Eating Real Food, Staying Healthy

"Your body was meant to run on good food: fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and lots of water. Eat good food!” Tom Giaquinto

I just finished watching a documentary called "FedUp" and mamma mia!  how sad it is to see the way people's poor eating habits affect their health and most importantly that of their children.  Let me back up for a second and explain my observations about the American obesity epidemic after living overseas for so long.

We've been living abroad for a while now and every time we went back to the U.S. it was impossible not to notice how America has changed over the last decades.  It was like seeing a child after a few years and noticing how much he has grown.  Our perception of America was heightened by the fact that we were not living in it and seeing it get larger every day.

I noticed our compatriots' growing waist size by realizing that every time I went back to the U.S. and bought a pair of jeans I had to reach for a smaller size even though my body was certainly not getting smaller.  Portions at restaurants were getting so overwhelmingly large, we had a hard time finishing any meal.  I had to order only one plate of the kid's menu and split it between my two boys and even then, I had leftovers to take home.  Soon, I also started splitting meals with my husband.  At the grocery store, choosing fruits and vegetables was always more expensive than buying processed foods.

This is how real food looks like, no wrappers, no brands!

Another simple observation was the super scientific fact that every time I went back to the U.S. I gained weight.  That is a recurrent comment from most visiting foreigners.  They laugh about the super large sizes found in the U.S. and talk about how much they love America's junk food.  Their advantage is that they get to go back home, eat better food and loose the weigh efforlessly.  Americans are in that respect "trapped".  The movie #FedUp opens your eyes on the subject.  I highly recommend it to every person living in America.   Hopefully you'll make better choices when it comes to what you put in your body.

A point that was highlighted at the end of the movie was that cooking home meals from real ingredients was basically the answer, and I couldn't agree more.  So, to be consistent with my wish to eat better in order to be healthy and to teach my kids to eat real food, I try to learn fun recipes and involve my kids in the cooking process.

I learned this recipe from a Japanese friend of mine, and it was approved by my teenagers.  So here it goes:

                                Nikumaki

• Buy thinly sliced meat (you can look for carpaccio meat);
• Cut carrots and string beans into long finger-size strips;
• Steam the veggies;
• Lay the meat flat and season it with salt pepper;
• Place the veggies on one end of the meat and roll;
• Once you finished rolling all your meat, season the outside of your rolls and sprinkle flour on top; 
• Pan fry them, making sure all sides are fully cooked.
• The veggies inside are already cook so you are looking to brown the meat which only takes a minute when it is carpaccio meat (very very thin).

This part is my spin on the recipe:

• Take the rolls out of the pan and set aside.  Add chopped onion or scallions to the hot pan;
• Cook until translucent;
• Season with salt pepper and a splash of soy sauce, stir for a couple of minutes;
• Pour onions over rolls and serve.  You just made Nikumaki!

Serve with a side of rice and salad.

Enjoy! And don't forget to eat real food, make the time to cook at home and reap the benefits.  Do you have a healthy recipe to share?

September 21: International Day of Peace

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.” John Lennon

This one is just a quick post to bring attention to the fact that today, September 21, is the International Day of Peace, declared by the U.N. back in 1981.  There is no Google Moodle about it, there are no articles in Yahoo news, but through the power of the internet and social media I urge you to mention it to bring awareness to the fact that without peace, the existence of all the other human rights is merely impossible.

There are so many ongoing conflicts in the world that we become numb to the realization that millions of people are, as you are reading these lines, being victims of violence, displacement and all the other horrors that war brings upon us.

Let's take a moment to make peace with those around us and do our part to make this a better world for our children.  It is my wish that those who have the possibility to travel and appreciate different cultures could come back home with renewed ideas of tolerance and mutual respect.

Have a blessed and peaceful day and if you have time check this link: http://www.peaceoneday.org

Off the Beaten Path: Rapallo

“If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”  Seneca

After living in #Italy for two years, I have seen the touristy spots and checked them off my list.  I am now more interested in finding hidden gems, where there are no tourists and where the real #ItalianLifestyle is at its best.  Searching for such destinations I arrived in Rapallo.

Rapallo is located in northern Italy in the region of Liguria which offers a wide variety of landscapes as it is home to the Ligurian Alps as well as the Italian Riviera.  The capital of #Liguria is the port city of #Genoa which has a rich history dating from ancient times and who's most famous native son is Christopher Columbus.  

