I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
If you haven’t caught my drift with my wanderlust post a few months ago and all of our travel-inspired pins, I’m planning a big trip in a few months. Big as in Italy big, and I could not be more excited. And over the past year (because I’ve been excited for that long, yes), I’ve gathered a few best practices, if you will, like stalking two sites in particular for the cheapest airfare and downloading an app that organizes my itinerary for me. In the slideshow above, see my eleven tips for traveling like a pro, but by all means, please leave me a comment with some of your own tips to add to the list! Cheers, Kat
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DO YOUR RESEARCH
SIMPLY TAKING THE TIME TO DO YOUR RESEARCH ABOUT YOUR SITES TO SEE, NIGHTLY STAYS AND RESTAURANTS TO NOM AT IS KEY TO ENSURING AN ENJOYABLE TRIP. SITES LIKE TRIP ADVISOR AND LISTS LIKE
USA TODAY'S 10 BEST GIVE HELPFUL RECOMMENDATIONS AND INSPIRATION TO BOOKMARK FOR YOUR TRIP.
CONSIDER ONLY BRINGING A PURSE OR CARRY ON THAT ALLOWS QUICK ACCESS TO YOUR WALLET, PHONE, PLANE TICKET, ETC. A BAG THAT HAS A LOT OF POCKETS AND COMPARTMENTS TO KEEP ITEMS ORGANIZED REALLY GOES A LONG WAY WHEN YOU'RE STANDING IN LINE WITH YOUR HANDS FULL.
AND PACKING 1-NIGHT'S WORTH OF ESSENTIALS (LIKE BATHING SUIT, CHANGE OF CLOTHES AND TOILETRIES) IN YOUR CARRY ON IS A GREAT IDEA IN CASE YOU RUN INTO LUGGAGE TROUBLE.
IF YOU PLAN ON 'GRAMMING A TON WHILE YOU'RE ABROAD, BE SURE TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON YOUR INTERNATIONAL CALLING AND DATA CAPABILITIES, AND SET UP YOUR PLAN IN ADVANCE.
TRIPIT IS AN EASY-TO-USE APP THAT CONSOLIDATES ALL OF YOUR ITINERARY INFO IN ONE PLACE, SIMPLY BY IMPORTING YOUR CONFIRMATION EMAILS! THE APP SHOWS ALL OF YOUR ITINERARY DETAILS IN A CLEAR, ORGANIZED SCHEDULE FOR EASY REFERENCE ON THE GO. THE PRO VERSION ALSO KEEPS YOU UPDATED ON FLIGHT ALERTS AND CANCELLATIONS.
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON FLIGHT PRICE FLUCTUATIONS VIA AIRFARE WATCHDOG TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE MONEY YOU'RE FORKING OVER FOR THE FLIGHT. ALSO, VISIT SITES LIKE SKY SCANNER FOR AN EASY-TO-USE, CLEAR LIST OF FLIGHT PRICES AND OPTIONS (AND SAY BYE TO THE USUAL TEN POPUP WINDOWS ONCE AND FOR ALL).
AND ALL THOSE HOTEL REWARDS AND FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMS. MANY ARE FREE, AND REALLY ONLY BENEFIT YOU, SO WHY NOT?
NOT ONLY WILL YOU BE MORE COMFORTABLE ON THE FLIGHT IN A FEW LIGHT LAYERS, YOU'LL BE PREPARED FOR WEATHER ON EITHER END OF THE TERMINAL. A LIGHT JACKET HELPS YOU LAYER UP WHILE STILL BEING FOLDABLE TO STASH IN YOUR BAG ONCE YOU LAND.
CONSIDER TAKING A MIXTURE OF ESSENTIAL OILS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, DE-STRESS, HAVE A BETTER NIGHT'S SLEEP AND AVOID FEELING RUN DOWN.
ALSO, AND THIS GOES ALMOST WITHOUT SAYING, HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE. AND CONSIDER TOTING A FEW MEDS FOR THE INSTANCE THAT YOUR STOMACH CAN'T HANDLE SOME OF THOSE RICH NEW FLAVORS.
DON'T BE CAUGHT ON A LONG FLIGHT WITHOUT PROPER TECH TO KEEP YOU OCCUPIED. LOOKING AT YOU, NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES. THESE ARE TRULY GAME-CHANGERS WHEN TRYING TO SLEEP OR SIMPLY ROCK OUT EN-FLIGHT.
KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU'LL NEED TRAVEL ADAPTER PLUGS MANY PLACES OVERSEAS, AND YOU MAY EVEN WANT TO CARRY THOSE CLOSE ON THE PLANE TO ENSURE THEY'RE WITH YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE.
