Holiday Gift Guide 2016

As I write this gift guide, the forecast is calling for our first snow of the season and I'm two hot apple ciders deep. Dig out the wrapping paper and blanket scarves because it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This year, we've selected 10 gift ideas for travelers, from budget-friendly stocking stuffers to stylish splurges. Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the Trip Styler team!

1/ The Poglia Porter :: It's never easy traveling with a brimmed hat unless you're prepared to wear it on every travel day. This stylish tote solves that problem with its signature hat-holding feature. Fashion and function have never looked so good!

2/ Away Carry-On :: Speaking of fashion and function, we've had our eyes on this good-looking, tech-friendly carry-on all year. This start-up luggage company offers lightweight, flexible, scratch-proof hard shell bags with a built-in battery for usb phone charging. 

3/ Charging Cord Tassel Keychain :: Speaking of clever charging, this keychain is not only a handy charging cord, but also a superlative stocking stuffer.

4/ Aesop Rinse-Free Hand Wash :: Speaking of stocking stuffers, we haven't been this excited about hand sanitizer since our late 90s Bath and Body Works phase. Shout out to our favorite scents: cucumber melon and plumeria. This hipster hand sanitizer is a traveler's best friend.

5/ Herschel Supply Kids Backpack :: Speaking of hipsters, these backpacks are the perfect gift for the traveling tot whose wardrobe is already better than yours. Thankfully, they come in adult sizes too ;-)

6/ Reks Optics Sunglasses :: Speaking of adult sizes, this new line of bendy sunglasses claims to have 10 times the shatter resistance of glass and plastic. Create the look you want from six frames, three lenses and lots of color options. We like the round frame and mirrored, polarized lenses.

7/ Island Girl Cosmetics Nail Color :: Speaking of color options, we stock up on these fast-drying nail polishes at the ABC Store every time we hit the Aloha State.

8/ Lavanila Travel-Size Deodorant :: Speaking of fast-drying time, this natural, aluminum-free deodorant will have you smelling like a tropical cocktail as fast as you can say Mele Kalikimaka. Trip Styler Tip: If you're switching to a more natural deodorant for the first time, it may take your body a few weeks to adjust, so keep it on hand for a midday application just in case!

9/ Trip Styler Store Finds :: Speaking of the tropics, we picked up these beauties in Bali and Thailand. We love the flat-packing grass-weave clutch and stone bead tassel necklace. We also love the weight and texture of the 100% cotton towels we found in Morocco.

10/ Hotel Gift Card :: Speaking of Bali, how about a visit to the Fairmont Sanur Beach or the Four Seasons Resort at Sayan? Give the gift of a night away (or four!) with a hotel gift card — most luxury hotel brands offer them, and they're a smart way to give the gift of travel to those you love. Icing on the pillow-top cake? Offer to babysit {where necessary, of course}.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Past Trip Styler Gift Guides
2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009

Jetset Style :: Blanket Scarves

Cozy has evolved from function to fashion. First came the Snuggie—a sleeved infomercial blanket—then the Poler Napsack—a personal #campvibes sleeping bag—and now the blanket scarf: the oversized scarf trend that, thankfully, won't die.

If you're in the dark about the blanket scarf, it's an oversized, square{ish}, thick, scarf that not only gives you permission to wear a throw blanket-sized accessory outside the house, but also doubles as an actual blanket whenever you need one. Picnic blanket? Check. Plane blanket? Check. On a recent fight from Amsterdam, I gave my airline blanket to my seat mate, who was travelling home from Africa. She was freezing after a month of heat, and I was toasty, covered by my Aritzia blanket scarf.

A few favorites

- Zara soft geometric scarf {$40 / 51 x 55" / 100% acrylic}
- Aritzia gloomy days blanket scarf {$85 / 51 x 63" / 100% wool}
- Oak & Fort blanket scarf {$48 / 62 x 62" / 100% acrylic}
- asos oversized square scarf {$40 / 59 x 59" / 100% acrylic}

A little outfit inspiration

A scarf-tying tutorial

Can't see the video? Click here.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
Crop it like it's Hot
Comfort Class
How to Dress like a Parisian

[collages by @heatherlovesit, outfit inspiration photos via #myaritzia, nymag and lovely-pepa.com]

Travel Apps :: Splitwise

[trip style = any]

You're on vacation with friends for a week. You paid for the hotel. Friend A drove and paid for the gas. Friend B paid for lunch, but only for himself and Friend A. Friend C bought all the groceries and she paid for them in a different currency. Friend D only joined the fun for four days. If no one moonlights as a genius mathematician, how will you settle your expenses without spoiling your vacation? Enter Splitwise, the app that takes awkwardness and confusion away from the equation of friends + money + travel.

How it works
Start a new group, name the group {i.e.,"Don't mess with Texas"} and add group members {you, Holly & Sam}. Then add individual expenses and the group members involved in each expense {i.e, bike rental & hotel in Austin}. Each group member can log in and add their bills, and then the app magically calculates what everyone owes. Bonus features: You can even add notes to expenses and settle up via PayPal.

Trip Styler Tip: If you're looking for an app to split restaurant bills, download Plates. It integrates with Splitwise, calculates tax and tip and splits shared dishes.

Download Splitwise for iOS or Android devices, or log in from your computer {$$ = Free}.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
Travel Apps :: PackPoint
Real-Time Translation

[austin images by kevin vandiver & nick simonite] 

That Travel Meal :: Swedish Cinnamon Buns

[trip style = food + wine]

I'm packing my bags for Sweden next month, and if there's one indulgence I'm already dreaming about, it's kardemummabulle. This Swedish treat isn't just fun to say; it's also fun to eat.