In contrast to the bigger and labyrinth-like city of Genoa, Rapallo is a small seaside village where life happens at a slower pace and friends and food are the most important things in life.  It is also a good base from where to explore the famous #Portofino, the capital Genoa and from where you can even reach the renowned #CinqueTerre (Five Lands) national park  in less than an hour.

The summers are of course wonderful in #Rapallo, everyone is out at the beach during the day and in the afternoons they go for walks along the boardwalk (or Lungomare in Italian), stop for a gelato, enjoy a conversation with friends and get together before heading out for dinner.  

As I mentioned before, Italian food is very regional, something you may not know as most italian restaurants around the world offer food from all the Italian regions on one menu.  Liguria's most famous dish is the Pesto Sauce, which is normally served over a short curled pasta called Troffie, so you cannot leave Liguria without trying Troffie al Pesto! Being a seaside town, all seafood and fish dishes are also spectacular. 

As usual, I asked the locals for a restaurant recommendation and they sent me to Ristorante "Foccaceria in Riviera" located at Via Zunino 1.  It was phenomenal!  I even went there two nights in a row, it was that good.

Next month I will visit the #CinqueTerre national park, so be on the lookout for the post about it.

Arrivederci,

One Easy Thing You Can Do To Help Your Kids Adjust to a New Culture

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”  William Arthur Ward

With the beginning of the school year I've been meeting folks from different countries and backgrounds and that is a wonderful thing about being part of an international community.  After we all settle in our new routines and become more comfortable with each other, the season for the expats' national sport will begin.  And it's true, if we expats were a nation we would have a national sport: complaining about the host country.

Ok, we all need to vent once in a while and it's great to find a sympathetic audience.  Everyone has funny or horror stories to tell about a situation where our cultural differences have played us a bad hand.  But it is unfortunate if all our conversations become just that.

Take into consideration that your children are also trying to adjust to the new culture, and if you're constantly bashing the way things work and how people think or act, your children will mimic your behavior and will dismiss the locals at school negating themselves the possibilities of new friendships.  They'll believe the locals are as terrible (or as great) as you describe them.

One of the benefits of living abroad is learning to adjust, and that skill will serve your children well, way beyond their expat years.   Some kids are more forgiving and adjust a lot faster than adults.  Some others take their time to figure out their new environment.  But perceiving your positive attitude towards the move in general will help them accept this change and be more open to the new experiences.

Wether you moved full of excitement to live in a new country, following a spouse or for a great job opportunity, remember that  there is no better way to learn about your host country than befriending the locals.  

So stop! Stop before you say something negative about the host country.  And about those who never get out of complaining mode... the other day I read that successful people stay away from negative people the same way you would move away from a smoker if smoke bothered you.  Not a bad strategy at all in my humble opinion.   What do you think?

Arrivederci for now,

Italian Food: La Porchetta

“You can't just eat good food. You've got to talk about it too. And you've got to talk about it to somebody who understands that kind of food.”  Kurt Vonnegut, Jailbird

#Italian food is great, and not just because it is tasty, but because in this country they still eat like people did a hundred years ago.  "From farm to table" is not only a trend or a catchy phrase, it is a reality, and #Italians, specially those in the countryside, would not dare to touch processed food.  They normally know where their food comes from, do you?

Last weekend, I had the luxury of visiting my husband's Italian relatives up in northern Italy.  Even though we were planning on taking them out for dinner to thank them for their hospitality, that was impossible, because all the meals had already been planned, and you can't say No to your Italian relatives, specially when it comes to anything related to food. We had wonderful #homecooked meals.  One of the days, for dessert we had a simple gelato with blueberry jam on top.  They had picked the blueberries themselves and made their own jam.  I certainly have lots to learn about eating Italian-style.

Every town, or at least that is what it seems, has a type of festival dedicated to their local #cuisine or a product that grows on their land.  And like that, you have the #Festival (called #Sagra in Italian) of the Strawberry in Nemi, the Sagra del Tartufo in Gubbio or the upcoming Sagra della #Porchetta in #Ariccia.

The Porchetta is a gutted and deboned pig that is seasoned (typically with garlic and fennel) and rolled to form an enormous pork loin and then roasted over wood.  If you like meat, you would love a porchetta or a porchetta sandwich.  Porchetta is normally sold at fairs and at food trucks.  It is also served at large family gatherings or parties.

