this clever crossbody bag can hold my water bottle, wallet, and phone through casual dog walks and summer vacations

Travel

This Clever Crossbody Bag Can Hold My Water Bottle, Wallet, and Phone Through Casual Dog Walks and Summer Vacations

Drescription

You can’t forget to bring water when walking your dog in hot weather. Dogs get overheated easily, especially if they have a thick coat, so having water on hand is essential. While I usually just carry a dog water bottle in my hand, I recently found a bag that makes it so much easier to take with me: the Calpak Water Bottle Holder. Even if you don’t have a dog, it’s useful for carrying your own water, too, whether you’re going on a summer walk, heading to the beach, or packing for your next vacation.

With an adjustable crossbody strap, the Calpak bag makes it easy for me to be hands-free while walking, which is particularly helpful when I already have my dog’s leash in one hand. The bag has four exterior pockets (one zippered and three slip pockets) to hold a variety of belongings, too. I was able to put my wallet and keys in the zippered pouch, and I put my phone in the back slip pocket for easy reach.

Calpak Water Bottle Holder

The top of the bag has a drawstring closure to keep your bottle securely in the bag. My dog’s water bottle didn’t slide out, even when I bent down to pick up dog poop. The inside is also insulated to keep your drink cool, and it’s water-resistant, which means you don’t have to worry if liquids spill in the bag. Made of a durable nylon-blend material, the bag is so easy to clean, too: Just wipe it down with water.

You can shop the bag in 13 colors, including summer-ready shades like powder blue, light pink, lavender, and peach. There are some fun patterns to choose from, too, like gingham, daisies, and checkered.

Not only is the bag great for long summer walks (with or without a dog), but it would also be perfect for traveling. While walking through the airport or train station, you can keep a water bottle handy while still having your hands free to hold carry-on luggage or a duffle bag. Or if you’re planning to be out all day touring around different locations, you can stay hydrated on the go.

“This is just the perfect water bottle holder/purse to bring on a hike, walk, travel etc.,” said one reviewer. “I go to Disney World frequently, and this is my purse at the park. It holds everything I need, and the design is so cute.”

Grab the Calpak Water Bottle Holder before the weather really heats up, and shop more versatile bags for travel, work, and everyday use below.

Calpak Haven Laptop Tote Bag

Calpak Kaya 15-Inch Laptop Backpack

Calpak Insulated Lunch Bag

Calpak Luka Mini Tote

Calpak Fit Gym Bag

8 Things You Should Never Do on a Plane, According to a Flight Attendant

They say it's about the journey, not the destination—but when air travel is involved, the journey can often be more difficult than enjoyable. Still, that doesn’t mean that basic courtesy should go out the window. In fact, it's all the more reason to be extra considerate. Here are eight things you should never do on a plane. Aiden, flight attendant Jenny Dreizen, modern-day etiquette, boundaries, and relationships expert Touch the Flight Attendants According to flight attendant Aiden (who didn't reveal his last name for privacy reasons), there is never a time when it's appropriate to touch a flight attendant. “Do not touch your flight attendants, period," he says. "When we are moving about the cabin—whether it is to serve a meal, prepare drinks, or collect garbage—we can still hear you! A simple ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ will get our attention.” After all, it’s generally not appropriate to touch someone you’ve just met. Ask to Use the Lavatory Right After Boarding Need to use the bathroom right after boarding? Be aware that you may be holding up the plane. It’s the worst time to be anywhere but your seat—plus, you likely had a chance before boarding. “Why didn’t you use it in the terminal?" Aiden asks. "When you're boarding, the flight crew has different tasks to handle, both those you can see and, more importantly, those you cannot. Things like monitoring overhead bin space, identifying passengers we can rely on in an emergency, and communicating with the flight deck and ground personnel.” If you're still not convinced, know that bathrooms in the airport are far better than compact airplane stalls. Put Your Arms, Legs, or Feet in the Aisle Aiden acknowledges that airplanes aren’t the most comfortable environments, but you need to keep your limbs to yourself. “Sometimes you need to stretch, but when we're trying to pass through the cabin—whether it's for service or just monitoring—it’s frustrating to have to wake every single person blocking the aisle," he says. "That being said, please just be courteous about your space, and if we ask you to move, please do." Run to the Front of the Plane Right After Landing Sure, you might be eager to get off the plane, but so is everyone else. “Upon landing and arrival at the gate, please don’t stand up and bolt to the front of the airplane," Aiden says. "It’s quite rude to other passengers, and frankly, it’s inconsiderate." Question the Flight Crew Aiden warns that doubting the flight crew—or refusing to listen—is a bad idea. “If we ask you to do something, we have a reason," he says. "Please don’t question us. Flight attendants go through five to eight weeks of rigorous training before we’re even allowed to step foot on a real aircraft. Many flight attendants, including myself, compare their initial training to taking a full semester’s worth of college classes in under two months.” You might not know that flight attendants are trained to do much more than serve drinks. They learn how to open multiple types of aircraft doors, perform CPR and AED usage, deliver babies, and even fight fires. “Yes, we know how to pour Diet Coke, but there is so much more to our job than that," Aiden says. "We are aviation’s first responders, so please treat us as such.” Put Your Feet on Someone Else’s Armrest Etiquette expert Jenny Dreizen says that putting your feet on someone else’s armrest is a big no-no. “We’ve all seen it: the toes creeping from behind our armrests—it’s like a horror movie with a very boring premise," she says. "I live internationally from my family, so air travel is a big part of my life, and I know as much as anyone how wildly uncomfortable flying is—but you still cannot put your feet on the back of someone else’s armrest, I’m sorry. We must maintain some decorum.” Go Barefoot Dreizen insists that taking off your socks is not only unacceptable, it’s also unhygienic. “Plane floors are dirty, and I don’t want you to catch anything," she says. "Also, we don’t want access to your feet. Keep them sheathed. The best idea is to wear your shoes and keep your socks on at all times.” Recline Without Consideration It's okay to recline, but it’s important to be mindful of others, according to Dreizen. “As annoying as it can be to have someone recline in front of you, it’s not their fault that the airplane is shoving everyone too close together—they’re just trying to be comfortable," she says. "That said, it’s a good idea to recline slowly if you can." And check behind you to see if the person has drinks or a laptop on their tray—a quick heads up that you're about to recline is courteous.

