Plan your practice run the night before your big trip. 

Everyone will be packed and it will help burn off some of the anticipation that everyone is experiencing.

Layout your kitchen with some fun snacks at the end of the security line. 

This will provide a tasty incentive for those who navigate through the checkpoint quickly.

Use the kitchen table or counter as the security table where you put your things.

You’ll need some bins, so grab a salad bowl or large plastic container.

Setup a door as the metal detector and assign someone to be the TSA agent.

Now you’re ready!  Send your crew through your pretend security checkpoint.  Make sure everyone passes through your practice session following the TSA rules for identification, liquids, shoes, laptop removal, coats, etc.  Each person should check their bag for prohibited items like water bottles and sharp objects.

Know the rules:

Travelers younger than 12 years old and older than 75 are not required to remove their shoes to pass through airport security.  They can go through metal detectors and body scanners several times rather than being patted down.

More info

Mobile assistance:

Not sure about something, try the TSA mobile application that you can use to plan your pretend session.  You can get information about security wait times and exactly what you can bring through the checkpoint.

More info

Add your ideas for how to make the pretend security line a fun and entertaining dress rehearsal.

More from Samantha Brown:

My Airport Survival Guide

Quiet Please! Airport Tip

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6 Things I Always Bring on a Plane

10 Travel Mistakes I Always Make

Located on a sliver of land about 50 miles south of Tampa, the tiny Gulf Coast Island is known for its laid back style, peaceful (uncrowded) beaches and old-Florida charm.  Sunsets are a big deal on the island which has the benefit of being so narrow that you can see the magical Florida sunsets over the Gulf or Tampa Bay.

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The north side of the island is full of small, quaint shops where you can grab coffee, freshly baked treats, shop for knick knacks or take a long lunch.  You can bike just about anywhere or take the trolley to the beach. Everyone in your family will find something to do on the island.

Here are a few suggestions to get the ball rolling:

Bean Point

Make sure you visit Bean Point for a little slice of Florida beach heaven.  The water is absolutely beautiful and you’ll enjoy amazing views, stunning beach scenery, and one of the best beach walks in a good long time.  Look for the Blue Heron and for the ultimate experience, walk in the morning before anyone get there.  Also a great place to catch the sunset.

Rod and Reel Pier

A local favorite and ultra-casual, the Rod and Reel is part of the island’s charm. Wear your flip-flops, don’t worry about your hair, and hang-out sipping the beverage of your choice while you watch dolphins and manatees play in the surf nearby.  Its friendly, old-school charm is refreshing and fun.  Make sure you call ahead, there are only a few tables and it can get really crowded.

Walk the Island

If you like to get out and do some serious beach walking, try hiking from Coquina Beach all the way to Bean Point and around the corner for a seafood omlette at the Rod and Reel restaurant.  Great way to start the day!

Have you visited Anna Maria Island?  Share your favorite activities or places to eat in the comments below…

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Never apply after more than two glasses of wine.

This may seem obvious, but trust me, don’t even think about it.

Don’t put body-tanner on your face.

It just looks weird. Enough said.

Directions always tell you to use rubber gloves so it doesn’t stain your hands.

DON”T, under any circumstances, use the rubber gloves.  It just swirls it around like your cleaning a table after you spilled milk.

Don’t try to use liquid soap to wash your hands.

Use a good old fashioned bar of soap and a dry hand towel to scrub. If you have powder laundry detergent, rub a quarter cup between your hands.

Don’t’ wear white the next day.

The product will say it doesn’t come off on clothes but, guess what?  It does!

Don’t forget that just because you can’t see your back others won’t as well.

The two tone look is not attractive.  Your brand is at stake here, make sure you apply all over.

Don’t put tanner on when you’re staying overnight at a friends house.

You’ll stain her sheets and towels. It eventually comes out but it’s no way to treat a friend.

If you apply self-tanner at a hotel, make sure you tip well.

So the housekeeper doesn’t spread bad rumors about how dirty you are.

Don’t try to “create” abs by applying tanner in dark lines along your tummy.

Your stomach will look like a lousy abstract painting.

Don’t apply tanner while waiting for a food delivery.

You have to wait in your underwear for it to dry and the food always comes early. (The pizza guy might not like this tip!)

