Proof That I Can Ramble About Anything
You all have been so sweet about my tips for plus-sized clothing. It’s nice to know I’m not the only big girl just trying to look nice. Several of you commented on how ill-fitting plus-sized clothes are. I completely agree! Someone needs to write a letter to the clothing designers letting them know that just because we are heavier doesn’t mean our arms are longer or our taste for stylish clothing has disappeared.
Many of you asked about my ruffled denim skirt. It’s by ZoZo. I got it a couple of years ago at Dillard’s and paid way too much for it. So thank you for the compliments. I will be forwarding them all to James so he can see the value of buying an expensive item every once in a while. I may even print them out and laminate them for my wallet so I have it ready the next time we are shopping.
Speaking of shopping and clothes, I am getting ready to fly on an airplane next week and I am so confused. I am not clear on the liquids rules and what to do with my hairspray. Do I need to buy a teeny tube of toothpaste? Shampoo? Deodorant? I need help here people. And while we’re at it, what do I do with myself during my 8 hour layover in Denver? Is it possible to nap in an airport?
And don’t get me started on how I am going to pack for 5 days in one tiny suitcase. My hair styling tools alone will take up half of the space. No one wants to see the mess that is my hair before I plug in my straightening iron. It’s not pretty. Not pretty at all.
This weekend we will be pushing James through the last bit of tax season 2012. No one can make any loud noises and no household appliances can stop working. I have gone around the house giving lectures about the importance of keeping the peace and the A/C unit that is on its last leg has agreed to hold up for at least 5 more days. I can’t say the same for the lawnmower, but it has been the difficult child for a while now.
Looking back over this post I can see that I’ve covered it all from clothing to airports to air-conditioning.
My job here is done.
I may even print them out and laminate them for my wallet so I have it ready the next time we are shopping
What a great idea LoL
That skirt is so versatile it was a great investment piece. There that should sound good to James, right? It is the truth too, so that makes it even better!
Have fun on your trip…an 8 hour layover? Do you know anyone who would come hang out with you? We met my niece and her family at an airport 2 hours away once, when they had a long layover. We took them out to eat outside the airport and had a fun visit….
OH if I were in Denver I would gladly come and whisk you away for a few hours because DIA is well, out there that’s for sure.
And the packing issues… you can purchase a travel kit from walmart which contains clear, empty bottles with the appropriate ounces marked on the. Toothpaste, well the last time we flew they made me throw away my almost empty full sized tube…. trust me it left me a little perturbed but I consoled myself with a chocolate bar I had in my purse.
And the skirt… good quality clothing is always an investment. Isn’t it better to buy something that will last for years rather something that has to be replaced each season? So you do you think James will go for that?! 🙂
Have a wonderful trip!!
It sounds like you are taking a carry-on, correct?
A suggestion for traveling with liquids, I always like to go to either Target or Walmart and buy the travel size everything, except deoderant. They are *only* about $1 each, but it can add up if you get carried away. It has happened to me. If you are staying at a hotel, they should have shampoo and conditioner, so no need to worry on those.
I hear you on the hair styling tools. Plus the shoes, it’s not easy being a girl! So for hair product, I buy an empty container and put my favorite styling product, the one I cannot live without.
Hope you get some rest on the plane so you don’t have to nap in the airport. Some people are able to sleep anywhere, but if you’re constantly thinking and worrying that someone will take your luggage or anything of the like, then it becomes stressful. I like to take a book, or write on a journal. Or even walk around and I admit, people watch. Airports are interesting places to see intreseting people.
PS- TMI here but one time, I was traveling by myself and I had to nurse my baby. I went to the fartherst exit available, a desolate place. 10 minutes into nursing, a plane arrives and the gate right in front of me opened and dozens of people saw me nurse. Embarrassing!
Safety Travels!
http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/311_brochure.pdf
-Irene
If you are carrying on your toiletries, then yes they need to be in small (I think 3.5 oz bottles) in a clear bag or baggie to be removed at security. Fun times! If you are checking them, then they can be as big as you want. No restrictions there. I will say some airports are more strict then others. But better safe than sorry.
