Tanning Is Out

[trip style = sun]

{Editor's Note: In addition to the below tanning tips, also see my interview about playing it safe in the sun with The Canadian Cancer Society! What an honour to collaborate with such a worthy cause!}

I travel to a lot of sunny places {though there are still a bazillion destinations I'd like to see}, but I'm far from a bronzed miracle and proud of it. Here's an excerpt of questions I'm often asked when I come home from the tropics: Friend: Weren't you just in Hawaii? Me: Yes. Friend: Where's your tan? Me: It's muted, I wear A LOT of sunscreen.

The Canadian Cancer Society and I have been recently chatting about sun safety, and when I heard about the Tanning Is Out campaign, I wanted to support the plea to raise awareness about the dangers of sun exposure and tanning bed use, given my passion for sun protection and obsession with hats and sunscreen.

A Speech I remember doing a speech about sun safety in grade 4. Looking back, it is always something I've been interested in, but it wasn't until I was 25---and about to leave for my honeymoon in Jamaica---I started taking it really seriously. I cringe when I think about my early Trip Styling days in university, spending my 'reading breaks' in Honolulu. I would hit the tanning bed pre-trip, spend 8 hours of the day on the beach sans sunscreen, and rationalize that my almost florescent red burn would turn into a tan... My teenage and 20-something self should have taken my grade 4 self's basic instructions...

One Fine Day One event that forced me to get serious about sun protection was the discovery of Melasma on my face---a skin disorder where sun exposure causes symmetrical dark marks on the skin. Luckily, the larger, freckle-like splotches fade with creams, but the best way to manage it is with highly limited and strategic sun exposure {see more below}---a sometimes tricky task for an outdoor-loving and sun-seeking Trip Styler.

Opportunity & Responsibility With opportunity comes responsibility. Whether it's spending time outside enjoying The West Coast's glorious summer weather, jetting off to a sun-drenched island or even skiing at the top of Blackcomb {we can't forget about sun protection in winter}, I don't take the opportunity to be under nature's heat lamp lightly. I try to enjoy it responsibly using the following precautions:

• Face - Apply broad spectrum protection 30spf in winter/70spf in summer, or anytime I'm in a literal hotspot.
• Body - Apply a minimum of 30spf sunscreen before and at regular intervals during sun exposure.
• Hat - I keep one with me at all times---in my purse, the car, and in my suitcases---and don it when I run, or am out and about. I just purchased a hat with an 8" brim to wear when I'm in the desert or tropics. It is very chic, aside from the fact that it's the size of a child's umbrella!
• Time - Yes, I spend time in the sun, and LOVE relaxing by the pool or beach, or out on the water, but I do so wearing 30 - 50spf sunscreen and often spend the peak hours {11am - 4pm} sipping umbrella drinks in the shade.

I used to be embarrassed about my white face, but now it makes me happy knowing I'm following dermatologists and beauty experts' MOST IMPORTANT anti-aging rule: wear sunscreen daily {even if it's cloudy}. And if I'm feeling really pale, there's always bronzer, self-tanner, a spray tan or creams with a light shimmer to the rescue!

PS - if you like musicals, check out this entertaining 3-minute Tanning is out video. Also find more information on the Tanning is Out campaign on its website and Facebook group. {Including their logo, conceived by heather, our travel fashion contributor.}

{photo by @nate_fri, taken of 70 spf-adorned @tripstyler wearing a hat, cover-up and sunglasses on Wilson Island in Australia}

Summer 2011 Travel Gadgets [1/2]

{Editor's Note: This summer we're transitioning from Travel App Tuesday to Tech Tuesday. We're looking forward to continuing to talk travel apps, as well as other travel tech!}

Musical Beach Towel trip style = staycation Who needs headphones when you can hook your iPod or Mp3 player up to your towel and pump your summer tunes? A beach towel and music player with waterproof, built-in speakers in one. Just don't drop it in the pool. Powered by rechargeable batteries, the musical towel comes with a headrest that turns into a backpack, to carry the contraption. *Currently only available in Europe. If you must have it now, buy it from Amazon UK for $116 usd. That's a fancy towel!

Get Paid Back Easily On A Group Trip trip style = various {anything that involves a group} This product brings the future to the present. Plug the tiny square credit card reader into your iPhone or Android device to swipe and process payments from anyone carrying plastic money. This little gadget is particularly helpful for group travel when the need to keep a running tally of who-owes-who-what always seems to be a reality. Save your restaurant server the grief of running 12 credit cards and sort it out afterwards. Plus, pay your friends back with your {travel} credit card, and get the points too! *Note, currently this product is only available in the US, but it's likely to come to Canada shortly.

iPhone Beer Bottle Opener trip style = various Only the beer-loving Aussies would think of this! The iPhone 4 just got a new, rugged case complete with a bottle opener. Created by two early thirties guys from Melbourne who developed the prototype, and then took to the world wide web to raise the funds to make the product a reality. All they wanted was an easier way to open bottles with something they always carry with them, now they have it, plus the first 100 units shipping this summer, er well, their winter! *Available for pre-order at $39.95 {Australian Dollars} here.

