Get Kamfortable

My In Flight Travel Essentials and Packing Tips

12.24.17

I am leaving for BC tomorrow and I am so excited!! It’s been a year since I saw my grandparents, older sister, nephew and I’ll be meeting my second nephew for the very first time!!! It’s also been half a year since I saw my younger sister and my parents and I have been looking forward to this day since the day they left Toronto! AHHH CANNOT WAIT! I’m hoping this crappy weather won’t cause any delays! Anyways, I thought this would be the perfect time to show you all how I pack my in flight travel essentials and also tell you my favourite packing tips and tricks!

I am just going to be sharing my in flight travel essentials today, but I may do a post on how I pack my carry on and checked bag in the future!

The biggest tip for packing in flight travel essentials is to just pack what you need. I know sometimes we think oh we might that or I should pack that just in case. Well, from my travel experience, the just in case packing doesn’t really ever help. Even if you do realize you need a particular item as you travel, you can just go ahead and purchase it when you need it. I doubt it will often ever come to that though. So, yes, biggest tip: pack light and only what you need. This helps you keep your packing to a minimum and won’t stress you out having too many things in your bag that you can’t even find it easily.

The second biggest tip is to categorize and use different pouches/bags for different types of items. For example, place all your charging wires, etc. into one pouch and all your toiletries in another. This really helps keep everything in your bag contained and also helps you find a particular item quickly. The pouches I used today I purchased from Aldo a couple of years ago. They came in a set of 3. I couldn’t find the exact ones, but I thought this floral pouch, this set of 4, and this organizer are pretty nice and affordable.

And finally, the third tip I have for you is to keep your most valuable items as well as items you would want if your checked in luggage got lost on you as your in flight travel essentials. This includes your laptop, kindle, chargers, toiletries, etc. So, if there is a chance your luggage is lost, you at least have the items that will make you feel clean and fresh and you won’t lose your most valuable items.

I love using a backpack when traveling to hold all my in flight travel essentials so that I don’t need to carry too many things in my hands. I love this one I’ve had for many years from MEC. Since many of you have asked me in the past, I tried hard to find this exact one online but it seems like they don’t sell it anymore. It’s such an amazing backpack though. It is waterproof and heavy duty and I got it for only 20 bucks! I love it! I found this amazing one on Amazon if you are interested. And the luggage tag that has my name calligraphed is a wedding gift from my sister! One of the best gifts I’ve ever received! And Gursheel has one as well! Try these luggage tags on Amazon, they are so cute as well.

Okay, so now for my in flight travel essentials! Like I mentioned, I keep different items in different pouches to represent a particular category:

TOILETRIES

For toiletries, I collect the travel size items and travel accessories I receive from the dentist, samples that come in the mail or the mini shampoos, body washes, and lotions you get from your hotel stays. Traveling is the perfect time to use these items and you can also have fun on your travels trying new products if you receive samples!

Okay, so for my in flight travel essentials I need a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. I like to feel fresh so I always brush my teeth when we are about to land. I also pack some deodorant, hand sanitizer, hand lotion and lib balm so my lips and hands don’t dry out and I feel fresh.

In my toiletries bag I also include my little first aid essentials. I have a couple bandages, Advil as well as my Saje essentials! Peppermint Halo is perfect for headaches and the Arrive Revived mist is so refreshing. I find planes always dry out my skin, so I usually mist this onto my face to stay feeling fresh. I also included some of my favourite Saje blends that help with sleep and digestion as well as a mini perfume from Saje that smells amazing!

CHARGING WIRES AND CORDS

I always pack my chargers in my backpack so I am sure my phone, laptop and Kindle never run out battery. I also included my bluetooth headphones in this pouch since it is a wire. Hehe!

ENTERTAINMENT

I always read on the plane. It makes the flight go so much faster and I find the best time to read for me is when I’m traveling or commuting! I spend 80% of my time on the plane reading. If I finish all the books I have stored onto the Kindle (very likely, haha), I make sure I have a bunch of podcasts downloaded onto my iPhone! I love podcasts! Finally, I have my laptop so I can write some blog posts, or watch a movie.