A BACK UP PHONE CHARGER WILL ALSO GIVE YOUR PHONE SOME JUICE WHEN IT'S RUNNING LOW ON THE GO.
WHETHER YOU'RE HOPING FOR A NICER ROOM AT THE INN, A BETTER SEAT ON THE PLANE, OR A COZIER TABLE AT DINNER, ASK FOR THE UPGRADES. THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN IS THEY TELL YOU NO, AND THINK ABOUT HOW GREAT THE STORY WILL BE IF THEY SAY YES.
Let’s just say that ever since Garden & Gun invited us to plan a four-day road trip around the great state of South Carolina, the low country has truly been calling our names. And finally our dreams of Antebellum homes, Spanish moss, sand dunes and great grub are becoming a reality this week as we hit the open road for a three-stop adventure. Greenville, Pawley’s Island and Beaufort, we’re coming for you, and we couldn’t be more excited.
The bags are packed, the selfie stick is ready and Kat’s already called shotgun. We’ve slaved away on a few killer playlists (one per day), but please we’d love to hear song suggestions for the tunes you can’t get enough of right now. And we have quite the packed itinerary of must-see sights and must-try bites, we’re always open to recommendations.
While this isn’t our first rodeo enjoying southern food and fare with our friends at Garden & Gun; check out Jubilee (shared here and here), I’m quite certain it’s going to be the most memorable to date. So be sure to follow along with all our crazy shenanigans on Instagram and Snapchat (username waitingonmartha) and cheers to #TakingCarolina. Truly, MKR
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By no means can we claim to know all of the best farmers markets in the country, but here are six great farmers markets that we say are worth a visit. From San Francisco to Santa Fe to MKR’s favorite Atlanta spot (and a few in between), these local food systems all do a great job in efforts to develop long term sustainability and further meaningful community impact. I’m a big fan of checking out the local markets while on a visit from out-of-town as well; it always shows a glimpse into local culture and fare and to me that’s one of the best takeaways from a place while traveling. As we share a handful of markets to add to your list above, we really would love to hear from you, and learn about your local farmers markets! Any we need to check out asap? Cheers, Kat
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FERRY PLAZA FARMER'S MARKET | SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
THIS MARKET ALONG SAN FRANCISCO'S WATERFRONT BOASTS 85-ISH VENDORS AND GROWERS AND OFFERS BOUNTY FOR THE CITY'S TOP CHEFS. WHETHER YOU'RE MENU PLANNING OR JUST THERE TO POKE AROUND, PUT FERRY PLAZA FARMER'S MARKET ON THE TOP OF YOUR LIST. OPEN TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND SATURDAYS.
NEXT UP ON YOUR LIST: SANTA FE FARMERS' MARKET. OPEN SATURDAYS AND TUESDAYS, THIS MARKET INCLUDES OVER 150 LOCAL VENDORS AND DOES NOT ALLOW ANY RESELLING. IT EVEN HAS AN EBT PAYMENT PROGRAM TO STRETCH YOUR DOLLAR EVEN FURTHER (SO GOOD).
NASHVILLE'S MAIN FARMER'S MARKET OFFERS AN IMPRESSIVE SELECTION OF FRESH, LOCAL FOOD, PLANTS AND FLOWERS AND IS OPEN 7-DAYS PER WEEK. NOT TO MENTION, YOU CAN GRAB A BITE TO EAT AT ONE OF THE 16+ RESTAURANTS WHILE YOU'RE PICKING UP YOUR VEGGIES.
ONE OF MKR'S FAVORITE SUNDAY RITUALS: VISITING THE GRANT PARK MARKET. WHILE SUPPORTING ORGANIC, LOCAL AND SUSTAINABLE FOODS IN GEORGIA, IT ADHERES STRICTLY TO OFFERING GOODS BY THE GROWERS THEMSELVES, AND IS AN OPEN-AIR MARKET. [INSERT SELF EATING A SWEET GEORGIA PEACH HERE.]
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT FARMER'S MARKET, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
SOME 60-ODD GROWERS COME TO U-DISTRICT FARMER'S MARKET IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, TO BRING YOU ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FARMERS MARKETS IN THE COUNTRY. WE'VE HEARD THAT EVERYTHING GROWS BETTER IN WASHINGTON, AND FROM THE SOUND OF THIS ABUNDANT FARMER'S MARKET, IT'S TRUE.
A TRUE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE, NAPA FARMER'S MARKET IS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE AND SUPPORTS LOCAL FARMERS AND ARTISANS BY SELLING LOCAL CROPS AND GOODS. THIS MARKET IS WORTH A VISIT IN BETWEEN WINE TASTINGS.