5 Easiest Ways to Stay Hydrated While Flying

Air travel is one of the most convenient ways to get from point A to point B, but the process is pretty exhausting. By the time you’ve boarded your plane, enjoyed a few glasses of wine, fallen asleep, and finally reached your destination, you’re likely dehydrated and itching for a glass of water. But what if we told you it didn’t have to be this way? We’ve gathered some actionable tips to help you stay hydrated while flying (and avoid feeling grumpy by the time your plane hits the landing strip). Edwina Clark is a registered dietician based in San Francisco, CA. Amanda Morgott is a product design engineer at Amway in Ada, MI. What Causes Dehydration on a Flight? It’s not just your effort to drink tons of water that plays a role in air travel dehydration. Everything from low humidity to recirculating air contributes to how flying affects our body, all of which translates to low hydration levels. According to Edwina Clark, RD, there are a few situational factors that can cause this: “Cabin air is low and pulls fluid from your body, you’re sitting for long periods at a constant temperature and may not feel thirsty, and fluids are generally less available in-flight compared to at home.” Thankfully, though, achieving maximum hydration in the air isn’t impossible. Considerations Before You Get Started Water Inequality Unfortunately, not all water is created equal, so it’s important to drink the right water to fill you up with moisture and energy. Water filtration expert Amanda Morgott explains that spring water and purified tap water are best to drink in dehydrating circumstances because of their natural minerals. Similarly, Morgott debunks the popularized benefits of high pH water. “The body is so efficient at regulating pH that within the digestive system any alkaline water is quickly balanced,” she explains. “The impact on hydration from alkaline water is no different than that of spring water.” Prepare Ahead of Time Ahead of your trip, prepwork matters. You’ll want to spend time before your flight hydrating as efficiently as possible. If your flight is early in the morning, skip the coffee or juice and go straight to drinking water so that you start your flight hydrated (it pays off more than you think!). How to Stay Hydrated In-Flight Avoid Alcohol An airport beer might sound like a good idea while you’re waiting to board your flight, but the dehydrating effects aren’t worth it. Instead, consider asking for water in-flight or refilling your water bottle before boarding. If you’d rather have something with more flavor, consider an electrolyte-rich beverage like Gatorade or coconut water. Sip Throughout the Flight It's extremely important to drink water before flying, but so is hydrating consistently during your flight. “Even if you aren’t feeling thirsty, continue to keep up with fluids following travel to compensate for the fluids lost,” says Amway product design engineer Amanda Morgott. Eat High Water Content Foods Besides drinking clean and safe H2O, eating water-rich foods can help curb dehydration. Snacking on fruits and vegetables—like watermelon, cucumbers, and strawberries—will increase your water intake and provide additional minerals to improve your energy levels. Use Saline Nasal Spray and Eye Drops Have you ever experienced congestion and dry eyes while flying? Dehydration doesn’t just present as headaches and fatigue, it can also show up in our sinuses. Morgott recommends that frequent flyers travel with saline nasal spray and eye drops to keep dryness at bay. “As a bonus, keeping these areas moisturized also helps your body’s natural defenses against airborne germs,” she says. Moisturize Your Lips, Face, and Body In addition to your sinuses, don’t forget to keep your lips, face, and body moisturized while in-flight. Consider keeping a few products like lip balm, lotion, hand cream, and rosewater spray in your personal item for easy access while flying and reapply them every few hours for hydrated skin once you land.