The town of Ariccia, 40 minutes south east of Rome, is synonymous with porchetta, and they host the Festival or Sagra of the Porchetta this weekend (September 5, 6 & 7 for info or reservations call 347.43.96.147).   The most popular Sagras can get very crowded and it's better to make reservations or go really early.

If you go to Ariccia any time other than during their Porchetta Festival you can always savor their famous dish.  A local recommended the restaurant  La Arriciarola (Via Borgo S. Rocco, 9, Ariccia) and I have to say, I couldn't finish their sample menu, the food just kept coming.

I hope I can find some time to visit Ariccia this weekend but if not, here is a website that list all the Sagras in Italy (click here).

Arrivederci,

L'Aperitivo, the Happy Hour (with recipe!)

“Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.” Walt Whitman

One of the things you learn when you move to Italy is that in order to get a (mini) cup of coffee, you don't go to a coffee house.  You have your coffee at "The Bar", a place that before living here, my brain only associated with alcohol.  My kids also buy ice-cream and juices at the school's bar.  

Now, the bar after a certain hour does serve alcoholic drinks and then it all makes sense.  L'aperitivo is a break on your busy day, after work, when you stop at "il Bar" for a drink, call it a glass of wine, a beer or the famous Spritz, which has become my personal favorite.  The bars normally provide a few appetizers with your drink, ranging from salted peanuts, pieces of pizza to potato chips.  A nicer bar will provide mini sandwiches, olives and cheeses.  For me, if I had a nice lunch, the apetitivo doubles as a light dinner.  But in reality it just prevents you from starving while you wait for a dinner that does not start until eight o'clock at night, at the earliest.

If you have not heard of this Italian favorite, the Spritz is a mixed drink that is light and summery.  It is a mix of Aperol (an Italian bitter), Prosecco (Italian bubbly) and soda water.  It's not too sweet, it doesn't have added sugars, so let's pretend is low calorie, ok?

Of course enjoying an Aperitivo is part of the Italian's DNA.  Think "La Dolce Vita".  The Aperitivo time is perfect to meet  with your significant other after a long day at the office, to catch up with friends after the summer break or just to enjoy the sights of this beautiful country.  I love  going downtown #Rome for an Aperitivo.  And remember, if you show up at a restaurant at 6:00 pm, you will be way too early for dinner, but the time will be just right for enjoying a Spritz.

On a last note, I already checked and Aperol is available in the U.S.  ;)

Arrivederci,

Things to Do While in Rome: The Pantheon

“The purpose of all the major religious traditions is not to construct big temples on the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts.” Dalai Lama XIV

Despite the quote above, Romans did build big temples to their Gods, and the best preserved temple around Rome is the Pantheon.  The word "Pantheon" in greek means temple of all Gods and as such, it was built in the years 25-27 B.C.  and reconstructed by Emperor Hadrian during 118-125 A.C.  It only became a Catholic church in the year 609 when it was renamed as the Church of Saint Mary of the Martyrs.

The #Pantheon's magnificent architecture alone, is enough to make it a stop on your itinerary.  The building, apart from its front portico, is circular and its dome has a nine meter oculus that lets the sunshine (and  rain, and rose's petals on Pentecost's mass) in.   

The Pantheon is on the south side of the "Piazza della Rotonda", which is a city square with a fountain with an obelisk at its center, and restaurants and shops all around.  You'll arrive there by navigating the narrow cobble stone streets of downtown Rome, it's all of Rome in one place: ancient architecture, ambiance and great food.

Talking about food, I had a great fish dinner at Hostaria De Pastini, steps away from the Pantheon.  And if you are more of a meat lover, you should definitively try Maxela, with a butcher's counter at the entrance of the restaurant, you will surely get a nice cut, cooked to perfection.  The portions are a bit smaller compared to its American counterparts, but that is not a problem because a few steps from the restaurant you'll find Gelateria Della Palma, with more that 150 flavors of gelato, you will certainly find one or two, or three, for your perfect italian desert.

And that my friends is a suggestion for a perfect night stroll in good ole #Rome.

Arrivederci,

Helping Your Kids with their First Day in a New School

“I felt excited to go to school, and that scared me." Stephenie Meyer, Twilight.

