One week from tomorrow, Lisa and I will be boarding a plane for Mexico for Beth and Bobby’s destination wedding. We will only be gone for 5 nights and our goal is to make it there and back with just a carry on – and I think we can do it.

To make that goal a reality, I have been searching for a small, lightweight, no-nonsense piece of carry on luggage that will get me through this trip and my regular weekends away. The task was a lot harder than I anticipated. I wanted something stylish, cute even, that was also practical. I scoured Etsy and found myself lost in, and falling in love with, retro bags and modern suitcases. I even researched Lug because they had already provided me with the most adorable “personal item” for the trip. At some point I realized that if I wanted something that was affordable, that would definitely last, and would also arrive on time for my trip, I had to buckle down and get serious.

I finally found this lovely American Tourister (which doesn’t seem to exist on their actual website)….

At Amazon it costs way less than the listed price and it arrived within two days, which was such a pleasant surprise – I had it for our New York trip last weekend, unexpectedly! While it hasn’t made it through a flight with me yet, it made my normally chaotic road trip much easier. I didn’t have to worry about my shoes, toiletries, hair dryer and clothes being in separate bags, and it has wheels! It’s also eco-friendly. And by that I mean, it is PVC free, 100 percent cotton and has a Bamboo floor.

So now I have my carry on, any advice on how to get all my Mexico necessities into it?

Three little toiletry bags that are perfect for travel – and for our upcoming trip to Mexico for their wedding! I loved this idea. They were beautifully tied in a pretty bow, placed on our individual chairs, and they are gifts that we will continue to use again and again.

You’ll have to excuse all of my wedding talk lately. Last weekend it hit me that my wedding is only four months away and it’s almost all I can think about.

I immediately remembered why I always try to avoid it. Everything in there is so adorable. I always leaf through each shirt and blouse, pick up every cute passport holder and sleek piece of luggage, and I can instantly picture myself wearing, holding and lugging it all around with me. That store has unique items but they all meld together into one tempting selection of style that begs… “you want to be uniquely stylish when you travel, don’t you?”

Why do I avoid that, you ask? Because once I look at the price tag that euphoria evaporates and I am reminded that I am in fact, in a boutique in Harvard Square. Not this time though.

This time, I got a Lug Travel bag.

Isn’t it so cute? And it’s my absolute favorite color. My purchase was justified because the last time I flew, which was my Costa Rica trip, I realized I didn’t have a good carry on bag. I ended up taking some big purse that I got for free at DSW for spending $20.

This bag though, wasn’t a splurge at all. The suggested price was $72 and it was marked down to $50. That was still too much for me, but it was low enough to pick it up and walk around the store pretending it was mine. And as I did that, a sales associate told me that it was 40% off the lowest price so I got this sucker for $31.

It’s small enough to not get in the way, but it seems big enough to carry all that I would need on a plane. It’s also packed with many pockets and has many sections for things like a magazine, my iPod, and even a couple of snacks – which I always bring with me because I can’t bring myself to pay a fortune for a terrible sandwich on the plane.

And it also fits a pretty kitty…

When you travel, do you end up winging the carry on bag like I usually do? Or do you have a special go to?

If you’re not familiar, Foursquare is a mobile application powered by GPS that lets users “check-in” to various locations. By checking in they can earn points for visiting a place for the first time or for the most times. As they go, badges are unlocked like the “Newbie Badge,” which is pretty self explanatory, and the “Bender Badge” which you earn when you go out four nights in a row.

Foursquare pushes us geeky, blog-loving and tweet obsessed internet addicts to be more social than ever – and I love it. One of the coolest stories I’ve heard was when the Chicago Office of Tourism announced an official partnership with Foursquare, in which they have created a game where locals can download Chicago-based badges, like the “Bueller Badge,” when they “check-in” to certain locations.

According to Tristan Walker, Head of Business Development at Foursquare, “By partnering with a city entity, we’re offering Foursquare players a new angle on discovering the city around them…”

I think the idea of a city engaging with its locals in this way is creative and apparently more cities are catching on. I will definitely be looking out for the day when Boston decides to hop on board, if they ever do.

My other favorite feature of Foursquare is its serendipitous nature. You can allow your “check-ins” push out to your friends in addition to Twitter and Facebook. When your friend is in your same location and you both tweet, your tweet will let you know.

I experienced this at a recent Boston Bloggah Happy Hour…..

I actually arrived early, sat at the bar and when beccajane and Kristen arrived I didn’t even have to turn around to see them sit down. When I “checked-in” it popped up on their phones, I heard them say “Susan is here” and then I turned around and joined them.

Foursquare can also bring friends together when you least expect it…

Last week Susie of We Are Not Martha and I were apparently on a date!

While Foursquare is a bit hard to understand at first, once you dive in, you really can’t deny its addictive powers. For a new badge on my profile and especially for that extra connection with friends, I find myself checking in again and again.

Do you Foursquare? Do you have any fun serendipitous stories?