Do you have any experience with self-tanning?  Add your DON’Ts to the comments section.

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Travel Girl’s Guide to Gorgeousness

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Clarins Instant Smooth

It’s a line eraser that really works. Buy at Sephora ($34)

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

For nails, cuts, chapped lips to smooth fly away hair. Everything! Buy at Elizabeth Arden ($19.50)

Caudalie Eau de Beaute Elixir

It’s a refreshing face mist that smells of wine grapes.  Remoistens tired dry make up and soothes the senses.  Buy at Sephora ($18)

Jane Iredale Powder SPF 30

A dry sunscreen is a travelers dream and this one protects the face and makes it a cinch to reapply. Buy at Jane Iredale ($45.50)

Eyelash Curler

Instantly wakens the eyes.  Buy at Sephora ($17)

MAC Make Up Remover Wipes

There are a lot out there but these remove even the heaviest of make up.  Buy at MAC Cosmetics ($20)

What’s in your baggie when you travel?

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Looking Gorgeous in Under 3 Ounces

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Want to relax? I mean REALLY relax? There’s an island that I found more soothing than Jamaica, Hawaii or Greece.  It’s Mackinac Island in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Like all islands it has the allure of a separate world cut off from the rest–and yet it’s what it doesn’t have that becomes the real draw.  Automobiles. There are no cars on Mackinac Island as they’ve been banned since 1896. Talk about forward thinking–Ford’s Model T wasn’t introduced until 1908.

When you arrive on an island with no cars you feel their absence immediately and realize that all the time waiting in holiday traffic, searching for parking or just looking both ways before you cross is so much better spent surrendering to an island’s pristine forests and trails, grand Victorian cottages and 7 fudge shops.  The island is home to 600 Clydesdales, Morgans and Percherons and getting around is mainly done by horse and buggy, bicycle as well as your own two feet.

What the Fudge? The island is so known for the confection that Fudge is its own clickable category on the tourism website, second only to Getting There and Accommodations. 

Tip: June 7-16^th is the annual Lilac Festival.  I have ALWAYS wanted to travel for lilacs.

Manduka Travel Yoga Kit ($76)

Here’s a great idea for the moms who like to like to travel inward as well as travel the world.   Keep her inner om at peace and harmony wherever the road leads with this great travel kit from Manduka which includes a practice journal.  She can indulge her inner yogi from east to west and back again.

Buy at Manduka.com

Menu Baggy Winecoat ($62.95)

This little number is bound to be a big hit with your mom or mother-in-law.  Not only is it cute and stylish, it’s designed for a wine bag that can be found within any 31 Bag-in-Box. The opening fits standard taps and the bag is easy to lift and carry about.  Mom can also serve her wine chilled using an ice pack or two.  Give her a gift she can use anywhere from a family outing to a girlfriend getaway.  Drinking wine out of a box has never looked so good!

Buy at Amazon

Eton Boostbloc ($79)

Moms should never be without a charged cell phone. Its part of the modern mom’s rule book, especially when your kids are calling and texting at all hours of the day (or night).  The boostbloc ensures mom can charge wherever she happens to be.  Airport, soccer practice, PTO meeting…you get the idea.  It’s a must have mommy tech tool and it charges most smartphones three times via a micro-USB cable.  She’ll never leave home without it.

Buy at Amazon

Samantha Brown 2-Piece Travel Set ($119.95)

I travel a lot and I’m a stickler for great luggage. I worked hand-in-hand with HSN to design my own luggage line that not only lives up to my tough standards, but looks great too.  The design process really began over a decade ago when I boarded my first flight that began my job as a world traveler. A job that would take me to 54 countries, traveling many miles (I stopped counting after a million) on the road for 230 days out of the year, and checking in and out of hundreds upon hundreds of hotels.  You can count on me for a great luggage recommendation—and for a Mother’s Day gift she’ll carry with her for years to come.

Buy at HSN

One-of-a-Kind Camera Bag ($20-200)

Chances are your mom is always running around at family events snapping photos to capture lasting memories.  Graduations, your first dance, ballgames, camping trips…mom is always on duty with the camera.  Don’t go out and buy a standard camera bag!  They are boxy, black and truly boring.  Mom wants to carry a bag that reflects a certain style and personality.  So get her a unique bag that looks like something she would enjoy carrying and can’t wait to pack for the next family gig or big adventure.

