4 Things I Always Have In My Carry On

Winter is officially upon us, and when I'm thinking about the types of things I have to pack no matter where I'm going only one thing comes to mind: germs. I kid, I kid. But one thing that does ring true is that we all have our own must-bring essentials that ensure we'll stay healthy, comfortable and sane as we take to the skies. So if you've got room to spare in your carry on, read on for 4 of my in-flight faves that stay stashed under my seat wherever I go.

Disinfecting Wipes

While these are a must for me year round, this time of year the aforementioned germs are especially plentiful. You can find a handy little travel size package of these anti-bacterial wipes at your local Target/Walmart/grocery store and even on Amazon (what can't you get on Prime? The answer is nothing), which will fit perfectly down in whatever bag you're keeping with you. And if you're worried about getting looks from the others in your row while you quickly wipe down your seatbelt/chair arms/tray table and whatever else you may touch, think of poor old me who caught a virus immediately after flying 3 times in a row and then you'll stop caring.

Chewing Gum

This is an oldie but goodie. I was prone to ear infections as a child, and as an adult my ears still react quite poorly to the pressure changes that come with flying. I've found that without having something to chew on throughout my flight, me ears will either stay stopped up for days after I've returned to solid ground or if they do decide to pop as we come in for landing it ends up being extremely painful (ask my husband who turned to me as we were landing in Rome expecting excitement only to see me sobbing because my ears were hurting so bad). However for me the benefits are twofold, chewing gum also helps me combat the dry mouth/throat that often comes hand in hand with recycled plane air. And nobody likes an airplane cougher.

Moisturizer

Re:Dry plane air. What it does to your throat, it does to your skin! While we aren't always going straight to meetings or events right after landing, it's always nice to come of the flight looking and feeling refreshed. Dry, brittle skin is one of the first ways to guarantee you'll arrive at your destination feeling like crumpled newspaper, so do yourself a favor and bring on the hydration while you're in the air. My go-to's are this travel-size Jergens lotion and this super softening Kiehl's lip balm.

Kleenex

This is another one that sounds obvious, but I can't even count how many times I've found myself feeling perfectly fine until I fasten my seatbelt and then am suddenly overcome with watery eyes, a runny nose, a sneeze attack, the list goes on. Avoid being the person who has to spend the whole flight with their face buried in their hoodie, and throw a little pack of handy dandy tissues in your bag, just in case.

While these are pretty basic, it's great to know that dropping $10 in the travel toiletries section next time you're in Target might be the key to making your next flight relaxing and stress-free. Take care of yourself in-flight so that you can fully enjoy your time when you get back down to earth.

xoxo

Nicole