I am still a few days away from sending my boys back to school but I can't stop wondering if they feel the butterflies in their stomachs, the ones I felt when I was a kid. I went to the same school from kindergarten to  the 12th grade, but my kids have attended six different schools around the world, and so far, they've always had smooth first days.

So, how can you help your kids feel more at ease on their first day at a new school? Here are a few tips:

1. Will you know someone attending the new school who could help them on their first day?  International schools (read how to choose the right one for your kid here) are pretty good at helping new kids navigate around on their first day.  If your school doesn't have a program to welcome new students, don't hesitate to request a "sponsor"for your child.
2. Visit the school before the first day of classes and give your child a chance to familiarize him or herself with their new surroundings.
3. Make an effort to attend the orientation programs.
4. Ask your child if he/she has any questions about their new routine and try to help them find the answers.  I know my kids were always worried about getting into the wrong school bus and getting lost in an unfamiliar city.
5. Write you home/work address and phone numbers on a piece of paper and put it in their backpacks so, in case or an emergency, they'll know how to contact you (have the card translated into the local language).  Of course if they're old enough a cell phone might not be a bad idea.
6. Will a new outfit (new backpack, new lunchbox...) give them the extra confidence they need?  Maybe worrying about what to wear will take some pressure away from the awkwardness of the first day.
7. If they're attending the same school as last year, help them connect with classmates before the beginning of school, so they can catch up and share some of their summer stories before school starts.
8. Remember, as you may be more nervous than them, try to keep your cool and radiate the confidence they need.
9. Volunteer at school.  Seeing you around and participating will help them feel part of the new school.
10. Remember, they are going to be fine.  You survived; they will, too.

Do you have any other tips to share?

Traveling the World...Around Your Home

"...‘home’ must always be the loveliest spot in the world, no matter what fairer lands may lie under alien stars."   L.M. Montgomery

I'm sure by now you've heard the word "staycation", if you haven't, it describes a time of vacationing around your own home town.  I have been doing this before the word became hip, and what a fun concept it is!  Ok, my home happened to be in exotic places, but if a vacation at a far away land is out of the question, why not try seeing your city with new eyes?

This summer I spent time around the D.C. metro area, recently named by Forbes magazine, the coolest American city of 2014.  And I agree, what a cool city it is!  Even though I used to live in the area I approached my time there trying to see the city with new eyes.  I tried to walk paths I hadn't visited before and used my acquired exploration skill back home.

One of these very important exploration skills is: TALKING TO PEOPLE.  Yes! As simple as that!  No matter where you are, locals know best!  During my time in D.C. I was using a dry cleaning service often and started talking to the clerk, who happened to be Korean.  Since my family loves Korean food I asked her about a good Korean restaurant around the area.  She pulled out this D.C./Korean yellow pages and gave me names and addresses of a couple of her favorites.  Needless to say we tried her advise and had a fantastic meal at Yechon Restaurant, which is open 24/7.

If you don't know what to order at a Korean restaurant try Bulgogi, their BBQ meat which comes with white rice and several small bowls of pickled veggies and other yummy things.  Or try their Bibimbap, a meal in a bowl, containing rice, fresh mixed vegetables, meat and a signature fried egg on top. Makki rolls were also great.  The waitresses wore authentic Korean costumes and that just made me feel I was in a place far away from home, at least during lunch time.

I love the diversity you find in the U.S. not only because it makes us better, but also because I certainly love trying different ethnic foods and learning about interesting cultures.  Why am I always talking about food?  I don't know, but, do you know of an ethnic restaurant around your area you haven't tried yet?  What are you waiting for!  It's like taking a trip without the plane ride...

Enjoy life around your home or in the destination of your summer travels.  Do you have a useful traveling tip to share with me?

Best,

Rome on a Budget: Inexpensive Meals

"The best things in life are free.  The second best things are very, very expensive." Coco Chanel

When there's a will, there's a way; and there is certainly a way to visit Rome without spending a fortune, at least on meals.  Here I'll give you some insider's tips on how to plan your Roman vacation ...on a budget.

Pizza Al Taglio

I'm sure one of the "must eat" items on your list is pizza.  Pizza in Rome is a must, even though it is very different to what you have probably tried outside of Italy.  Roman pizza has a thin crust and the budget-friendly way to eat it is "al taglio". What does that mean?  By the cut.  There are chains (like "Alice") or just small places where they have the oval pizzas on display.  They put out several flavors and you pick yours and pay by weight.  Most likely the server will have a pair of scissors and will point to what is a normal portion.  Use hand signals to express you want a bigger or smaller piece and  they'll make the cut where you indicate.  A regular portion of Pizza Margherita (cheese pizza) goes for around 4 euros.