For traveling, if you are doing just a carry-on, no checked luggage, yes *everything* must be in those little 3 oz bottles, and YES the toothpaste must be a travel sized, cannot be a large tube mostly empty. The others can be put into small containers, as someone said.
If your deoderant is a solid, no need to go travel size. Only liquid/liquid roll-on/spray ones need to be small. Solid can be full sized. I have no idea about hairspray.
If you have a checked bag, you can pack full size in there, no problem. Or, you can use what’s at the hotel or in your host(ess)’s home, or simply go buy your favorites when you arrive at the final destination.
You *CAN* take an empty water bottle through (but not a full one) and fill it up once through security. You cannot take peanut butter. Random, I know, but I had to leave behind a full, huge jar of peanut butter once. So sad. We cannot buy peanut butter here in Brazil, unless we are willing to sell our neighbor’s kidney or something. Crazy expensive.
eight hour layover…..book? Lots of books? That might be long enough to leave and come back….or have someone meet you…? Walk around and shop? there are good shops and restaurants in that airport, you can pretend it’s an 8 hour shopping trip. Just don’t spend much, maybe buy half a pack of gum or something. That shouldn’t bust your whole travel budget. Airport prices are so high!!
Anyway, have fun!
If you have a laptop, take it. you can watch a DVD movie on it. Although some big airports have TVs attached to individual chairs. oh so nice.
I say buy the travel size toiletries and put them in your carry-on. I speak from experience here…Twice I have put toiletries in my checked bag and twice they have exploded in the checked bag. Not fun to have everything covered in shampoo, lotion, etc. Buy small and put them in your carry-on.
I missed your clothing post – so went back and read it- great job and you always look beautiful. Have fun on your trip- I would take a couple of books myself. I got stuck in an airport one day when their was a luggage handlers strike- not prepared at all, went to the bookshop and bought a book to read- The Diary of Anne Frank, still remember that 25 years later!
Tip for packing for flights. I use the big ziplock bags and roll up my outfits & put them on there. This makes more space & less wrinkles. It also helps if my soap or shampoo leaks. I also do this with my kids outfits so if dad dresses the little ones he already knows what goes together.
1. I agree with The Reader on most everything regarding Check-on and Carry-On luggage. However, every single airport is different. Every. Single. Airport. So treat the deodorant as a gel or liquid, and when in doubt about anything else that might/might not be a liquid or gel, do 3 ounces max.
2. I fast (as in “don’t eat”) food when I fly and drink ONLY a) water, and b) genuine orange JUICE (not ‘drink’). I do this for one major reason: sodium content swells up my feet and hands like an elephant’s, which makes my rings too tight and stretches my shoes. It’s horrible. ‘Pure’ liquid or beverage consumption from early morning until I reach my destination prevents misery x 18!
3. To prevent ruining my shoes if my feet should swell in the least, I wear sandals that go between the toes. These are easily slipped off/on during the security screening.
4. Often I am “ding-ding-ding” because of my long dress. Do not say, “I promise I have no bomb down there, that’s just my belly.” If I am singled out for extra security check, with a smile I request a private screening. (I have been wanded UP my skirt BETWEEN my legs before and it was one of the most humiliating experiences, even tbought the screener was female!!!!) TSA is just doing their job, but if they are rude or impolite in ANY way, I do not hesitate to report that individual. I am serious, too. Most airport TSA clerks are overly-understanding, polite, kind and mannerly, and when they are, I ask to see the manager or supervisor and compliment them all on a job professionally performed. Go ahead: Make their day. It’s a thankless job they do.
5. Eight-hour layover? Walk. Stand and read magazines in the bookstore. Whatever I have to do to move, I do it. This helps combat both the swelling and Restless Legs Syndrome.
Hope these helped. Just some tips from a gal who’s been on JUST A FEW “airplane rides.”