Buy at Etsy.com

AirQuart Travel Ziplock ($16-20)

You may have seen one of my videos Looking Gorgeous in Under 3 Ounces.  Now you can pack your own TSA compliant travel bag with all the products you need to look your best during your trip.  These fashionable bags come in several different colors and patterns to compliment your personal style. They look great, have a slim silhouette and most important provide the TSA a clear view of all your packed items.  Give this gift to mom and help her pack like a pro.

Buy at Etsy

Samantha Brown Cool It Caddy ($24.95)

A brilliant travel cosmetic bag every woman wants and needs.  Integrated into the bag are coolant gel packs.  Pop this baby in the freezer over night and voila, your mom’s favorite make-up won’t become a melted blob of a mess.  It’s also great to keep face wipes and eye drops extra cool and refreshing on a hot day.

Buy it at HSN

UGG Ballet Flats ($70)

Your feet can take a beating when traveling.  Walking around airports and sitting for hours at a time requires some quality attire for the feet.  Ballet flats are perfect because they feel like slippers, yet look stylish and chic when paired with the right fashion choices.  Pick out a pair for mom, so she can breeze through the airport in comfort and style.  Here’s a cute and summer styled pair from UGG.

Buy at Zappos

What’s the best travel-related gift you ever gave (or received) for Mother’s Day?

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Island Romance

Today I’m dreaming of the natural wonders offered by two of our nation’s treasures, both within a 2-hour drive of Seattle.  Olympic National Park is known for its rustic scenery and natural beauty that offers a little of everything.  Everyone wants to see the more than 60 miles of Washington State coastline with dramatic rock formations called sea stacks providing a home to legions of birds, sea life and gorgeous views of the Pacific.  Not only will you be completely alone on some of the country’s most gorgeous beaches, you’ll find bubbling hot springs, massive glaciers and dense forests to explore nearby.  When you’re done with Olympic you can head on over to Mount Rainier National Park to see the gorgeous peaks that dominate the Seattle skyline and are home to mountain goats, waterfalls, and sprawling meadows of summer wildflowers that delight thousands of visitors every year.

View National Parks in a larger map

Olympic National Park

This is a huge park and offers many different outdoor pursuits and natural areas.  If your time is limited and you want to see coastlines and rainforests, head north from Aberdeen on U.S. 101  to the Queets Ranger Station to see some of the Queets River Valley, home to some of the most incredible rainforests in the park. Keep driving northwest up the 101 to the Kalaloch Station where you can photograph the most incredible views of the Pacific between Kalaloch and Ruby Beach.  From Ruby Beach continue north on U.S. 101 until you reach the turnoff for the Hoh Rain Forest Center.  Olympic National is also known for its mesmorizing meadows of flowers on the east side of the park.  Start at the visitor center and move along to Hurricane Ridge, one of the most popular spots in the park, where you can soak in the sea of wildflowers when they are in bloom.  Take the Hurricane Hill trail which is a nice paved path leading up to the colorful alpine meadows.

Mount Rainier National Park

This stunning mountain is known for its breathtaking, snowy landscape and sometimes harsh weather conditions.  Know before you go is a good policy to arrive on a sunny, splendid day–safe for exploring and hiking.  Two of the most popular places in the park are Paradise and Sunrise.  Paradise is a sub-alpine meadow located in the south-central area of the park, home to Mount Rainier’s historic lodge, The Paradise Inn.  Aside from having the only public showers in the park, it offers exhibits on geology, glaciers, and local plants to help inform your hiking and other adventures as you learn about the area.  Sunrise, at 6,400 feet, is the highest point that you can drive to in the park.  You’ll find educational displays and exhibits, together with guided nature walks that explain everything you wanted to know about sub-alpine and alpine ecosystems.  Want to see some glaciers?  You can use the free telescopes after you hit the snack bar or restaurant for a much needed pick-me-up.

