adplus-dvertising
Connect with us

Media

Meet the traveler behind social media’s viral packing hacks

Published

1 year ago

 on

We’ve all been there – frantically tipping suitcase contents onto an airport bench, desperately trying to rearrange items to avoid going over the airline baggage allowance.

“Maybe I should just wear all my clothes at once,” you ponder, as you weigh up the inconvenience of layering four sweaters on a crowded airplane over the cost of shelling out extra for your overweight bag.

That’s where packing expert Chelsea Dickenson steps in.

“You can absolutely pack smaller than you think, I promise you, you can,” Dickenson tells CNN Travel. “And I’m going to go out there and say that it will make your holiday better.”

Dickenson, a 33-year-old traveler from the UK, founded the website Cheap Holiday Expert to provide tips and tricks for budget-friendly vacations.

As a frequent flyer, Dickenson prides herself on traveling light. And if she ends up short on space, she’s good at coming up with unexpected solutions.

Take, for example, Dickenson’s viral fishing vest packing hack, in which she travels with a multi-pocketed, zip-up vest designed for fishing equipment.

On a recent EasyJet flight to London to Lisbon, Dickenson wore the vest and stuffed the pockets full of miscellaneous items, from a bikini to a laptop.

Did she get strange looks in the airport security line?

“With the fishing vest – it’s a jacket. What do you do with your jackets? You put them in a tray. Do you take everything out of your pockets? No, you don’t. Not in a normal jacket – so why would you do it in a fishing vest? It’s completely the same,” says Dickenson, who points out that airport security staff aren’t worried about baggage allowance, they’re just making sure you’re not transporting illegal items or carrying too many liquids.

At the gate, Dickenson and her fishing vest also “sailed through.” On board the plane, she took off the jacket and placed it in one of the overhead bins, before picking it up and putting it on at the other end.

Tips and tricks

Here's Chelsea Dickenson at an airport, modeling the fishing vest stuffed with extra clothes.

Here’s Chelsea Dickenson at an airport, modeling the fishing vest stuffed with extra clothes.

Courtesy Chelsea Dickenson

The fishing vest is just one of several packing hacks Dickenson’s shared with her thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram.

On another flight from London to Vienna with Wizz Air, Dickenson replaced the memory foam in her travel neck pillow with seven pairs of underwear, five pairs of socks, a pair of leggings and two t-shirts. She put the travel pillow into a security tray “without a hitch” and was waved through at the gate, “no questions asked.”

Maybe the best part, says Dickenson, is the pillow was still super comfortable when she rested her head on it during the flight.

Dickenson’s also tried stuffing a bra with clothes, and then wearing it over her clothes and under her coat.

Dickenson took off bra to go through security to avoid any embarrassment, stuffing it in her bag before putting it on again at the gate.

While Dickenson decided the bra idea was “ridiculous and the pay off isn’t big enough,” she’s a big fan of her fishing vest and travel pillow hacks.

Dickenson's travel neck pillow hack is one of her favorites.

Dickenson’s travel neck pillow hack is one of her favorites.

Courtesy Chelsea Dickenson

“The neck pillow was a big win, because not only have I done it – I have had loads of messages from people who have done it as well,” says Dickenson, who says she’s even been at an airport and overheard fellow travelers talking about how they were giving it a go.

“Ultimately, it’s all about having a bit of fun with it,” says Dickenson of her packing hacks. “It is kind of my goal to highlight how ridiculous it is that we have to pay so much money if we want to take any baggage away with us – that is how cheap airlines operate these days.”

Travel experiences you can only enjoy while you’re young

 

Securing hotel upgrades

On her website and social media, Dickenson also share tips for securing a hotel upgrade.

On her website and social media, Dickenson also share tips for securing a hotel upgrade.

Courtesy Chelsea Dickenson

Dickenson’s also got some more conventional tips to make travel easier and more budget-friendly.

She is also a big fan of vacuum packs, for example. “You put all your clothes in, and then you push all the air out of them,” she explains. “You get so much more space.”

And Dickenson’s a big proponent of list-making to avoid over-packing. Before she goes on a trip, Dickenson always writes down all the items she’ll need, breaking down the trip day-by-day. This strategy helps her pack concisely and lightly. Rather than packing random clothes, she’s got daily outfits ready to go.

And there’s an added bonus.

“It means that you really do cut down on packing too many pairs of pants,” says Dickenson, using the British term for underwear. “I don’t know about you, but I used to pack about 20 for a week away – you do not need to do that.”

Dickenson’s also become known for her hotel upgrade email template, available on her website for others to copy, paste and send.

The template is brief, polite and friendly – and has a pretty high success rate.

