Category: Double duty

Smaller than you’d imagine, Coach’s new passport holder has credit card slots on the left side. You can keep your identification and cards in one place eliminating the need for a wallet and a passport cover. Smart!

I carry a pretty deep purse, so I’m often left standing in front of my hotel room fumbling to the very bottom to find my door key. A solution? Buy a double sided business card holder like this one from Kenneth Cole and keep your door card in the windowed compartment. It’s a lot easier than emptying out your entire laptop bag or purse.

By now most of us have seen and lusted after the iPhone. With a price tag of almost $600, and additional fees for wireless and cellular service, it’s seems out of reach. What you might not realize is that the iPod you probably already own can also be used as a PDA. That’s right, you can not only download music, but also your calendar, contacts list and even reading material for the plane. It’s basically a little hard drive. So until that iPod Touch hits the markets, make the most of what you’ve got.

It’s both. Accidental Chic turned us on to a brilliant new product from Smashbox. Decadence Photo Finish Lip Lux is a lipstick inside, but flip the top and you’ll find a nude gloss to shine things up. You can even create the illusion of full luscious lips by putting just a dab in the middle of your bottom lip. No more carrying around lipstick and gloss. Genius!

Confronted with static cling when you unpack your work clothes? It’s hard these days to get an aerosol past TSA, so Static Guard is out. Try a dryer sheet. They’re small, flat and easily packable. Just rub it on the static-y garment and watch cling disappear. It has the added advantage of making your clothes smell great (just like a sachet). You can even put them in your shoes overnight to freshen them up as well.

How many times have you arrived at your hotel room to discover your shower contains shampoo, but no conditioner? Did you know that you can use your hand or body cream as a hair conditioner? I wouldn’t recommend it for multiple days without washing, but in a pinch it will tame your flyaways and give you a sleek look before going out.

I’m always looking for ways to pack less in my bags. A great piece of advice I received — leave your travel alarm clock at home and use your cell phone instead. Most phones have an alarm feature. The best part is that your cell phone will normally reset itself to local time when you land and connect up to the local network. No more worrying that the front desk will forget your wake up call!