WARM STUFF

I find planes to be so cold so I always pack a blanket scarf and a pair of socks. It’s perfect to bring a blanket scarf as a in flight travel essential. Since it is bulky it will give you more storage in your checked in bag and it will keep you warm on the plane. The first thing I do on the plane is take off my shoes and put on a pair of socks. I love feeling warm and cozy!

MISC.

This category just includes a couple random things I include in my backpack. I keep a large pouch which I will use as a clutch when I get to my destination. I also always take a mesh laundry bag to store all my dirty clothes. So, when I get back home I can throw the entire thing in the laundry. I also keep a notepad with a pen in case I get any ideas on the plane!

FOOD

I always take an empty water bottle. A water bottle is a life essential for me and I almost never go anywhere without it. I love my S’well bottle since it keeps my water cold and I love drinking fresh, cold water. I also usually take a granola bar or a little container with some nuts in it to munch on in the plane.

IMPORTANT ITEMS

For this category, I keep a pouch that includes my wallet, iPhone, keys, a pen and my Pixie Mood card holder which contains all my important everyday cards. I also keep our flight information or any other important items in this pouch. I added the wristlet strap so that I can a little more security with this pouch!

That’s all! These are my absolute in flight travel essentials that make my flight more enjoyable and comfortable. Keeping the items in different pouches keeps my backpack more organized so I can find anything I need quickly! I’m all set for my flight tomorrow! So excited to be going back home to BC and see my amazing family!!

Are any of you traveling during the holiday season? Check out my African Safari packing guide if you enjoyed this post!

Easy Puff Pastry Dessert Idea – Tarte Au Soleil

12.16.17

The holidays are soon upon us and I just have three more days of work left before I am off for almost two weeks! I feel like I haven’t had a break from work in a while! The holidays are the perfect time to spend time with family and indulge in some delicious food as I’m sure many of you will have guests coming over. So, today I will share you an amazing and easy puff pastry dessert idea that is just 2 ingredients and so very delicious! It is called a Tarte Au Soleil and I learned about it from one of my favourite YouTubers called Entertaining With Beth! Check out her original recipe and YouTube tutorial here!

This easy puff pastry dessert recipe is just two ingredients: Tenderflake Puff Pastry and a chocolate spread (I used the Reese spread). This recipe can also be completely vegan since Tenderflake Puff Pastry is vegan and you can use a vegan chocolate spread as the filling!

INGREDIENTS

2 sheets puff pastry (one pack of Tenderflake Puff Pastry)

3 tbsp chocolate spread (ie. like Nutella, I used the Reese spread) If vegan, use a vegan chocolate spread

DIRECTIONS

Take your puff pastry out from the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the fridge overnight
Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
Remove the puff pastry from the box and slowly unroll it. The puff pastry will be rolled onto a sheet of parchment paper. Do not get rid of the paper!
Using a rolling pin (we have this amazing marble one) roll out the puff pastry so that you can use a large plate to cut out a circle
Do this to both sheets of puff pastry
Now place your chocolate spread of choice onto the middle of the circle and spread it all around into a thin layer
Place the second circle of puff pastry on top of the first one
Use a glass or small measuring cup to create an indentation in the middle of the circle
Now cut the puff pastry into four quadrants, but make sure to not cut into the circle in the middle!
Now, cut each quadrant in the middle, and then the middle of those cuts again. You should be left with 4 cuts in each quadrant
Each piece is called a ray and now twist each ray twice
Now put the puff pastry into the fridge/freezer to firm up a little bit
Bake the Tarte au Soleil for 20-25 mins until it is golden brown and puffed up
Sprinkle on some confectioners/icing sugar and serve immediately while it’s still warm!

Remember the DIY food styling boards we made a couple weeks ago? Well, I finally used them in this blog post. Let me know what you think of the pictures! I have lots to learn!