Stay tuned for more Summer 2011 Travel Gadgets next Tuesday!

PS - since we're on the topic of opening beer, why not wine too? Except, there's not gadget required, just something you wear every day. Here's how to open a wine bottle with your shoe! [Video - in french, but self-explanatory]

[photos of products, graphic by @tripstyler]

Jetset Jingles :: Summer Staycation

[trip style = staycation]

Endless sunshine, juicy watermelon dribbling down your face, a bathing suit to replace your business suit and a ghetto blaster---everything you need for the ideal summer day outside. July and August are the perfect months to create your own trip style = staycation, when leaving town isn't an option. Whether you’re at the beach, lakeside, on a boat, or even in your own backyard, a staycation is an inexpensive and fun way to enjoy lazy days outdoors.

Along with your imagination and some sunscreen, you can't hit the beach or pool without the ultimate playlist. Playing Frisbee at the park, chasing an ice cream truck down the street, cruising the city on your bike, or sipping an ice cold drink on a patio---whatever your summer staycation of choice may be---the music below will put a smile on your face and get you pumped for some fun in the sun.

Happy Listening.

Song List 1. School's Out - Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits 2. Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams 3. Summertime (Single Edit) - The Very Best of D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince 4. Teenage Dream (Deluxe Edition) - Katy Perry 5. Moves Like Jagger (from The Voice) [feat. Christina Aguilera] - Maroon 5 6. Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club 7. Holiday - Vampire Weekend (Bonus Track Version) 8. Sun Is Shining (Fire House Club Mix) - Bob Marley 9. Smile - Lily Allen 10. Viva la Vida - Coldplay

Playlist

More Jetset Jingles Camping Tunes Aussi Songs Best of Coachella Turbulence Calm

{Jetset Jingles publishes once monthly and is mixed and mastered by Nicole, amateur DJ by night and movie maven by day.}

[Photo by Arrr!]

Healthy on the Road :: Summer Paddling

[trip style = active & adventure]

Healthy on the Road is all about the unconventional workout while traveling, and there is no better season than summer for trying something new. Longer days, warmer weather, and hopefully some vacation time create the perfect storm for activities like hiking, sailing, biking, paddle boarding, surfing and kayaking to name just a few. These sports and activities can travel with you, or be awaiting you at your destination. So don’t fret about your gym schedule falling apart this summer, get active outside and enjoy this short season to the fullest!

Try Before You Buy Perhaps you already have an activity in mind which you’ve always wanted to try, or maybe you have the time and resources to get out there and try a bunch; whatever your situation may be, I have one word of caution: try before you buy. Don’t go crazy outfitting yourself with all sorts of gear before you've tried an activity at least once. Rent, borrow, take a lesson, and then decide if this is something you’d really like to go gangbusters with!

Stand Up Paddle Boarding This is the activity which I will be taking off the beaten path this summer. The popularity of this activity has been on the rise, and for good reason---it’s relatively portable, suitable for the beginner to the advanced, creates so many options for adventures and is a great workout.

Paddling I have always loved paddling---canoe or kayak---and appreciated the natural beauty these activities have provided me with opportunities to see, but I’m not such a fan of sitting! Stand up paddle boarding solves this problem. Standing means you can see a whole lot more of your surroundings (including the beauty in the water), while challenging your balance and core. It really is a complete, full body workout. As an added bonus, the flat board is relatively easy to throw on the roof of the car with some foam and bungees, saving you the need for a complicated roof rack system!

I am looking forward to doing lots of exploring on my board this summer on ocean, lakes, streams and waterways, and have already planned it will be a big part of my summer workout routine.

So, whether you’re on your own two feet, a board, a bike or a boat this summer, be safe, work hard and have fun, and enjoy the varied workout options the summer allows!

PS - If you want to rent a canoe, kayak or paddle board this summer in Vancouver, try Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre at Granville Island, Jericho or English Bay.