Oh. My. Goodness. Denver?!?! Really??? When will this be? Email me – I don’t live in Denver, but if you’ve got that much time and I can swing it, I would TOTALLY come hang out with you. I mean it. Really and truly. Please, oh please.
bunny dot trails at yahoo dot com
Dianne 🙂
Eight whole hours. No housework. No ‘Muuuuuum, where aaaaare you??’. A book, my ipod, somewhere to stretch my legs…. My idea of an idea day. (Oh, I do need a steady stream of cups of tea/coffee and chocolate/cake. I’m sure airports have these, though you may need a second mortgage to purchase them. Take your own 😉 )
you just make me smile. i cannot believe i get to “have you” sort of to myself for 5 whole days. and if you run out of hair product…to be sure…i will have plenty. 🙂
Very nice rambling – Everyone has great ideas. I am quite certain that somehow you will make yourself known in the Denver Airport, and they will all talk about you for the next 5 months. Can’t wait for that story!
By the way, what happened to Pinterest Friday?
First of all, relax – traveling by air isn’t nearly as fun as it used to be, but it’s not torture either! I remember when they treated you like you were special … yes, I am that old! Go to your airline’s website and read their specific rules because every airline does it differently as far a liquids it seems. This is all fresh to me because after years of NOT flying I flew to Bentonville, AK in the fall for a recipe contest cook-off (I didn’t win) and we did A LOT of research. I made it a homeschool assignment to find out the rules for each airline! It was fun – I took our 14 year old daughter on the trip and she was very nervous but we had a great time. I suggest that you leave extra time getting through security for the first time – if you have to repack something or shift your stuff around to avoid overweight fees, it’s nice to have time to do it without feeling rushed. Nothing like finding your seat only to realize that in your rush your deodorant let you down! You can take your biggest purse and your laptop bag as well as your carry on bag – as long as the first two fit under the seat for take-off and landing. One lady almost knocked me senseless with her giant handbag as she rushed down the isle to find her seat – after that I was super careful to carry my purse in front of me. It would be just like me to bonk some poor soul over the head unwittingly!
Like Kelley my long skirts set of the ding-ding-ding every time I went through, but I just went through again, lifting my skirt to mid calf – no big deal. They didn’t say a word about my mastectomy form which was my big concern – they must be used to them. Zippy bags are a must for all liquids (even travel sizes) and when you see how they expect you to jam the carry-on’s into impossibly small spaces, you’ll know why! We had a long layover and I treated my darling girl to sell-your-first-born expensive ice cream – we sat and people watched for hours without getting bored at all – but I don’t get out much! There was a bookstore in the airport where you bought a book and they bought is back when you were done – how fast do you read? I’ve struggled with blood clots and poor circulation in my legs so I drank lots of extra water before, during and after flights and it was a blessing (except on our last landing which was rough – I was worried about a teeny tiny bladder accident, but all was well). I didn’t swell or clot though, so I was glad for the water.
Bring some STRONG breath improving gum or candy – not for yourself necessarily, but to offer to the guy next to you who just ate garlic sausage on a toasted garlic bun with extra roasted garlic sauce and a side of garlic slaw for lunch. You will be sharing his air – might as well be as fresh as it can be!
I hope you have a great trip – I’m sure we’ll hear some fun stories of your misadventures! Are all of your skirts travel worthy or are we going to see pictures on the news of a poor nameless woman clad only in her spanx?
Hi
I know I’m late with my comment. And you have been given lots of good advice. I’m going to address your 8 Hour Layover. I think I would do a couple of things. First I would look at the airline’s website and see if they have any earlier flights. If they do, I would call them and see what the price diff would be. Honestly, 8 hours is a long time in a day that is going to be long anyways. And your time and mental health are worth something. And if you call and explain, sometimes they are nice and help you out. If they don’t have an earlier flight, I’d try to find any airline that has one from Denver to wherever you are going. Get booked on that flight, and get my money credited back to me from the original airline. I have sat in airports and it is not fun.