Need A Vacation?

I could sure use one ;p

Speaking of vacation/travel, here is the much overdue gift list for the frequent traveler in your life. I had a little help from a certain roaming gnome so hopefully it's not too boy-specific! For more ideas, check out Budget Travel's list :)

Moleskine Notebooks varies with size and type
I always pack a small ruled one whenever I travel since I like to keep track of all the sights and restaurants we visit. It also has a handy pocket in the back for stashing items. Moleskine also makes these nifty City Guide Notebooks that include a page of basic information for the specific city.

SteriPEN Adventurer $100
Have a camper on your gift list? Or maybe someone who just loves frequenting places with sketchy water situations? The SteriPEN uses UV light to purify water within minutes (1 minute for 16 oz; 1.5 minutes for 32 oz). Can't get any easier and less messy than placing a stick into a container of water and pressing a button, right?

Budget Travel $12
One of my favorite magazines of Jamie's to steal! ;p We've both been notorious for browsing Budget Travel online (how else would we be able to manage a fun trip each year?!) and last year Jamie finally subscribed to the actual magazine. There are always tons of fun stories to read (including some funny travel 'horror' stories) and great travel tips and deals. Very fun read :)

The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost $14
Jamie introduced me to this book and I actually laughed out loud several times while reading. The author writes about how he followed his wife to the small island of Kiribati in the South Pacific and all the adventures that follow. I like incorporating the bubuti system in my daily life. For more on that, read the book ;p Apparently the rest of J. Maarten Troost's books are equally chuckle worthy - Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip through the Islands of Fiji & Vanuatu and Lost on Planet China: One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation.

Bananagrams $15
I saw this on DailyCandy a few months ago and got super excited because I love word games (f you, Sodoku!). I didn't spot the actual game until we were in the airport en route to Budapest in September and I camethisclose to buying it. It's essentially scrabble without a board and letters shoved into a banana shaped sack. Lame? Nerdy? Bite your tongue.

Noise Cancelling Headphones varies
Jamie and I received a pair of Panasonic Noise Cancelling Headphones (can't find a link) before our trip to China a couple years ago and we're officially addicted. I can't even fathom using regular earbuds or (gasp!) the headsets they distribute on the plane! Ours work on battery power and have an on/off switch so you don't burn through that battery mid-flight. I think they actually lasted the whole flight from DC to Tokyo? They are totally worth the splurge if you take a ton of longer flights (I wouldn't bust these out for the DC to NY ride ha).

Nuun $7
So, say you're on a small island in the Caribbean and you accidentally consume too many bottles of fruit juice and rum...or maybe dine on some questionable conch...and you're plagued with the big D. O yes, that D. Not a bottle of Gatorade to be found ANYWHERE on the island - and you know, you need more than just water to survive the big D. Lucky you, someone wised up and packed a tube of Nuun! You've heard how much I love this stuff post-run, but who knew it doubled as a trusty travel companion?? Flavor recs - Tri Berry, Citrus Fruits, Lemon Lime.

Do you have any fun travel gadgets you recommend??

Dinners have been super boring lately - salads because they are easy. Last night's dinner was a mash up of Saturday's buffalo burgers and my favorite salad toppings. No picture because well, it was hideous. Hideous and delicious! The burger part was a last minute addition since I didn't have any spare proteins in the house and it needed to be cooked. Topped my salad with this new salad dressing I grabbed at the market
It's not exactly what I thought it would be, but it was good. Probably not the best mix for my pickled beet topping (tahini and soy are totally the opposite of sweet pickled beets), but I think this would be great on a crisp, cool iceberg salad.

I'm off to run a bunch of Christmas errands. Decided to play hooky from the office b/c I am totally burnt out between jobs and I JUST realized I haven't gone Christmas shopping, nor have I really gotten anything done at home recently. UGH. Not enough time in the world!! Google Reader is OUT OF CONTROL!!