Bullar {buns} are a quintessential component of fika, the Swedish afternoon coffee break. You'll typically see both kanelbulle and kardemummabulle in Sweden, with the only difference being the addition of cardamom in the dough. Fika is so central to Swedish culture that it's both a verb and a noun. In Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, the authors write:

"Ska vi fika?" {Should we fika?} means "Let's take a break, spend some time together, slow down." Fika isn't just for having an afternoon pick-me-up; it's for appreciating slow living. To truly fika requires a commitment to making time for a break in your day, the creation of a magical moment in the midst of the routine and the mundane.

In a post about Stockholm's hippest hood last year, I suggested that a worthwhile activity would be to stop by every bakery in town for comparative taste testing. I stand by this suggestion, but you don't need to fly all the way to Sweden to enjoy their iconic treat. You don't even need to go to Ikea. Here's my favorite recipe for making them at home.

Kardemummabulle

Dough
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter {about 1 stick}
- 1.5 c milk
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 4.5 c all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c sugar
- 2 tsp cardamom seeds {crushed via coffee grinder or mortar & pestle}
- 1/4 tsp salt

Filling
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 c sugar
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed

Topping
- 1 egg, beaten
- Pearl sugar

Trip Styler Tip: Look for cardamom and pearl sugar in your local gourmet market.

Can't view the video? Watch it here.

Instructions

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the milk. Heat until warm to the touch {about 110°F}. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 3 tbsp of the warm milk/butter mixture. Stir and let sit for a few minutes until bubbles form on the yeast. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cardamom and salt. Yes, fresh cardamom smells like a fancy Nordic spa. Don't become too relaxed; stay on task! Add the yeast mixture along with the remaining milk/butter.

Work the dough with your hands to form a ball. Transfer to a flat surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 3-5 mins. The dough is fully kneaded when you slice into it with a sharp knife and see small air bubbles. Return dough to the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel, place it on your kitchen table and allow it to rise about one hour until it doubles in size. Do not take your eyes off the bowl for the full hour. Just kidding; that would be torture and cinnamon buns are the opposite of torture.

Grease a large baking sheet or cover it with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Set aside. Make the filling right before the dough finishes rising. Using a fork, cream the butter together with the sugar and spices until you get a spreadable paste.

When the dough has finished rising, place it on a flat, lightly floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin to a 13x21-inch rectangle. Place the rectangle on the counter with the long side facing you. Spread the filling on top of the rolled-out dough all the way to the edges. With a butter knife, mark three equal 7" sections in the dough, then fold the outer thirds one at a time on top of the middle section, creating three layers. Rotate the dough so the long side once again faces you and roll out the dough slightly. Cut 1-inch strips; you should have 18-22 strips.

Twist each strip into a rosette shape twice around your thumb and two fingers, pulling the end through the middle. There is no magic formula for this! Cover buns with a tea towel and allow them to rise for 40 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 435°F. Once the buns have risen, brush them with the beaten egg and sprinkle them with pearl sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes until they're golden on top. If you don't have pearl sugar, sprinkle the buns with granulated sugar as soon as you remove them from the oven.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
That Travel Meal :: THE Italian Cocktail
That Travel Meal :: Pok Pok Som Thai Basil Gin Rickey
That Travel Meal :: Best-in-Show Burrata at Ava Gene's
That Travel Meal :: Chevre-Prosciutto-Pear-Arugula Pizza

[images by @heatherlovesit and recipe adapted from fika: the art of the swedish coffee break by anna brones and johanna kindvall]

Travel Beauty :: Makes Scents

[trip style = any]

Do you purchase a new fragrance for every trip? I read that tip in the Paris Review recently and fell in love with the idea. The writer was quick to point out that she wasn't suggesting we purchase an expensive bottle every time we go to a cousin's wedding, but instead that we dignify a journey with its own scent.

Whether you select a new rollerball in the airport duty-free or carefully choose a scent to match your destination, this practice will allow you to create a unique sense memory for your trip. Our sense of smell connects to the part of our brain that deals with memory, motivation and emotion, which is why a scent will evoke a memory more so than any other sense.

I've selected five fragrances that originated in or were inspired by the cities to which they're attached. The first three are unisex and the next two are intended for women and men, respectively, although worn by both {I love Spicebomb even though it's from the men's department}. I'm off to Europe next month and I'm already contemplating my options: seductive and spicy for Barcelona or fresh and woody for Stockholm? With so many hours in airports, I may do both!

Trip Styler Tip: Perfumer Frédéric Malle suggests that when selecting a new fragrance, you should try on one or two and then walk around the store for 20 minutes. After that it will have settled and you'll have some confidence in whether you like it. If it still appeals, it will do for a long time; if it irritates, it will never stop.

Stockholm
Byredo Gypsy Water
Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Pepper, Juniper Berries, Incense, Pine Needles, Vanilla, Sandalwood

New York
Le Labo Santal 33
Notes: Sandalwood, Cedar, Cardamom, Iris, Violet, Ambrox, Leather, Musk

Capri
Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Arancia di Capri
Notes: Orange, Mandarin, Lemon, Petit Grain, Cardamom, Caramel, Musk

Paris
Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady
Notes: Oriental Rose, Benzoin, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk, Frankincense

Amsterdam
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb
Notes: Bergamot, Grapefruit, Cinnamon, Pink Pepper, Lavandin, Chilli, Saffron, Elemi, Vetiver, Balsam Fir, Tobacco, White Leather

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
Roll-On Essential Oils for Travel
Best Fragrances for Trip Styles
Face Masks for Frequent Flyers
The Do-It-All Cream

[images by @heatherlovesit & @tripstyler except paris photo via ignant.de]