Anybody still sending those cheezy "wish you were here" postcards? Me, too, but only because my Grandma still likes to get them. I usually hate doing it since I never have the right stamp and neither does the concierge, and I often end up back at home with the postcards still in my purse. Oops.

But then I heard about HazelMail. It's a Web site that allows travelers to upload a vacation photo, add a message and then HazelMail will turn it into your very own postcard. They also print it out, add the stamp and put it in the mail for you. What a great idea. It's much more personal than a generic postcard off the rack. And the site has received great reviews from PC Magazine. I wish I'd thought of it. (So does my Grandma.)

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

For me, Airborne is as routine a part of flying as a boarding pass. I use it before every flight and have done so for a couple years. After several wintertime flights to Florida left me with ghastly colds, I, naturally, blamed the bad air on planes. You're basically breathing into a bag that's being shared with 100 other people. Yech. So I drink that fizzy stuff while I'm waiting at the gate. I also partake if I'm going to be in any crowded room. Works for me.

But Airborne settled a class-action lawsuit earlier this year that alleged the product falsely claimed it could prevent colds. Apparently, there was no scientific evidence of this - nobody asked me, of course. Last week, Airborne settled up a related government lawsuit, to the tune of $30 million total. So now, consumers who bought the tablets between 2001-2008 can apply for a refund of up to six purchases of Airborne - that's probably close to 50 bucks. You have until Sept. 15 to stake your claim.

Me, I'll pass on the refund. What about you guys? 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

If you've never heard of minimus.biz, you should check them out. They provide individual, travel sizes of just about everything. Well, almost. After surveying their customers, Minimus found they were missing out on a maximus need: spray starch. Not kidding.

Apparently, travelers everywhere need their starch. Most hotels only provide the iron -- which I just ignore. When I was growing up, my mom used to iron the curtains and the bed sheets and every so often, she would enlist me to help. So now I kinda have a phobia. Discuss.

I realize that I am not the norm. The norm needs their starch and now they have it in a 2-oz, TSA-approved can.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Following up on Sunday’s Travel story on vacations going high-tech, we have some tips from a spokesperson at the Best Buy store in Bel Air. Here are some of the types of products he’s seeing a lot of travelers buying in his store:

1. New digital cameras by Olympus and Sony that have programs that recognize whether someone is smiling and won’t take the photo unless the person is smiling. Some of these models also have built-in editing programs that can be used to put smiles on people who aren’t smiling.

2. Camcorders that store film with hard drives instead of video cassette tapes are really taking off because travelers can record several hours of their trip on the hard drive. This means they can leave the bulky tapes and cases at home.

Continue reading "High-tech travel helpers" »

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)