Happy Monday, ya’ll! Meet Cait from Home Sweet Ruby! She and her hubby just came back from the trip of a lifetime so I know she has some amazing tips to share with ya’ll today….and  P.S. this girl has some amazing DIY and decor projects on her blog…much better than mine! Head over there and check her out!

Hey y’all! I’m Cait and I blog over at Home Sweet Ruby.

I’m so excited to fill in for Stephanie while she is soaking up some sun on the Mediterranean with her hubby and baby Gray! What an amazing anniversary and babymoon trip, right?!I know I’m totally going to be living vicariously through her Instagram photos!

Hearing about her trip and thinking back to ours gave me a huge case of wanderlust. The one downside to traveling abroad is all of the time you spend getting there. It sounds like Stephanie is a trooper on this front but I, on the other hand, hate long plane (and car) rides. I know, I’m a bad traveler. My poor husband…

Before our trip to Europe I had never flown on an international flight, so I had no idea what to expect. Honestly my first thought was whether or not they were going to feed us. You know, priorities.

Stephanie shared some great travel tips a while back, so I thought I’d piggyback on that and share some essential carry-on items so you’ll be prepped for your summer vacation, wherever you may go! These are some of the things that kept me from losing my mind on our long trip!

1. Scarf – Even if its warm where you are headed, its typically a bit chilly on the plane so scarves are the perfect accessory!

2. Passport case – If you’re going abroad, I definitely recommend a case for your passport so it doesn’t get beat up during your travels.

3. Camera and accessories – For taking pretty pictures of course! Obviously you don’t want to pack these in your checked luggage just in case!

4. Sunnies – Perfect for hiding dark circles and/or blocking that bright sun on your beach vaca!

5. Reading materials – Bring your e-reader, iPad, trashy magazines, or a journal just in case you get sick of watching movies.

6. Headphones – It’s a bad day for everyone if I forget my headphones on a flight. We had an awesome TV screen on the seat in front of us which had access to tons of new movies and music, I actually didn’t even listen to the music on my iPhone at all during our flight!

7. Cucumber Face Wipes – These are so refreshing and made me feel so much better after 9 hours on a plane! I used them twice and then reapplied my makeup about an hour before we landed.

8. Eye mask and ear plugs – If you’re a light sleeper like me, these are a must! I didn’t pack a sleep mask but thankfully the airline provided them for free and it really came in handy. FYI: alcohol is free on international flights. Forget Nyquil, I’ll take some free wine and beer please and thank you.

9. Snacks, lip balm and a water bottle– Again, priorities. We were totally those people eating crunchy Pringles 30 minutes after takeoff. I also love this water bottle with a built-in filter for traveling! 

10. Emergency Kit – This is a good idea just in case you need band aids or something to cure your wine hangover.

And one last very important tip for packing your carry-on: Don’t forget to pack inappropriate things, like whipped body cream, in your checked luggage. 

Let’s just say we had a very embarrassing encounter with a TSA agent on our way to our honeymoon when we accidentally packed a bachellorette party gift in my carry-on… Oops!

That’s it from me today! Thanks again to Stephanie for having me! Anyone have something else you can’t do without on a long plane ride or road trip?

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