The Map Pin Junkies 12 Days of Christmas - Gift Recommendations - Day 11

It's that time of year when we exchange gifts to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or just the joy we feel towards friends and family.

Most travelers I know make a point of keeping a travel journal close at hand during any and all adventures. Day 11 gives you a few journal options to choose from so you can pick the right one for your traveler. With iPads and cell phones available you may wonder why I recommend an analog way of keeping notes. Well, there is nothing like sitting in a far away place surrounded by strange smells, unusual faces, hearing foreign tongues, and writing it all down. The scratch of pencil on paper, the smell of the pages, tucking a train ticket stub between the pages....these are all tactile things you cannot get from an iGadget.

So, consider giving your traveler a beautiful journal. One of my favorites is the leather wrap journal from Leatherology, $85. Available in three colors, it has ivory pages with raw, unfinished edges. You can write in it, affix travel ephemera, or sketch what you see from that cafe chair. When you are finished with the day's thoughts, wrap the leather cord around the cover to keep your memories for another day. 

 

If you don't want to give leather, there are some great options from  Moleskine or just head to your local Barnes and Noble and check out their wall of journals.

Happy Gift Giving!!

The Map Pin Junkies 12 Days of Christmas - Gift Recommendations - Day 10

It's that time of year when we exchange gifts to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or just the joy we feel towards friends and family.

Day 10 is all about the aviation enthusiast on your list. A handy tool for home or the road, today's recommendation is the Pan Am Boeing 707 Bottle opener, $135, on uncommongoods.com. Their copy is better than I could do, so read what they have to say:

Bring a touch of the friendly skies to cocktail hour with this industrial bottle opener, crafted from the fuselage top from an authentic Pan Am Boeing 707. Hand polished to highlight the shimmering aluminum, this opener still features the iconic rivets, integral to the airplane's construction. Handmade in Berkeley, CA. Get it here!

Happy Gift Giving!!
all recommendations are mine alone and I have not received any money, product, or perk from any of the companies listed.

Get Your Yule On!

Today, December 22, marks the winter solstice for 2015. This means it is officially Yuletide, one of the oldest winter celebrations known. In some form or fashion it was celebrated by the Egyptians, the Romans, the Celts, the Vikings and all sorts of other civilizations that were here before us. With the advent of Christianity a lot of that Yule traditions were adopted to make conversion of the pagans a little bit easier for the church.

To celebrate a wonderful end to a good year, we will light up the fire pit this evening and reflect on Christmases past with laughter and love.

So today celebrate Yule with a warm fire or a tabletop log and candles!

The Map Pin Junkies 12 Days of Christmas - Gift Recommendations - Day 9

It's that time of year when we exchange gifts to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or just the joy we feel towards friends and family.

Day 9 features a gift I am giving this year (shhhhh!), a world scratch map from Luckies of London! What's a scratch  map, you ask? It's a map on which you scratch off the places you've been, sort of a travel log. This deluxe version features copper foil against a deep black background. Under the foil are vibrant country colors.

I love this gift because, at $32, it becomes unique and personalized to any recipient! Even better, it comes in a durable cylinder for shipping and easy gift wrapping! It is available on Amazon in time for Christmas delivery, too! Check it out here!

Happy Gift Giving!

all recommendations are mine alone and I have not received any money, product, or perk from any of the companies listed.

The Map Pin Junkies 12 Days of Christmas - Gift Recommendations - Day 8

It's that time of year when we exchange gifts to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or just the joy we feel towards friends and family.

Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas is for all the power junkies on your list. Named one of the best chargers around, the Anker Astro E4 13000mAh Classic Portable Charger has a huge capacity and supposedly can deliver five full charges to an iPhone 6. It is small, sleek, and is backed by an 18 month warranty. Even better, it has an LED flashlight, built in! Get it here.

It works on Apple phones and iPads, Android devices, some other brands of tablets and Bluetooth devices. Priced at $30, it weighs less than a pound and with outlets at a premium in most airports, the traveler on your list will thank you! 

Happy Gift Giving!

all recommendations are mine alone and I have not received any money, product, or perk from any of the companies listed.

The Map Pin Junkie's 12 Days of Christmas - Gift Recommendations - Day 7

It's that time of year when we exchange gifts to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or just the joy we feel towards friends and family.

Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas is more of a stocking stuffer, but one of my favorites so it still makes the list - a travel candle! For those of us that travel a lot, it can be nice to tuck a bit of home in our bag. The easiest way to do that is with a travel candle, specifically those from Henri Bendel ($15).

Small enough to tuck into your bag but with enough power to scent your hotel room, these charming little finds come in a variety of unique aromas. For winter travel, I love Firewood, but the Peony is great, too. Check them out here: https://www.henribendel.com/candles/travel-candles/

Happy Gift Giving!

all recommendations are mine alone and I have not received any money, product, or perk from any of the companies listed.

The Map Pin Junkie's 12 Days of Christmas - Gift Recommendations - Day 6

It's that time of year when we exchange gifts to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or just the joy we feel towards friends and family.

Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas brings you something practical for the frequent flier on your list. The Lucas Under Seat bag! This little gem could be called the TARDIS of luggage....it's bigger on the inside! In fact, I was able to fit 32 days worth of clothing in this bag for an international trip involving time in metropolitan and rural locations (see this post). It weighs 6 pounds empty and measures 15.7" x 15.7" x 9.8" (external).

It does have a clear plastic partition in the main compartment, but it that doesn't work for you, do what I did - carefully slice it out (just needs two cuts) to remove it. This makes the bag incredibly spacious and its compact size makes it adorable and wildly functional. I cannot rave about this bag enough and best yet it is priced at under $50!! Color choices are red, black, and a dark blue.

It has features that make it easy to zip through security lines at the airport and fit it under most airplanes seats (in the US. It does not fit under some European carriers seats). The inline skate wheels keep things rolling along, no matter how fast you are going. 

Give the gift of packing light with the Lucas Wheeled Under the Seat bag!

Happy Gift Giving!

all recommendations are mine alone and  I have not received any money, product, or perk from any of the companies listed.