Kamfy Living

5 Reasons You Need to Try Castile Soap and My Favourite Brands

12.10.17

Hi friends!! So, Gursheel and I have been trying to get rid of body and skin care products as well as cleaning products that are full of chemicals and moving towards products with minimal ingredients, cruelty free and with all natural ingredients. The one product that we have discovered and we love that is a game changer is Castile Soap! We have been using it for a couple of months now and it is useful for so many things which I will be sharing with you all today.

There are a bunch of castile soap companies the most popular being Dr. Woods and Dr. Bronner’s. They both work the same, so I usually purchase whichever one is on sale. I’ve noticed that Amazon.ca has them for more inexpensive than stores in the GTA, although if anyone knows a stores here that carries them for a decent price, please let me know.

Okay, so let’s get to it. 5 Reasons why you need to try Castile Soap:

1. It is made with vegetable oils (Vegan), not tallow (an animal fat) that is in most body care products:

Castile soap is named after where it originated in Castile, Spain and it is a soap that is made entirely with vegetable oils. It can be made of a mixture of oils including coconut, olive, hemp, avocado, almond and walnut oils. It comes in both bar and liquid format in case you have a preference.

A lot of people that visit my blog are vegetarian and may be aware that many skin care/body washes contain tallow, an animal fat. Castile soap is among the few products that doesn’t contain tallow and is completely vegan.

2. Organic, Natural and Free of Toxins:

Castile soap is safe and doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals. The soap is full of natural ingredients and therefore it biodegrades quickly back to nature. It therefore doesn’t have any harmful side effects that can be seen in synthesized products. Because Castile soap is biodegradable and nontoxic, it’s safe to use on kids and around the house as well.

Common traditional body washes and shampoos often contain harsh antibacterial additives that can disrupt hormones. Again Castile Soap contains none of this so you can count it to be safe to use for cleaning your body, face, hair and even house!

3. Lathers easily:

When I was vegan a couple of years ago, I bought many vegan body and skin care products and my biggest issue with them was that they didn’t lather easily. I know the idea of lathering and creating foam originated from advertising companies and doesn’t have anything to do with how well the product cleans, however, I need the foam! I love it when things lather and foam up, it makes me think the product is effectively cleaning. Well, another amazing thing about Castile soap is that it lathers easily!! You have no idea how happy this makes me!

4. Antibacterial/Perfect all purpose cleaner:

I would love to do a post all about how you can use Castile Soap as a regular cleaning product for a bunch of things in your house. Because it has so many uses! It can be mixed with water, vinegar or baking soda to be used as a cleaning product for counters, sinks, tubs, floors, toilets, the list goes on. You can even use it to wash dishes and can even replace laundry detergent with it. I’m slowly learning how I can create recipes using Castile Soap to clean almost everything in our house. If you are looking for a all natural recipe on how you can clean your mirrors and windows, check out this post! It is the only cleaning recipe I have on this blog so far, but you can definitely count on more in the future!

5. Makes a Perfect Shampoo:

I haven’t tried it yet as a shampoo, but liquid Castile soap can make a perfect shampoo alternative. I have gone through a bunch of shampoos and have finally found the one that works for both Gursheel and I. So, I’m waiting until that shampoo finishes before I try using Castile soap as a shampoo alternative. Normal shampoos are full of detergents that can strip your scalp of their oils, however, Castile soap cleans your hair without stripping your scalp. To use it as a shampoo, you will most likely need to dilute it using some water. When I find the perfect recipe I will be sure to share with you all.

I hope this post educates you all about an amazing product out there that can be used as your daily body wash, face wash and even cleaning product for your home. I recently learned about the benefits of Castile Soap and there is so much it can be used for. I’m trying to minimize on the number of products we have in our home and Castile Soap is an alternative that can replace many of these common household products!

Have any of you used Castile Soap before? What is your favourite way to use it?