Panini

A "panino" is a sandwich, but again, it's somewhat different to an American sandwich.  In Italy, they don't really mix lunch meats.  You can find a salami and cheese panino or a mortadela panino, but you will not find a salami/mortadela/turkey-ham panino piled up with sauces. A nice panino will set you back around 4 euro.

Tavola Calda

Tavola Calda literally means "hot table".  These cafeteria-style eateries are all around Rome and they offer home made meals and pizza by the slice.   They normally have a sitting area but you can also ask for your meal to go.  

Lunch Buffets

Many places around office buildings offer a lunch buffet that normally goes around 10-12 euro per person.  Some include wine.  A couple of my favorites downtown are Gusto, located at Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9, Roma 00186, and Elle Ristorante located at Via Vittorio Veneto 8, Roma 00187  Note: In some lunch buffets you are only allowed to serve yourself once.

Of course you have to enjoy a nice meal at a nice restaurant too.  Just stay away from the ones that say "Menu Turistico" or "Tourist Menu" and you'll be alright.  Enjoy eating in Rome and "Mangia, mangia!" (eat, eat!).  Do you know of a great and inexpensive restaurant in Rome?  Let us hear about it!

Until the next time.

Things to Do While in Rome: A Visit to Cinecitta

“Life's like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending.” Jim Henson

Are you a fan of #Italian #movies?  Do you get Fellini's cinematic style?  Then a visit to Cinecittà is a must for you.  #Cinecittà is the Italian version of Hollywood. Their studios are still in use and they have tours that will show you around the sets and tell you movie trivia with which you can later impress your movie fanatic friends.

Cinecittà is easily accessible by metro.  Take the metro A to the Cinecittà stop, and voilà, you made it.  It's better to take the tour as you can only access the studios with the tour.  You will still have time visit on your own the #Fellini House and another pavilion where they have small displays about the different stages of movie making magic.  It will take you a couple of hours to visit Cinecittà and if you love movies, it's time well spent.

There is a very cute caffè inside the grounds of Cinecittà that it's all decorated with a cinematography theme.  Food is also good, as you can imagine.  The store is located adjacent the caffè; there you'll find    t-shirts, coffee table books and all kinds of merchandise that will make you remember your visit to this magical place. 

Tip: Next door to #Cinecitta there is a mall (with parking), if you feel like doing a little shopping while you are there.

Arrivederci,

The Saddest Month of the Year

“Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” Albert Camus

There is one thing that makes it easy for a friendship to start, common ground.  When you arrive to a new city and are trying to figure things out, and someone says "I know how you feel" or "me too, I also moved around a few times…" you just met a new friend.  

The one thing I've learned about the #expat community is that it is a very generous and caring one.  We all know what it is to be the new kid in town and not knowing where to start.  Helping each other out just comes naturally.  Sharing fun times, discovering your host city and keeping each other sane, create a special bond. 

As we are all miles away from  our  family, we become our own mismatched family, the one we chose.

Unfortunately, for an expat, when June comes around, before you start looking forward to your summer plans, you know you'll have to say goodbye to some of your friends.  June is the saddest month for an expat family.  There is no easy way about it, only to think that true friendships withstand time and distance and can pick up where they left off, no matter how long it's been.

To all my expat friends leaving this year, I wish you the best of luck and I really hope our paths cross again very soon.  I'll miss you but I'll take you forever with me, in my heart.

As usual, I'm scheduling visits with friends with whom we parted before and now just happen to be on the course of my summer vacation.  It gets easier with time...

Arrivederci, in Italian, means until we see each other again.  Just the word I was looking for.

Things to Do While in Rome: Trastevere

“Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.”  Walt Whitman

Looking for a fun place in Rome to dine "al fresco" or just hang with your friends in a piazza? You'll have to look beyond the Tiber river and into Trastevere. 

Trastevere is a neighborhood in Rome, south of the Vatican.  It is a 20 minute walk from the Vatican, so if you go to Saint Peter's Basilica early in the morning, you can make you way to Trastevere for lunch.  Just follow the river until you reach the bridge called Ponte Sisto, and Trastevere will be on your right.

