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Ricardo Elite Lightweight Luggage

I travel. A lot.

I didn’t used to travel much, but with blogging turning into a fulltime job, I find myself jetting around at least every other month.

The opportunities to travel are probably my most favorite part of the whole gig. I love staying in nice hotels, eating out, seeing new cities, and just getting a change of scenery (although it’s always great to get home.)

You’d think with all my globe trotting, I’d have learned to pack efficiently, but it’s definitely a work in progress.

One thing I have learned, however, is the value of good quality luggage.

A few years ago, I lugged an ENORMOUS suitcase with me wherever I went. It was constantly weighing in over the baggage limit at the airport. Invariably, I would end up either paying overage charges or emptying it out at the gate, stuffing jeans and other heavy items into my carry-on bag. Not fun.

The only other suitcase we owned was a small carry-on sized suitcase, and did I mention that I am not an efficient packer? Yeah, that one was HARDLY going to contain my arsenal of outfits and boots and makeup and toiletries.

So just in time for last year’s Blissdom Conference, I went to Marshall’s and bought myself a medium-sized suitcase with a matching toiletry bag. It’s the perfect size for my typical 3-4 day trips, and it’s served me well except for one thing. It’s a piece of crap.

(Not that you can’t get decent luggage at Marshall’s; I just happened to buy the cheapest thing I could find.)

I thought I was being practical, but the result is endless amounts of frustration. The wheels are too small, the bag drags on the carpet, it is hard to maneuver, and the handle is too short. I could go on and on.

I have been meaning to invest in better luggage for some time, but it just hasn’t been a priority in our budget.

Then one day last week, this beauty suddenly appeared on my doorstep.

I had forgotten all about it, but when I attended the Family Travel Conference last month, we were informed that we would each receive a piece of luggage after we got home. And this is it.

I immediately dove in, unzipping every compartment and giving it a test drive on my thickest carpets. It maneuvers like a dream, it is so light weight and it has a TON of compartments inside.

It also expands, which is perfect for blogging conferences where you tend to bring home more than you take with you.

I AM IN LOVE.

I have never had such a lovely piece of luggage. It’s a great size, at 20 inches, but I am already plotting how I can acquire a larger one to match. I found the set on luggagefactory.com, and it’s actually fairly affordable. Prices range from $116 to $179 — well worth it, based on my not-so-great experience with cheaper luggage.

Now I’m ALL SET for the Disney Social Media Conference next month! And our family trip to D.C. And Type A Mom Conference. And BlogHer. And . . .

(Thanks to the organizers and sponsors of the Family Travel Conference!!)

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9 Responses

  1. i wonder i this would work for my husband – he travels SOOO much for work and every suitcase he has bought (and he buys NICE suitcases) has broken in about a year. Its so annoying. If that could survive him, it would survive anything!!!

  2. That is GORGEOUS. Love the deep purple and how organized it is. I bought a new suitcase last year before blogher after my previous (cheap) suitcase broke in NY. Good luggage is so important.

  3. That is really cute! I have a suitcase that I like, but it’s kinda heavy! I just can’t pack lightly – I try and try but it just never works! Love all of the different compartments. Can’t wait to hear about your trip to DC – my husband & I are going for a week at the end of May and I’m really looking forward to your review!

  4. What a great suitcase – and I LOVE the color! I’m definitely going to check out this brand.

    Can you tell us more about the Family Travel Conference? Who attended and what were your top takeaways?

    Also – Have SO MUCH FUN at the DisneySMMoms Conference. We went last year and enjoyed it immensely. Are you bringing the whole family along?

    1. It was a really small group. I wrote about it a bit here, where I was actually reviewing the hotel where we stayed.

      https://jolynneshane.com/2012/02/a-night-at-the-omni-berkshire-place-nyc.html

      Vera wrote a great post summing up the key takeaways. I wish I’d thought to do that!

      https://www.ladyandtheblog.com/2012/02/07/key-takeaways-from-attending-the-family-travel-conference/

      I am NOT bring the whole fam to Disney SMM Con. We are actually planning a family trip with my parents and brother’s family for October so I chose to bring along 3 other bloggers to the Disney conference! 🙂

  5. I extrapolate that from the label and the size stated, the model of the suitcase is the Crystal City 20″ Expandable Spinner Carry-on.

  6. I have the same suit case and it’s larger sibling. I bought mine at a discount at AAA. I love mine too. The only question I have is there is a padded strap inside…Do you have any idea what it is for? Happy Traveling!

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