5 weekend getaways near NYC

New York is an awesome place to live, but sometimes you want to escape the crowds. Luckily, there are five amazing destinations less than 2 1/2 hours from the city, so you can treat yourself to a weekend getaway...
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Wedding in Italy

This pitch-perfect Italian wedding has made the blog rounds this past week, but, in honor of this travel-themed week, I wanted to share my favorite photos...
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Five best shoes for traveling

What shoes do you bring when you travel? I used to get stumped, but over the past few years, I've thankfully come across five options that work really well.
For walking around big cities, like Paris, tan ballet flats are chic, comfy and won't make you look like a tourist.
For swimming at the beach, red-and-white striped espadrilles are fresh and pretty (and more grown-up than rubber flip flops).
For canoeing, camping and drinking beers with friends, Bensimon sneakers are adorable, tomboyish and last forever.
For exploring rainy towns and eating your weight in fish and chips, Hunter boots are the obvious classic. Your jeans will stay clean, and you'll look lanky and beautiful. Even the Queen wears them! (P.S. These short boots are cute, too, and might be easier to pack.)
For road trips with your crush, Minnetonka moccasins are my favorite. They're effortlessly cool (I spot them all over downtown NYC) and sturdy enough for whatever the day brings--and you feel like you're wearing bedroom slippers. I'll admit, I wear these everyday. :)

Which of these five shoes would you wear? What are your go-to travel shoes?

(Photos via Pinterest; top photo by Real Simple, beer girls photo by Brian Ferry)

Pretty hair while traveling

Have you guys ever tried dry shampoo? It's a lifesaver when traveling. You just spray the shampoo on, and it instantly makes your hair look clean and full of volume. So, if you have an overnight flight, or can't check into your hotel right away, or explore a big city all day, you can still look fresh and gorgeous.

My friend Caroline (of hair tutorial fame) first told me about it. "I swear by it," says Caroline, who travels all the time for work. "After being touristy all day, I hit my hair with the dry shampoo, and it looks clean and pretty at night."

Caroline's favorite is Klorane. "Every magazine editor and stylist uses this one," she says. "You'll see it on all their tables." Bonus: It's very gentle with natural, non-toxic ingredients.

Have you used dry shampoo? Any favorite beauty products when traveling? I'd love to hear!

(Thanks, Caroline)

Travel fantasy: Haven in Paris

Have you seen the beautiful Parisian apartments from Haven in Paris? On vacation, I love staying in apartments versus hotels, since you feel like an insider (and can pretend that you live there:). You could have adventures around town, eat stinky cheeses on your balcony, have dinner at a neighborhood restaurant, then read books and curl up in your own comfy bed. Who's in?!

P.S. Look at the views from the windows, yowza!
Bonus for Cup of Jo readers: Get 20% off most Haven in Paris rentals if you visit this January or February by mentioning CUP OF JO.

Plane picnics

Plane food is usually rubbery and inedible--and now you have to pay for it!--so do you ever bring your own snacks on board? I love the idea of delicious plane picnics--think: cheese, bread, salami--so I just wrote a post for Conde Nast Traveler about five food writers' go-to picnics. I loved the suggestion to bring a clementine, not only to make you feel healthy but also to make you smell citrusy!

What's your favorite plane picnic?

(Photo by Anna Wolf; also, I'm thrilled to say I'm one of Conde Nast Traveler's new bloggers xoxo)

Travel-themed week

This week, I'd love to do a fun little travel-themed week. (We actually started yesterday:) After the excitement of the holidays, aren't you feeling wanderlusty and itching to go somewhere beautiful?
I'm curious: Where would you go today, if you could beam yourself anywhere?

(Photos via Pinterest; canoe photo by Emily Chidester)

Elizabeth Street iPad app

Have you heard of the new iPad app Elizabeth Street? I'm excited about it. Written by a group of super chic moms (designers, museum curators, etc.(, the app is a travel and lifestyle guide to the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London and Milan (with more to come), where real moms share their favorite daily routines and feature restaurants, shops, activities and daytrips. I love that the stylish moms find things that are great for both parents and children, so the whole family has a good time.

I'm looking forward to using this when we travel, as well as here in New York. (I've already learned about the best black eyeliner and where you can pet goats and sheep at nearby farms.) Always amazing to get insider tips! Find the app here.
(Images from Vogue and the L.A. Times)

Motherhood Mondays: On Toby getting stitches

While we were on Christmas vacation, Toby hurt his little foot...
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