“I get messages – maybe two or three –  every single day from people saying, ‘Oh my God, it worked. I just turned up, we are in a suite. We’ve got champagne. Thank you so much. I would never ever have asked if you hadn’t have put the suggestion in my head,’” says Dickenson.

Dickenson’s motto is when it comes to any kind of travel upgrade, it’s always worth asking. After all, the worst that will happen is someone says no. For hotels specifically, Dickenson advises doing some digging beforehand and working out to whom you should address your email – that personal touch can really help.

How simple luggage trackers became the hottest travel accessory

 

Wonder of travel

Dickenson thinks travel should be for everyone and she's committed to doing her bit to make vacations more budget-friendly.

Dickenson thinks travel should be for everyone and she’s committed to doing her bit to make vacations more budget-friendly.

Courtesy Chelsea Dickenson

While Dickenson enjoys making her followers laugh with her packing hacks, she’s also serious about her commitment to helping people travel for less.

She’s regularly frustrated at the high costs of travel, particularly for families, and the fact these costs can become a roadblock to vacations.

“People deserve to get away, to have that moment to relax, to see something new,” Dickenson says. “For children growing up – I think it’s a really important part of learning something new, learning about new cultures.”

Dickenson hopes her tips can help travelers avoid extraneous costs and encourage them to explore the world as much as they can.

“There’s that lovely thing about travel that it just reminds you that we are all just humans dotted at different points across the globe, and there’s a lot more that unites us than makes us different,” she says. “I know I’ve got super cheesy here, but truly that is one of the major massive perks that travel has, that it’s able to bring people together in that way.”

728x90x4

Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Media

Sutherland House Experts Book Publishing Launches To Empower Quiet Experts

Published

13 hours ago

 on

September 19, 2024

By

Sutherland House Experts is Empowering Quiet Experts through
Compelling Nonfiction in a Changing Ideas Landscape
TORONTO, ON — Almost one year after its launch, Sutherland House Experts is reshaping the publishing industry with its innovative co-publishing model for “quiet experts.” This approach, where expert authors share both costs and profits with the publisher, is bridging the gap between expertise and public discourse. Helping to drive this transformation is Neil Seeman, a renowned author, educator, and entrepreneur.

“The book publishing world is evolving rapidly,” publisher Neil Seeman explains. “There’s a growing hunger for expert voices in public dialogue, but traditional channels often fall short. Sutherland House Experts provides a platform for ‘quiet experts’ to share their knowledge with the broader book-reading audience.”

The company’s roster boasts respected thought leaders whose books are already gaining major traction:

• V. Kumar Murty, a world-renowned mathematician, and past Fields Institute director, just published “The Science of Human Possibilities” under the new press. The book has been declared a 2024 “must-read” by The Next Big Ideas Club and is receiving widespread media attention across North America.

• Eldon Sprickerhoff, co-founder of cybersecurity firm eSentire, is seeing strong pre-orders for his upcoming book, “Committed: Startup Survival Tips and Uncommon Sense for First-Time Tech Founders.”

• Dr. Tony Sanfilippo, a respected cardiologist and professor of medicine at Queen’s University, is generating significant media interest with his forthcoming book, “The Doctors We Need: Imagining a New Path for Physician Recruitment, Training, and Support.”

Seeman, whose recent and acclaimed book, “Accelerated Minds,” explores the entrepreneurial mindset, brings a unique perspective to publishing. His experience as a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, and academic affiliations with The Fields Institute and Massey College, give him deep insight into the challenges faced by people he calls “quiet experts.”

“Our goal is to empower quiet, expert authors to become entrepreneurs of actionable ideas the world needs to hear,” Seeman states. “We are blending scholarly insight with market savvy to create accessible, impactful narratives for a global readership. Quiet experts are people with decades of experience in one or more fields who seek to translate their insights into compelling non-fiction for the world,” says Seeman.

This fall, Seeman is taking his insights to the classroom. He will teach the new course, “The Writer as Entrepreneur,” at the University of Toronto, offering aspiring authors practical tools to navigate the evolving book publishing landscape. To enroll in this new weekly night course starting Tuesday, October 1st, visit:
https://learn.utoronto.ca/programs-courses/courses/4121-writer-entrepreneur

“The entrepreneurial ideas industry is changing rapidly,” Seeman notes. “Authors need new skills to thrive in this dynamic environment. My course and our publishing model provide those tools.”

About Neil Seeman:
Neil Seeman is co-founder and publisher of Sutherland House Experts, an author, educator, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. He holds appointments at the University of Toronto, The Fields Institute, and Massey College. His work spans entrepreneurship, public health, and innovative publishing models.

