Travel products that I don't leave home without!

I've been very lucky lately in that I've had the good fortune to be able to travel quite frequently without spending a fortune. And while I have been able to save a good deal of money on airfare, hotels and transportation, there are always hidden costs associated with traveling that some don't realize until it's too late. When I was visiting friends in Toronto in June, I forgot my toothbrush and ended up spending $5 on a plain old toothbrush. What a waste of money!

When traveling, many people will run out and purchase travel-sized bottles of toiletries, garment and laundry bags, etc. Or, if they happen to forget these items, they are hit with outrageous prices in their hotel gift shops or nearby convenience stores. Because we are a one-income household, I put a lot of effort into planning my trips and packing our bags so that we are hit with as little extra expenditures as possible.

For my trip to Barbados, I knew that the hotel provided shampoo, conditioner and lotion, because it was listed on the website. They also provided hand soap, but let's face it, those hotel soaps are usually pretty cheap and dry out your skin. I knew that I only needed to pack deodorant and body wash as far as toiletries went (my husband already had toothpaste).

I have been using a new body wash the past month from a company, Vitabath, and I have to say, I couldn't imagine NOT taking it with me to Barbados! I've been using a scent called Heavenly Coconut Creme from their Cupcake Couture collection.

It smells so good.  It smells just like a coconut creme pie, which coincidentally, is my favorite dessert.

I had never used the Vitabath product line before trying this Heavenly Coconut Creme body wash and bubble bath. But now? Well, let's just say that the body wash I've been using for years has been relegated to washing the dogs.

What I really like about Vitabath is that their product line is so wholesome! Each fragrance is formulated with an antioxidant-rich super fruit blend: Acai, Goji, Coffee, Noni, Pomegranate, Green Tea & Mangosteen, and fortified with vitamins A, B3, C, E and Pro-Vitamin B5 skin conditioning nutrients. They are all also paraben and gluten-free!

You can purchase Vitabath products online, or at grocery stores, pharmacies and specialty beauty shops like Ulta!

Another thing I had to pack for my trip to Barbados was actually for my husband's benefit...he was going to need certain laundry supplies that hotels don't normally offer.

 That's where this handy little travel kit from Bounce, Dryel and Downy came into play! I received this great kit just in time to pack it for my our trip and it has everything that we could possibly need to make sure we looks great while we're away from our usual laundry service - me.

The Dryel® On The Go™ Stain Pen helps to remove stains, which is fantastic because while we are traveling, we don't have access to a washer and dryer! It’s safe EVEN on dry clean-only clothes, delicates and hand-washables such as wools, silks, rayons, linens, cottons and other special care fabrics.

The Downy Wrinkle Releaser is one of the most important things he could take with him as far as toiletries go, as all of his clothes are business casual and wrinkle very easily while in the suitcase. It's an easy-to-use spray that reduces wrinkles and helps keep clothes looking neat without the hassle of ironing! Its unique formula relaxes fabric fibers, helping to release wrinkles. Downy Wrinkle Releaser leaves clothes with a light fresh scent, which isn't too overpowering or 'girly smelling.'

My personal favorite is the Tide laundry bag that was included in the travel kit. It's just perfect! When I made it to Barbados, he had already been using it and it was full, of course...it helps prevent your dirty clothes from getting your clean clothes dirty and smells nice too - so once you pack your bags to come home, any of your dirty clothes haven't smelled up the entire suitcase.

Now, if you'll excuse me...I'm off to look for coconut creme pie recipes...

 *I received samples of these products to facilitate my reviews. All opinions are 100% my own - and I strongly recommend buying a bottle of Vitabath, it's heavenly!