Catching flights is one of my favorite things to do. Over the years and airline miles I've learned a thing or two about how to make the journey more enjoyable. 

This series of {Travel Tips} will help you learn my very best ways to make the most of your travels. 

The battle between spending money and using vacation time is a tough one. We often chose to fly out of town on a Thursday night, after work, in order to arrive in our destination on Friday morning. Catching a red-eye flight has its benefits: the ticket price is better and you also don't need to spend a cent on a hotel for that night! 

The flip side to the cost savings is the way you feel, physically and mentally, when you haven't slept in a bed since the night BEFORE last. 

I've found the remedy for a red-eye flight: it's a massage. 

Here's why a massage is just what you need after an overnight flight:

• You get to lay flat and stretch out comfortably - the exact opposite of being cramped in a plane seat
• A massage is going to relieve you of the discomfort of the plane and make you feel refreshed
• Most spas offer you fruit infused water, tea, coffee, showers, a steam room, etc. You can get hydrated and clean before your day begins in your destination
• There's somewhere to stash your suitcase - this is especially handy if you're not checking into your hotel, AirBNB, or accommodations until late afternoon/evening

Over the years of traveling with my husband I have learned and adopted his ways of carry-on bags only flying. It has been such an improvement in my life! No longer do I wait around at baggage claim, worry about lost bags, or pay fees for checked bags. 

While carry-on traveling is deserving of another post entirely, the key is making sure you're ready to go through airport secuity with a properly packed toiletry bag. That means your liquids (shampoo, soap, lotion, mousse, gel, etc.) have to be in small sized bottles and then contained in a bag that can be easily removed from your carry on and placed on the conveyor for the x-ray machine.

The sizing for liquids in a checked bag are totally different. This guide is for carry-on bags, the smaller suitcase you bring with you onto to the plane and stash in the overhead compartment. Once I forgot the difference in the size of liquid containers between checked bags and carry-ons and brought a giant bottle of Paul Mitchell (read: expensive) hair mousse in a carry-on. I had to leave behind the entire bottle, it was a tragic first world problem. The curly haired girl's nightmare resulted in both lost dollars and bad hair days while I swore I'd NEVER AGAIN make such a mistake. I have since perfected my carry-on toiletry bag packing! Spoiler alert: I always bring TWO mini mousses. 

Pittsburgh here we come! Tonight my husband and I will take two flights to get us across the country to my hometown for a week long visit. It's been almost a year and a half since I've been back home and this summertime trip is long overdue.

Bagheera, our cat, is less than thrilled to be left behind in Seattle but is always excited to see a bag to jump into. Hopefully I can continue my ongoing trend of carry on bags only later today!