This neighborhood has a unique personality. Narrow cobble-stone streets, restaurants and bars all around, clothing lines hanging from the windows, it has it all.  I even appreciate the graffiti on the doors, despite their transgressive nature, they're part of this neighborhood's laid back and fun atmosphere. Trastevere feels vibrant at any hour of the day, but specially at night.  There are a few foreign universities nearby so it always attracts a young crowd.

Whether you want to savor a good gelato on a hot day, have a dish of pasta at reasonable prices or enjoy a few beers at night, you can make Trastevere your destination.  A couple of good gelaterias are "I Dolci Di Checco" at Via Benedetta 7 and "Gelateria del Viale" at  Piazza Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli 9F.

Street performers, specially on weekends, come out to entertain the crowds.  So, wear comfortable shoes and go take a walk around Trastevere.  You may just find your favorite spot in Rome.

Arrivederci,

Nemi: The Town of the Wild Strawberries

“But don't forget, in the meantime, that this is the season for strawberries. Yes.”  Clarice Lispector

Last weekend I was looking for a destination near #Rome and my #Italian friends recommended I visit #Nemi, the town of wild strawberries or "fragoline".  I was so lucky my visit coincided with the town's annual strawberry festival.  Every town in Italy has some kind of special day for their culinary specialty, called "Sagra" so you have the Sagra of the Truffles, Sagra of the Ricotta, Sagra of the Roses, you name the food item, there is a Sagra somewhere for it.  If I could, I would go to all of them!

Nemi is a small town overlooking a lake of the same name, a volcanic lake located 40 minutes south of Rome.  The lake is small compared to others in the region but was favored by Emperor Caligula who built two luxurious vessels that after his death were sunk into the bottom of the lake.  For three euro you can visit the Museum of Roman Ships opened daily from 9am to 6pm except on Sundays when it closes at 2 pm.

But what brought me there were the wild #strawberries!  Small in size but full of flavor.  Of course I had to try the wild strawberry tart, the crepes with wild strawberry toping, the strawberry liquor....

Next time I will go on a hike in the forrest near the lake, and that will be my reason to go back to Nemi.

Arrivederci,

How to Pack for Your Weekend Trip

"One never realizes how different a husband and wife can be until they begin to pack for a trip." Erma Bomberk

After many years "on the road", if there is something I've gotten good at is packing.  As an expat, I have packed countless times for many different situations, but here I'm going to talk about the fun kind of packing, packing for a weekend trip.

Depending on your destination and the season, you'll have to make some wardrobe adjustments, but the following rules apply to all kinds of situations:

 

1. Make sure everything matches! If you are packing two pair of pants and 4 tops, make sure the pants will go with any of the tops, so you can mix and match almost limitlessly.

2. Pick a base color (black or brown) and stick with it.  If you like to color coordinate, picking a base color will save you on having to pack both a black and a brown belt, black and brown shoes, a black purse and.....you get the idea.  I normally choose black but I can go for skin tones during the warmer weather.

3. Unless you are going to a super informal destination, always pack a nice dress, you never know when you're going to need it.

4. Make sure you choose very comfortable outfits.  Nowadays, with ballerinas and cute sandals, you can look charming and be comfortable at the same time.  Remember that you most likely will do a lot of walking.

5. Pack your accessories!  Depending on how you use them, you can change the look of an outfit by simply adding a statement necklace and changing your shoes.  Think a black t-shirt and jeans for the day; adding a jacket, a scarf and heals, and you're ready for the night!

6. Prefer wrinkle-free materials.  Silk and jersey items don't take any space in the suitcase and don't wrinkle as much as other natural materials.

7. Pack you belts open, bordering the perimeter of the suitcase.

8. Fill your shoes with small items like socks or sun glasses in their cases, that way the shoes will not loose their form and you'll be utilizing all of your precious space.

9. If you are traveling by plane and checking in your suitcase, and your suitcase does not arrive at your destination, what will you need the most? (an extra t-shirt, underwear, make sure to include them in your carry-on)

10.  If you are traveling with infants or young kids, carry with you an extra outfit for the kids and one for yourself.  I can't tell you how many times I had to pull the extra shirt out of the carry-on when I traveled with my (motion-sickness-prone) little ones.

But most of all, enjoy your trip!!