{When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writes Healthy on the Road, published the first Thursday of every month.}

More Healthy On the Road… Healthy Road Trip Choices Make Any Trip Style Healthy The 20-min Exercise Itinerary Active, Relax, Repeat Healthy DIY Plane Snacks Hotel Room Exercises {You can do in your underwear}

[photo by wonderlane]

Spotlight :: Bellevue {Washington}

[trip style = weekending + urban + active & adventure + wine tasting]

Sunday morning did not start off like any other day. With my life jacket firmly fastened and my paddle gently sweeping through the glassy water, I spotted turtles instead of people and herons in place of buildings. On this peaceful morning, my main mode of transportation was a bright yellow kayak. The only reminder of the modern world was the entrance and exit to the Mercer Slough, where I paddled underneath what seemed like a bridge. Later on when I drove over this "bridge", I learned it was actually a series of concrete spaghetti-like structures that happened to be part of the I-90. In one glance I was away from it all, gliding through lilypads, and in the next glance, in the centre of it all, standing in the shadow of tall glass highrises.

This juxtaposition became my ebb and flow when I was invited to explore Bellevue this past weekend. One second I was admiring toy-like metal and mechanical animals dancing in a dim, strobe-lit room at the Bellevue Arts Museum, and the next moment I was in traditional and modern tasting rooms, twirling, sipping and sloshing the season's best in Woodinville Wine Country---only 15 minutes away.

If you spend 48 hours in the former whaling town, you'll discover activities you'd sooner associate with a waterfront metropolis than a quiet suburb. Previously I would just go to shop, eat and sleep. Now my Visa is happy to report that I've taken off the blinders that gave me shopping tunnel vision, to stop and look at what else is out there, counterbalancing the shopping with exercise, culture and upscale dining.

Bellevue's small-town-within-a-metropolis feel is what keeps me coming back. It's a worthy alternative to nearby Seattle, and one I've probably been to a half dozen times over the past year alone. In one weekend, I can shop and walk, eat out and kayak, drink coffee and taste wine, buy at Nordstrom and browse Jimmy Choo. Like the Mercer Slough flowing into Lake Washington, Bellevue is a setting where multiple trip styles converge. It's a place occupied by some of the biggest names in US business---Microsoft, Expedia and T-Mobile to name a few---but it has a lot more to offer than just Windows 7, travel search engines and former Bachelor couple Jason and Molly.

Shop The Bellevue Collection - A fusion of sophisticated shopping, dining, nightlife and upscale hotels. The Bravern - A luxury shopping experience resembling more of a Spanish villa than covered outdoor mall, anchored by Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch, Salvatore Ferragamo and Hermès. Don't miss the melt-in-your-mouth gelato at Vovito Caffe & Gelato. Nordstrom Rack - The Seattle-based department store's discount outlet.

Dine Purple Cafe And Wine Bar - A funky restaurant specializing in wine pairings and local seasonal ingredients. Try the Phyllo-baked brie. Bis On Main - Known for its consistent American French cuisine and the owner's art collection. If you were going to spot Bill Gates in Bellevue, it might be here. Monsoon East - Saigon-inspired Vietnamese cuisine in a modern setting. Barking Frog - With an impressive wine list and northwest cuisine to match, only 15 minutes from Bellevue. Must-try: deconstructed movie-theatre popcorn ice cream dessert. Cupcakes Royale - Rich and cakey cupcakes born in Seattle, bred in Bellevue. Try the Salty Caramel! Munchbar - shows MMA by day and cranks turntables by night. This resto-lounge and its cultured sister Piano Bash {dueling piano bar}, are your answer to nightlife in Bellevue. Try the crispy mac n' cheese bites or mini grilled cheeses with a tomato sour cream dipping sauce.

Stay Hyatt Regency Bellevue - $$ - Friendly staff, recently renovated with a serene winter bamboo garden. {See my trip advisor review here} Westin Bellevue - $$ -  Nice rooms, large pool and great weekend packages. {See my trip advisor review here} Sheraton Bellevue - $ - Efficient lower cost option. {See my trip advisor review here}

Do Kayak or Swim - at Enatai Beach Park only a 5-minute drive from downtown Bellevue. Walk - along one of the trails in the 320-acre wetland nature park known as the Mercer Slough. Jog - on the half-mile park loop at the tree-lined Downtown Park---a 2-minute walk from the Hyatt or Westin. Stroll - along Main Street and browse the smaller, boutique shops like Glassybaby, where each famed glass tumbler is handmade by a team of four, and multiple local restaurants feature their votives. PS - I hear locals collect every colour! Sip - drive 15 minutes to access 70+ wineries and tasting rooms in Woodinville Wine Country. Visit - the Bellevue Arts Museum, where the building is an impressive as the three storeys of art it holds dear. Don't miss the museum store---a great place to find unique gifts for people of all ages.

Getting There Bellevue is three hours from Vancouver and 20 minutes from Seattle.

[photo{s} by @tripstyler]