Seattle and Bainbridge Island

The best part of this vacation is using the great city of Seattle as your home base.  When it’s not raining, it’s one of the most entertaining cities to visit with Pike Place Market, Seattle Aquarium, Pioneer Square, the Space Needle and Pacific Science Center.  The city offers numerous cultural attractions, a wonderful waterfront area and the food (and coffee) is unbeatable.  You can also hop aboard a boat to visit the historic city of Victoria, British Columbia or take a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, where you can explore, have lunch and see some pretty amazing art galleries.  The view from the back of the ferry ride looking toward the city is well worth the ticket price.

Are you planning to visit National Parks this summer?  Where are you going?

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Annapolis, MD

Annapolis is a town where a majority of the residents live to be on the water and to party.  With few exceptions, boating takes a back seat during the colder months, but as spring approaches a gleam starts to form in the eyes of many Annapolitans as they look forward to preparing their boats for launching as well as ridding themselves of the socks that they have been forced to wear during the colder months.  It was only a matter of time until those two events combined into a single party with a celebration involving the consuming of beverages and the ritual burning of those socks.  The sacrifice of the socks celebrates the boating season to come, anticipation of warm weather and being rid of one less item of clothing to wash and fold.  I strongly suggested that all socks be removed prior to burning.  Washing the socks before roasting them keeps the spring air fresh and clean!

Linfield College, Portland, OR

College kids, a party and a structure being set on fire to celebrate the cycle of creation and destruction, plus the completion of a semester and the arrival of spring.  Yeah, that should do it.  For the last five years, students in Linfield’s “Introduction to Collaborative Sculpture” are asked to work together to plan and construct a large outdoor sculpture.  Then, when the project has reached completion, they light that sucker on fire and have a huge party.  It has become a part of campus tradition and marks the beginning of spring and the end of the school year.  I have to say, I’m pretty impressed.  My art classes over the years pretty much involved some water colors, a little paper mache and the occasional clay pinch pot.

Beltane Fire Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland

If burning socks or a gigantic sculpture still haven’t brought on full-fledged spring, then it’s time to call in the big dogs and look to our cousins in Scotland.  On the evening of April 30^th, The Beltane Fire Festival brings forth a celebration of the end of the dark days of winter and the growing prominence of the sun in the spring sky.  From the top of a hill overlooking Edinburgh, hundreds of performers perform fire dances, drumming and pageantry as the “May Queen” (symbolizing the coming warmer weather) and “Green Man” (symbolizing, the upcoming planting season) slowly make their way to the huge fire ablaze at the top of the hill, meeting various groups of participants in blue costumes (symbolizing the forces of winter) that try to stop the inevitable arrival of warmer weather.  So, to recap, there is fire, dancing, revelry and, since this is Scotland, most likely a wee bit of scotch to be found.

What is your springtime ritual?  Did you go this year?

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Families love the C Lazy U Ranch because there’s something for everyone.  The big draw is the horse ranch.  The C Lazy U is one of the top horseback riding ranches in Colorado and with over 175 horses everyone is paired with a horse specifically suited to their riding ability.  The best part is you keep the same horse all week and before long he’s a friend for life.  If you’re not into horseback riding you can go mountain biking, fly fishing, play tennis, lounge at the pool or hot tub, or take a yoga class at the well-appointed fitness center.  There are tons of kid activities and NO television, so your little ones will have the outdoor adventure of their lives while you and your mate can settle in for a nice glass of wine next to a roaring fire.

The Lazy U Spa

If all the horseback riding and outdoor exploring have you feeling a little run down, head over the Lazy U Spa for a more soothing experience.  Step out of the saddle and into one of the specialty treatments like the “Cowboy Soak” that takes place in the moonlight in an old-fashioned tub overlooking the creek with champagne and strawberries.

Family Rodeo

Every Saturday afternoon the Ranch puts on a “Shodeo” where everyone gets to show off the equestrian skills learned during the week.  The kids are the stars of the show and have a great time practicing, performing and receiving a special reward.  Be sure to take plenty of photos!

Cowboy Coffee

When you’re busy riding and exploring the dude ranch, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Make sure you rise early on Friday for the Woodsy Breakfast where you’ll soak in unforgettable views of the Indian Peaks that overlook Willow Creek.   A cookout breakfast of fresh-made donuts, trout, eggs, bacon and pancakes are served next to a roaring fire with Cowboy Coffee.

Have you ever vacationed at a dude ranch?  Share your experience in the comments below…

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