Follow Neil Seeman:
https://www.neilseeman.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seeman/

Follow Sutherland House Experts:
https://sutherlandhouseexperts.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sutherlandhouseexperts/

Media Inquiries:
Sasha Stoltz | Sasha@sashastoltzpublicity.com | 416.579.4804
https://www.sashastoltzpublicity.com
Continue Reading

Media

What to stream this weekend: ‘Civil War,’ Snow Patrol, ‘How to Die Alone,’ ‘Tulsa King’ and ‘Uglies’

Published

6 days ago

 on

September 13, 2024

By

 

Hallmark launching a streaming service with two new original series, and Bill Skarsgård out for revenge in “Boy Kills World” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Alex Garland’s “Civil War” starring Kirsten Dunst, Natasha Rothwell’s heartfelt comedy for Hulu called “How to Die Alone” and Sylvester Stallone’s second season of “Tulsa King” debuts.

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

— Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is finally making its debut on MAX on Friday. The film stars Kirsten Dunst as a veteran photojournalist covering a violent war that’s divided America; She reluctantly allows an aspiring photographer, played by Cailee Spaeny, to tag along as she, an editor (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and a reporter (Wagner Moura) make the dangerous journey to Washington, D.C., to interview the president (Nick Offerman), a blustery, rising despot who has given himself a third term, taken to attacking his citizens and shut himself off from the press. In my review, I called it a bellowing and haunting experience; Smart and thought-provoking with great performances. It’s well worth a watch.

— Joey King stars in Netflix’s adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies,” about a future society in which everyone is required to have beautifying cosmetic surgery at age 16. Streaming on Friday, McG directed the film, in which King’s character inadvertently finds herself in the midst of an uprising against the status quo. “Outer Banks” star Chase Stokes plays King’s best friend.

— Bill Skarsgård is out for revenge against the woman (Famke Janssen) who killed his family in “Boy Kills World,” coming to Hulu on Friday. Moritz Mohr directed the ultra-violent film, of which Variety critic Owen Gleiberman wrote: “It’s a depraved vision, yet I got caught up in its kick-ass revenge-horror pizzazz, its disreputable commitment to what it was doing.”

— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

— The year was 2006. Snow Patrol, the Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band, released an album, “Eyes Open,” producing the biggest hit of their career: “Chasing Cars.” A lot has happened in the time since — three, soon to be four quality full-length albums, to be exact. On Friday, the band will release “The Forest Is the Path,” their first new album in seven years. Anthemic pop-rock is the name of the game across songs of love and loss, like “All,”“The Beginning” and “This Is the Sound Of Your Voice.”

— For fans of raucous guitar music, Jordan Peele’s 2022 sci-fi thriller, “NOPE,” provided a surprising, if tiny, thrill. One of the leads, Emerald “Em” Haywood portrayed by Keke Palmer, rocks a Jesus Lizard shirt. (Also featured through the film: Rage Against the Machine, Wipers, Mr Bungle, Butthole Surfers and Earth band shirts.) The Austin noise rock band are a less than obvious pick, having been signed to the legendary Touch and Go Records and having stopped releasing new albums in 1998. That changes on Friday the 13th, when “Rack” arrives. And for those curious: The Jesus Lizard’s intensity never went away.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

NEW SHOWS TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

— Hallmark launched a streaming service called Hallmark+ on Tuesday with two new original series, the scripted drama “The Chicken Sisters” and unscripted series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert.” If you’re a Hallmark holiday movies fan, you know Chabert. She’s starred in more than 30 of their films and many are holiday themed. Off camera, Chabert has a passion for throwing parties and entertaining. In “Celebrations,” deserving people are surprised with a bash in their honor — planned with Chabert’s help. “The Chicken Sisters” stars Schuyler Fisk, Wendie Malick and Lea Thompson in a show about employees at rival chicken restaurants in a small town. The eight-episode series is based on a novel of the same name.

— Natasha Rothwell of “Insecure” and “The White Lotus” fame created and stars in a new heartfelt comedy for Hulu called “How to Die Alone.” She plays Mel, a broke, go-along-to-get-along, single, airport employee who, after a near-death experience, makes the conscious decision to take risks and pursue her dreams. Rothwell has been working on the series for the past eight years and described it to The AP as “the most vulnerable piece of art I’ve ever put into the world.” Like Mel, Rothwell had to learn to bet on herself to make the show she wanted to make. “In the Venn diagram of me and Mel, there’s significant overlap,” said Rothwell. It premieres Friday on Hulu.

— Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise and Betty Gilpin star in a new drama for Starz called “Three Women,” about entrepreneur Sloane, homemaker Lina and student Maggie who are each stepping into their power and making life-changing decisions. They’re interviewed by a writer named Gia (Woodley.) The series is based on a 2019 best-selling book of the same name by Lisa Taddeo. “Three Women” premieres Friday on Starz.

— Sylvester Stallone’s second season of “Tulsa King” debuts Sunday on Paramount+. Stallone plays Dwight Manfredi, a mafia boss who was recently released from prison after serving 25 years. He’s sent to Tulsa to set up a new crime syndicate. The series is created by Taylor Sheridan of “Yellowstone” fame.

— Alicia Rancilio

NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

— One thing about the title of Focus Entertainment’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 — you know exactly what you’re in for. You are Demetrian Titus, a genetically enhanced brute sent into battle against the Tyranids, an insectoid species with an insatiable craving for human flesh. You have a rocket-powered suit of armor and an arsenal of ridiculous weapons like the “Chainsword,” the “Thunderhammer” and the “Melta Rifle,” so what could go wrong? Besides the squishy single-player mode, there are cooperative missions and six-vs.-six free-for-alls. You can suit up now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

— Likewise, Wild Bastards isn’t exactly the kind of title that’s going to attract fans of, say, Animal Crossing. It’s another sci-fi shooter, but the protagonists are a gang of 13 varmints — aliens and androids included — who are on the run from the law. Each outlaw has a distinctive set of weapons and special powers: Sarge, for example, is a robot with horse genes, while Billy the Squid is … well, you get the idea. Australian studio Blue Manchu developed the 2019 cult hit Void Bastards, and this Wild-West-in-space spinoff has the same snarky humor and vibrant, neon-drenched cartoon look. Saddle up on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch or PC.

— Lou Kesten

Source link

Continue Reading

Media

Trump could cash out his DJT stock within weeks. Here’s what happens if he sells

Published

4 weeks ago

 on

August 23, 2024

By

Former President Donald Trump is on the brink of a significant financial decision that could have far-reaching implications for both his personal wealth and the future of his fledgling social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). As the lockup period on his shares in TMTG, which owns Truth Social, nears its end, Trump could soon be free to sell his substantial stake in the company. However, the potential payday, which makes up a large portion of his net worth, comes with considerable risks for Trump and his supporters.

Trump’s stake in TMTG comprises nearly 59% of the company, amounting to 114,750,000 shares. As of now, this holding is valued at approximately $2.6 billion. These shares are currently under a lockup agreement, a common feature of initial public offerings (IPOs), designed to prevent company insiders from immediately selling their shares and potentially destabilizing the stock. The lockup, which began after TMTG’s merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), is set to expire on September 25, though it could end earlier if certain conditions are met.

Should Trump decide to sell his shares after the lockup expires, the market could respond in unpredictable ways. The sale of a substantial number of shares by a major stakeholder like Trump could flood the market, potentially driving down the stock price. Daniel Bradley, a finance professor at the University of South Florida, suggests that the market might react negatively to such a large sale, particularly if there aren’t enough buyers to absorb the supply. This could lead to a sharp decline in the stock’s value, impacting both Trump’s personal wealth and the company’s market standing.

Moreover, Trump’s involvement in Truth Social has been a key driver of investor interest. The platform, marketed as a free speech alternative to mainstream social media, has attracted a loyal user base largely due to Trump’s presence. If Trump were to sell his stake, it might signal a lack of confidence in the company, potentially shaking investor confidence and further depressing the stock price.

Trump’s decision is also influenced by his ongoing legal battles, which have already cost him over $100 million in legal fees. Selling his shares could provide a significant financial boost, helping him cover these mounting expenses. However, this move could also have political ramifications, especially as he continues his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race.

Trump Media’s success is closely tied to Trump’s political fortunes. The company’s stock has shown volatility in response to developments in the presidential race, with Trump’s chances of winning having a direct impact on the stock’s value. If Trump sells his stake, it could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in his own political future, potentially undermining both his campaign and the company’s prospects.

Truth Social, the flagship product of TMTG, has faced challenges in generating traffic and advertising revenue, especially compared to established social media giants like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Despite this, the company’s valuation has remained high, fueled by investor speculation on Trump’s political future. If Trump remains in the race and manages to secure the presidency, the value of his shares could increase. Conversely, any missteps on the campaign trail could have the opposite effect, further destabilizing the stock.

As the lockup period comes to an end, Trump faces a critical decision that could shape the future of both his personal finances and Truth Social. Whether he chooses to hold onto his shares or cash out, the outcome will likely have significant consequences for the company, its investors, and Trump’s political aspirations.

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending