It’s that time again. You ask, and I pretend to know things and answer your burning questions. It really is so much fun to open my inbox and see the wide variety of questions you guys have. Reminds me that my readers are so diverse and pretty dang awesome. So keep those questions coming and I’ll keep racking my brain for answers. As always, please pipe up if you have any input or are knowledgeable when it comes to any of the following questions:
Good Morning Mavis! I know you’ve written about travel before. However, I am going to have to make at least two overseas flights soon (14 – 17 hours each). I am a beyond nervous flyer. Can you write an article with tips on traveling internationally (Eastern Europe is where I am headed – but any advice would be appreciated). Also – any tips on getting through the long flights? Also any tips that you would not know going into the trip but you learned once you got there… Select flights with stops or always go direct… that type of thing. So! I’m hoping you will have time to share what you know. Love, love, love your blog. 🙂
~ Rebekah U
Well, the longest direct flight I have been on was 9.5 hours {Seattle to London} and actually, it wasn’t that bad. I watched a movie, slept for a couple of hours, ate, worked on a rug hooking project while listening to music and also brought a book along to read {noise cancelling headphones are a must}. I ALWAYS book an aisle seat {VERY IMPORTANT} that is nowhere near a bathroom and I think that helps too.
Honestly, I think I would need to be medicated {sleeping pill} if I had to be on a flight for 14-17 hours straight because that’s just too long to be confined to such a small space surrounded by a bunch of other people in my opinion. 😉
Now I know a lot of people might not agree, but The Girl and I actually like breaking up long flights with layovers, especially if the layover is in the 6-12 hour range because it’s just enough time to grab a taxi from the airport to downtown and tour a city we might not otherwise visit. And, it kind of wears us out too and we are more likely to sleep on the second leg of the flight and arrive pretty well rested.
Stay hydrated. Drink lot’s of water and orange juice, bring something to wipe your face off with {I pack a wet washcloth in a zip baggie} and mini toiletry bag so you can freshen up in the bathroom. I would LOVE TO HEAR what other peeps have to say about long haul flights, so if you been on one before, please chime in and offer your suggestions for Rebekah U.
Also, I have written so many travel tip posts that I think you might find helpful. Below are the top 8 I think you can glean info from. Hope they help!
How to Survive a Red Eye Flight
How to Get through the TSA Line Quickly
Tips for Traveling Abroad
10 Travel Tips Everyone Should Know About
7 Airline Travel Tips – Passenger Rights You Probably Didn’t Know You Had
How to Get the Best Exchange Rate and Avoid Fees
What To Do When Your Flight Is Cancelled
The Best Way to Kill Time in an Airport
Do you do Subscribe & Save? I’m wondering the pros and cons before I decide if I should join.
~Lauralli
I love Subscribe and Save! I have a few things that we use all the time set up to come every other month, but the nice thing is you can push it out to every 6 months or even cancel a shipment if you don’t need it. Make sure you input your subscribe and save dates in your calendar so you’ll know when a shipment is coming up so you can modify if needed. The only con would be forgetting you have a shipment coming and not needed the item yet! I typically save about 15% on the products I subscribe to. The other nice bonus is that you get free 2-day shipping even if you don’t have a Prime account. Bottom line, I’d absolutely recommend it for products you go through frequently!
On a totally unrelated subject, where did you get the Jacket- type halter walker that you take Lucy for walks with? Our Chiweenie (Yancy) needs something like that because he is terrified of the regular halters. He was a rescue and he has a real thing about them. Thanks!
~ Linda
Amazon. Here is the link. I can’t say enough good things about the harness. Totally worth every penny. And we all know I don’t like spending my pennies. If your dog is prone to wiggle out of a traditional harness, or you just want a little extra support for your dog, I totally recommend the Ruffwear Harness. Plus, I like that it has a nice heavy duty strap on the top of the harness in case I need to pick up the puggle princess in a hurry.
On your peach freezer jam…could I use Splenda instead of sugar? Being diabetic that is way too much sugar! Thanks!!
~ Nancy
While they never recommend using Splenda when an item will be canned and preserved, it’s fine in freezer jam. In some canning recipes the sugar is there specifically for preservation as well as the sweetness. In those cases you cannot substitute Splenda because you’ll only get the sweet and not the preservation. But since this is a Peach Freezer Jam Recipe, it’s okay as long as you use a no-sugar pectin. Regular pectin needs sugar to work properly. No-sugar pectin is designed to work without sugar so Splenda would work just fine!
Have a question for me? Submit them HERE and I’ll try to answer them.
~Mavis
Cindy says
I use subscribe and save all the time and love it. However, I learned the hard way that you must check your emails from Amazon about price changes on your items. I payed over $7 for a 2 ounce bag of dog treats because I mistakenly thought you locked into a set price. They give you plenty of notice so you can cancel the item or put it off and watch for the price to come down.