A Quick River House Guest Bathroom Reveal

Welcome to a quick reveal of my brother’s guest bath which is small, cute, blue and right next to that new pink bedroom that we are obsessed with. Max Humphrey and I designed this together – starting almost 3 years ago when I was still in Arrowhead! He has the same tile in his bathroom, which was the jumping-off point and we designed the rest of it it to be simple and contemporary. The Tile We worked with Ann Sacks on the tile and chose their Context line for the walls in this really pretty denim blue color called Spa. The wall tile is 2×12 so you can see we did a vertical row and then a horizontal tile on top, essentially creating a type of stripe. It’s a nice way to lay out tile to have it not be busy but do something interesting (neither a stack nor a stagger, no offense to either of those :)). We wanted to do a sort of color drench in here so we used a darker blue penny tile in a color called Lantern on the floor – a real Max Humphrey move. As you can see there is a lot of color variation to the tile that you can’t really tell on a sample, so when it’s installed it has some dark spots making each piece look more organic (but good to know). The Shower Plumbing We went with the Purist line in the Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass with cross handles. The Purist remains my favorite line of theirs for both modern and transitional, but can absolutely go “modern traditional” as well. And per usual it comes in nine different finishes – all so pretty. Max chose the grout for the tile which was lighter on the walls and a bit darker grey on the floors. We talked about it after the grout was put in, and both of us would’ve done a darker blue grout on the floor, adding more of a contrast with the walls. We used white Caesarstone leftovers for all the trim and niche. We wanted to add some other design elements but didn’t want to make it too busy (and honestly at this point we were on a budget so we didn’t want to add a second tile. I felt that a paint color wouldn’t be impactful enough and didn’t necessarily want to add any wood paneling or anything like that. So once I found this wallpaper from Mitchell Black I loved how it picked up on the warmer tones of the brass and wood, but was still quiet and organic. We also didn’t know how we were going to design the guest room (and this bathroom is inside the guest room so they really needed to coordinate). So whatever we chose we didn’t want to lock us into a specific color palette just yet. This wallpaper is so neutral, soft, and pretty. This bathroom is pretty small, but this vanity has a lot of storage and works really well in here. We switched out the hardware to be black wood (stained, from Etsy) and I love that it looks like freestanding furniture. The sink and counter come with it making it easy for purchasing and install. I LOVE that light fixture, by Worley’s, which you can customize both the metal and the wood. I was greedy and wanted a multi-finish sconce so this black and wood double sconce was perfect here and married all of our finishes. The mirror was a $50 Home Goods purchase, y’all. I know these are a bit trendy and I bought it on a whim, but once I held it up we all agreed it was pretty dang cute and the idea of continuing to shop for something “better” wasn’t necessary. I like the tone of the wood with the wallpaper and the shape of the mirror with the organic “flock of birds” like pattern. For this bathroom we did a deck mount faucet, mostly to switch it up after a lot of wall mounts :) Designing five bathrooms at the same time makes you want a bit of variety. But behind the scenes, we may have wallpapered a dark slightly gold-flecked navy blue paper at first…it was a big “hell no” which was a bummer, but thank god the install of it was also problematic so we were able to re-install the new paper for free. So much better :) The flow between this bathroom and its bedroom is really pretty and while it’s small, it’s highly functional, so pretty, and does the job. Only one more bathroom left :) Stay tuned!