My friend Sue currently works there, one of her many jobs, and a couple of weeks ago she brought me a gift for no reason, other than she is extremely thoughtful.

You may remember that before I left for Costa Rica I procrastinated on purchasing a quality toiletry bag and sprung for one last minute at Target. It fell apart immediately, though Mike claimed that I filled it way too much, which is probably true.

The bag that Sue brought me is so fun and pretty and best of all it is sturdy. While I haven’t even had the chance to use it for travel yet, it does keeps me organized at home. For someone who sporadically goes away for weekends, whether for a girls weekend or another wedding, it is nice to be able to just pick up and go.

1% of the sale of this bottle supported the conservation work of The Nature Conservancy.

Between work, planning a wedding, blogging and trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life, it’s hard to make time for things that have shortcuts – like a call instead of a text, a letter or even a Christmas card instead of an email, and more importantly, reading a book instead of flying through my Google reader.

The one thing that does get me back to print is travel.

You may remember that I like to read newspapers in airports. Time in transit is time when I am unattached and free to put my attention to things that aren’t commitments. While sitting in the airport a couple of weeks ago I encountered a shortcut that can either propagate this behavior or actually serve as a compromise and get me back to reading content that sits on shelves at Barnes & Noble.

It was the Amazon Kindle. Though I have read about it over and over again until a couple of weeks ago it had only been a legend to me. I saw my first and then I saw another and another and another. It’s like when you learn a new word and then all of a sudden all the people around you use it. As much as I love reading an actual book, there is something about the kindle that intrigues me, I think it’s because it’s so sleek.

Whether on a handheld or on real paper, something I want to add to my list of resolutions for next year is to pick up reading again. After reading Lacey’s book review of  Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me I really want to start there. And in an effort to start small, I have a couple more that I’d like to add to my list. As I’m starting off slow, I’m picking authors that have done me right in the past…

Dry. Augusten Burroughs

Blink. Malcolm Gladwell

We’ll see how far I get. But as I move on, what books are you reading? Got anything good on your Christmas list this year?

Despite the fact that none of my belongings are in a bag, nor do I know what will go inside said bag, two recent and productive shopping experiences, one at Eastern Mountain Sports and the other Target (of course), have somewhat prepared me for the trip.

I am going to fit everything, aside from a few carry on items, in that backpack for our 9 day trip. It’s pretty big, but I’ll manage because it isn’t bigger than me, which actually is a surprise since I’m a mere five foot nothing.

At Target I came across the above toiletry bag that is equipped with a hanger and comes with regulation size liquid containers for the plane. I have been holding out for so long to buy a better version of this, but we’re down to the wire and I’m hoping this will get the job done. I’ll report back.

Last year when I was in El Salvador and Guatemala, I took a chance on some Luna bars and they turned out to be life savors. They were filling and delicious and were the perfect snack for re-energizing between meals and activities. I also picked up some Balance bars because I wasn’t sure if Mike would be put off by the fact that Luna bars are made for women. I think I made the right call.

As I perused the aisle in Target that has all of the mini bottles of shampoo, mini soaps and cute little travel toothbrushes, I grabbed this tiny first aid kit on a whim. You never know if you’re going to get scraped up climbing a volcano.

And finally, no you’re eyes are playing tricks on you, that says 85+. I know there are rumors claiming that anything over 30 is useless, but you know what, I’m a red head with fair skin and I used this on my trip last year and I came home without the slightest bit of a burn. This was expensive, but I know it will be worth it. That is, if the weather holds up.

This handbag from Jute & Jackfruit was made from recycled model pictures from runway shoots and it was hand woven by indigenous Mayan men and women. I saw it at this month’s Design Hive – yes, I’m a regular.

I am standing by the fact that it was a hoax.

Recently, I signed up for a wedding expo I never attended. While I missed out on the show, I didn’t miss out on all the gimmicks that go along with it. For the past couple of weeks I have been getting nonstop phone calls, tons of snail mail and probably about a million emails a day, all congratulating me on my engagement and offering me the world, allegedly.

I will admit that my name and contact information is floating around a few other wedding websites as well, so I won’t completely attribute this to the show. Either way, since my engagement, my evenings have consisted of sifting through postcards from bridal shops and vendors, fake boarding passes and notes from realtors reminding me of the first time home buyer tax credit.

Anyway, as I catch up with my email and my reader, it was nice to break out of the wedding industry for a bit and actually find some worthwhile, no gimmick attached, contests that have some amazing prizes…

This month, Nomadic Matt is giving away an ipod touch and more.

Thanks Paul Johnson at A Luxury Travel Blog, you can win a luxury two-night stay in London.

Also, there are three days left in the Europe a la Carte Blog Twitter competition where you can win a seven day stay in a one bedroom apartment at the Parque de las Américas.

Fantabulously Frugal is giving away a gift certificate to Sunglass Warehouse – maybe I can get a pair for that fake cruise!

Know of any other good contest/giveaways/deals out there?