday hair!) See you all soon. Next week is NYC!

P.S.That's me and Brawny Man. What a stud.

The September Issues

It's that time again, the glossy and glamorous September issues have arrived. Right on top of my yet to be read July and August issues... This is one of three stacks of magazines in my floor, waiting to be devoured. I must admit it's a bit overwhelming. But travel month (which turned into nearly 40 days) will do that to a person.

So basically, since I'm assuming you guys are much more caught up than I am -Which is your favorite? What are you loving?? Are we ready for Fashion Week???

P.S. Let's be buddies!  Facebook / Twitter

Got Baggage?

A peek inside my carry-on bag

Though I've always been a particular packer, in the last year I've perfected my version of a well edited suitcase. Since I’m usually traveling alone it’s up to me to lug the bags so I like to be a light as possible. One of the things that always blows my mind is the amount of stuff people bring onto airplanes as carry on items. When I’m checking a bag and don’t have to worry about liquids or large items (and assuming my daily items - wallet, phone, iPod, sunglasses, etc. - are in my handbag) here are my absolute carry-on essentials.

Domestic flights:

• Documents – Flight itinerary/hotel confirmation/directions/transportation info
• Makeup – if my luggage gets lost and I have to wear the same shirt for 3 days in a row, at least my face will look decent. (Purchasing single items of clothes in a pinch is much cheaper than temporarily replacing an entire makeup collection.)
• Camera
• Laptop – fully charged
• Cell phone charger
• Travel liquids – only the necessities, usually just hand sanitizer/lotion
• Light jacket – I favor this military one. It’s light enough to crinkle into my bag or use as a pillow, yet warm enough to knock off the chill. Pashmina’s are another popular option. In fall/spring, I pack my heavy coat in my checked luggage and retrieve at baggage claim.
• Peppermint – in gum or candy form can help ward off nausea.
• Reading material – book and/or magazine’s
• Recycled napkins – grab a couple from Starbucks on your way to the gate and stash for a pre-landing facial oil blot. (Facial mists are popular for dry skin.)
• Bag of almonds & cranberries. Peanuts aren’t free anymore folks.
• Bobby pins – make an in-flight bun and remove upon landing for extra volume. (Don’t bother pre-bunning, some pins can set off the metal detector.)
• Jewelry case – keep the good stuff nearby at all times.
• Business cards – because locals have the best scoop!

 International flights:

 All of the above plus:

• Passport
• Cozy socks – an absolute must have, even in the summer. Not just socks, but the fluffy, furry kind. You’ll thank me. Airplane floors are freezing, especially in the middle of the night.
• Travel liquids – as above plus makeup removers/creams
• Toothbrush/Paste – you'll want this after 14 hours.
• DVD’s for in flight laptop movie viewing – don’t forget the headphones.
• Laptop charger
• Optional – Non electronic projects: this is an excellent time to write cards/letters/thank you notes or birthday greetings for the month. They’re lightweight and can be mailed from the hotel.

Sometimes I like to consolidate to a small over the shoulder bag so my i.d. and boarding pass are easily accessible, packing my larger empty handbag in my checked luggage. Additionally, you may feel the need to carry-on other electronic chargers, you never know when your flight will be delayed, cancelled or worse, lost luggage!

I hope these come in handy for you, at least now I have a list standard list that I can refer to in the future, until now, it’s been in an excel format.

Happy travels!  

Cleanse Complete!

 via

At the end of January hubby and I embarked upon our first ever cleanse. Though the idea of a system reset has always been appealing, up until this point the thought of a cleanse terrified me. There are so many options out there, many of which, in my opinion are extreme. And if there's anything I'm not all about, it's extremes. So when I noticed a friend doing this one and sharing what appeared to be normal food (!) on Instagram I picked her brain. Cut to - we ordered the supplements, picked a 10 day slot (the 2nd hardest thing about the cleanse) and planned our weekly menu. Now here we are, cleanse complete and feeling great. But let's recap a bit, shall we?

As a vegetarian my first concern was that I'd starve, feel weak and tired, or just fail. I'm not saying it's healthy, but a bulk of my "fullness" comes from breads and starches. To ease my worries and get excited we geared up with some healthy grocery shopping, and with our friend (aka cleanse coach) created a special Pinterest board with approved meals and tips to make it through.

The rules: no dairy, grains, sugars or alcohol - seems somewhat manageable. I really thought I was eating not too far from healthy. Just cutting out a few key areas. Until you realize that everything has sugar in it, everything. Whole wheat healthy looking tortilla's - sugar, organic marinara - sugar, natural peanut butter - sugar. Ugh! Sure it might not be ridiculous amounts, but I really wanted to do this right, so a label checker / homemade everything maker I became. And here's what I learned:

• This particular cleanse includes a fiber drink for the mornings - Peaches and Cream is the best flavor. Citrus is too chunky, and whatever you do, don't let it sit  - chug it before it solidifies! 
• The second and third day were the hardest. (Should have had more water.)
• Sugar is in everything (did I mention that?)
• Zucchini "pasta" is fabulous.
• Cauliflower "mashed potatoes" are delicious.
• Did I mention water? It's imperative. 
• Two weeks after completion, I'm really sensitive to sugar (not a bad thing I guess.) I used to gulp a venti iced chai from Starbucks like nobody's business but those days are over. Now, my sweet treat is a small glass of almond milk and a piece of dark chocolate, more than that and it's bellyache central.
• I really did miss wine though. And cheese. 

Before we started I had just returned from nearly a month of travel. "Road food" had taken it's toll on me and I felt completely gross. A few pounds were lost, but the ultimate goal was just to feel better, healthier, and make the grossness go away. Mission accomplished. Now I'm having a food research moment and engulfed in this book. 

How are you eating healthy these days? 

Of course.

It's the mooost wonderful tiiiiime of the yeeear. And if you work in any form of retail, it's also the most stressful/exhausting time of the year!

My mom e-mailed this print on one of my busiest days last week and it perfectly capture's my career in one sentence. I love this always changing industry, but man is it crazy at Christmas!

It's been wild this week, as will the next one, so I apologize in advance for the disappearing act around here. Don't get me wrong, I'm completely excited and feel beyond blessed to have a busy social calendar, a job that I love in the industry that I love, an entire month of travel plans (more on that later), and the joyous holiday season ahead. But if you're like me and the of fear forgetting something is as real and akin to the fear of say, heights or spiders, then you realize the planning that goes into such situations. My spreadsheets of lists (yes, plural) rival that of the U.S. Constitution in detail. No task left behind!

Hope you're all well and I hope to be back in spurts to spread some holiday cheer. Happy weekend!

P.S. Rules for a successful holiday.