travel – all about leanne

Travel Spotlight: Brazil

Here are some reasons you should consider Brazil for your next vacation:

Brazil has 2,000+ beaches, including the popular Copacabana Beach and Ipanema Beach (yup, like the songs).
The cities are constantly bustling with activities. Carnivals, street food, and parties almost aways abound.
If you’re an outdoorsy person, Brazil has beautiful landscapes, rainforests, and natural wildlife hikes to explore. After all, Brazil is home to the Amazon Jungle.
Brazil has amazing cuisine, which I will elaborate on in this week’s food post. Check back soon for that!
Music and dance are notable parts of Brazil’s culture. Samba, anyone?

Ipanema Beach by sandeepachetan.com travel photography

Notable things to do and sights to see:

Go to the beach, obviously!
Rock climbers looking for outdoor bouldering can stop by Barrinha’s crags, which are high enough to lookout upon the districts and beaches of Rio.
Have an adventure in the Amazon Jungle, or take a tour along the Amazon River.
Go to a soccer game at Maracanã Stadium.
Visit the 125-foot Christ the Redeemer statue.
Take a cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain.
See a gorgeous waterfall at one of the country’s many national parks.

For more information, check out these useful links:

Draw your packing list!

If you’ve read about my favorite packing tips, you already know that I highly recommend making a checklist. However, there’s something that I like to do even more than write lists: illustrate them!

Why should you draw your packing list?

Doodling is fun.
It forces you to really think about what you’re packing.
It gives you a better representation of how much luggage space you have and/or need.
It allows you to visualize outfits.
It will ultimately save you time once you start packing, and on your trip.
It helps you double-check that you have everything you need–when you’re preparing for your trip and when it’s time to head back home.

Tips for creating your own illustrated packing list

Make a category for everything–daily outfits, lingerie, sleepwear, accessories, electronics, toiletries, etc.
Draw matching clothing items in clusters. If any single item does not belong in a cluster, eliminate it from your list. You wouldn’t wear that cute top if you don’t have the correct bottoms to pair it with, right?
Keep your finalized list with your other travel documents. Use it as an outfit guide, as well as your return trip checklist.
Save your list as a reference for future trips.
Have fun with it! After all, nobody’s grading your artwork.

My past packing lists are currently tucked away, but I found these lovely examples from Lost in a Spotless Mind (which is a fantastic blog, by the way):

My favorite packing tips

The season has changed, but these packing tips should not be forgotten.

all about leanne

Planning a summer vacation? Whether you’re venturing near or far, here are my top 6 suggestions:

Rolling wins — From my experience, rolling is generally more space-efficient than folding. It also results in less wrinkles and is helpful for filling out less structured bags. However, for bulky items, such as chunky knit sweaters, folding is still the way to go.
Group clothes by outfits — Tempted to throw in every cute piece from your closet? Don’t. Choose tops, bottoms, and dresses that go together. This avoids being left with something you can’t wear while you’re on the road. Also, try to maintain a certain color scheme. If you can mix and match your outfits, that’s even better!
Pack a bar of soap — Ah, my favorite travel hack! To keep your clothes smelling fresh throughout the trip, add a bar of soap to your luggage. Just the presence of soap will help…

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Halloween weekend is typically the last weekend to visit local haunted houses and other spooky events. In case you’re still looking for ways to celebrate the holiday, here are some cool links to check out:

Hauntworld — This website helps you find haunted houses near you.
Fear Overload — I learned today that this Bay Area haunted house was voted the scariest in California.
10 Best Halloween Celebrations in the U.S. [Fodor’s]
America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions [Travel Channel]
Travel’s Best Halloween Attractions 2015 [Travel Channel]
America’s Best Towns for Halloween [Travel and Leisure]

As for me, I don’t like scary things, so I’ll be looking into apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes instead.

Bonus: Check out these 10 Travel Bloggers’ Scariest Halloween Stories from The Huffington Post.

Staycation Ideas

Traveling is wonderful, but it is also very expensive and exhausting. If you’re looking to have some holiday fun without breaking the bank, here are some staycation ideas you can try:

Go camping (or glamping) in your backyard
Turn your home into your own personal spa
Have a picnic at the park
Go to the beach
Host a movie festival at home
Rent an awesome Airbnb and stay there all day
Be a tourist in your own city
Plan your own food or drink tour
Go ice skating
Take a short road trip
Explore your nearest state or national parks
Build a fort in your living room
Go hiking and explore the outdoors
Attend a local sports game
Create your own yoga retreat
Have a destination-themed dinner

What are your favorite staycation ideas? Share them in the comments!