Carrie says
Funny enough I was going to say the same thing about price changes and my example was with Zuke’s dog treats! lol. I share an account with my parents so they get the email and I wasn’t informed of the change so Amazon got me that one time. I stopped using S&S because I was forgetting to check prices. This would be different if I was the one to receive Amazon’s emails.
Lauralli says
Sorry I’m a few days behind…but, thanks Mavis for including my question! I’m still not so sure about it. It seems like all the Subscribe & Save deals aren’t something I’d get on a regular basis. And, the fact that the price can change any time is an issue for me. How do I know I’m always getting the best deal? I would need to check the prices each time a box was ready to ship and keep a running list of what I consider a good deal to check it against? I see potential problems with that! But, so many people seem to do it. I’m conflicted!
Carolina says
My comment is actually pre-flight advice. Please, please, please DO NOT order your passport and then buy an international ticket. WAIT until you actually have the passport in hand, then buy the ticket. Additionally, if you have had a passport for a number of years, PLEASE check the expiration date BEFORE you buy your ticket. In my many years working in US passport services, I received literally thousands of calls from people who did not heed this advice, and either missed their flights or called in a panic from the airport because that is where they discovered that their passports were expired and they were denied boarding.
Suzy says
And don’t forget to sign your passport once you have it!
M says
And even if it’s not expired, some countries require 90 days or more before it expires for travel
Sarah says
Nancy-Check into Pomona’s Pectin. Awesome stuff. You can use Maple Syrup, Honey, Fruit Juice concentrate, etc. http://www.pomonapectin.com/
Leslie says
My fav tips- Bring sunglasses and ear plugs in my carry on so I can sleep more easily or at least tune things out. I bring a lock for the carry-on so I can sleep or go to the bathroom with a little less worry (had my wallet stolen on an international flight once- omg). Bring a big scarf so I can cover up, block the light, or bunch it up for a little pillow. Pack my snacks so they are super easy and self contained- I like to pack a hardboiled egg in a ziplock with two paper napkins. I pre-peel it and grab a salt packet when I’m getting food sometime, to toss in there. Each egg is in it’s own package so it’s easy to dispose of, to minimize mess and minimize irritating my neighbors. And for me, audiobooks and a a power bank for my phone.
Carrie says
I usually fly with friends or family but I have a solo flight coming up. I didn’t even think about having items stolen! Thank you!
Jenny Elliott says
Just wondering your recommendation for storing potatoes when you have a cement basement?
Mavis Butterfield says
These posts should help Jenny. http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/how-to-keep-carrots-potatoes-and-beets-fresh-all-winter/ and http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/how-to-harvest-and-store-potatoes-for-winter/
Sharon says
Does anyone have an ideas how to keep sweet potatoes? Help going to have a bumper crop.
Leslie says
You store some at my house
Mavis Butterfield says
My friend JJ’s mom stores them in a box individually wrapped in newspaper.
Erica says
We lived overseas for a time, and we did both direct flights and layovers. The 14 hour flight was torture. Never again. Even though they make the overall trip longer, I prefer layovers.
The best was on our first flight over, we stopped half way in Zurich for a 24 hour layover. We picked up our luggage, headed into the city for a posh hotel with the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in, and arrived the next day in better shape. It also helped ease the transition between time zones. I balked at the price, but it was worth every penny in hindsight.
Rebekah U says
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I KNEW YOU (and your readers!) would have the BEST ideas! Thanks so much!
Ann says
I totally agree with the others who have suggested shorter flights, with either a layover or at least a break so you can walk around for a while before getting back on board the plane. We did a trip that was a total of 24 hours flying time and those breaks really helped make it bearable. Definitely check your passport before buying your ticket, there are countries that require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months before you travel. Also make sure you have any required visas before booking your ticket, I know of people who have had to forfeit a flight because their visa didn’t arrive in time (for those visas that can’t be acquired at the destination airport or online).
Jamie says
We flew to Vietnam from Seattle, so there were no stops across the Pacific ocean! Crazy long flight! I would add bringing a donut if your tailbone ever gets sore, because it is a long time to sit. I’ve also heard compression socks help with circulation and getting up every couple hours to walk the length of the plane helps too.
I’m traveling in Europe right now with my family and currently in Munich, Germany. I had an aisle seat on our flight to London and it was miserable because everyone would bump my seat as they passed waking me up. No sleep for me! I actually preferred being one in from the aisle as it was only one person to get over.
Have a great trip!
Rebecca in MD says
Love all these tips and the tips in the additional links you provided, Mavis. I am going to Paris in May 2018 and have an overnight flight and long flights. I feel much better prepared. I would add one tip. Consider paying a little extra for economy plus, or some airlines call it premium economy. You get a somewhat bigger seat, some airlines the seats are only two across in this section instead of three (British Airways), and you get extra leg room.