16 Fall Jackets We Love (+ This Year’s Two Biggest Outerwear Trends)

We all love summer, obviously. But as a team with birthdays exclusively in September and October, we are also big into the fall:) And let’s be honest, a massive perk of feeling that first intoxicating fall breeze is getting to comfortably wear your fall jackets. It’s a part of the fall joy. What’s not to love about them? They’re cozy and warm without needing to be heavy and bulky like in the snowy months. Naturally, I wanted to see what was on the market and once I saw the offering I told the team I needed to do a roundup post with my/our favorites. This isn’t to say you need a new jacket! But if you do I hope this is helpful and fun. So based on my research (Instagram, TikTok, and online window shopping), there are two major trends that are ruling this fall – The Barn Jacket and brown suede. I’m not mad about it one bit. But don’t worry, there’s something for everyone in this post. Let’s get started. The first barn jacket on this list! These jackets are very “chore jacket” adjacent. They are meant to have a slightly oversized fit (so able to wear a bulky sweater under it), are casual but cool, have large pockets, and usually button up. Where I believe they separate from the chore is that a barn jacket has a contrasting collar color (usually darker and sometimes in a different fabric). I love the color of this one and the warmer collar tone. If you flip up the cuff they’re also that warmer camel color! It’s just a solid jacket that you could easily start wearing now and would be perfect for spring too. But if this tan color isn’t your vibe it also comes in two other neutral options. Here are two more versions that I loved. The jacket on the left is from an EHD favorite, Alex Mill. That means it isn’t cheap but Em can attest to the quality. I really like the color and the waxed cotton makes it look like you’ve had it for years even if it’s brand new. I also really adore the rich brown corduroy collar and cuffs. So chic. And while it looks like it only buttons there’s also a secret and very pretty gold zipper. Oh, and it also comes in a burgundy color. Then for the denim option, the pockets are my favorite! I love that they look layered. It’s the added details of this guy that made me swoon. So yes, the pockets but also the cuff strap and the back of it also has a cool structure. I’m in:) Quilted jackets have also become very popular over the past handful of years (outside the barn I mean). So this jacket feels both classic (the green and brown combo) and on-trend. So cute. Ok, we are leaving the barn jacket portion of this post but we’re not down with quilting just yet! I love the look of this soft and slightly modernized take they took. It looks like you could happily take a nap in it if you wanted. And while I’m partial to this “Chai” color, it also comes in a “Burnt Sage” green. What’s not to love about a denim sherpa jacket?? I have this jacket (with a different collar but still with sherpa lining) and LOVE IT. I might have told the story already that it was my best friend’s roommate’s and every time I visited I admired/borrowed it (with her permission!). Turns out she had wished she had gotten a bigger size (she’s much taller than 5’4″ me) so I proposed I buy her the size she wanted and I could swap for hers. I’m so grateful and was genuinely sad when it became too warm to wear it. All that to say, it’s a great jacket that’s a total classic you’ll have probably forever. I have a medium if that’s helpful to anyone and it’s perfectly oversized. This is the denim trench Emily is wearing in the opening photo! Here’s what she said about it: “I bought this denim trench the SECOND I saw it (not part of my Madewell partnership). It’s excellent – drapes really well, layers really well, and is so much more me than a classic trench. I can dress it up like I did here or down (Soccer games? Sure!).” This one might need to come home with me. Yes, suede is currently trending more than usual but it’s another classic material that never really goes out of style. And this trench version is impossibly cool. Plus with it being made out of a faux-suede it’s at a much more reasonable price point ($178) as opposed to this also very beautiful Alexa Chung x Madewell version that’s going for $850. This cutie is under $100 and looks so pretty and classic. If you can’t tell I really love an oversized jacket or coat and this one has just the right amount of room. And you can’t tell from this photo but it also has a belt! Since it’s from Old Navy, it’s available in up to 4x and comes in a very stunning red. Sorry! One more barn jacket but this one is long so it felt a little different:) This whole outfit is so effortless. I love that this coat, as opposed to the jackets at the beginning, has a fun but classic pattern and a solid-colored collar. The zipper also makes bundling up a little easier. 10/10! Sticking with a great pattern that’s also wonderfully neutral, this is SUCH a great throw-on-and-go coat that will make any outfit feel more intentional and styled. Pair it with a workout look, jeans and a t-shirt, you name it. This will go with almost anything and look awesome. Get a trench but make it slightly street style! First off, I think this gray-blue is so great. Just enough color to make it feel a little exciting but not so bold that you can’t wear it with any outfit. The hooded dickey is removable but I really love it for everyday! It makes this whole look slightly more casual but in a very cool way. Another little trench twist is this cropped trench! If you are someone who doesn’t prefer a long coat but does love the style and “flappiness” of a trench this could be for you. It’s as if they literally just chopped off the bottom of the most classic trench. I think it’s so cute and fun and perfect for fall. This one on the other hand had more of a modern utility vibe that I REALLY love. The oversized pockets and shoulder straps are so good. It would be hard to not feel extremely cool in this jacket. I would happily wear this! It also comes in a beige color if that’s more your general color palette. These last two jackets are staples that are great to have in everyone’s closet if you ask me (no pressure though:)). A black blazer like this one can be thrown with so many different outfits and will make you feel powerful. At least that’s how I feel. I love that this one is oversized (duh) because it looks more architectural which is one of my style words I try to shop by. Yes, the other is a black leather jacket. I realized that I’m still in the market (this past very hot summer made wearing leather feel like a distant reality) and this one is the perfect moto style. Simple, classic, always on trend:) And since it’s not real leather it’s priced at $120 which doesn’t feel too bad! Anyone else getting very excited to bundle up a bit more?? Hope this was fun and/or helpful! See you tomorrow for the link up. Love you, mean it.