Cruising Caddy

My first thought on the Cruising Caddy is that name is a misnomer, since it can be used for so much more than cruising.This is a great mini-tote not only for shore excursions, but also for land vacations, heading to the gym or going on a long walk. Anytime you want to carry a bottle of water and a few extras, the Cruising Caddy is your solution.

I tested out the Cruising Caddy on a recent cruise. It was ideal for holding a bottle of water, my cruise ship key card, my id and a credit card, iPhone, camera and FlipCam. With all of these gadgets it easily held, I could have called it my ‘techy caddy’! It really held a lot and allowed me to keep my hands free so I could do some quality port shopping.

The Cruising Caddy has several compartments to keep everything organized and handy. It holds up to a 1.5 liter bottle of water and all your essentials. The pleated outside pocket with Velcro closure has a hidden pocket for added security. A second pocket with elastic is large enough for a small digital camera. As a bonus, there’s a bottle “sleeve” to keep your water chilled and absorb condensation. The 54″ strap is adjustable and a D-ring is handy for hanging it on your belt loop.
 My Cruise Caddy is black, and it is also available in khaki and red. It is available from Amazon, the Cruising Caddy website, fine luggage and many AAA stores, the black bag on Amazon is only $19.99.

Pillow Speaker

One of the complaints I often hear about hotels (other than poor quality shampoos and conditioners) is the noises heard when trying to fall asleep at night. I have found a great solution that has a triple-benefit. I get to listen to relaxing music as I unwind at the end of a long day without having headphones in my ears; the hotel noises of elevators, people talking in the hallways and doors slamming are drowned out; and best of all…hardly any weight or bulk is added to my suitcase.

So what is this trifecta solution? It’s a PillowSonic Pillow Speaker. Attach it to your mp3 player, lay it under your pillow, and you’ll be lulled to sleep. The Pillow Speaker is very flat, so easy to put at the bottom of my luggage. The specs say it weighs one pound, though I think it’s actually lighter than that. The quality of the speakers make no claim to be in the Bose class of sound, but for the purpose of listening to music as I’m trying to get to sleep, it works great. I have now had my Pillow Speaker for over a year and bring it on the majority of my trips.

The Pillow Speaker is available from Amazon for only $18.57.

Sweet dreams!